An Advanced TRACE Modeling Approach: Automatic Connection of 3D Cartesian and Cylindrical VESSEL Components in Integral Plant Models

Best estimate system thermal-hydraulic codes in the nuclear engineering community, e.g., TRACE, RELAP3D, CATHARE-3, etc., were extended with 3D coarse-mesh components to better describe Thermal-Hydraulic (TH) phenomena taking place within Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) and core. The RPV is usually shaped like a cylinder while core mostly cube. Hence, TRACE code equipped Cylindrical VESSEL Cartesian VESSEL. former one represent (including core), pressurizer, steam generator. latter more appropriate two are connected by Vessel-Junctions (VJ) at inlet outlet. Due different nodalization between VESSELs, analyst needs do repetitive error-prone work defining cell-to-cell junctions their TH parameters. To facilitate this process, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has developed an automatic approach based on mesh-constructing field-mapping library, namely MEDCoupling. These new capabilities demonstrated analysis coolant mixing for academic case AP1000 reactor.