REVISED REPORT OF THE REACTOR HAZARDS FOR THE PHYSICAL CONSTANTS TESTING REACTOR

Technical Report · Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1962

OSTI ID:4817108

Henry, H L; Nichols, P F; Watson, E C

The Physical Consianis Testing Reacior (PCTR) has been operated successfully for over six years. The reactor as it exists today ts described, measured values for control element worths are presented, and the reactor hazards analyzed. The reactor is essentially a 7-foot cube of graphite with a large cavity in the center, about 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 3 feet deep. It ts made critical with uranium enriched to at least 92% in U/sup 235/ and runs normally at a power of 1 to 10 watts. Sections of various lattices are inserted into the test cavity. The effects of the test laitice on the PCTR reactivity are measured and neutron distributions inside the test lattice are determined. There are two mechanical safety systems on the reactor; eight shutter-type control rods, which are driven to the closed position by springs in about 0.25 seconds, and two large cadmium disks that fall freely into the reactor in about 0.5 seconds. These 10 mechanical safety devices have individual driving and electromagnetic release mechanisms. The electromagnets are controlled by neutron flux monitoring through five electronic channels; two are fission chamber channels for subcritical and postcritical monitoring, while the remaining three are ion chamber channels for subcritical and level monitoring. If all the mechanical shutdown devices should fail, and if an excursion were to continue until limited by vaporization of the fuel. 2 x 10/sup 18/ fissions would occur. An analysis of the effects shows that consequences outside the reactor building would be limited to nuisance contamination within the 300 Area. Maximum; dosage to personnel in the plume and 100 meters from the building ts estimated as less than 15 rem total body plus 15 rem beta from contaminants deposited on the skin. (auth)

• Research Organization: General Electric Co. Hanford Atomic Products Operation, Richland, Wash.
• DOE Contract Number: AT(45-1)-1350
• NSA Number: NSA-16-020023
• OSTI ID: 4817108
• Report Number(s): HW-73021
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-62
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
BUILDINGS
CADMIUM
CONFIGURATION
CONTAMINATION
CONTROL ELEMENTS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
CRITICALITY
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTROMAGNETISM
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EXCURSIONS
FISSION CHAMBERS
GRAPHITE MODERATOR
IONIZATION CHAMBERS
MACHINE PARTS
MEASURED VALUES
MONITORING
MOTORS
NEUTRON DETECTION
NEUTRON FLUX
OPERATION
PCTR
PERSONNEL
POWER
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR SAFETY
RESEARCH REACTORS
SHUTDOWN
URANIUM 235
ZONES