Report on Conversion of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Nuclear Reactor Facility to Low-Enriched Uranium

Technical Report · Thu Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6399399· OSTI ID:6399399

On 20 December 1988, WPI received 28 LEU 18 plate aluminide elements for use in the reactor core, replacing HEU fuel unloaded on 16 December 1988. Initial loading began on 27 December 1988, with initial criticality being achieved on 29 December 1988. Testing on the LEU core was performed and the results compared with calculations performed for WPI by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). It should be noted that the ANL calculations were in all cases based on the reference 24 element core shown in Figure 1. HEU measurements were made using the reference core. It was not possible, however, to perform LEU measurements with the reference 24 element core since criticality occurred at a fuel loading of slightly greater than 21 elements.

• Research Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute, MA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-86ER75271
• OSTI ID: 6399399
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/75271-T2; ON: DE91004593
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220600* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors
220900 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ANL
Aluminide
Argonne National Laboratory
CONTROL ELEMENTS
Control Elements
Criticality
DESIGN
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL PLATES
Fuel Elements
NEUTRON FLUX
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
POOL TYPE REACTORS
RADIATION FLUX
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR FUELING
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RETROFITTING
Reactor Core
SAFETY
THERMAL REACTORS
TRAINING REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
WPIR REACTOR