세미나&이벤트

세미나&이벤트

2023.05.12 DANE’s Regular Seminar(Dr. Dhongik Yoon(Argonne National La…

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2023.05.08 / 330

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 Date: 2023. 05. 12(Fri)

 Time: 10:00 ~ 11:00 AM

 Venue : Research Building I, #310

 Speaker: Dr. Dhongik Yoon(Argonne National Laboratory)

 Title: Research and test reactor conversion program from highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium fuel

 Abstract:

Research and test reactors (RTR) department at Argonne National Laboratory leads the engineering design, development, and testing needed to bring advanced reactors and fuels online across a wide range of types of research and test reactors. The department serves the U.S. non-proliferation missions by providing technical leadership for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Office of Material Management and Minimization (M3), which continues the mission of the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) Reactor Conversion Program that has converted over 70 reactors worldwide from the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel since 1978.

U. S. High Performance Research Reactors (USHPRR) include five reactors and a critical facility and plans to convert from the use of HEU fuels. The mission of USHPRR reactor conversion is led by the four Project Pillars consisting of nine national laboratories and three universities working with a uranium processing plant and commercial fuel fabricator. To achieve the conversion, a new fuel system based on a monolithic alloy of uranium-10 wt% molybdenum (U-10Mo) is being developed and qualified for those USHPRR which cannot convert with previously qualified fuels. RTR department at Argonne leads the Reactor Conversion Pillar and has thus far completed fuel element design, fuel cycle performance analyses, steady-state thermal hydraulics safety analyses, and accident safety analyses working with the reactors for the USHPRR. Recently, analyses for the transition cycles to reach and all-LEU equilibrium operation upon conversion were completed to support licensing requirements for MURR®. A sequence of core loadings for MURR operations following conversion to LEU fuel was proposed and deemed suitable in regard to both performance and safety design criteria.