WorldWideScience

Sample records for fission reactors

  1. Radiation shielding for fission reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oka, Yoshiaki [Tokyo Univ., Nuclear Engineering Research Laboratory, Tokyo (Japan)

    2000-03-01

    Radiation shielding aspects relating fission reactors have been reviewed. Domestic activities in the past five years have been mainly described concerning nuclear data, calculation methods, shielding and skyshine experiments, Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR), Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor (APWR), High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR), Experimental and Prototype Fast Reactors (JOYO, MONJU), Demonstration FBR, core shroud replacement of BWR, and spent fuel transportation cask and vessel. These studies have valuable information in safety and cost reduction issues of fission reactor design for not only existing reactors but also new reactor concepts in the next century. It has been concluded that we should maintain existing shielding technologies and improve these data and methods for coming generations in the next millennium. (author)

  2. HAC and fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujiwara, I.; Moriyama, H.; Tachikawa, E.

    1984-01-01

    In the fission process, newly formed fission products undergo hot atom reactions due to their energetic recoil and abnormal positive charge. The hot atom reactions of the fission products are usually accompanied by secondary effects such as radiation damage, especially in condensed phase. For reactor safety it is valuable to know the chemical behaviour and the release behaviour of these radioactive fission products. Here, the authors study the chemical behaviour and the release behaviour of the fission products from the viewpoint of hot atom chemistry (HAC). They analyze the experimental results concerning fission product behaviour with the help of the theories in HAC and other neighboring fields such as radiation chemistry. (Auth.)

  3. Roles of plasma neutron source reactor in development of fusion reactor engineering: Comparison with fission reactor engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hirayama, Shoichi; Kawabe, Takaya

    1995-01-01

    The history of development of fusion power reactor has come to a turning point, where the main research target is now shifting from the plasma heating and confinement physics toward the burning plasma physics and reactor engineering. Although the development of fusion reactor system is the first time for human beings, engineers have experience of development of fission power reactor. The common feature between them is that both are plants used for the generation of nuclear reactions for the production of energy, nucleon, and radiation on an industrial scale. By studying the history of the development of the fission reactor, one can find the existence of experimental neutron reactors including irradiation facilities for fission reactor materials. These research neutron reactors played very important roles in the development of fission power reactors. When one considers the strategy of development of fusion power reactors from the points of fusion reactor engineering, one finds that the fusion neutron source corresponds to the neutron reactor in fission reactor development. In this paper, the authors discuss the roles of the plasma-based neutron source reactors in the development of fusion reactor engineering, by comparing it with the neutron reactors in the history of fission power development, and make proposals for the strategy of the fusion reactor development. 21 refs., 6 figs

  4. A comparison of radioactive waste from first generation fusion reactors and fast fission reactors with actinide recycling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koch, M.; Kazimi, M.S.

    1991-04-01

    Limitations of the fission fuel resources will presumably mandate the replacement of thermal fission reactors by fast fission reactors that operate on a self-sufficient closed fuel cycle. This replacement might take place within the next one hundred years, so the direct competitors of fusion reactors will be fission reactors of the latter rather than the former type. Also, fast fission reactors, in contrast to thermal fission reactors, have the potential for transmuting long-lived actinides into short-lived fission products. The associated reduction of the long-term activation of radioactive waste due to actinides makes the comparison of radioactive waste from fast fission reactors to that from fusion reactors more rewarding than the comparison of radioactive waste from thermal fission reactors to that from fusion reactors. Radioactive waste from an experimental and a commercial fast fission reactor and an experimental and a commercial fusion reactor has been characterized. The fast fission reactors chosen for this study were the Experimental Breeder Reactor 2 and the Integral Fast Reactor. The fusion reactors chosen for this study were the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor and a Reduced Activation Ferrite Helium Tokamak. The comparison of radioactive waste parameters shows that radioactive waste from the experimental fast fission reactor may be less hazardous than that from the experimental fusion reactor. Inclusion of the actinides would reverse this conclusion only in the long-term. Radioactive waste from the commercial fusion reactor may always be less hazardous than that from the commercial fast fission reactor, irrespective of the inclusion or exclusion of the actinides. The fusion waste would even be far less hazardous, if advanced structural materials, like silicon carbide or vanadium alloy, were employed

  5. A comparison of radioactive waste from first generation fusion reactors and fast fission reactors with actinide recycling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koch, M.; Kazimi, M.S.

    1991-04-01

    Limitations of the fission fuel resources will presumably mandate the replacement of thermal fission reactors by fast fission reactors that operate on a self-sufficient closed fuel cycle. This replacement might take place within the next one hundred years, so the direct competitors of fusion reactors will be fission reactors of the latter rather than the former type. Also, fast fission reactors, in contrast to thermal fission reactors, have the potential for transmuting long-lived actinides into short-lived fission products. The associated reduction of the long-term activation of radioactive waste due to actinides makes the comparison of radioactive waste from fast fission reactors to that from fusion reactors more rewarding than the comparison of radioactive waste from thermal fission reactors to that from fusion reactors. Radioactive waste from an experimental and a commercial fast fission reactor and an experimental and a commercial fusion reactor has been characterized. The fast fission reactors chosen for this study were the Experimental Breeder Reactor 2 and the Integral Fast Reactor. The fusion reactors chosen for this study were the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor and a Reduced Activation Ferrite Helium Tokamak. The comparison of radioactive waste parameters shows that radioactive waste from the experimental fast fission reactor may be less hazardous than that from the experimental fusion reactor. Inclusion of the actinides would reverse this conclusion only in the long-term. Radioactive waste from the commercial fusion reactor may always be less hazardous than that from the commercial fast fission reactor, irrespective of the inclusion or exclusion of the actinides. The fusion waste would even be far less hazardous, if advanced structural materials, like silicon carbide or vanadium alloy, were employed.

  6. Utilization of fission reactors for fusion engineering testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deis, G.A.; Miller, L.G.

    1985-01-01

    Fission reactors can be used to conduct some of the fusion nuclear engineering tests identified in the FINESSE study. To further define the advantages and disadvantages of fission testing, the technical and programmatic constraints on this type of testing are discussed here. This paper presents and discusses eight key issues affecting fission utilization. Quantitative comparisons with projected fusion operation are made to determine the technical assets and limitations of fission testing. Capabilities of existing fission reactors are summarized and compared with technical needs. Conclusions are then presented on the areas where fission testing can be most useful

  7. The behavior of fission products during nuclear rocket reactor tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bokor, P.C.; Kirk, W.L.; Bohl, R.J.

    1991-01-01

    Fission product release from nuclear rocket propulsion reactor fuel is an important consideration for nuclear rocket development and application. Fission product data from the last six reactors of the Rover program are collected in this paper to provide as basis for addressing development and testing issues. Fission product loss from the fuel will depend on fuel composition and reactor design and operating parameters. During ground testing, fission products can be contained downstream of the reactor. The last Rover reactor tested, the Nuclear Furnance, was mated to an effluent clean-up system that was effective in preventing the discharge of fission products into the atmosphere

  8. Fission rate measurements in fuel plate type assembly reactor cores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rogers, J.W.

