Reactor Maintenance

Description

The settlement Modular Advanced Rafalowski System Deuterium Reactor (MARSDU Reactor) is in need of a fueling cycle and the timing could not be worse!

The solar storm is fast approaching. When it hits, it will come with unknown intensity or duration. Maintenance outside of the protective settlement shelter will be impossible. All routines that can be done prior to the storm must be handled immediately!

Your team will dispatch a rover to the reactor, eject the depleted fuel rods and insert fresh replacements. While doing this, your team will also have to carefully manage the reactor criticality – avoiding both subcritical stall outs and dangerous supercritical conditions. Your rover will also have to handle all fuel bundles with care and avoid dropping them.

Requirements

  1. Approach the front side of the reactor
  2. Depressurize the cooling system
    1. Actuate the drain valve
    2. Wait until the cooling water level drops into the maintenance region
    3. Un-actuate the drain valve
    4. Do not over-drain the coolant system!
  3. Open access hatch
    1. There is no latch, simply pull the door open
  4. Analyze the reactor state
    1. Use the supplied Geiger counter to identify which fuel rods are depleted.
    2. Report this to the judge.
  5. Replace fuel rods
    1. Remove any depleted rods.
    2. Replace them with fresh ones from the storage area
    3. Maintain reactor temperature within the nominal range at all times by modulating the control rods.
    4. The control rods can be moved in and out by actuating buttons on the front of the reactor. See the Reactor Manual for more information.
  6. Close access hatch
    1. Push the hatch closed
  7. Re-pressurize the cooling system
    1. Activate the coolant pump
    2. Wait until the cooling water level rises into the operating region.
    3. Deactivate the coolant pump
    4. Do not overfill the coolant system!
  8. Transport fuel rods to the designated disposal station.
    1. A portable fuel rod containment unit is stored next to the reactor, but you may opt to use another way to transport the fuel rods.
    2. Carry the fuel rods to the disposal station.
    3. Place the fuel rods inside the disposal station. You do not need to remove them from the portable fuel rod containment unit.

Geiger counter notes:

The Geiger counter will be supplied to the teams at the start of setup time and should be mounted onto the rover. It will communicate with the rover via a serial interface (details to follow) Hold the geiger counter near each fuel rod and use the readings to determine if the fuel cell is depleted.