Critical Experiments that Simulated Damp MOX Powders - Do They Meet the Need?

Conference · Mon Sep 19 00:00:00 EDT 2005

OSTI ID:911097

Briggs, J. Blair ^[1]; Nouri, Ali ^[2]; Nordborg, Claes ^[3]

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1. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
2. Inst. de Radioprotection et de Sûrete Nucleaire (ISRN), Fontenay-aux-Roses (France)
3. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Paris (France)

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Working Party on Nuclear Criticality Safety (WPNCS) identified the MOX fuel manufacturing process as an area in which there is a need for additional integral benchmark data. The specific need focused on damp MOX powders. The WPNCS was ultimately asked by the NEA Nuclear Science Committee (NSC) to provide the framework for the selection and performance of new experiments that fill the identified need. A set of criteria was established to enable uniform comparison of experimental proposals with generic MOX application data. Criteria were established for five general characteristics: (1) neutronic parameters, (2) type of experiments, (3) financial aspects, (4) schedule, and (5) other considerations. Proposals were judged most importantly on their ability to match the neutronic parameters of predetermined MOX applications. The neutronic parameters that formed the basis for comparison included core average values (not local values) for flux, fission and capture rate; detailed balance data (fission and capture) for the main isotopes (Actinides, H and O); sensitivity coefficients to important nuclear reactions (fission, capture, elastic and inelastic scatter, nu-bar, mu-bar) for all uranium and plutonium isotopes, hydrogen, and oxygen; sensitivity profiles to the main nuclear reactions for uranium and plutonium isotopes; energy of average lethargy causing fission; and the average fission group energy. The focus of this paper is on the definition of the need; the neutronics criteria established to assess which, if any, of three proposed MOX experimental programs best meet the need; and the actual assessment of the proposed experimental programs.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Inst. de Radioprotection et de Sûrete Nucleaire (ISRN), Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Organisation for Economic Co- operation and Development (OECD), Paris (France)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-99ID-13727
• OSTI ID: 911097
• Report Number(s): INL/CON-05-00145; TRN: US200724%%467
• Resource Relation: Conference: ANS Criticality Safety Division Topical Meeting, Knoxville, TN (United States), 19-25 Sep 2005
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ACTINIDES
BENCHMARKS
CRITICALITY
FISSION
HYDROGEN
MANUFACTURING
NEA
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
OECD
OXYGEN
PERFORMANCE
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
SAFETY
SENSITIVITY
URANIUM
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Critical-Experiment
Damp-Powder
International-Collaboration
MOX