PRE-TEST COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS AND SYSTEM THERMAL HYDRAULICS CALCULATIONS OF THE E-SCAPE SCALED LBE POOL FACILITY

摘要

MYRRHA (Multi-purpose hYbrid Research Reactor for High-tech Applications) is a flexible fast-spectrum research reactor under design at SCK'CEN, the Belgian Nuclear Research Center. MYRRHA is a pool-type reactor with Lead Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) as primary coolant. The proper understanding of the thermal hydraulic phenomena occurring in the reactor pool is an important issue in the design and licensing of MYRRHA. Model experiments are necessary for understanding the physics, for validating numerical simulation tools and to qualify the design for the licensing. The E-SCAPE (European SCAled Pool Experiment) facility at SCK'CEN is a thermal hydraulic 1/6-scale model of the MYRRHA reactor, with an electrical core simulator, cooled by LBE. It will provide experimental feedback to the designers on the forced and natural circulation flow patterns. Moreover, it enables to validate the computational methods for their use with LBE. The paper elaborates on the pre-test analysis using Computational Fluid Dynamics and system thermal hydraulics codes. The analysis predicts the behavior of the E-SCAPE facility in the different operational conditions described in the test matrix and compares it to the anticipated MYRRHA behavior. Moreover, the paper shows and discusses the possibilities and limitations of both the CFD and the system code approaches.