Hafif Sulu Üretken Reaktör için Nötronik Analiz
Özet
The main objective of this study is to perform the neutronic analysis of the Light Water
Breeder Reactor, which operated between 1977 and 1982 at the Shippingport Atomic
Power Station, while employing a Thorium fuel cycle. Modelling has been realized using
the Serpent Monte Carlo code. To realize an accurate 3-D modelling of the reactor, a
computer aided design software FreeCAD has been used together with Serpent. Upon
performing the burnup calculations, fissile isotope breeding parameters have been
evaluated. Because the reactivity control mechanism of the reactor relies on the axial
relocation of seed regions, the appropriate locations need to be determined at the end of
each burnup step. To this end, a Python based code has been developed to perform the
necessary iterations in Serpent. The complexity of the core geometry necessitated the trial
of various input forms and burnup steps, to obtain an accurate performance prediction.
It has been verified that the proposed reactor core can reach a conversion ratio larger than
unity; hence, breeding is a possibility with the use light water reactors. Furthermore, it
has been demonstrated that when necessary computational power can be provided,
Serpent Monte Carlo code may be employed for simulations involving very complex
geometries, as in the case of the Light Water Breeder Reactor.
