Fresh-Core Reload of the Neutron Radiography (NRAD) Reactor with Uranium(20)-Erbium-Zirconium-Hydride Fuel

John D. Bess ; Thomas L. Maddock ; Margaret A. Marshall ; Leland M. Montierth

关键词: benchmark;    criticality;    IRPhEP;    NRAD;    TRIGA;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1064067
RP-ID  :  INL/EXT-10-19486
PID  :  OSTI ID: 1064067

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

The neutron radiography (NRAD) reactor is a 250 kW TRIGA?? (Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics) Mark II , tank-type research reactor currently located in the basement, below the main hot cell, of the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF) at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). It is equipped with two beam tubes with separate radiography stations for the performance of neutron radiography irradiation on small test components. The initial critical configuration developed during the fuel loading process, which contains only 56 fuel elements, has been evaluated as an acceptable benchmark experiment. The 60-fuel-element operational core configuration of the NRAD LEU TRIGA reactor has also been evaluated as an acceptable benchmark experiment. Calculated eigenvalues differ significantly (~??1%) from the benchmark eigenvalue and have demonstrated sensitivity to the thermal scattering treatment of hydrogen in the U-Er-Zr-H fuel.