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Introduction to CANDU

Reactor Physics Concepts

Drafted by Bill Garland

  1. Basics / Phenomena level
    1. Nuclear structure [C1.1]
      1. N, A, Z
      2. Isotopes
      3. Mass
      4. Mass defect and binding energy
      5. Nuclear energy levels
      6. Radioactivity
        1. half-life
        2. becquerel
        3. activity / activation buildup
    2. Basic definitions [EP4D3] [C1.7] [C1.3]
      1. r, , E, t
      2. Neutron density, n [C1.1]
      3. Flux, [AECL-TTM1] [C1.1]
      4. Current, J [AECL-TTM1] [C1.1]
      5. Microscopic cross section, [C1.1]
        1. E dependence [RMC511]
      6. Macroscopic cross section, [C1.1]
        1. E dependence [RMC511]
    3. Conservation of energy [AECL-TTM1]
      1. Equivalence of mass and energy [C1.1]
      2. Chemical vs nuclear
    4. Nuclear interactions [EP4D3] [AECL-TTM1] [C1.1] [C1.3]
      1. Absorption
        1. Fission
          1. fission products [AECL-TTM1] [C1.1]
          2. energy release [C1.1]
          3. power and fuel consumption [C1.1]
        2. capture
        3. = c / f [RMC511]
      2. Scattering
        1. elastic [C1.1]
        2. inelastic [C1.1]
      3. Types [AECL-TTM1]
        1. (n,2n), (n,2n), nu [RMC511] [C1.1]
        2. (n, gamma) [C1.1]
        3. (n, alpha) [C1.1]
        4. (gamma, n) photoneutrons [C1.1]
      4. Interaction rate
        1. magnitudes and statistical fluctuations [C1.7]
        2. effective cross section [RMC511]
        3. reaction rate = [RMC511] [C1.1]
      5. Delayed neutrons and Precursors [C1.7]
      6. Neutron spectra
        1. prompt [C1.7] [C1.1]
        2. delayed [C1.7]
        3. Maxwellian [C1.1]
        4. 1/E [C1.1]
        5. Westcott convention [RMC511]
      7. Neutron energy cycle [RMC511]
      8. Moderation process and moderator properties [C1.1]
    5. Neutron balance [EP4D3] [C1.7] [C1.1]
      1. Variation with lattice pitch [C1.1]
    6. Chain reactions [EP4D3]
      1. Multiplication, k, rho
      2. Four / six factor formula [RMC511] [C1.1]
      3. Geometry effects [C1.1]
        1. intro to leakage
        2. Fick's law
        3. critical shape
        4. flux distributions
        5. homogeneous / heterogeneous
        6. flux flattening
        7. reflector
      4. Critical mass [AECL-TTM1] [C1.1]
      5. Need for control [AECL-TTM1]
    7. Decay heat [C1.1]
  2. Modelling level
    1. General neutron balance [C1.3]
      1. Generic mass / particle balance equation [C1.7]
      2. Boltzmann transport equation [C1.7]
      3. General precursor balance equation [C1.7]
    2. Energy Partitioning [C1.7]
      1. Age theory [RMC511]
      2. Multigroup definition [C1.3]
      3. Condensation [C1.3]
    3. Transport approximations
      1. PL theory
      2. Diffusion approximation (P1) [EP4D3]
        1. Derivation of Fick's Law
        2. Validity
        3. Matrix form of the Diffusion equations [C1.7] [C1.3]
    4. Spatial mesh [C1.7]
      1. Core
      2. Cell
    5. Boundary and Initial conditions [C1.7]
      1. Edges
      2. Interfaces
    6. Numerical methods [C1.7]
      1. Finite differences [EP4D3]
      2. BC and IC treatment [EP4D3]
      3. Explicit vs implicit [EP4D3]
      4. Convergence
      5. Consistency
      6. Stability
      7. Truncation error
    7. Statics
      1. One speed neutrons - fixed sources [EP4D3] [C1.7]
        1. Spectral radius
        2. LU decomposition
        3. Gaussian elimination
        4. Jacobi
        5. Gause-Seidel
        6. Successive Over-Relaxation (SOR)
      2. 1-D reactor [EP4D3] [C1.7]
        1. Criticality search / eigenvalues [C1.3]
      3. Multigroup [EP4D3] [C1.7]
      4. Numerical criticality [EP4D3] [C1.7]
        1. Power method
      5. Cell calculations [EP4D3] [C1.7]
      6. Adjoint flux [C1.3]
      7. Perturbation theory [C1.3]
    8. Space-Time Kinetics [C1.7]
      1. Separation of variables [C1.3]
        1. Point kinetics [EP4D3] [C1.3]
          1. descriptive and simple equations [C1.1] [C1.2]
          2. analytical soln
            1. prompt jump [C1.1] [C1.2]
            2. prompt criticality [C1.1] [C1.2]
            3. inverse method [C1.3]
            4. reactor trips [C1.1] [C1.2]
            5. neutron source effects [C1.1] [C1.2]
          3. numerical integration
        2. Adiabatic
        3. Quasi-static
        4. IQS
      2. Synthesis
        1. Modal expansion
        2. Space-time synthesis