    1988-01-01

    The methods, materials and equipment have been developed to allow extensive and precise measurement of fission rate distributions in water moderated, U-Al fuel plate assembly type reactor cores. Fission rate monitors are accurately positioned in the reactor core, the reactor is operated at a low power for a short time, the fission rate monitors are counted with detectors incorporating automated sample changers and the measurements are converted to fission rate distributions. These measured fission rate distributions have been successfully used as baseline information related to the operation of test and experimental reactors with respect to fission power and distribution, fuel loading and fission experiments for approximately twenty years at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). 7 refs., 8 figs

  9. The LOFA analysis of fusion-fission hybrid reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Z.-C.; Xie, H.

    2014-01-01

    The fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor can produce energy, breed nuclear fuel, and handle the nuclear waste, etc, with the fusion neutron source striking the subcritical blanket. The passive safety system, consisting of passive residual heat removal system, passive safety injection system and automatic depressurization system, was adopted into the fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor in this paper. Modeling and nodalization of primary loop, passive core cooling system and partial secondary loop of the fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor using RELAP5 were conducted and LOFA (Loss of Flow Accident) was analyzed. The results of key transient parameters indicated that the PRHRs could mitigate the accidental consequence of LOFA effectively. It is also concluded that it is feasible to apply the passive safety system concept to fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor. (author)

  10. Fission gas behaviour in water reactor fuels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    During irradiation, nuclear fuel changes volume, primarily through swelling. This swelling is caused by the fission products and in particular by the volatile ones such as krypton and xenon, called fission gas. Fission gas behaviour needs to be reliably predicted in order to make better use of nuclear fuel, a factor which can help to achieve the economic competitiveness required by today's markets. These proceedings communicate the results of an international seminar which reviewed recent progress in the field of fission gas behaviour in light water reactor fuel and sought to improve the models used in computer codes predicting fission gas release. State-of-the-art knowledge is presented for both uranium-oxide and mixed-oxide fuels loaded in water reactors. (author)

  11. Photofission observations in reactor environments using selected fission-product yields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gold, R.; Ruddy, F.H.; Roberts, J.H.

    1982-01-01

    A new method for the observation of photofission in reactor environments is advanced. It is based on the in-situ observation of fission product yield. In fact, at a given in-situ reactor location, the fission product yield is simply a weighted linear combination of the photofission product yield, Y/sub gamma/, and the neutron induced fission product yield, Y/sub n. The weight factors arising in this linear combination are the photofission fraction and neutron induced fission fraction, respectively. This method can be readily implemented with established techniques for measuring in-situ reactor fission product yield. For example, one can use the method based on simultaneous irradiation of radiometric (RM) and solid state track recorder (SSTR) fission monitors. The sensitivity and accuracy and current knowledge of fission product yields. Unique advantages of this method for reactor applications are emphasized

  12. Updated comparison of economics of fusion reactors with advanced fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Delene, J.G.

    1990-01-01

    The projected cost of electricity (COE) for fusion is compared with that from current and advanced nuclear fission and coal-fired plants. Fusion cost models were adjusted for consistency with advanced fission plants and the calculational methodology and cost factors follow guidelines recommended for cost comparisons of advanced fission reactors. The results show COEs of about 59--74 mills/kWh for the fusion designs considered. In comparison, COEs for future fission reactors are estimated to be in the 43--54 mills/kWh range with coal-fired plant COEs of about 53--69 mills/kWh ($2--3/GJ coal). The principal cost driver for the fusion plants relative to fission plants is the fusion island cost. Although the estimated COEs for fusion are greater than those for fission or coal, the costs are not so high as to preclude fusion's competitiveness as a safe and environmentally sound alternative

  13. Thermal Energetic Reactor with High Reproduction of Fission Materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kotov, V.M.

    2012-01-01

    Existing thermal reactors are energy production scale limited because of low portion of raw uranium usage. Fast reactors are limited by reprocessing need of huge mass of raw uranium at the initial stage of development. The possibility of development of thermal reactors with high fission materials reproduction, which solves the problem, is discussed here. Neutron losses are decreased, uranium-thorium fuel with artificial fission materials equilibrium regime is used, additional in-core and out-core neutron sources are used for supplying of high fission materials reproduction. Liquid salt reactors can use dynamic loading regime for this purpose. Preferable construction is channel type reactor with heavy water moderator. Good materials for fuel element shells and channel walls are zirconium alloys enriched by 90Zr. Water cooled reactors with usage 12% of raw uranium and liquid metal cooled reactors with usage 25% of raw uranium are discussed. Reactors with additional neutron sources obtain full usage of raw uranium with small additional energy expenses. On the base of thermal reactors with high fission materials reproduction world atomic power engineering development supplying higher power and requiring smaller speed of raw uranium mining, than in the variant with fast reactors, is possible.

  14. Matching of dense plasma focus devices with fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harms, A.A.; Heindler, M.

    1978-01-01

    The potential role of dense plasma focus devices as compact neutron sources for fissile fuel breeding in conjunction with existing fission reactors is considered. It is found that advanced plasma focus devices can be used effectively in conjunction with neutronically efficient fission reactors to constitute ''self-sufficient'' breeders. Correlations among the various parameters such as the power output and conversion ratio of the fission reactor with the neutron yield and capacitor bank energy of the dense plasma focus device are presented and discussed

  15. Mirror hybrid (fusion--fission) reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bender, D.J.; Lee, J.D.; Neef, W.S.; Devoto, R.S.; Galloway, T.R.; Fink, J.H.; Schultz, K.R.; Culver, D.; Rao, S.

    1977-10-01

    The reference mirror hybrid reactor design performed by LLL and General Atomic is summarized. The reactor parameters have been chosen to minimize the cost of producing fissile fuel for consumption in fission power reactors. As in the past, we have emphasized the use of existing technology where possible and a minimum extrapolation of technology otherwise. The resulting reactor may thus be viewed as a comparatively near-term goal of the fusion program, and we project improved performance for the hybrid in the future as more advanced technology becomes available

  16. Fission product release from SLOWPOKE-2 reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harnden-Gillis, A M.C. [Queen` s Univ., Kingston, ON (Canada). Dept. of Physics

    1994-12-31

    Increasing radiation fields at several SLOWPOKE-2 reactors fuelled with highly enriched uranium aluminum alloy fuel have begun to interfere with the daily operation of these reactors. To investigate this phenomenon, samples of reactor container water and gas from the headspace were obtained at four SLOWPOKE-2 reactor facilities and examined by gamma ray spectroscopy methods. These radiation fields are due to the circulation of fission products within the reactor container vessel. The most likely source of the fission product release is an area of uranium-bearing material exposed to the coolant at the end weld line which originated at the time of fuel fabrication. The results of this study are compared with observations from an underwater visual examination of one core and the metallographic examination of archived fuel elements. 19 refs., 4 tabs., 8 figs.

  17. Fusion-fission hybrid reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greenspan, E.

    1984-01-01

    This chapter discusses the range of characteristics attainable from hybrid reactor blankets; blanket design considerations; hybrid reactor designs; alternative fuel hybrid reactors; multi-purpose hybrid reactors; and hybrid reactors and the energy economy. Hybrid reactors are driven by a fusion neutron source and include fertile and/or fissile material. The fusion component provides a copious source of fusion neutrons which interact with a subcritical fission component located adjacent to the plasma or pellet chamber. Fissile fuel and/or energy are the main products of hybrid reactors. Topics include high F/M blankets, the fissile (and tritium) breeding ratio, effects of composition on blanket properties, geometrical considerations, power density and first wall loading, variations of blanket properties with irradiation, thermal-hydraulic and mechanical design considerations, safety considerations, tokamak hybrid reactors, tandem-mirror hybrid reactors, inertial confinement hybrid reactors, fusion neutron sources, fissile-fuel and energy production ability, simultaneous production of combustible and fissile fuels, fusion reactors for waste transmutation and fissile breeding, nuclear pumped laser hybrid reactors, Hybrid Fuel Factories (HFFs), and scenarios for hybrid contribution. The appendix offers hybrid reactor fundamentals. Numerous references are provided

  18. Systems study of tokamak fusion--fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tenney, F.H.; Bathke, C.G.; Price, W.G. Jr.; Bohlke, W.H.; Mills, R.G.; Johnson, E.F.; Todd, A.M.M.; Buchanan, C.H.; Gralnick, S.L.

