Reactor performance improvement options to sustain high flux isotope reactor leadership into the future

D. Chandler; B. R. Betzler; D. H. Cook

doi:10.1051/epjconf/202124708016

Reactor performance improvement options to sustain high flux isotope reactor leadership into the future

D. Chandler, B. R. Betzler, D. H. Cook

Research and Test Reactor Physics

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The mission of the Neutron Sciences Directorate (NScD) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is the undertaking of high-impact research into the structure and properties of materials across the spectrum of biology, chemistry, physics, materials science, and engineering. NScD operates two world-leading neutron scattering facilities: the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) and the Spallation Neutron Source. HFIR achieved full power in 1966, and over a half century later, it continues to serve a variety of national missions. HFIR provides one of the highest steady-state neutron fluxes of any research reactor in the world to support scientific missions including cold and thermal neutron scattering, isotope production, and materials irradiation research. To sustain leadership in neutron sciences into the future, ORNL is exploring areas in which HFIR can be improved to enhance its performance. Many improvement areas are being explored including upgrading the cold source and neutron scattering facilities. The improvement areas discussed herein include replacing the reactor pressure vessel, upgrading the neutron reflector, and ensuring that reactor performance is maintained or enhanced after converting from high-enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium fuel.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	International Conference on Physics of Reactors
Subtitle of host publication	Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020
Editors	Marat Margulis, Partrick Blaise
Publisher	EDP Sciences - Web of Conferences
Pages	1694-1701
Number of pages	8
ISBN (Electronic)	9781713827245
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202124708016
State	Published - 2020
Event	2020 International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020 - Cambridge, United Kingdom Duration: Mar 28 2020 → Apr 2 2020

Publication series

Name	International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020
Volume	2020-March

Conference

Conference	2020 International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	Cambridge
Period	03/28/20 → 04/2/20

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge the support of NASA's Science Mission Directorate and the U.S. DOE Office of Nuclear Infrastructure Programs for the permanent beryllium reflector redesign studies and the support of the U.S. DOE NNSA Office of M3 for the LEU conversion studies. The authors would like to thank and acknowledge K. E. Royston and F. X. Gallmeier of ORNL for their advice on the beam tube flux methods employed in this paper and C. D. Bryan of ORNL for his technical review of this paper. The authors would like to acknowledge the support of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and the U.S. DOE Office of Nuclear Infrastructure Programs for the permanent beryllium reflector redesign studies and the support of the U.S. DOE NNSA Office of M3 for the LEU conversion studies. The authors would like to thank and acknowledge K. E. Royston and F. X. Gallmeier of ORNL for their advice on the beam tube flux methods employed in this paper and C. D. Bryan of ORNL for his technical review of this paper.

Funders	Funder number
U.S. Department of Energy
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Science Mission Directorate

Keywords

HFIR
LEU
Neutron science
Pressure vessel
Reflector
Research reactor

Access to Document

10.1051/epjconf/202124708016

Cite this

Chandler, D., Betzler, B. R., & Cook, D. H. (2020). Reactor performance improvement options to sustain high flux isotope reactor leadership into the future. In M. Margulis, & P. Blaise (Eds.), International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020 (pp. 1694-1701). (International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020; Vol. 2020-March). EDP Sciences - Web of Conferences. https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202124708016

Chandler, D. ; Betzler, B. R. ; Cook, D. H. / Reactor performance improvement options to sustain high flux isotope reactor leadership into the future. International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020. editor / Marat Margulis ; Partrick Blaise. EDP Sciences - Web of Conferences, 2020. pp. 1694-1701 (International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020).

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abstract = "The mission of the Neutron Sciences Directorate (NScD) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is the undertaking of high-impact research into the structure and properties of materials across the spectrum of biology, chemistry, physics, materials science, and engineering. NScD operates two world-leading neutron scattering facilities: the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) and the Spallation Neutron Source. HFIR achieved full power in 1966, and over a half century later, it continues to serve a variety of national missions. HFIR provides one of the highest steady-state neutron fluxes of any research reactor in the world to support scientific missions including cold and thermal neutron scattering, isotope production, and materials irradiation research. To sustain leadership in neutron sciences into the future, ORNL is exploring areas in which HFIR can be improved to enhance its performance. Many improvement areas are being explored including upgrading the cold source and neutron scattering facilities. The improvement areas discussed herein include replacing the reactor pressure vessel, upgrading the neutron reflector, and ensuring that reactor performance is maintained or enhanced after converting from high-enriched uranium to low-enriched uranium fuel.",

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Chandler, D, Betzler, BR & Cook, DH 2020, Reactor performance improvement options to sustain high flux isotope reactor leadership into the future. in M Margulis & P Blaise (eds), International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020. International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020, vol. 2020-March, EDP Sciences - Web of Conferences, pp. 1694-1701, 2020 International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 03/28/20. https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202124708016

Reactor performance improvement options to sustain high flux isotope reactor leadership into the future. / Chandler, D.; Betzler, B. R.; Cook, D. H.
International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020. ed. / Marat Margulis; Partrick Blaise. EDP Sciences - Web of Conferences, 2020. p. 1694-1701 (International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020; Vol. 2020-March).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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Chandler D, Betzler BR, Cook DH. Reactor performance improvement options to sustain high flux isotope reactor leadership into the future. In Margulis M, Blaise P, editors, International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020. EDP Sciences - Web of Conferences. 2020. p. 1694-1701. (International Conference on Physics of Reactors: Transition to a Scalable Nuclear Future, PHYSOR 2020). doi: 10.1051/epjconf/202124708016

Reactor performance improvement options to sustain high flux isotope reactor leadership into the future

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Keywords

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