Use of Computational Fluid Dynamics Codes for Safety Analysis of Nuclear Reactor Systems

Presets the report of the joint IAEA and OECD/NEA technical meeting on the Use of CFD Codes for Safety Analysis of Reactor Systems, including Containment, held in November 2002. It includes summaries of the presentations and of the discussions as well as conclusions and recommendations for further work.

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With further progress in safety analysis techniques, the increasing use of three dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes for nuclear applications is expected. The present publication constitutes the report of the joint IAEA and OECD/NEA technical meeting on the Use of CFD Codes for Safety Analysis of Reactor Systems, including Containment, held in Pisa, Italy, from 11 to 14 November 2002. It includes summaries of the presentations and of the discussions as well as conclusions and recommendations for further work. A CD containing the entire collection of papers is provided as a supplement to this report.

CFD codes provide a unique tool for analysis of local phenomena and have a broad potential for qualitative assessment in areas in which traditional methods (lumped parameter or 1-D simulations) are inadequate. They contribute to a deeper understanding of flow physics, and thus lead to better designs at reduced cost and/or to more precisely quantified safety margins. In nuclear safety, CFD codes have a complementary role to play in combination with traditional system codes, particularly in those areas where multidimensional aspects are important. Combined applications, supported by proper experiments, may guarantee a more precise evaluation of safety margins.