Status of cross-section data for gas production from vanadium and {sup 26}AL from silicon carbide in a D-T fusion reactor.
Current designs of fusion-reactor systems seek to use radiation-resistant, low-activation materials that support long service lifetimes and minimize radioactive-waste problems after decommissioning. Reliable assessment of fusion materials performance requires accurate neutron-reaction cross sections and radioactive-decay constants. The problem areas usually involve cross sections since decay parameters tend to be better known. The present study was motivated by two specific questions: (i) Why are the {sup 51}V(n,np){sup 50}Ti cross section values in the ENDF/B-VI library so large (a gas production issue)? (ii) How well known are the cross sections associated with producing 7.4 x 10{sup 5} y {sup 26}Al in silicon carbide by the process {sup 28}Si(n,np+d){sup 27} Al(n,2n){sup 26}Al (a long-lived radioactivity issue)? The energy range 14-15 MeV of the D-T fusion neutrons is emphasized. Cross-section error bars are needed so that uncertainties in the gas and radioactivity generated over the lifetime of a reactor can be estimated. We address this issue by comparing values obtained from prominent evaluated cross-section libraries. Small differences between independent evaluations indicate that a physical quantity is well known while the opposite signals a problem. Hydrogen from {sup 51}V(n,p){sup 51}Ti and helium from {sup 51}V(n,{alpha}){sup 48}Sc are also important sources of gas in vanadium, so they too were examined. We conclude that {sup 51}V(n,p){sup 51}Ti is adequately known but {sup 51}V(n,np+d){sup 50}Ti is not. The status for helium generation data is quite good. Due to recent experimental work, {sup 27}Al(n,2n){sup 26}Al seems to be fairly well known. However, the situation for {sup 28}Si(n,np+d){sup 27}Al remains unsatisfactory.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 10650
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/TD/CP-95667; TRN: AH200127%%380
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Annual Meeting of the American Nuclear Society, Nashville, TN (US), 06/07/1998--06/12/1998; Other Information: PBD: 11 Aug 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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