Determination and Validation of an Empirical Formula Dependent on the Behavior of keff Variation as a Function of U-235 Enrichment in the TRICO II Reactor

摘要: The CGEA/CREN-K is equipped with a TRIGA Mark II research nuclear reactor. It has been observed that CGEA/CREN-K operators face numerous challenges in determining the effective neutron multiplication factor ( ) to ensure continuous control of the TRIGA Mark II reactor. To address this issue, the TRICO II (Training Research Isotopes Congo Mark II) model developed by E.B. Mweze et al. [1] was used to evaluate as a function of 235U enrichment, based on the calculation results obtained, several mathematical functions were analyzed to best corroborate all the results with a low statistical error and a high correlation coefficient (R2). The results obtained show a climax on the 7th-order polynomial function with a correlation coefficient R2 = 0.9996. This polynomial function was therefore selected as the empirical formula applicable to the calculation model developed in this article. The acceptability test confirmed a relative error of less than 1% for the 7th-order polynomial mathematical function, which is the empirical formula used here. This approach is useful for saving time.