Conversion of the University of Virginia reactor to low-enrichment fuel
The University of Virginia is using the LEOPARD-LINX-TWODB computational package to assist in converting the 2-MW(thermal) University of Virginia Reactor (UVAR) to low-enrichment uranium fuel (LEU). Recent efforts have been focused on designing an upgraded LEU replacement core. The UVAR is unique in that anywhere from 16 to 27 fuel elements have been used over the years in a variety of geometrical arrangements. However, a compact and fixed core arrangement offers significant operational and experimental advantages over past practice, including a higher and more temporally constant thermal flux. The authors have concentrated on relative burnup comparisons between representative 4 {times} 4, 4 {times} 5, and 5 {times} 5 cores using 18 curved-plant/element HEU (HEU-18) and 18 and 22 flat-plate/element LEU (LEU-18 and LEU-22) fuel. It is concluded that the UVAR should be supplied with LEU-22 fuel. The authors have also explored the reactivity and power-peaking effects of separately varying the reflector compositions on various reactor faces from light water to heavy water to graphite. Thermal-hydraulic behavior has also been analyzed with a combination of the PARET and THERHYD codes, which indicates the LEU cores will be acceptable with only small modifications in UVAR safety system settings.
- OSTI ID:
- 6757086
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-890604-; CODEN: TANSA; TRN: 90-023509
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society; (USA), Vol. 59; Conference: Annual meeting of the American Nuclear Society, Atlanta, GA (USA), 4-8 Jun 1989; ISSN 0003-018X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
REACTOR CORES
MODIFICATIONS
UVAR REACTOR
ACCURACY
ANL
BENCHMARKS
CONTROL ROD WORTHS
CROSS SECTIONS
ENGINEERED SAFETY SYSTEMS
HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM
L CODES
MODERATELY ENRICHED URANIUM
REACTIVITY
REACTOR KINETICS
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
XENON
ACTINIDES
COMPUTER CODES
ELEMENTS
ENRICHED URANIUM
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
FLUIDS
GASES
IRRADIATION REACTORS
ISOTOPE ENRICHED MATERIALS
ISOTOPE PRODUCTION REACTORS
KINETICS
MATERIALS
METALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NONMETALS
POOL TYPE REACTORS
RARE GASES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
TEST REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
TRAINING REACTORS
URANIUM
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
220600* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors