Abstract:
Training reactor VR-1 has been in operation since 1990. The VR-1 reactor is a pool-type light-water reactor based on low enriched uranium fuel IRT-4M with maximum thermal power 1kWth. The reactor is successfully used for training the students of Czech universities and preparing the experts for the Czech nuclear programme. The reactor VR-1 can be used for basic research, when respecting small power of the reactor.
The calculation preparations and verifications of the experiments are integral part of the VR-1 reactor operation. The neutronics calculations and analyses are very often necessary condition to gain the authorization to experiments realization at the reactor VR-1.
Deterministic codes WIMS and DIFER were used formerly for the neutronics calculations of the VR-1 reactor at the Department of Nuclear Reactor. Since 1998 neutronic calculations are performed by the statistical code MCNP.
Detailed calculations are the necessary condition to gain the authorization to operate the training reactor VR-1 with the LEU fuel IRT-4M. Calculating verifications of 15 core configurations at the VR-1 reactor were performed. The calculated values prove good agreement with experimental results.