Author(s)

Bright Madinka Mweetwa¹, Emmanuel Ampomah-Amoako², Edward Horga Kordzo Akaho², Cecil Odoi²

¹National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research, Lusaka, Zambia.
²School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.

The Ghana Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1) core was modified with an addition of a 9.0 mm layer of beryllium to the top shim tray to compensate for reactivity loss due to fuel depletion after 19 years of operation. Neutronic and kinetic parameters have been predicted using Monte Carlo N-Particle Code version 5 (MCNP5) to determine whether they were within acceptable operating margins. Excess reactivity, control rod worth, moderator reactivity coefficient, delayed neutron fraction and neutron generation time have been predicted as 3.86, 6.98, −0.1218 mk/°C, 8.17507 × 10⁻³ Δk/k, and 8.147 × 10⁻⁵ s respectively. These parameters compared favorably with those provided in the initial Safety Analysis Report.

Delayed Neutron Fraction, Neutron Generation Time, Moderator Reactivity Coefficient, Power Peaking Factor

Mweetwa, B. , Ampomah-Amoako, E. , Akaho, E. and Odoi, C. (2018) Prediction of Neutronic and Kinetic Parameters of Ghana Research Reactor 1 (GHARR-1) after 19 Years of Operation Using Monte Carlo-N Particle (MCNP) Code. World Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology, 8, 160-175. doi: 10.4236/wjnst.2018.84014.