A spatial dynamic model of the SHELF-M reactor facility with fuel and coolant temperature feedbacks

Abstract

The evolution of nuclear power is inseparably linked with the development of breakthrough solutions in the field of economic development of new territories. A pressing issue in this connection nowadays is generation of power for remote and hard-to-reach areas with decentralized power supply. To resolve this issue, JSC NIKIET is developing a version of the SHELF-M modular water-cooled water-moderated reactor facility as a source of power for offshore installations, including the Arctic coast areas, as well as localities with practically no power and transport infrastructure. One of the stages in justifying the safety of the reactor facility operation is to investigate the behavior of the reactor facility in dynamic transient modes at various power levels. To this end, a spatial dynamic model has been developed for the reactor facility with fuel and coolant temperature feedbacks. The dynamic model development process is a complex task that includes both preparation of constants for subsequent calculations and generation of the reactor neutronic and thermophysical models. The paper describes the development stages of the SHELF-M reactor facility spatial dynamic model and the results of coupled neutronic and thermophysical calculations for transients using the developed dynamic model of the reactor. Shim rod movement in the cold and hot states of the SHELF-M reactor facility is considered as transients.