Criticality Benchmark Analysis of the HTTR Annular Startup Core Configurations

Conference · Sun Nov 15 04:00:00 EST 2009

OSTI ID:1031736

Bess, John D. ^[1]

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1. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

One of the high priority benchmarking activities for corroborating the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project and Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) Program is evaluation of Japan's existing High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR). The HTTR is a 30 MWt engineering test reactor utilizing graphite moderation, helium coolant, and prismatic TRISO fuel. A large amount of critical reactor physics data is available for validation efforts of High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs). Previous international reactor physics benchmarking activities provided a collation of mixed results that inaccurately predicted actual experimental performance. Reevaluations were performed by the Japanese to reduce the discrepancy between actual and computationally-determined critical configurations. Current efforts at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) involve development of reactor physics benchmark models in conjunction with the International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project (IRPhEP) for use with verification and validation methods in the VHTR Program. Annular cores demonstrate inherent safety characteristics that are of interest in developing future HTGRs.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1031736
• Report Number(s): INL/CON-09--16275
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
BENCHMARKS
Benchmark
CRITICALITY
ETR REACTOR
EVALUATION
GRAPHITE
Graphite Reactor
HELIUM
HTTR
INEEL
IRPhEP
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Prismatic Fuel
REACTOR PHYSICS
SAFETY
TRISO
VALIDATION
VERIFICATION