Criticality Experiments with Mixed Plutonium and Uranium Nitrate Solution at a Plutonium Fraction of 0.4 in Slab and Cylindrical Geometry

Abstract

A series of critical experiments was completed with mixed plutonium-uranium solutions having Pu/(Pu + U) ratios of approximately 0.4. These experiments were a part of the Criticality Data Development Program between the United States Department of Energy (USDOE), and the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC) of Japan. A complete description of, and data from, the experiments are included in this report. The experiments were performed with mixed plutonium-uranium solutions in cylinqrical and slab geometries and included measurements with a water reflector, a concrete reflector, and without an added reflector. The concentration was varied from 105 to 436 g (Pu + U)/liter. The ratio of plutonium to total heavy metal (plutonium plus uranium) was 0.4 for all experiments.