MELCOR Validation against a PUMA facility main steam line break integral test

The MELCOR code has evolved from a probabilistic risk assessment tool to a best- estimate severe accident system analysis code. Developed by Sandia National Laboratories with funding from the US. Nuclear Regulatoiy Commission, MELCOR is capable of analyzing hypothetical severe accidents in a variety of nuclear power plants. An assessment of MELCOR's ability to simulate a design basis accident main steam line break (MSLB) scenario in the PUMA (Purdue University Multi-Dimensional Integral Test Assembly) facility is reported in this paper The PUMA MSLB integral test was chosen for MELCOR assessment because the PUMA test facility has all the key components needed for investigating the loss-of-coolant accidents in an advanced boiling water reactor design using passive safety systems and the phenomena observed in the PUMA test are expected to be qualitatively similar to those in the plant. Key parameters including vessel pressures, flow rates and heat removal rates were compared. Based on favorable comparison results, the MELCOR thermal-hydraulic models are found to be generally satisfactoiy for prediction of the design basis accident MSLB in a passively cooled, advanced boiling water reactor.

MELCOR Validation against a PUMA facility main steam line break integral test Conference Paper