Measurement and calculation of slow power transients in the university training reactor, Moata

Abstract

Self-limiting transients of initial period down to ~ 12 s have been measured in the AAEC's 100 kW Moata (University Training Reactor (UTR)) and the results compared with the predictions of a point-kinetics heat transfer model (ZAPP code). Although natural convection significantly affects the burst shape of such slow excursions, calculation and experiment are sufficiently in agreement to give confidence that the ZAPP model, which has been well tested against SPERT I data, can be successfully applied in safety studies for this class of reactor to predict the consequences of reactivity additions up to the onset of core melting.