End Effect K_eff Bias Curve for Actinide-Only Burnup Credit Casks

Conference · Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1997 · Proceedings of the International Topical Meeting on Advanced Reactors Safety

OSTI ID:471466

Kang, C. H. ^[1]; Lancaster, D. B. ^[1]

---

1. TRW Environmental Safety Systems, Inc., Vienna, VA (United States)

A conservative end effect k_eff bias curve for actinide-only burnup credit for spent fuel casks is presented in this paper. The k_eff bias values can be added to the uniform axial burnup analysis to conservatively bound the actinide-only end effect. A normalized axial burnup distribution for the standard Westinghouse 17 x 17 assembly design is used for calculating k_eff. The end effect calculated is a strong function of burnup and increases as cask size decreases. The presence of poison plates increases the end effect. The bias curve presented is based on the most limiting cask configuration of a single PWR assembly with completely black poison plates. Therefore, axially uniform criticality calculations with application of the proposed k_eff could eliminate the need for axially burnup dependent analyses.

• Research Organization: TRW Environmental Safety Systems, Inc., Vienna, VA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC01-91RW00134
• OSTI ID: 471466
• Report Number(s): DOE/RW/00134--M97-004; CONF-970607--11; ON: DE97004214
• Journal Information: Proceedings of the International Topical Meeting on Advanced Reactors Safety, Journal Name: Proceedings of the International Topical Meeting on Advanced Reactors Safety
• Publisher: American Nuclear Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ACTINIDES
Axial Burnup Distribution
BURNUP
CALCULATION METHODS
CRITICALITY
END EFFECTS
Fission Products
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PWR TYPE REACTORS
Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)
SCALE
SPENT FUEL CASKS
SPENT FUELS
Slab Geometry
Westinghouse 17 x 17 Assembly Design