Design of Irradiation Facilities at Grid E-1 of Plate Type Research Reactor Bandung

Abstract

Design of Irradiation Facilities at Grid E-1 of Plate Type Research Reactor Bandung. Plate Type Research Reactor Bandung (PTRRB) core design is one of the result of PTRRB research programs. In the previous study the irradiation facilities at grid E-1 has not been designed and also distribution of thermal, epithermal and fast neutron flux at grid E-1 has not been studied. Since that data is very important especially in radioisotope production and neutron beam tube analysis, therefore in this study irradiation facilities at grid E-1will be designed. Previous PTRRB core design is a base for designing irradiation facilities at grid E-1. Considering geometrical of grid E-1 and aluminum tube dimension there are three possibilities aluminum tube configuration. The configurations are configuration 1, 2 and 3. Each configuration was modelled as arrangement of four aluminum tubes and each tube filled by four aluminum irradiation capsules. That configuration was starting point to made MCNP PTRRB reactor core model so there are three MCNP PTRRB reactor core model. MCNP PTRRB reactor core model is needed because MCNP software are computer program for calculating excess reactivity and neutron flux distribution at grid E-1. Result excess reactivity calculation of three configuration indicate that after installing irradiation tube excess reactivity is lower than of limit excess reactivity value 10.9 % of neutronic safety criteria of PTRRB design. Based on neutronic safety criteria, the three configuration is accepted for irradiation facilities PTRRB. Neutron flux calculation result of three configuration reveals that the highest neutron flux is located at capsule no II and III. Profile of thermal neutron flux, epithermal neutron flux and fast neutron flux of three configurations are similar. Neutron flux of thermal, epithermal and fast neutron of three configuration are slightly different. The calculation result reveal that highest thermal neutron flux at grid E-1 is 2.70 × 1013(n/cm 2.sec) at configuration 2. Based on neutronic safety criteria and thermal neutron flux, configuration 2 is appropriate for irradiation facilities of PTRRB.