Study of Kinetics Characteristics of a Pressure-Tube Supercritical-Water Reactor

压力管超临界水冷堆（PT-SCWR）是作为被称为第四代国际论坛（GIF）的国际合作努力的一部分所追求的主要核反应堆概念之一，加拿大是该论坛的缔约方。超临界水冷反应堆的运行温度和压力都高于当前的反应堆，因此有望提供更高的热效率。为了分析PT-SCWR的安全特性，设计其控制和安全系统，需要对其动力学特性进行评估。本项目将研究PT-SCWR动力学相关的四个方面：全堆芯动力学参数（延迟中子分数和生成时间）的取值；动力学参数对当地燃料和冷却剂特性变化的敏感性；控制和磁通映射系统所需的磁通模式和模态核心参数；以及SCWR燃料的衰变热特性。研究结果将有助于PT-SCWR第四代先进反应堆概念的设计和分析，这是加拿大第四代国家计划及其在GIF下的国际承诺的一部分。同时，作为该项目的一部分开发的工具适用于其他类型的反应堆，也将适用于目前使用的CANDU反应堆的安全分析。

The Pressure-Tube Supercritical-Water-Cooled Reactor (PT-SCWR) is one of the major nuclear-reactor concepts pursued as part of the cooperative international endeavour known as the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), to which Canada is a party. Supercritical-Water-Cooled reactors operate at higher temperatures and pressures than current-generation reactors and, consequently, offer the promise of higher thermal efficiency. In order to analyze the safety attributes of the PT-SCWR and to design its control and safety systems, its kinetics characteristics need to be assessed. This project will study four aspects related to the kinetics of the PT-SCWR: The values of the full-core kinetics parameters (delayed neutron fractions and generation time); the sensitivity of the kinetics parameters to variations in local fuel and coolant properties; the flux modes and modal core parameters necessary for the control and flux mapping systems; and the decay-heat characteristics of the SCWR fuel. The research results will contribute to the design and analysis of the PT-SCWR Generation IV advanced reactor concept, which is part of Canada's Gen IV National Program and its international commitments under GIF. At the same time, the tools developed as part of the project are applicable to other reactor types, and will also be applicable to the safety analysis of CANDU reactors in current use.