This master's thesis is an investigation and evaluation of MELCOR (a software tool for severe accident analyses regarding nuclear power plants), or more correctly of the (ASEA-Atom BWR 75) reactor model developed for version 1.8.6 of MELCOR. The main objective was to determine if MELCOR, with the reactor model in question, is able to produce satisfactory results in severe accident analyses compared to results made by MAAP, which is currently the only official software tool for this application in Sweden. The thesis work is related to the RASTEP project. This project has been carried out in several stages on behalf of SSM since 2009, with a number of specific issues explored within an NKS funded R&D project carried out 2011-2013. This investigation is related to the NKS part of the project. The purpose with the RASTEP project is to develop a method for rapid source term prediction that could aid the authorities in decision making during a severe accident in a nuclear power plant. A software tool, which also gave the project its name, i.e. RASTEP (RApid Source TErm Prediction), is therefore currently under development at Lloyd's Register Consulting. A software tool for severe accident analyses is needed to calculate the source terms which are the end result from the predictions made by RASTEP. A set of issues have been outlined in an earlier comparison between MAAP and MELCOR. The first objective was therefore to resolve these pre-discovered issues, but also to address new issues, should they occur. The existing MELCOR reactor model also had to be further developed through the inclusion of various safety systems, since these systems are required for certain types of scenarios. Subsequently, a set of scenarios was simulated to draw conclusions from the additions made to the reactor model. Most of the issues (pre-discovered as well as new ones) could be resolved. However the work also rendered a set of issues which are in need of further attention and investigation. The overall conclusion is that MELCOR is indeed a promising alternative for severe accident analyses in the Swedish work with nuclear safety. Several potential benefits from making use of MELCOR besides MAAP have been identified. In conclusion, they would be valuable assets to each other, e.g. since deviations in the results (between the two codes) would highlight possible weaknesses of the simulations. Finally it is recommended that the work on improving the MELCOR reactor model should continue. / RASTEP

This project deals with two-phase CFD model validation, a subject which is currently under active research due to its complexity. The goal is to create a model that predicts data profiles to an acceptable degree for a wide array of flow conditions. The applications within the nuclear field would mainly be for safety analysis, e.g. to predict phenomena such as the critical heat flux. The underlying physics were investigated, and simulations were performed of two-phase flow of the coolant R12 using the program OpenFOAM in an attempt to match radial profiles of void fraction, interfacial area concentration, vapour velocity and sauter mean diameter for different flow conditions provided by the DEBORA experiments. The proper set of models was found via sensitivity testing: trying combinations of different models and model coefficients. The effect on the simulation result was investigated, with the models that improved the result kept while the rest were discarded. The main strategy was to find models that accurately predicted the sauter mean diameter, as initial sensitivity tests showed the result to be highly dependent on this parameter. The impact of initial conditions and mesh refinement was also investigated, and a temperature validation study was done. The process was aided by a number of Matlab programs written by the author, to calculate and verify inputs and to post-process the result. A model was found that simulated the subcooled nucleate boiling datasets to an acceptable degree. The model failed to accurately simulate saturated nucleate boiling. / Detta projekt behandlar tvåfas CFD-modellvalidering, ett ämne som fortfarande ärunder aktiv forskning på grund av sin komplexitet. Syftet är att utveckla en modellsom förutser dataprofiler till en acceptabel grad för en mängd olika flödesregimer.Inom kärnkraftsbranchen skulle detta primärt vara applicerbart inom reaktorsäkerhet,t.ex. för att förutse fenomen så som critical heat flux. Den underliggande fysikenundersöktes, och simuleringar genomfördes på tvåfas flöde av kylmedlet R12 med hjälpav programmet OpenFOAM i ett försök att matcha 14 dataprofiler för void fraction,interfacial area, vapour velocity och sauter mean diameter för olika flödesregimertillhandahålla av DEBORA-experimenten.Den rätta uppsättningen modeller fanns via känslighetsanalys, genom att testa olikakombinationer av modeller och modellkoefficienter. Deras effektersimuleringsresultatet undersöktes, och de modeller som förbättrade resultatet behölls,medans resten förkastades. Huvudstrategin var att hitta modeller som förutsåg sautermean diameter, bubblornas medeldiameter, väl, då preliminär känslighetsanalysvisade att resultaten var mycket känsliga på denna parameter. Inflytandet avinitialvillkor och mesh-förfining undersöktes, och en temperaturprofilsvalideringgenomfördes. Till hjälp i processern var ett antal Matlab-program skrivna avförfattaren för att beräkna och verifiera inmatning och behandla och visualiserautdatan. En modell hittades som simulerade underkyld kokning till en acceptabel grad.Modellen misslyckades med att träffsäkert simulera mättad kokning.