Preliminary study of the LORELEI test device with the CATHARE-2 code
Abstract
One of the main experimental equipment under construction within the Jules Horowitz Reactor isthe LORELEI (Light water One Rod Equipment for LOCA Experimental Investigation). The aim ofthis test device is to study the thermomechanical behavior of the cladding and the fuel rod in order todetermine the radiological consequences in the case of a Large Break LOCA (Loss-Of-Coolant Accident)accident. In order to design appropriately this device it is important to simulate its behaviorin normal operation or in incidental and accidental situations by using a thermal-hydraulic two-phaseflow software. In this paper, we present two different numerical tests corresponding to the two mainworking conditions of the LORELEI device. The first test simulates the working condition of there-irradiation phase, when the device is filled with water and the fuel rod cooled in a natural convectionloop. This test is thought to provide temperature profiles and velocities in the thermosiphoncomponent, both in single and two phase regime, and to determine the power threshold needed tolimits the thermosiphon working conditions. The second test, consecutive to the re-irradiation phase,reproduces the LOCA sequence with the device in a gas environment (steam, helium and hydrogen).For this case, where high temperatures occur, a new dedicated radiative heat transfer module isintroduced. The objective of the simulation is to obtain representative thermal maps of all significativecomponents from the beginning of the LOCA sequence up to the high temperature plateau. Weperform CATHARE-2 computations and compare the results with CFD corresponding simulations.
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