Resumo de eventos cient??ficos
Analysis and project of the high density storage racks for spent fuel of the research reactor IEA-R1
Autor
RODRIGUES, ANTONIO C.I.
MADI FILHO, TUFIC
SILVA, DAVILSON G. da
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON RADIATION AND APPLICATIONS IN VARIOUS FIELDS OF RESEARCH, 6th
Resumen
The IEA-R1 research reactor works 40h weekly with 4.5 Mw power. The storage rack for spent fuel
elements has less than half of its initial capacity. Under these conditions (current conditions of reactor
operation 32h weekly will have 3 spend fuel by year, then, approximately 3 utilization rate
Positions/year). Thus, we will have only about six years of capacity for storage. Whereas the desired
service life of the IEA-R1 is at least another 20 years, it will be necessary to increase the storage capacity
of spent fuel. Hence, it is necessary to double the wet storage capacity (storage in the IEA-R1 reactor???s
pool). After reviewing the literature about materials available for use in the construction of the new
storage rack with absorber of neutrons, the BoralcanTM (manufactured by 3M) was chosen, due to its
properties.
This work presents studies: (a) for the construction of new storages racks with double of the current
capacity using the same place of current storages racks and (b) criticality analysis using the MCNP-5
code. Two American Nuclear Data Libraries were used: ENDF / B-VI and ENDF / B-VII, and the results
obtained for each data bases were compared. These analyzes confirm the possibility of doubling the
storage capacity of fuel elements burned in the same place occupied by the current storage rack
attending to the IEA-R1 reactor needs and attending the safety requirements according to the National
Nuclear Energy Commission ??? CNEN and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). To
calculate the keff new fuel elements (maximum possible reactivity) used in full charge of the storage
rack were considered. With the results obtained in the simulation we can conclude that doubling the
amount of racks for spent fuel elements are complied with safety limits established in the IAEA
standards and CNEN of criticality (keff <0.95). It is mandatory to use neutron absorber material.