Comparison of Measured and Calculated Uranium Reaction Rates in a Steam-Cooled Fast Assembly in Sneak
- 1 December 1969
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Nuclear Applications and Technology
- Vol. 7 (6), 494-504
- https://doi.org/10.13182/nt69-a28368
Abstract
An absolute determination of uranium reaction rates by means of foil irradiation was carried out in the Fast Zero Power Reactor SNEAK, assembly 3A-2 This requires the measurement of reactionrate traverses as well as their fine structure. These rate distributions were compared with transport and diffusion calculations. The traverse measurements indicate a strong dependence of the axial “buckling” (relative second derivative of the rates) on energy. The calculations with the Karlsruhe SNEAK cross-section set and the Russian ABN set yield these bucklings for 238U capture and 235U fission in diffusion approximation on the average 5% higher than measured. Only the fast-fission rate distribution of 238U is almost correctly calculated using the cross-section sets. The ratio of total plutonium production to 235u fission along the z axis was measured and compared with theory. It agrees within the error limits of the experiment. Beyond the error limits are the discrepancies found for the spectral index σƒ28/σƒ25 The fine structure of reaction rates within the fuel platelets is well described by an integral transport code, but again, there are considerable discrepancies between calculated and measured fission-rate ratios.Keywords
This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
- A Method for Absolute Determination of 238U Capture Rates in Fast Zero-Power ReactorsNuclear Science and Engineering, 1967
- The Ratio of 238 U Capture and 235U Fission Cross Sections in Fast ReactorsNuclear Science and Engineering, 1966
- A Method for the Accurate Determination of Relative Initial Conversion RatiosNuclear Science and Engineering, 1963