A methodology for multivariate simulation with massively parallel computing systems for NPP safety assessment: VARIA code

The paper is focused on the practical application of parallel computing techniques in uncertainty assessment in simulation of heat transfer, mechanical and some other problems related to deterministic analysis of NPP safety. A methodology is developed and implemented in VARIA computer code that performs simultaneous run of multiple simulations on a parallel computing system with further statistical analysis of the array of their results. The current version of the code allows automated preparation and execution of multivariate simulations of thermal and mechanical behavior of pressurized water reactor structures by best-estimate (BE) codes in the scope of NPP safety assessment under severe accident conditions. The number of simultaneously launched tasks is limited only by the computer cluster capacity. The VARIA code is verified on multivariate simulation with HEFEST code of thermal behavior of a core melt in the VVER-440 reactor vessel during a severe accident. The influence of the variation of input parameters (decay heat value and coefficients of the applied convective heat transfer model) on the simulation results is studied. It is concluded that the potential field of applying the program is beyond the scope of analyzing severe accidents at NPP and includes also software product quality assurance and analysis of uncertainties of obtained simulation results.