    1978-11-01

    This publication reports the results of a two to three year effort at a systematic analysis of a wide variety of tokamak-driven fissioning blanket reactors, i.e., fusion--fission hybrids. It addresses the quantitative problems of determining the economically most desirable mix of the two products: electric power and fissionable fuel and shows how the price of electric power can be minimized when subject to a variety of constraints. An attempt has been made to avoid restricting assumptions, and the result is an optimizing algorithm that operates in a six-dimensional parameter space. Comparisons are made on sets of as many as 100,000 distinct machine models, and the principal results of the study have been derived from the examination of several hundred thousand possible reactor configurations

  19. Preliminary neutronics calculation of fusion-fission hybrid reactor breeding spent fuel assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma Xubo; Chen Yixue; Gao Bin

    2013-01-01

    The possibility of using the fusion-fission hybrid reactor breeding spent fuel in PWR was preliminarily studied in this paper. According to the fusion-fission hybrid reactor breeding spent fuel characteristics, PWR assembly including fusion-fission hybrid reactor breeding spent fuel was designed. The parameters such as fuel temperature coefficient, moderator temperature coefficient and their variation were investigated. Results show that the neutron properties of uranium-based assembly and hybrid reactor breeding spent fuel assembly are similar. The design of this paper has a smaller uniformity coefficient of power at the same fissile isotope mass percentage. The results will provide technical support for the future fusion-fission hybrid reactor and PWR combined with cycle system. (authors)

  20. An optimized symbiotic fusion and molten-salt fission reactor system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blinkin, V.L.; Novikov, V.M.

    A symbiotic fusion-fission reactor system which breeds nuclear fuel is discussed. In the blanket of the controlled thermonuclear reactor (CTR) uranium-233 is generated from thorium, which circulates in the form of ThF 4 mixed with molten sodium and beryllium fluorides. The molten-salt fission reactor (MSR) burns up the uranium-233 and generates tritium for the fusion reactor from lithium, which circulates in the form of LiF mixed with BeF 2 and 233 UF 4 through the MSR core. With a CTR-MSR thermal power ratio of 1:11 the system can produce electrical energy and breed fuel with a doubling time of 4-5 years. The system has the following special features: (1) Fuel reprocessing is much simpler and cheaper than for contemporary fission reactors; reprocessing consists simply in continuous removal of 233 U from the salt circulating in the CTR blanket by the fluorination method and removal of xenon from the MSR fuel salt by gas scavenging; the MSR fuel salt is periodically exchanged for fresh salt and the 233 U is then removed from it; (2) Tritium is produced in the fission reactor, which is a much simpler system than the fusion reactor; (3) The CTR blanket is almost ''clean''; no tritium is produced in it and fission fragment activity does not exceed the activity induced in the structural materials; (4) Almost all the thorium introduced into the CTR blanket can be used for producing 233 U

  1. Nuclear Power from Fission Reactors. An Introduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Department of Energy, Washington, DC. Technical Information Center.

    The purpose of this booklet is to provide a basic understanding of nuclear fission energy and different fission reaction concepts. Topics discussed are: energy use and production, current uses of fuels, oil and gas consumption, alternative energy sources, fossil fuel plants, nuclear plants, boiling water and pressurized water reactors, the light…

  2. Space Fission Reactor Structural Materials: Choices Past, Present and Future

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Busby, Jeremy T.; Leonard, Keith J.

    2007-01-01

    Nuclear powered spacecraft will enable missions well beyond the capabilities of current chemical, radioisotope thermal generator and solar technologies. The use of fission reactors for space applications has been considered for over 50 years, although, structural material performance has often limited the potential performance of space reactors. Space fission reactors are an extremely harsh environment for structural materials with high temperatures, high neutron fields, potential contact with liquid metals, and the need for up to 15-20 year reliability with no inspection or preventative maintenance. Many different materials have been proposed as structural materials. While all materials meet many of the requirements for space reactor service, none satisfy all of them. However, continued development and testing may resolve these issues and provide qualified materials for space fission reactors.

  3. Tritium chemistry in fission and fusion reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roth, E.; Masson, M.; Briec, M.

    1986-09-01

    We are interested in the behaviour of tritium inside the solids where it is generated both in the case of fission nuclear reactor fuel elements, and in that of blankets of future fusion reactor. In the first case it is desirable to be able to predict whether tritium will be found in the hulls or in the uranium oxide, and under what chemical form, in order to take appropriate steps for it's removal in reprocessing plants. In fusion reactors breeding large amounts of tritium and burning it in the plasma should be accomplished in as short a cycle as possible in order to limit inventories that are associated with huge activities. Mastering the chemistry of every step is therefore essential. Amounts generated are not of the same order of magnitude in the two cases studied. Ternary fissions produce about 66 10 13 Bq (18 000 Ci) per year of tritium in a 1000 MWe fission generator, i.e., about 1.8 10 10 Bq (0.5 Ci) per day per ton of fuel

  4. Utilization of fast reactor excess neutrons for burning long-lived fission products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawashima, K.; Kobayashi, K.; Kaneto, K.

    1995-01-01

    An evaluation is made on a large MOX fuel fast reactor's capability of burning long lived fission product Tc-99, which dominates the long term radiotoxicity of the high level radioactive waste. The excess neutrons generated in the fast reactor core are utilized to transmute Tc-99 to stable isotopes due to neutron capture reaction. The fission product target assemblies which consist of Tc-99 are charged to the reactor core periphery. The fission product target neutrons are moderated to a great deal to pursue the possibility of enhancing the transmutation rate. Any impacts of loading the fission product target assemblies on the core nuclear performances are assessed. A long term Tc-99 accumulation scenario is considered in the mix of fission product burner fast reactor and non-burner LWRs. (author)

  5. Some safety studies for conceptual fusion--fission hybrid reactors. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kastenberg, W.E.; Okrent, D.

    1978-07-01

    The objective of this study was to make a preliminary examination of some potential safety questions for conceptual fusion-fission hybrid reactors. The study and subsequent analysis was largely based upon reference to one design, a conceptual mirror fusion-fission reactor, operating on the deuterium-tritium plasma fusion fuel cycle and the uranium-plutonium fission fuel cycle. The blanket is a fast-spectrum, uranium carbide, helium cooled, subcritical reactor, optimized for the production of fissile fuel. An attempt was made to generalize the results wherever possible

  6. Reference reactor module for NASA's lunar surface fission power system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poston, David I.; Kapernick, Richard J.; Dixon, David D.; Werner, James; Qualls, Louis; Radel, Ross

    2009-01-01

    Surface fission power systems on the Moon and Mars may provide the first US application of fission reactor technology in space since 1965. The Affordable Fission Surface Power System (AFSPS) study was completed by NASA/DOE to determine the cost of a modest performance, low-technical risk surface power system. The AFSPS concept is now being further developed within the Fission Surface Power (FSP) Project, which is a near-term technology program to demonstrate system-level TRL-6 by 2013. This paper describes the reference FSP reactor module concept, which is designed to provide a net power of 40 kWe for 8 years on the lunar surface; note, the system has been designed with technologies that are fully compatible with a Martian surface application. The reactor concept uses stainless-steel based. UO 2 -fueled, pumped-NaK fission reactor coupled to free-piston Stirling converters. The reactor shielding approach utilizes both in-situ and launched shielding to keep the dose to astronauts much lower than the natural background radiation on the lunar surface. The ultimate goal of this work is to provide a 'workhorse' power system that NASA can utilize in near-term and future Lunar and Martian mission architectures, with the eventual capability to evolve to very high power, low mass systems, for either surface, deep space, and/or orbital missions.

  7. Measurements of actinide-fission product yields in Caliban and Prospero metallic core reactor fission neutron fields

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Casoli, P.; Authier, N. [CEA, Centre de Valduc, 21120 Is-sur-Tille (France); Laurec, J.; Bauge, E.; Granier, T. [CEA, Centre DIF, 91297 Arpajon (France)

    2011-07-01

    In the 1970's and early 1980's, an experimental program was performed on the facilities of the CEA Valduc Research Center to measure several actinide-fission product yields. Experiments were, in particular, completed on the Caliban and Prospero metallic core reactors to study fission-neutron-induced reactions on {sup 233}U, {sup 235}U, and {sup 239}Pu. Thick actinide samples were irradiated and the number of nuclei of each fission product was determined by gamma spectrometry. Fission chambers were irradiated simultaneously to measure the numbers of fissions in thin deposits of the same actinides. The masses of the thick samples and the thin deposits were determined by mass spectrometry and alpha spectrometry. The results of these experiments will be fully presented in this paper for the first time. A description of the Caliban and Prospero reactors, their characteristics and performances, and explanations about the experimental approach will also be given in the article. A recent work has been completed to analyze and reinterpret these measurements and particularly to evaluate the associated uncertainties. In this context, calculations have also been carried out with the Monte Carlo transport code Tripoli-4, using the published benchmarked Caliban description and a three-dimensional model of Prospero, to determine the average neutron energy causing fission. Simulation results will be discussed in this paper. Finally, new fission yield measurements will be proposed on Caliban and Prospero reactors to strengthen the results of the first experiments. (authors)

  8. Conceptual Analysis of Fission Fragment Magnetic Collimator Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsvetkov, Pavel V.; Parish, Theodore A.