        3. Nodal method of Avery
      3. Direct methods
        1. Finite differences
        2. Exponential transforms
    9. Computer Codes
      1. Nuclear data
        1. NJOY
        2. ENDF
      2. Cell codes
        1. POWDERPUFS-V [C1.5] [AECL-TTM1]
        2. WIMS and WIMS-AECL [AECL-TTM1]
        3. DRAGON
      3. Supercell codes [AECL-TTM1]
        1. MULTICELL
        2. DRAGON
      4. Core codes
        1. CERBRUS (IQS) [C1.5]
        2. SMOKIN (Modal) [C1.5]
        3. 3DDT
        4. DONJON
        5. RFSP [AECL-TTM1]
      5. Fuel Management
        1. RFSP [C1.5]
      6. Monte Carlo
        1. MCNP
      7. Plant optimization
        1. AESOP
  3. Component level
    1. Depletion [EP4D3]
      1. Fuel reaction chains [RMC511] [AECL-TTM1]
        1. U235, P239, P240, P241, P242, U238, fission products [C1.1]
        2. Burnup (MW h / kg) [AECL-TTM1] [C1.1]
      2. Burnup equations
      3. Fluence [RMC511]
      4. Fission yields [RMC511]
      5. General solution [RMC511]
      6. Calculations [RMC511]
        1. Reactivity change [C1.1]
        2. Burnup
    2. Poison [EP4D3] [C1.1]
      1. Cross sections [RMC511]
      2. Equations
        1. Burnable [RMC511]
        2. Non-burnable [RMC511]
      3. Reactivity worth
      4. Xenon oscillations
      5. Flux tilt
    3. Dynamics / Coupled Neutronics-Thermalhydraulics [C1.5]
      1. Feedback [EP4D3]
      2. Heat transfer [EP4D3]
      3. Thermalhydraulics [EP4D3]
      4. Temperature effects [C1.1] [C1.2]
        1. Doppler
      5. Spectrum effects [C1.1] [C1.2]
      6. Coolant effects [C1.1] [C1.2]
        1. Void
        2. Density
      7. Moderator effects
      8. Geometry effects
        1. Creep
        2. Sag
      9. Codes and code methodology
    4. Power and power measurement [C1.1] [C1.2]
      1. Thermal vs neutron power
      2. Decay heat
      3. Photoneutrons
      4. Detectors and instrumentation
        1. General intro
        2. Reactions used
        3. Thermal
          1. boron
          2. fission
          3. self-powered
        4. Applications
        5. Flux mapping
        6. Common problems
  4. Systems level
    1. Operational control
      1. Approach to criticality [C1.1] [C1.2]
    2. Systems
      1. CANDU
        1. Basic characteristics of CANDU lattice [AECL-TTM1]
          1. typical burnup
        2. Core design [C1.4]
          1. fuel [AECL-TTM1]
          2. pressure tube concept [AECL-TTM1]
          3. moderator [AECL-TTM1]
          4. calandria
          5. reactivity devices [AECL-TTM1]
          6. liquid zone control [AECL-TTM1] [C1.1] [C1.2]
          7. mechanical control absorbers [AECL-TTM1] [C1.1] [C1.2]
          8. adjuster rods [AECL-TTM1] [C1.1] [C1.2]
          9. booster rods [C1.1] [C1.2]
          10. moderator level [C1.1]
          11. detector systems [AECL-TTM1]
          12. flux mapping [AECL-TTM1]
          13. void reactivity [AECL-TTM1]
        3. Methodology for r/p analysis [C1.4]
        4. Initial fuel loading [C1.4]
        5. Commissioning [C1.4]
        6. Safety systems
          1. SDS1
          2. SDS2
            1. moderator dump [C1.1]
            2. moderator poison [AECL-TTM1] [C1.1]
          3. ROP
      2. PWR
      3. BWR
      4. MAPLE
      5. SLOWPOKE [C1.5]
      6. MNR [EP4D3]
    3. Fuel Management (CANDU) [C1.5] [AECL-TTM1]
      1. Objectives [RMC511] [C1.1]
      2. Tools
      3. Core assumptions
        1. Equilibrium [RMC511] [C1.1]
        2. Fresh [RMC511] [C1.1]
        3. k [AECL-TTM1]
        4. Radial flattening [AECL-TTM1]
        5. Channel power cycle [AECL-TTM1]
      4. Simulations
      5. Strategies and effects [RMC511]
        1. Core tracking
        2. Channel peaking factor [AECL-TTM1]
        3. Bidirectional fueling and axial distribution [C1.1]
      6. Fuelling machine
      7. On-power refuelling [RMC511] [AECL-TTM1]
      8. Xenon effects [AECL-TTM1]
      9. Cobalt production
      10. Fuel cycle costs [RMC511]
      11. Fuel inventory [RMC511]
      12. TUEC [RMC511]
    4. CANDU Safety Analysis [C1.5]
      1. Feedback mechanisms
      2. DBAs
      3. Reactor physics
      4. Thermalhydraulics
      5. Coupled r/p - t/h
      6. A Reactor Cannot Explode Like a Nuclear Bomb (pdf 145kb)
    5. SLOWPOKE safety analysis [C1.5]
      1. LOCA analysis
      2. Reactor model - point kinetics
      3. Feedback models
      4. Thermalhydraulic model
      5. Simulation

