Final report for the Light Water Breeder Reactor proof-of-breeding analytical support project
The technology of breeding /sup 233/U from /sup 232/Th in a light water reactor is being developed and evaluated by the Westinghouse Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory (BAPL) through operation and examination of the Shippingport Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR). Bettis is determining the end-of-life (EOL) inventory of fissile uranium in the LWBR core by nondestructive assay of a statistical sample comprising approximately 500 EOL fuel rods. This determination is being made with an irradiated-fuel assay gauge based on neutron interrogation and detection of delayed neutrons from each rod. The EOL fissile inventory will be compared with the beginning-of-life fissile loading of the LWBR to determine the extent of breeding. In support of the BAPL proof-of-breeding (POB) effort, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) carried out destructive physical, chemical, and radiometric analyses on 17 EOL LWBR fuel rods that were previously assayed with the nondestructive gauge. The ANL work included measurements on the intact rods; shearing of the rods into pre-designated contiguous segments; separate dissolution of each of the more than 150 segments; and analysis of the dissolver solutions to determine each segment's uranium content, uranium isotopic composition, and loading of selected fission products. This report describes the facilities in which this work was carried out, details operations involved in processing each rod, and presents a comprehensive discussion of uncertainties associated with each result of the ANL measurements. Most operations were carried out remotely in shielded cells. Automated equipment and procedures, controlled by a computer system, provided error-free data acquisition and processing, as well as full replication of operations with each rod. Despite difficulties that arose during processing of a few rod segments, the ANL destructive-assay results satisfied the demanding needs of the parent LWBR-POB program.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 6428027
- Report Number(s):
- ANL-87-2; ON: DE87011236
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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FUEL RODS
BURNUP
TESTING
LWBR TYPE REACTORS
EVALUATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FISSION PRODUCTS
PERFORMANCE
THORIUM 232
URANIUM 233
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BREEDER REACTORS
DATA
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FUEL ELEMENTS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
THORIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM ISOTOPES
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
210500* - Power Reactors
Breeding