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Nuclear criticality safety study of loss of moderation control in 10-ton and 2 1/2-ton UF sub 6 cylinders by KENO V. a computer code analyses

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5235691· OSTI ID:5235691

The purpose of this study was to estimate the required amounts of water entering these large UF{sub 6} cylinders to react with, and to moderate the uranium compounds sufficiently to cause criticality. Hypothetical accident situations were modeled as a uranyl fluoride (UO{sub 2}F{sub 2}) slab above a UF{sub 6} hemicylinder, or a UO{sub 2}F{sub 2} sphere centered within a UF{sub 6} hemicylinder, and were investigated by computational analyses utilizing the KENO V.a{sup (3)} Monte Carlo Computer Code. Assumptions, descriptions, and results of the KENO computer code calculations are presented and discussed. The 2 1/2-ton cylinder was evaluated at 5.0% U-235, and the 10-ton cylinder was evaluated at both 4.5% and 5.0% U-235 enrichments. The minimum estimated amounts of water required for criticality were five gallons of water for a spherical geometry, and 129 gallons of water for a slab geometry in a 10-ton cylinder containing UF{sub 6} at 5.0% enrichment. For the 2 1/2-ton cylinder at 5.0% U-235 enrichment, the minimum estimated amounts were six gallons of water for a spherical geometry, and 57.5 gallons of water for a slab geometry. 5 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs.

Research Organization:
Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Piketon, OH (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/DP; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76OR00001
OSTI ID:
5235691
Report Number(s):
POEF-T-3495; ON: DE90004209
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English