Experimental Estimation of the Kinetic Parameters of MINERVE Zero Power Reactor

Kinetic neutron parameters are of fundamental importance in the field of nuclear reactor dynamics and control. Moreover, the precursor yield fraction and the neutron generation time for a given nuclear reactor are dependent on the properties of the reactor. Thus, in-pile experiments, such as oscillation experiments and noise experiments, are commonly conducted to measure those values. In this work, a method for determining the kinetic parameters of a reactor along with their covariance data from in-pile experiments is presented. It is performed by combining values of the reactor’s response function obtained from both oscillation and noise experiments over a wide range of frequencies. The method is carried out for the MINERVE zero power reactor (ZPR) using a reanalysis of both oscillation and noise experiments that were conducted in the MINERVE reactor in 2013 and 2014. Moreover, various advantages and disadvantages of performing multiple in-pile experiments and combining their results in order to obtain a single set of kinetic parameters along with their covariance data are considered. Some suggestions for the design of such in-pile experiments are also discussed.