    2002-01-01

    As part of the current research work within the US DOE NERI Direct Electricity Conversion (DEC) Project on methods for utilizing direct electricity conversion in nuclear reactors, a detailed study of a Fission Fragment Magnetic Collimator Reactor (FFMCR) has been performed. The FFMCR concept is an advanced DEC system that combines advantageous design solutions proposed for application in both fission and fusion reactors. The present study was focused on determining the electrical efficiency and other important operational aspects of the FFMCR concept. In principle, acceptable characteristics have been demonstrated, and results obtained are presented in the paper. Technological visibility of the FFMCR concept and required further design development are discussed. Preliminary characteristics of the promising design are outlined. (authors)

  9. Materials compatibility considerations for a fusion-fission hybrid reactor design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeVan, J.H.; Tortorelli, P.F.

    1983-01-01

    The Tandem Mirror Hybrid Reactor is a fusion reactor concept that incorporates a fission-suppressed breeding blanket for the production of 233 U to be used in conventional fission power reactors. The present paper reports on compatibility considerations related to the blanket design. These considerations include solid-solid interactions and liquid metal corrosion. Potential problems are discussed relative to the reference blanket operating temperature (490 0 C) and the recycling time of breeding materials (<1 year)

  10. Natural fission reactors - the Oklo phenomenon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1989-01-01

    Overview describes the discovery of the site, location of the reactors and site geology and discusses the permanence of fission products, nuclear reaction control mechanisms and trace concentrations of elements that act as poisons. (Author)

  11. Fission product behavior in the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Compere, E.L.; Kirslis, S.S.; Bohlmann, E.G.; Blankenship, F.F.; Grimes, W.R.

    1975-10-01

    Essentially all the fission product data for numerous and varied samples taken during operation of the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment or as part of the examination of specimens removed after particular phases of operation are reported, together with the appropriate inventory or other basis of comparison, and relevant reactor parameters and conditions. Fission product behavior fell into distinct chemical groups. Evidence for fission product behavior during operation over a period of 26 months with 235 U fuel (more than 9000 effective full-power hours) was consistent with behavior during operation using 233 U fuel over a period of about 15 months (more than 5100 effective full-power hours)

  12. Fission product chemistry in severe nuclear reactor accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nichols, A.L.

    1990-09-01

    A specialist's meeting was held at JRC-Ispra from 15 to 17 January 1990 to review the current understanding of fission-product chemistry during severe accidents in light water reactors. Discussions focussed on the important chemical phenomena that could occur across the wide range of conditions of a damaged nuclear plant. Recommendations for future chemistry work were made covering the following areas: (a) fuel degradation and fission-product release, (b) transport and attenuation processes in the reactor coolant system, (c) containment chemistry (iodine behaviour and core-concrete interactions)

  13. On the safety of conceptual fusion-fission hybrid reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kastenberg, W.E.; Okrent, D.; Badham, V.; Caspi, S.; Chan, C.K.; Ferrell, W.J.; Frederking, T.H.K.; Grzesik, J.; Lee, J.Y.; McKone, T.E.; Pomraning, G.C.; Ullman, A.Z.; Ting, T.D.; Kim, Y.I.

    1979-01-01

    A preliminary examination of some potential safety questions for conceptual fusion-fission hybrid reactors is presented in this paper. The study and subsequent analysis was largely based upon one design, a conceptual mirror fusion-fission reactor, operating on the deuterium-tritium plasma fusion fuel cycle and the uranium-plutonium fission fuel cycle. The major potential hazards were found to be: (a) fission products, (b) actinide elements, (c) induced radioactivity, and (d) tritium. As a result of these studies, it appears that highly reliable and even redundent decay heat removal must be provided. Loss of the ability to remove decay heat results in melting of fuel, with ultimate release of fission products and actinides to the containment. In addition, the studies indicate that blankets can be designed which will remain subcritical under extensive changes in both composition and geometry. Magnet safety and the effects of magnetic fields on thermal parameters were also considered. (Auth.)

  14. A Review of Previous Research in Direct Energy Conversion Fission Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DUONG, HENRY; POLANSKY, GARY F.; SANDERS, THOMAS L.; SIEGEL, MALCOLM D.

    1999-01-01

    From the earliest days of power reactor development, direct energy conversion was an obvious choice to produce high efficiency electric power generation. Directly capturing the energy of the fission fragments produced during nuclear fission avoids the intermediate conversion to thermal energy and the efficiency limitations of classical thermodynamics. Efficiencies of more than 80% are possible, independent of operational temperature. Direct energy conversion fission reactors would possess a number of unique characteristics that would make them very attractive for commercial power generation. These reactors would be modular in design with integral power conversion and operate at low pressures and temperatures. They would operate at high efficiency and produce power well suited for long distance transmission. They would feature large safety margins and passively safe design. Ideally suited to production by advanced manufacturing techniques, direct energy conversion fission reactors could be produced more economically than conventional reactor designs. The history of direct energy conversion can be considered as dating back to 1913 when Moseleyl demonstrated that charged particle emission could be used to buildup a voltage. Soon after the successful operation of a nuclear reactor, E.P. Wigner suggested the use of fission fragments for direct energy conversion. Over a decade after Wigner's suggestion, the first theoretical treatment of the conversion of fission fragment kinetic energy into electrical potential appeared in the literature. Over the ten years that followed, a number of researchers investigated various aspects of fission fragment direct energy conversion. Experiments were performed that validated the basic physics of the concept, but a variety of technical challenges limited the efficiencies that were achieved. Most research in direct energy conversion ceased in the US by the late 1960s. Sporadic interest in the concept appears in the literature until this

  15. Advantages of Production of New Fissionable Nuclides for the Nuclear Power Industry in Hybrid Fusion-Fission Reactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsibulskiy, V. F.; Andrianova, E. A.; Davidenko, V. D.; Rodionova, E. V.; Tsibulskiy, S. V.

    2017-12-01

    A concept of a large-scale nuclear power engineering system equipped with fusion and fission reactors is presented. The reactors have a joint fuel cycle, which imposes the lowest risk of the radiation impact on the environment. The formation of such a system is considered within the framework of the evolution of the current nuclear power industry with the dominance of thermal reactors, gradual transition to the thorium fuel cycle, and integration into the system of the hybrid fusion-fission reactors for breeding nuclear fuel for fission reactors. Such evolution of the nuclear power engineering system will allow preservation of the existing structure with the dominance of thermal reactors, enable the reprocessing of the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) with low burnup, and prevent the dangerous accumulation of minor actinides. The proposed structure of the nuclear power engineering system minimizes the risk of radioactive contamination of the environment and the SNF reprocessing facilities, decreasing it by more than one order of magnitude in comparison with the proposed scheme of closing the uranium-plutonium fuel cycle based on the reprocessing of SNF with high burnup from fast reactors.

  16. HLW disposal by fission reactors; calculation of trans-mutation rate and recycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mulyanto

    1997-01-01

    Transmutation of MA (Minor actinide) and LLFPS (long-lived fission products) into stable nuclide or short-lived isotopes by fission reactors seem to become an alternative technology for HLW disposal. in this study, transmutation rate and recycle calculation were developed in order to evaluate transmutation characteristics of MA and LLFPs in the fission reactors. inventory of MA and LLFPs in the transmutation reactors were determined by solving of criticality equation with 1-D cylindrical geometry of multigroup diffusion equations at the beginning of cycle (BOC). transmutation rate and burn-up was determined by solving of depletion equation. inventory of MA and LLFPs was calculated for 40 years recycle. From this study, it was concluded that characteristics of MA and LLFPs in the transmutation reactors can be evaluated by recycle calculation. by calculation of transmutation rate, performance of fission reactor for transmutation of MA or LLFPs can be discussed

  17. Materials degradation in fission reactors: Lessons learned of relevance to fusion reactor systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Was, Gary S.

