Diffusion Calculations for the SLOWPOKE-2 Reactor Using DONJON

Abstract

The SLOWPOKE reactor at Ecole Polytechnique will be refueled with a Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) fuel in place of a High Enriched Uranium (HEU) fuel used until now. The purpose of this study is to provide various models, using the reactor physics chain of codes DRAGON/DONJON, in order to predict the behavior of the new LEU Slowpoke. In particular, we will present some numerical results concerning the separate temperature effects of the main components of the core, the effect of a partial void appearing near the fuel pins and the axial and radial flux distributions. Finally the difference between the present HEU and the future LEU fuel power will be given.