• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
• /
• 1998.05a
• /
• pp.149-154
• /
• 1998

A subcritical reactor driven by a linear proton accelerator has been considered as a nuclear waste incinerator at Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute(KAERI). Since the multiplication factor of a subcritical reactor is less than unity, to compensate exponentially decreasing fission neutrons from spallation reactions are essentially required for operating the reactor in its steady state. furthermore, the profile of accelerator beam currents is very important in controlling a subcritical reactor, because the reactor power varies in accordance of the profile of external neutrons. We have developed a code system to find numerical solutions of reactor kinetics equations, which are the simplest dynamic model for controlling reactors. In a due course of our previous numerical study of point kinetics equations for critical reactors, however, we learned that the same code system can be used in studying dynamic behavior of the subcritical reactor. Our major motivation of this paper is to investigate responses of subcritical reactors for small changes in thermal hydraulic parameters. Building a thermal hydraulic model for the subcritical reactor dynamics, we performed numerical simulations for dynamic responses of the reactor based on point kinetics equations with a source term. Linearizing a set of coupled differential equations for reactor responses, we focus our research interest on dynamic responses of the reactor to variations of the thermal hydraulic parameters in transient phases.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.51 no.2
• /
• pp.337-344
• /
• 2019

The TRIGA fuel of the Philippine Research Reactor-1 (PRR-1) will be used in a subcritical reactor assembly (SRA) to strengthen and advance nuclear science and engineering expertise in the Philippines. SRA offers a versatile and safe training and research facility since it can produce neutrons through nuclear fission reaction without achieving criticality. In this work, we used a geometrically detailed model of the PRR-1 TRIGA fuel to design a subcritical reactor assembly and calculate physical parameters of different fuel configurations. Based on extensive neutron transport simulations an SRA configuration is proposed, comprising 44 TRIGA fuel rods arranged in a $7{\times}7$ square lattice. This configuration is found to have a maximum $k_{eff}$ value of $0.95001{\pm}0.00009$ at 4 cm pitch. The SRA is characterized by calculating the 3-dimensional neutron flux distribution and neutron spectrum. The effective delayed neutron fraction and mean neutron generation time of the system are calculated to be $748pcm{\pm}7pcm$ and $41{\mu}s$, respectively. Results obtained from this work will be the basis of the core design for the subcritical reactor facility that will be established in the Philippines.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.47 no.7
• /
• pp.875-883
• /
• 2015

The use of subcritical aqueous homogenous reactors driven by accelerators presents an attractive alternative for producing $^{99}Mo$. In this method, the medical isotope production system itself is used to extract $^{99}Mo$ or other radioisotopes so that there is no need to irradiate common targets. In addition, it can operate at much lower power compared to a traditional reactor to produce the same amount of $^{99}Mo$ by irradiating targets. In this study, the neutronic performance and $^{99}Mo$, $^{89}Sr$, and $^{131}I$ production capacity of a subcritical aqueous homogenous reactor fueled with low-enriched uranyl nitrate was evaluated using the MCNPX code. A proton accelerator with a maximum 30-MeV accelerating power was used to run the subcritical core. The computational results indicate a good potential for the modeled system to produce the radioisotopes under completely safe conditions because of the high negative reactivity coefficients of the modeled core. The results show that application of an optimized beam window material can increase the fission power of the aqueous nitrate fuel up to 80%. This accelerator-based procedure using low enriched uranium nitrate fuel to produce radioisotopes presents a potentially competitive alternative in comparison with the reactor-based or other accelerator-based methods. This system produces ~1,500 Ci/wk (~325 6-day Ci) of $^{99}Mo$ at the end of a cycle.

• Proceedings of the Korean Nuclear Society Conference
• /
• 1997.05a
• /
• pp.90-95
• /
• 1997

In this work, linear dynamics of a circulating fluid-fueled subcritical reactor system with temperature feedback and external neutron source was modeled and examined. In a circulating fluid-fuel system, the stable region is slightly moved by a circulation fluid effect. The effects of subcriticality and temperature feedback coefficient on the reactor stability were tested by calculating frequency response of neutron density originated from reactivity perturbation or external source oscillation of system. The amplitude transfer function has a different shape near subcritical region due to the exponential term in the transfer function. The results of the study show that at a slightly subcritical region, low frequency oscillation in accelerator current or reactivity can be amplified depending on the temperature feedback. However, as the subcriticality increases, the oscillation becomes negligible regardless of the magnitude of the temperature feedback coefficient.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.53 no.7
• /
• pp.2133-2150
• /
• 2021

In this work, Esfahan light water subcritical reactor (ELWSCR) is analysed using experimental and theoretical diagnostic methods. Important neutronic parameters of the system such as prompt neutron lifetime, delayed neutron fraction, prompt neutron decay constant, negative reactivity of the core, fuel and moderator temperature coefficient of reactivity, and overall and local void coefficient of reactivity are estimated. Also, neutron flux distribution, reflector saving, water level effect, and lattice pitch of the core including operating point of the facility are studied in details. Theoretical results are calculated by MCNPX and measurements are performed utilizing zero power reactor noise method. Detailed descriptions of the results are explained in the text.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.53 no.12
• /
• pp.3879-3891
• /
• 2021

