Criticality Safety Studies of a Proposed Uranium-Zirconium Alloy Fuel Fabrication Facility

Conference · Tue Jun 05 04:00:00 EDT 1990

OSTI ID:5432075

Reynolds, K. H. ^[1]; Hollenbach, D. F. ^[2]; Dodds, H. L. ^[1]; Tollefson, D. A. ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
2. Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (Y-12), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

The purpose of this project is to provide criticality limits and guidance for the initial planning phase of a new facility for the production of a new metal alloy fuel material for the Hanford N Reactor. The proposed fuel material composition is a uranium- zirconium alloy consisting of approximately 90.7 weight percent zirconium and 9.3 weight percent uranium. While the anticipated enrichments range from 55 to 70 weight percent ²³⁵U, this analysis considers only 100 weight percent ²³⁵U for simplicity and conservatism. The fuel material would be produced in the form of a solid, as-cast double billet using an arc melter process. Two finished billets result from one as-cast double billet. The production process poses several criticality safety concerns that require evaluation. The concerns include non-homogeneous alloy formation in the arc melter, as-cast billet storage, and finished billet storage. All analyses were performed using the KENO V.a module of the SCALE computer code system with the 27 group, ENDF-IV based cross section library.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (Y-12), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OS21400
• OSTI ID: 5432075
• Report Number(s): Y/DD--454; CONF-900608--55-Vugraphs; ON: DE91017849
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050700* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Fuels Production & Properties
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
220700 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Plutonium & Isotope Production Reactors
ACTINIDE ALLOYS
ACTINIDES
ALLOYS
CRITICALITY
ELEMENTS
ENRICHED URANIUM
FUEL FABRICATION PLANTS
HANFORD PRODUCTION REACTORS
ISOTOPE ENRICHED MATERIALS
MATERIALS
METALS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
PLUTONIUM PRODUCTION REACTORS
PRODUCTION REACTORS
REACTORS
SAFETY ANALYSIS
URANIUM
URANIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM BASE ALLOYS