Complete CFD analysis of ERCOSAM-SAMARA exercises: a step towards advanced modelling of LWR containment under severe accident conditions - 15309

The paper presents the results of CFD modeling of the experiments of ERCOSAM/SAMARA projects. Altogether, they contain a row of interrelated phenomena occurring in a real LWR containment under severe accident conditions. Their investigation is a goal of the projects in whole, and numerical reproduction of the performed tests with CFD codes may be considered as a step toward applications of CFD to safety assessment for a real containment. The results are analyzed from the viewpoint of such possibility. The used CFD methodology is briefly outlined. Then, the results of numerical simulation of the experiments are summarized and illustrated by an example of modeling of ERCOSAM PANDA tests full sequences. The obtained quite satisfactory agreement with the experimental results in the performed calculations confirms the reliability of the used methodology. Some obtained deviations and their likely causes are analyzed. The numerical efficiency of CFD calculation is briefly discussed. It is concluded that correct and testable modeling of a real containment is possible in a realistic time scale. All that allows consider CFD codes as an efficient and perspective best estimate numerical tool for the analysis of hydrogen safety of LWR containments. (authors)