Effect of Fuel String Relocation on the Consequences of Postulated Inlet Header LBLOCA in KANUPP Reactor

Abstract

An investigation aimed at determining the effect of fuel string relocation on reactivity excursion and power pulse following a hypothetical Large Break Loss of Coolant Accident in KANUPP reactor is reported. The assessment of reactivity insertion was performed making use of global (reactor} core analysis computer code RFSP. The reactor kinetics module *CERBERUS of the of RFSP code and the SOPHT (thermal-hydraulics code) were subsequently employed for the neutronic transient analysis. The effect was evaluated in context of determining the adequacy of moderator dump shutdown system. Because of the presence of the gap between the inlet shield plug and the fuel string, the fuel bundles may shift in such a manner that low-irradiated fuel is moved towards the core centre. This represents an additional reactivity increase to be accounted for in the analysis. The reactivity excursion, however, is alleviated by an earlier reactor trip. The net impact is that the energy deposited in the maximum rated fuel pencil is increased from 56% of the 960 kJ/kg fuel-centre-line melting limit to 63%. The result demonstrated the adequacy of the shutdown system against the maximum credible accident event.