Substitute safety rods: Physics of operation and irradiation

Technical Report · Mon Nov 18 00:00:00 EST 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10140202· OSTI ID:10140202

Baumann, N P

Under certain assumed accidents, an SRS reactor may lose most of its bulk moderator while maintaining flow to fuel assemblies. If this occurs immediately after operation at power, components normally dependent on convective heat transfer to the moderator will heat up with the possibility of melting that component. One component at risk is the currently used cadmium safety rod. A substitute safety rod consisting solely of sintered B{sub 4}C and stainless steel has been designed which is capable of withstanding much higher temperatures. This memorandum provides the physics basis for the adequacy of the rod for reactor shutdown and provides a set of criteria for acceptance in the NTG tests. This memorandum provides physics data for other aspects of operation. These include: Heat production and helium production, along with related phenomena, resulting from inadvertent irradiation at power. Gamma heat input under drained tank conditions. An equivalent rod design suitable for charge design and safety analyses. Degradation under normal operation. Thermal flux ripple in adjacent fuel due to axial striping of alternate B{sub 4}C and steel pellets. Possible effect on safety analyses. Safety rod withdrawal during reactor startup.

• Research Organization: Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 10140202
• Report Number(s): WSRC-TR-91-615; ON: DE92012443
• Resource Relation: Other Information: PBD: 18 Nov 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
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SCRAM RODS
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
MATERIAL SUBSTITUTION
REACTOR SAFETY
SAFETY ANALYSIS
RADIATION HEATING
DESIGN BASIS ACCIDENTS
BORON CARBIDES
CADMIUM
PHYSICS
LOSS OF COOLANT
IRRADIATION
220900
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RESEARCH
TEST
TRAINING
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MATERIALS TESTING REACTORS