Download or read book Analyses for Conversion of the Georgia Tech Research Reactor from HEU to LEU Fuel written by and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 77 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This document presents information concerning: analyses for conversion of the Georgia Tech Research Reactor from HEU to LEU; changes to technical specifications mandated by the conversion of the GTRR to low enrichment fuel; changes in the Safety Analysis Report mandated by the conversion of the GTRR to low enrichment fuel; and copies of all changed pages of the SAR and the technical specifications.

Download or read book Analysis for Conversion of the Georgia Tech Research Reactor from HEU to LEU Fuel written by and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 12 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Status Report on Conversion of the Georgia Tech Research Reactor to Low Enrichment Fuel written by and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 10 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 5 MW Georgia Tech Research Reactor (GTRR) is a heterogeneous, heavy water moderated and cooled reactor, fueled with highly-enriched uranium aluminum alloy fuel plates. The GTRR is required to convert to low enrichment (LEU) fuel in accordance with USNRC policy. The US Department of Energy is funding a program to compare reactor performance with high and low enrichment fuels. The goals of the program are: (1) to amend the SAR and the Technical Specifications of the GTRR so that LEU U3Si2-Al dispersion fuel plates can replace the current HEU U-Al alloy fuel, and (2) to optimize the LEU core such that maximum value neutron beams can be extracted for possible neutron capture therapy application. This paper presents a status report on the LEU conversion effort.

Download or read book Conversion of Research and Test Reactors to Low enriched Uranium LEU Fuel written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Technology. Subcommittee on Energy Development and Applications and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 2036 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Conversion of the Georgia Tech Research Reactor to Low Enrichment written by Ratib Abraham Karam and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Conversion of Research and Test Reactors to Low enriched Uranium LEU Fuel written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Technology. Subcommittee on Energy Development and Applications and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 1968 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Neutronic Analyses for HEU to LEU Fuel Conversion of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology written by and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) reactor (MITR-II), based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a research reactor designed primarily for experiments using neutron beam and in-core irradiation facilities. It delivers a neutron flux comparable to current LWR power reactors in a compact 6 MW core using Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) fuel. In the framework of its non-proliferation policies, the international community presently aims to minimize the amount of nuclear material available that could be used for nuclear weapons. In this geopolitical context, most research and test reactors both domestic and international have started a program of conversion to the use of Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel. A new type of LEU fuel based on a mixture of uranium and molybdenum (UMo) is expected to allow the conversion of compact high performance reactors like the MITR-II. This report presents the results of steady state neutronic safety analyses for conversion of MITR-II from the use of HEU fuel to the use of U-Mo LEU fuel. The objective of this work was to demonstrate that the safety analyses meet current requirements for an LEU core replacement of MITR-II.

Download or read book Status Report on Conversion of the Georgia Tech Research Reactor to Low Enrichment Fuel written by and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 10 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book HEU to LEU Fuel Conversion Final Report written by and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a ruling, effective March 27, 1986, that all U.S. non-power reactors convert from HEU fuel to LEU fuel. A Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors Program was conducted by the Department of Energy at Argonne National Laboratory to coordinate the development of the high density LEU fuel and assist in the development of Safety Analysis Reports for the smaller non-power reactors. Several meetings were held at Argonne in 1987 with the non-power reactor community to discuss the conversion and to set up a conversion schedule for university reactors. EG & G at Idaho was assigned the coordination of the fuel element redesigns. The fuel elements were manufactured by the Babcock & Wilcox Company in Lynchburg, Virginia. The University of Virginia was awarded a grant by the DOE Idaho Operations Office in 1988 to perform safety analysis studies for the LEU conversion for its 2 MW UVAR and 100 Watt CAVALIER reactors. The University subsequently decided to shut down the CAVALIER reactor. A preliminary SAR on the UVAR, along with Technical Specification changes, was submitted to the NRC in November, 1990. An updated SAR was approved by the NRC in January, 1991. In September, 1992, representatives from the fuel manufacturer (B & W) and the fuel designer (EG & G, Idaho) came to the UVAR facility to observe trial fittings of new 22 plate LEU mock fuel elements. B & W fabricated two non-fuel bearing elements, a regular 22 plate element and a control rod element. The elements were checked against the drawings and test fitted in the UVAR grid plate. The dimensions were acceptable and the elements fit in the grid plate with no problems. The staff made several suggestions for minor construction changes to the end pieces on the elements, which were incorporated into the final design of the actual fuel elements. Selected papers are indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.

