SM-1 Research and Development "Task XV" Zero Power Experiments for SM-1 Core II and SM-1a Core I

Technical Report · Wed Oct 12 04:00:00 EDT 1960

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4112481· OSTI ID:4112481

Robinson, R. A. ^[1]; Weiss, S. H. ^[1]; McCool, W. J. ^[1]; Schrader, E. W. ^[1]

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1. Alco Products, Inc., Schenectady, NY (United States)

A zero power experiment on the SM-1 Core II included an element by element reactivity check of fuel elements and control rod absorber sections, and an estimate of burnable nuclear poison loading in stationary fuel elements. An approach to criticality was made by the inverse multiplication method, and critical rod bank position obtained as a function of fuel loading up to full core loading. Minimum and maximum core reactivity measurements were obtained by selective loading of stationary fuel elements, and total excess K of the core was established. Power distribution measurements were taken in the regions of the core reflector interface and the fuel-absorber interface in the control rod assemblies. The effectiveness of europium flux suppressors in the top of control rod fuel elements was determined, and power peaking was measured in stationary elements adjacent to control rod assembly water gaps, Survey measurements established the worth of spiking clean, cold SM-1 cores with SM-2 elements and the worth of water holes in the SM-1 Core. The reduced scope zero power experiment performed on SM-1A core I included an element by element uniformity check of stationary fuel elements, a core assembly test, comparison of Eu₂O₃ and B₄C absorber sections, and development of initial core loading procedures for the SM-1A plant.

• Research Organization: Alco Products, Inc., Schenectady, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• NSA Number: NSA-15-004739
• OSTI ID: 4112481
• Report Number(s): APAE-58-Rev
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
BORON CARBIDES
BURNUP
CONTROL ELEMENTS
CRITICALITY
Control Rods
Core Assembly
DISTRIBUTION
EUROPIUM
EUROPIUM OXIDES
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUELS
Fuel Elements
MEASURED VALUES
MULTIPLICATION FACTORS
NEUTRON FLUX
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Nuclear Poison
POISONING
POWER
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR FUELING
REACTORS
REFLECTORS
RODS
Reactivity
SM-1
SM-1A
TEMPERATURE
WATER