Computer Simulation of Hypothetical Criticality Accidents in Aqueous Fissile Solutions

Conference · Sun Jun 02 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:5923657

The purpose of this paper is to describe recent developments in computer simulation of hypothetical criticality accidents in aqueous fissile solutions of uranium and plutonium such as might be encountered in fuel fabrication and reprocessing operations. Models for reactivity shutdown mechanisms and equations of state have been combined to permit estimates of fission yield, inertial pressure, and kinetic energy for a wide range of pulse sizes and time scales. Improvements to previously published models are reported along with some recent applications. Information obtained from pulsed solution assemblies (KEWB, CRAC, SILENE, and SHEBA) and from past criticality accidents was used in the development of computer models. Applications include slow events lasting many hours (hypothetical undetected laboratory accidents) and large-yield millisecond pulses in which evolution of radiolytic gas may be important (severe accidents and pulsed reactors).

• Research Organization: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• OSTI ID: 5923657
• Report Number(s): CONF-910603--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Journal Volume: 63
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
220600 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Research
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42 ENGINEERING
420203* -- Engineering-- Handling Equipment & Procedures
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
ACCIDENTS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
AQUEOUS HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS
Applications
Aqueous Fissile Solutions
BUBBLES
COMPUTER CODES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CRITICALITY
Computer Simulation
DISPERSIONS
ENERGY
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FISSILE MATERIALS
FISSION YIELD
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
FLUID FUELED REACTORS
FUEL FABRICATION PLANTS
FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS
HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
Hypothetical Criticality Accidents
KEWB REACTOR
KINETIC ENERGY
LIQUID HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
MATERIALS
MIXTURES
Model
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR REACTION YIELD
OPERATION
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
REACTIVITY
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SAFETY
SILENE REACTOR
SIMULATION
SOLUTIONS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
YIELDS
ZERO POWER REACTORS
recent developments