Neutron Commissioning in the New CABRI Water Loop Facility

The CABRI experimental reactor is located at the Cadarache nuclear research center, southern France. It is operated by the Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and devoted to Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) safety programs. It has been successfully operated during the last 30 years, enlightening the knowledge of FBR and LWR fuel behavior during Reactivity Insertion Accident (RIA) and Loss Of Coolant Accident (LOCA) transients in the frame of Institut de Protection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IPSN) and now IRSN programs devoted to reactor safety. This operation was interrupted in 2003 to allow for a whole facility renewal program. The main goal of this reconstruction project is to meet thermal hydraulics parameters identical to LWR standard and downgraded conditions, in particular for the need of the CABRI International Programme (CIP) carried out by IRSN under the OECD umbrella. For this, the sodium cooled experimental loop is now being replaced by a pressurized water loop. The distinctive features of CABRI core allow for a specific neutron commissioning program. This paper presents the parameters to be measured with associated experimental methods and also briefly introduces the instrumentation set up.