Study on the Application of Spectral Shift Absorber in Special Criticality Safety

Gao Jian; Su Yi; Zhao Runzhe; Guo Jian

doi:10.13832/j.jnpe.2022.S2.0007

Volume 43 Issue S2

Dec. 2022

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Gao Jian, Su Yi, Zhao Runzhe, Guo Jian. Study on the Application of Spectral Shift Absorber in Special Criticality Safety[J]. Nuclear Power Engineering, 2022, 43(S2): 7-12. doi: 10.13832/j.jnpe.2022.S2.0007

Citation:

Gao Jian, Su Yi, Zhao Runzhe, Guo Jian. Study on the Application of Spectral Shift Absorber in Special Criticality Safety[J]. Nuclear Power Engineering, 2022, 43(S2): 7-12. doi: 10.13832/j.jnpe.2022.S2.0007

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Study on the Application of Spectral Shift Absorber in Special Criticality Safety

doi: 10.13832/j.jnpe.2022.S2.0007

China Institute of Atomic Energy, Beijing 102413, China

Received Date: 2022-08-02
Rev Recd Date: 2022-09-12
Publish Date: 2022-12-31

Abstract

Abstract

Special criticality safety is a key issue in the design of space reactors, especially fast reactors. Once a fast neutron space reactor falls into water, dry sand or wet sand due to launch drop accident, the neutron moderating ability and reactivity will increase, which may lead to a criticality safety accident of the reactor. During the design, it is necessary to ensure that the reactor remains subcritical under all drop accidents. Spectral shift absorber (SSA) is a kind of material with much larger neutron absorption cross section in resonance energy region than in fast neutron energy region. Its application in fast neutron space reactor can significantly improve the criticality safety performance of fast neutron space reactor. Taking the fast neutron space reactor cooled by the liquid metal circuit as the research object, the MCNP program of Monte Carlo method is used for modeling and calculation, and the effects of the properties of five SSAs and the moisture content of wet sand on the accident reactivity is classified and quantified to guide the special criticality safety design of the reactor. The results show that the special criticality safety problem of the reactor is solved by the in-reactor use and reasonable arrangement of spectral SSA. The results of this study can provide a useful reference for the criticality safety design of related reactor types.
- Fast neutron space reactor,
- Launch drop accident,
- Spectral shift absorber,
- Special criticality safety

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References(9)

References

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