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THE COMPARISON OF CARBON-ATOM DISPLACEMENT RATE IN GRAPHITE IN THE DRAGON REACTOR, THE PETTEN HTR AND LOW ENRICHMENT HTR. Project DRAGON.

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4097960
This report describes the way in which the physical behaviour of graphite irradiated in different reactors can be related to one another by using a common fast neutron dose scale. The dose scale used is achieved by converting the measured nickel or iron fast neutron dose to an equivalent fission dose (or fluence). A relationship is established between the carbon atom displacement rate and the equivalent fission flux. Using high energy neutron spectra calculated by a Monte Carlo method the carbon atom displacement rate per unit equivalent fission flux in Dragon and the Petten HFR were respectively 1.51 and 1.75 times that in PLUTO (or DIDO). With the same methods of fast neutron spectrum calculation in a typical low enrichment HTR with a power density of 8 MW/m{sup 3} it was found that the time required to reach a DIDO nickel dose of 2 x 10{sup 22} n cm{sup -2} in the graphite moderator immediately adjacent to the fuel was 15.4 years. In addition the carbon atom displacement rate per unit equivalent fission flux in the moderator was found to vary between 1.46 and 2.26 times that in PLUTO (or DIDO).
Research Organization:
Atomic Energy Establishment, Winfrith (England)
NSA Number:
NSA-25-003872
OSTI ID:
4097960
Report Number(s):
DP-Report--559
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English