Next-Generation Research Reactors: Novel Virginia Research and Education Reactor (VA-RER)

Abstract

The Virginia Research and Education Reactor (VA-RER) is a next-generation research reactor concept engineered to meet the urgent national need for modern, flexible, and AI-enabled modeling, design, operation and monitoring for diagnostics/prognostics. Built on the patented Test and Education Microreactor (TEM) architecture, the design integrates a central irradiation cavity, a neutron-spectrum-tailoring buffer zone, and a circular TRIGA-fuel lattice to support advanced applications in materials testing, isotope production, reactor physics research, and workforce development. The VA-RER is envisioned as a dual-reactor system, a zero-power unit dedicated to training and hands-on education, paired with a 5 to 10 MWth reactor enabling high-flux irradiation experiments and validation of physics-based AI-driven digital-twin and autonomous monitoring technologies. This paper presents preliminary neutronics analyses using the OpenMC Monte Carlo code system with ENDF/B-VIII.0 nuclear data to evaluate the reactivity behavior of reactor configurations with irradiation cavity radii ranging from 6.25 cm to 100 cm. Five select core configurations are analyzed in this paper. The resulting eigenvalues range from 1.01581 to 1.06814, with reactivity gains diminishing for larger annular radii due to increased neutron leakage. Notably, an optimal moderator-to-fuel ratio emerges near a 25 cm radius, where the eigenvalue increases even with fewer total fuel rods. These findings provide early design guidance for maximizing irradiation volume while maintaining favorable neutronic performance, supporting ongoing development of a transformative research reactor for next-generation nuclear science and engineering.