Some Problems in the Safety of Fast Reactors
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)
The characteristics of fast reactors have been studied at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) to determine those unique features which must be considered in addition to features held in common with thermal reactors when looking at the problem of reactor safety and environmental hazards. Fast reactors differ from less energetic systems in two principal respects. The short lifetime of prompt neutrons represents one, the nature of the reactivity coefficients the other. The lifetime of prompt neutrons in a fast system differs from other characteristic time constants, such as those of delayed neutron emitters, of mechanical motion, and of thermal transport, by several orders of magnitude. The inherent reactivity coefficients are of considerably different character, with competition between positive and negative components resulting in net coefficients which are small and vary in sign with the rate of the changes. The net coefficients are strongly dependent on detail of core design and fabrication.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- NSA Number:
- NSA-10-004917
- OSTI ID:
- 4355722
- Report Number(s):
- ANL-5577
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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