Analysis of the Initial Critical Experiments of the EBWR Plutonium Recycle Program

Technical Report · Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1967

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4575822· OSTI ID:4575822

Kier, P. H. ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

As part of the EBWR Plutonium Recycle Program, the purpose of which is to obtain information useful for the utilization of plutonium in light-water-moderated power reactors, critical experiments were performed prior to power operation. These measurements of critical configurations and reactivity coefficients yield information useful for the modification and refinement of calculational models. This report describes the experimental results and the analysis of the experimental results for measurements of two plutonium-fuel critical configurations, temperature coefficients of reactivity, boric acid worths and control-rod bank worths. The temperature coefficients and boric acid worths were measured for the 36-plutonium-assembly loading and for the full fuel loadings. These critical experiments led to a revised computational model, which is also described.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, 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
• OSTI ID: 4575822
• Report Number(s): ANL-7368
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
Boric Acid
CONFIGURATION
CRITICALITY
EBWR
FUEL ELEMENTS
Fuel Loading
MEASUREMENT
N38110* --Power Reactor Development--Kinetics & Dynamics
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PLUTONIUM
REACTIVITY
REACTORS
Reactivity Coefficient
Temperature Coefficient
WATER MODERATOR