Prompt neutron lifetime in a strongly heterogeneous lattice

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:10143065

Trumble, E F; Baumann, N P; Graves, W E

The prompt neutron lifetime is an important input parameter to the solution of the point reactor kinetics equations. In the past, many methods of determining the prompt neutron lifetime included the assumption that the thermal neutron lifetime was a good approximation to the prompt neutron lifetime. It has been found that strong heterogeneities within a lattice cause the calculation of the thermal neutron lifetime to significantly overpredict the prompt neutron lifetime. Therefore, a new method for the calculation of the prompt neutron lifetime is presented. This new method, the Alpha Search Method (ASM), is based on the time eigenvalue and does not suffer from the overprediction of the neutron lifetime as approximated by the thermal neutron lifetime. The causes of this overprediction, as well as comparisons of lifetimes computed by the ASM and other methods will be presented.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-89SR18035
• OSTI ID: 10143065
• Report Number(s): WSRC-MS--91-313; CONF-920308--21; ON: DE92013212
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220600
662410
663610
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
CALCULATION METHODS
EIGENVALUES
HETEROGENEOUS EFFECTS
LIFETIME
NEUTRON PHYSICS
PROMPT NEUTRONS
PROPERTIES OF BARYONS AND BARYON RESONANCES
REACTOR KINETICS
REACTOR LATTICES
RESEARCH
TEST
TRAINING
PRODUCTION
IRRADIATION
MATERIALS TESTING REACTORS
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT