Sensitivity analysis of input uncertain parameters on BWR stability using TRACE/PARCS

The unstable behavior of Boiling Water Reactors (BWR), which is known to occur at certain power and flow conditions, could cause SCRAM and decrease the economic performance of the plant. For better prediction of BWR stability and understanding of influential parameters, two TRACE/PARCS models of Ringhals-1 and Oskarshamn-2 BWRs were employed to perform a sensitivity study. Using the propagation of input errors uncertainty method's results, an attempt has been made to identify the most influential parameters affecting the stability. Furthermore, a methodology using the spearman rank correlation coefficient has been used to identify the most influential parameters on the stability parameters (decay ratio and frequency).