High Flux Isotope Reactor Preliminary Design Study

Technical Report · Thu Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1959

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4248964· OSTI ID:4248964

Lane, J. A. ^[1]; Cheverton, R. D. ^[1]; Claiborne, H. C. ^[1]; Cole, T. E. ^[1]; Gambill, W. R. ^[1]; Gill, J. P. ^[1]; Hilvety, N. ^[1]; McWherther, J. R. ^[1]; Vroom, D. W. ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

A comparison of possible types of research reactors for the production of transplutonium elements and other isotopes indicates that a flux-trap reactor consisting of a beryllium-reflecteds light-water-cooled annular fuel region surrounding a light-water island provides the required thermal neutron fluxes at minimum cost. The preliminary desigu of such a reactor was carried out on the basis of a parametric study of the effect of dimensions of the island and fuel regions heat removal rates, and fuel loading on the achievable thermal neutmn fluxes in the island and reflector. The results indicate that a 12- to 14-cm- diam. island provides the maximum flux for a given power density. This is in good agreement with the US8R critical experiments. Heat removal calculations indicate that average power densities up to 3.9 Mw/liter are achievable with H₂O-cooled, platetype fuel elements if the system is pressurized to 650 psi to prevent surface boiling. On this basis, 100 Mw of heat can be removed from a 14-cm-ID x 36-cm-OD x 30.5-cm-long fuel regions resulting in a thermal neutron flux of 3 x 10¹⁵ in the island after insertion of 100 g of Cm²⁴⁴ or equivalent. The resulting production of Cf²⁵² amounts to 65 mg for a 1 1/2- year irradiation. Operation of the reactor at the more conservative level of 67 Mw, providing an irradiation flux of 2 x 10¹⁵ in the islands will result in the production of 35 mg of Cf²⁵² per 18 months from 100 g of Cm²⁴⁴. A development program is proposed to answer the question of the feasibility of the higher power operation. In addition to the central irradiation facility for heavy element productions the HFIR contains ten hydraulic rabbit tubes passing through the beryllium reflector for isotope production and four beam holes for basic research, Preliminary estimates indicate that the cost of the facility, designed for an operating power level of 100 Mw, will be approximately $12 million.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• NSA Number: NSA-13-014004
• OSTI ID: 4248964
• Report Number(s): CF-59-2-65
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-59
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES
42 ENGINEERING
ACTINIDES
BERYLLIUM
BOILING
CALIFORNIUM 252
CONFIGURATION
CRITICALITY
CURIUM 244
DENSITY
ECONOMICS
FUEL ELEMENTS
HEAT TRANSFER
HFIR
HYDRAULICS
IN PILE LOOPS
IRRADIATION
MASS
NEUTRON BEAMS
NEUTRON FLUX
NUMERICALS
OPERATION
PLANNING
PLATES
POWER
PRESSURE
PRODUCTION
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR FUELING
REACTORS
REFLECTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SURFACES
THERMAL NEUTRONS
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
VOLUME
WATER
WATER COOLANT
ZONES
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Reacitivity
Criticality
Flux Trap
Reactor
Research Reactors
Boiling
Beryllium