The NuScale Small Modular Reactor (SMR) is an integrated Pressurized Water Reactor (iPWR) with the coolant flow based on the natural circulation. The reactor core consists of 37 fuel assemblies similar to those used in typical PWRs, but only half of their length to generate 160MW thermal power (50 MWe).
Current study involves the development of a NuScale-SMR model based on its Design Certification Application (DCA) data (from NRC) using RELAP/SCDAPSIM. The turbine trip transient (TTT) was simulated and analysed. The objective was to assess this version of the code for natural circulation system modeling capabilities and also to verify the input model against the publicly available TTT results obtained using NRELAP5. This successful benchmark confirms the reliability of the thermal hydraulic model and allows authors to use it for further safety and severe accident analyses.
The reactor core channels, pressurizer, riser and downcomer pipes as well as the secondary steam generator tubes and the containment were modeled with RELAP5 components. SCDAP core and control components were used for the fuel elements in the core. The final input deck achieved the steady state with the operating conditions comparable to those reported in the DCA. RELAP/SCDAPSIM predictions are found to be satisfactory and comparable to the reference study. It confirms the code code capabilities for natural circulation system transients.
