Validation of FSP Reactor Design with Sensitivity Studies of Beryllium-Reflected Critical Assemblies
- Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States). Center for Space Nuclear Research
The baseline design for space nuclear power is a fission surface power (FSP) system: sodium-potassium (NaK) cooled, fast spectrum reactor with highly-enriched-uranium (HEU)-O2 fuel, stainless steel (SS) cladding, and beryllium reflectors with B4C control drums. Previous studies were performed to evaluate modeling capabilities and quantify uncertainties and biases associated with analysis methods and nuclear data. Comparison of Zero Power Plutonium Reactor (ZPPR)-20 benchmark experiments with the FSP design indicated that further reduction of the total design model uncertainty requires the reduction in uncertainties pertaining to beryllium and uranium cross-section data. Further comparison with three beryllium-reflected HEU-metal benchmark experiments performed at the Oak Ridge Critical Experiments Facility (ORCEF) concluded the requirement that experimental validation data have similar cross section sensitivities to those found in the FSP design. A series of critical experiments was performed at ORCEF in the 1960s to support the Medium Power Reactor Experiment (MPRE) space reactor design. The small, compact critical assembly (SCCA) experiments were graphite- or beryllium-reflected assemblies of SS-clad, HEU-O2 fuel on a vertical lift machine. All five configurations were evaluated as benchmarks. Two of the five configurations were beryllium reflected, and further evaluated using the sensitivity and uncertainty analysis capabilities of SCALE 6.1. Validation of the example FSP design model was successful in reducing the primary uncertainty constituent, the Be(n,n) reaction, from 0.28 %$$\delta$$k/k to 0.0004 %$$\delta$$k/k. Further assessment of additional reactor physics measurements performed on the SCCA experiments may serve to further validate FSP design and operation.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-05ID14517
- OSTI ID:
- 1070133
- Report Number(s):
- INL/CON-12-26961
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space 2013 (NETS 2013), Albuquerque, NM (United States), 25-28 Feb 2013; Related Information: https://www.ans.org/meetings/view-161/
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
Benchmark
Fission Surface Power (FSP) Reactor
Small Compact Critical Assembly
Space Power Reactor
TSUNAMI
Zero Power Plutonium Reactor (ZPPR)
Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport (MCNP)
Evaluated Nuclear Data File (ENDF)