First results for fluid dynamics, neutronics and fission product behavior in HTR applying the HTR code package (HCP) prototype

• Published in: Nuclear engineering and design 2016-09, Vol.306, p.145-153
• Main Authors: Allelein, H.-J., Kasselmann, S., Xhonneux, A., Tantillo, F., Trabadela, A., Lambertz, D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Close packed lattices; Computer simulation; Hexagonal cells; Mathematical models; Nuclear reactors; Packages; Prototypes; TNT
• ISSN: 0029-5493; 1872-759X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2016.04.028

To simulate the different aspects of High Temperature Reactor (HTR) cores, a variety of specialized computer codes have been developed at Forschungszentrum Jülich (IEK-6) and Aachen University (LRST) in the last decades. In order to preserve knowledge, to overcome present limitations and to make these codes applicable to modern computer clusters, these individual programs are being integrated into a consistent code package. The so-called HTR code package (HCP) couples the related and recently applied physics models in a highly integrated manner and therefore allows to simulate phenomena with higher precision in space and time while at the same time applying state-of-the-art programming techniques and standards. This paper provides an overview of the status of the HCP and reports about first benchmark results for an HCP prototype which couples the fluid dynamics and time dependent neutronics code MGT-3D, the burn up code TNT and the fission product release code STACY. Due to the coupling of MGT-3D and TNT, a first step towards a new reactor operation and accident simulation code was made, where nuclide concentrations calculated by TNT lead to new cross sections, which are fed back into MGT-3D. Selected operation scenarios of the HTR-Module 200 concept plant and the HTTR were chosen to be simulated with the HCP prototype. The fission product release during normal operation conditions will be calculated with STACY based on a core status derived from SERPENT and MGT-3D. Comparisons will be shown against data generated by SERPENT and the legacy codes VSOP99/11, NAKURE and FRESCO-II.