December 1999 Highlight

Armenia Bulgaria Czech Republic Hungary

Kazakhstan Lithuania Russia Slovakia

Ukraine United States Cross-Cutting Activities Planned Activities

Cross-Cutting Activities

Bubbler condenser project undergoes final review

A U.S. specialist from Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory traveled to Brussels, Belgium, in mid-December to participate in the final meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) on the European Commission Bubbler Condenser Experimental Qualification (BCEQ) Phare project. The objective of this TAC meeting was to provide final review of the project. The BCEQ project consisted of thermal-hydraulic and fluid-structure interaction tests for the bubbler condenser.

The results of these tests indicated that the bubbler condenser can withstand large-break loss-of-coolant accident loads and that the system can maintain structural integrity under most loads. Further tests are needed to ensure the validity and extendibility of these results. A meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Bubbler Condenser Support Group is planned for early 2000 to discuss additional testing.

At the end of the meeting, the TAC and the project management representatives completed a meeting summary and formulated the general conclusions based on the project. (Walter Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628; Mike Modro, INEEL, 208-526-9402)

Lithuanian and Ukrainian specialists extend working knowledge of RELAP5 code capabilities

During the first two weeks of December, specialists from Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory conducted a training workshop on the RELAP5 three-dimensional computer code. The training was held in the offices of the Lithuanian Energy Institute in Kaunas, Lithuania. Students included six specialists from the host organization and four from Ukraine (two from Kyiv University and two associated with Zaporizhzhya NPP). The purpose of the workshop was to introduce the participants to RELAP5-3D and, particularly, its multidimensional nodal kinetics capabilities.

The workshop was designed for experienced RELAP5 users and included both lectures and hands-on exercises. The exercises addressed input model development techniques, nodal kinetics input development and modification, cross-section subroutine development, and plant transient analysis. For the plant analysis exercises, the class was divided into groups to address separate RBMK and VVER events. The U.S. specialists also provided individual consulting on current problems the students had encountered in their own work. The U.S. team will continue to provide consulting support as the students start using the code in their own applications. (Walter Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628; Jeff Binder, ANL, 630-252-7265)