Level 1 transient model for a molybdenum-99 producing aqueous homogeneous reactor and its applicability to the tracy reactor

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

OSTI ID:22105809

Nygaard, E. T. ^[1]; Williams, M. M. R. ^[2]; Angelo, P. L. ^[3]

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1. Babcock and Wilcox Technical Services Group, 800 Main Street, Lynchburg, VA 24504 (United States)
2. Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)
3. Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 (United States)

Babcock and Wilcox Technical Services Group (B and W) has identified aqueous homogeneous reactors (AHRs) as a technology well suited to produce the medical isotope molybdenum 99 (Mo-99). AHRs have never been specifically designed or built for this specialized purpose. However, AHRs have a proven history of being safe research reactors. In fact, in 1958, AHRs had 'a longer history of operation than any other type of research reactor using enriched fuel' and had 'experimentally demonstrated to be among the safest of all various type of research reactor now in use [1].' A 'Level 1' model representing B and W's proposed Medical Isotope Production System (MIPS) reactor has been developed. The Level 1 model couples a series of differential equations representing neutronics, temperature, and voiding. Neutronics are represented by point reactor kinetics while temperature and voiding terms are axially varying (one-dimensional). While this model was developed specifically for the MIPS reactor, its applicability to the Japanese TRACY reactor was assessed. The results from the Level 1 model were in good agreement with TRACY experimental data and found to be conservative over most of the time domains considered. The Level 1 model was used to study the MIPS reactor. An analysis showed the Level 1 model agreed well with a more complex computational model of the MIPS reactor (a FETCH model). Finally, a significant reactivity insertion was simulated with the Level 1 model to study the MIPS reactor's time-dependent response. (authors)

• Research Organization: American Nuclear Society, Inc., 555 N. Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, Illinois 60526 (United States)
• OSTI ID: 22105809
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
AQUEOUS HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ISOTOPE ENRICHED MATERIALS
ISOTOPE PRODUCTION
MOLYBDENUM 99
ONE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
REACTIVITY INSERTIONS
REACTOR KINETICS
RESEARCH REACTORS
TIME DEPENDENCE
TRACY REACTOR
TRANSIENTS