Fully integrated analysis of reactor kinetics, thermalhydraulics and the reactor control system in the MAPLE-X10 research reactor

A prototype research reactor, designated MAPLE-X10 (Multipurpose Applied Physics Lattice Experimental - X 10MW), is currently being built at AECL's Chalk River Laboratories. The CATHENA (Canadian Algorithm for Thermalhydraulic Network Analysis) two-fluid code was used in the safety analysis of the reactor to determine the adequacy of core cooling during postulated reactivity and loss-of-forced-flow transients. The system responses to a postulated transient are predicted including the feedback between reactor kinetics, thermalhydrauilcs and the reactor control systems. This paper describes the MAPLE-X10 reactor and the modelling methodology used. Sample simulations of postulated loss-of-heat-sink and loss-of-regulation transients are presented. (author)