A presente discussão e uma extensão do modelo de cinética pontual de nêutrons, onde a reatividade e decomposta em termos de contribuição de curtas e longas escalas de tempo. A primeira representa o controle operacional do reator, enquanto a segunda e devido a alteração da composição química do combustível nuclear, como consequência do burn-up. E um primeiro passo em uma nova direção, uma vez que considera os efeitos dos principais venenos na cinética de nêutrons, ou seja, Xenônio-135 e Sam ario-149. O modelo proposto consiste em um sistema de equações não-lineares acoplado para a densidade de nêutrons, para os precursores de nêutrons atrasados e para as cadeias de decaimento dos venenos produtos de fissão. O sistema de equações e resolvido através de um método de decomposição, que expande os termos não-lineares em uma série infinita, obtendo um sistema recursivo, onde a inicialização da recursão e uma equação linear homogênea e os passos de recursão subsequentes consideram contribuições não-lineares como termo fonte constru dos em passos de recursão anteriores. A construção hierárquica do modelo também e realizada, onde graus espaciais de liberdade são considerados. São apresentados casos de estudos com várias estruturas temporais afim de mostrar a robustez da abordagem atual para este tipo de problema. / The present discussion is an extension to Neutron point kinetics models, where the reactivity is decomposed in a short and a long term contribution. The rst one represents operational reactor control, whereas the second one is due to the change of the chemical composition of the nuclear fuel as a consequence of burn-up. This is a rst step into a new direction where we consider only the e ects of the principal neutron poisons on neutron kinetics, i.e, Xenon-135 and Samarium-149. The proposed model consists in a system of coupled nonlinear equations for the neutron density, the delayed neutron precursors and the neutron poison decay chains. The equation system is solved using a decomposition method, which expands the non-linear terms in an in nit series, obtaining a recursive system, where the recursion initialization is a homogeneous linear equation and the subsequent recursion steps consider the non-linear contributions as source terms constructed from previous recursion steps. A hierarchical construction of the model is also performed, where spatial degrees of freedom are considered. We present case studies with severe time structure in order to show the robustness of the present approach for this kind of problems.

A presente discussão e uma extensão do modelo de cinética pontual de nêutrons, onde a reatividade e decomposta em termos de contribuição de curtas e longas escalas de tempo. A primeira representa o controle operacional do reator, enquanto a segunda e devido a alteração da composição química do combustível nuclear, como consequência do burn-up. E um primeiro passo em uma nova direção, uma vez que considera os efeitos dos principais venenos na cinética de nêutrons, ou seja, Xenônio-135 e Sam ario-149. O modelo proposto consiste em um sistema de equações não-lineares acoplado para a densidade de nêutrons, para os precursores de nêutrons atrasados e para as cadeias de decaimento dos venenos produtos de fissão. O sistema de equações e resolvido através de um método de decomposição, que expande os termos não-lineares em uma série infinita, obtendo um sistema recursivo, onde a inicialização da recursão e uma equação linear homogênea e os passos de recursão subsequentes consideram contribuições não-lineares como termo fonte constru dos em passos de recursão anteriores. A construção hierárquica do modelo também e realizada, onde graus espaciais de liberdade são considerados. São apresentados casos de estudos com várias estruturas temporais afim de mostrar a robustez da abordagem atual para este tipo de problema. / The present discussion is an extension to Neutron point kinetics models, where the reactivity is decomposed in a short and a long term contribution. The rst one represents operational reactor control, whereas the second one is due to the change of the chemical composition of the nuclear fuel as a consequence of burn-up. This is a rst step into a new direction where we consider only the e ects of the principal neutron poisons on neutron kinetics, i.e, Xenon-135 and Samarium-149. The proposed model consists in a system of coupled nonlinear equations for the neutron density, the delayed neutron precursors and the neutron poison decay chains. The equation system is solved using a decomposition method, which expands the non-linear terms in an in nit series, obtaining a recursive system, where the recursion initialization is a homogeneous linear equation and the subsequent recursion steps consider the non-linear contributions as source terms constructed from previous recursion steps. A hierarchical construction of the model is also performed, where spatial degrees of freedom are considered. We present case studies with severe time structure in order to show the robustness of the present approach for this kind of problems.

A presente discussão e uma extensão do modelo de cinética pontual de nêutrons, onde a reatividade e decomposta em termos de contribuição de curtas e longas escalas de tempo. A primeira representa o controle operacional do reator, enquanto a segunda e devido a alteração da composição química do combustível nuclear, como consequência do burn-up. E um primeiro passo em uma nova direção, uma vez que considera os efeitos dos principais venenos na cinética de nêutrons, ou seja, Xenônio-135 e Sam ario-149. O modelo proposto consiste em um sistema de equações não-lineares acoplado para a densidade de nêutrons, para os precursores de nêutrons atrasados e para as cadeias de decaimento dos venenos produtos de fissão. O sistema de equações e resolvido através de um método de decomposição, que expande os termos não-lineares em uma série infinita, obtendo um sistema recursivo, onde a inicialização da recursão e uma equação linear homogênea e os passos de recursão subsequentes consideram contribuições não-lineares como termo fonte constru dos em passos de recursão anteriores. A construção hierárquica do modelo também e realizada, onde graus espaciais de liberdade são considerados. São apresentados casos de estudos com várias estruturas temporais afim de mostrar a robustez da abordagem atual para este tipo de problema. / The present discussion is an extension to Neutron point kinetics models, where the reactivity is decomposed in a short and a long term contribution. The rst one represents operational reactor control, whereas the second one is due to the change of the chemical composition of the nuclear fuel as a consequence of burn-up. This is a rst step into a new direction where we consider only the e ects of the principal neutron poisons on neutron kinetics, i.e, Xenon-135 and Samarium-149. The proposed model consists in a system of coupled nonlinear equations for the neutron density, the delayed neutron precursors and the neutron poison decay chains. The equation system is solved using a decomposition method, which expands the non-linear terms in an in nit series, obtaining a recursive system, where the recursion initialization is a homogeneous linear equation and the subsequent recursion steps consider the non-linear contributions as source terms constructed from previous recursion steps. A hierarchical construction of the model is also performed, where spatial degrees of freedom are considered. We present case studies with severe time structure in order to show the robustness of the present approach for this kind of problems.

