Status of core conversion with LEU silicide fuel in JRR-4

Conference · Fri Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997

OSTI ID:567664

Nakajima, Teruo; Ohnishi, Nobuaki; Shirai, Eiji ^[1]

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1. Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Ibaraki-ken (Japan)

Japan Research Reactor No.4 (JRR-4) is a light water moderated and cooled, 93% enriched uranium ETR-type fuel used and swimming pool type reactor with thermal output of 3.5MW. Since the first criticality was achieved on January 28, 1965, JRR-4 has been used for shielding experiments, radioisotope production, neutron activation analyses, training for reactor engineers and so on for about 30 years. Within the framework of the RERTR Program, the works for conversion to LEU fuel are now under way, and neutronic and thermal-hydraulic calculations emphasizing on safety and performance aspects are being carried out. The design and evaluation for the core conversion are based on the Guides for Safety Design and Evaluation of research and testing reactor facilities in Japan. These results show that the JRR-4 will be able to convert to use LEU fuel without any major design change of core and size of fuel element. LEU silicide fuel (19.75%) will be used and maximum neutron flux in irradiation hole would be slightly decreased from present neutron flux value of 7x10{sup 13}(n/cm{sup 2}/s). The conversion works are scheduled to complete in 1998, including with upgrade of the reactor building and utilization facilities.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
• OSTI ID: 567664
• Report Number(s): ANL/RERTR/TM--20; CONF-9409107--; ON: DE98000036; CNN: Project JRR-4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
HYDRAULICS
JRR-4 REACTOR
MODERATELY ENRICHED URANIUM
URANIUM SILICIDES