Thermal analysis of IRT-T reactor fuel elements

A Naymushin,Yu Chertkov,I Lebedev,M Anikin

doi:10.1088/1757-899x/93/1/012002

Abstract

The article describes the method and results of thermo-physical calculations of IRT-T reactor core. Heat fluxes, temperatures of cladding, fuel meat and coolant were calculated for height of core, azimuth directions of FA and each fuel elements in FA. Average calculated values of uniformity factor of energy release distribution for height of fuel assemblies were shown in this research. Onset nucleate boiling temperature and ONB-ratio were calculated. Shows that temperature regimes of fuel elements at rated power of the reactor keep within limit values and meet safety requirements. Obtained results could be applied at feasibility study of increasing thermal power of IRT-T research reactor to 12 MW level.

Highlights

IRT-T research reactor uses IRT-3M type fuel assemblies in the reactor core [1]
The technical report of IRT-3M safety provision gives the values of the following parameters:
In order to establish correspondence of thermal parameters of fuel elements to passport values it is needed to determine values of nonuniformity of energy release over fuel assemblies and reactor core. It was used MCU-PTR software designed for precision neutron-physical calculations [2]

Summary

Introduction

IRT-T research reactor uses IRT-3M type fuel assemblies in the reactor core [1]. The technical report of IRT-3M safety provision gives the values of the following parameters: inlet coolant temperature — 45 °C; outlet pressure — 133 kPa; pressure drop — 37 kPa. In order to establish correspondence of thermal parameters of fuel elements to passport values it is needed to determine values of nonuniformity of energy release over fuel assemblies and reactor core. For this purpose, it was used MCU-PTR software designed for precision neutron-physical calculations [2]. The distributions of energy release over calculation cells, height and azimuth of all fuel assemblies of reactor core were obtained as a result of neutron-physical calculation.

Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd

Conclusion