Technique for computing bowing reactivity feedback in LMFBRs

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6870020

Finck, P J

During normal or accidental transients occurring in a liquid-metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) core, the assemblies and their support structure are subjected to important thermal gradients that induce differential thermal expansions of the walls of the hexcans and differential displacement of the assembly support structure. These displacements, combined with the creep and swelling of structural materials, remain quite small, but the resulting reactivity changes constitute a significant component of the reactivity feedback coefficients used in safety analyses. It would be prohibitive to compute the reactivity changes due to all transients. Thus, the usual practice is to generate reactivity gradient tables. The purpose of this paper is to show that the technique currently used for creating these tables is systematically biased. A new unbiased technique is described, and results of its application to test problems are summarized.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6870020
• Report Number(s): CONF-8711195-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 55
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500* -- Power Reactors
Breeding
ACCIDENTS
BREEDER REACTORS
CREEP
DEFORMATION
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
PHYSICS
RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTIVITY
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR PHYSICS
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
SAFETY
STRESSES
SWELLING
THERMAL STRESSES