Physics design calculations for the TAMU research reactor using GA LEU 30-20 fuel
- Houston Lighting & Power Co., Bay City, TX (United States)
- Texas A&M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)
To reduce the probability of theft or diversion of special nuclear material from research reactors, such as the Texas A&M University (TAMU) Nuclear Science Center Reactor (NSCR), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has ruled that these reactors must convert from highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel at their next fuel loading, if possible. The TAMU NSCR currently utilizes a type of HEU fuel known as fuel life improvement program (FLIP) fuel, manufactured by General Atomic Company (GA). Therefore, the TAMU NSCR will be required to convert to LEU fuel sometime in the future. GA designed FLIP fuel to allow research reactors to operate for long periods of time without the need to refuel, which is possible because of the high uranium enrichment of FLIP fuel, namely, 70 wt% {sup 235}U. Under the requirements of the NRC, the uranium enrichment of the new fuel should not exceed 20 wt% {sup 235}U.
- OSTI ID:
- 437011
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9606116--
- Journal Information:
- Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Vol. 74; ISSN TANSAO; ISSN 0003-018X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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