NUCLEAR CHARACTERISTICS OF POSSIBLE REPLACEMENT REACTORS FOR THE HRT

Technical Report · Tue Mar 28 04:00:00 EST 1961

OSTI ID:4009522

Vondy, D R; Tobias, M

>A study was made to establish the dependence of the nuclear characteristics on several variables for certain possible replacement reactors for the HRT. Two-dimensional, two-group, neutron diffusion calculations were made for arrangements appearing most feasible from one-dimensional, multigroup survey calculations. For a 21-in.diameter, 200-liter core, reflected by a 4-in.- thick beryllium cylinder and contained in a 52-in. I.D. pressure vessel, the critical core concentration was found to be 5.0 gm U/sup 233//l with no fertile material, and 6.6 gm U/sup 233//l or about 10.0 gm U/sup 235//l when loaded with a total of 4,000 Kg Th/sup 232/ in the blanket. Associated maximum relative power densities were 6.2, 6.7, and 7.0 Kw/l/Mw, respectively, and core-wall relative power densities were 5.5, 5.6, and 5.2 Kw/l/Mw. The gross breeding ratio was estimated at 1.070 with no fuel in the blanket and 1.039 with 10 gm U/ sup 233//l in the inner fertile region. The relation between the accuracy of measurements of the conversion ratio and errors in measurement of fuel inventory is discusssd. Estimates are made of the value of the true conversion ratio which would be required in order to show that a measurement of it exceeds a given amount. (auth)

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn.
• NSA Number: NSA-15-019015
• OSTI ID: 4009522
• Report Number(s): CF-61-3-136
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BERYLLIUM
BLANKETS
BREEDING
CONVERSION
CRITICALITY
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
DIFFUSION
ERRORS
FUEL SOLUTIONS
GROUP THEORY
HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
HRT
MASS
MEASURED VALUES
NEUTRONS
POWER
PRESSURE VESSELS
QUANTITY RATIO
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REACTORS
REFLECTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
THORIUM 232
URANIUM 233