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DOE OSTI · 2589510

ViBRANT Applied as a Closed Loop Flux and Thermal Surrogate

Crawford, Anthony L [Idaho National Laboratory] (ORCID:0000000283378636)·Heim, Andrew Joseph [Idaho National Laboratory]·Daw, Joshua E [Idaho National Laboratory] (ORCID:0000000343776231)·Tsai, Kevin [Idaho National Laboratory] (ORCID:0000000288793468)
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Abstract

Surrogate testing platforms provide a means to develop a target aspect of a larger system. Some systems target single aspects while others are more wholistic. ViBRANT (Visual Benign Reactor as Analog for Nuclear Testing) aims to be a wholistic system by representing the primary reactor behaviors through an accessible LED driven reactor core, photodiodes, thermocouples, and high-performance software interfaces being developed to the standards required for actual microreactor deployment such as MARVEL. With the ability to drive control drums enabled with full reactor capability (e.g. speed/angle/torque capability/limits for operation and clutch/spring scram capability), drive ViBRANT’s high fidelity 36 pin hexagon core to represent phenomena via LEDs, and capture the analog response of distributed photodiodes/thermocouples, this paper will show the system’s ability to operate in a closed-loop fashion and do well at matching reactor power/temperature distribution in an accessible reactor surrogate environment.

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22 - GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS97 - MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTINGClosed-Loop ControlMARVELMicroreactorReactor PhysicsSurrogate

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Crawford, Anthony L [Idaho National Laboratory] (ORCID:0000000283378636), Heim, Andrew Joseph [Idaho National Laboratory], Daw, Joshua E [Idaho National Laboratory] (ORCID:0000000343776231), Tsai, Kevin [Idaho National Laboratory] (ORCID:0000000288793468). 2025-06-15. ViBRANT Applied as a Closed Loop Flux and Thermal Surrogate. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2589510

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