Irradiation creep and swelling effects on core radial expansion feedback in LMRs

Radial expansion of the core due to rising temperatures provides a major portion of the negative reactivity needed to ensure passive shutdown of an LMR during unprotected transients. Simplified analytical models have been developed that clarify this complex phenomenon and allow quantitative evaluation of the effects of design parameters on core radial expansion. This work extends these analytical methods to evaluate the effects of irradiation-induced creep and void swelling on the core thermal dilation throughout the core's life