Analysis of the first COLIBRI fuel rods oscillation campaign in the CROCUS reactor for the European project CORTEX

Research output: Contribution to book/Conference proceedings/Anthology/ReportConference contributionContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • V. Lamirand - , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Paul Scherrer Institute (Author)
  • A. Rais - , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) (Author)
  • O. Pakari - , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) (Author)
  • M. Hursin - , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Paul Scherrer Institute (Author)
  • A. Laureau - , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) (Author)
  • J. Pohlus - , Institut fur Sicherheitstechnologie GmbH (ISTec) (Author)
  • U. Paquee - , Institut fur Sicherheitstechnologie GmbH (ISTec) (Author)
  • C. Pohl - , TÜV Rheinland AG (Author)
  • S. Hübner - , Chair of Hydrogen and Nuclear Energy, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • C. Lange - , Chair of Hydrogen and Nuclear Energy, TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • P. Frajtag - , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) (Author)
  • D. Godat - , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) (Author)
  • G. Perret - , Paul Scherrer Institute (Author)
  • C. Fiorina - , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) (Author)
  • A. Pautz - , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Paul Scherrer Institute (Author)

Abstract

The Horizon2020 European project CORTEX aims at developing an innovative core monitoring technique that allows detecting anomalies in nuclear reactors, such as excessive vibrations of core internals, flow blockage, or coolant inlet perturbations. The technique will be mainly based on using the fluctuations in neutron flux recorded by in-core and ex-core instrumentation, from which the anomalies will be differentiated depending on their type, location and characteristics. The project will result in a deepened understanding of the physical processes involved, allowing utilities to detect operational problems at a very early stage. In this framework, neutron noise computational methods and models are developed. In parallel, mechanical noise experimental campaigns are carried out in two zero-power reactors: AKR-2 and CROCUS. The aim is to produce high quality neutron noise-specific experimental data for the validation of the models. In CROCUS, the COLIBRI experimental program was developed to investigate experimentally the radiation noise induced by fuel rods vibrations. In this way, the 2018 first CORTEX campaign in CROCUS consisted in experiments with a perturbation induced by a fuel rods oscillator. Eighteen fuel rods located at the periphery of the core fuel lattice were oscillated between ±0.5 mm and ±2.0 mm around their central position at a frequency ranging from 0.1 Hz to 2 Hz. Signals from 11 neutron detectors which were set at positions in-core and ex-core in the water reflector, were recorded. The present article documents the results in noise level of the experimental campaign. Neutron noise levels are compared for several oscillation frequencies and amplitudes, and at the various detector locations concluding to the observation of a spatial dependency of the noise in amplitude.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationInternational Conference on Physics of Reactors
EditorsMarat Margulis, Partrick Blaise
PublisherEDP Sciences - Web of Conferences
Pages2963-2971
Number of pages9
ISBN (electronic)9781713827245
Publication statusPublished - 2020
Peer-reviewedYes

Publication series

SeriesThe European physical journal ; Web of Conferences : proceedings
Volume2020-March

Conference

Title2020 International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020
Duration28 March - 2 April 2020
CityCambridge
CountryUnited Kingdom

Keywords

Keywords

  • Core monitoring, CORTEX, CROCUS, Fuel rod vibration, Neutron noise, Noise analysis, Research reactor experiment, Zero-power reactor