MULTIGROUP CALCULATIONS OF EFFECTIVE NEUTRON FRACTION $beta$eff' PROMPT NEUTRON LIFETIME lp' AND RELATED KINETICS PARAMETERS FOR LARGE, FAST, PLUTONIUM-FUELED REACTORS

Technical Report · Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1961

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4785756· OSTI ID:4785756

Sandmeier, H. A.

Large, plutonium-fueled, fast reactors will have a different kinetic behavior than fast reactors fueled with U/sup 235/, due to the much smaller delayed-neutron fraction emitted in the fissioning of plutonium. The fissioning of Pu/sup 240/, Pu/sup 241/, Pu/sup 242/, and especially U/sup 238/, which emit mor e delayed neutrons per fission than Pu/sup 239/, introduces a considerable increase in BETA /sub eff/ over that for a hypothetical pure Pu/sup 239/ reactor. The cases considered are 800-, 1500-, and 2500-liter cores fueled with plutonium of different isotopic content, which lead to effective delayed-neutron fractions of approximately one-half the values of similar U/sup 235/-U/sup 238/-fueled fast reactors. The energy spectrum and the number of fissions weighted with their importance are recorded in order to reason physically on the obtained parameters. (auth)

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., Ill.
• DOE Contract Number: W-31-109-ENG-38
• NSA Number: NSA-16-029997
• OSTI ID: 4785756
• Report Number(s): ANL-6423
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-62
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
CROSS SECTIONS
DELAYED NEUTRONS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ENERGY
FAST NEUTRONS
FISSION
FUELS
GROUP THEORY
LIFETIME
MULTIPLICATION FACTORS
NEUTRONS
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM 241
PLUTONIUM 242
PROMPT NEUTRONS
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTORS
SPECTRA
URANIUM 235
URANIUM 238
VARIATIONS
VOLUME