Installation of an N-16 Channel in PARR for Reactor Power Monitoring

摘要

The report describes the testing of an N-16 channel in Parr for the accurate measurement of reactor power. Tests were conducted which determined the effect of various core phenomena, e.g., Xenon build-up, fuel burn-up, changes in control rod position and coolant flow rate on channel characteristics. It has been established that the N-16 channel has several advantages over the existing neutron and thermal channels. The reactor power measured by N-16 channel is independent of changes in the neutron flux pattern in the core which directly affect the neutron channels. The N-16 channel response to a power change in the reactor is much faster than thermal channel and also its power indication is independent of the coolant flow rate through the core. These two features make the N-16 channel preferable over thermal channel for calibration of PARR neutron flux channels. The inclusion of the channel in the reactor instrumentation will be a valuable addition to the existing power monitoring and reactor safety systems.