References:

C1.1 Chulalongkorn - Module 1.1, Nuclear Theory, same as OPG Science Fundamentals 22106 by Ian Cameron, July 1997 (R-1) given by Chaplin. This is an update to the older OH course 227. OH 227 contains a section on radioactive buildup which is not in OPG 22107. OPG 22106 contains a section on Detectors and Instrumentation which is not in OH 227.

C1.2 Chulalongkorn - Module 1.2, Nuclear Physics and Reactor Theory Supplementary Text by John Groh.

C1.3 Chulalongkorn - Module 1.3, Reactor Kinetics by Daniel Rozon.

C1.4 Chulalongkorn - Module 1.4, Reactor Physics and Fuelling Strategies, TDAI 244 (1980) by Pasanan, given by Brenciaglia.

C1.5 Chulalongkorn - Module 1.5, Reactor Core Analysis and Fuel Management, Rozon and Rouben.

C1.7 Chulalongkorn - Module 1.7, Neutronic Analysis of Reactors by Jean Koclas.

EP4D3 McMaster - Engineering Physics 4D3, Nuclear Reactor Analysis, a 4th year reactor physics course based on Duderstatd and Hamilton given by Bill Garland.

RMC511? Royal Military College - Nuclear Engineering 511, Nuclear Fuel Engineering, a graduate course by Hugues Bonin.

AECL-TTM1 AECL Technical Training Material - Reactor Physics by Ben Rouben, February 2000.
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