The International Experimental Thermal Hydraulic Systems Database (TIETHYS): A New NEA Validation Tool

Nuclear reactor codes require validation with appropriate data representing the plant for specific scenarios. The thermal-hydraulic data is scattered in different locations and in different formats. Some of the data is in danger of being lost. A relational database is being developed to organize the international thermal hydraulic test data for various reactor concepts and different scenarios. At the reactor system level, that data is organized to include separate effect tests and integral effect tests for specific scenarios and corresponding phenomena. The database relies on the phenomena identification sections of expert developed PIRTs. The database will provide a summary of appropriate data, review of facility information, test description, instrumentation, references for the experimental data and some examples of application of the data for validation. The database has expandable platform and will accommodate different types of reactors and thermal-hydraulic tests. The current database platform includes scenarios for PWR, BWR, VVER, and specific benchmarks for CFD modelling data and is to be expanded to include references for molten salt reactors. There are place holders for high temperature gas cooled reactors, CANDU and liquid metal reactors. This relational database is called The International Experimental Thermal Hydraulic Systems database – TIETHYS and currently resides at Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) of the OECD and is freely open to public access. Going forward the database will be extended to include additional links and data as they become available. The organizations conducting thermal-hydraulic tests are encouraged to submit their test data for inclusion in database for wider exposure and for preservation. https://www.oecd-nea.org/tiethysweb/