Critical Studies of a Dilute Carbide Fast Reactor Core: ZPR-III Assembly 34

Technical Report · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1961

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4833260· OSTI ID:4833260

Huber, R. J. ^[1]; Long, J. K. ^[1]; McVean, R. L. ^[1]; Gasidlo, J. M. ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Critical studies were made with a simulated, large, dilute power reactor having uranium carbide as fuel. The uranium in the core was 30.7% enriched, and the atomic ratio of uranium to carbon was 0.946. The critical mass was 503.01 kg U²³⁵ and the critical volume 574.47 liters. Central reactivity coefficients, effective fission cross-section ratios, heterogeneity effects, reactivity worth of distributed materials, foil irradiations, and the average prompt neutron lifetime were measured. Multigroup calculations using the Yiftah, Okrent, and Moldauer cross-section set overestimated k for the critical configuration by 4.7%.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• NSA Number: NSA-15-031489
• OSTI ID: 4833260
• Report Number(s): ANL-6401
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
CARBIDES
CARBON
CRITICALITY
CROSS SECTIONS
Critical Mass
ENRICHMENT
FAST NEUTRONS
FISSION
FOILS
Fission Ratio
IRRADIATION
MASS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Power Reactor
REACTIVITY
REACTORS
SOLUTIONS
URANIUM
Uranium Carbide