Qualification of coupled 3D neutron kinetic/thermal hydraulic code systems by the calculation of main steam line break benchmarks in a NPP with VVER-440 reactor

Recently 3D neutron kinetics core models have been coupled to advanced thermal hydraulic system codes. These coupled codes can be used for the analysis of the whole reactor system. In the framework of the international association „Atomic Energy Research“ (AER) on VVER Reactor Physics and Reactor Safety, two benchmarks for these code systems were defined. The reference reactor is the Russian VVER-440. The response of the reactor core to a symmetric and an asymmetric main steam line break should be investigated. So, different aspects of the coupling could be tested. As an additional feature, the participants had to use own nuclear data.

Each of these benchmarks was calculated by five different code systems. The comparison of the received solutions for the symmetric case shows a good agreement in the evolution of the thermal hydraulics. When the core power re-establishes after re-criticality, differences between the single solutions are developing, mainly connected with the use of the different nuclear data. Due to the increased complexity of the calculations, in the second benchmark differences between the thermal hydraulic behaviour in the single calculations were observed, additionally. These differences have their main origin in the behaviour of the secondary side.

The results of both benchmarks show the safety potential of the VVER-440 reactor. Even under very conservative conditions no fuel rod failure was observed in the calculations and the reactor was transferred into a sub-critical final state.