Critical Experiments and Analysis for ABB-CE Fuel with Erbium Burnable Absorber

Conference · Sun Jun 07 04:00:00 EDT 1992 · Transactions of the American Nuclear Society

OSTI ID:7058090

Harris, D. R. ^[1]; Rohr, R. C. ^[1]; Hayes, D. K. ^[1]; Jonsson, A. ^[2]; Jung, J. Y. ^[2]; Chang, R. Y. ^[3]

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1. Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy NY (United States)
2. ABB Combustion Engineering Nuclear Power, Inc., Windsor, CT (United States)
3. Southern California Edison, Irvine, CA (United States)

ABB-Combustion Engineering Nuclear Power (ABB-CE) has developed a new burnable absorber, erbia (Er₂O₃), for uniform application within pressurized water reactor fuel pellets in 18- and 24-month cycle designs. Neutronics properties and performance are being assessed in a development program including critical experiments by ABB-CE and Southern California Edison Company (16 * 16 fuel) and between ABB-CE and Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (14 * 14 fuel). The subject of this paper is the critical experiments in the reactor critical facility (RCF) of RPI. Primary measured quantities were (a) state points of reactivity for various erbia-urania rod configurations, temperatures, and soluble boron concentrations and (b) local pin power distributions. Also measured were reactor safety parameters to verify safety analyses previously submitted to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

• Research Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy NY (United States); ABB Combustion Engineering Nuclear Power, Inc., Windsor, CT (United States); Southern California Edison, Irvine, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• OSTI ID: 7058090
• Report Number(s): CONF-920606--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Transactions of the American Nuclear Society Journal Volume: 65
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210200* -- Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Nonboiling Water Cooled
ABB-Combustion Engineering Nuclear Power (ABB-CE)
ACCURACY
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDES
ALLOYS
BORON
BURNABLE POISONS
CHALCOGENIDES
CONTROL ELEMENTS
CRITICALITY
Critical Experiments
ELEMENTS
ENRICHED URANIUM
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
ERBIUM COMPOUNDS
ERBIUM OXIDES
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
Erbia
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL CANS
FUEL CYCLE
FUEL MANAGEMENT
IN CORE INSTRUMENTS
ISOTOPE ENRICHED MATERIALS
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
METALS
Measurements
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEUTRON ABSORBERS
NUCLEAR POISONS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE
PHYSICS
POWER DENSITY
POWER REACTORS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
REACTIVITY
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR INSTRUMENTATION
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTOR PHYSICS
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
RENSSELAER CRITICAL FACILITY
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SAFETY
SEMIMETALS
SLIGHTLY ENRICHED URANIUM
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THERMAL REACTORS
URANIUM
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
URANIUM OXIDES
US NRC
US ORGANIZATIONS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
ZERO POWER REACTORS
ZIRCALOY
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM BASE ALLOYS