    2007-01-01

    The management of materials in power reactor systems has become a critically important activity in assuring the safe, reliable and economical operation of these facilities. Over the years, the commercial nuclear power reactor industry has faced numerous 'surprises' and unexpected occurrences in materials. Mitigation strategies have sometimes solved one problem at the expense of creating another. Other problems have been solved successfully and have motivated the development of techniques to foresee problems before they occur. This paper focuses on three aspects of fission reactor experience that may benefit future fusion systems. The first is identification of parameters and processes that have had a large impact on the behavior of materials in fission systems such as temperature, dose rate, surface condition, gradients, metallurgical variability and effects of the environment. The second is the development of materials performance and failure models to provide a basis for assuring component integrity. Last is the development of proactive materials management programs that identify and pre-empt degradation processes before they can become problems. These aspects of LWR experience along with the growing experience with materials in the more demanding advanced fission reactor systems form the basis for a set of 'lessons learned' to aid in the successful management of materials in fusion reactor systems

  18. Advanced nuclear fuel production by using fission-fusion hybrid reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Kusayer, T.A.; Sahin, S.; Abdulraoof, M.

    1993-01-01

    Efforts are made at the College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh to lay out the main structure of a prototype experimental fusion and fusion-fission (hybrid) reactor blanket in cylindrical geometry. The geometry is consistent with most of the current fusion and hybrid reactor design concepts in respect of the neutronic considerations. Characteristics of the fusion chamber, fusion neutrons and the blanket are provided. The studies have further shown that 1 GWe fission-fusion reactor can produce up to 957 kg/year which is enough to fuel five light water reactors of comparable power. Fuel production can be increased further. 29 refs

  19. Role of fission-reactor-testing capabilities in the development of fusion technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, P.Y.; Deis, G.A.; Longhurst, G.R.; Miller, L.G.; Schmunk, R.E.; Takata, M.L.; Watts, K.D.

    1981-01-01

    Testing of fusion materials and components in fission reactors will be increasingly important in the future due to the near-term lack of fusion engineering test devices, and the long-term high demand for testing when fusion reactors become available. Fission testing is capable of filling many gaps in fusion reactor design information, and thus should be aggressively pursued. EG and G Idaho has investigated the application of fission testing in three areas, which are discussed in this paper. First, we investigated radiation damage to magnet insulators. This work is now continuing with the use of an improved test capsule. Second, a study was performed which indicated that a fission-suppressed hybrid blanket module could be effectively tested in a reactor such as the Engineering Test Reactor (ETR), closely reproducing the predicted performance in a fusion environment. Finally, we explored a conceptual design for a fission-based Integrated Test Facility (ITF), which can accommodate entire First Wall/Blanket (FW/B) modules for testing in a nuclear environment, simultaneously satisfying many of the FW/B test requirements. This ITF can provide a cyclic neutron/gamma flux, as well as the necessary module support functions

  20. Chemistry of fission product iodine under nuclear reactor accident conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malinauskas, A.P.; Bell, J.T.

    1986-01-01

    The radioisotopes of iodine are generally acknowledged to be the species whose release into the biosphere as a result of a nuclear reactor accident is of the greatest concern. In the course of its release, the fission product is subjected to differing chemical environments; these can alter the physicochemical form of the fission product and thus modify the manner and extent to which release occurs. Both the chemical environments which are characteristic of reactor accidents and their effect in determining physical and chemical form of fission product iodine have been studied extensively, and are reviewed in this report. 76 refs

  1. Transmutation of Tc-99 in fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kloosterman, J.L.; Li, J.M.

    1994-12-01

    Transmutation of Tc-99 in three different types of fission reactors is considered: A heavy water reactor, a fast reactor and a light water reactor. For the first type a CANDU reactor was chosen, for the second one the Superphenix reactor, and for the third one a PWR. The three most promising Tc-99 transmuters are the fast reactor with a moderated subassembly in the inner core, a fast reactor with a non-moderated subassembly in the inner core, and a heavy water reactor with Tc-99 target pins in the moderator between the fuel bundles. Transmutation half lives of 15 to 25 years can be achieved, with yearly transmuted Tc-99 masses of about 100 kg at a thermal reactor power of about 3000 MW. (orig.)

  2. Integral measurement of fission products capture in fast breeder reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin Deidier, Loick.

    1979-12-01

    For the SUPERPHENIX reactor project, it was necessary to know fission products capture with about 10% accuracy in the fast breeder reactor spectra. In this purpose, integral measurements have been carried out on the main separated products by different experimental technics (oscillation, activation and irradiation methods), but particularly on irradiated fuel pins from RAPSODIE and PHENIX reactors in order to directly obtain total effect of fission products. Same tendencies have been observed for both enriched uranium fuel and LMFBR characteristic plutonium fuel. All experimental results have been introduced in CARNAVAL cross section set [fr

  3. Neutronics issues in fusion-fission hybrid reactor design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Chengan

    1995-01-01

    The coupled neutron and γ-ray transport equations and nuclear number density equations, and its computer program systems concerned in fusion-fission hybrid reactor design are briefly described. The current status and focal point for coming work of nuclear data used in fusion reactor design are explained

  4. Maintenance of fission and fusion reactors. 10. workshop on fusion reactor engineering

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-02-01

    This report contains copies of OHP presented at the title meeting. The presented topics are as follows, maintenance of nuclear power plants and ITER, exchange of shroud in BWR type reactors, deterioration of fission and fusion reactor materials, standards of pressure vessels, malfunction diagnosis method with neural network. (J.P.N.)

  5. Thermal Energetic Reactor with High Reproduction of Fission Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir M. Kotov

    2012-01-01

    On the base of thermal reactors with high fission materials reproduction world atomic power engineering development supplying higher power and requiring smaller speed of raw uranium mining, than in the variant with fast reactors, is possible.

  6. Brief review of the fusion-fission hybrid reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tenney, F.H.

    1977-01-01

    Much of the conceptual framework of present day fusion-fission hybrid reactors is found in the original work of the early 1950's. Present day motivations for development are quite different. The role of the hybrid reactor is discussed as well as the current activities in the development program

  7. Chemical immobilization of fission products reactive with nuclear reactor components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grossman, L.N.; Kaznoff, A.I.; Clukey, H.V.

    1975-01-01

    This invention teaches a method of immobilizing deleterious fission products produced in nuclear fuel materials during nuclear fission chain reactions through the use of additives. The additives are disposed with the nuclear fuel materials in controlled quantities to form new compositions preventing attack of reactor components, especially nuclear fuel cld, by the deleterious fission products. (Patent Office Record)

  8. Measurement of delayed neutron-emitting fission products in nuclear reactor coolant water during reactor operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1981-01-01

    The method covers the detection and measurement of delayed neutron-emitting fission products contained in nuclear reactor coolant water while the reactor is operating. The method is limited to the measurement of the delayed neutron-emitting bromine isotope of mass 87 and the delayed neutron-emitting iodine isotope of mass 137. The other delayed neutron-emitting fission products cannot be accurately distinguished from nitrogen 17, which is formed under some reactor conditions by neutron irradiation of the coolant water molecules. The method includes a description of significance, measurement variables, interferences, apparatus, sampling, calibration, standardization, sample measurement procedures, system efficiency determination, calculations, and precision

  9. Determination of the fission coefficients in thermal nuclear reactors for antineutrino detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Araujo, Lenilson M. [Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao de Engenharia (PEN/COPPE/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Programa de Engenharia Nuclear; Cabral, Ronaldo G., E-mail: rgcabral@ime.eb.b [Instituto Militar de Engenharia (IME), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Anjos, Joao C.C. dos, E-mail: janjos@cbpf.b [Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas (CBPF), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Dept. GLN - G

    2011-07-01

    The nuclear reactors in operation periodically need to change their fuel. It is during this process that these reactors are more vulnerable to occurring of several situations of fuel diversion, thus the monitoring of the nuclear installations is indispensable to avoid events of this nature. Considering this fact, the most promissory technique to be used for the nuclear safeguard for the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons, it is based on the detection and spectroscopy of antineutrino from fissions that occur in the nuclear reactors. The detection and spectroscopy of antineutrino, they both depend on the single contribution for the total number of fission of each actinide in the core reactor, these contributions receive the name of fission coefficients. The goal of this research is to show the computational and mathematical modeling used to determinate these coefficients for PWR reactors. (author)

  10. Method of fission product beta spectra measurements for predicting reactor anti-neutrino emission

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Asner, D.M.; Burns, K.; Campbell, L.W.; Greenfield, B.; Kos, M.S., E-mail: markskos@gmail.com; Orrell, J.L.; Schram, M.; VanDevender, B.; Wood, L.S.; Wootan, D.W.

