Izvestiya vuzov. Yadernaya Energetika

The peer-reviewed scientific and technology journal. ISSN: 0204-3327

Neutronic Peculiarities of the MTIR-SKD Reactor as an Experimental Base for Testing Advanced Light-Water Reactor Technologies

9/20/2024 2024 - #03 Physics and technology of nuclear reactors

Lapin A.S. Blandinsky V.Y. Nevinitsa V.A. Pustovalov S.B. Sedov A.A. Subbotin S.A. Fomichenko P.A.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2024.3.02

UDC: 621.039.5

The nuclear power system has faced a challenging issue of significantly improving the characteristics of nuclear fuel breeding while maximizing the advantages of the technology of vessel-type pressurized water reactors used extensively in nuclear power. This is possible via switching to supercritical coolant parameters. An increase in production of fissile nuclides, as compared with traditional pressurized water reactors, is achieved by switching to a harder neutron spectrum due to reducing greatly the coolant density and using a dense fuel lattice. A necessary condition for the VVER-SKD design development is the establishment of an experimental base. A multipurpose test research reactor, MTIR-SKD, is the potential testing ground for the reactor technology, and for new structural and fuel materials and fuel rods. The paper presents the key characteristics of the MTIR-SKD reactor, as well as the potential MTIR-SKD applications at different stages of its operation (testing and research). A concept is proposed at the initial stage for the reactor phased rise to power, which will make it possible to justify the efficiency of the MTIR-SKD fuel with increased linear loads through experiments in the independent central loop channel. This concept also involves phased validation and study of the joint operation of the reactor plant and the steam turbine plant as part of the MTIR-SKD nuclear power plant. At the research stage of operation, safe operating limits need to be defined, and the choice of normal operating modes for the VVER-SKD power reactor justified, and experimental studies need to be undertaken to investigate the behavior of structural materials and fuel compositions as part of experimental fuel rods for the advanced light-water reactor cores with different neutron spectra. Long-term irradiation of experimental fuel rods is planned to be carried out in the MTIR-SKD’s independent peripheral loop channel, and experimental simulation of emergency processes to be performed in the reactor’s central loop channel.

This paper deals with the issues to be addressed prior to starting the VVER-SKD power reactor design. Issues have been identified that can be fully or partially solved at effective facilities, as well as the applications for the MTIR-SKD prototype reactor. The paper presents the key characteristics of the MTIR-SKD reactor, and describes in detail the concept for the phased development of the research reactor capabilities and phased rise to power.

References

  1. Alekseev P.N., Kovalishin A.A., Sedov A.A., Andrianova E.A., Blandinsky V.Yu., Kolesov V.V., Kotov Ya.A., Nevinitsa V.A., Pustovalov S.B., Simonov S.S., Subbotin S.A., Fomichenko P.A., Fonarev B.I., Chistov A.S., Shmelev A.N. Development of VVER technology based on power reactors with a light-water coolant of supercritical parameters. VANT. Ser. Physics of Nuclear Reactors. 2023, iss. 1, pp. 48 – 63. EDN: EXYEZU (in Russian).
  2. Vnukov R.A., Kotov Ya.A., Nevinitsa V.A., Kolesov V.V., Blandinsky V.Yu., Lapin A.S., Kuzenkova D.S., Fomichenko P.A., Mikhailov G.M., Korobeynikova L.V., Buryevsky I.V., Stogov V.Yu., Shaginyan R.A., Eliseev V.A., Gulevich A.V. Evaluation of the possibility of performing an experiment for VVER-SKD zones at the BFS facility. Problems of atomic science and technology. Series: nuclear and reactor constants. 2023, iss. 1, pp. 117 – 129 (in Russian).
  3. Sedov A.A., Polyakov P.S., Pustovalov S.B., Parshin V.V., Simonov S.S. The main results of the trial tests of a closed circuit with natural circulation of a light-water coolant under supercritical pressure. Thermal Power Engineering. 2023, vol. 70, iss. 3, pp. 223 – 235. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0040601523030072
  4. Blandinsky V.Yu., Kolesov V.V., Nevinitsa V.A., Fomichenko P.A., Sedov A.A., Frolov A.A., Pustovalov S.B., Shchurovskaya M.V., Simonov S.S., Pesnya Yu.E., Trofimchuk V.V., Nasonov V.A., Zhemkov I.Yu. Features of changing the isotopic composition of experimental reactor fuel rods of the VVER-SKD type under sequential irradiation in the fast and thermal neutron spectrum. VANT. Ser. Physics of Nuclear Reactors. 2022, iss. 2, pp. 90 – 96 (in Russian).
  5. Sedov A.A., Blandinsky V.Yu., Kotov Ya.A., Kuzenkova D.S., Lapin A.S., Nevinitsa V.A., Pustovalov S.B., Stepanov A.S., Subbotin S.A., Fomichenko P.A., Fonarev B.I., Frolov A.A. The concept of a nuclear power unit on the basis of a low-power multipurpose test research reactor with supercritical light-water coolant. Thermal Power Engineering. 2023, vol. 70, iss. 5, pp. 323 – 338. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0040601523050063
  6. Lapin A.S., Blandinsky V.Yu. Justification for choosing the power of a multipurpose test research reactor with supercritical parameters of a light-water coolant. NPP safety and personnel training: Abstracts, Obninsk, October 26-27, 2023. Obninsk, Optima-Press LLC, 2023, – pp. 78–79 (in Russian).
  7. Lapin A.S., Blandinsky V.Yu., Nevinitsa V.A., Fomichenko P.A., Volkov Yu.N. MTIR-SCP nuclear safety concept. Global nuclear safety. 2024, no. 15(2), pp. 5 – 19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.26583/gns-2024-02-01 (in Russian).

VVER-SKD MTIR-SKD light-water reactor supercritical coolant parameters test reactor research reactor

Link for citing the article: Lapin A.S., Blandinsky V.Y., Nevinitsa V.A., Pustovalov S.B., Sedov A.A., Subbotin S.A., Fomichenko P.A. Neutronic Peculiarities of the MTIR-SKD Reactor as an Experimental Base for Testing Advanced Light-Water Reactor Technologies. Izvestiya vuzov. Yadernaya Energetika. 2024, no. 3, pp. 18-31; DOI: https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2024.3.02 (in Russian).

Open PDF file