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Title: Analysis of the fission neutron spectrum of /sup 233/U and criticality computations for homogeneous /sup 233/U--H/sub 2/O spheres and cylinders (LWBR Development Program)

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6720251

The calculation of criticality of /sup 223/U fueled, aqueous-nitrate spherical critical experiments and a high leakage cylinder experiment is discussed. The calculated reactivities are found to be in excellent agreement with experiment, being well within the limit (+- 0.25 percent) caused by uncertainties in the fuel inventories (+- 0.50 percent). The average error in calculated reactivity is found to be 0.06 percent, for the 11 assemblies considered. Previously, the spheres were analyzed with calculated reactivities being in error by as much as 0.69 percent. The cylindrical experiments were also part of a set of criticals analyzed with detailed Monte Carlo calculations in which errors as large as 3 percent in eigenvalue were found for high (50 percent) leakage assemblies. It is concluded that the principal sources of error in the previously calculated eigenvalues are the description of the fission spectrum, representation of the total neutron cross sections above approximately 8 MeV, and nonthermal absorption cross sections. (NSA 26: 52680)

Research Organization:
Bettis Atomic Power Lab., Pittsburgh, PA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AT(11-1)-GEN-14
OSTI ID:
6720251
Report Number(s):
WAPD-TM-997
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English