Self-Limiting Power Excursion Characteristics of Light Water Reactor, (I)Doppler-Limited Pulse Operation Tests on HTR

摘要

The Doppler limited power excursion characteristics of a light water reactor and the shut-down mechanism by scram were analyzed on the Hitachi Training Reactor (HTR). For the purpose of the pulse operation tests, modifications were applied to the HTR to provide pulsing capability ; a pulse rod was added, together with a back up device for shutdown, and provision of three instrumented fuel assemblies, equipped with thermocouples; the Al-clad fuel rods were replaced by stainless steel clad rods.About 100 runs of pulse operation tests were performed in fullest security with reactivity insertions ranging up to 1.0 % Δk/k, in -which last case the peak power reached 38 MW, with a reactor period of 29 msec.