Validation and comparison of two-phase flow modeling capabilities of CFD, sub channel and system codes by means of post-test calculations of BFBT transient tests

The Institute for Neutron Physics and Reactor Technology (INR) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is involved in the validation and qualification of modern thermo hydraulic simulations tools at various scales. In the present paper, the prediction capabilities of four codes from three different scales – NEPTUNE_CFD as fine mesh computational fluid dynamics code, SUBCHANFLOW and COBRA-TF as sub channels codes and TRACE as system code – are assessed with respect to their two-phase flow modeling capabilities. The subject of the investigations is the well-known and widely used data base provided within the NUPEC BFBT benchmark related to BWRs. Void fraction measurements simulating a turbine and a re-circulation pump trip are provided at several axial levels of the bundle. The prediction capabilities of the codes for transient conditions with various combinations of boundary conditions are validated by comparing the code predictions with the experimental data. In addition, the physical models of the different codes are described and compared to each other in order to explain the different results and to identify areas for further improvements.