    2015-03-11

    The nuclear fission process that occurs in the core of nuclear reactors results in unstable, neutron-rich fission products that subsequently beta decay and emit electron antineutrinos. These reactor neutrinos have served neutrino physics research from the initial discovery of the neutrino to today's precision measurements of neutrino mixing angles. The prediction of the absolute flux and energy spectrum of the emitted reactor neutrinos hinges upon a series of seminal papers based on measurements performed in the 1970s and 1980s. The steadily improving reactor neutrino measurement techniques and recent reconsiderations of the agreement between the predicted and observed reactor neutrino flux motivates revisiting the underlying beta spectra measurements. A method is proposed to use an accelerator proton beam delivered to an engineered target to yield a neutron field tailored to reproduce the neutron energy spectrum present in the core of an operating nuclear reactor. Foils of the primary reactor fissionable isotopes placed in this tailored neutron flux will ultimately emit beta particles from the resultant fission products. Measurement of these beta particles in a time projection chamber with a perpendicular magnetic field provides a distinctive set of systematic considerations for comparison to the original seminal beta spectra measurements. Ancillary measurements such as gamma-ray emission and post-irradiation radiochemical analysis will further constrain the absolute normalization of beta emissions per fission. The requirements for unfolding the beta spectra measured with this method into a predicted reactor neutrino spectrum are explored.

  11. Fuel performance and fission product behaviour in gas cooled reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-11-01

    The Co-ordinated Research Programme (CRP) on Validation of Predictive Methods for Fuel and Fission Product Behaviour was organized within the frame of the International Working Group on Gas Cooled Reactors. This International Working Group serves as a forum for exchange of information on national programmes, provides advice to the IAEA on international co-operative activities in advanced technologies of gas cooled reactors (GCRs), and supports the conduct of these activities. The objectives of this CRP were to review and document the status of the experimental data base and of the predictive methods for GCR fuel performance and fission product behaviour; and to verify and validate methodologies for the prediction of fuel performance and fission product transport

  12. Reference reactor module for NASA's lunar surface fission power system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Poston, David I [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Kapernick, Richard J [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Dixon, David D [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Werner, James [INL; Qualls, Louis [ORNL; Radel, Ross [SNL

    2009-01-01

    Surface fission power systems on the Moon and Mars may provide the first US application of fission reactor technology in space since 1965. The Affordable Fission Surface Power System (AFSPS) study was completed by NASA/DOE to determine the cost of a modest performance, low-technical risk surface power system. The AFSPS concept is now being further developed within the Fission Surface Power (FSP) Project, which is a near-term technology program to demonstrate system-level TRL-6 by 2013. This paper describes the reference FSP reactor module concept, which is designed to provide a net power of 40 kWe for 8 years on the lunar surface; note, the system has been designed with technologies that are fully compatible with a Martian surface application. The reactor concept uses stainless-steel based. UO{sub 2}-fueled, pumped-NaK fission reactor coupled to free-piston Stirling converters. The reactor shielding approach utilizes both in-situ and launched shielding to keep the dose to astronauts much lower than the natural background radiation on the lunar surface. The ultimate goal of this work is to provide a 'workhorse' power system that NASA can utilize in near-term and future Lunar and Martian mission architectures, with the eventual capability to evolve to very high power, low mass systems, for either surface, deep space, and/or orbital missions.

  13. Hybrid fission-fusion nuclear reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zucchetti, Massimo

    2011-01-01

    A fusion-fission hybrid could contribute to all components of nuclear power - fuel supply, electricity production, and waste management. The idea of the fusion-fission hybrid is many decades old. Several ideas, both new and revisited, have been investigated by hybrid proponents. These ideas appear to have attractive features, but they require various levels of advances in plasma science and fusion and nuclear technology. As a first step towards the development of hybrid reactors, fusion neutron sources can be considered as an option. Compact high-field tokamaks can be a candidate for being the neutron source in a fission-fusion hybrid, essentially due to their design characteristics, such as compact dimensions, high magnetic field, flexibility of operation. This study presents the development of a tokamak neutron source for a material testing facility using an Ignitor-based concept. The computed values show the potential of this neutron-rich device for fusion materials testing. Some full-power months of operation are sufficient to obtain relevant radiation damage values in terms of dpa. (Author)

  14. Fission product model for lattice calculation of high conversion boiling water reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iijima, S.; Yoshida, T.; Yamamoto, T.

    1988-01-01

    A high precision fission product model for boiling water reactor (BWR) lattice calculation was developed, which consists of 45 nuclides to be treated explicitly and one nonsaturating pseudo nuclide. This model is applied to a high conversion BWR lattice calculation code. From a study based on a three-energy-group calculation of fission product poisoning due to full fission products and explicitly treated nuclides, the multigroup capture cross sections and the effective fission yields of the pseudo nuclide are determined, which do not depend on fuel types or reactor operating conditions for a good approximation. Apart from nuclear data uncertainties, the model and the derived pseudo nuclide constants would predict the fission product reactivity within an error of 0.1% Δk at high burnup

  15. Reactor physics and thermodynamics of a gaseous core fission reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuijper, J.C.; Van Dam, H.; Stekelenburg, A.J.C.; Hoogenboom, J.E.; Boersma-Klein, W.; Kistemaker, J.

    1990-01-01

    Neutron kinetics and thermodynamics of a Gaseous Core Fission Reactor with magnetical pumping are shown to have many unconventional aspects. Attention is focussed on the properties of the fuel gas, the stationary temperature distribution, the non-linear neutron kinetics and the energy balance in thermodynamical cycles

  16. Search for other natural fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Apt, K.E.; Balagna, J.P.; Bryant, E.A.; Cowan, G.A.; Daniels, W.R.; Vidale, R.J.

    1977-01-01

    Precambrian uranium ores have been surveyed for evidence of other natural fission reactors. The requirements for formation of a natural reactor direct investigations to uranium deposits with large, high-grade ore zones. Massive zones with volumes approximately greater than 1 m 3 and concentrations approximately greater than 20 percent uranium are likely places for a fossil reactor if they are approximately greater than 0.6 b.a. old and if they contained sufficient water but lacked neutron-absorbing impurities. While uranium deposits of northern Canada and northern Australia have received most attention, ore samples have been obtained from the following worldwide locations: the Shinkolobwe and Katanga regions of Zaire; Southwest Africa; Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil; the Jabiluka, Nabarlek, Koongarra, Ranger, and El Sharana ore bodies of the Northern Territory, Australia; the Beaverlodge, Maurice Bay, Key Lake, Cluff Lake, and Rabbit Lake ore bodies and the Great Bear Lake region, Canada. The ore samples were tested for isotopic variations in uranium, neodymium, samarium, and ruthenium which would indicate natural fission. Isotopic anomalies were not detected. Criticality was not achieved in these deposits because they did not have sufficient 235 U content (a function of age and total uranium content) and/or because they had significant impurities and insufficient moderation. A uranium mill monitoring technique has been considered where the ''yellowcake'' output from appropriate mills would be monitored for isotopic alterations indicative of the exhumation and processing of a natural reactor

  17. Fuel performance and fission product behaviour in gas cooled reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-11-01

    The Co-ordinated Research Programme (CRP) on Validation of Predictive Methods for Fuel and Fission Product Behaviour was organized within the frame of the International Working Group on Gas Cooled Reactors. This International Working Group serves as a forum for exchange of information on national programmes, provides advice to the IAEA on international co-operative activities in advanced technologies of gas cooled reactors (GCRs), and supports the conduct of these activities. The objectives of this CRP were to review and document the status of the experimental data base and of the predictive methods for GCR fuel performance and fission product behaviour; and to verify and validate methodologies for the prediction of fuel performance and fission product transport. Refs, figs, tabs.

