Considerations pertinent to the Doppler effect for space reactors

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6754525

Hwang, R N

Because of the potential importance of the Doppler effect to the safety considerations of compact fast spectrum reactors for space applications, extensive investigations have been carried out. The purpose of this paper is two-fold. First, the magnitude of the Doppler reactivity of such reactors will be estimated. Secondly, some relevant questions concerning the fundamental nature of the problems will be addressed. In the present study, a generic space reactor design having features of current designs is examined. In R-Z geometry, the reactor consists of 3 core regions which are made of UN with various enrichments mixed in with a W/Re matrix and coolant channels filled with /sup 7/Li and surrounded by Mo-vessel and beryllium oxide reflector along with external control drums made of B/sub 4/C in the radial direction and accompanied by axial regions. The axial region above the core contains BeO with W/Re structure. The enrichment increases as a function of radius to provide an approximately constant power distribution in the core regions. Hence, the temperature distribution is also expected to be approximately constant in various core regions. The Doppler reactivities will be given for various radial and axial regions.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6754525
• Report Number(s): CONF-870102-13; ON: DE87007032
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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