Process Development Pile Measurements of Lattice Parameters of Natural Uranium in Heavy Water

Technical Report · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1959

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4215599· OSTI ID:4215599

Baumann, Norman P. ^[1]

---

1. Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Lab.

Details and complete results are given of a series of lattice studies performed in the Process Development Pile (PDP). Some of the results were presented at the Second United Nations International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy. The lattices studied covered a large range of configurations of natural uranium fuel in heavy water moderator. Fuel assemblies consisted of single bare metal rods, clustered bare metal rods, clustered bare metal plates, metal tubes in aluminum housings, and clustered rods of aluminum-clad UO₂. After the 1958 Geneva Conference,-additional measurements were made with assemblies of metal plates inside gasfilled tubes. Triangular or equivalent lattice spacings were varied from 7.00 to 10.69 inches by the use of 7, 6, 5, 4, or 3 assemblies in the PDP test region. A detailed tabulation contains the measured bucklings and the moderator purity corrections for all lattices measured. The tabulation also Includes calculated parameters, such as ϵ, p, f, L², and τ. Corrections required because of the irregular spacing of the test assemblies are discussed and listed for each lattice. The two-group, two-region method of analyzing critical water heights Is described in detail. A comparison Is made of the PDP measurements with similar measurements that were made at Chalk River, A.B. Atomenergi, Saclay, and North American Aviation.

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Lab.
• Sponsoring Organization: US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• NSA Number: NSA-14-000812
• OSTI ID: 4215599
• Report Number(s): DP--407
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ALUMINUM
BUCKLING
CONFIGURATION
CRITICAL ASSEMBLIES
CRITICALITY
Chalk River
DIFFUSION LENGTH
FAST FISSION FACTOR
FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
GASES
HEAVY WATER MODERATOR
IMPURITIES
Lattice
METALS
MULTIPLICATION FACTORS
NATURAL URANIUM FUEL
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PLATES
REACTOR CORE
RESONANCE ESCAPE PROBABILITY
RODS
SPACERS
THERMAL UTILIZATION
TUBES
URANIUM DIOXIDE
VARIATIONS