Experiments with a Series of Small, Pu-Plus-U-Fueled Fast-Reactor Criticals (FARET Mockup--ZPR-3 Assembly 46)

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1970

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4085170· OSTI ID:4085170

Hess, Allen L. ^[1]; Keeney, William P. ^[1]; McVean, Robert L. ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

ZPR-3 Assembly 46 was a series of small Pu-plus-U-fueled fast-reactor cores studied in conjunction with design efforts for FARET; a conceptual fast-fuels test reactor. Six different cores, labeled A through F, were constructed as mockups of possible FARET loadings. Cores A and B simulated PuC·UC- fueled cores with volumes of 57 and 68 liters, respectively. Core C was an 87-liter system with an PuO₂·UO₂ fuel representation. Cores D, E, and F, with volumes of 80, 108, and 95 liters, respectively, were each composed of four annular fuel zones. The different zones contained simulations of oxide, carbide, and alloy fuels as mockups of envisaged multifueled FARET cores. An additional three-zoned core, Core G, was used for fast-reactor physics experiments of a general nature. Principal experiments with the mockups were: evaluating the reactivity control afforded by FARET design B₄C control rods, measuring worths of fuel inter changes, obtaining flux distributions, and measuring reactivity coefficients for core-constituent materials.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31-109-ENG-38
• NSA Number: NSA-25-008114
• OSTI ID: 4085170
• Report Number(s): ANL-7215
• Resource Relation: Other Information: UNCL. Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-71
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
CONTROL ELEMENTS
CRITICAL ASSEMBLIES
FARET
FAST REACTORS
FUEL ELEMENTS
MOCKUP
NEUTRON FLUX
PLUTONIUM CARBIDES
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
RODS
URANIUM CARBIDES
URANIUM DIOXIDE
ZPR-3
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Fast-Fuels
Simulations
Reactor Physics
Control Rods
Flux Distributions
Reactivity Coefficients