Summary of ORSphere Critical and Reactor Physics Measurements
Abstract
In the early 1970s Dr. John T. Mihalczo (team leader), J. J. Lynn, and J. R. Taylor performed experiments at the Oak Ridge Critical Experiments Facility (ORCEF) with highly enriched uranium (HEU) metal (called Oak Ridge Alloy or ORALLOY) to recreate GODIVA I results with greater accuracy than those performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the 1950s. The purpose of the Oak Ridge ORALLOY Sphere (ORSphere) experiments was to estimate the unreflected and unmoderated critical mass of an idealized sphere of uranium metal corrected to a density, purity, and enrichment such that it could be compared with the GODIVA I experiments. This critical configuration has been evaluated. Preliminary results were presented at ND2013. Since then, the evaluation was finalized and judged to be an acceptable benchmark experiment for the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiment Project (ICSBEP). Additionally, reactor physics measurements were performed to determine surface button worths, central void worth, delayed neutron fraction, prompt neutron decay constant, fission density and neutron importance. These measurements have been evaluated and found to be acceptable experiments and are discussed in full detail in the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments. The purpose of this paper is summary summarize all themore »
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1358205
- Report Number(s):
- INL/CON-16-37613
Journal ID: ISSN 2100--014X
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC07-05ID14517
- Resource Type:
- Conference
- Resource Relation:
- Journal Volume: 146; Conference: International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology, Bruges, Belgium, September 11–16, 2016
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS; Criticality Benchmark; HEU Sphere; Reactor Physics Benchmark
Citation Formats
Marshall, Margaret A., and Bess, John D. Summary of ORSphere Critical and Reactor Physics Measurements. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1051/epjconf/201714606006.
Marshall, Margaret A., & Bess, John D. Summary of ORSphere Critical and Reactor Physics Measurements. United States. https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201714606006
Marshall, Margaret A., and Bess, John D. 2016.
"Summary of ORSphere Critical and Reactor Physics Measurements". United States. https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201714606006. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1358205.
@article{osti_1358205,
title = {Summary of ORSphere Critical and Reactor Physics Measurements},
author = {Marshall, Margaret A. and Bess, John D.},
abstractNote = {In the early 1970s Dr. John T. Mihalczo (team leader), J. J. Lynn, and J. R. Taylor performed experiments at the Oak Ridge Critical Experiments Facility (ORCEF) with highly enriched uranium (HEU) metal (called Oak Ridge Alloy or ORALLOY) to recreate GODIVA I results with greater accuracy than those performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the 1950s. The purpose of the Oak Ridge ORALLOY Sphere (ORSphere) experiments was to estimate the unreflected and unmoderated critical mass of an idealized sphere of uranium metal corrected to a density, purity, and enrichment such that it could be compared with the GODIVA I experiments. This critical configuration has been evaluated. Preliminary results were presented at ND2013. Since then, the evaluation was finalized and judged to be an acceptable benchmark experiment for the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiment Project (ICSBEP). Additionally, reactor physics measurements were performed to determine surface button worths, central void worth, delayed neutron fraction, prompt neutron decay constant, fission density and neutron importance. These measurements have been evaluated and found to be acceptable experiments and are discussed in full detail in the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments. The purpose of this paper is summary summarize all the critical and reactor physics measurements evaluations and, when possible, to compare them to GODIVA experiment results.},
doi = {10.1051/epjconf/201714606006},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1358205},
journal = {},
issn = {2100--014X},
number = ,
volume = 146,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}