Results from the MUNU experiment on neutrino-electron scattering

The MUNU experiment studies electron antineutrino-electron elastic scattering. The detector is a time projection chamber surrounded by an anti-Compton detector. The distance between the reactor (serving as the neutrino source) and the detector is 18 m. Here, data are presented corresponding to 66.6-d live time reactor on and 16.7-d reactor off. The electron recoil spectrum obtained by using a visual scanning procedure is presented. The upper limit on the neutrino magnetic moment ν_π<1.0×10^?10π_B is derived.     

Results of the Physical Startup of the IGRIK-2 Research Reactor Facility in the Stationary Mode

Physics of Atomic Nuclei - The systems of the IGRIK-2 research reactor facility are described. The results of the physical startup of the IGRIK-2 in the stationary mode are presented.     

Results of Research of YAGUAR Reactor Characteristics after Modernization

Physics of Atomic Nuclei - The results of experimental studies of characteristics of the YAGUAR nuclear homogeneous uranium aperiodic reactor obtained in the process of physical startup after its...     

Results of measuring the residual strains in the WWER-1000 reactor vessel

Internal stresses in specimens cut from the natural WWER-1000 reactor vessel have been investigated using neutron diffraction. Thin and thick templates (flat specimens cut from a bulk product) have been studied and the effect of the volume factor on the stress distribution has been revealed. A good agreement between the experimental data and previous theoretical calculations has been established. The tangential stresses in the ferrite at the ferrite-austenitic coating interface are compression stresses, which allows us to assume that the product has a high resistance to corrosion cracking.     

Results from solar, atmospheric and K2K experiments and future possibilities with T2K

Recent results from solar, reactor, atmospheric and long baseline (K2K) experiments are discussed. With the improved data statistics and analyses, our knowledge on the neutrino masses and mixing angles are steadily improving. T2K is the next generation neutrino oscillation experiment between J-PARC in Tokai and Super-Kamiokande. This experiment will start in 2009. This experiment is expected to improve the current knowledge on the neutrino masses and mixings substantially.     

Special features of the safety and control systems of theDhruva reactor

The prime requirement of reactor safety combined with the need for high availability of nuclear plants have, in recent years, led to considerable research and development efforts at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in the field of reactor safety and control engineering. The areas of special interest have been the development of a fast acting emergency shutdown system, on-line fault detection facility for the reactor protection circuits, enhanced instrumentation capability for measurement of critical plant parameters and computerised systems for plant protection, control, performance evaluation, disturbance analysis, and data acquisition and display with particular attention to the problem of manmachine interface. Some of these recent concepts have been incorporated in safety and control systems of theDhruva reactor which is at present undergoing commissioning trials at Trombay. The special features of these systems are highlighted in the paper. The safety strategy adopted for the reactor and the consequent development of special safety systems are described in detail. The choice of the reactor control scheme and the methodology followed in the design of the automatic power control system are indicated. Campbell instrumentation for measurement of neutron flux or in other words reactor power, extensive use of microprocessors in safety related instrumentation and an improved man-machine interface through suitable design of control room have helped in achieving a high degree of reactor safety. The salient features of these systems are also included.     

Experimental study of the hydrodynamic behaviour of a high frequency ultrasonic reactor

In relation to design and modeling of sonochemical reactors, the hydrodynamic behaviour of a high-frequency ultrasonic reactor has been investigated. Residence time distribution (RTD) measurements have been performed by means of a tracer method. The influence of ultrasound on the response to an inlet pulse was evidenced. It was shown that the reactor behaves like a completely stirred tank reactor (CSTR) as soon as ultrasonic irradiation operates. Preliminary observations on acoustic streaming occurring within the reactor will also be presented.     

Assessment of the Readiness Level of Tritium Cycle Technologies in Russia Exemplified by the Project of the DEMO-FNS Hybrid Reactor

Physics of Atomic Nuclei - This article describes the development of the DEMO-FNS hybrid (fusion–fission) reactor with DT fusion capacity of 40 MW in Russia. Operation of the reactor requires...     

Influence of the gamma-ray fraction in the reactor radiation on the total signal of a self-powered neutron detector

For controlling the linear power density in the reactor core, the Khortitsa-M software program as a part of the in-core instrumentation system (ICIS) employs only self-powered neutron detector (SPND) data with the neutronic calculation for the consistent determination of the power density in unmeasurable fuel assemblies (FAs). The confidence of the interpretation of the SPND data essentially determines the safe and efficient operation of a reactor. Previously, it was assumed that the gamma-ray fraction in the reactor radiation does not exceed one percent and is independent of the fuel enrichment and the FA and SPND burnups. Since it is difficult to estimate the contribution of the reactor gamma radiation to the SPND current experimentally, in this work, we present a calculated estimate using modern software and libraries of constants. On the basis of the results of this study, the question is discussed whether it is appropriate to take into account the reactor gamma radiation in the transfer function from the SPND current to the power density of six fuel elements surrounding the SPND with allowance for both the type of FA and the FA and SPND burnups.     

铅基反应堆自然循环与应急余热排出研究

自然循环特性是铅基反应堆一回路的关键运行特性,对反应堆的非能动应急余热排出具有重要的影响,自然循环特性与余热排出能力是反应堆热工水力研究的重要内容。采用多孔介质方法,建立了CiADS铅基堆1/4三维计算模型,使用FLUENT程序对额定工况与低功率工况进行稳态计算。为了研究全厂断电事故下的余热排出过程,从热工水力的等效原则出发,尝试建立二维等效模型以提高瞬态计算效率。结果表明,CiADS铅基堆具备低功率自然循环运行能力和一定的事故容错能力;二维等效模型与三维模型计算结果吻合较好,可用于瞬态下的简化分析;CiADS铅基堆的非能动余热排出系统能够较好地应对全厂断电事故,反应堆具有良好的固有安全性。     

快堆中子学计算程序NECP-SARAX的改进与验证

NECP-SARAX是西安交通大学NECP团队开发的用于快中子反应堆的中子学程序系统。为准确处理快中子反应堆中中等质量核素散射共振以及非弹性散射导致的复杂的中子慢化效应,SARAX程序最初采用连续能量的蒙特卡罗方法计算中子能谱从而获得堆芯计算使用的有效多群截面。由于蒙特卡罗程序计算效率低,且在低能量段统计偏差较大,提出采用基于点截面的超细群方法计算中子慢化能谱,避免了蒙特卡罗方法产生参数时存在的缺陷。堆芯计算采用多群中子输运,通过优化简化几何建模,改进了程序的实用性。采用多种微扰方法计算堆芯各种反应性系数,提出了基于中子输运微扰理论的虚拟密度方法以计算堆内组件变形导致的反应性变化。在进行堆芯瞬态计算时,采用了点堆和改进准静态两种方法,可用于一般快堆和快谱ADS的典型事故分析。OECD发布的一系列快堆基准题测试表明,SARAX程序在快堆计算中具有良好的精度,达到了与国外著名快堆程序相当的水平。有效增殖因子与连续能量的蒙卡计算结果相比偏差在300 pcm以内。同时,由于引入了虚拟密度理论和三维时空动力学模型,程序功能更加完善,可以更好地满足快堆工程设计的需求。     

Experimental limits on the decay of reactor neutrinos

We consider the possible decay of massive reactor neutrinos into a light neutrino and either photons or electron-positron pairs. In a detector placed at the power reactor in Gösgen, Switzerland, the difference of the counting rates for reactor on minus reactor off is consistent with zero. From the experimental bounds we deduce lifetime limits for dominantly coupled light neutrinos as well as restrictions on the mixing parameter |U_eH|² for heavy, subdominantly coupled neutrinos.     

快堆中子学计算程序NECP-SARAX的改进与验证

NECP-SARAX是西安交通大学NECP团队开发的用于快中子反应堆的中子学程序系统。为准确处理快中子反应堆中中等质量核素散射共振以及非弹性散射导致的复杂的中子慢化效应,SARAX程序最初采用连续能量的蒙特卡罗方法计算中子能谱从而获得堆芯计算使用的有效多群截面。由于蒙特卡罗程序计算效率低,且在低能量段统计偏差较大,提出采用基于点截面的超细群方法计算中子慢化能谱,避免了蒙特卡罗方法产生参数时存在的缺陷。堆芯计算采用多群中子输运,通过优化简化几何建模,改进了程序的实用性。采用多种微扰方法计算堆芯各种反应性系数,提出了基于中子输运微扰理论的虚拟密度方法以计算堆内组件变形导致的反应性变化。在进行堆芯瞬态计算时,采用了点堆和改进准静态两种方法,可用于一般快堆和快谱ADS的典型事故分析。OECD发布的一系列快堆基准题测试表明,SARAX程序在快堆计算中具有良好的精度,达到了与国外著名快堆程序相当的水平。有效增殖因子与连续能量的蒙卡计算结果相比偏差在300 pcm以内。同时,由于引入了虚拟密度理论和三维时空动力学模型,程序功能更加完善,可以更好地满足快堆工程设计的需求。     

A novel continuous microfluidic reactor design for the controlled production of high-quality semiconductor nanocrystals

An innovative microfluidic reactor concept for the production of high quality semiconductor nanocrystals is presented. The reactor features a droplet-based, two phase flow design that eliminates the dispersion-induced broadening of the particle size distribution that is characteristic of other microfluidic designs. The flow channels in the design are arranged to spiral in and out of novel reaction coin structures that are designed to allow the thermal profile of the reactor to be tailored to the requirements of specific nanocrystal synthesis operations. A simplified prototype reactor has been constructed and tested to demonstrate the feasibility of the reactor concept. Broader impacts of the design concept with respect to the ability to permit unprecedented control over the size distribution of the particles are discussed.     

Catalytic oxidation of hydrogen on the surface of quartz,stainless steel,and MgO near the third ignition limit

The catalytic oxidation of hydrogen in a stainless steel reactor and in a MgO-coated quartz reactor near the third ignition limit was studied. The kinetic curves of heat release were found to be similar for these types of quartz reactor. The accompanying surface luminescence reaction with an intensity maximum was recorded in the range 600–800 nm. A mechanism of heterogeneous oxidation of hydrogen with intermediate formation of hydrogen peroxide similar for the three surfaces was suggested.     

DANSSino: a pilot version of the DANSS neutrino detector

DANSSino is a reduced pilot version of a solid-state detector of reactor antineutrinos (to be created within the DANSS project and installed under the industrial 3 GW_th reactor of the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant—KNPP). Numerous tests performed at a distance of 11 m from the reactor core demonstrate operability of the chosen design and reveal the main sources of the background. In spite of its small size (20 × 20 × 100 cm³), the pilot detector turned out to be quite sensitive to reactor antineutrinos, detecting about 70 IBD events per day with the signal-to-background ratio about unity.     

Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO): a process for the treatment of industrial waste effluents

Abstract

SuperCtical Water Oxidation (SCWO) process is investigated at the Institut of Technical Chemistry, ITC-CPV. The objectives were to determine destruction efficiencies of model compounds and industrial waste effluents and to study the feasability of the SCWO process.

Two continuous SCWO bench scale plants are operated a pipe reactor and a transpiring wall reactor system (design data: T= 630°C, P = 32MPa, feed rate waste water =10 and 50kg/h, air feed rate = 20kglh, transpiring and quench water feed rate = 50 kg/h). Suspensions containing up to 5%wt solid material can be fed to the reactor using a membrane pump.

With the pipe reactor, efficiencies of up to 99.99% were achieved for the oxidation of model compounds (ethanol, toluene, phenol) as well as real waste effluents (paper, chemical, pharmaceutical industry, sewage works). The use of the pipe reactor is limited to feeds without salt to avoid plugging.

Salty feeds are processed using the transpiring wall reactor, which is consisting of a pressure bearing tube outside and a porous tube as reactor inside. Water is steadily running through the porous reactor preventing the formation of deposits on the wall.

SCWO has a high potential at least for the destruction of halogented organic compounds using the transpiring wall reactor system and is seen to be competitive to other processes for waste destruction.     

The energy release and temperature field in the ultracold neutron source of the WWR-M reactor at the Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute

Results of calculations of energy releases and temperature fields in the ultracold neutron source under design at the WWR-M reactor are presented. It is shown that, with the reactor power of 18 MW, the power of energy release in the 40-L volume of the source with superfluid helium will amount to 28.5 W, while 356 W will be released in a liquid-deuterium premoderator. The lead shield between the reactor core and the source reduces the radiative heat release by an order of magnitude. A thermal power of 22 kW is released in it, which is removed by passage of water. The distribution of temperatures in all components of the vacuum structure is presented, and the temperature does not exceed 100°C at full reactor power. The calculations performed make it possible to go to design of the source.     

Application of the Pulsed-Neutron Method for Measuring the Reactivity of the Fissile Systems with Reflector

The experiments on recording the radiation decay signal of the GIR2 reactor core in the range from 0 to 40 µs when exposed to an external intense neutron pulse with a duration of ∼1 µs are performed. The reactivity interval from subcritical (−7.5 β) to critical (+0.28 β) states of the reactor is studied. It is found that the signal of the detector with a plastic scintillator depends on the reactivity and is proportional to the change in the density of thermalized neutrons in the reactor converter. The results show that the reactivity of the GIR2 reactor can be determined on the basis of measurement of the signal decay of a scintillation detector and the well-known expression $${\alpha _\infty } = {\beta \over \Lambda }(\rho - 1)$$ to calculate the reactivity values only for states with a reactivity greater than ∼−3 β.     

点堆传递函数模型问题分析

点堆模型通过线性化处理后,再经过拉普拉斯变换就得到传递函数模型。但分析发现,在稳定时假设反应性为零线性化处理后得到的传递函数模型有自身的问题。将对这类问题做一个概要性分析。分析方法是理论与实验相结合。理论分析借助系统动力学原理,重点在时域与频域结果的比较。实验方面则是基于工程参数借助计算机进行仿真实验,将时域和频域的仿真结果进行比较。通过比较分析,可以明显看到在稳定时假设反应性为零的点堆模型线性化处理存在的问题。针对该问题,指出了模型修改途径。