SAMARIUM COMPENSATOR
The formation of an equilibrium concentration of Sm/sup149/ with a high poisoning effect in U/sup 2352/ fuel necessitates the addition of excess reactivity to reactor cores to compensate for the poisoning. However, since the Sm/sup 149/ equilibrium concentration takes quite a long time to build up, especially in reactors with low neutron flux, there is a danger of runaway in the initial period of reactor operation due to the excess reactivity. This danger can be alleviated simply by adding to each fuel element an amount of Sm/sup 149/ equivalent to one to two times the amount of the Sm/sup 149/ equilibrium concentration. The optimum proportion of natural Sm/sub 2/O /sub 3/ for addition to UO/sub 2/ in this manner is approximates 0.068 wt.% relative to the weight of U/sub 235/O/sub 2/ present. (D.L.C.)
- Research Organization:
- Originating Research Org. not identified
- NSA Number:
- NSA-16-003914
- OSTI ID:
- 4814745
- Report Number(s):
- GB 882117
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
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BURNUP
CONFIGURATION
CONTROL
CRITICALITY
DENSITY
EFFICIENCY
EXCURSIONS
FABRICATION
FUEL ELEMENTS
IMPURITIES
MASS
MULTIPLICATION FACTORS
NEUTRON FLUX
POISONING
POWER PLANTS
PRODUCTION
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
SAMARIUM 149
SAMARIUM OXIDES
SHUTDOWN
STABILITY
STARTUP
URANIUM 235
URANIUM DIOXIDE