Neutronic design study of accelerator driven system (ADS) for Jordan subcritical reactor as a neutron source for nuclear research.
In this paper, a preliminary neutronic design study of an accelerator driven subcritical system for Jordan Subcritical Assembly (JSA) is presented. The conceptual design of coupling the JSA core with proton accelerator and spallation target is investigated, and its feasibility as a neutron source for nuclear research, and possibly for target irradiation and isotope production evaluated. 3D MCNPX model of the JSA reactor, the accelerator beam, and the Pb target was developed, based on actual reactor parameters. MCNPX calculations were carried out to estimate the absolute radial and axial neutron flux in the reactor, and to calculate the multiplication factor Keff and heat generated in the reactor. Numerical results showed an enormous increase in the neutron flux, by seven orders of magnitude, compared to the current JSA core design using Pu-Be source. In this research the results obtained are discussed and compared with those of the JSA, and do confirm the feasibility of utilizing the JSA as a viable nuclear research facility with adequate neutron flux.
The MYRRHA ADS Project in Belgium Enters the Front End Engineering Phase
Abstract The MYRRHA project started in 1998 by SCK•CEN. MYRRHA is a MTR, based on the ADS concept, for material and fuel research, for studying the feasibility of transmutation of Minor Actinides and Long-Lived Fission Products arising from radioactive waste reprocessing and finally for demonstrating at a reasonable power scale the principle of the ADS. The MYRRHA design has progressed through various framework programmes of the European Commission in the context of Partitioning and Transmutation. The design has now entered into the Front End Engineering Phase (FEED) covering the period 2012-2015. The engineering company, which will handle this phase, has been selected and the works have begun in the late 2013. In the mean time we have made some refinements in both primary systems and plant layout, including reactor building design. In this paper, we present the most recent developments of the MYRRHA design in terms of reactor building and plant layout as existing today as well as a preliminary study concerning the spent fuel building of the facility. During the oral presentation we add some preliminary results of the interaction with the FEED contractor and the most recent version of the primary systems.
FIRST MUSE-4 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS BASED ON TIME SERIES ANALYSIS
The MUSE-4 experimental program is dedicated to investigating the physical aspects of the so-called accelerator-driven sub-critical systems using the novel coupling of the zero-power fast reactor MASURCA and the high intensity and pulsed-neutron generator GENEPI. This paper describes a part of our recent effort to infer kinetic parameters that are of a high interest for safety and operation purposes. One focuses on dynamic experimental methods based on the reactor kinetics and neutron-noise theory using time series data. A specific acquisition system NIKO has been developed in order to achieve our objective.