Thermal-hydraulic analysis of TOPAZ-II with modified RELAP5

With the advantages of high reliability, high power density and long life, small nuclear power reactor has become one of the most excellent space power options in the space missions. TOPAZ-II is the most mature space nuclear power reactor based on thermionic conversion. In this paper, the thermo-physical and transport properties of NaK-78 and heat transfer correlations for liquid metals are implemented into the RELAP5 code. The modified RELAP5 has already been accessed to analyze the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of the space reactor cooled by NaK-78. A RELAP5 model including the core, TFEs, radiator, coolant loop and volume accumulator is developed. Temperature reactivity feedback, TFE emitter, TFE collector, moderator and the reactivity insertion effects of control drums and safety drums are modeled in the point reactor kinetics equations with six-group delayed neutrons. To V&V the integrated TOPAZ-II system model, the steady state is simulated and analyzed. The steady state calculated results are in good agreement with the designed values. On the basis of V&V, a hypothetical reactivity insertion accident is simulated and analyzed. During the accident, the automatic control system is assumed to be malfunctioned, 0.01$ positive reactivity is introduced for 500s and then control drums start to rotate inward. The maximum temperatures of fuel and emitter are below the melting temperature, respectively. The maximum temperature of coolant is 940K with 160K margin from boiling. With the rotating of control drums, the reactor reaches critical again.