A Two-Fluid Two-Phase Model for Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis of a U-Tube Steam Generator

The Advanced Thermal-Hydraulic Analysis Code for Nuclear Steam Generators (ATHANS) was developed on the basis of the THERMIT-UTSG computer code for U-tube steam generators. The main features of the ATHANS model are as follows: (a) the equations are solved in cylindrical coordinates, (b) the number and the arrangement of the control volumes inside the steam generator can be chosen by the user, (c) the virtual mass effect is incorporated, and (d) the conjugate gradient squared method is employed to accelerate and improve the numerical convergence. The performance of the model is successfully validated by comparison with the test data from a Westinghouse model F steam generator at the Maanshan nuclear power plant. Better agreement with the test data can be obtained by a finer grid system using a cylindrical coordinate system and the virtual mass effect. With these advanced features, ATHANS provides the basic framework for further studies on the problems of steam generators, such as analyses of secondary-side corrosion and tube ruptures.