Efficient Algorithms for Flow Simulation related to Nuclear Reactor Safety
- Safety analysis is of ultimate importance for operating Nuclear Power Plants (NPP). The overall
modeling and simulation of physical and chemical processes occuring in the course of an accident
is an interdisciplinary problem and has origins in fluid dynamics, numerical analysis, reactor tech-
nology and computer programming. The aim of the study is therefore to create the foundations
of a multi-dimensional non-isothermal fluid model for a NPP containment and software tool based
on it. The numerical simulations allow to analyze and predict the behavior of NPP systems under
different working and accident conditions, and to develop proper action plans for minimizing the
risks of accidents, and/or minimizing the consequences of possible accidents. A very large number
of scenarios have to be simulated, and at the same time acceptable accuracy for the critical param-
eters, such as radioactive pollution, temperature, etc., have to be achieved. The existing software
tools are either too slow, or not accurate enough. This thesis deals with developing customized al-
gorithm and software tools for simulation of isothermal and non-isothermal flows in a containment
pool of NPP. Requirements to such a software are formulated, and proper algorithms are presented.
The goal of the work is to achieve a balance between accuracy and speed of calculation, and to
develop customized algorithm for this special case. Different discretization and solution approaches
are studied and those which correspond best to the formulated goal are selected, adjusted, and when
possible, analysed. Fast directional splitting algorithm for Navier-Stokes equations in complicated
geometries, in presence of solid and porous obstales, is in the core of the algorithm. Developing
suitable pre-processor and customized domain decomposition algorithms are essential part of the
overall algorithm amd software. Results from numerical simulations in test geometries and in real
geometries are presented and discussed.