Uranium Oxide Aerosol Transport in Porous Graphite

Technical Report · Mon Jan 23 00:00:00 EST 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1051989· OSTI ID:1051989

Blanchard, Jeremy ^[1]; Gerlach, David C. ^[1]; Scheele, Randall D. ^[1]; Stewart, Mark L. ^[1]; Reid, Bruce D. ^[1]; Gauglitz, Phillip A. ^[1]; Bagaasen, Larry M. ^[1]; Brown, Charles C. ^[1]; Lovin, Cristian ^[1]; Delegard, Calvin H. ^[1]; Zelenyuk, Alla ^[1]; Buck, Edgar C. ^[1]; Riley, Brian J. ^[1]; Burns, Carolyn A. ^[1]

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1. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

The objective of this paper is to investigate the transport of uranium oxide particles that may be present in carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas coolant, into the graphite blocks of gas-cooled, graphite moderated reactors. The transport of uranium oxide in the coolant system, and subsequent deposition of this material in the graphite, of such reactors is of interest because it has the potential to influence the application of the Graphite Isotope Ratio Method (GIRM). The GIRM is a technology that has been developed to validate the declared operation of graphite moderated reactors. GIRM exploits isotopic ratio changes that occur in the impurity elements present in the graphite to infer cumulative exposure and hence the reactor’s lifetime cumulative plutonium production. Reference Gesh, et. al., for a more complete discussion on the GIRM technology.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1051989
• Report Number(s): PNNL--21014; NN4011020
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
GIRM
graphite isotope