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Title: Critical experiments on low-enriched uranium oxide systems with H/U = 2. 03

Abstract

Seven critical experiments were performed on a horizontal split table machine using 4.48% enriched /sup 235/U uranium oxide (U/sub 3/O/sub 8/). The oxide was compacted to a density of 4.68 g/cm/sup 3/ and placed in 152-mm cubical aluminum cans. Water was added to achieve an H/U atomic ratio of 2.03. Various arrays of oxide cans were distributed on each half of the split table and the separation between halves reduced until criticality occurred. The critical table separation varied from 4.3 mm to 29.3 mm. These experiments were performed in both plastic and concrete reflectors. The first five experiments required the addition of a high-enriched (approx. 93% /sup 235/U) metal driver to achieve criticality. Critical uranium driver masses ranged from 2.765 kg to 13.730 kg for 5 x 5 x 5 arrays of uranium oxide cans. In all five cases, the center can of the array was deleted to accommodate the driver. The uranium oxide mass was 1859.6 kg. Two additional experiments in the plastic reflector contained either 9.3-mm- or 24.3-mm-thick plastic moderator material between the oxide cans. These latter experiments did not require a driver to achieve criticality; and the uranium oxide mass was 723.9 kg for the configuration havingmore » the thinner interstitial moderator and 452.4 kg for the other.« less

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Rockwell International Corp., Golden, CO (United States). Rocky Flats Plant
OSTI Identifier:
5432470
Report Number(s):
NUREG/CR-2500; RFP-3277
ON: DE82015092; TRN: 82-013620
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-76DP03533
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
42 ENGINEERING; URANIUM 235; CRITICALITY; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; URANIUM OXIDES U3O8; ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CHALCOGENIDES; DATA; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; HEAVY NUCLEI; INFORMATION; ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; NUCLEI; NUMERICAL DATA; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RADIOISOTOPES; URANIUM COMPOUNDS; URANIUM ISOTOPES; URANIUM OXIDES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 420203* - Engineering- Handling Equipment & Procedures

Citation Formats

Rothe, R E, and Goebel, G R. Critical experiments on low-enriched uranium oxide systems with H/U = 2. 03. United States: N. p., 1982. Web. doi:10.2172/5432470.
Rothe, R E, & Goebel, G R. Critical experiments on low-enriched uranium oxide systems with H/U = 2. 03. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5432470
Rothe, R E, and Goebel, G R. 1982. "Critical experiments on low-enriched uranium oxide systems with H/U = 2. 03". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5432470. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5432470.
@article{osti_5432470,
title = {Critical experiments on low-enriched uranium oxide systems with H/U = 2. 03},
author = {Rothe, R E and Goebel, G R},
abstractNote = {Seven critical experiments were performed on a horizontal split table machine using 4.48% enriched /sup 235/U uranium oxide (U/sub 3/O/sub 8/). The oxide was compacted to a density of 4.68 g/cm/sup 3/ and placed in 152-mm cubical aluminum cans. Water was added to achieve an H/U atomic ratio of 2.03. Various arrays of oxide cans were distributed on each half of the split table and the separation between halves reduced until criticality occurred. The critical table separation varied from 4.3 mm to 29.3 mm. These experiments were performed in both plastic and concrete reflectors. The first five experiments required the addition of a high-enriched (approx. 93% /sup 235/U) metal driver to achieve criticality. Critical uranium driver masses ranged from 2.765 kg to 13.730 kg for 5 x 5 x 5 arrays of uranium oxide cans. In all five cases, the center can of the array was deleted to accommodate the driver. The uranium oxide mass was 1859.6 kg. Two additional experiments in the plastic reflector contained either 9.3-mm- or 24.3-mm-thick plastic moderator material between the oxide cans. These latter experiments did not require a driver to achieve criticality; and the uranium oxide mass was 723.9 kg for the configuration having the thinner interstitial moderator and 452.4 kg for the other.},
doi = {10.2172/5432470},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5432470}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1982},
month = {Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1982}
}