Criticality Experiment

Course guarantor:

Lecturer:

Tutor:

Supervisor:

Department of Nuclear Reactors

Synopsis:

Critical experiment is a semestral project focused on designing a new core configuration, its assembling and verification at the VR-1 reactor. Within the course the students will be familiar with the safety, operational and legislative requirements place on the critical experiment. Under the supervision of the lecturer, the students prepare a new core configuration at the VR-1, they perform its computational verification and prepare the relevant documentation required by SÚJB. The main practical part of the course will be focused on the realization of the critical experiment. Students will assemble and experimentally verify new core configuration at the VR-1 reactor. They have also to process all data from experiment, evaluate them and produce detailed document informing about the results of the experiment.

Requirements:

Experimental reactor physics 17ERF

Syllabus of lectures:

1. Basic requirements for the VR-1 core

1 lecture

Lecture topic: Familiarity with safety, operating and legislative requirements for the VR-1 core. Method of designing a new core configuration of the VR-1 reactor.

2. Method and range of determining of neutron-physical characteristics of the VR-1 reactor core.

1 lecture

Lecture topic: An overview of neutron-physical characteristics of the VR-1 reactor core determined within preparation of critical experiment. Familiarity with calculations methods used at VR-1 for determining its neutron-physical characteristics.

3. Critical experiment at VR-1

1 lecture

Lecture topic: Method of preparation and performing of basic critical experiment. Documented procedure of the basic critical experiment, its structure and content. Critical experiment at the nuclear reactor both experimental and power type.

Syllabus of tutorials:

The practical exercises take place at the training reactor VR-1.

1. Design of the core configuration.

1 exercise

Topic of lab exercise: Practical familiarity with calculations methods used for design of the VR-1 reactor core configuration. Practical preparation of project of new core configuration at the VR-1 reactor, including all necessary requirements.

2. Preparing of the documented critical experiment procedure.

1 exercise

Topic of lab exercise: Preparing of the documented critical experiment procedure for new core configuration at the VR-1 reactor. The procedure includes disassembling of the original core configuration and assembling of the new core configuration. The calculation of each step during the new core configuration assembling.

3. Determination of neutron-physical reactor core characteristics.

2 exercises

Topic of lab exercise: Calculation of neutron-physical characteristics of the designed core configuration. The analysis of results and preparation of documents describing the neutron-physical characteristics of the new core configuration.

4. Training of manipulations at the VR-1 reactor

1 exercise

Topic of lab exercise: Practical demonstration and training of manipulations with components of the VR-1 reactor core. Manipulation with fuel IRT-4M, vertical channels and reactor control rods.

5. Critical experiment at the VR-1 reactor

4 exercises

Topic of lab exercise: Training topic: Realisation and evaluation of the critical experiment with new core configuration. Disassembling of original core configuration and assembling of new core. Reaching the critical state with new core configuration and experimental determination of its neutron-physical characteristics.

Study Objective:

Knowledge: knowledge in the field of design and preparation of new core configuration at research reactors, familiarity with methods used for determination of neutron-physical characteristics of research reactor, knowledge in the field of preparation, realization and evaluation of critical experiment with new core configuration.

Abilities: orientation in the given field, using of obtained knowledge in the field of science and research, skills in the field of preparation and realization of experiments, analyzing and interpretation of experimental data.

Study materials:

Key references:

Požadavky Státního úřadu pro jadernou bezpečnost na výzkumná jaderná zařízení pro zajištění jaderné bezpečnosti radiační ochrany, fyzické ochrany a havarijní připravenosti, bezpečnostní návod, SÚJB Praha, 2004.

Matějka, K., et al.: Experimentální úlohy na školním reaktoru VR-1, skripta ČVUT, ČVUT, Praha 2005.

Profio, A. E.: Experimental reactor physics, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York 1976. ISBN 0-471-70095-9.

Recommended references:

Weston M. Stacey: Nuclear Reactor Physics, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York 2001, ISBN 0-471-39127-1

Note:

Further information:

No time-table has been prepared for this course

The course is a part of the following study plans: