Analysis of partial and total flow blockage of a single fuel assembly of an MTR research reactor core

The main aim of the following study is to perform a safety analysis of the IAEA 10 MW MTR Pool type Research Reactor [IAEA-TECDOC-233, 1980. IAEA Research Reactor Core Conversion from the use of high-enriched uranium to the use of low enriched uranium fuels Guidebook] under flow blockage of a single Fuel Assembly (FA) conditions. Such event was rarely investigated in the open literature notwithstanding the fat that it constitutes a severe accident that may lead to local dryout and eventually to loss of the FA integrity. The transients herein considered are related to partial and total obstruction of the cooling channel of a single Fuel Assembly of the reactor core. This study constitutes the first step of a larger work, which consists in performing a 3D simulation using the Best Estimate coupled code technique. However, as a first approach the instantaneous reactor power is derived through the point kinetic approach of the used thermal-hydraulic system code.