Analytical Study on Detailed Void Distributions Inside BWR Fuel Bundle under Turbine Trip Event Considering Time-Dependent Pin Power Distributions

Abstract

A one-way coupling system between the plant simulator TRAC/BF1-ENTRÉE and the subchannel code with the improved cross flow model, NASCA, has been developed. Based on a scenario of turbine trip tests in the Peach Bottom Unit 2, the wide and rapid reactivity insertion transient induced by the system pressure rise was calculated. The pin power distribution in hot bundles was re-constructed considering heterogeneity of the fuel bundle. When the neighboring control blade is withdrawn, NASCA predicted that the steady-state bundle exit void distribution was nearly flat with regardless of the pin power distribution. However, void distributions in the middle and lower bundle regions became complicated depending on the pin power and the two-phase flow regime in each subchannel. The pin power distribution rapidly changed according to traveling of control blades. However, influence in the void distribution was delayed and damped due to the fuel heat conduction. The detailed void distribution under transient events has an impact on the location of dryout. It has been shown that the coupling calculation including the subchannel code is useful in understanding transition of the detailed void distribution depending on the pin power and the two-phase flow regime.

KEYWORDS:

• BWR type reactors
• NASCA
• ENTRÉE
• TRAC/BF1
• Peach Bottom Unit 2
• turbine trip
• pin power reconstruction
• subchannel analysis
• void distribution
• void drift
• cross flow
• fuel element clusters