Two-Group Calculations of the Critical Core Size of the SRE Reactor

Technical Report · Thu Jan 15 00:00:00 EST 1959

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4264792· OSTI ID:4264792

Fillmore, F. L. ^[1]

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1. North American Aviation, Inc., Canoga Park, CA (United States). Atomics International Div.

A brief description of the SRE reactor is given. Basic cross sections and other physical data used in the calculations are listed. The required lattice parameters are evaluated, taking into account the details of the lattice cell structure and core structure. Using two-group reflected reactor theory, the critical mass is calculated for three cases. They are (a) dry: all materials at 20 °C and no sodium in the reactor; (b) wet: sodium in the reactor and all materials at 180 °C; and (c) hot: operating conditions at full power (20 megawatts) with equilibrium xenon and samarium poison. The value for the effective resonance integral of U²³⁸ used in these calculations was obtained from a two-group analysis of uranium graphite exponential experiments. The calculations described are made in a manner consistent with those made for exponential experiments. The flux and adjoint functions in both radial and axial directions are given. The only fuel considered is 2.778 w/o enriched uranium metal.

• Research Organization: North American Aviation, Inc., Canoga Park, CA (United States). Atomics International Div.
• Sponsoring Organization: US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AT-11-1-GEN-8
• NSA Number: NSA-13-009473
• OSTI ID: 4264792
• Report Number(s): NAA-SR--1517(Rev.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
CONFIGURATION
CRITICALITY
CROSS SECTIONS
DENSITY
DISTRIBUTION
ENRICHMENT
EQUATIONS
EXPONENTIAL PILES
FAST NEUTRONS
FUELS
GRAPHITE MODERATOR
GROUP THEORY
HIGH TEMPERATURE
LIQUID METAL COOLANT
LOW TEMPERATURE
MASS
MEASURED VALUES
METALS
MODERATORS
NEUTRON FLUX
NUMERICALS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PLANNING
POISONING
POWER PLANTS
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTORS
REFLECTORS
RESONANCE ESCAPE PROBABILITY
SAMARIUM
SODIUM
SRE
STABILITY
STANDARDS
TEMPERATURE
THERMAL NEUTRONS
URANIUM
URANIUM 238
VARIATIONS
VOLUME
XENON
ZONES