Download or read book LEU HEU Mixed Core Conversion Thermal hydraulic Analysis and Coolant System Upgrade Assessment for the MIT Research Reactor written by Yinjie Zhao and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The MIT Research Reactor (MITR) is in the process of converting from the current 93%-enriched U-235 highly-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to the low enriched uranium (LEU, 20%-enriched U-235) fuel, as part of the global non-proliferation initiatives. A high-density, monolithic uraniummolybdenum (U-10Mo) fuel matrix is chosen. The fuel element design is changed from 15-plate finned HEU fuel to 19-plate unfinned LEU fuel with the same geometry. The reactor power increases from 6.0 MW to 7.0 MW thermal, and primary coolant flow rate increases from 2000 gpm to 2400 gpm. Detailed analyses were completed for initial LEU core with 22 fuel elements, and demonstrated both neutronic and thermal hydraulic safety requirements are met throughout equilibrium cycles. An alternative conversion strategy is proposed which involves a gradual transition from an all-HEU core to an all-LEU core by replacing 3 HEU fuel elements with fresh LEU fuel elements during each fuel cycle. The objectives of this study are to demonstrate that the primary coolant system can be safely modified for 2400 gpm operation, and to perform steady-state and loss-of-flow (LOF) transient thermal-hydraulic analyses for the MITR HEU-LEU transitional mixed cores to evaluate this alternative conversion strategy. The primary technical challenge for the 20% increase in primary flow rate with existing piping system is flow-induced vibration. Several experiments were performed to measure and quantify vibration acceleration and velocity on three main hydraulic components to determine if higher flowrates cause excessive vibration. The test results show that the maximum vibration velocity is 9.70 mm/s, the maximum vibration acceleration is 0.98 G at the current flow rate 2000 gpm and no significant spectral change in the vibration profile at 2550 gpm. Therefore, it can be concluded that the existing piping system can safely support 2400 gpm primary flow operation. Thermal hydraulics analysis was performed using RELAP5 MOD3.3 code and STAT7 code. The MITR transitional mixed core input models were constructed to simulate the reactor primary system. Two scenarios, steady-state and loss-of-flow transient were simulated at power level of 6 MW. RELAP5 results show that during steady state, there is significant safety margin ( 10 °C) to onset of nucleate boiling for both HEU and LEU fuel. The maximum core temperature occurs at HEU fuel in Mix-core 3, the maximum wall temperature reached was 89 °C. During the LOF transient case, the result shows that The HEU fuel element is more limiting than the LEU in transitional cores. Nucleate boiling is predicted to occur only in the HEU hot channel during the first 50 seconds after the pump coastdown. The peak cladding temperatures are much lower than the fuel temperature safety limit of UAl[subscript x] fuel plates, which is 450 °C. From the STAT7 calculation results, the operational limiting power at which onset of nucleate boiling (ONB) occurs in all cases show significant margins from the Limiting System Safety Setting (LSSS) over-power level. The lowest margin for LEU element during the mixed core transition is at Mix-7, 11.43 MW with a 4.03 MW power margin. For the HEU element, the lowest margin during the transition is at Mix-2, 8.51 MW with a 1.11 MW power margin. The location at which ONB is always expected to occur is F-Plate Stripe 1 and 4 for the LEU fuel element; side plate for the HEU fuel element with the HEU element is always more limiting.

