RELAP5 simulation of the small inlet header break test B8604 conducted in the RD-14 test facility

The RELAP5 code has been developed for beat-estimate simulation of transients and accidents for pressurized water reactors and their associated systems, but it has not been fully assessed for those of CANDU reactors. However, a previously study suggested that the RELAP5 code could be applicable to simulate the transients and accidents for CANDU reactors. Nevertheless, it is indicated that there are works to be resolved, such as modeling of headers and multi-channel simulation for the reactor core, etc. Therefore, this study has been initiated with an aim to identify the code applicability for all the postulated transients and accidents in CANDU reactors. In the present study, the small inlet header break experiment (B8604) in the RD-14 test facility was simulated with RELAP5/MOD3.2 code. The RELAP5 results were also compared with both experimental data and those of CATHENA analyses performed by AECL and the analyses demonstrated the code's capability to predict major phenomena occurring in the transient with sufficient accuracy for both qualitative and quantitative viewpoint. However, some discrepancies in the depressurization of the primary heat transport system after the break and the consequent time delay of the major phenomena were also observed. (author)