Update on Benchmark Analysis of Component Critical Configurations of KRUSTY

Conference · Wed Nov 20 00:00:00 EST 2019 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.13182/t31038· OSTI ID:1916424

Smith, Kristin ^[1]; Hutchinson, Jesson ^[2]; Cutler, Theresa ^[2]; Sanchez, Rene ^[2]

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1. Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)
2. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) is prototype designed as a proof of concept for NASA’s Kilo power program, which was funded in order to create a small reactor for various space applications such as providing power for a colony on Mars or the moon and eventually as a possible option for powering rockets on deep space missions. Before the final prototype design was tested in March 2018, the component critical configuration, which had less external equipment than the prototype design, was created in November 2017. Both of these designs had less external equipment than the final version will have. This component critical con figuration was used to determine the worth of the beryllium oxide (BeO) reflector and of the boron carbide (B4C) control rod as well as creating necessary benchmark configurations.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program
• DOE Contract Number: 89233218CNA000001
• OSTI ID: 1916424
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-19-31391
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Vol. 121, Issue 1; Conference: 2019 ANS Winter Meeting and Nuclear Technology Expo, Washington, DC (United States), 17-21 Nov 2019; Related Information: https://www.ans.org/meetings/view-wm2019/; ISSN 0003-018X
• Publisher: American Nuclear Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Integral Experiments
Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY)
Beryllium Oxide (BeO)
Boron Carbide (B4C)
International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP)
High-Enriched Uranium (HEU)
Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport (MCNP)