REACTIVITY ABSORBED BY XENON-135 IN THE SRE

Technical Report · Thu Jan 28 04:00:00 EST 1960

OSTI ID:4192368

Woodruff, R W

The measurement and calculation of the reactivity absorbed by Xe/sup 135/ as functions of time after shutdown for the SRE are described. The measured transient was obtained from critical shim rod configurations. The calculated transient was based on the change in thermal utilization caused by the change in xenon concentration, assuming that the other parameters in k/sub eff/ remain constant. The xenon concentration was calculated prior to shutdown. The varying reactor power was approximated in 4-hr steps to obtain the concentration present when the power was first reduced to zero. The subsequent concentration was obtained from the radioactive decay law. The measured and calculated transients agreed within 0.14% delta k/k. The calculational technique was applied to various positive and negative step changes in power so that the reactivity absorbed by xenon can be estimated for many reactor conditions. After the reactor scrams from nominal full power, the excess reactivity required for xenon compensation is 2.0% delta k/k. A 4day waiting time after shutdown is required before the reactivity worth of reactor components can be measured with an accuracy of 0.001% delta k/k without compensating for xenon. (auth)

• Research Organization: Atomics International Div., North American Aviation, Inc., Canoga Park, Calif.
• DOE Contract Number: AT(11-1)-GEN-8
• NSA Number: NSA-14-008285
• OSTI ID: 4192368
• Report Number(s): NAA-SR-4328
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ABSORPTION
LIQUID METAL COOLANT
POISONING
POWER PLANTS
REACTIVITY
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
SHUTDOWN
SODIUM
SRE
THERMAL UTILIZATION
TRANSIENTS
VARIATIONS
XENON 135