Thermal–hydraulics features of the use of LEU U3Si2 fuel in low-power reactors

Calculations for the use of the U3Si2 LEU fuel in low-power research reactors were made. The design basis accident was simulated using the feedback coefficients calculated by the BMAC system. Usability of this fuel in low-power research reactors was demonstrated for both normal daily and accidental operation conditions even if the power of the reactor touches 142 kW during the design basis accident simulation. Both HEU and LEU fuels behave similarly in the normal operation, the temperature of the cladding reaching about 60 °C while higher temperature are obtained for the accidental conditions in the case of the LEU fuel (about 113.7 °C against 98.6 °C for the fuel center temperatures).