Studies of the opportunity to convert the 'ARGUS-90' research reactor with 90% fuel enrichment in U-235 to low-enriched fuel (∼20%)

Aiming to assess the consequences of abandoning the employment of highly enriched nuclear fuel (HEU) in the reactor engineering, the opportunity has been studied to convert the 'Argus-90' reactor operating with the uranyl sulphate water solution fuel of 90% enrichment in uranium-235 to low-enriched fuel (LEU) of ∼20% enrichment. A unified technology for the preparation of a solution fuel of 20% and 90% enrichment in U-235 has been confirmed. The effect of low-enriched fuel on the core neutronics parameters has been studied as well as on the efficiency of operating controls of the reactor control and protection system and radiolytic parameters of the solution fuel. (author)