1. NAME AND TITLE
COBRA-3C/RERTR - Thermohydraulic Low Pressure Subchannel Transients Analysis.
2. CONTRIBUTOR
Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA, through the
Nuclear Energy Agency Data Bank, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France.
3. CODING LANGUAGE AND COMPUTER
FORTRAN IV, Assembler, IBM 370 (P00606I037000).
4. NATURE OF PROBLEM SOLVED
COBRA-3C/RERTR is a modification of the COBRA-3C/MIT, thermal-hydraulic nuclear reactor subchannel analysis program for research and test reactors (RERTRs). Which are operated at low pressure and low temperatures and may use plate-type fuel elements and heavy water as coolant. COBRA-3C/RERTR incorporates critical heat flux correlations suitable for low-pressure systems, flow instability correlations, two-phase heat transfer coefficients suitable for research and test reactors, thermodynamic properties of heavy water, the capability of calculating the thickness of oxide film on an aluminum fuel plate, and the void fraction model based on the Bowring bubble detachment criterion. A plotting capability is included to display transient results. COBRA-3C/RERTR uses the proprietary ISSCO DISSPLA graphics software which is not included.
5. METHOD OF SOLUTION
The program calculates the steady-state power margins for reactors using either rod- or plate-type fuel elements. For the rod-type fuel the power margin is limited by surface clad temperature based on subcooled nucleate boiling heat transfer. For the plate-type fuel the power margin is limited by the flow instability rate (FIR), which is defined as the ratio of the reactor power at which the flow instability will occur to the operating power. The program is also capable of calculating the limiting thermal-hydraulic parameters in a RERTR for both loss-of-flow and power-ramp transients.
6. RESTRICTIONS OR LIMITATIONS
Not stated.
7. TYPICAL RUNNING TIME
Not stated
8. COMPUTER HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
IBM 370.
9. COMPUTER SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
IBM 370. Note, the assembler is for an IBM 370 system.
10. REFERENCES
Jason Chao: COBRA-3C/RERTR - A Thermal-Hydraulic Subchannel Code with Low Pressure Capabilities Science Applications, Inc. (December 25, 1980).
W.L. Woodruff: Supplemental Information for COBRA-3C/RERTR ANL Applied Physics Division Memorandum (February 1983)..
11. CONTENTS OF CODE PACKAGE
The package is distributed on a CD with a compressed zip file including source files, documentation, sample input and output.
12. DATE OF ABSTRACT
February 2014.
KEYWORDS: FLUID DYNAMICS, HEAT TRANSFER, HYDRODYNAMICS, REACTOR SAFETY