Determination of the modified conversion ratio of light-water-moderated uranium-plutonium mixed-oxide-fuel lattice

Journal Article · Wed Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1995 · Nuclear Science and Engineering

OSTI ID:46151

Nakajima, K; Akai, Masanori; Suzaki, Takenori ^[1]

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1. Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Ibaraki (Japan). Dept. of Fuel Cycle Safety Research

The modified conversion ratio (MCR) (the ratio of the {sup 238}U capture rate to the total fission rate) in a light-water-moderated uranium-plutonium mixed-oxide (MOX-) fuel lattice was measured for four types of lattices with different plutonium enrichment. In the current method, the relative reaction rates of {sup 238}U capture and total fission were obtained from nondestructive gamma-ray spectrometry of {sup 239}Np and fission products, respectively, which accumulated in the fuel rod irradiated at the Tank-Type Critical Assembly. The measured results of the fission rates derived from two different fission products agreed well with each other, and the measured MCRs showed good agreement with the results of the Monte Carlo calculation with the whole-core model. Therefore, the current nondestructive method is applicable to the MCR measurement of MOX fuel.

• OSTI ID: 46151
• Journal Information: Nuclear Science and Engineering, Journal Name: Nuclear Science and Engineering Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 119; ISSN NSENAO; ISSN 0029-5639
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
CAPTURE-TO-FISSION RATIO
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
MIXED OXIDE FUELS
NEPTUNIUM 239
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
REACTOR KINETICS
REACTOR LATTICES
URANIUM 238
WATER COOLED REACTORS