  18. Neutron irradiation facilities for fission and fusion reactor materials studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rowcliffe, A.F.

    1985-01-01

    The successful development of energy-conversion machines based upon nuclear fission or fusion reactors is critically dependent upon the behavior of the engineering materials used to construct the full containment and primary heat extraction systems. The development of radiation damage-resistant materials requires irradiation testing facilities which reproduce, as closely as possible, the thermal and neutronic environment expected in a power-producing reactor. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) reference core design for the Center for Neutron Research (CNR) reactor provides for instrumented facilities in regions of both hard and mixed neutron spectra, with substantially higher fluxes than are currently available. The benefits of these new facilities to the development of radiation damage resistant materials are discussed in terms of the major US fission and fusion reactor programs

  19. Study of advanced fission power reactor development for the United States. Volume I

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1976-01-01

    This volume summarizes the results and conclusions of an assessment of five advanced fission power reactor concepts in the context of potential nuclear power economies developed over the time period 1975 to 2020. The study was based on the premise that the LMFBR program has been determined to be the highest priority fission reactor program and it will proceed essentially as planned. Accepting this fact, the overall objective of the study was to provide evaluations of advanced fission reactor systems for input to evaluating the levels of research and development funding for fission power. Evaluation of the reactor systems included the following categories: (1) power plant performance, (2) fuel resource utilization; (3) fuel-cycle requirements; (4) economics; (5) environmental impact; (6) risk to the public; and (7) R and D requirements to achieve commercial status. The specific major objectives of the study were twofold: (1) to parametrically assess the impact of various reactor types for various levels of power demand through the year 2020 on fissile fuel utilization, economics, and the environment, based on varying but reasonable assumptions on the rates of installation; and (2) to qualitatively assess the practicality of the advanced reactor concepts, and their research and development. The reactor concepts examined were limited to the following: advanced high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) systems including the thorium/U-233 fuel cycle, gas turbine, and binary cycle (BIHTGR); gas-cooled fast breeder reactor (GCFR); molten salt breeder reactor (MSBR); light water breeder reactor (LWBR); and CANDU heavy water reactor

  20. Comparative energetics of three fusion-fission symbiotic nuclear reactor systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gordon, C.W.; Harms, A.A.

    1975-01-01

    The energetics of three symbiotic fusion-fission nuclear reactor concepts are investigated. The fuel and power balances are considered for various values of systems parameters. The results from this analysis suggest that symbiotic fusion-fission systems are advantageous from the standpoint of economy and resource utilization. (Auth.)

  1. Fission power: a search for a ''second-generation'' reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hovingh, J.

    1985-01-01

    This report touches on the history of US fission reactors and explores the current technical status of such reactors around the world, including experimental reactors. Its purpose is to identify, evaluate, and rank the most promising concepts among existing reactors, proposed but unadopted designs, and what can be described as ''new'' concepts. Also discussed are such related concerns as utility requirements and design considerations. The report concludes with some recommendations for possible future LLNL involvement

  2. Fission fragment assisted reactor concept for space propulsion: Foil reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wright, S.A.

    1991-01-01

    The concept is to fabricate a reactor using thin films or foils of uranium, uranium oxide and then to coat them on substrates. These coatings would be made so thin as to allow the escaping fission fragments to directly heat a hydrogen propellant. The idea was studied of direct gas heating and direct gas pumping in a nuclear pumped laser program. Fission fragments were used to pump lasers. In this concept two substrates are placed opposite each other. The internal faces are coated with thin foil of uranium oxide. A few of the advantages of this technology are listed. In general, however, it is felt that if one look at all solid core nuclear thermal rockets or nuclear thermal propulsion methods, one is going to find that they all pretty much look the same. It is felt that this reactor has higher potential reliability. It has low structural operating temperatures, very short burn times, with graceful failure modes, and it has reduced potential for energetic accidents. Going to a design like this would take the NTP community part way to some of the very advanced engine designs, such as the gas core reactor, but with reduced risk because of the much lower temperatures

  3. LOFC fission product release and circulating activity calculations for gas-cooled reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Apperson, C.E. Jr.; Carruthers, L.M.; Lee, C.E.

    1977-01-01

    The inventories of fission products in a gas-cooled reactor under accident and normal steady state conditions are time and temperature dependent. To obtain a reasonable estimate of these inventories it is necessary to consider fuel failure, a temperature dependent variable, and radioactive decay, a time dependent variable. Using arbitrary radioactive decay chains and published fuel failure models for the High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR), methods have been developed to evaluate the release of fission products during the Loss of Forced Circulation (LOFC) accident and the circulating and plateout fission product inventories during steady state non-accident operation. The LARC-2 model presented here neglects the time delays in the release from the HTGR due to diffusion of fission products from particles in the fuel rod through the graphite matrix. It also neglects the adsorption and evaporation process of metallics at the fuel rod-graphite and graphite-coolant hole interfaces. Any time delay due to the finite time of transport of fission products by convection through the coolant to the outside of the prestressed concrete reactor vessel (PCRV) is also neglected. This model assumes that all fission products released from fuel particles are immediately deposited outside the PCRV with no time delay

  4. Burn-up calculation of fusion-fission hybrid reactor using thorium cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shido, S.; Matsunaka, M.; Kondo, K.; Murata, I.; Yamamoto, Y.

    2006-01-01

    A burn-up calculation system has been developed to estimate performance of blanket in a fusion-fission hybrid reactor which is a fusion reactor with a blanket region containing nuclear fuel. In this system, neutron flux is calculated by MCNP4B and then burn-up calculation is performed by ORIGEN2. The cross-section library for ORIGEN2 is made from the calculated neutron flux and evaluated nuclear data. The 3-dimensional ITER model was used as a base fusion reactor. The nuclear fuel (reprocessed plutonium as the fission materials mixed with thorium as the fertile materials), transmutation materials (minor actinides and long-lived fission products) and tritium breeder were loaded into the blanket. Performances of gas-cooled and water-cooled blankets were compared with each other. As a result, the proposed reactor can meet the requirement for TBP and power density. As far as nuclear waste incineration is concerned, the gas-cooled blanket has advantages. On the other hand, the water cooled-blanket is suited to energy production. (author)

  5. Fission product release from TRIGA-LEU reactor fuels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baldwin, N.L.; Foushee, F.C.; Greenwood, J.S.

    1980-01-01

    Due to present international concerns over nuclear proliferation, TRIGA reactor fuels will utilize only low-enriched uranium (LEU) (enrichment <20%). This requires increased total uranium loading per unit volume of fuel in order to maintain the appropriate fissile loading. Tests were conducted to determine the fractional release of gaseous and metallic fission products from typical uranium-zirconium hydride TRIGA fuels containing up to 45 wt-% uranium. These tests, performed in late 1977 and early 1978, were similar to those conducted earlier on TRIGA fuels with 8.5 wt-% U. Fission gas release measurements were made on prototypic specimens from room temperature to 1100 deg. C in the TRIGA King Furnace Facility. The fuel specimens were irradiated in the TRIGA reactor at a low power level. The fractional releases of the gaseous nuclides of krypton and xenon were measured under steady-state operating conditions. Clean helium was used to sweep the fission gases released during irradiation from the furnace into a standard gas collection trap for gamma counting. The results of these tests on TRIGA-LEU fuel agree well with data from the similar, earlier tests on TRIGA fuel. The correlation used to calculate the release of fission products from 8.5 wt-% U TRIGA fuel applies equally well for U contents up to 45 wt-%. (author)

  6. Contained fissionly vaporized imploded fission explosive breeder reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marwick, E.F.

