Optimization on the core of IEA-R1 research reactor for enhance the radioisotopes production

• Autor(a) principal: STEFANI, GIOVANNI L. de
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Outros Autores: GENEZINI, FREDERICO A., MOREIRA, JO??O M. de L., SANTOS, THIAGO A. dos, INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR ATLANTIC CONFERENCE
• Tipo de documento: Artigo de conferência
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional do IPEN
• Texto Completo: http://repositorio.ipen.br/handle/123456789/30693
• topic: beryllium; delayed neutrons; fuel assemblies; fuel consumption; iear-1 reactor; isotope production; neutron flux; optimization; parametric analysis; reactivity coefficients; reactor cores; thermal neutrons

In this work a parametric study was carried out to increase the production of radioisotopes in the IEA-R1 reactor. One of the variables directly proportional to isotope production is the magnitude of the neutron flux in which some material is exposed, so the main objective of this work was to increase neutron flux, especially in the center of the reactor in the beryllium element irradiator (EIBe), within the operational and safety limits of the reactor. The study is initiated by defining a default configuration, in which core of the IEA-R1 reactor is modeled with all fresh fuel assemblies to ensure the reduction of variables that affect the data analysis, then para metric studies were performed evaluating, by comparative analysis of the behavior of the relation of neutron flux versus the fuel for the standard configuration. Therefore, another configuration was tested: the changes in the core of graphite reflecting elements for beryllium, as well as, the result due to reactor core compaction. Parameters such as the fraction of delayed neutrons (Beff) and temperature reactivity coefficient are analyzed to ensure that the configuration has the minimum safety requirements for the reactor safe operation. The results of the study demonstrate a large increase in neutron flux magnitude and in particular in the center of the nucleus in the beryllium irradiating element.