Validating Criticality Calculations for Spent Fuel with ²⁵²Cf-Source-Driven Noise Measurements

Conference · Sun Jul 19 04:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:10170877

Mihalczo, J. T. ^[1]; Krass, A. W. ^[1]; Valentine, T. E. ^[2]

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1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
2. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

The ²⁵²Cf-Source-driven noise analysis method can be used for measuring the subcritical neutron multiplication factor k of arrays of spent light water reactor (LWR) fuel. This type of measurement provides a parameter that is directly related to the criticality state of arrays of LWR fuel. Measurements of this parameter can verify the criticality safety margins of spent LWR fuel configurations and thus could be a means of obtaining the information to justify burnup credit for spent LWR transportation/storage casks. The practicality of a measurement depends on the ability to install the hardware required to perform the measurement. Source chambers containing the ²⁵²Cf at the required source intensity for this application have been constructed and have operated successfully for {approximately}10 years and can be fabricated to fit into control rod guide tubes of PWR fuel elements. Fission counters especially developed for spent-fuel measurements are available that would allow measurements of a special 3 x 3 spent fuel array and a typical burnup credit rail cask with spent fuel in unborated water. Adding a moderator around these fission counters would allow measurements with the typical burnup credit rail cask with borated water and the special 3 x 3 array with borated water. The recent work of Ficaro on modifying the KENO Va code to calculate by the Monte Carlo method the time sequences of pulses at two detectors near a fissile assembly from the fission chain multiplication process, initiated by a ²⁵²Cf source in the assembly allows a direct computer calculation of the noise analysis data from this measurement method.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 10170877
• Report Number(s): CONF-9207102--49; ON: DE92019291
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
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252-Cf
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73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
BWR TYPE REACTORS
CALIFORNIUM 252
CRITICALITY
Calculation
HANDLING EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES
K CODES
Light Water Reactor (LWR) Fuel
Fission Counters
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
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NEUTRON DETECTORS
NUCLEAR MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
Noise Analysis Data
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PWR TYPE REACTORS
SENSITIVITY
SPENT FUEL CASKS
SPENT FUELS
WASTE DISPOSAL AND STORAGE