Integrated thermal power measurement in the modified STACY for the performance inspections

STACY更新炉における性能検査のための積算熱出力測定

荒木 祥平   ; 會澤 栄寿; 村上 貴彦; 新垣 優; 多田 裕太; 神川 豊; 長谷川 健太; 吉川 智輝 ; 住谷 正人; 関 真和; 石井 淳一; 井澤 一彦 ; 岩橋 大希*; 柴 茂樹*; 郡司 智  

Araki, Shohei; Aizawa, Eiju; Murakami, Takahiko; Arakaki, Yu; Tada, Yuta; Kamikawa, Yutaka; Hasegawa, Kenta; Yoshikawa, Tomoki; Sumiya, Masato; Seki, Masakazu; Ishii, Junichi; Izawa, Kazuhiko; Iwahashi, Daiki*; Shiba, Shigeki*; Gunji, Satoshi

原子力機構では、臨界集合体STACYを均質溶液体系から非均質軽水減速体系へと更新した。STACY更新炉においても最大熱出力は200Wと定められており、熱出力校正は運転を行う上で重要である。熱出力測定においては、溶液系STACYで用いていたFPの分析による熱出力の評価が適応できなかったため、放射化法をベースとする実験データと数値計算を組み合わせて出力を評価する手法をSTACY更新炉の体系に適応し、測定を実施した。測定データを基に出力校正を実施した結果、校正後の指示値は放射化法による測定結果と3%以内で一致した。

JAEA has modified the STACY from a homogeneous system using solution fuel to a heterogeneous system using fuel rods in order to obtain criticality characteristics of fuel debris. The modification of the STACY was completed in December 2023. A series of performance inspections were conducted for the start of experimental operations. A new thermal power calibration is required for the performance inspections in order to operate at less than 200 W, which is the permitted thermal power. However, the thermal power measurement method and calibration data used in the former STACY is no longer available due to the modification of the modified STACY. We measured the thermal power of the STACY using the activation method that was improved to adapt to the measurement condition and calibrated the power meter system. Since the positions where activation foils could be installed were very limited, the thermal power was evaluated using numerical calculations supplemented by experimental data. Neutron flux data at the positions of the activation foil was measured by the activation method. Neutron distribution in the core was calculated by the Monte Carlo code MVP. A response function of the activation foil was calculated using the PHITS. The uncertainty of the thermal power measurement was conservatively estimated to be about 15%. Four operations were conducted for the thermal power measurement. The power meter was calibrated by using three operational data and tested with the one operational data. It was found that the indicated value of the meter adjusted by the STACY before the modification work would tend to overestimate the actual output by about 40%. In addition, the current calibration was able to calibrate the meter to within 3% accuracy.