Comparison of Neutronic Safety Parameters of Some Commercial Pwrs under Consideration for Ghana’s First Nuclear Power Plant

Abstract

Ghana is presently exploring the option of including nuclear power plant technologies into the country’s electricity generation mix. As part of technology assessment, investigative studies of some neutronic safety parameters of the proposed nuclear reactor technologies are carried out and compared in this study. This study focuses on neutronic safety analysis of reactor technologies under consideration, these are; the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR), High Temperature Pressurized Reactor (HPR) and the Vodo-Vodyanoi Energetichesky Reactor (VVER). The input model of all three reactors were successfully developed and simulated. Analysis of the Reactivity Temperature Coefficients, Moderator Void Coefficient, Criticality and Neutron Behaviour at various operating conditions was carried out using the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP5) code and the results referenced with values in literature. The nuclear power reactor technologies under study showed good safety inherent features. All three reactors gave negative coefficients for both increasing moderator temperature and moderator void fraction which was consistent with safety inherent features. The VVER assembly had the largest absolute value for the coefficients of reactivity from 0% to 80% void fraction as compared to the other technologies under study. Even though all technologies showed Doppler broadening with increasing temperature, the EPR had the highest absorption cross section, showing a higher safety margin.