• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.38 no.7
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• pp.657-664
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• 2006

The problem of reactivity oscillations for a point reactor constitutes an interesting aspect of nuclear reactor physics and its solution may give important information for dynamic and safety assessments. The present paper considers the problem of a reactivity oscillation for a source-driven system which involves some specific aspects that introduce significant differences with respect to the source-free situation. Assuming a square-wave shape for the reactivity insertion, the solution is derived by a fully analytical approach. The conditions for stability and instability can be identified in a straightforward way by directly studying the stationarity of the power response. Numerical results presented allow to discuss the role of the system kinetic parameters and of the time-shape of the reactivity wave.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.391-400
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• 1999

A conceptual core design of the 1,300MWe KNGR (Korean Next Generation Reactor) without using soluble boron for reactivity control was developed to determine whether it is technically feasible to implement SBF (Soluble Boron Free) operation. Based on the borated KNGR core design, the fuel assembly and control rod configuration were modified for extensive use of burnable poison rods and control rods. A new fuel rod, in which Pu-238 had been substituted for a small amount of U-238 in fuel composition, was introduced to assist the reactivity control by burnable poison rods. Since Pu-238 has a considerably large thermal neutron capture cross section, the new fuel assembly showed good reactivity suppression capability throughout the entire cycle turnup, especially at BOC (Beginning of Cycle). Moreover, relatively uniform control of power distribution was possible since the new fuel assemblies were loaded throughout the core. In this study, core excess reactivity was limited to 2.0 %$\delta$$\rho$ for the minimal use of control rods. The analysis results of the SBF KNGR core showed that axial power distribution control can be achieved by using the simplest zoning scheme of the fuel assembly Furthermore, the sufficient shutdown margin and the stability against axial xenon oscillations were secured in this SBF core. It is, therefore, concluded that a SBF operation is technically feasible for a large sized LWR (Light Water Reactor).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.8
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• pp.2877-2882
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• 2022

The paper presents the main results of computational and experimental optimization of the automatic power control system (AC) of the IBR-2M pulsed reactor in the presence of a high level of oscillatory instability. Optimization of the parameters of the AC made it possible to significantly reduce the influence of random and deterministic oscillations of reactivity on the noise of the pulse energy, as well as to sharply reduce the manifestation of the oscillatory instability of the reactor. As a result, the safety and reliability of operation of the reactor has increased substantially.