DETERMINATION OF THE RELATIVE WORTH OF PLUTONIUM ATOMS TO U$sup 235$ ATOMS IN HOMOGENEOUS UO$sub 3$-WATER MIXTURES
The limiting enrichment of uranium for criticality and the limiting atomic ratios of Pu-to-natural uranium containing 0, 5, 10, and 15% Pu/sup 240/ were determined by Monte Carlo techniques for UO/sub 3/-water mixtures. The Monte Carlo results predict an infinite multiplication factor of unity for a 1.001 plus or minus 0.026 wt % enriched UO/sub 3/--H/sub 2/O mixture. This compares favorably to the experimentally determined limiting critical enrichment of 1.034 plus or minus 0.01 wt% U/sup 235/ in the uranium. The Monte Carlo and multigroup calculations indicate that natural uranium UO/sub 3/ --H/sub 2/O mixtures with a plutonium-to-uranium atomic ratio of less than 0.00155 plus or minus 0.00012 should have a k of less than unity when no Pu/sup 240/ is present. The relative worth of plutonium atoms to U/sup 235/ atoms from a reactivity standpoint with no Pu/sup 240/ present is 1.90 plus or minus 0.14. This ratio changes rapidly with the percent of Pu/sup 240/ that is present in the Pu. (P.C.H.)
- Research Organization:
- General Electric Co. Hanford Atomic Products Operation, Richland, Wash.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT(45-1)-1350
- NSA Number:
- NSA-18-016736
- OSTI ID:
- 4054173
- Report Number(s):
- HW-79413
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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