The challenges of gas-cooled reactor technology for space propulsion and the development of the JANUS space reactor concept

Comparative analysis between homogeneous and heterogeneous models of gas cooled fast reactor core (GFR-2400)

The main objective of the presented work is to investigate the effectiveness of homogenization of the GFR-2400 core in simulating its neutronic characteristics. To explore and evaluate the neutronic behavior of the large scale Gas cooled Fast Reactor GFR-2400 core, two computer models (homogeneous and heterogeneous) were designed using the MCNPX code. The designed heterogeneous model has been validated by comparing its results with a previously published paper. The results of both models were compared with each other to study the effect of fuel homogeneity on the radial flux and power distribution through the core. As part of a safety analysis of the reactor core for both designs, the reactivity worth of control rods, Effective delayed neutron fraction (ß eff), Doppler constant and Depressurization effect have been analyzed and compared. The variations of the effective multiplication factor (k eff), the minor actinides concentration and the most important fission products as a function of operation time have been investigated for the presented designs.