REACTOR PHYSICS STUDIES FOR THE FINAL CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF THE ADVANCED TEST REACTOR
A detailed account of the reactor physics studies for the final conceptual design of the Advanced Test Reactor is presented. The diffusion theory methods used for calculations of flux distributions and reactivity effects are described and compared with measurements and with higher order approximations to transport theory. These comparisons show diffusion theory to be adequate for the ATR conceptual design. Two-dimensional flux distributions for a number of shim control conditions and experimental loadings were determined by PDQ-3 and TRANSAC-PDQ. The worths and effects on flux distributions of chemical and of blade type mechanical shim controls were compared. The effects of heavy water and of beryllium reflectors on reactivity and flux pattern were calculated. The time-dependent behavior of the reactor was investigated by use of TURBO and CANDLE. The changes in shim control poison and test and core flux distributions with fuel burnup were calculated and the full-power cycle time estimated. An investigation was made of the xenon transient after a fullpower shutdown and recovery. Results of one- and twodimensional fuel depletion studies are compared. The results of a number of time independent one-dimensional calculations and parametric studies are presented. Some comparisons were made of the results for one-dimensional and two-dimensional models of the ATR. The void coefficient of reactivity was found for the core, reflector, experiment, and flux trap regions of the reactor. Calculations of the temperature coefficient for the entire reactor and for individual regions were determined for one- and two-dimensional models. Xenon instability was studied for oscillations around one lobe, between lobes, and along the vertical axis. TURBO and CANDLE calculations were used to determine the effects of pedurbations on the sxial stability. An analytic method for determining axial stability was derived and applied to a single lobe model of the ATR. A perturbation technique was used to find the effects of reflector type and poisoning on the average core neutron lifetime. Calculations of the approximate lifetime of the delayed group from the reflector were made for a number of reflector conditions. Plots and tables of the gamma heat distribution in the ATR as determined by an DBM-704 program are presented. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Phillips Petroleum Co. Atomic Energy Div., Idaho Falls, Idaho
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT(10-1)-205
- NSA Number:
- NSA-15-017745
- OSTI ID:
- 4014156
- Report Number(s):
- IDO-16668
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-61
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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REACTOR PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS TECHNICAL PROGRESS REPORT FOR THE PERIOD DECEMBER 1, 1959 TO MARCH 1, 1960
STUDIES OF CONTROL, POWER SHAPING, AND BURNOUT BEHAVIOR FOR AETR
Related Subjects
ATR
BERYLLIUM
BURNUP
CANDLE-CODE
CONTROL
DIFFUSION
DISTRIBUTION
ENRICHMENT
GAMMA RADIATION
HEATING
HEAVY WATER
IBM 704
LIFETIME
MEASURED VALUES
NEUTRON FLUX
OSCILLATIONS
PERTURBATION THEORY
POISONING
REACTIVITY
REACTOR FUELING
REACTORS
RECOVERY
REFLECTORS
SHUTDOWN
TEMPERATURE
TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT
TESTING
TRANSIENTS
TRANSPORT THEORY
TURBO-CODE
VOID COEFFICIENT
XENON
ZONES