Operating Characteristics of a Graphite-Moderated Subcritical Assembly
- Iowa State College, Ames, IA (United States)
The Iowa State College subcritical assembly is a natural uranium- graphite pile constructed as a teaching tool to illustrate the principles of nuclear physics and engineering and as a facility for graduate thesis research in nuclear engineering. The determination of the basic operating characteristics of this assembly is described and discussed. The material buckling as determined from flux measurements was the parameter used in comparing the results. Tests were conducted for the 6 in., 8 1/2 in., and 12 in. lattice arrangements and for all uranium removed. Tests were made with air and water in the coolant annuli surrounding the uranium slugs. Bucklings were calculated using the elementary theory of Murray (in which all extraneous materials are treated as poisons) and the method of Vo1koff and Rumsey (in which the moderating effect of the water and the shielding effects of the various materials are considered) for the three lattice arrangements, and they are compared with the experimental results. The position of the neutron sources in the source compartment and the presence of water around the sources were found to affect the measured value of material buckling.
- Research Organization:
- Iowa State College, Ames, IA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
- NSA Number:
- NSA-13-010655
- OSTI ID:
- 4282571
- 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
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Related Subjects
AIR
BUCKLING
CONFIGURATION
COOLANT LOOPS
COOLANTS
CRITICAL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL ELEMENTS
GRAPHITE MODERATOR
ISCA
MEASURED VALUES
NATURAL URANIUM FUEL
NEUTRON FLUX
NEUTRON SOURCES
NUMERICALS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
OPERATION
REACTOR CORE
RODS
WATER COOLANT