2006 International RERTR Meeting

Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the Meeting

Current Status of the Missouri University Research Reactor HEU to LEU Conversion Feasibility Study

J. Charles McKibben, Dr. Kiratadas Kutikkad, and Leslie P. Foyto
University of Missouri-Columbia Research Reactor
1513 Research Park Drive, Columbia, Missouri, 65211 - USA

ABSTRACT

The Missouri University Research Reactor (MURR) is a pressurized, reflected, open pool-type, light-water moderated and cooled, heterogeneous system designed for operation at a maximum steady-state power level of 10 Megawatts thermal. It is the highest powered University-owned research reactor in the U.S. that provides a broad range of analytical and irradiation services to the research community and the commercial sector.

Presently, the MURR is one of five U.S. high performance research reactors that use HEU fuel that is actively collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy to find a suitable LEU fuel replacement. A conversion feasibility study, which involves both the U-7Mo and U-10Mo monolithic LEU fuels, is currently being performed. In order to determine core excess reactivity, MCNP broad scoping studies were conducted in which the water-to-metal ratio was varied by decreasing either the plate cladding or fuel meat thickness while increasing the width of the coolant channel gap. Over the next year studies will include: fuel requirements, including design limitations; experimental facility performance; fuel cycle; and safety analyses, which include the determination of power peaking factors, reactivity transient analysis, loss of flow and coolant accidents, and steady state safety limits.

 

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