LOW-POWER PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS ON THE SODIUM REACTOR EXPERIMENT
Abstract
A series of experiments was performed during the loading and low-power operation of the SRE to determine some of the more basic nuclear characteristics. Critical masses were dctermined and found to be 22.2 fuel elements, or 42.4 kg of uranlum-235, for the dry reactor (no sodium present), and 32.6 fuel elements or 62.2 kg of uranium-235, for the wet reactor (sodium present at 180 deg C). Neutron flux mappings were obtained and were found to be in general agreement with theory in the core region; howevers discrepancies were observed in the reflector region and biological shielding. The average reactivity worth was found to be approximately 2.0% for control rods and approximately 1.5% for safety rods. A measurement of the isothermal temperature coeffieient of reactivity found it to be +1.36 x 10/sup -3/%/ deg F at 400 deg F, to decrease with increasing tempera ture, and to approach 0.0%/ deg F at about 800 deg F. Also, danger coefficients wore measured on a number of experimental reactor elements. (auth)
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Atomics International Div., North American Aviation, Inc., Canoga Park, Calif.
- OSTI Identifier:
- 4248497
- Report Number(s):
- NAA-SR-3341
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-015775
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT-11-1-GEN-8
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-59
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- REACTORS; CONTROL ELEMENTS- MEASURED VALUES- OPERATION- POWER- POWER PLANTS- QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS- REACTIVITY- REACTOR FUELING- REACTOR SAFETY- REACTORS- RODS- SODIUM- SRE- TEMPERATURE; CRITICALITY- FUEL ELEMENTS- MASS- MEASURED VALUES- OPERATION- POWER- POWER PLANTS- QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS- REACTOR FUELING- REACTORS- SODIUM- SRE- URANIUM 235- VARIATIONS; DISTRIBUTION- ERRORS- MATHEMATICS- MEASURED VALUES- NEUTRON FLUX- OPERATION- POWER- POWER PLANTS- QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS- REACTOR CORE- REACTOR FUELING- REACTORS- REFLECTORS- SHIELDING- SODIUM- SRE- ZONES
Citation Formats
Campbell, R W. LOW-POWER PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS ON THE SODIUM REACTOR EXPERIMENT. United States: N. p., 1959.
Web.
Campbell, R W. LOW-POWER PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS ON THE SODIUM REACTOR EXPERIMENT. United States.
Campbell, R W. Mon .
"LOW-POWER PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS ON THE SODIUM REACTOR EXPERIMENT". United States.
@article{osti_4248497,
title = {LOW-POWER PHYSICS EXPERIMENTS ON THE SODIUM REACTOR EXPERIMENT},
author = {Campbell, R W},
abstractNote = {A series of experiments was performed during the loading and low-power operation of the SRE to determine some of the more basic nuclear characteristics. Critical masses were dctermined and found to be 22.2 fuel elements, or 42.4 kg of uranlum-235, for the dry reactor (no sodium present), and 32.6 fuel elements or 62.2 kg of uranium-235, for the wet reactor (sodium present at 180 deg C). Neutron flux mappings were obtained and were found to be in general agreement with theory in the core region; howevers discrepancies were observed in the reflector region and biological shielding. The average reactivity worth was found to be approximately 2.0% for control rods and approximately 1.5% for safety rods. A measurement of the isothermal temperature coeffieient of reactivity found it to be +1.36 x 10/sup -3/%/ deg F at 400 deg F, to decrease with increasing tempera ture, and to approach 0.0%/ deg F at about 800 deg F. Also, danger coefficients wore measured on a number of experimental reactor elements. (auth)},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/4248497},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1959},
month = {6}
}