Download or read book Feasibility Analyses for HEU to LEU Fuel Conversion of the LAUE Langivin Institute ILL High Flux Reactor RHF written by and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The High Flux Reactor (RHF) of the Laue Langevin Institute (ILL) based in Grenoble, France is a research reactor designed primarily for neutron beam experiments for fundamental science. It delivers one of the most intense neutron fluxes worldwide, with an unperturbed thermal neutron flux of 1.5 x 1015 n/cm2/s in its reflector. The reactor has been conceived to operate at a nuclear power of 57 MW but currently operates at 52 MW. The reactor currently uses a Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) fuel. In the framework of its non-proliferation policies, the international community presently aims to minimize the amount of nuclear material available that could be used for nuclear weapons. In this geopolitical context, most worldwide research and test reactors have already started a program of conversion to the use of Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel. A new type of LEU fuel based on a mixture of uranium and molybdenum (UMo) is expected to allow the conversion of compact high performance reactors like the RHF. This report presents the results of reactor design, performance and steady state safety analyses for conversion of the RHF from the use of HEU fuel to the use of UMo LEU fuel. The objective of this work was to show that is feasible, under a set of manufacturing assumptions, to design a new RHF fuel element that could safely replace the HEU element currently used. The new proposed design has been developed to maximize performance, minimize changes and preserve strong safety margins. Neutronics and thermal-hydraulics models of the RHF have been developed and qualified by benchmark against experiments and/or against other codes and models. The models developed were then used to evaluate the RHF performance if LEU UMo were to replace the current HEU fuel 'meat' without any geometric change to the fuel plates. Results of these direct replacement analyses have shown a significant degradation of the RHF performance, in terms of both neutron flux and cycle length. Consequently, ANL and ILL have collaborated to investigate alternative designs. A promising candidate design has been selected and studied, increasing the total amount of fuel without changing the external plate dimensions by relocating the burnable poison. In this way, changes required in the fuel element are reasonably small. With this new design, neutronics analyses have shown that performance could be maintained at a high level: 2 day decrease of cycle length (to 47.5 days at 58.3 MW) and 1-2% decrease of brightness in the cold and hot sources in comparison to the current typical operation. In addition, studies have shown that the thermal-hydraulic and shutdown margins for the proposed LEU design would satisfy technical specifications.

Download or read book Comparison and Validation of HEU and LEU Modeling Results to HEU Experimental Benchmark Data for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MITR Reactor written by and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Reactor (MITR-II) is a research reactor in Cambridge, Massachusetts designed primarily for experiments using neutron beam and in-core irradiation facilities. It delivers a neutron flux comparable to current LWR power reactors in a compact 6 MW core using Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) fuel. In the framework of its non-proliferation policies, the international community presently aims to minimize the amount of nuclear material available that could be used for nuclear weapons. In this geopolitical context, most research and test reactors both domestic and international have started a program of conversion to the use of Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel. A new type of LEU fuel based on an alloy of uranium and molybdenum (UMo) is expected to allow the conversion of U.S. domestic high performance reactors like the MITR-II reactor. Towards this goal, comparisons of MCNP5 Monte Carlo neutronic modeling results for HEU and LEU cores have been performed. Validation of the model has been based upon comparison to HEU experimental benchmark data for the MITR-II. The objective of this work was to demonstrate a model which could represent the experimental HEU data, and therefore could provide a basis to demonstrate LEU core performance. This report presents an overview of MITR-II model geometry and material definitions which have been verified, and updated as required during the course of validation to represent the specifications of the MITR-II reactor. Results of calculations are presented for comparisons to historical HEU start-up data from 1975-1976, and to other experimental benchmark data available for the MITR-II Reactor through 2009. This report also presents results of steady state neutronic analysis of an all-fresh LEU fueled core. Where possible, HEU and LEU calculations were performed for conditions equivalent to HEU experiments, which serves as a starting point for safety analyses for conversion of MITR-II from the use of HEU fuel to the use of UMo LEU fuel.

Download or read book A Neutronic Feasibility Study for LEU Conversion of the Budapest Research Reactor written by and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 13 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A neutronic feasibility study for conversion of the Budapest Research Reactor (BRR) from HEU to LEU fuel was performed at Argonne National Laboratory in cooperation with the KFKI Atomic Energy Research Institute in Hungary. Comparisons were made of the reactor performance with the current HEU (36%) fuel and with a proposed LEU (19.75%) fuel. Cycle lengths, thermal neutron fluxes, and rod worths were calculated in equilibrium-type cores for each type of fuel. Relative to the HEU fuel, the LEU fuel has up to a 50% longer fuel cycle length, but a 7-10% smaller thermal neutron flux in the experiment locations. The rod worths are smaller with the LEU fuel, but are still large enough to easily satisfy the BRR shutdown margin criteria. Irradiation testing of four VVR-M2 LEU fuel assemblies that are nearly the same as the proposed BRR LEU fuel assemblies is currently in progress at the Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute.

