| The SLOWPOKE-2 is a small pool type research reactor, which is difficult to model because of the importance of the neutron leakage. The objective of this work is to carry out a detailed study of the physics of this reactor using the neutron transport code DRAGON in two dimensions and the diffusion code DONJON in three dimensions with an hexagonal representation of the reactor geometry. This model allowed us to predict the reactor critical mass and to obtain flux distributions, temperature and void coefficients as well as other characteristics of the reactor. Results of this work have been used to study and compare power excursions between the old and the new core, as well as to predict the behavior of the new core prior to commissioning. The DRAGON/DONJON codes have already been validated for the analysis of thermal power reactors. This work has shown that these codes can also be used for the study of research reactors.;Our calculations were compared to measurements made at Ecole Polytechnique in 1997 and at Royal Military College in 1986. In the majority of cases, results are in good agreement with measurements. This suggests that the model presented here can be used to simulate the new core recently installed in the Ecole Polytechnique reactor. |
