Neutronic performance of the WWR-M research reactor in Ukraine.
The 10 MW, WWR-M research reactor of the Kiev Institute for Nuclear Research is jointly studied with the Argonne National Laboratory to examine the feasibility of conversion from HEU (36%) to LEU (19.75%) fuel. A potential core configuration was chosen for comparison of analytical results with HEU fuel and candidate replacement LEU fuels. Core reactivity, fuel assembly power, experiment flux, fuel-cycle length, the number of fuel assemblies consumed per year, and shutdown margins are compared using HEU and LEU fuels. The reactor currently uses HEU (36%) WWR-M2 fuel assemblies (3 tubes, UO2-Al fuel meat with 1.1 gU/cm3 and 37.0 g {sup 235}U). Candidate LEU replacement fuel assemblies, which would result in the same fuel cycle length and the same annual fuel consumption as the HEU (36%) fuel are: LEU WWR-M2 (3 tubes, UO2-Al fuel meat with 2.3 gU/cm3 and 38.3 g 235U) and LEU WWR-MR (37 pins, U9Mo-Al fuel meat with 2.4 gU/cm3 and 38.1 g {sup 235}U). Five LEU WWR-M2 fuel assemblies with 41.7 g {sup 235}U per assembly, UO{sub 2}-Al fuel meat with 2.5 gU/cm3, and a fueled height of 50 cm have completed irradiation testing in the WWR-M reactor at the Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute in Gatchina to an average 235U burnup of over 70%. This LEU fuel is considered to be qualified for conversion of the WWR-M reactor in Kiev and other research reactors using HEU (36%) WWR-M2 fuel assemblies. For reactors using assemblies with a fueled height of 60 cm, the 235U content per assembly would be 50 g with the same fuel meat composition as the fuel assemblies that were tested in Gatchina. Two 37-pin LEU test assemblies - one with UO{sub 2}-Al fuel meat and about 48 g {sup 235}U and the other with U9Mo-Al fuel meat and about 96 g {sup 235}U are scheduled to begin irradiation testing in the WWR-M reactor in Gatchina before the end of 2002. If these tests (lasting about two years) are successful, LEU pin-type fuel assemblies with up to 96 g 235U would be candidate fuels for LEU conversion of the WWR-M reactor in Kiev and other research reactors using WWR-M2 fuel assemblies.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-06CH11357
- OSTI ID:
- 925056
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/TD/CP-108376; TRN: US200807%%169
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 24th International Meeting on Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR), 2002; Nov 3-8, 2002; San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
Similar Records
U.S. HIGH PERFORMANCE RESEARCH REACTOR PRELIMINARY DESIGN MILESTONE FOR CONVERSION TO LOW ENRICHED URANIUM FUEL
Neutronics and Thermal Hydraulics Study for Using a Low-Enriched Uranium Core in the Advanced Test Reactor -- 2008 Final Report