Conceptual design of a pressure tube light water reactor with variable moderator control

Conference · Sun Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2012

OSTI ID:22105663

Rachamin, R.; Fridman, E. ^[1]; Galperin, A. ^[2]

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1. Reactor Safety Div., Inst. of Resource Ecology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, POB 51 01 19, 01314 Dresden (Germany)
2. Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, Ben-Gurion Univ. of the Negev, POB 653, Beer Sheva 84105 (Israel)

This paper presents the development of innovative pressure tube light water reactor with variable moderator control. The core layout is derived from a CANDU line of reactors in general, and advanced ACR-1000 design in particular. It should be stressed however, that while some of the ACR-1000 mechanical design features are adopted, the core design basics of the reactor proposed here are completely different. First, the inter fuel channels spacing, surrounded by the calandria tank, contains a low pressure gas instead of heavy water moderator. Second, the fuel channel design features an additional/external tube (designated as moderator tube) connected to a separate moderator management system. The moderator management system is design to vary the moderator tube content from 'dry' (gas) to 'flooded' (light water filled). The dynamic variation of the moderator is a unique and very important feature of the proposed design. The moderator variation allows an implementation of the 'breed and burn' mode of operation. The 'breed and burn' mode of operation is implemented by keeping the moderator tube empty ('dry' filled with gas) during the breed part of the fuel depletion and subsequently introducing the moderator by 'flooding' the moderator tube for the 'burn' part. This paper assesses the conceptual feasibility of the proposed concept from a neutronics point of view. (authors)

• Research Organization: American Nuclear Society, Inc., 555 N. Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, Illinois 60526 (United States)
• OSTI ID: 22105663
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BURNUP
CANDU TYPE REACTORS
CONTROL
DESIGN
FUEL CHANNELS
HEAVY WATER
MODERATORS
PRESSURE TUBES
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS