Systematics of Reconstructed Process Facility Criticality Accidents

Conference · Sun Sep 19 00:00:00 EDT 1999

OSTI ID:759112

Pruvost, Norman L. ^[1]; McLaughlin, Thomas P. ^[2]; Monahan, Shean P. ^[2]

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1. Galaxy Computer Services, Inc., Los Alamos, NM (United States)
2. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

The systematics of the characteristics of twenty-one criticality accidents occurring in nuclear processing facilities of the Russian Federation, the United States, and the United Kingdom are examined. By systematics the authors mean the degree of consistency or agreement between the factual parameters reported for the accidents and the experimentally known conditions for criticality. The twenty-one reported process criticality accidents are not sufficiently well described to justify attempting detailed neutronic modeling. However, results of classic hand calculations confirm the credibility of the reported accident conditions.

• Research Organization: Galaxy Computer Services, Inc., Los Alamos, NM (United States); Los Alamos National Lab. (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: 759112
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-99-3003; TRN: US0004299
• Resource Relation: Conference: ICNC '99: 6. International Conference on Nuclear Criticality Safety, Palais des Congres, Versailles (France), 20-24 Sep 1999; Other Information: PBD: 19 Sep 1999
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
96 KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND PRESERVATION
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
CRITICALITY
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
UNITED KINGDOM
USA
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Accident Reconstruction
Geometry
Material Specifications
Fissile Mass
Fissile Density
Neutronic Modeling
Monte Carlo Calculations