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Title: LOCA and LOFA Safety Margin Analysis for U-10Mo Monolithic LEU Fuel Conversion of the MURR{sup R} Reactor

Abstract

The University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR{sup R}) is a multi-disciplinary research and education facility providing a broad range of analytical and irradiation services to the research community and the commercial sector. The source of neutrons for the experimental facilities of MURR{sup R} is a compact 10 MW core fueled with highly-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel. The continued presence of HEU fuel in civilian installations such as research and test reactors poses a threat to national and international security. Therefore, most research and test reactors, both domestic and international, have started a program of conversion to the use of low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. MURR{sup R} is one of five U.S. high-performance research and test reactors (USHPRRs) that are actively collaborating with the U.S. National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) Office of Material Management and Minimization (M3) to develop a suitable LEU fuel replacement for the currently required HEU fuel. A new type of high-density LEU fuel based on an alloy of uranium and molybdenum is currently undergoing qualification testing, and is expected to allow the conversion of all USHPRRs. As a part of the LEU conversion of MURR{sup R}, an analysis of core behavior under a set of accident conditions for amore » core fueled with an LEU monolithic alloy of uranium and 10 wt% molybdenum (U-10Mo) has been conducted. This paper presents the newest results for the loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs) and loss-of-flow accidents (LOFAs). Other classes of accidents have also been investigated but were not included here. Namely, reactivity insertion accidents (RIAs), fuel failure during operations accidents (FFAs), and fuel handling accidents (FHAs)« less

Authors:
; ; ;  [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States)
  2. University of Missouri Research Reactor, 1513 Research Park Drive, Columbia, MO 65211 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
23050322
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Transactions of the American Nuclear Society
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 116; Conference: 2017 Annual Meeting of the American Nuclear Society, San Francisco, CA (United States), 11-15 Jun 2017; Other Information: Country of input: France; 6 refs.; available from American Nuclear Society - ANS, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (US); Journal ID: ISSN 0003-018X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; ALLOYS; COMMERCIAL SECTOR; DENSITY; FUEL HANDLING ACCIDENTS; HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM; IRRADIATION; LOSS OF COOLANT; LOSS OF FLOW; MINIMIZATION; MOLYBDENUM; NEUTRONS; NUCLEAR FUELS; PERFORMANCE; REACTIVITY INSERTIONS; RESEARCH REACTORS; SAFETY MARGINS; TESTING; NUCLEAR SECURITY

Citation Formats

Jaluvka, David, Feldman, Earl E., Stillman, John A., Wilson, Erik H., McKibben, Charles, and Foyto, Leslie P. LOCA and LOFA Safety Margin Analysis for U-10Mo Monolithic LEU Fuel Conversion of the MURR{sup R} Reactor. United States: N. p., 2017. Web.
Jaluvka, David, Feldman, Earl E., Stillman, John A., Wilson, Erik H., McKibben, Charles, & Foyto, Leslie P. LOCA and LOFA Safety Margin Analysis for U-10Mo Monolithic LEU Fuel Conversion of the MURR{sup R} Reactor. United States.
Jaluvka, David, Feldman, Earl E., Stillman, John A., Wilson, Erik H., McKibben, Charles, and Foyto, Leslie P. 2017. "LOCA and LOFA Safety Margin Analysis for U-10Mo Monolithic LEU Fuel Conversion of the MURR{sup R} Reactor". United States.
@article{osti_23050322,
title = {LOCA and LOFA Safety Margin Analysis for U-10Mo Monolithic LEU Fuel Conversion of the MURR{sup R} Reactor},
author = {Jaluvka, David and Feldman, Earl E. and Stillman, John A. and Wilson, Erik H. and McKibben, Charles and Foyto, Leslie P.},
abstractNote = {The University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR{sup R}) is a multi-disciplinary research and education facility providing a broad range of analytical and irradiation services to the research community and the commercial sector. The source of neutrons for the experimental facilities of MURR{sup R} is a compact 10 MW core fueled with highly-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel. The continued presence of HEU fuel in civilian installations such as research and test reactors poses a threat to national and international security. Therefore, most research and test reactors, both domestic and international, have started a program of conversion to the use of low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. MURR{sup R} is one of five U.S. high-performance research and test reactors (USHPRRs) that are actively collaborating with the U.S. National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) Office of Material Management and Minimization (M3) to develop a suitable LEU fuel replacement for the currently required HEU fuel. A new type of high-density LEU fuel based on an alloy of uranium and molybdenum is currently undergoing qualification testing, and is expected to allow the conversion of all USHPRRs. As a part of the LEU conversion of MURR{sup R}, an analysis of core behavior under a set of accident conditions for a core fueled with an LEU monolithic alloy of uranium and 10 wt% molybdenum (U-10Mo) has been conducted. This paper presents the newest results for the loss-of-coolant accidents (LOCAs) and loss-of-flow accidents (LOFAs). Other classes of accidents have also been investigated but were not included here. Namely, reactivity insertion accidents (RIAs), fuel failure during operations accidents (FFAs), and fuel handling accidents (FHAs)},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/23050322}, journal = {Transactions of the American Nuclear Society},
issn = {0003-018X},
number = ,
volume = 116,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}