Download or read book Initial Neutronics Analyses for HEU to LEU Fuel Conversion of the Transient Reactor Test Facility TREAT at the Idaho National Laboratory written by and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of the TREAT reactor is to generate large transient neutron pulses in test samples without over-heating the core to simulate fuel assembly accident conditions. The power transients in the present HEU core are inherently self-limiting such that the core prevents itself from overheating even in the event of a reactivity insertion accident. The objective of this study was to support the assessment of the feasibility of the TREAT core conversion based on the present reactor performance metrics and the technical specifications of the HEU core. The LEU fuel assembly studied had the same overall design, materials (UO2 particles finely dispersed in graphite) and impurities content as the HEU fuel assembly. The Monte Carlo N-Particle code (MCNP) and the point kinetics code TREKIN were used in the analyses.

Download or read book Neutronics Studies on the NIST Reactor Using the GA LEU Fuel written by Kyle Anthony Britton and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The National Bureau of Standards Reactor (NBSR) located on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Gaithersburg campus, is currently underway of fuel conversion from high enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. One particular challenging part of the conversion of the NBSR is the high average flux level (2.5x1014 n/cm2-s) required to maintain experimental testing capabilities of the reactor, without significant changes to the external structures of the reactor. Recently the General Atomics (GA) Training Research Isotopes General Atomics (TRIGA) fuel has shown some promising features as a LEU candidate for the high performance research reactors such as the NBSR. The GA fuel has a long history of success in conversion of research reactors since it was developed in 1980s. The UZrH compound in the GA fuel has seen success in long term TRIGA reactors, and is a proven safe LEU alternative. This study performs a neutronics evaluation of the TRIGA fuel under the schema of the NBSR's heavy conversion requirements in order to examine whether the TRIGA fuel is a viable option for conversion of the NBSR. To determine the most optimal path of conversion, we performed a feasibility study with particular regard to the fuel dimensions, fuel rod configurations, cladding, as well as fuel structure selection. Based on the outcome of the feasibility study, an equilibrium core is then generated following the NBSR's current fuel management schema. Key neutronics performance characteristics including flux distribution, power distribution, control rod (i.e., shim arms) worth, as well as kinetics parameters of the equilibrium core are calculated and evaluated. MCNP6, a Monte Carlo based computational modeling software was intensively used to aid in these calculations. The results of this study will provide important insight on the effectiveness of conversion, as well as determine the viability of the conversion from HEU to LEU using the GA fuel.

Download or read book Conversion of the cavalier and uvar research reactors from heu to leu fuel written by Robert Udo Mulder and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 58 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Advanced Test Reactor LEU Fuel Conversion Feasibility Study 2006 Annual Report written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) is a high power density and high neutron flux research reactor operating in the United States. Powered with highly enriched uranium (HEU), the ATR has a maximum thermal power rating of 250 MWth with a maximum unperturbed thermal neutron flux rating of 1.0 x 1015 n/cm2-s. Because of these operating parameters, and the large test volumes located in high flux areas, the ATR is an ideal candidate for assessing the feasibility of converting an HEU driven reactor to a low-enriched core. The present work investigates the necessary modifications and evaluates the subsequent operating effects of this conversion. A detailed plate-by-plate MCNP ATR 1/8th core model was developed and validated for a fuel cycle burnup comparison analysis. Using the current HEU U 235 enrichment of 93.0 % as a baseline, an analysis can be performed to determine the low-enriched uranium (LEU) density and U-235 enrichment required in the fuel meat to yield an equivalent K-eff between the HEU core and the LEU core versus effective full power days (EFPD). The MCNP ATR 1/8th core model will be used to optimize the U-235 loading in the LEU core, such that the differences in K-eff and heat profile between the HEU and LEU core can be minimized for operation at 125 EFPD with a total core power of 115 MW. The depletion methodology, Monte-Carlo coupled with ORIGEN2 (MCWO), was used to calculate K-eff versus EFPDs. The MCWO-calculated results for the LEU case demonstrated adequate excess reactivity such that the K-eff versus EFPDs plot is similar in shape to the reference ATR HEU case. The LEU core conversion feasibility study can also be used to optimize the U-235 content of each fuel plate, so that the relative radial fission heat flux profile is bounded by the reference ATR HEU case. The detailed radial, axial, and azimuthal heat flux profiles of the HEU and optimized LEU cases have been investigated. However, to demonstrate that the LEU core fuel cycle performance can meet the UFSAR safety requirements, additional studies will be necessary to evaluate and compare safety parameters such as void reactivity and Doppler coefficients, control components worth (outer shim control cylinders (OSCCs), safety rods and regulating rod), and shutdown margins between the HEU and LEU cores.