Thermal hydraulic aspects of the SBWR design

The Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (SBWR) is being developed by GE Nuclear Energy in cooperation with a number of international associates. The design philosophy stresses simplification of the system by relying to a large extent on passive features. The natural circulation system eliminates the need for external recirculation pumps and loops. Emergency core cooling is accomplished by a Gravity Driven Cooling System (GDCS). Passive energy removal from the containment is by condensers with natural circulation. The principles underlying these features are not novel, and have been proof tested in previous designs. However, their application in the SBWR results in significant differences in operational characteristics from other plants. In this paper, the phenomena that are important for the SBWR are identified, the qualification plan is discussed and sample qualification results are shown for TRACG, the GE version of TRAC-BWR. (author)