On the use of average power in predicting radioisotope productions

Abstract

Productions of industrial and medical radioisotopes in operating nuclear reactors have been done for many years. Prior to the implementation, some analyses need to be performed in order to optimize the production of the radioisotopes by putting the targets in appropriate locations in the reactor core. This needs to be done not only to maximize the production of the radioisotopes but also to ensure that the safe operation of the reactor is not jeopardised. In such analyses, an approximation of the average power level is utilized since the actual variation in the power level during the operation of the reactor with the targets inserted in the core is not known. The objective of this paper is to quantify the appropriateness of utilizing an average power during such analyses. Results from the present study indicate that the difference between the estimate and measured 60Co production, which is used as an example of radioisotope produced in a reactor, could be up to around ±2% depending on the flux level using during the irradiation and the duration of the irradiation period.