Reactor Start-Up Physics Test Standards for PWRs - An Overview for the '90s

Conference · Sun Nov 11 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:6782333

In 1985, a working group (ANS 19.6.1) of the Standards Committee of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) developed and issued a standard set of start-up physics measurements that would confirm that the characteristics of a reload pressurized water reactor (PWR) core were the same as expected from design calculations. This paper describes the purpose of start-up physics testing, identifies some of the reasons why this standard has been widely accepted and used by the nuclear utility industry, reviews the bases for and describes the different tests that are part of the standard, and suggests how the criteria for some of the tests could be lowered in the future without jeopardizing the start-up program. Some of the criteria currently being used for the above tests could probably be lowered based on expected differences using state-of-the-art calculational methods such as CASMO-3/SIMULATE-3. The paper compares typical differences (1[sigma]) from CASMO-3/SIMULATE-3 versus the test criteria from the standard.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• OSTI ID: 6782333
• Report Number(s): CONF-901101--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Journal Volume: 62
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210200* -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
ACCURACY
ANS 19.6.1
American Nuclear Society (ANS)
BORON
C CODES
CASMO-3/SIMULATE-3
COMPUTER CODES
CRITICALITY
DECISION MAKING
DESIGN
ELEMENTS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
FUEL MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEUTRON FLUX
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
OPERATION
PHYSICS
POWER DENSITY
POWER REACTORS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
RADIATION FLUX
REACTIVITY
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR OPERATION
REACTOR PHYSICS
REACTOR START-UP
REACTORS
Reload Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Core
S CODES
SEMIMETALS
STANDARDS
START-UP
THERMAL REACTORS
US NRC
US ORGANIZATIONS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS