SIMULATION OF THE EFFECT OF XENON POISONING OF THERMAL POWER REACTOR

• Main Author: M B Kertasafari, Bagja
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/68008
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The nuclear industry has guaranteed the safety of power reactors more than any other industry. The power reactor, generally a thermal reactor, type is one type of reactor used as a nuclear power plant. When the reactor is operating, a fission process of U-235 in the reactor core. One of the fission products is Xe-135, which is more obtained from the decay of I-135—another U-235 fission product. The population of Xe-135 concern in nuclear reactor safety because of its very strong neutron-absorbing characteristics. It is known as xenon poisoning. If a reactor suddenly reduces the power level, or shutdown, only a chain reaction in the reactor core. Xe-135 decays, but not immediately reduced due to I-135 decay due to different half-life. When Xe-135 still building up and the reactor is restarted, it will be difficult for U-235 to fission because neutrons are absorbed by Xe-135. While Xe-135 population has decreased, fission reaction occurs massively which produces a very excess energy, unfortunately. It is necessary to know how the population of Xe-135 build up in the reactor core. A comparison graph of the population between I-135 and Xe-135 is shown, along with a population graph of Xe-135 caused by changes in neutron flux each time to review the accumulation of the Xe-135 population in the observed time range.