Critical Experiments in Support of the CNPS (Compact Nuclear Power Source) Program

Conference · Sun Sep 18 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6913395

Hansen, Gordon E. ^[1]; Audas, James H. ^[1]; Martin, E. Ray ^[1]; Pederson, Raymond A. ^[1]; Spriggs, Gregory D. ^[1]; White, Roger H. ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Zero-power static and kinetic measurements have been made on a mock-up of the Compact Nuclear Power Source (CNPS), a graphite moderated, graphite reflected, U(19.9% ²³⁵U) fueled reactor design. Critical configurations were tracked from a first clean configuration (184 most central fuel channels filled and all control rod and heat pipe channels empty) to a fully loaded configuration (all 492 fuel channels filled, core-length stainless steel pipe in the twelve heat-pipe channels, and approximately half-core-length boron carbide in the outer 4 control rod channels. Reactor physics data such as material worths and neutron lifetime are presented only for the clean and fully loaded configurations.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6913395
• Report Number(s): LA-UR--88-2272; CONF-880911-12; ON: DE88014326
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
220600* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors
CONTROL ROD WORTHS
CRITICALITY
Critical Configurations
GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
REACTIVITY WORTHS
REACTORS
TESTING
Zero-Power Static and Kinetic Measurements