Core calculations for small modular reactor during burnup cycle

Abstract

ABSTRACT Nuclear, modular water (AVB) reactor is a small modular reactor with special capabilities and it can be used as a source of energy for various applications. In this research, the core calculations of this reactor have been performed during the burnup cycle with deterministic and Monte Carlo approaches by the computational codes WIMSD, PARCS, and MCNPX. Due to the temperature and pressure limits for coolant in this reactor, the PMAXS generator and the developed PARCS code, PARCS-MOD, have been used in a deterministic approach. Quantities include the effective multiplication factor, the relative power distribution, the fuel, and moderator temperature distribution, reactivity feedbacks, and concentrations of some isotopes during the cycle are calculated. In addition, to comparing the results of the two approaches, some general results were compared with the results published in the documents, which we see an acceptable difference in this regard. The maximum value of for states BOC, MOC and EOC are −1.39, −1.85, and −1.87 (pcm.K−1), respectively. The relative difference between the calculated relative power is less than 2.6%. The relative difference between the coolant average temperature and the fuel average temperature calculated with the reference values is 0.21%, and 0.14%, respectively. The maximum axial coolant density is 650 (kg.m−3). Also in this research, the dead time of the ABV reactor has been calculated which is zero.