Transient analyses for China initiative Accelerator Driven System using the extended BELLA code

China initiative Accelerator Driven System (CiADS) is a 10 MW lead–bismuth eutectic (LBE) cooled subcritical reactor loaded with UO₂ fuels in the first phase, which is designed to demonstrate the engineering feasibility of the ADS concept. The transient analyses were performed to show the safety potential and dynamic characteristics of the CiADS subcritical reactor using the extended BELLA code. Typical scenarios, such as beam-trip transients, unprotected beam overpower (UBOP), unprotected and protected loss of flow (ULOF and PLOF), unprotected and protected loss of heat sink (ULOHS and PLOHS) and self-defined station blackout (SBO), were analyzed and simulated. The results indicate that, as a low-power reactor, the CiADS subcritical reactor has a large margin to avoid severe damage in the core. Short-term cladding failure caused by thermal fatigue under frequent beam trips may not happen since the variations of temperatures are relatively small. However, accelerated LBE corrosion combined with accumulated creep tends to be a risk under ULOF and ULOHS.