Title: Effects of non-metals on the reactivity of MNSRs for HEU fuel using the MCNP code

Authors: M. Albarhoum

Addresses: Department of Nuclear Engineering, Atomic Energy Commission, P.O. Box, 6091, Damascus, Syria

Abstract: Non-metals as impurities in the materials of MNSRs have been investigated in this paper. The aim is to compare the relative importance and where to concentrate efforts in order to minimise the load of MNSRs fuel. Carbon was found to be an impurity which is substantially equivalent to beryllium, while oxygen-16 and nitrogen-14 both can be used to save six fuel rods if the side reflector were possible to remove 22,000 ppm in the case of O-16, and 7000 ppm in the case of N-14. Although silicon is present in the side reflector, bottom reflector and the Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) fuel of MNSRs, it cannot save the same number of fuel rods from MNSRs cores unless its removed concentration from the side reflector of MNSRs does not touch about 20,000 ppm. Non-metals have different nuclear characteristics although they are very similar chemically.

Keywords: MNSR reactivity; miniature neutron source reactors; oxygen; impurities; carbon; silicon; nitrogen; non-metals; MCNP code; reactivity; highly enriched uranium; HEU; Monte Carlo method; fuel rods; nuclear energy; nuclear power; nuclear reactors; research reactors.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNEST.2015.071624

International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, 2015 Vol.9 No.2, pp.149 - 170

Received: 29 Sep 2014
Accepted: 07 May 2015
Published online: 04 Sep 2015 *

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