Extension of ASTEC-Na capabilities for simulating reactivity effects in Sodium Cooled Fast Reactor

The EU-JASMIN project (7th FP of EURATOM) has been centred on the development and validation of the new severe accident analysis code ASTEC Na (Accident Source Term Evaluation Code) for Sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFR). The development of such computational tools being able to assist safety analysis of innovative reactor concepts is of crucial importance. One of the challenging issues when modelling SFRs is the neutronic reactivity feedbacks. This paper presents the model implemented in ASTEC-Na for representing the reactivity effects in SFR as well as the benchmarking results of a ULOF transient against SAS-SFR code results. It has been verified that the models are correctly implemented and that ASTEC-Na is now able to calculate reactivity feedbacks not only in the sodium single phase, but also after boiling onset and fuel in-pin relocation.

MATUZAS Vaidas;  AMMIRABILE Luca;  CLOAREC L.;  LEMASSON D.;  PEREZ-MARTIN S.;  PONOMAREV A.; 

2018-06-11

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

JRC106253

0306-4549,   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC106253,   

10.1016/j.anucene.2017.12.030,