The build–up of 6Li and 3He, that is, the strong thermal neutron absorbers or the so called "neutron poisons", in the beryllium reflector changes the physical characteristics of the reactor, such as reactivity, neutron spectra, neutron flux level, power distribution, etc.; furthermore,gaseous isotopes such as 3H and 4He induce swelling and embrittlement of the reflector. The SAFARI–1 research reactor, operated by Necsa at Pelindaba in South Africa, uses a beryllium reflector on three sides of the core, consisting of 19 beryllium reflector elements in total. This MTR went critical in 1965, and the original beryllium reflectors are still used. The individual neutron irradiation history of each beryllium reflector element, as well as the impact of beryllium poisoning on reactor parameters, were never well known nor investigated before. Furthermore, in the OSCAR{3 code system used in predictive neutronic calculations for SAFARI–1, beryllium reflector burn–up is not accounted for; OSCAR models the beryllium reflector as a non–burnable, 100% pure material. As a result, the poisoning phenomenon is not accounted for. Furthermore, the criteria and hence the optimum replacement time of the reflector has never been developed. This study presents detailed calculations, using MCNP, FISPACT and the OSCAR{3 code system, to quantify the influence of impurities that were originally present in the fresh beryllium reflector, the beryllium reflector poisoning phenomenon, and further goes on to propose the reflector's replacement criteria based on the calculated fluence and predicted swelling. Comparisons to experimental low power flux measurements and effects of safety parameters are also established. The study concludes that, to improve the accuracy and reliability of the predictive OSCAR code calculations, beryllium re flector burn–up should undoubtedly be incorporated in the next releases of OSCAR. Based on this study, the inclusion of the beryllium reflector burn–up chains is planned for implementation in the currently tested OSCAR–4 code system. In addition to beryllium reflector poisoning, the replacement criteria of the reflector is developed. It is however crucial that experimental measurements on the contents of 3H and 4He be conducted and thus swelling of the reflector be quantifed. In this way the calculated results could be verified and a sound replacement criteria be developed. In the absence of experimental measurements on the beryllium reflector, the analysis and quantifcation of the calculated results is reserved for future studies. / Thesis (M.Sc. Engineering Sciences (Nuclear Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The build–up of 6Li and 3He, that is, the strong thermal neutron absorbers or the so called "neutron poisons", in the beryllium reflector changes the physical characteristics of the reactor, such as reactivity, neutron spectra, neutron flux level, power distribution, etc.; furthermore,gaseous isotopes such as 3H and 4He induce swelling and embrittlement of the reflector. The SAFARI–1 research reactor, operated by Necsa at Pelindaba in South Africa, uses a beryllium reflector on three sides of the core, consisting of 19 beryllium reflector elements in total. This MTR went critical in 1965, and the original beryllium reflectors are still used. The individual neutron irradiation history of each beryllium reflector element, as well as the impact of beryllium poisoning on reactor parameters, were never well known nor investigated before. Furthermore, in the OSCAR{3 code system used in predictive neutronic calculations for SAFARI–1, beryllium reflector burn–up is not accounted for; OSCAR models the beryllium reflector as a non–burnable, 100% pure material. As a result, the poisoning phenomenon is not accounted for. Furthermore, the criteria and hence the optimum replacement time of the reflector has never been developed. This study presents detailed calculations, using MCNP, FISPACT and the OSCAR{3 code system, to quantify the influence of impurities that were originally present in the fresh beryllium reflector, the beryllium reflector poisoning phenomenon, and further goes on to propose the reflector's replacement criteria based on the calculated fluence and predicted swelling. Comparisons to experimental low power flux measurements and effects of safety parameters are also established. The study concludes that, to improve the accuracy and reliability of the predictive OSCAR code calculations, beryllium re flector burn–up should undoubtedly be incorporated in the next releases of OSCAR. Based on this study, the inclusion of the beryllium reflector burn–up chains is planned for implementation in the currently tested OSCAR–4 code system. In addition to beryllium reflector poisoning, the replacement criteria of the reflector is developed. It is however crucial that experimental measurements on the contents of 3H and 4He be conducted and thus swelling of the reflector be quantifed. In this way the calculated results could be verified and a sound replacement criteria be developed. In the absence of experimental measurements on the beryllium reflector, the analysis and quantifcation of the calculated results is reserved for future studies. / Thesis (M.Sc. Engineering Sciences (Nuclear Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.