Monte Carlo method with SNBCK nongray gas model for thermal radiation in containment flows

During a postulated severe accident in light water reactors, containment flows are characterized by relatively low velocities and modest temperature differences after depressurization of the reactor cooling system. Owing to the low gas temperature level and small temperature differences, gas radiation heat transfer was neglected in CFD simulations of hydrogen transport and mixing in containment flows. During the natural mixing and dilution processes, thermal radiation can affect the fluid temperatures and thereby influence the buoyancy forces in the presence of large amounts of steam. In order to quantify the effect of thermal radiation, an efficient Monte Carlo method with statistical narrow band correlated-k (SNBCK) nongray gas model has been implemented to solve the radiative transfer equation within the framework of containmentFOAM. The tailored Monte Carlo solver is validated against the OECD/NEA SETH-2 PANDA ST1 experiments, and it is proven that gas radiation has a significant effect on the gas temperature field and the helium-steam mixing process. The results clearly indicate that gas radiation cannot be neglected in containment flows even at modest temperature differences (ΔT<50K).