Analyses of the TRACE V5 capability for the simulation of natural circulation and primary/containment coupling in BDBA condition typical of the MASLWR

In the short term period the use of advanced Small Modular Reactor (SMR) is one of the most promising options for the deployment of nuclear technology. The validation and assessment of the best estimate thermal hydraulic system code TRACE against SMR thermal hydraulic phenomena is a novel effort. In this framework the use of the natural circulation database developed at the OSU-MASLWR test facility, simulating the MASLWR reactor prototype, is of interest for analyses of the TRACE code capability in predicting natural circulation and primary/containment coupled behavior in SMR. The target of this paper is to analyze the TRACE V5 capability for the simulation of natural circulation phenomena,…