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Title: Fuel loading and homogeneity analysis of HFIR design fuel plates loaded with uranium silicide fuel

Abstract

Twelve nuclear reactor fuel plates were analyzed for fuel loading and fuel loading homogeneity by measuring the attenuation of a collimated X-ray beam as it passed through the plates. The plates were identical to those used by the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) but were loaded with uranium silicide rather than with HFIR`s uranium oxide fuel. Systematic deviations from nominal fuel loading were observed as higher loading near the center of the plates and underloading near the radial edges. These deviations were within those allowed by HFIR specifications. The report begins with a brief background on the thermal-hydraulic uncertainty analysis for the Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) Reactor that motivated a statistical description of fuel loading and homogeneity. The body of the report addresses the homogeneity measurement techniques employed, the numerical correction required to account for a difference in fuel types, and the statistical analysis of the resulting data. This statistical analysis pertains to local variation in fuel loading, as well as to ``hot segment`` analysis of narrow axial regions along the plate and ``hot streak`` analysis, the cumulative effect of hot segment loading variation. The data for all twelve plates were compiled and divided into 20 regions for analysis, withmore » each region represented by a mean and a standard deviation to report percent deviation from nominal fuel loading. The central regions of the plates showed mean values of about +3% deviation, while the edge regions showed mean values of about {minus}7% deviation. The data within these regions roughly approximated random samplings from normal distributions, although the chi-square ({chi}{sup 2}) test for goodness of fit to normal distributions was not satisfied.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
205917
Report Number(s):
ORNL/TM-13066
ON: DE96006600; TRN: 96:008724
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-84OR21400
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Aug 1995
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
22 NUCLEAR REACTOR TECHNOLOGY; RESEARCH REACTORS; FUEL PLATES; REACTOR FUELING; VARIATIONS; HFIR REACTOR; HEAT TRANSFER; HYDRAULICS; URANIUM SILICIDES; PERFORMANCE; STATISTICAL DATA; STATISTICAL MECHANICS; DATA ANALYSIS

Citation Formats

Blumenfeld, P E. Fuel loading and homogeneity analysis of HFIR design fuel plates loaded with uranium silicide fuel. United States: N. p., 1995. Web. doi:10.2172/205917.
Blumenfeld, P E. Fuel loading and homogeneity analysis of HFIR design fuel plates loaded with uranium silicide fuel. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/205917
Blumenfeld, P E. 1995. "Fuel loading and homogeneity analysis of HFIR design fuel plates loaded with uranium silicide fuel". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/205917. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/205917.
@article{osti_205917,
title = {Fuel loading and homogeneity analysis of HFIR design fuel plates loaded with uranium silicide fuel},
author = {Blumenfeld, P E},
abstractNote = {Twelve nuclear reactor fuel plates were analyzed for fuel loading and fuel loading homogeneity by measuring the attenuation of a collimated X-ray beam as it passed through the plates. The plates were identical to those used by the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) but were loaded with uranium silicide rather than with HFIR`s uranium oxide fuel. Systematic deviations from nominal fuel loading were observed as higher loading near the center of the plates and underloading near the radial edges. These deviations were within those allowed by HFIR specifications. The report begins with a brief background on the thermal-hydraulic uncertainty analysis for the Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) Reactor that motivated a statistical description of fuel loading and homogeneity. The body of the report addresses the homogeneity measurement techniques employed, the numerical correction required to account for a difference in fuel types, and the statistical analysis of the resulting data. This statistical analysis pertains to local variation in fuel loading, as well as to ``hot segment`` analysis of narrow axial regions along the plate and ``hot streak`` analysis, the cumulative effect of hot segment loading variation. The data for all twelve plates were compiled and divided into 20 regions for analysis, with each region represented by a mean and a standard deviation to report percent deviation from nominal fuel loading. The central regions of the plates showed mean values of about +3% deviation, while the edge regions showed mean values of about {minus}7% deviation. The data within these regions roughly approximated random samplings from normal distributions, although the chi-square ({chi}{sup 2}) test for goodness of fit to normal distributions was not satisfied.},
doi = {10.2172/205917},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/205917}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995},
month = {Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995}
}