Two Region Studies in Slightly Enriched Water-Moderated Uranium and Uranium Dioxide Lattices

Journal Article · Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1959 · Nuclear Science and Engineering

OSTI ID:4246874

Volpe, J. J. ^[1]; Smith, G. G. ^[1]; Klein, D. ^[1]; Frantz, F. S. ^[1]; Andrews, J. C. ^[1]

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1. Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

An experimental and analytical study of the flux distribution of two- region core configurations was made for the TRY facility. The purpose of this study was to obtain an estimate of the sizes of critical configurations that would yield the same values of the basic reactor parameters in the inner region as a critical core consisting entirely of the inner region material and geometry. Several two-region cores were constructed and experimental measurements of thermal utilization, resonance escape probability, and fast fission effects were performed. Slow amid fast neutron activation distributions were also obtained. Two inner regions were constructed utilizing 1.3 wt. enriched UO₂ fuel 0.384 in. in diameter and with a density of 10.53 gm/cm₃, A third inner region utilized 1.3 wt.% enriched uranium metal fuel with a diameter of 0.387 in. Light water served as the moderator and reflector in all cases. The experimental and theoretical results indicate that by utilizing two-region cores, measurements of microscopic parameters can be made for a wide variety of fuel sizes, fuel enrichments, and water-to-uranium volume ratios without the construction of full critical cores for each combination.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• NSA Number: NSA-13-015209
• OSTI ID: 4246874
• Journal Information: Nuclear Science and Engineering, Journal Name: Nuclear Science and Engineering Vol. 5; ISSN 0029-5639
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ACTIVATION
ATOMIC MODELS
CHROMIUM NITRIDES
CONFIGURATION
CRITICAL ASSEMBLIES
CRITICALITY
DENSITY
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ENRICHMENT
FAST FISSION FACTOR
FAST NEUTRONS
FUELS
HAFNIUM NITRIDES
HALL EFFECT
HARDNESS
MASS
MATHEMATICS
MEASURED VALUES
METALS
MOLYBDENUM NITRIDES
NEUTRON FLUX
NIOBIUM NITRIDES
NITROGEN
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
REFLECTORS
RESONANCE ESCAPE PROBABILITY
SEMICONDUCTORS
TANTALUM NITRIDES
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMAL NEUTRONS
THERMAL UTILIZATION
THERMOELECTRICITY
TITANIUM NITRIDES
TRX
URANIUM
URANIUM 235
URANIUM DIOXIDE
VANADIUM NITRIDES
VOLUME
WATER MODERATOR
ZIRCONIUM NITRIDES