Validation of PWR Neutronics Code Package TORCH V2.0 With Nuclear Power Plant Measurements

Abstract

This article presents the verification and validation (V and V) of PWR neutronics code package TORCH V2.0 with nuclear power plant (NPP) measurements. The advanced nuclear power engineering design software, TORCH V2.0, was developed by the Nuclear Power Institute of China (NPIC), China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). Based on the two-step calculation scheme, TORCH V2.0 mainly contains lattice physics code for assembly homogenization, link calculation code for few-group constant parameterization, and core simulation code for few-group core calculation. The calculation modules of each code were already verified against various benchmark problems, whereas this article focuses on the V and V of linked code system. The measured values of the reactor startup physics test and NPP operation from six PWR NPPs (Daya Bay NPP, Ling Ao NPP, Fangjiashan NPP, Qinshan NPP, Hainan Changjiang NPP, and Fuqing NPP) were utilized to perform the comparison and analysis of V and V. Compared parameters of the reactor startup physics test include critical boron concentration, control rod integral value, boron differential value, and isothermal temperature coefficient. Compared parameters of the NPP operation contain critical boron concentration, assembly-wise power distribution, hot spot factor, and nuclear enthalpy rise factor. The results show that the software TORCH V2.0 has reliable calculation ability and can be applied in the PWR nuclear power engineering design which is based on square fuel assembly.