NUCLEAR CALCULATIONS FOR HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS PRODUCING U-233

Technical Report · Mon Oct 22 04:00:00 EST 1951

OSTI ID:4329732

Visner, S

As an aid in evaluating the economics and engineering feasibility of large-scale homogeneous reactors for producing power and U/sup 233/, nuclear calculations are made for highly enriched spherical reactors of both the one- region and tworegion types. The two-region reactors investigated have a central core surrounded by ThO/sub 2/-D/sub 2/O slurry in a blanket. Separating the core and blanket is a Zr shell whose absorption is taken into account in the calculations. In the core is a solution of UO/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ in D/sub 2/O, the fuel isotope being U/sup 235/ for the converters and U/sup 233/ for the breeders. Calculations are made with various relative power levels in the blanket due to the fission of the U produced. Among the other parameters studied are thickness of the core shell, temperatures of the core and blanket, concentration of Th in the blanket, and blanket thickness. A study is made of the behavior of the reactors as a function of operation time in order to take into account the build-up of higher isotopes of U. Singleregion reactors with no blanket or reflector are also investigated, but not as extensively. The fuel solution, UO/ sub 2/SO/sub 4/ in D/sub 2/O, is considered homogeneously mixed with ThO/sub 2/ in various concentrations. (C.H.)

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn.
• NSA Number: NSA-12-000993
• OSTI ID: 4329732
• Report Number(s): CF-51-10-110
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ABSORPTION
BLANKETS
BREEDING
BUCKLING
BURNUP
CONFIGURATION
CONVERSION
CRITICALITY
CROSS SECTIONS
DENSITY
DISTRIBUTION
ECONOMICS
EFFICIENCY
ENRICHMENT
EQUATIONS
FISSION
FUEL SLURRIES
FUEL SOLUTIONS
HEAVY WATER
HEAVY WATER MODERATOR
HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
ISOTOPES
MULTIPLICATION FACTORS
NEUTRON FLUX
PHYSICS
POISONING
POWER PLANTS
PRODUCTION
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REFLECTORS
SHELLS
SPHERES
SULFATES
TEMPERATURE
THICKNESS
THORIUM
THORIUM OXIDES
URANIUM
URANIUM 233
URANIUM 235
URANIUM 238
URANYL COMPOUNDS
VARIATIONS
VESSELS
ZIRCONIUM
ZONES