THE DESIGN AND USES OF HIGH FLUX RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1959

OSTI ID:4199806

Lane, J A

The need for thermal and fast neutron fluxes in the range of 1 to 5 x l0/ sup 15/ neutrons/cm/sup 2/(sec) for the production of heavy elements such as Cf/ sup 252/ and other special isotopes and for improving the quality of beam experiments, reactor materiais testing work, and solid state research has led to plans for the construction of three ultra high flux research reactors. The designs of these and other high flux research reactors are based on the general technology of enriched tank-type reactors; however, they utilize the principle of separate fuel and moderator regions to achieve flux peaking in these regions. Thus, proposed designs take the form of an annular fuel region with internal and external moderating regions or an undermoderated core with an external moderator or reflector. In such arrangements, the thermal flux peaks in the moderating regions and the fast flux peaks in the fuel region, which results in maximum fast and thermal fluxes per unit of power. Since most of the moderation of fast neutrons takes place outside of the fuel region, the thermal flux peaking depends on the number of fast neutrons leaking from the reactor core, which in turn depends on the power density in the core. Thus, maximum fluxes of neutrons at all energy levels are proportional to the power density in the reactor core. Interest in high flux reactors, therefore, has led to a consideration of ways in which the power density in the reactor core, and thereby the flux, may be increased. (auth)

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• NSA Number: NSA-14-007862
• OSTI ID: 4199806
• Report Number(s): AECU-4650
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CALIFORNIUM 252
DENSITY
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
ENRICHMENT
FAST NEUTRONS
FUELS
ISOTOPES
LEAKS
MASS NUMBER
MATERIALS TESTING
MODERATORS
NEUTRON BEAMS
NEUTRON FLUX
PARTICLES
PHYSICS
PLANNING
POWER
PRODUCTION
REACTOR CORE
REACTORS
REFLECTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SOLIDS
TESTING
THERMAL NEUTRONS
USES
VESSELS