SLOWPOKE-2 auxiliary cooling study

Slowpoke-2 is a neutron source research reactor that can achieve a neutron flux of approximately 1012 at full power for a period of hours. In an attempt to achieve longer periods of high flux levels without compromising the ractor's inherent safety, the nuclear engineering group at the University of Toronto investigated two methods of cooling the reactor. Direct cooling of the container was simple, effective, and safe. Injection of cooling water directly into the core through nozzles led to some unexpectedly low temperatures being measured at the coolant outlet. A mockup of the reactor was constructed and coolant flow observed as cool water was injected using nozzles. The observations suggested violent forced turbulent convection, leading to the loss of any negative feedback control on temperature rise. Other methods of injecting coolant into the Slowpoke core could be investigated using this experimental setup