High-flux isotope reactor reactivity transient analysis

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA)

OSTI ID:6433798

Sofu, T; Dodds, Jr, H L ^[1]; Cook, D H ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville (USA)
2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)

After the shutdown of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's High-Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) in November 1986 due to embrittlement concerns, some of the design parameters were changed in order to ensure the safe operation of the reactor with the existing pressure vessel. The steady-state power of the reactor for normal operation has been lowered from 100 to 85 MW to reduce neutron damage, and the operating pressure has been reduced from 750 to 468 psi. In parallel with the reduction in power, the safety system setpoints have been redefined. In this study, the dynamic response of the HFIR to reactivity-induced accidents is investigated for these new operating conditions. Point reactor kinetics is used to model the neutronic behavior of the core. The computer code REACC has been developed, which incorporates the models described. Based on the work described in this paper for reactivity transients at the new operating conditions, it is concluded that the HFIR can be operated safely.

• OSTI ID: 6433798
• Report Number(s): CONF-891103--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA) Journal Volume: 60
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220700 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Plutonium & Isotope Production Reactors
220900* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ACCIDENTS
BOILING
COMPUTER CODES
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EMBRITTLEMENT
ENERGY TRANSFER
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EQUATIONS
HEAT TRANSFER
HFIR REACTOR
IRRADIATION REACTORS
ISOTOPE PRODUCTION REACTORS
KINETICS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
OPERATION
ORNL
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
R CODES
RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CONTROL SYSTEMS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR KINETICS
REACTOR OPERATION
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SAFETY
TANK TYPE REACTORS
TEST REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
TRANSIENTS
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS