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Conceptual Design of a Fast Periodically Pulsed Reactor

  • NEUTRON PHYSICS
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Abstract

The IBR-2M pulsed nuclear reactor operating at the JINR Laboratory of Neutron Physics delivers an intense neutron flux on the order of 1013 n/(cm2 s). By the end of the 2030s, it will outlive its useful lifetime and will have to be replaced with a new machine. The alternative neutron sources proposed so far require extensive and costly R&D efforts, and positive results cannot be guaranteed. In this paper, we present a conceptual design of the IBR-4 reactor running on plutonium-dioxide fuel which is aimed to replace the IBR‑2M machine as a neutron source. This design fully builds on proven technical solutions tested at other nuclear facilities and, therefore, requires no extensive R&D and guarantees reliable and safe operation of the proposed neutron source. Running at a 5-MW power and a pulse repetition rate of 5 Hz, IBR-4 will deliver a thermal-neutron flux of 5.8 × 1013 cm–2 s–1. When running at a 10-MW power and a pulse repetition rate of 10 Hz, the proposed source is expected to deliver a record-high thermal-neutron flux on the order of 1.1 × 1014 cm–2 s–1.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank the members of the IBR-2M staff and the JINR LNP nuclear-safety team for assistance, support, and useful discussions that helped us develop the conceptual design of the IBR-4 neutron source.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980, Dubna, Moscow oblast, Russia

    Yu. N. Pepelyshev, A. V. Vinogradov & A. D. Rogov

  2. Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117312, Moscow, Russia

    S. F. Sidorkin

Authors
  1. Yu. N. Pepelyshev
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  2. A. V. Vinogradov
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  3. A. D. Rogov
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  4. S. F. Sidorkin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. D. Rogov.

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Translated by A. Asratyan

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Pepelyshev, Y.N., Vinogradov, A.V., Rogov, A.D. et al. Conceptual Design of a Fast Periodically Pulsed Reactor. Phys. Part. Nuclei Lett. 18, 82–92 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1547477121010106

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1547477121010106

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