Thermal-hydraulics analysis for VVR-KN fuel lead test using PLTEMP code

Ho Nguyen Thanh Vinh1, Le Vinh Vinh 1, Nguyen Nhi Dien1, Nguyen Kien Cuong1, Huynh Ton Nghiem1, Tran Quoc Duong 1, Nguyen Tien Vu1
1 Nuclear Research Institute, 01 Nguyen Tu Luc Street, Dalat, Vietnam

Main Article Content

Abstract

VVR-KN is one of the low-enriched fuel types to be considered for a new research reactor (RR) of a Centre for Nuclear Energy Science and Technology (CNEST) of Vietnam. This fuel type was qualified by a lead test carried out with three fuel assemblies (FAs) in 6-MWt WWR-K research reactor at the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kazakhstan. VVR-KN fuel was then used for conversion of the WWR-K reactor core from highly-enriched to low-enriched uranium fuel and the reactor was successfully commissioned in September 2016. PLTEMP is a thermal-hydraulic code with plate and coaxial tube models that seems to be suitable for VVR-KN fuel type. Before using PLTEMP code for thermal-hydraulics analysis of the new RR, a calculation for code validation was performed based on the data of the VVR-KN fuel lead test. First, MCNP5 code was used to calculate the power distribution of WWR-K reactor core with lead test fuel assemblies (LTAs) at the core center. Then, thermal-hydraulics parameters of the LTAs were obtained by using PLTEMP code together with calculated data of the power distribution and the lead test conditions. A comparison between the analytic results and the lead test data was made to confirm the suitability of PLTEMP code for thermal-hydraulics analysis of VVR-KN fuel under forced convection and downward flow conditions.

Article Details

References

[1] Arne P. Olson, M. Kalimullah, “A users guide to the PLTEMP/ANL V3.8 Code”, ANL/RERTR, Argonne National Laboratory, June 2009.
[2] J. F. Briesmeister, Ed., “MCNP - A General Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code, Version 5”, LA-13709-M, April 2000.
[3] Yu. S. Cherepnin, S. A. Sokolov, S. Yu. Bulkin, V. A. Lukichev, O. V. Kravtsova, A. I. Radaev, “Conversion of the WWR-K research reactor to low-enriched fuel as the basis for the development and introduction of the VVR-KN fuel assemblies in existing and advanced pool-type research reactors”, NIKIET, Moscow, Russia, 2014.
[4] F. M. Arinkin, L. V. Chekushina, P. V. Chakrov, Sh. Kh. Gizatulin, S. N. Koltochnik, D, Nakipov, A. A. Shaimerdenov, N. Hanan, P. Garner and J. Roglands-Ribas, “Results of the trial of lead test assemblies in the WWR-K reactor”. RRFM 2014, Slovenia, 2014.
[5] “Report on neutronics and steady-state thermal-hydraulics analyses for DNRR full LEU core configurations”, Reactor Center, Dalat Nuclear Research Institute, VINATOM, Dalat, 2012.