Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Study on an open fuel cycle of IVG.1M research reactor operating with LEU-fuel

  • Ruslan А. Irkimbekov (Institute of Atomic Energy, National Nuclear Center of Republic of Kazakhstan) ;
  • Artur S. Surayev (Institute of Atomic Energy, National Nuclear Center of Republic of Kazakhstan) ;
  • Galina А. Vityuk (Institute of Atomic Energy, National Nuclear Center of Republic of Kazakhstan) ;
  • Olzhas M. Zhanbolatov (Institute of Atomic Energy, National Nuclear Center of Republic of Kazakhstan) ;
  • Zamanbek B. Kozhabaev (Institute of Atomic Energy, National Nuclear Center of Republic of Kazakhstan) ;
  • Sergey V. Bedenko (School of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Tomsk Polytechnic University) ;
  • Nima Ghal-Eh (Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad) ;
  • Alexander D. Vurim (Institute of Atomic Energy, National Nuclear Center of Republic of Kazakhstan)
  • Received : 2022.08.08
  • Accepted : 2022.12.09
  • Published : 2023.04.25
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

The fuel cycle characteristics of the IVG.1M reactor were studied within the framework of the research reactor conversion program to modernize the IVG.1M reactor. Optimum use of the nuclear fuel and reactor was achieved through routine methods which included partial fuel reloading combined with scheduled maintenance operations. Since, the additional problem in planning the fuel cycle of the IVG.1M reactor was the poisoning of the beryllium parts of the core, reflector, and control system. An assessment of the residual power and composition of spent fuel is necessary for the selection and justification of the technology for its subsequent management. Computational studies were performed using the MCNP6.1 program and the neutronics model of the IVG.1M reactor. The proposed scheme of annual partial fuel reloading allows for maintaining a high reactor reactivity margin, stabilizing it within 2-4 βeff for 20 years, and achieving a burnup of 9.9-10.8 MW × day/kg U in the steady state mode of fuel reloading. Spent fuel immediately after unloading from the reactor can be placed in a transport packaging cask for shipping or safely stored in dry storage at the research reactor site.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research is funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant No. AP08856242). The authors are grateful to the center of TPU's "Physical and chemical methods of analysis". We are also grateful to the editor and reviewers for their careful reading of our manuscript and thoughtful comments.

