Conversion Preliminary Safety Analysis Report for the NIST Research Reactor

Diamond, D. J. ; Baek, J. S. ; Hanson, A. L. ; Cheng, L-Y ; Brown, N. ; Cuadra, A.

关键词: 21 Specific nuclear reactors and associated plants;    NBSR Reactor;    Reactor Cores;    SAFETY ANALYSIS;    Safety Report;    US NRC;    HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM;    Slightly Enriched Uranium;    Uranium-Molybdenum Fuels;    ALUMINIUM ALLOYS;    Cladding;    FABRICATION NIST;    Research reactor;    High-enriched uranium (HEU);    Safety analysis Report (SAR);    Global Threat Reduciton Initiative (GTRI);   

DOI  :  10.2172/1169032
RP-ID  :  BNL--107265-2015-IR
PID  :  OSTI ID: 1169032
Others  :  R&D Project: 20773
Others  :  TRN: US1500059

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

The NIST Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) is a reactor-laboratory complex providing the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the nation with a world-class facility for the performance of neutron-based research. The heart of this facility is the NIST research reactor (aka NBSR); a heavy water moderated and cooled reactor operating at 20 MW. It is fueled with high-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel elements. A Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) program is underway to convert the reactor to low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. This program includes the qualification of the proposed fuel, uranium and molybdenum alloy foil clad in an aluminum alloy, and the development of the fabrication techniques. This report is a preliminary version of the Safety Analysis Report (SAR) that would be submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for approval prior to conversion. The report follows the recommended format and content from the NRC codified in NUREG-1537, ???Guidelines for Preparing and Reviewing Applications for the Licensing of Non-power Reactors,??? Chapter 18, ???Highly Enriched to Low-Enriched Uranium Conversions.??? The emphasis in any conversion SAR is to explain the differences between the LEU and HEU cores and to show the acceptability of the new design; there is no need to repeat information regarding the current reactor that will not change upon conversion. Hence, as seen in the report, the bulk of the SAR is devoted to Chapter 4, Reactor Description, and Chapter 13, Safety Analysis.