A heat pipe residual heat removal system is proposed to be incorporated into the reactor driven subcritical (RDS) facility, which has been proposed by MIT Nuclear Reactor Laboratory for testing and demonstrating the Fluoride-salt-cooled High-temperature Reactor (FHR). It aims to reduce the risk of the system operation after the shutdown of the facility. One of the main components of the system is an air-cooled heat pipe heat exchanger. The alkali-metal high-temperature heat pipe was designed to meet the operation temperature and residual heat removal requirement of the facility. The heat pipe model developed in the previous work was adopted to simulate the designed heat pipe and assess the heat transport capability. 3D numerical simulation of the subcritical facility active zone was performed by the commercial CFD software STAR CCM + to investigate the operation characteristics of this proposed system. The thermal resistance network of the heat pipe was built and incorporated into the CFD model. The nominal condition, partial loss of air flow accident and partial heat pipe failure accident were simulated and analyzed. The results show that the residual heat removal system can provide sufficient cooling of the subcritical facility with a remarkable safety margin. The heat pipe can work under the recommended operation temperature range and the heat flux is below all thermal limits. The facility peak temperature is also lower than the safety limits.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.53 no.6
• /
• pp.1731-1735
• /
• 2021

The operation of the nuclear reactor requires accurate and fast methods and techniques for analysing its kinetics. These techniques become even more important when the MOX-fuel is used due to the lower value of delayed neutron fraction 𝛽 for ²³⁹Pu. Based on a Birth-and-Death process review, the mathematical model of thermal reactor core has been proposed different from existing ones. The analytical method for thermal point-reactor parameters evaluation is described within this work. The proposed method is applied for analysis of the unsteady transient processes taking place in a thermal reactor at its start-up or shutdown power change, as well as during small accidental power variation from the rated value. Theoretical determination of MASURCA reactor core reactivity through the analysis of experimental data on neutron time spectra was made.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.304-317
• /
• 2016

An accelerator-driven system consists of a subcritical reactor and a controllable external neutron source. The reactor in an accelerator-driven system can sustain fission reactions in a subcritical state using an external neutron source, which is an intrinsic safety feature of the system. The system can provide efficient transmutations of nuclear wastes such as minor actinides and long-lived fission products and generate electricity. Recently at Kyoto University Research Reactor Institute (KURRI; Kyoto, Japan), a series of reactor physics experiments was conducted with the Kyoto University Critical Assembly and a Cockcrofte-Walton type accelerator, which generates the external neutron source by deuteriu-metritium reactions. In this paper, neutronic analyses of a series of experiments have been re-estimated by using the latest Monte Carlo code and nuclear data libraries. This feasibility study is presented through the comparison of Monte Carlo simulation results with measurements.

• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
• /
• 2004.02a
• /
• pp.150-164
• /
• 2004

According to the Korean long-term plan for nuclear technology development, KAERI is conducting a few R&D projects related to the proliferation-resistant back-end fuel cycle. The R&D activities for the back-end fuel cycle are reviewed in this work, especially focusing on the study of the partitioning and transmutation(P&T) of long-lived radionuclides. The P&T study is currently being carried out in order to develop key technologies in the areas of partitioning and transmutation. The partitioning study is based on the development of pyroprocessing such as electrorefining and electrowinning because they can be adopted as proliferation-resistant technologies in the fuel cycle. In this study, various behaviors of the electrodeposition of uranium and rare earth elements in the LiCl-KCl electrorefining system have been examined through fundamental experimental work. As for the transmutation system, KAERI is studying the HYPER (HYbrid Power Extraction Reactor), a kind of subcritical reactor which will be connected with a proton accelerator. Up to now, a conceptual study has been carried out for the major elemental systems of the subcritical reactor such as core, transuranic fuel, long-lived fission product target, and the Pb-Bi cooling system, etc. In order to enhance the transmutation efficiency of the transuranic elements as well as to strengthen the reactor safety, the reactor core was optimized by determining its most suitable subcriticality, the ratio of height/diameter, and by introducing the concepts of optimum core configuration with a transuranic enrichment as well as a scattered reloading of the fuel assemblies.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.360-367
• /
• 2016

A windowless spallation target can provide a neutron source and maintain neutron chain reaction for a subcritical reactor, and is a key component of China's nuclear waste transmutation of coupling accelerator and subcritical reactor. The main issue of the windowless target design is to form a stable and controllable free surface that can ensure that energy spectrum distribution is acquired for the neutron physical design when the high energy proton beam beats the lead-bismuth eutectic in the spallation target area. In this study, morphology and flow characteristics of the free surface of the windowless target were analyzed through the volume of fluid model using computational fluid dynamics simulation, and the results show that the outlet cross section size of the target is the key to form a stable and controllable free surface, as well as the outlet with an arc transition. The optimization parameter of the target design, in which the radius of outlet cross section is $60{\pm}1mm$, is verified to form a stable and controllable free surface and to reduce the formation of air bubbles. This work can function as a reference for carrying out engineering design of windowless target and for verification experiments.