Critical Experiments at Pacific Northwest Laboratory

Conference · Tue Sep 20 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:5483039

Clayton, E. D. ^[1]; Bierman, S. R. ^[1]

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1. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Critical experiment programs at the Critical Mass Laboratory (CML) of the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) are discussed and projected requirements for critical experiment data in different areas of the fuel recycle; processing, fabrication, storage and shipment are reviewed. Recent experiments at the CML include: Criticality Measurements on (1) homogeneous aqueous solutions of Pu and U (up to 60 wt% Pu), (2) plutonium nitrate solutions with Cd as a soluble absorber, (3) heterogeneous lattice assemblies of low enriched uranium with high reactivity hold down achieved by means of a soluble absorber (boron) in the water moderator, (4) lattice assemblies with LWR type fuel in water containing gadolinium nitrate as soluble absorber, (5) interacting arrays of bottles of Pu solutions and (6) interacting arrays of bundles of low enriched uranium lattice assemblies in water with lead, steel and depleted uranium reflectors. Neutronic measurements are described wherein neutron flux spatial and spectral mapping have been done with solid state track recorders (SSTR) to provide data on fission rates and neutron spectrum.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5483039
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-11251; CONF-8309105-1; ON: DE84001551
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050800 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
420203* -- Engineering-- Handling Equipment & Procedures
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
CRITICALITY
Critical Experiment Programs
Critical Mass Laboratory (CML)
DISPERSIONS
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL RODS
Fission Rates
Fuel Recycle
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MIXTURES
NEUTRON FLUX
Neutron Spectrum
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
Processing
Fabrication
Storage and Shipment
RADIATION FLUX
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLUTIONS
STORAGE
Solid State Track Recorders (SSTR)
TRANSPORT
WATER