Independent Qualification of the CIAU Tool Based on the Uncertainty Estimate in the Prediction of Angra 1 NPP Inadvertent Load Rejection Transient

The Code with - the capability of - Internal Assessment of Uncertainty (CIAU) is a tool proposed by the “Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Nucleare e della Produzione (DIMNP)” of the University of Pisa. Other Institutions including the nuclear regulatory body from Brazil, “Comissa˜o Nacional de Energia Nuclear”, contributed to the development of the tool. The CIAU aims at providing the currently available Relap5/Mod3.2 system code with the integrated capability of performing not only relevant transient calculations but also the related estimates of uncertainty bands. The Uncertainty Methodology based on Accuracy Extrapolation (UMAE) is used to characterize the uncertainty in the prediction of system code calculations for light water reactors and is internally coupled with the above system code. Following an overview of the CIAU development, the present paper deals with the independent qualification of the tool. The qualification test is performed by estimating the uncertainty bands that should envelope the prediction of the Angra 1 NPP transient RES-11. 99 originated by an inadvertent complete load rejection that caused the reactor scram when the unit was operating at 99% of nominal power. The current limitation of the ‘error’ database, implemented into the CIAU prevented a final demonstration of the qualification. However, all the steps for the qualification process are demonstrated.