Importance of delayed neutrons on the coupled neutronic-thermohydraulic stability of a natural circulation heavy water-moderated boiling light water-cooled reactor
Ak. Nayak et al., Importance of delayed neutrons on the coupled neutronic-thermohydraulic stability of a natural circulation heavy water-moderated boiling light water-cooled reactor, NUCL SCI EN, 138(3), 2001, pp. 315-321
The coupled neutronic-thermohydraulic stability characteristics of a natura
l circulation heavy water-moderated boiling light water-cooled reactor was
investigated analytically considering the effects of prompt and delayed neu
trons. For this purpose, the reactor considered is the Indian Advanced Heav
y Water Reactor The analytical model considers a point kinetics model for t
he neutron dynamics, a homogeneous two-phase pow model for the coolant ther
mal hydraulics, and a lumped heat transfer model for the fuel thermal dynam
ics. A higher mode of oscillation having a frequency much greater than the
density wave oscillation frequency was observed if prompt neutrons alone we
re considered. The occurrence of a higher mode of oscillation was found to
be dependent on the concentration of delayed neutrons, the void reactivity
coefficient, and the fuel time constant. The core inlet subcooling is found
to have different effects on the decay ratio of the fundamental and higher
modes of oscillations. The influences of void reactivity coefficient and f
uel time constant on the fundamental and higher modes of oscillations were
also found to be opposite in nature.