Assessment of cooling effects on extending the maximum operating time for the Syrian miniature neutron source reactor

Various schemes of cooling have been investigated for the purpose of assessing potential benefits on the operational characteristics of the Syrian MNSR reactor. A detailed thermal hydraulic model for the analysis of MNSR has been developed. The analysis shows that an auxiliary cooling system, installed in the pool which surrounds the lower section of the reactor vessel, will significantly offset the consumption of excess reactivity due to the negative reactivity temperature coefficient. Hence, the maximum operating time of the reactor is extended. Compared with experimental data, the suggested model proves to be valid for the analysis of MNSR behavior under both steady state and transient conditions.