Contract performance demonstration tests in the OPAL

Abstract

This paper will describe the measurements and calculations that were done in the OPAL Reactor to demonstrate compliance against contractual Design Features and Performance Acceptance Criteria. The contract specifies several neutronic aspects to be fulfilled by the core, the irradiation and the beam facilities design, which have to be verified during the commissioning tests. Guaranteed flux values will be taken as being for equilibrium core conditions. The relationship between values measured during commissioning (First Core) and the guaranteed values is largely based on calculations. The calculated values are obtained modelling with full detail the measurement conditions using the INVAP traditional calculation lines: CITVAP and MCNP calculation lines. © The Authors