Transient analyses and thermal-hydraulic safety margins for the Greek Research Reactor (GRRI)

Various core configurations for the Greek research reactor (GRR1) have been considered in assessing the safety issues of adding a beryllium reflector to the existing water reflected HEU core and the transition from HEU to an all LEU core. The assessment has included both steady-state and transient analyses of safety margins and limits. A small all fresh Be reflected HEU core with a rather large nuclear peaking factor can still be operated safely, and thus adding a Be reflector to the larger depleted HEU core should not pose a problem. The transition mixed core with 50% LEU elements has larger void and Doppler coefficients than the HEU reference core and gives a lower peak clad temperature under transient conditions. The transition cores should give ever increasing margins to plate melting and fission product release as LEU elements are added to the core