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Annular Core Experiments in HTTR's Start-Up Core Physics Tests

Journal Article · · Nuclear Science and Engineering
DOI:https://doi.org/10.13182/NSE03-79· OSTI ID:20808451
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  1. Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (Japan)
  2. Fuji Electric Systems Company, Ltd. (Japan)

Annular cores were formed in start-up core physics tests of the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) to obtain experimental data for verification of design codes. The first criticality, control rod (CR) positions at critical conditions, neutron flux distribution, excess reactivity, etc., were measured as representative data. These data were evaluated with the MVP Monte Carlo code, which can consider directly the heterogeneity of coated fuel particles (CFPs) distributed randomly in fuel compacts. It was made clear that the heterogeneity effect of CFPs on k{sub eff}'s for annular cores is smaller than that for fully loaded cores. The measured and the calculated k{sub eff}'s agreed with each other with differences <1%{delta}k. The calculated neutron flux distributions agreed with the measured results. A revised method was applied for evaluation of excess reactivity to exclude the negative shadowing effect of CRs. The revised and calculated excess reactivity agreed with differences <1%{delta}k/k.

OSTI ID:
20808451
Journal Information:
Nuclear Science and Engineering, Journal Name: Nuclear Science and Engineering Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 150; ISSN NSENAO; ISSN 0029-5639
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English