Analysis of the IR-8 reactor’s IRT-3M FA hydraulic tests results using the ATHLET code

Abstract

This article presents the results of the calculated-experimental determination of the parameters of hydraulic tests with the fuel assembly model used in a number of IRT type research reactors. Coolant velocities were obtained by experiments on a hydraulic stand with a model of an eight-tube IRT-3M fuel assembly at the Kurchatov Institute. A model of a hydraulic stand with a model of eight-tube fuel assembly for the ATHLET code has been developed. The ATHLET code was validated on experimental results of determining the velocities in the gaps of this fuel assembly. A virtual stand was created for a six-tube IRT-3M FA with a division of hydraulic gaps into flat and angular sectors. For the first time, the values of water velocities in the corner sections of the gaps of the six-tube IRT-3M FA were determined. The results of this work can be used in determining the permissible power of the IRT type research reactors: IR-8 at NRC KI (Moscow), IRT-MEPHI at NRNU MEPHI (Moscow), IRT-T at TPU (Tomsk) and WWR-SM at INP (Tashkent).