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DOE OSTI · 1984491

ARCS Replacement at TREAT for TRTR 2020 - Abstract

Parry, James R·Chase, Benjamin M·Baker, Benjamin A·Fielding, Kurt D
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Abstract

The Transient REActor Test (TREAT) facility was restarted in 2017 to perform reactor fuels testing under transient conditions, following shutdown in 1994 and 23 years in non-operational standby. TREAT is a transient reactor that, like most pulsing reactors, can create natural shaped power pulses. However, TREAT provides the ability to shape the power pulse and control the energy deposition rate on the test specimens by automatically controlling the amount of reactivity insertion over time. The original automatic reactor control system (ARCS) was created in the 1980s using INTEL 8086 CPU boards and software written in assembly code. The need to maintain the system for the next 40+ years of TREAT life led to the decision to replace ARCS with modern hardware while maintaining the original functionality. After a prototyping effort, the replacement was successfully completed in the first quarter of 2020. The process and results of that effort are reported here.

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Parry, James R, Chase, Benjamin M, Baker, Benjamin A, Fielding, Kurt D. 2020-09-29. ARCS Replacement at TREAT for TRTR 2020 - Abstract. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1984491

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