Abstract:
In the period between February 2004 – February 2006, in view of the past TRADE project and the subsequent RACE experiment planned in the frame of the EUROTRANS Integrated Program of the 6th European Framework Program, different experimental activities were carried out in the 1 MW TRIGA reactor operated by ENEA in his Casaccia Research Center near Rome. In that time the reactor operation was mainly in sub-critical conditions, with the exception of the critical reference core assessment at the beginning of the campaign where the maximum power was 50 W. The RACE-T campaign includes fission rate measurements (performed with a special instrumented fuel element,) investigation of different sub-critical configurations (with D/T generator in the core center,) and development of special devoted instrumentation and acquisition systems. The main outcomes of the intense experimental campaign will be illustrated.