A best estimate plus uncertainty safety analysis framework based on RELAP5-3D and RAVEN platform for research reactor transient analyses

Highlights: • Establishment of a BEPU reactor safety analysis framework based on RELAP5-3D and RAVEN. • A case study on a research reactor safety analysis using the BEPU framework. • Improved data interpretation through sensitivity and uncertainty analysis in the BEPU framework. This paper develops a best estimate plus uncertainty (BEPU) framework for research reactor transient safety analysis. The BEPU framework is developed based on the system level reactor safety analysis code RELAP5-3D and the data analysis platform RAVEN developed by Idaho National Laboratory. Within the framework, a sensitivity analysis procedure is first conducted to identify the contributions and ranks of individual input parameters to the user-defined figures-of-merit (FOMs) associated with specific transient phenomena. An uncertainty analysis procedure is then performed to quantify the uncertainties of the FOMs resulting from the uncertainties of the input parameters. Many useful outcomes can be realized through the BEPU analysis. Specifically, the sensitivity information obtained from the sensitivity analysis will provide insights about the influence of each different input parameter on FOMs. The uncertainty information obtained from the uncertainty analysis will imply the range of response deviations caused by the propagation of errors existing in various input components. As a case study for research reactors, the developed BEPU framework was employed to perform design-basis accident (DBA) analysis for one conceptual research reactor design proposed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Two hypothetical DBA scenarios, namely the reactivity insertion accident (RIA) and the loss of flow accident (LOFA), were modeled and analyzed through the BEPU framework. To demonstrate the value of the BEPU framework, the BEPU analysis results were compared to that obtained from the conventional transient safety analysis procedure, which was conducted by using commonly used transient safety analysis codes including RELAP5-3D and PARET. The comparison shows that the BEPU analysis is capable of providing additional sensitivity and uncertainty information that help confirm safety margins of the NIST conceptual research reactor during both RIA and LOFA situations, which justifies the advantages and benefits of the BEPU safety analysis framework developed in this work.