Development of the LMFBR Accident Analysis Computer Code

Abstract

Mathematically-rigorous time-volume averaged conservation equtaions were simplified to established the differential equatrons of THERMIT-6S, which is a two-fluid 3-D code. The difference equations of THERMIT-6S were obtained by discretizing the proceeding set of differential equations. The spatial discretization is characterized by a first-order spatial scheme, donor cell method, and staggered mesh layout. For time discretization, a first order semi-implicit scheme treats implictly sonic terms and terms relating to local transport phenomena and explicitly convective terms. The results were linearized by the Newton-Raphson method. In order to construct the reduced pressure equation, the linearized equations were manipulated so that all variables are coupled between mesh cells through only the pressure variable. By simulating numerically the OPERA-15 experiment, it was found that THERMIT-6S is a very powerful code in predicting reactor behavior after sodium boiling including flow coastdown, reversal flow and flow oscillation.