SIMMER-III: A Computer Program for LMFR Core Disruptive Accident Analysis; Version 3.A Model Summary and Program Description

Yamano, Hidemasa   ; Fujita, Satoshi; Tobita, Yoshiharu; Kamiyama, Kenji  ; Kondo, Satoru; Morita, Koji*; Fischer, E. A.; Brear, D. J.; Shirakawa, Noriyuki*; Cao, X.; Sugaya, Masaaki*; Mizuno, Masahiro*; Hosono, Seigo*; Kondo, Teppei*; Maschek, W.*; Kiefhaber, E.*; Buckel, G.*; Rineiski, A.*; Flad, M.*; Suzuki, Toru*; Coste, P.*; Pigny, S.*; Louvet, J.*; Cadiou, T.*

An advanced safety analysis computer code, SIMMER-III, has been developed to investigate postulated core disruptive accidents in liquid-metal fast reactors (LMFRs). SIMMER-III is a two-dimensional, three-velocity-field, multiphase, multicomponent, Eulerian, fluid-dynamics code coupled with a space-dependent neutron kinetics model. By completing and integrating all the physical models originally intended at the beginning of this code development project, SIMMER-III is now applicable to integral reactor calculations and other complex multiphase flow problems. A systematic code assessment program, conducted in collaboration with European research organizations, has shown that the advanced features of the code have resolved many of the limitations and problem areas in the previous SIMMER-II code. In this report, the models, numerical algorithms and code features of SIMMER-III Version 3.A are described along with detailed program description. Areas which require future model refinement are also discussed. SIMMER-III Version 3.A, a coupled fluid-dynamics and neutronics code system, is expected to significantly improve the flexibility and reliability of LMFR safety analyses.