Reactor physics studies of various advanced neutron source reactor core configurations

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

OSTI ID:6791336

Primm, II, R T ^[1]

---

1. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)

The current conceptual design for the core of the advanced neutron source (ANS) reactor is a vertically split, annular geometry composed of involute, thin (1.3-mm) fuel plates and thin (1.3-mm) heavy-water coolant channels. The core would have a heavy-water reflector, and estimates of the total fueled core volume have ranged from 30 to 60 {ell}. Due to control rod and materials irradiation position constraints, the inner radius of the annulus is expected to be at least 110 mm. A goal of the ANS project is to design a facility in which the peak thermal flux in the reflector is 5 to 10 {times} 10{sup 19} n/m{sup 2}{center dot}s. To achieve this goal while maintaining adequate thermal-hydraulic margins, a variety of core configurations have been proposed, two of which are shown. For both the two- and three-element designs, coolant flowing through any single element does not enter the other element(s). The use of three elements allows the length of each element to be smaller - reducing pressure drop and inlet/outlet temperature differential. However, the engineering complexity and cost of the three-element design exceeds that of the two-element design. This paper discusses the relative merits of these designs from a neutronics viewpoint.

• OSTI ID: 6791336
• Report Number(s): CONF-890604--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA) Journal Volume: 59
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
220600* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
COMPUTER CODES
EFFICIENCY
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL PLATES
HEAVY NUCLEI
HEAVY WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MULTIPLICATION FACTORS
NEUTRON FLUX
NEUTRON SOURCES
NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE SOURCES
PERFORMANCE
PHYSICS
PLANNING
RADIATION FLUX
RADIATION SOURCES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTIVITY
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR PHYSICS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
URANIUM 235
URANIUM ISOTOPES
V CODES
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES