Computational analysis of experiments to determine the kinetic parameters at the ASTRA HTGR type critical facility

Abstract

Abstract The zero power ASTRA critical facility is intended for experimental investigations of neutronic features of modular High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors. The computational analysis of non-stationary experiments carried out at the ASTRA critical stand to determine the kinetic parameters is carried out using SHIPR diffusion program. To measure the kinetic parameters, the impulse Simmons-King method was used. The computational analysis were carried out for 4 different configurations of ASTRA critical stand. Since in case of nonstationary calculation by implementation of the spatial kinetics approximation, it is necessary to set the neutron group velocities the full-scale calculations of neutron spectra were carry oud using the MCU program in order to take into account the spectrum that is established in the full-scale reactor model. On the basis of a comparison of the experimental and calculated results, a conclusion was made about the applicability of the applied effective calculation models for neutronic calculations of HTGR-type reactors.