High-Fidelity Modelng and Simulation for a High Flux Isotope Reactor Low-Enriched Uranium Core Design
Abstract
A high-fidelity model of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) with a low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel design and a representative experiment loading has been developed to serve as a new reference model for LEU conversion studies. With the exception of the fuel elements, this HFIR LEU model is completely consistent with the current highly enriched uranium HFIR model. Results obtained with the new LEU model provide a baseline for analysis of alternate LEU fuel designs and further optimization studies. The newly developed HFIR LEU model has an explicit representation of the HFIR-specific involute fuel plate geometry, including the within-plate fuel meat contouring, and a detailed geometry model of the fuel element side plates. Such high-fidelity models are necessary to accurately account for the self-shielding from 238U and the depletion of absorber materials present in the side plates. In addition, a method was developed to account for fuel swelling in the high-density LEU fuel plates during the depletion simulation. In conclusion, calculated time-dependent metrics for the HFIR LEU model include fission rate and cumulative fission density distributions, flux and reaction rates for relevant experiment locations, point kinetics data, and reactivity coefficients.
- Authors:
-
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1366377
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Nuclear Science and Engineering
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 187; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 0029-5639
- Publisher:
- American Nuclear Society - Taylor & Francis
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; High Flux Isotope Reactor; LEU conversion; fuel swelling
Citation Formats
Betzler, Benjamin R., Chandler, David, Davidson, Eva E., and Ilas, Germina. High-Fidelity Modelng and Simulation for a High Flux Isotope Reactor Low-Enriched Uranium Core Design. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1080/00295639.2017.1292090.
Betzler, Benjamin R., Chandler, David, Davidson, Eva E., & Ilas, Germina. High-Fidelity Modelng and Simulation for a High Flux Isotope Reactor Low-Enriched Uranium Core Design. United States. https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2017.1292090
Betzler, Benjamin R., Chandler, David, Davidson, Eva E., and Ilas, Germina. Mon .
"High-Fidelity Modelng and Simulation for a High Flux Isotope Reactor Low-Enriched Uranium Core Design". United States. https://doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2017.1292090. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1366377.
@article{osti_1366377,
title = {High-Fidelity Modelng and Simulation for a High Flux Isotope Reactor Low-Enriched Uranium Core Design},
author = {Betzler, Benjamin R. and Chandler, David and Davidson, Eva E. and Ilas, Germina},
abstractNote = {A high-fidelity model of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) with a low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel design and a representative experiment loading has been developed to serve as a new reference model for LEU conversion studies. With the exception of the fuel elements, this HFIR LEU model is completely consistent with the current highly enriched uranium HFIR model. Results obtained with the new LEU model provide a baseline for analysis of alternate LEU fuel designs and further optimization studies. The newly developed HFIR LEU model has an explicit representation of the HFIR-specific involute fuel plate geometry, including the within-plate fuel meat contouring, and a detailed geometry model of the fuel element side plates. Such high-fidelity models are necessary to accurately account for the self-shielding from 238U and the depletion of absorber materials present in the side plates. In addition, a method was developed to account for fuel swelling in the high-density LEU fuel plates during the depletion simulation. In conclusion, calculated time-dependent metrics for the HFIR LEU model include fission rate and cumulative fission density distributions, flux and reaction rates for relevant experiment locations, point kinetics data, and reactivity coefficients.},
doi = {10.1080/00295639.2017.1292090},
journal = {Nuclear Science and Engineering},
number = 1,
volume = 187,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon May 08 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Mon May 08 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}
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Works referenced in this record:
Impact of the High Flux Isotope Reactor HEU to LEU Fuel Conversion on Cold Source Nuclear Heat Generation Rates
report, March 2014
- Chandler, David
Low Enriched Uranium Core Design for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor (MITR) with Un-finned 12 mil-thick Clad UMo Monolithic Fuel
report, December 2013
- Bergeron, A.; Wilson, E. H.; Yesilyurt, G.
Impact of HFIR LEU Conversion on Beryllium Reflector Degradation Factors
report, October 2013
- Ilas, Dan
Modeling and Simulations for the High Flux Isotope Reactor Cycle 400
report, March 2015
- Ilas, Germina; Chandler, David; Ade, Brian