An analysis of the proposed MITR-III core to establish thermal-hydraulic limits at 10 MW. Final report

The 5 MW Massachusetts Institute of Technology Research Reactor (MITR-II) is expected to operate under a new license beginning in 1999. Among the options being considered is an upgrade in the heat removal system to allow operation at 10 MW. The purpose of this study is to predict the Limiting Safety System Settings and Safety Limits for the upgraded reactor (MITR-III). The MITR Multi-Channel Analysis Code was written to analyze the response of the MITR system to a series of anticipated transients in order to determine the Limiting Safety System Settings and Safety Limits under various operating conditions. The MIT Multi-Channel Analysis Code models the primary and secondary systems, with special emphasis placed on analyzing the thermal-hydraulic conditions in the core. The code models each MITR fuel element explicitly in order to predict the behavior of the system during flow instabilities. The results of the code are compared to experimental data from MITR-II and other sources. New definitions are suggested for the Limiting Safety System Settings and Safety Limits. MITR Limit Diagrams are included for three different heat removal system configurations. It is concluded that safe, year-round operating at 10 MW is possible, given that the primary and secondary flow rates are both increased by approximately 40%