[en] CAREM, an Argentinean project, consists of the development, design and construction of a small Nuclear Power Plant. CAREM is an advanced reactor conceived with new generation design solutions and standing on the large experience accumulated in the safe operation of Light Water Reactors in the world. The CAREM is an indirect cycle reactor with some distinctive features that greatly simplify the reactor and also contribute to a high level of safety: integrated primary cooling system, self-pressurized, primary cooling by natural circulation and safety system relying on passive features. In this paper a brief description of the CAREM distinctive features and associated development activities are presented. (author)

[en] Using a high efficiency system for the neutron thermal detection and a pulsed electrolytic current procedure, measurements were made on cells containing Pd cathodes and electrolytes at a D₂O and H₂O base. The peculiarity of these experiments is that they were carried out on board of the A.R.A. Santa Cruz submarine, at a depth of 50m under sea level, attaining ultra deep-down conditions in the measurements, corresponding to a reduction in a factor = 50 in relation to lab conditions. The mean level of the signal -obtained from counting combination of deuterated cathodes- results to be separated from the deep-down level by four standard deviations. (Author)

[en] The Reactors and Neutrons Division of the Bariloche Atomic Center uses the AMPX system for the study of high conversion reactors (HCR). Such system allows to make neutronic calculations from the nuclear data library (ENDF/B-IV). The Nuclear Engineering career of the Balseiro Institute developed and implemented a burn-up module at a μ-cell level (BUM: Burn-up Module) which agrees with the requirement to be coupled to the AMPX system. (Author)

[en] In this work is presented a conceptual study about the core physics of a pressure tube reactor with continuum refuelling, working with the high conversion concepts. The conceptual results show the practicability of this reactor, with a CR greater than 1 and a preliminary negative void coefficient. (author)

[en] A 22% efficiency thermal neutron detection system was designed for the investigation of neutron emission from pulsed D₂O electrolysis. Reasons are discussed for the choice of 10 atm ³He proportional counters. Optimization calculations carried out through standard reactor code system (AMPX-II) are presented along with construction details and characteristics of the associated electronics. Experimental verification of calculated efficiency and examples of measurements performed with the detector are included. (orig.)

[en] The development of high converter reactors (HCR) requires careful burnup calculations because their main goals are reach high discharge burnup levels (Up to 50 GWd/T) and a close to one conversion ratio. Then, it is necessary a revision of design elements used for this type of calculation. In this work, a burnup module (BUM) developed in order to use nuclear data directly from evaluated data files is presented; these was included in the AMPX system. (author)

[en] Published in summary form only

[en] CAREM is an Argentine project to achieve the development, design and construction of an innovative, simple and small Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). This nuclear plant has an indirect cycle reactor with some distinctive and characteristic features that greatly simplify the design, and also contributes to a higher safety level. Some of the high level design characteristics of the plant are: integrated primary cooling system, primary cooling by natural circulation, self-pressurised primary system and safety systems relying on passive features. (author)

[en] The CAREM project involves technological and engineering solutions, as well as several innovative design features that must be properly demonstrated during the design phase. Also specific codes used for modelling systems related with safety issues to obtain design parameters (e.g. primary cooling system, reactor core, fuel design, etc.) must be verified and validated against world-wide benchmark and/or experimental data to build confidence in their results. This paper describes main issues of the development program ongoing as part of the design phase of the CAREM project, which includes the design and construction of several experimental facilities and engineering mock ups. Main results obtained from the test facilities and validation of codes are also presented. (author)

[en] The present work describes the design of a high efficiency thermal neutron detection system and the measurements performed with it on electrolytic cells containing LiH dissolved in D₂O with palladium cathodes. A procedure involving the use of a non-stationary (pulsed) current through the cell caused a correlated neutron production to be observed in a repeatable manner. These patterns are strongly dependent on the previous charging history of the cathodes. The technique employed seems to be very useful as a research tool for a systematic study of the different variables governing the phenomenon. (author)