The reactor dynamics code DYN3D and its trigonal-geometry nodal diffusion model

Abstract

Abstract The reactor dynamics code DYN3D is a three-dimensional best-estimate tool for simulating steady states and transients of light-water reactors and innovative reactor designs. An overview of the DYN3D features is provided. This paper further focuses on the recently developed trigonal-geometry diffusion model DYN3D-TRIDIF including a description of the underlying nodal approach and the characteristics of trigonal geometries. Via a mesh refinement study by means of a VVER-1000-type core benchmark using a fine-mesh diffusion reference solution, DYN3D-TRIDIF shows spatial convergence. Furthermore, the performance of DYN3D-TRIDIF is verified by means of a single-assembly problem on pin-cell level. Good agreement between DYN3D-TRIDIF and the detailed-geometry transport reference is achieved with an average deviation in power of less than 1%.