Calorimetric fission product decay heat measurements for /sup 239/Pu, /sup 233/U, and /sup 235/U

Technical Report · Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1978

OSTI ID:6577911

Yarnell, J L; Bendt, P J

A fast-response cryogenic boil-off calorimeter was used to measure decay heat from the products of thermal fission of /sup 239/Pu, /sup 233/U, and /sup 235/U. Data are presented for cooling times between 20 and 10/sup 5/ s following a 2 x 10/sup 4/-s irradiation at constant thermal neutron flux. The experimental uncertainty (1 sigma) was 3 to 4% for /sup 239/Pu, approximately 5% for /sup 233/U, and approximately 2% for /sup 235/U. The average percent deviation of the experimental data points from summation calculations using the ENDF/B-IV data base was +9.7% for /sup 239/Pu, +4.2% for /sup 233/U, and +0.5% for /sup 235/U. The agreement between experiment and calculation is satisfactory except in the case of /sup 239/Pu, where the deviation exceeds the combined uncertainties in the experiment and the calculation. The difference between experiment and summation calculation for /sup 239/Pu is believed to be significant, but its source has not been identified. 4 figures, 12 tables.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6577911
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CR-0349; LA-7452-MS; TRN: 79-001615
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
FISSION PRODUCTS
AFTER-HEAT
NEUTRON REACTIONS
THERMAL FISSION
PLUTONIUM 239 TARGET
URANIUM 233 TARGET
URANIUM 235 TARGET
BETA-MINUS DECAY
ERRORS
THERMAL NEUTRONS
BARYON REACTIONS
BARYONS
BETA DECAY
DECAY
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
FISSION
HADRON REACTIONS
HADRONS
ISOTOPES
NEUTRONS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEON REACTIONS
NUCLEONS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
TARGETS
652026* - Nuclear Properties & Reactions
A=220 & above
Experimental- Spontaneous & Induced Fission- (-1987)
651722 - Nuclear Properties & Reactions
A=90-149
Experimental- Radioactive Decay- (-1987)