Calculation of Design Parameters for an Equilibrium LEU Core in the NBSR using a U7Mo Dispersion Fuel

Hanson A. L. ; Diamond D.

关键词: NIST;    HEU to LEU Conversion;    neutronics parameters;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1134663
RP-ID  :  BNL--105311-2014-IR
PID  :  OSTI ID: 1134663
Others  :  R&D Project: 20773

学科分类：工程和技术（综合）

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

A plan is being developed for the conversion of the NIST research reactor (NBSR) from high-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. The LEU fuel may be a monolithic foil (LEUm) of U10Mo (10% molybdenum by weight in an alloy with uranium) or a dispersion of U7Mo in aluminum (LEUd). A previous report provided neutronic calculations for the LEUm fuel and this report presents the neutronics parameters for the LEUd fuel. The neutronics parameters for the LEUd fuel are compared to those previously obtained for the present HEU fuel and the proposed LEUm fuel. The results show no significant differences between the LEUm and the LEUd other than the LEUd fuel requires slightly less uranium than the LEUm fuel due to less molybdenum being present. The calculations include kinetics parameters, reactivity coefficients, reactivity worths of control elements and abnormal configurations, and power distributions under normal operation and with misloaded fuel elements.