Uncertainty quantification of RELAP5/MOD3.3 for interfacial shear stress during small break LOCA

Abstract

The Best-Estimate Plus Uncertainty (BEPU) is applied as Deterministic Approach for safety analysis of Nuclear Power Plant using the system analysis code. The system analysis code such as Relap5/Mod3.3 is required to be able to simulate the thermal-hydraulic behavior of nuclear reactor in some accident scenarios. Relap5/Mod3.3 is developed based on two-fluid models and 6 conservation equations for each phase which challenge for mathematical modeling such as onedemensional equation, time-dependent equation, multidimensional effects or complicated geometry. Thus, it is necessary to verify the applicability of a system analysis code that is able to predict accurately the two-phase flow such as interfacial shear stress between two phases: liquid and gases. It is also important to know the prediction uncertainty by using computer code due to the constitutive relation in the two-fluid model equation. In PWR’s Small-Break LOCA (SB-LOCA) accident, the loop-seal clearing is important phenomena where we would like to know how much water (reflux condensation) will be come into the reactor core from Steam Generator. In this work, the UPTFTRAM simulated the counter-current flow in Loop-seal Clearing between vapor and liquid in Loopseal during SB-LOCA is used to verify the applicability of Relap5/Mod3.3 and the experimental data are used to compare with simulation results. Moreover, the uncertainty evaluation or estimation is also investigated by applying the statistical method or BEPU in which the SUSA program developed by GRS is used.