Safety analysis of a homogeneous SLOWPOKE reactor

An opportunity is presented with the approaching end of some of the SLOWPOKE-2 research reactors' design life, which consists of replacing the current heterogeneous core with a homogeneous assembly that would allow the extraction of radioisotopes (such as 99Mo) for nuclear medicine and other applications. The present research aims at continuing the safety analysis of the proposed homogeneous assembly, most notably in assessing its inherent safety characteristics with respect to factors such as void fraction of the homogeneous fuel-moderator mixture and thermalhydraulic effects at various temperatures.;Several possible accident scenarios are considered, and resulting modelled reactivities demonstrate that negative feedback would be expected in transients. The homogeneous SLOWPOKE is shown to behave in a consistently self-limiting fashion following reactivity changes, ranging from moderate to severe in magnitude.;Key words. Safety Analysis, Homogeneous, SLOWPOKE, MCNP-5, WIMS-AECL 3.1, COMSOL MultiphysicsRTM.;Neutronic modelling of the reactor is accomplished using the Los Alamos National Laboratories' MCNP 5 code and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited's WIMS-AECL 3.1 code for the determination of the reactor's reactivity and neutron flux shape, while COMSOL MultiphysicsRTM is used for the thermalhydraulics modelling. In parallel with the safety analysis, the design of the reactor is further improved in terms of increase to both the expected service life of the reactor vessel and the core volume for added radioisotope production.