Criticality safety study of the MSRE Fuel Drain Tank Cell in Building 7503
This report provides a criticality safety study of the molten salt reactor fuel currently being stored in the Fuel Drain Tank (FDT) Cell of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) facility (Building 7503) located in the Melton Valley area of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The FDTs contain approximately 36 kg of uranium consisting primarily of {sup 233}U, some plutonium, and fission products in a solidified fluoride salt mixture. The nominal composition of the fluoride salt mixture in the FDTs is 42.16 wt % LiF, 35.79 wt % BeF{sub 2}, 21.01 wt % ZrF{sub 4}, 1.02 wt % UF{sub 4}, and 0.02 wt % PuF{sub 3}. The historic criticality safety study does not meet current standards. This work is in support of a new nuclear criticality safety analysis and approval update. Questions concerning the degree of subcriticality associated with the material in its current state and in its most reactive credible upset condition are addressed. The safety study consists of two parts. In the first part, the FDT Cell was modeled using KENO V.a and analyzed using a variety of cross-section sets. The base FDT Cell model was then modified to represent the most reactive credible upset conditions and analyzed. The second part consists of establishing a benchmark for the FDT Cell. Because of the lack of any other relevant benchmark experiments, the original MSRE was also modeled in KENO V.a and analyzed. The results of the reactor model were then compared with documented MSRE reactor conditions. The analysis shows that even under the most reactive credible upset conditions, the MSRE FDT Cell is significantly subcritical.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 10131908
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-12642; ON: DE94007918; TRN: 94:003509
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: DN: Includes 1 3 1/2 in. floppy disk; PBD: Jan 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
42 ENGINEERING
TANKS
CRITICALITY
STORAGE FACILITIES
SAFETY ANALYSIS
MOLTEN SALT FUELS
MSRE REACTOR
SUBCRITICALITY
050900
055000
420203
TRANSPORT, HANDLING, AND STORAGE
SAFEGUARDS, INSPECTION, AND ACCOUNTABILITY
HANDLING EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES