GE SBWR stability analysis using TRAC-BF1 1-D kinetics model

GE's simplified boiling water reactor, with its unique feature of using natural circulation to remove the heat from the reactor core, is a complicated dynamic system. Previous work by authors using the TRAC-BF1 code and a point kinetics model predicted that an SBWR may experience large amplitude power oscillation under certain low pressure and high power operating conditions. To further confirm the existence of this power oscillation and explore the dynamic spatial reactor power distribution, the TRAC-BF1 1-D kinetics model was used. The results show that an instability exists and the power oscillation starting time and maximum peak power are different from the point kinetics results