Physics Modeling for Conceptual Designs of Proposed Experiments in the Zero Energy Deuterium-2 Critical Facility for Testing Small Modular Reactor-Type Fuels

Abstract

To enable the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Canada, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) is interested in the applicability of zero energy deuterium-2 (ZED-2) experiments for validation of Monte Carlo reactor physics codes and models for SMR reactor fuels. This applicability is investigated here by considering potential ZED-2 experiments for testing fuel assemblies (FAs) for two different SMR technologies: the pressurized-water reactor (PWR), and the fluoride-salt-cooled high-temperature reactor (FHR). Each proposed set of mixed-lattice substitution experiments uses driver fuel channels containing CANDU flexible low enriched uranium/recovered uranium (CANFLEX-LEU/RU) fuel bundles. Simulation results indicate that a number of critical core configurations are possible, and should provide suitable reactor physics measurement data that can be used for physics design verification, and also for benchmarking and validation of computational reactor physics codes used in the design, operations, and safety analysis of SMRs based on PWR or FHR technologies.