LOFTRAN/RETRAN Comparison Calculations for a Postulated Loss-of-Feedwater ATWS in the Sizewell ‘B’ PWR

The loss-of-main-feedwater transient without reactor trip (scram) has received particular attention in pressurized water reactor (PWR) anticipated transient without scram (ATWS) analysis primarily due to the potential for reactor coolant system overpressurization. To assist in the licensing of the U.K. PWR, Sizewell ‘B’, comparative calculations of a loss-of-feedwater ATWS have been performed using the Westinghouse-developed LOFTRAN loop analysis code and the Electric Power Research Institute/Energy Incorporated-developed RETRAN-01 code. The calculations were performed with and without the emergency boration system (EBS), which is included in the Sizewell reference design.Initial results showed good agreement between the codes for the major features of the transient, but also a time shift in the transient profiles at the time of the pressurizer pressure peak. This was found to be due to differences in the steam generator modeling, which resulted in a difference in the onset of the very rapid degradation in heat transfer as the steam generators approach dryout. When the same model was used in both codes, very good agreement was obtained. Remaining differences in the results are attributed primarily to differences in the boron injection models, which resulted in an overprediction of the core boron concentration in the RETRAN calculation. The results with an EBS indicate that the peak pressurizer pressure is relatively insensitive to variations in modeling.