Conversion, core redesign and upgrade of the Rhode Island Atomic Energy Commission Reactor

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:5488531

DiMeglio, A F; Matos, J E; Freese, K E

The 2 MW Rhode Island Atomic Energy Commission reactor is required to convert from the use of High Enriched Uranium (HEU) fuel to the use of Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel using a standard LEU fuel plate which is thinner and contains more uranium-235 than the current HEU plate. These differences, coupled with the fact that the conversion should be accomplished without serious degradation of reactor characteristics and capability, has resulted in core design studies and thermal hydraulic studies not only at the current 2 MW but also at the maximum power level of the reactor, 5 MW. In addition, during the course of its 23 years of operation, it has become clear that the main uses of the reactor are neutron scattering and neutron activation analysis. The requirement to convert to LEU presents an opportunity during the conversion to optimize the core for the utilization and to restudy the thermal hydraulics using modern techniques. This paper will present the preliminary conclusions of both aspects.

• Research Organization: Rhode Island Atomic Energy Commission, Narragansett (USA). Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center; Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5488531
• Report Number(s): CONF-8709189-8; ON: DE88005919
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220300 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Fuel Elements
220600* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors
ACTINIDES
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BARYONS
BERYLLIUM
CRITICAL HEAT FLUX
DATA
DESIGN
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENRICHED URANIUM
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FERMIONS
FLUID MECHANICS
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL PLATES
HADRONS
HEAT FLUX
HEAT TRANSFER
HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM
HYDRAULICS
INFORMATION
IRRADIATION
ISOTOPE ENRICHED MATERIALS
MATERIALS
MECHANICS
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEUTRON FLUX
NEUTRONS
NUCLEONS
NUMERICAL DATA
POOL TYPE REACTORS
POWER GENERATION
RADIATION FLUX
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTORS
REGULATIONS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
RINSC REACTOR
SCATTERING
SLIGHTLY ENRICHED URANIUM
URANIUM
US NRC
US ORGANIZATIONS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS