START UP PHYSICS TESTS OF UNITS 5&6 (WWER1000) AT KOZLODUY NPP BY COMPARISON WITH THE CALCULATED NEUTRON PHYSICS CHARACTERISTICS
17th Symposium of AER on VVER Reactor Physics and Reactor Safety (2007, Yalta, Crimea (Ukraine, back then))
CORE OPERATION, EXPERIMENTS AND CODE VALIDATION
Abstract
In conjunction with each refuelling shutdown of the reactor core, nuclear design calculations are performed to ensure that the reactor physics characteristics of the new core will be consistent with the safety limits. Prior to return to normal operation, a physics test program is required to determine if the operating characteristics of the core are consistent with the design predictions and to ensure that the core can be operated as designed. Successful completion of the physics test program is demonstrated when the test results agree with the predicted results within predetermined test criteria. Successful completion of the physics test program and successful completion of other tests which are performed after each refuelling provides assurance that the plant can be operated as designed.