ANALYTICAL STUDY ON THE JORDAN RESEARCH & TRAINING REACTOR (JRTR)

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we performed a detailed analytical study on the Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR) from the safety and control aspects. In this respect, it may be concluded that the reactor during normal operation and during steady-state criticality is inherently safe and, in the event of loss of cooling accidents or abnormal power excursions, it can be easily controlled without reaching unacceptable conditions of the reactor and/or the reactor structure.

Keywords: JRTR; Research reactor; Jordan.

Introduction

Careful design, international safety standards, best practices, and regulations make the use of the Jordan Research & Training Reactor (JRTR) a well-established practice. Engaging stakeholders in the design, site selection, and safety will build the trust that society would need to see in those students studying about nuclear reactors. In addition, according to the position of nuclear power without nuclear weapons, having a nuclear research reactor would lean the Jordanian's choice towards having nuclear energy as a source of electricity. Counting on public opinion may have a deterrent effect on ideologies that have, in their nature, the development of resistance weapons, as having nuclear energy would not be an advantage, but rather a shrinking economy factor.

These points are given in order to understand the reason why the Jordanian society is conducting an analytical study on the JRTR. It is indeed a basic right to raise concerns vis-à-vis the use of nuclear reactors, or any scientific project for that matter, and to question whether the positive impact of that use is real and will actually benefit society, both in the short and the long term. [1]

The Jordanian culture at the meso-level is driven by the collective character of the Jordanians in history of resistance and adaptation to sustain life under the extreme changes in the environment.

Therefore, the use of nuclear reactors for research and training purposes, as well as for energy production, is considered a sensitive subject. In the long run, the benefits of having the Jordan Research & Training Reactor (JRTR) on many levels of society would definitely help the future generations of Jordanians. Many fields of research and development can stem from having the JRTR. The goal of self-reliance and independence on resources is among the main goals of having the JRTR. Reducing the cost of research and development, particularly in nuclear medicine and health in general, is one of the most important factors. In addition, training skilled students who can shift from one role to another is another benefit that would be useful in all disciplines. [2]

Design and Technical Specifications of the JRTR

The Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR) has the potential for utilization in a wide area of multidisciplinary education and training of domain scientists required for nuclear power development, other areas of nuclear application, and radiation physics, solid state and nuclear physics, and nuclear techniques that encompass materials characterization using prompt gamma activation analysis and neutron activation analysis.

The reactor has a maximum power of 5MW and will be fueled with a new low enriched uranium silicide fuel, enabling an extended period of operation without fuel burn-up or fuel cycle constraints. A comprehensive multi-discipline experimental program is established utilizing the neutron beams, neutron diffraction, and imaging stations that JRTR is equipped. NAA, PONAA, and PGA based standards and reference materials will be fabricated for trace and major element analysis of environmental samples. These standards, along with other NAA and PGA based methods, will be used in the development phase of an analytical service aimed at the environmental and bio-medically related applications.

Safety and Regulatory Framework of JRTR

Regulatory bodies are necessary to establish legally enforceable government rules. The effective separation of the legislative, executive, and judiciary powers is the pillar of establishing independent regulatory authorities.

Nuclear regulation in Jordan is guided by the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC), which is a regulatory body responsible for allowing, licensing, and supervising all of the JAEC's activities. Jordan's Nuclear and Radiation Law is in the developmental phase and currently lists several national and international regulations requiring regulation through a resolution or application by the regulatory body. Additionally, to prevent the BTA, there is no legally entitled rule to allow, warn, or approve regulatory body decisions, including a clear description of how the information will be provided to the public.

The main objectives of the safety culture at the JRTR are to prevent accidents, be prepared in the unlikely case of a serious failure, reduce the number of people working or living in close proximity to the reactor, fulfill all regulatory requirements and meet public expectations.

It is planned that at the Jordan University of Science and Technology, the protection of the JRTR will be effectively implemented using a combination of security equipment and instructive policy rules. The physical protection equipment designed to deal with hostile human intrusion at the reactor site includes perimeter compensatory storage facilities, physical signs, increases in personnel posts, followed by stationary fixed location surveillance operation items i.e. closed-circuit television monitored, followed/combined detection alarm, and security guards, and finally combined and flexible response for intervention procedures in support of situation evaluation, with the threshold for enforcement doubling up as the regulated response for malicious interruptions.

A) Security at the JRTR

The JRTR prevention procedures can only be effectively answered through the use of a three-trip system capable of initiating shut-down and able to provide a long-term safe storage status capability. The JRTR’s long core’s burn-up and vetronics shut-down properties facilitate the selection, and the application of a two- and/or three-trip system. The three-trip system are the reactor operator, the safety and experimental control level interlocks, and forced i.e. not connected to the electronic controller. The last one should recognize and execute i.e., locally initiate automatic depressurization of the primary and fill the primary with demineralized make-up water.

B) Emergency Shutdown

Four main barriers used, or planned to be used to contain radioactive materials that may get airborne as a result of operational occurrences are the following: 1) the fuel rod cladding, 2) the primary boundary made of the reactor pool and the biological shield, 3) the secondary boundary made of the reactor building, and 4) the last barrier of O&M to assure the maintenance of the first three barriers, including surveillance program that inspects the components and system enveloping all the proposed operational activities.

Dose rates in open and uncollimated areas (asides) near to the JRTR core and the biological shield, these two locations, have been assessed and found to be minimal, i.e., within the operational limits.

Conclusion

From the conducted analysis of the Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR), it may be concluded that the reactor during normal operation and during steady-state criticality is inherently safe and, in the event of loss of cooling accidents or abnormal power excursions, it can be easily controlled without reaching unacceptable conditions of the reactor and/or the reactor structure. However, due to the negative void reactivity considered, negative temperature coefficient of the fuel, and negative Doppler coefficient, the reactor can only be used to investigate thermal-hydraulic conditions that are specific to well-designed, low-void-treatment topology fuels, and to simulate LOCA transient events such as temperature, flow rate, pressure, and power to the primary and/or secondary coolant system.

Reference:

1. XOUBI, N.Proposal of a nuclear reactor at Jordan University of Science & Technology//  Jordan University of Science and Technology.2007.
2. XOUBI, N.Request for proposals for the design and construction of research and training reactor// Jordan Atomic Energy Commission. 2009.