Feasibility of Power Ramp Testing in the Advanced Test Reactor

Conference · Sun Nov 12 04:00:00 EST 2023

OSTI ID:2203560

Worrall, Michael Jason ^[1]; Oldham, Nate ^[1]; Horman, Kendell R ^[1]

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1. Idaho National Laboratory

For decades, the Halden Boiling Water Reactor (HBWR) in Norway was an international resource for assessing nuclear fuels and materials behavior and its unexpected shutdown in 2018 represented a significant loss in experimental capability for prototypical irradiation testing. In the aftermath of the closure, a study was performed to assess capability gaps related to the Accident Tolerant Fuels (ATF) program. It was concluded that the primary capability gaps left by the closure of the HBWR were the loss of prototypic in-pile Light Water Reactor (LWR) loops that provide operational transient testing and in-pile Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) testing capabilities. The study also concluded that the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) and Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) likely have the necessary key capabilities to absorb the breadth of the HBWR mission gaps related to the ATF program, but additional investments in experimental infrastructure were needed. One such investment is the design and installation of additional pressurized water loops in the medium-I positions of the ATR, hereafter referred to as I-Loops, to support power ramp testing and testing in Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) conditions. This paper gives an overview of the planned ATR I-Loops and assesses the feasibility of performing power ramp testing inside such a loop.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: 70
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 2203560
• Report Number(s): INL/CON-23-72994-Rev001
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ATR
Halden
I-Loop
Power Ramp Testing