Subcritical reactors(SCRs)or subcritical assemblies(SCAs)are the main infrastructure for designing power reactors.These reactors are widely used for training and research because of their high level of inherent safety...Subcritical reactors(SCRs)or subcritical assemblies(SCAs)are the main infrastructure for designing power reactors.These reactors are widely used for training and research because of their high level of inherent safety.The objective of this study is to design a subcritical reactor using a pressurized water reactor(PWR)conventional fuel following two safety points.In the first approach,deeply placed SCR cores with an infinite multiplication factor(k_(∞))of less than unity were identified using the DRAGON lattice code.In the second approach,subcritical reactor cores with an effective multiplication factor(k_(eff))of less than unity were determined by coupling the cell calculations of the DRAGON lattice code and core calculations of the DONJON code.For the deeply subcritical reactor design,it was found that the reactor would remain inherently subcritical while using fuel rods with ^(235)U enrichment of up to 0.9%,regardless of the pitch of the fuel rods.In the second approach,the optimal pitches(1.3 to 2.3 cm)were determined for different fuel enrichment values from 1 to 5%.Subsequently,the k_(eff) was obtained for a fuel rod arrangement of 8×8 to 80×80,and the states in which the reactor would be subcritical were determined for different fuel enrichments at the corresponding optimal pitch.To validate the models used in the DRAGON and DONJON codes,the k_(eff) of the Isfahan Light Water Subcritical Reactor(LWSCR)was experimentally measured and compared with the results of the calculations.Finally,the effects of fuel and moderator temperature changes were investigated to ensure that the designed assemblies remained in the subcritical state at all operational temperatures.展开更多
To ensure the safe transportation of radioactive materials,numerous countries have established specific standards.For the transfer of fissile materials,it is imperative that the material within the packaging remains i...To ensure the safe transportation of radioactive materials,numerous countries have established specific standards.For the transfer of fissile materials,it is imperative that the material within the packaging remains in a subcritical state during routine,normal,and accidental transport conditions.In the event of an accident,the rods within the storage tank may become rearranged,introducing uncertainty that must be accounted for to ensure that criticality analysis results are conservative.Historically,this uncertainty was addressed overly conservatively due to limited research on non-uniform arrangement scenarios,which proved unsuitable for criticality safety analysis of spent fuel packages.This paper introduced three distinct methods to non-uniformly rearrange fuel rods—Uniform Arrangement by Blocks,Layer-by-Layer Determination,and Birdcage Deformation—and meticulously evaluates the influences of rod rearrangement on the effective multiplication factor of neutrons,k eff,utilizing the Monte Carlo method.Ultimately,this study presents a holistic method capable of encompassing the entire spectrum of potential effects stemming from the rearrangement of fuel rods during rods mispositioning accident.By augmenting the safety margin,this approach proves to be adeptly suited for the criticality safety analysis of nuclear fuel transport containers.展开更多
文摘Subcritical reactors(SCRs)or subcritical assemblies(SCAs)are the main infrastructure for designing power reactors.These reactors are widely used for training and research because of their high level of inherent safety.The objective of this study is to design a subcritical reactor using a pressurized water reactor(PWR)conventional fuel following two safety points.In the first approach,deeply placed SCR cores with an infinite multiplication factor(k_(∞))of less than unity were identified using the DRAGON lattice code.In the second approach,subcritical reactor cores with an effective multiplication factor(k_(eff))of less than unity were determined by coupling the cell calculations of the DRAGON lattice code and core calculations of the DONJON code.For the deeply subcritical reactor design,it was found that the reactor would remain inherently subcritical while using fuel rods with ^(235)U enrichment of up to 0.9%,regardless of the pitch of the fuel rods.In the second approach,the optimal pitches(1.3 to 2.3 cm)were determined for different fuel enrichment values from 1 to 5%.Subsequently,the k_(eff) was obtained for a fuel rod arrangement of 8×8 to 80×80,and the states in which the reactor would be subcritical were determined for different fuel enrichments at the corresponding optimal pitch.To validate the models used in the DRAGON and DONJON codes,the k_(eff) of the Isfahan Light Water Subcritical Reactor(LWSCR)was experimentally measured and compared with the results of the calculations.Finally,the effects of fuel and moderator temperature changes were investigated to ensure that the designed assemblies remained in the subcritical state at all operational temperatures.
文摘To ensure the safe transportation of radioactive materials,numerous countries have established specific standards.For the transfer of fissile materials,it is imperative that the material within the packaging remains in a subcritical state during routine,normal,and accidental transport conditions.In the event of an accident,the rods within the storage tank may become rearranged,introducing uncertainty that must be accounted for to ensure that criticality analysis results are conservative.Historically,this uncertainty was addressed overly conservatively due to limited research on non-uniform arrangement scenarios,which proved unsuitable for criticality safety analysis of spent fuel packages.This paper introduced three distinct methods to non-uniformly rearrange fuel rods—Uniform Arrangement by Blocks,Layer-by-Layer Determination,and Birdcage Deformation—and meticulously evaluates the influences of rod rearrangement on the effective multiplication factor of neutrons,k eff,utilizing the Monte Carlo method.Ultimately,this study presents a holistic method capable of encompassing the entire spectrum of potential effects stemming from the rearrangement of fuel rods during rods mispositioning accident.By augmenting the safety margin,this approach proves to be adeptly suited for the criticality safety analysis of nuclear fuel transport containers.
