Criticality experiments with mixed oxide fuel pin arrays in plutonium-uranium nitrate solution

Technical Report · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5113075· OSTI ID:5113075

Lloyd, R C ^[1]; Smolen, G R ^[2]

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1. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

A series of critical experiments was completed with mixed plutonium-uranium solutions having a Pu/(Pu + U) ratio of approximately 0.22 in a boiler tube-type lattice assembly. These experiments were conducted as part of the Criticality Data Development Program between the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) and the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC) of Japan. A complete description of the experiments and data are included in this report. The experiments were performed with an array of mixed oxide fuel pins in aqueous plutonium-uranium solutions. The fuel pins were contained in a boiler tube-type tank and arranged in a 1.4 cm square pitch array which resembled cylindrical geometry. One experiment was perfomed with the fuel pins removed from the vessel. The experiments were performed with a water reflector. The concentration of the solutions in the boiler tube-type tank was varied from 4 to 468 g (Pu + U)/liter. The ratio of plutonium to total heavy metal (plutonium plus uranium) was approximately 0.22 for all experiments.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5113075
• Report Number(s): PNL-6559; ON: DE94007612
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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