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Title: Measurements and calculations of heavy isotopes in irradiated fuels and of /sup 233/U fission-product poisoning (LWBR Development Program)

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6742047

Samples of /sup 233/U, natural uranium, /sup 238/U, and natural thorium have been irradiated in high-flux facilities in different neutron spectra and for different durations including exposures to more than 90% depletion in fissile material and more than 30,000 MWd/tonne in fertile material. End-of-life mass analyses generally agree with calculated concentrations based on measured exposure histories within a few percent for the total and isotopic uranium, total and isotopic plutonium, /sup 137/Cs, and neodymium isotopes. For /sup 233/U, reactivity measurements between irradiation cycles provide experimental results for the fissile content and fission-product poisoning as functions of both irradiation and cooling time. Corresponding results obtained from calculated concentrations agree with measurements to about 1% for the fissile content and 3% for the effective one-group fission-product poison cross section, but thermal and epithermal barns per fission exhibit differences between measurement and calculation that are believed to be attributable to inadequate data in the literature on important fission products. (NSA 31: 1995)

Research Organization:
Bettis Atomic Power Lab., Pittsburgh, PA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AT(36-1)-GEN-14
OSTI ID:
6742047
Report Number(s):
WAPD-TM-1182
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English