Nuclear and Reactor Physics
Course Code: NE-6103
Kazi Kamrun Naher Ononna
Lecturer, NE
CUET
Reactor Theory (Nuclear parameter)
Control Rod
Control Rod
❑DESCRIBE the difference between a "grey" neutron absorbing material and a "black"
neutron absorbing material.
❑ EXPLAIN why a "grey" neutron absorbing material may be preferable to a "black"
neutron absorbing material for use in control rods.
❑ EXPLAIN why resonance absorbers are sometimes preferred over thermal absorbers as a
control rod material.
❑DEFINE the following terms:
✓Integral control rod worth
✓Differential control rod worth
❑DESCRIBE the shape of a typical differential control rod worth curve and explain the
reason for the shape.
❑ DESCRIBE the shape of a typical integral control rod worth curve and explain the reason
for the shape.
❑Given an integral or differential control rod worth curve,
❑CALCULATE the reactivity change due to a control rod movement between two positions.
Given differential control rod worth data, PLOT differential and integral control rod worth
curves
Control Rod
Most reactors contain control rods made of neutron absorbing materials that
are used to adjust the reactivity of the core. Control rods can be designed
and used for coarse control, fine control, or fast shutdowns.
Rods of neutron-absorbing material are installed in most reactors to provide
precise, adjustable control of reactivity. These rods are able to be moved into
or out of the reactor core and typically contain elements such as silver,
indium, cadmium, boron, or hafnium.
Control Rod
Selection of Control Rod Materials
1. The material used for the control rods varies depending on reactor design. Generally,
the material selected should have
❖a good absorption cross section for neutrons and
❖a long lifetime as an absorber (not burn out rapidly).
➢The ability of a control rod to absorb neutrons can be adjusted during manufacture.
A control rod that is referred to as a "black" absorber absorbs essentially all incident
neutrons. A "grey" absorber absorbs only a part of them.
While it takes more grey rods than black rods for a given reactivity effect, the grey rods
are often preferred because they cause smaller depressions in the neutron flux and
power in the vicinity of the rod. This leads to a flatter neutron flux profile and more even
power distribution in the core. If grey rods are desired, the amount of material with a
high absorption cross section that is loaded in the rod is limited.
Control Rod
Selection of Control Rod Materials
Material with a very high absorption cross section may not be desired for use in a
control rod, because it will burn out rapidly due to its high absorption cross section.
❖ The same amount of reactivity worth can be achieved by manufacturing the
control rod from material with a slightly lower cross section and by loading more
of the material. This also results in a rod that does not burn out as rapidly.
2. Another factor in control rod material selection is that materials that resonantly
absorb neutrons are often preferred to those that merely have high thermal
neutron absorption cross sections. Resonance neutron absorbers absorb neutrons
in the epithermal energy range. The path length traveled by the epithermal
neutrons in a reactor is greater than the path length traveled by thermal neutrons.
This has the effect of making the area of influence around a resonance absorber
larger than around a thermal absorber and is useful in maintaining a flatter flux
profile
Control Rod
Types of Control Rods
There are several ways to classify the types of control rods.
by the purpose of the control rods:
Three purposes of control rods are listed below.
1. Shim rods - used for coarse control and/or to remove reactivity in
relatively large amounts.
2. Regulating rods- used for fine adjustments and to maintain desired
power or temperature.
3. Safety rods- provide a means for very fast shutdown in the event of
an unsafe condition. Addition of a large amount of negative
reactivity by rapidly inserting the safety rods is referred to as a
"scram" or "trip.
Control Rod
Types of Control Rods
Depending upon the type of reactor and the controls necessary, it is
possible to use dual-purpose or even triple-purpose rods.
For example, consider a set of control rods that can insert enough
reactivity to be used as shim rods. If the same rods can be operated at
slow speeds, they will function as regulating rods. Additionally, these
same rods can be designed for rapid insertion, or scram. These rods
serve a triple function yet meet other specifications such as precise
control, range of control, and efficiency
Control Rod
Control Rod Effectiveness
The effectiveness of a control rod depends largely upon the value of the ratio of the neutron flux
at the location of the rod to the average neutron flux in the reactor. The control rod has maximum
effect (inserts the most negative reactivity) if it is placed in the reactor where the flux is
maximum. If a reactor has only one control rod, the rod should be placed in the center of the
reactor core.
Effect of Control Rod on Radial Flux Distribution
Control Rod
Control Rod Effectiveness
If additional rods are added to this simple reactor, the most effective location is
where the flux is maximum, that is, at point A.
Numerous control rods are required for a reactor that has a large amount of
excess reactivity (that amount of reactivity in excess of that needed to be critical).
The exact amount of reactivity that each control rod inserts depends upon the
reactor design.
Control rod worth :
The change in reactivity caused by control rod motion is referred to as control rod
worth
Control Rod
Integral and Differential Control Rod Worth
The exact effect of control rods on reactivity can be determined
experimentally. For example, a control rod can be withdrawn in small
increments, such as 0.5 inch, and the change in reactivity can be determined
following each increment of withdrawal.
Control Rod
Integral Control Rod Worth
By plotting the resulting reactivity versus the rod
position:
The graph depicts integral control rod worth over
the full range of withdrawal.
The integral control rod worth is the total
reactivity worth of the rod at that particular
degree of withdrawal and is usually defined to be
the greatest when the rod is fully withdrawn.
The slope of the curve (∆ρ/∆x), and therefore the
amount of reactivity inserted per unit of withdrawal, is
greatest when the control rod is midway out of the
core. This occurs because the area of greatest neutron
flux is near the center of the core; therefore, the
amount of change in neutron absorption is greatest in
this area. If the slope of the curve is a value for rate of
change of control rod worth as a function of control
rod position
Control Rod
Differential Control Rod Worth
A plot of the slope of the integral rod worth curve,
➢ At the bottom of the core, where there are few
neutrons, rod movement has little effect so the
change in rod worth per inch varies little.
➢ As the rod approaches the center of the core its
effect becomes greater, and the change in rod worth
per inch is greater.
➢ At the center of the core the differential rod worth is
greatest and varies little with rod motion.
Differential control rod worth is the reactivity change
per unit movement of a rod and is normally expressed
as ρ/inch, ∆k/k per inch, or pcm/inch.
It is also the area under the differential rod worth
curve at any given withdrawal position.
Control Rod
Rod Control Mechanisms
The control rod insertion rates on a scram are designed to be sufficient to protect
the reactor against damage in all transients that are expected to occur during the
life of the reactor.
❖ During normal rod motion, the control rods must be able to move rapidly enough to
compensate for the most rapid rate at which positive reactivity is expected to build
within the reactor in order to provide positive control.
❖ The transient that is normally considered when setting this minimum rod speed is the
burnout of maximum peak xenon while at full power.
❖Xenon burnout is usually the most rapid, non-accident transient expected. The
maximum rod speed is normally limited in order to reduce the severity of an accident
involving the continuous withdrawal of control rods
