Thermal analysis for the irradiation process of common targets in research reactors

Abstract EN

Thermal analysis for the irradiation process of common targets in research reactors for the purpose of radioisotope production is presented.

A general methodology for the verification of the safe irradiation of the targets which are commonly produced in any research reactor is outlined.

This methodology does not depend on reactor parameters such as power, flow rate, and neutron flux but it is geometrical and environmental dependant only.

Fortran programs were developed for radioisotope simulation to calculate temperature distribution in the common targets in all of the available irradiation positions.

The normalization principle is used for presentation of all of the results for the purpose of comparison and to make the results useful for any research reactor in the world in which common targets are to be produced.

Thermal analysis of the common targets is based on avoiding both the onset of nucleate boiling criteria and the melting points of all of the materials involved in the irradiation process for all of the cases and for all of the available irradiation positions