Critical separation between subcritical clusters of 2. 35 wt 235/U enriched UO/ 2/ rods in water with fixed neutron poisons

Technical Report · Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5357016· OSTI ID:5357016

Bierman, S R; Clayton, E D; Durst, B M

A program to provide experimental data for validating calculational techniques and nuclear data used in criticality assessments of LWR type fuel element shipping packages and similar type systems is described. The experiments were designed to permit easy and accurate definition in Monte Carlo computer codes currently used in these criticality assessments. Basically the experiments were concerned with the critical separation between water flooded subcritical clusters of fuel rods in the presence of various fixed neutron poisons. The experiments were carried out in an 18 m x 3 m x 2.1 m deep tank provided with features specifically designed and built for these experiments. The initial series of experiments are covered in this report and involve aluminum clad 2.35 wt% /sup 235/U enriched UO/sub 2/ rods about 12 mm in diameter by 914 mm in length. The critical separation between three subcritical clusters of these rods aligned in a row was determined with and without the following neutron absorber materials (neutron poisons) located between the clusters: 304L steel with 0, 1.1, and 1.6 wt% boron; boral; copper with 0 and 1 wt% cadmium; cadmium; aluminum; and zircaloy-4. The neutron poisons were in the form of plates slightly larger than the length and width of the opposing faces of the fuel clusters.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, Wash. (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-06-1830
• OSTI ID: 5357016
• Report Number(s): PNL-2438
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220100* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Theory & Calculation
42 ENGINEERING
420203 -- Engineering-- Handling Equipment & Procedures
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CRITICALITY
ELEMENTS
ENRICHED URANIUM
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL ELEMENT CLUSTERS
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL RODS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPE ENRICHED MATERIALS
METALS
NUCLEAR POISONS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
SLIGHTLY ENRICHED URANIUM
URANIUM
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM OXIDES
WATER