Structural integrity analysis of the heavy water reflector tanks of the IPEN/MB-01 Reactor

Abstract

The IPEN/MB-01 is a zero power research reactor designed and built by IPEN in partnership with the Brazilian Navy. This reactor is located in IPEN and began operating in 1988. IPEN/MB-01 has been used as an experimental facility for studies on neutron parameters of nuclear reactors moderated by light water. In 2016, a project to modify the core structure of IPEN/MB-01 Reactor was initiated. This project aims the replacement of the rod-type fuel structure for a plate-type one. In order to optimize the performance of the experiments, four tanks filled with D2O were installed around the core. This new core will contain fuel elements that are similar to the ones that will be used in the Brazilian Multipurpose Reactor. In this paper, a complete structural integrity analysis of the four heavy water reflector tanks installed in IPEN/MB-01 Reactor is presented. A numerical analysis was performed applying the finite element method, using ANSYS software and considering ASME Code VIII, division 2.