Multi-physics safety analysis of ITU TRIGA MARK-II Research Reactor has been completed

The general research project supervised by Asst. Prof. Dr. Senem ŞENTÜRK LÜLE and supported by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Istanbul Technical University was completed with the work of the Nuclear Reactor Research group members; Prof. Dr. Uner Colak, Res. Assist. Feride Kutbay, Sefa Bektas, and Fadime Ozge Ozkan at the ITU Energy Institute. In this context, neutronic, thermal hydraulic analyses and atmospheric distribution analyzes for the radioactive cloud that will spread into the atmosphere in case of an accident at the ITU TRIGA Mark II reactor were carried out. The first criticality experiment analyzes of the ITU TRIGA Mark II Research Reactor were made with the Monte Carlo method for 3D Neutronic analyzes and the control rod worth, delayed neutron fractions and other neutronic parameters were calculated within the safety limits. Within the scope of multi-physics analysis, the effect of neutron physics on thermal hydraulic events was investigated with a 3D computational fluid dynamics model, and temperature and velocity parameters were analyzed using the coupling heat transfer method. The fuel core temperature, which is one of the safety limits, was found with an error of 0.7%. As a final step, the effect of thermal fluid parameters on neutron physics was investigated for high precision neutronic analysis. Within the scope of reactor safety calculations, atmospheric distribution and radiological risk calculations were made in Sarıyer and ITU region in case of an accident. The risk values were found to be below the regulatory limits.

The licensing of first 3 units of Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant was done with the help of foreign technical support organizations. This project contributed the training of human resources for reactor analyzes needed in our country.