Development of a Subcritical Test Facility

该提案要求提供资金，在麦克马斯特大学设计和开发一个用于测试次临界反应堆组件(SRAS)的设施，用于未来的小型模块化反应堆设计。建成后，该设施将提供对此类反应堆堆芯物理的洞察和实验验证，并补充申请人长期研究计划的数值模拟部分，该计划涵盖当前和未来核反应堆设计的物理。在该设施测试的次临界反应堆组件将构成加拿大几十年来第一个核反应堆原型。预计SRA将是小型模块反应堆(SMR)的部分原型。SMR是核反应堆设计的最新趋势；它们具有成本效益，可以在工厂组装，而且很容易部署。加拿大特别感兴趣的是，它们可以部署到偏远地区，例如为加拿大北极社区取代空运的石油，为国防的远程军事设施提供动力，或用于远程采矿作业。与传统反应堆相比，它们还具有显著的安全性和运行增强。SMR堆芯的内在反馈机制特别令人感兴趣；例如，燃料温度对堆芯反应性的反馈：当燃料升温时，可能是由于冷却剂损失事件，重要的是堆芯变得更少而不是更多的反应性。负面反馈将会导致这一点。在现代反应堆设计中，使用相当复杂的计算机模型来研究燃料温度反馈等影响。然而，反馈系数的最终确定只能通过在原型中进行直接测量来获得。这种测量不需要在临界条件下的反应堆上进行；亚临界装配将提供相同的实验信息。然而，在这种情况下，必须对组件施加恒定的外部中子源。麦克马斯特有几种这样的源可供选择，例如麦克马斯特核反应堆、D-D聚变源、散裂加速器和Am-241/Be-9源。该项目的短期目标是i)研究设施的可行性(包括支持研究的测量)，ii)优化布局，iii)为各种可测试的SMR原型设计设施。作为申请者研究计划的一部分，长期目标是组件的实际建造和执行测量。这一阶段不在当前提案的范围内。该提案中描述的活动是制定加拿大第一个SMR的关键一步，特别是在许可证方面。这些学生将是加拿大第一批接受这种新的、有前途的技术培训的HQP之一。他们将成为该领域的领导者。

The proposal requests funds for the design and development of a facility for testing subcritical reactor assemblies (SRAs) at McMaster University for future small modular reactor designs. When constructed, the facility will provide insight in and experimental verification of the physics of such reactor cores and complement the numerical simulation component of the applicant's long-term research program which covers the physics of current and future nuclear reactor designs. The subcritical reactor assemblies tested at the facility will constitute the first prototyping of nuclear reactors in Canada in decades. The SRAs are expected to be partial prototypes of small modular reactors (SMRs). SMRs are the most recent trend in nuclear reactor design; they are cost-effective, can be assembled in a factory, and be easily deployed. The particular interest for Canada is that they may be deployed to remote regions, e.g. to replace air-lifted oil for the Canadian Arctic communities, for powering remote military installations for national defence, or for remote mining operations. They also have significant safety and operation enhancements over traditional reactors. The inherent feedback mechanisms of an SMR core are of particular interest; for example the feedback of the fuel temperature on the reactivity of the core: when the fuel heats up, possibly as result of a loss-of-coolant event, it is important that the core becomes less reactive, not more. Negative feedback will do this. In modern reactor designs, effects such as fuel temperature feedback are studied using rather complex computer models. However, a definitive determination of the feedback coefficient can only be obtained through a direct measurement in a prototype. The measurement does not need to be made on a reactor in critical conditions; a subcritical assembly would provide the same experimental information. However, in that case, a constant external neutron source must be applied to the assembly. There are several options for such a source available at McMaster, such as the McMaster Nuclear Reactor, a D-D fusion source, an accelerator for spallation, and an Am-241/Be-9 source. The short-term goal of the project is i) to study the viability of the facility (including measurements in support of the study), ii) to optimize the layout, and iii) to design the facilities for the various SMR prototypes that can be tested. The long-term objective, which is part of the applicant's research program, is the actual construction of the assembly and performing the measurements. This phase is out of scope of the current proposal. The activities described in this proposal are an essential step in the development of Canada's first SMRs, in particular with regards to licencing. The students will be among the first, if not the first HQP in Canada to be trained in this new, promising technology. They will be set up to become leaders in the field.