Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
1998 International RERTR Meeting

A Neutronic Feasibility Study for LEU Conversion of the
WWR-SM Research Reactor in Uzbekistan

A. Rakhmanov
Institute of Nuclear Physics
Tashkent, Uzbekistan

and

J. R. Deen, N. A. Hanan and J. E. Matos
Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne, Ill, USA

Abstract

The WWR-SM reactor at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Uzbek Academy of Sciences is designated to carry out experiments in field of nuclear physics and nuclear engineering, neutron activation analysis, solid state physics and isotope production. To perform these experiments the core has 24 vertical irradiation channels, 9 horizontal beam tubes and a thermal column. At present it uses IRT-3M Russian produced fuel assemblies containing 90% enriched uranium. IRT-3M fuel assemblies with 36% enriched uranium are planned to be used beginning autumn 1998.

Equilibrium fuel cycle neutronic calculations with 90% and 36% enriched IRT-3M fuel assemblies were modeled using three-dimensional multi-group diffusion theory and compared with 19.75% enriched IRT-4M fuel assemblies using the same fuel cycle management.

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