Benchmark Evaluation of Uranium Metal Annuli and Cylinders with Beryllium Reflectors

Conference · Sun Jun 13 04:00:00 EDT 2010

OSTI ID:983343

Bess, John D. ^[1]

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1. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

An extensive series of delayed critical experiments were performed at the Oak Ridge Critical Experiments Facility using enriched uranium metal during the 1960s and 1970s in support of criticality safety operations at the Y-12 Plant. These experiments were designed to evaluate the storage, casting, and handling limits of the Y-12 Plant and to provide data for the verification of cross sections and calculation methods utilized in nuclear criticality safety applications. Many of these experiments have already been evaluated and included in the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) Handbook: unreflected (HEU-MET-FAST-051), graphite-reflected (HEU-MET-FAST-071), and polyethylene-reflected (HEU-MET-FAST-076). Three of the experiments consisted of highly-enriched uranium (HEU, ~93.2% 235U) metal parts reflected by beryllium metal discs. The first evaluated experiment was constructed from a stack of 7-in.-diameter, 4-1/8-in.-high stack of HEU discs top-reflected by a 7-in.-diameter, 5-9/16-in.-high stack of beryllium discs. The other two experiments were formed from stacks of concentric HEU metal annular rings surrounding a 7-in. diameter beryllium core. The nominal outer diameters were 13 and 15 in. with a nominal stack height of 5 and 4 in., respectively. These experiments have been evaluated for inclusion in the ICSBEP Handbook.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 983343
• Report Number(s): INL/CON--10-17601
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
BENCHMARKS
BERYLLIUM
Benchmark
Beryllium Reflectors
CALCULATION METHODS
CASTING
CRITICALITY
CROSS SECTIONS
Critical Experiments
ENRICHED URANIUM
EVALUATION
Highly Enriched Uranium
ICSBEP
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
OR-CEF REACTOR
SAFETY
STORAGE
URANIUM
VERIFICATION
Y-12 PLANT