Experiments on the Training Reactor (IA-2)

Individual Activity, IA-2, (BME)

Date:

7.-11.2.2022

Venue:

Budapest, Hungary

Organisers:

Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary under the European Nuclear Experimental Educational Platform (ENEEP)

Languages:

English

Purpose:

The safety of a nuclear reactor is normally analysed using safety assessment codes. Some of these codes are probabilistic and others are deterministic. Deterministic codes need extensive verification and validation in the form of experiments. The understanding of measuring techniques for the verification of calculational models is therefore a vital and integral part of the knowledge base that is necessary at a PhD level for a nuclear engineer of physicist specializing in nuclear calculations.

The aim of the course is to provide experimental opportunity for PhD students of nuclear engineering or physics to perform various experiments that may be used for the verification of certain calculations. Besides looking into or participating in the related calculations, the PhD student will have to analyse the experimental conditions of the measurements and thus conclude on calculated-to-experimental ratios, along with the underlying uncertainties, both for the experiments and the calculations.

Eligible countries:

27 European Union countries, Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, The United Kingdom, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia

Participants’ qualifications:

The course is aimed for Ph.D. students or trainees studying physics and nuclear engineering as the major curriculum.

Course programme:

The course will be held at the Training Reactor of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.

The experimental course is aimed at PhD students.

The detailed programme of the one-week-long experimental course will be developed after the submission and evaluation of the applications. The organizers will contact the selected applicant and according to their needs the final course content will be elaborated together with the applicant.

The course content is primarily built on but not limited to the available list of experiments:

  • BME01 - Determination of the thermal neutron flux in the core of the reactor
  • BME02 - Determination of delayed neutron parameters and uranium content of a sample
  • BME03 - Determination of void coefficient of reactivity
  • BME04 - Determination of reactivity worth function for neutron absorber
  • BME05 - Critical experiment
  • BME06 - Measurement of thermal diffusion length in graphite
  • BME07 - Reactor operation exercise
  • BME08 - Measurement of gamma and neutron dose rate

Detailed description of these measurement exercises is available here: Experiments

Some examples of customized PhD level experimental courses are:

  • Performing specialized experiments in the reactor which are suitable for the verification/validation of theoretical calculations performed on the Training Reactor. Such work requires that the PhD student should perform calculations on the reactor using a reactor physics / thermal-hydraulics / coupled code/code system. An example is a Serpent MC calculation of neutron flux distribution. During the course all necessary data will be provided to the PhD student to perform such calculation (during the week or later) for experimental-to-calculation comparisons.
  • It is also possible that a calculational model and/or calculational results for certain physical quantities, such as neutron flux values, neutron spectrum, temperature distributions or time dependent quantities for simple transients such as scram rod drop would be provided to the PhD student prior to the course and during the week measurement would be performed to validate these calculations. Possible measurements are: neutron spectrum measurement based on multiple foil activation method, neutron flux spatial distribution measurement based on wire activation, temperature field measurement above a fuel assembly or in the reactor vessel, time-dependent neutron flux measurement during a simple transient.

Course director:

Szabolcs Czifrus, PhD, director, BME NTI

Application deadline:

15th November 2021 23.59 CET

Application Procedure:

To apply to the course, the applicant should submit the following documents:

  • filled-in application form,
  • curriculum vitae,
  • motivation letter,
  • recommendation letter,
  • enrolment certificate,
  • list of courses passed and grades achieved, relevant to the attendance at course.

The applicant should follow detailed instructions on the ENEEP website: Demonstration Courses

The number of accepted participants from eligible countries will be one and from non-eligible countries will be one.

The ENEEP evaluation committee will email to all applicants the results of the application procedure till the 15th December 2021, 23.59 CET.

Course fee, fellowship:

Participant from eligible countries

  • The course is free of charge for participants from eligible countries. All selected participants from eligible countries will be granted by the ENEEP fellowship 680EUR (six hundred and eighty). The fellowship is dedicated to cover accommodation, per diem, local public transport, health insurance and partially also transportation to and from the venue.

Participants from non-eligible countries

  • The course fee for participants from non-eligible countries is 1 250 EUR (one thousand and two hundred fifty). The course fee does not include accommodation, per diem, local public transport, health insurance, , neither transportation to and from the venue.