ALPHN: A computer program for calculating ({alpha}, n) neutron production in canisters of high-level waste
The rate of neutron production from ({alpha}, n) reactions in canisters of immobilized high-level waste containing borosilicate glass or glass-ceramic compositions is significant and must be considered when estimating neutron shielding requirements. The personal computer program ALPHA calculates the ({alpha}, n) neutron production rate of a canister of vitrified high-level waste. The user supplies the chemical composition of the glass or glass-ceramic and the curies of the alpha-emitting actinides present. The output of the program gives the ({alpha}, n) neutron production of each actinide in neutrons per second and the total for the canister. The ({alpha}, n) neutron production rates are source terms only; that is, they are production rates within the glass and do not take into account the shielding effect of the glass. For a given glass composition, the user can calculate up to eight cases simultaneously; these cases are based on the same glass composition but contain different quantities of actinides per canister. In a typical application, these cases might represent the same canister of vitrified high-level waste at eight different decay times. Run time for a typical problem containing 20 chemical species, 24 actinides, and 8 decay times was 35 s on an IBM AT personal computer. Results of an example based on an expected canister composition at the Defense Waste Processing Facility are shown.
- 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:
- 10104377
- Report Number(s):
- ORNL/TM-12239; ON: DE93003641
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Oct 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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ALPHN. Calculates Neutron Production in Canisters of High-level Waste
Calculates Neutron Production in Canisters of High-level Waste
Related Subjects
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
NEUTRON SOURCES
A CODES
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
WASTE FORMS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
ALPHA REACTIONS
CONTAINERS
NEUTRONS
BOROSILICATE GLASS
VITRIFICATION
RADIOACTIVITY
052002
663440
663610
990200
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE
D-, T-, AND HE-INDUCED REACTIONS AND SCATTERING
NEUTRON PHYSICS
MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTERS