Some Considerations on the Energy Deposition During a RIA Transient Based On Monte Carlo Simulations

Specific research reactors are capable of reproducing reactivity injection accidents in order to study the behavior of the nuclear fuel pins in accidental situations. In the CABRI research reactor, the fuel pin to be examined (test pin) is placed in the center of the core in a dedicated test loop. It is then subjected to a power transient, obtained by the fast depressurization of the ³He neutron absorber gas from the transient rods located in the core. One of the central parameters of the experiment is the energy deposition in the test pin, which is currently not measured during a transient. Instead, it is assumed that the relative energy distribution between the core and the test pin is constant regardless the operational state of the reactor. Currently, this correlation is measured in steady state. As such, the impact of the variations in the neutron flux, fuel and moderator temperatures during the transient is assumed equivalent on the energy deposition in the core and in the test pin. The goal of this work is to improve our knowledge on the mechanisms involved in the transient energy deposition. The aim of this paper is to present a methodological approach for the energy deposition estimation during a CABRI transient, based on static Monte Carlo calculations. The results suggest that the transient energy deposition rate is mainly dependent on the helium pressure and the Doppler feedback, and the relative energy distribution between the core and test pin changes during the transient. Key words: Energy deposition / CABRI / RIA / Monte Carlo calculations / TRIPOLI4