Abstract:
The aim of this study is to get an original idea for a better core configuration of the 3 Mega Watt (MW) TRIGA Mark-II Research Reactor at AERE, Savar, Dhaka.This study is an essential part to support the reactor up gradation project that has been initiated by Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) to upgrade the 3 MW TRIGAResearch Reactor at Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Savar, Dhaka to Higher flux and Power level. This objective was achieved through the analysis of the present core of the reactor to observe the effects of burn-up on some important core parameter such as xenon value, power defect, reactivity worth, flux and power distribution etc. This study includes the optimization of burn-up steps for core lifetime calculation at different power levels, power defect calculation at zero burn-up and at different burn-up steps, flux and power distributions as the function of burn-up, xenon value calculation and reactivity worth calculation.All these calculations are performed with the help of one standard computer code TRIGAP that was specially designed for this TRIGA reactor calculation. Based on all the calculations the initial loading pattern of the core has been modified to obtain a number of new core configurations. The results of the modified core configurations on the thermal flux, fast flux at central thimble and other locations are also studied. The studies with the modified core configuration established that it is possible to upgrade the present core configuration to obtain a better core configuration of higher flux and power level within the safety margin of the 3 MW TRIGA Mark-II Research Reactor.
