Criticality experiments with mixed plutonium and uranium nitrate solution at a plutonium fraction of 0.4 in slab geometry

Abstract

R. C. Lloyd of PNL has completed and published a series of critical experiments with mixed plutonium- uranium nitrate solutions (Reference 1). This series of critical experiments was part of an extensive program jointly sponsored by the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC) of Japan and was carried out in the mid-1980`s. The experiments evaluated here (published as Report PNL-6327) were performed with mixed plutonium- uranium nitrate solution in a variable thickness slab tank with two 106.7 cm square sides and a width that could be varied from 7.6 to 22.8 cm. The objective of these experiments was to obtain experimental data to permit the validation of computer codes for criticality calculations and of cross-section data to minimize the uncertainties inherent therein, so that facility safety, efficiency, and reliability could be enhanced. The concentrations of the solution were about 105, 293, and 435 g(Pu+U)/liter with a ratio of plutonium to total heavy metal (plutonium plus uranium) of about 0. 40 for all eight experiments. Four measurements were made with a water reflector, and four with no reflector. Following the publication of the initial PNL reports, considerable effort was devoted to an extensive reevaluation of this series of experiments by a collaboration of researchers from ORNL, PNL, and PNC (Reference 2). Their work resulted in a more accurate description of the ``as built`` hardware configuration and the materials specifications. For the evaluations in this report, the data published in Reference 2 by Smolen et al. is selected to supersede the original PNL report. Eight experiments have been evaluated and seven (063, 064, 071, 072, 074, 075, and 076) provide benchmark criticality data. Experiment 073 could not achieve criticality within vessel height limitations.