The PuO₂-UO₂ Experiment in the EBWR

Technical Report · Wed Jun 09 04:00:00 EDT 1965

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4601132· OSTI ID:4601132

Liikala, R. C. ^[1]; Jenquin, U. P. ^[1]; Reardon, W. A. ^[1]

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1. Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (United States)

A plutonium experiment is to be performed in the Experimental Boiling Water Reactor (EBWR) at Argonne National Laboratory and is a joint program between Pacific Northwest Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory. This program which is to demonstrate the utilization of plutonium in a light-water moderated power reactor is entering Phase 2, the Startup Experiments. In this phase of the program, the central portion of the core will be loaded with plutonium fuel such that the core reactivity variation with burnup will be caused mainly by burnup of the plutonium zone. Surrounding the plutonium zone are uranium fuel elements which will be used as driver elements. Several rods will be included in the plutonium zone to obtain burnup information from special fuel compositions. A series of tests will be conducted during the initial loading of the EBWR in order to measure the reactivity worth of fuel rods, safety rods, voids, and boric acid in the moderator. At various stages of burnup, the series of tests performed at the time of the startup experiments will be repeated. Also, at these stages a series of rods from the plutonium zone will be removed and returned to Battelle Northwest for reactivity measurements in the Plutonium Recycle Critical Facility (PRCF) and subsequently analyzed for plutonium concentration, isotopic composition and to obtain other data which will describe the burnup characteristics. The results of calculations of the reactivity changes expected at startup and throughout the burnup of the core are presented in this report. Information obtained during the startup experiments will be used to assess the accuracy of the calculational. methods and identify areas of uncertainty in the computations.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: AT(45-1)-1830
• NSA Number: NSA-20-001457
• OSTI ID: 4601132
• Report Number(s): BNWL-126
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
BOILING
BORON OXIDES
BUBBLES
BURNUP
Burnup
CONTROL ELEMENTS
Criticality
EBWR
ERRORS
Experimental Boiling Water Reactor
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUELS
NUMERICALS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
POISONING
POWER PLANTS
Plutonium Recycle Critical Facility
Power
Power Breeder Reactors
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
RODS
Reactors
STARTUP
TESTING
URANIUM DIOXIDE
WATER COOLANT
WATER MODERATOR