References

  1. Nazarbayev, N.A., Shkolnik, V.S., Batyrbekov, E.G., Berezin, S.A., Lukashenko, S.N., & Skakov, M.K. Scientific, Technical and Engineering Work to Ensure the Safety of the Former Semipalatinsk Test Site. London, vol. 548 p. III. 469. https://irse.nnc.kz/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Vol-3_web_Final.pdf. 
  2. T. Kulsartov, Z. Zaurbekova, I. Tazhibayeva, Y. Ponkratov, V. Gnyrya, G. Kizane, E. Nesterov, N. Varlamova, Study of tritium and helium generation and release from lead-lithium eutectics Li15.7Pb under neutron irradiation, Fusion Engineering and Design 146 (2019) 1317-1320, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fusengdes.2019.02.066. 
  3. Yu. Gordienko, Yu. Ponkratov, T. Kulsartov, I. Tazhibayeva, Zh. Zaurbekova, Ye. Koyanbayev, Ye. Chikhray, I. Kenzhina, Research facilities of IAE NNC RK (Kurchatov) for investigations of tritium interaction with structural materials of fusion reactors, Fusion Sci. Technol. 76 (6) (2020) 703-709, https://doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2020.1777667. 
  4. Yu.L. Istomin, D.I. Zelensky, Yu.S. Cherepnin, Yu.V. Orlov, M.Ye Netecha, V.N. Avayev, G.A. Vasiliev, H. Sakamoto, Y. Nomura, Y. Naito, Experimental studies of neutron and gamma radiation scattering in air from a nuclear reactor, NNC RK Bulletin 1 (2000) 68-73 (In Russian). 
  5. V.F. Stepanenko, T.K. Rakhypbekov, A.D. Kaprin, S.A. Ivanov, K. Otani, S. Endo, K. Satoh, N. Kawano, T. Takatsuji, M. Nakashima, K. Shichijo, A. Sakaguchi, H. Kato, Y. Onda, N. Fujimoto, Sh. Toyoda, H. Sato, T.V. Kolyzhenkov, A.D. Petukhov, M. Hoshi, Irradiation of laboratory animals by neutron activated dust: development and application of the method - first results of international multicenter study, Radiation and Risk Bulletin of the National Radiation and Epidemiological Registry 25 (4) (2016) 111-125, https://doi.org/10.21870/0131-3878-2016-25-4-111-125. 
  6. D.A. Zaytsev, V.M. Repnikov, D.M. Soldatkin, V.A. Solntsev, Studies of behavior of the fuel compound based on the U-Zr micro-heterogeneous quasialloy during cyclic thermal tests, Journal of Physics: Conference Series 891 (1) (2017), https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/891/1/012181. 
  7. NNC RK. [online]. Fresh Low-Enriched Uranium Fuel Delivered to the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan < https://www.nnc.kz/en/news/show/277 >. [Reviewed on February 2021]. 
  8. V.S. Gnyrya, A.D. Vurim, I.K. Derbyshev, E.T. Koyanbaev, V.V. Baklanov, A.S. Azimkhanov, D.A. Ganovichev, Yu.A. Popov, A.N. Kolbayenkov, P.L. Garner, N.A. Hanan, RERTR-2019 Status of the IVG.1M Fuel Test, 2019. https://www.rertr.anl.gov/RERTR40/pdfs/RERTR-2019-program.pdf. 
  9. On Approval of the Rules for the Transportation of Nuclear Materials, Radioactive substances and radioactive waste. Order of the minister of energy of the republic of Kazakhstan dated may 28, 2021 No. 183, Registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan on June 2 (2021), 22905 (In Russian), https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/V2100022905. 
  10. T. Goorley, M. James, T. Booth, F. Brown, J. Bull, L.J. Cox, J. Durkee, J. Elson, M. Fensin, R.A. Forster, J. Hendricks, Initial MCNP6 release overview, Nuclear Technology 180 (3) (2012) 298-315.  https://doi.org/10.13182/NT11-135
  11. R.A. Irkimbekov, L.K. Zhagiparova, V.M. Kotov, A.D. Vurim, V.S. Gnyrya, Neutronics model of the IVG.1M reactor: development and critical-state verification, Atomic Energy 127 (2) (2019) 69-76, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10512-019-00587-1. 
  12. R.A. Irkimbekov, A.S. Akayev, L.K. Zhagiparova, A.S. Khazhidnov, V.S. Gnyrya, A.D. Vurim, P.L. Garner, N.A. Hanan, RERTR-2019 Safety Analysis of the IVG.1M Reactor with LEU Fuel, 2019. https://www.rertr.anl.gov/RERTR40/pdfs/RERTR2019-program.pdf. 
  13. R.А. Irkimbekov, A.D. Vurim, S.V. Bedenko, G.N. Vlaskin, A.S. Surayev, G.А. Vityuk, H.R. Vega-Carrillo, Estimating the neutron component of radiation properties of the IVG.1M research reactor irradiated low-enriched fuel, Appl. Radiat. Isotopes 181 (2022), 110094, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.110094. 
  14. R.R. Sabitova, I.V. Prozorova, R.A. Irkimbekov, Yu.A. Popov, S.V. Bedenko, A.A. Prozorov, A.K. Mukhamediyev, Methods to study power density distribution in the IVG.1M research reactor after conversion, Applied Radiation and Isotopes 185 (2022), 110259, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2022.110259. 
  15. O.M. Zhanbolatov, A.D. Vurim, A.S. Surayev, R.A. Irkimbekov, Development of scenarios for controlling the fuel campaign of the IVG.1M reactor with LEU-fuel, J. Phys.: Conf. Series 2155 (1) (2022), 12017, https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2155/1/012017. 
  16. J.M. Beeston, G.R. Longhurst, R.S. Wallace, S.P. Abeln, Mechanical properties of irradiated beryllium, Journal of Nuclear Materials 195 (1-2) (1992) 102-108, https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3115(92)90366-S. 
  17. X.-L. Zou, Y.-Q. Bai, M.-H. Wang, B. Hong, Analysis of beryllium poisoning effect on liquid metal reactor with U-Be alloy fuel, Nuclear Science and Techniques 30 (2) (2019) 35, https://doi.org/10.1007/s41365-019-0555-9. 
  18. M. Wroblewska, D. Blanchet, A. Lyoussi, P. Blaise, J. Jagielski, Z. Marcinkowska, A. Boettcher, T. Machtyl, M. Januchta, I. Wilczek, A review and analysis of the state of the art on beryllium poisoning in research reactors, Annals of Nuclear Energy 163 (2021), 108540, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2021.108540. 
  19. A. Izhutov, V. Starkov, V. Pimenov, V. Fedoseev, S. Maynskov, RERTR 2012-34 th international meeting on reduced enrichment for research and test reactors conversion of the MIR.M1 reactor to LEU-fuel. https://www.rertr.anl.gov/RERTR34/pdfs/S3-P3_Izhutov.pdf, 2012. 
  20. A.A. Zyryanova, Yu.V. Meteleva, A.V. Kozlov, E.N. Seleznev, I.M. Russkikh, Beryllium blocks poisoning analysis in IVV-2M research nuclear reactor core, Voprosy atomnoy nauki i tekhniki. Seriya: yaderno-reaktornyye konstanty 1 (2018) 5-16 (In Russian). 
  21. N.A. Orazgaliyev, Ye. Ye. Sapatayev, Ye.A. Kozhakhmetov, Ye.D. Dauletkhanov, G.K. Uazyrkhanova, Radiation damage to beryllium under low-temperature neutron iradiation, NNC RK Bulletin 4 (2021) 37-44, https://doi.org/10.52676/1729-7885-2021-4-37-44 (In Russian). 
  22. R.B. Pond, J.E. Matos, Nuclear mass inventory, photon dose rate and thermal decay heat of spent research reactor fuel assemblies (Rev. 1), 27, RERTR Program, 1996, pp. 6-11. ANL/RERTR/TM-26, Issue 24, https://www.rertr.anl.gov/FRRSNF/TM26REV1.PDF. 
  23. R.B. Pond, J.E. Matos, Nuclear mass inventory, photon dose rate and thermal decay heat of spent research reactor fuel assemblies (Rev. 1). RERTR Program, ANL/RERTR/TM-26, Vol. 27, Issue 24, (1996) pp. 6 - 11. https://www.rertr.anl.gov/FRRSNF/TM26REV1.PDF.