Parametric analysis of the neutron transmutation doping (NTD) facility at the Egyptian Second Research Reactor (ETRR-2)

Abstract

One of the most important facilities of the Egyptian Second Research Reactor (ETRR-2) is the silicon Neutron Transmutation Doping (NTD) Facility. This work is done to optimize the performance of the ETRR-2 NTD facility based on the standards and to develop a calculation line that can be used during its commercial operating phase. Calculation line methodology was developed using WIMS-D4 and CITVAP codes as well as nuclear data file libraries to perform core calculations needed to predict neutronic parameters at the two NTD locations. Axial flux profile was calculated and results were in good agreement with the experimental flux mapping. Based on the calculated variation of the thermal neutron flux axial distribution, it was proposed to displace the silicon ingot axially from its initially proposed position to minimize flux variation. Impact of control rod configuration was analyzed to maximize the neutron flux at the NTD two locations and the best control rod configuration is recommended. Thermal to fast neutron flux was also calculated and concluded that radiation damage caused by fast neutrons can safely be neglected. Flux depression across the ingot was estimated using the ANISN code. Finally, the SIMULINK module of the MATLAB code was used to evaluate the ingot activity due to different radioactive nuclides. The activity was found to reach its exempted limit after 2.79 days after its discharge from the irradiation channel. It was also concluded that the worse ETRR-2 scram will not affect the obtained Si doping and its resistivity.