Power Start-Up of the IVG.1M Reactor with Low-Enriched Uranium Fuel: Main Results
In support of global efforts to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime, the IVG.1M research water-cooled thermal reactor at the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan was successfully converted to low-enriched uranium (LEU, 19.75% <sup>235</sup>U) fuel in 2023. Th...
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2025-06-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3187 |
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| author | Erlan Batyrbekov Vladimir Vityuk Viktor Baklanov Vyacheslav Gnyrya Almas Azimkhanov Radmila Sabitova Irina Prozorova Yuriy Popov Ruslan Irkimbekov Yekaterina Martynenko |
| author_facet | Erlan Batyrbekov Vladimir Vityuk Viktor Baklanov Vyacheslav Gnyrya Almas Azimkhanov Radmila Sabitova Irina Prozorova Yuriy Popov Ruslan Irkimbekov Yekaterina Martynenko |
| author_sort | Erlan Batyrbekov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In support of global efforts to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime, the IVG.1M research water-cooled thermal reactor at the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan was successfully converted to low-enriched uranium (LEU, 19.75% <sup>235</sup>U) fuel in 2023. The reactor’s operability with innovative bimetallic, fiber-type, dual-blade LEU fuel rods was experimentally verified during power start-up experiments. The test program included investigations of power distribution in the core, evaluation of temperature, power, and hydrodynamic reactivity effects, and the measurement of fission product release to the coolant. The results were in good agreement with safety calculations, confirming that the enrichment reduction did not degrade reactor performance characteristics. It was shown that the power reactivity effect increased by more than 1.5 times at a power level of 9 MW. The measured temperature reactivity coefficient (≈0.021 β<sub>eff</sub>/°C) and the level of fission product release remained within acceptable and expected limits. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fd95f2f026f043cea216321bbc1f6958 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-fd95f2f026f043cea216321bbc1f69582025-08-20T03:26:56ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-06-011812318710.3390/en18123187Power Start-Up of the IVG.1M Reactor with Low-Enriched Uranium Fuel: Main ResultsErlan Batyrbekov0Vladimir Vityuk1Viktor Baklanov2Vyacheslav Gnyrya3Almas Azimkhanov4Radmila Sabitova5Irina Prozorova6Yuriy Popov7Ruslan Irkimbekov8Yekaterina Martynenko9National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kurchatov 180010, KazakhstanNational Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kurchatov 180010, KazakhstanNational Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kurchatov 180010, KazakhstanNational Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kurchatov 180010, KazakhstanNational Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kurchatov 180010, KazakhstanNational Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kurchatov 180010, KazakhstanNational Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kurchatov 180010, KazakhstanNational Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kurchatov 180010, KazakhstanNational Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kurchatov 180010, KazakhstanNational Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kurchatov 180010, KazakhstanIn support of global efforts to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime, the IVG.1M research water-cooled thermal reactor at the National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan was successfully converted to low-enriched uranium (LEU, 19.75% <sup>235</sup>U) fuel in 2023. The reactor’s operability with innovative bimetallic, fiber-type, dual-blade LEU fuel rods was experimentally verified during power start-up experiments. The test program included investigations of power distribution in the core, evaluation of temperature, power, and hydrodynamic reactivity effects, and the measurement of fission product release to the coolant. The results were in good agreement with safety calculations, confirming that the enrichment reduction did not degrade reactor performance characteristics. It was shown that the power reactivity effect increased by more than 1.5 times at a power level of 9 MW. The measured temperature reactivity coefficient (≈0.021 β<sub>eff</sub>/°C) and the level of fission product release remained within acceptable and expected limits.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3187IVG.1M reactorresearch reactorLEU fuelpower start-upreactivity effects |
| spellingShingle | Erlan Batyrbekov Vladimir Vityuk Viktor Baklanov Vyacheslav Gnyrya Almas Azimkhanov Radmila Sabitova Irina Prozorova Yuriy Popov Ruslan Irkimbekov Yekaterina Martynenko Power Start-Up of the IVG.1M Reactor with Low-Enriched Uranium Fuel: Main Results Energies IVG.1M reactor research reactor LEU fuel power start-up reactivity effects |
| title | Power Start-Up of the IVG.1M Reactor with Low-Enriched Uranium Fuel: Main Results |
| title_full | Power Start-Up of the IVG.1M Reactor with Low-Enriched Uranium Fuel: Main Results |
| title_fullStr | Power Start-Up of the IVG.1M Reactor with Low-Enriched Uranium Fuel: Main Results |
| title_full_unstemmed | Power Start-Up of the IVG.1M Reactor with Low-Enriched Uranium Fuel: Main Results |
| title_short | Power Start-Up of the IVG.1M Reactor with Low-Enriched Uranium Fuel: Main Results |
| title_sort | power start up of the ivg 1m reactor with low enriched uranium fuel main results |
| topic | IVG.1M reactor research reactor LEU fuel power start-up reactivity effects |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/12/3187 |
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