Core Power Distribution

In order to ensure predictable temperatures and uniform depletion of the fuel installed in a reactor, numerous measures are taken to provide an even distribution of flux throughout the power producing section of the reactor. This shaping, or flattening, of the neutron flux is normally achieved through the use of reflectors that affect the flux profile across the core, or by the installation of poisons to suppress the neutron flux where desired. The last method, although effective at shaping the flux, is the least desirable since it reduces neutron economy by absorbing the neutrons.

A reactor core is frequently surrounded by a "reflecting" material to reduce the ratio of peak flux to the flux at the edge of the core fuel area. Reflector materials are normally not fissionable, have a high scattering cross section, and have a low absorption cross section. Essentially, for thermal reactors a good moderator is a good reflector. Water, heavy water, beryllium, zirconium, or graphite are commonly used as reflectors. In fast reactor systems, reflectors are not composed of moderating materials because it is desired to keep neutron energy high. The reflector functions by scattering some of the neutrons, which would have leaked from a bare (unreflected) core, back into the fuel to produce additional fissions.

Figure 1 shows the general effect of reflection in the thermal reactor system where core power is proportional to the thermal flux. Notice that a reflector can raise the power density of the core periphery and thus increase the core average power level without changing the peak power. As illustrated in Figure 1, the thermal flux in the reflector may actually be higher than that in the outermost fuel since there are very few absorptions in the reflector.

Figure 1: Neutron Radial Flux Shapes for Bare and Reflected Cores

Varying the fuel enrichment or fuel concentrations in the core radially, axially, or both, can Figure 1 Neutron Radial Flux Shapes for Bare and Reflected Cores readily be used to control power distribution. The simplified example illustrated in Figure 2 shows the effect of using a higher enrichment in the outer regions of the core. Varying fuel concentrations or poison loading for flux shaping is frequently referred to as zoning. In the example illustrated the large central peak is reduced, but the average power level remains the same.

Figure 2: Effect of Non-Uniform Enrichment on Radial Flux Shape

The previous examples discuss changes in radial power distribution. Large variations also exist in axial power distribution. Figure 3(A) illustrates the power distribution that may exist for a reactor with a cylindrical geometry. The control rods in this reactor are inserted from the top, and the effect of inserting control rods further is shown in Figure 3(B). The thermal flux is largely suppressed in the vicinity of the control rods, and the majority of the power is generated low in the core. This flux profile can be flattened by the use of axial fuel and/or poison zoning.

Figure 3 Effect of Control Rod Position on Axial Flux Distribution