Reactor Physics Measurements and Benchmark Specifications for Oak Ridge Highly Enriched Uranium Sphere (ORSphere)

Journal Article · Tue Nov 04 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Nuclear Science and Engineering

DOI:https://doi.org/10.13182/NSE14-32· OSTI ID:1177619

Marshall, Margaret A. ^[1]

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1. Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

In the early 1970s Dr. John T. Mihalczo (team leader), J.J. Lynn, and J.R. Taylor performed experiments at the Oak Ridge Critical Experiments Facility (ORCEF) with highly enriched uranium (HEU) metal (called Oak Ridge Alloy or ORALLOY) in an effort to recreate GODIVA I results with greater accuracy than those performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the 1950s. The purpose of the Oak Ridge ORALLOY Sphere (ORSphere) experiments was to estimate the unreflected and unmoderated critical mass of an idealized sphere of uranium metal corrected to a density, purity, and enrichment such that it could be compared with the GODIVA I experiments. Additionally, various material reactivity worths, the surface material worth coefficient, the delayed neutron fraction, the prompt neutron decay constant, relative fission density, and relative neutron importance were all measured. The critical assembly, material reactivity worths, the surface material worth coefficient, and the delayed neutron fraction were all evaluated as benchmark experiment measurements. The reactor physics measurements are the focus of this paper; although for clarity the critical assembly benchmark specifications are briefly discussed.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1177619
• Report Number(s): INL/JOU-14-31054
• Journal Information: Nuclear Science and Engineering, Vol. 178, Issue 4; ISSN 0029-5639
• Publisher: American Nuclear Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM
PROMPT NEUTRONS
OR-CEF REACTOR
REACTOR PHYSICS
BENCHMARKS
LANL
ORNL
SPHERES
DELAYED NEUTRON FRACTION
SPECIFICATIONS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CRITICAL MASS
REACTIVITY WORTHS
Neutron Importance Function
Reactor Physics Benchmark
HEU
Sphere
ORSphere