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Conference Article: French experience in thermohydraulics calculations of gas cooled reactors.

Boutard, F.; Carvallo, G.; Chevalier, G. (CEA Centre d'Etudes Nucleaires de Saclay, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France). Dept. d'Etudes Mecaniques et Thermiques)

Abstract

For the different kinds of gas-cooled reactor built in France, the CEA has developed several versions of a thermohydraulics computer code which simulates the long-term behaviour of these gas-cooled reactors. The code, called LOTE, computes the thermohydraulic processes occurring in the primary flow circuit of these reactors, whether integrated in concrete vessels or built with outer loops. The fact that the reactor is modeled by a succession of independent boxes permits the computation of transient behaviour and the study of scenarios lasting several days. These models include the entire primary flow circuit and the main heat exchangers, shutdown heat exchangers, blowers and the different materials making up the core. The calculation simulates the temperature variations in the materials with convection and conduction processes to remove the thermal power during shutdown transients. The code has been a decisive asset for recent studies concerning reactor safety, operation and maintenance.

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key words: Gas Cooled Reactor, Nuclear Technology
Reference:
Uncertainties in physics calculations for gas cooled reactor cores. Proceedings of a specialist's meeting held in Villigen, Switzerland, 9-11 May 1990
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria). International Working Group on Gas-Cooled Reactors
IWGGCR--24, pp:31-35