Neutronic Analyses of the Trade Demonstration Facility

The TRiga Accelerator-Driven Experiment (TRADE), to be performed in the TRIGA reactor of the ENEA-Casaccia Centre in Italy, consists of the coupling of an external proton accelerator to a target to be installed in the central channel of the reactor scrammed to subcriticality. This pilot experiment, aimed at a global demonstration of the accelerator-driven system concept, is based on an original idea of C. Rubbia. The present paper reports the results of some neutronic analyses focused on the feasibility of TRADE. Results show that all relevant experiments (at different power levels in a wide range of subcriticalities) can be carried out with relatively limited modifications to the present TRIGA reactor.