EFLOD Code for Reflood Heat Transfer

A computer code called EFLOD has been developed for simulation of the heat transfer and hydrodynamics of a nuclear power reactor during the reflood phase of a loss-of-coolant accident. EFLOD models the downcomer, lower plenum, core, and upper plenum of a nuclear reactor vessel using seven control volumes assuming either homogeneous or unequal-velocity, unequal-temperature (UVUT) models of two-phase flow, depending on location within the vessel The moving control volume concept in which a single control volume models the quench region in the core and moves with the core liquid level was developed and implemented in EFLOD so that three control volumes suffice to model the core region. A simplified UVUT model that assumes saturated liquid above the quench front was developed to handle the nonhomogeneous flow situation above the quench region. An explicit finite difference routine is used to model conduction heat transfer in the fuel, gap, and cladding regions of the fuel rod. In simulation of a selected FLECHT-SET experimental run, EFLOD successfully predicted the midplane maximum temperature and turnaround time as well as the time-dependent advance of the core liquid level. However, the rate of advancement of the quench level and the ensuing liquid entrainment were overpredicted during the early part of the transient.