Calculation of the scale factor for inference of pressurized water reactor core barrel motion from neutron noise spectral density

Journal Article · Tue Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978 · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6610471

Robinson, J C; Shahrokhi, F; Kryter, R C

To quantify the core barrel motion in a typical pressurized water reactor, a scale factor was calculated for both one- and two-dimensional geometries, using forward, variational, and perturbation methods of discrete-ordinates transport. The calculational results show that, although perturbation theory is adequate for estimating the scale factor, two-dimensional geometric effects are important enough to rule out the use of a one-dimensional approximation for all but the crudest calculations. Also, contributions of gamma rays can be ignored, and the results are relatively insensitive to the nuclear cross-section set employed. A method was then developed for inferring, with the aid of this scale factor, the magnitude of the core barrel motion from the following statistical descriptors: cross-power spectral density, auto-power spectral density, and amplitude probability density.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN
• OSTI ID: 6610471
• Journal Information: Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 40:1; ISSN NUTYB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
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Nonboiling Water Cooled
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
CORRELATIONS
FLUCTUATIONS
MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS
MONITORING
MOTION
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR INTERNALS
REACTOR NOISE
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WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS