CONTROL ROD REACTIVITY CURVES FOR THE ANNULAR CORE RESEARCH REACTOR

Abstract

Experiments were conducted at the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR) to increase the fidelity of the control rod integral reactivity worth curve. This experiment series was designed to refine the integral reactivity curve used for pulse yield prediction and eliminate the need for operator compensation in the pulse setup. The experiment series consisted of delayed critical and positive period measurements with various ACRR cavity configurations. An improved integral reactivity worth curve for the ACRR control rods has been constructed using the positive period measurements, the delayed critical measurements, and radiation transport modeling of the reactor. A series of prompt period measurements is used to validate that the new control rod curve more accurately predicts the energy yield of the pulse operations. The new reactivity worth curve is compared with the current curve that was developed using traditional approaches.