MAIN NEUTRONICS OF THE SUBCRITICAL ASSEMBLY “YALINA-BOOSTER” WHEN DECREASING THE FUEL ENRICHMENT IN THE FAST ZONE
Abstract
The article presents results of analytical and experimental study of neutronics of the accelerator driven subcritical systems by the “Yalina-Booster” example. Zero power subcritical assembly “Yalina-Booster” with fast and thermal spectrum represents a model of subcritical nuclear system driven by external neutron source (Accelerator Driven Systems – ADS). Accelerator of the hydrogen ions (the neutron generator NG-12-1) is used as an external neutron source. The assembly design allows to vary the material content of the core and long half-life radionuclide samples (long lived minor actinides and some fission products) placed in the experimental channels aimed to study the effect of neutron flux density in thermal and fast neutron energy ranges. The objective of the research was to search the ways of keeping the main neutronics at the appropriate level by gradual reducing of nuclear fuel enrichment in the fast zone. Principal estimating criteria of the neutronics variation by such fuel conversion were: subcriticality levels, spatial distributions of neutron flux density, time behavior of neutron flux density for pulsed mode of the external neutron source operation in terms of different ion pulses durations etc.
About the Authors
Yu. G. Fokov
Joint Institute for Power and Nuclear Research – Sosny of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus
Belarus
Senior researcher
Belarus
Senior researcher
Ch. K. Routkovskai
Joint Institute for Power and Nuclear Research – Sosny of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus
Belarus
Researcher
Belarus
Researcher
References
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