Decay heat and decay rate of actinides in highly neutron-irradiated uranium initially of high /sup 234/U content

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1983 · Nucl. Sci. Eng.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6862092

Shure, K

The contributions from actinides to the decay heat and the decay rate relative to those from fission products in highly irradiated /sup 234/U-enriched uranium has been assessed. This assessment, which is based on measured and associated calculated actinide concentrations in a sample of uranium in which the /sup 234/U had been burned to 17% of its original >97% content (i.e., to about 17% /sup 234/U), indicates that for most practical times (<10/sup 8/ s) after reactor shutdown, the actinide contribution to the decay heat and to the decay rate is a reasonably small fraction (<7%) of the total and comes mainly from /sup 2334/U, /sup 238/Np, and /sup 238/Pu. These results differ from those for uranium only slightly enriched in /sup 235/U.

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, P.O. Box 79, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania 15122
• OSTI ID: 6862092
• Journal Information: Nucl. Sci. Eng.; (United States), Vol. 85:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
POWER REACTORS
AFTER-HEAT
REACTOR CORES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DECAY
CALCULATION METHODS
IRRADIATION
NEPTUNIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 238
REACTOR SHUTDOWN
URANIUM 235
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NEPTUNIUM ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SHUTDOWNS
URANIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
220100* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Theory &amp; Calculation