• Title/Summary/Keyword: Irradiation capsule

Search Result 75, Processing Time 0.036 seconds

ADVANCED TEST REACTOR TESTING EXPERIENCE - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

  • Marshall Frances M.
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
    • /
    • v.38 no.5
    • /
    • pp.411-416
    • /
    • 2006
  • The Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), is one of the world's premier test reactors for providing the capability for studying the effects of intense neutron and gamma radiation on reactor materials and fuels. The physical configuration of the ATR, a 4-leaf clover shape, allows the reactor to be operated at different power levels in the comer 'lobes' to allow for different testing conditions for multiple simultaneous experiments. The combination of high flux (maximum thermal neutron fluxes of 1E15 neutrons per square centimeter per second and maximum fast [E>1.0 MeV] neutron fluxes of 5E14 neutrons per square centimeter per second) and large test volumes (up to 122 cm long and 12.7 cm diameter) provide unique testing opportunities. The current experiments in the ATR are for a variety of test sponsors - US government, foreign governments, private researchers, and commercial companies needing neutron irradiation services. There are three basic types of test configurations in the ATR. The simplest configuration is the sealed static capsule, which places the capsule in direct contact with the primary coolant. The next level of experiment complexity is an instrumented lead experiment, which allows for active control of experiment conditions during the irradiation. The most complex experiment is the pressurized water loop, in which the test sample can be subjected to the exact environment of a pressurized water reactor. For future research, some ATR modifications and enhancements are currently planned. This paper provides more details on some of the ATR capabilities, key design features, experiments, and future plans.

Optimization for the Nuclear Fuel Irradiation Capsule under Thermal Loading (열하중하에서 핵연료조사캡슐에 대한 최적화)

  • Choi, Young-Jin;Lee, Young-Shin;Kang, Young-Hwan;Lee, Joong-Woong
    • Proceedings of the KSME Conference
    • /
    • 2003.04a
    • /
    • pp.564-569
    • /
    • 2003
  • During fuel irradiation tests, all parts of cylindrical structure with multiple holes act as heat sources due to fussion heal and ${\gamma}-flux$. The high temperature is especially generated over $2500^{\circ}C$ in the center of pellet. Due to the high temperature, many problems occur, such as melting of pellet and declining of heat transfer between cladding and coolant. [n this study, it is attempted 10 minimize the temperature of pellet using optimization method about geometric variables. For thermal and optimization analysis or structure. the finite element method code. ANSYS 5.7 is used. In this procedure. subproblem approximation method is used to the optimization methods. Through the optimum design process, the temperature of sealed basket type is reduced from $2537^{\circ}C$ to $2181^{\circ}C$ and the temperature of open basket type is reduced from $2560^{\circ}C$ to $2106^{\circ}C$.

  • PDF

CHARACTERISTICS OF A NEW PNEUMATIC TRANSFER SYSTEM FOR A NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS AT THE HANARO RESEARCH REACTOR

  • Chung, Yong-Sam;Kim, Sun-Ha;Moon, Jong-Hwa;Baek, Sung-Yeol;Kim, Hark-Rho;Kim, Young-Jin
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
    • /
    • v.41 no.6
    • /
    • pp.813-820
    • /
    • 2009
  • A rapid pneumatic transfer system (PTS) for an instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) is developed as an automatic irradiation facility involving the measurement of a short half-life nuclide and a delayed neutron counting system. Three new PTS designs with improved functions were constructed at the HANARO research reactor in 2006. The new system is composed of a manual system and an automatic system for both an INAA and a delayed neutron activation analysis (DNAA). The design and basic conception of a modified PTS are described, and the functions of system operation and control, radiation protection and emissions of radioactive gas are improved. In addition, a form of capsule transportation of these systems is tested. The experimental results pertaining to the irradiation characteristics with variation of the neutron flux and the temperature of the irradiation position with the irradiation time are presented, as is an analysis of the reference material for analytical quality control and uncertainty assessments.

Estimation of nuclear heating by delayed gamma rays from radioactive structural materials of HANARO

  • Noh, Tae-yang;Park, Byung-Gun;Kim, Myong-Seop
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
    • /
    • v.50 no.3
    • /
    • pp.446-452
    • /
    • 2018
  • To improve the accuracy and safety of irradiation tests in High flux Advanced Neutron Application ReactOr (HANARO), the nuclear energy deposition rate, which is called nuclear heating, was estimated for an irradiation capsule with an iridium sample in the irradiation hole in order. The gamma rays emitted from the radioisotopes (RIs) of the structural materials such as flow tubes of fuel assemblies and heavy water reflector tank were considered as radiation source. Using the ORIGEN2.1 code, emission rates of delayed gamma rays were calculated in consideration of the activation procedure for 8 years and 2 months of HANARO operation. Calculated emission rates were used as a source term of delayed gamma rays in the MCNP6 code. By using the MCNP code, the nuclear heating rates of the irradiation capsules in the inner core, outer core, and heavy water reflector tank were estimated. Calculated nuclear heating in the inner core, outer core, and heavy water reflector tank were 200-260 mW, 80-100 mW, and 10 mW, respectively.