    1978-01-01

    Disclosed is a nuclear reactor system which produces useful thermal power and breeds fissile isotopes wherein large spherical complex slugs containing fissile and fertile isotopes as well as vaporizing and tamping materials are exploded seriatim in a large containing chamber having walls protected from the effects of the explosion by about two thousand tons of slurry of fissile and fertile isotopes in molten alkali metal. The slug which is slightly sub-critical prior to its entry into the centroid portion of the chamber, then becomes slightly more than prompt-critical because of the near proximity of neutron-reflecting atoms and of fissioning atoms within the slurry. The slurry is heated by explosion of the slugs and serves as a working fluid for extraction of heat energy from the reactor. Explosive debris is precipitated from the slurry and used for the fabrication of new slugs

  7. New Monte Carlo-based method to evaluate fission fraction uncertainties for the reactor antineutrino experiment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ma, X.B., E-mail: maxb@ncepu.edu.cn; Qiu, R.M.; Chen, Y.X.

    2017-02-15

    Uncertainties regarding fission fractions are essential in understanding antineutrino flux predictions in reactor antineutrino experiments. A new Monte Carlo-based method to evaluate the covariance coefficients between isotopes is proposed. The covariance coefficients are found to vary with reactor burnup and may change from positive to negative because of balance effects in fissioning. For example, between {sup 235}U and {sup 239}Pu, the covariance coefficient changes from 0.15 to −0.13. Using the equation relating fission fraction and atomic density, consistent uncertainties in the fission fraction and covariance matrix were obtained. The antineutrino flux uncertainty is 0.55%, which does not vary with reactor burnup. The new value is about 8.3% smaller. - Highlights: • The covariance coefficients between isotopes vs reactor burnup may change its sign because of two opposite effects. • The relation between fission fraction uncertainty and atomic density are first studied. • A new MC-based method of evaluating the covariance coefficients between isotopes was proposed.

  8. An experimental investigation of fission product release in SLOWPOKE-2 reactors - Data report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harnden, A.M.C.

    1995-09-01

    The results of an investigation into the release of fission products from SLOWPOKE-2 reactors fuelled with a highly-enriched uranium alloy core are detailed in Volume 1. This data report (Volume 2) contains plots of the activity concentrations of the fission products observed in the reactor container at the University of Toronto, Ecole Polytechnique and the Kanata Isotope Production Facility. Release rates from the reactor container water to the gas headspace are also included. (author)

  9. Role of organic matter in the Proterozoic Oklo natural fission reactors, Gabon, Africa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nagy, B.; Rigali, M.J.; Gauthier-Lafaye, F.; Holliger, P.; Mossman, D.J.; Leventhal, J.S.

    1993-01-01

    Of the sixteen known Oklo and the Bangombe natural fission reactors (hydrothermally altered elastic sedimentary rocks that contain abundant uraninite and authigenic clay minerals), reactors 1 to 6 at Oklo contain only traces of organic matter, but the others are rich in organic substances. Reactors 7 to 9 are the subjects of this study. These organic-rich reactors may serve as time-tested analogues for anthropogenic nuclear-waste containment strategies. Organic matter helped to concentrate quantities of uranium sufficient to initiate the nuclear chain reactions. Liquid bitumen was generated from organic matter by hydrothermal reactions during nuclear criticality. The bitumen soon became a solid, consisting of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and an intimate mixture of cryptocrystalline graphite, which enclosed and immobilized uraninite and the fission-generated isotopes entrapped in uraninite. This mechanism prevented major loss of uranium and fission products from the natural nuclear reactors for 1.2 b.y. 24 refs., 4 figs

  10. Thermochemical data for reactor materials and fission products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cordfunke, E.H.P.; Konings, R.J.M.

    1990-01-01

    This volume presents a collection of critically assessed data on inorganic compounds which are of special interest in nuclear reactor safety studies. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations are an important and widely used instrument in the understanding of the chemical behavior and release of fission products in the course of nuclear reactor accidents. The reliability of such calculations is, nevertheless, limited by the availability of accurate input data for relevant compounds

  11. Thermal safety analysis for pebble bed blanket fusion-fission hybrid reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei Renjie

    1998-01-01

    Pebble bed blanket hybrid reactor may have more advantages than slab element blanket hybrid reactor in nuclear fuel production and nuclear safety. The thermo-hydraulic calculations of the blanket in the Tokamak helium cooling pebble bed blanket fusion-fission hybrid reactor developed in China are carried out using the Code THERMIX and auxiliary code. In the calculations different fuel pebble material and steady state, depressurization and total loss of flow accident conditions are included. The results demonstrate that the conceptual design of the Tokamak helium cooling pebble bed blanket fusion-fission hybrid reactor with dump tank is feasible and safe enough only if the suitable fuel pebble material is selected and the suitable control system and protection system are established. Some recommendations for due conceptual design are also presented

  12. DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION (DEC) FISSION REACTORS - A U.S. NERI PROJECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beller, D.; Polansky, G.

    2000-01-01

    The direct conversion of the electrical energy of charged fission fragments was examined early in the nuclear reactor era, and the first theoretical treatment appeared in the literature in 1957. Most of the experiments conducted during the next ten years to investigate fission fragment direct energy conversion (DEC) were for understanding the nature and control of the charged particles. These experiments verified fundamental physics and identified a number of specific problem areas, but also demonstrated a number of technical challenges that limited DEC performance. Because DEC was insufficient for practical applications, by the late 1960s most R and D ceased in the US. Sporadic interest in the concept appears in the literature until this day, but there have been no recent programs to develop the technology. This has changed with the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative that was funded by the U.S. Congress in 1999. Most of the previous concepts were based on a fission electric cell known as a triode, where a central cathode is coated with a thin layer of nuclear fuel. A fission fragment that leaves the cathode with high kinetic energy and a large positive charge is decelerated as it approaches the anode by a charge differential of several million volts, it then deposits its charge in the anode after its kinetic energy is exhausted. Large numbers of low energy electrons leave the cathode with each fission fragment; they are suppressed by negatively biased on grid wires or by magnetic fields. Other concepts include magnetic collimators and quasi-direct magnetohydrodynamic generation (steady flow or pulsed). We present the basic principles of DEC fission reactors, review the previous research, discuss problem areas in detail and identify technological developments of the last 30 years relevant to overcoming these obstacles. A prognosis for future development of direct energy conversion fission reactors will be presented

  13. Conceptual design of a fusion-fission hybrid reactor for transmutation of high level nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiu, L.J.; Wu, Y.C.; Yang, Y.W.; Wu, Y.; Luan, G.S.; Xu, Q.; Guo, Z.J.; Xiao, B.J.

    1994-01-01

    To assess the feasibility of the transmutation of long-lived radioactive waste using fusion-fission hybrid reactors, we are studying all the possible types of blanket, including a comparison of the thermal and fast neutron spectrum blankets. Conceptual designs of a small tokamak hybrid blanket with small inventory of actinides and fission products are presented. The small inventory of wastes makes the system safer. The small hybrid reactor system based on a fusion core with experimental parameters to be realized in the near future can effectively transmute actinides and fission products at a neutron wall loading of 1MWm -2 . An innovative energy system is also presented, including a fusion driver, fuel breeder, high level waste transmuter, fission reactor and so on. An optimal combination of all types of reactor is proposed in the system. ((orig.))

  14. Use of dwell time concept in fission product inventory assessment for CANDU reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bae, C.J.; Choi, J.H.; Hwang, H.R.; Seo, J.T.

    2003-01-01

    A realistic approach in calculating the initial fission product inventory within the CANFLEX-NU fuel has been assessed for its applicability to the single channel event safety analysis for CANDU reactors. This approach is based on the dwell time concept in which the accident is assumed to occur at the dwell time when the summation of fission product inventory for all isotopes becomes largest. However, in the current conservative analysis, the maximum total inventory and the corresponding gap inventory for each isotope are used as the initial fission product inventories regardless of the accident initiation time. The fission product inventory analysis has been performed using ELESTRES code considering power histories and burnup of the fuel bundles in the limiting channel. The analysis results showed that the total fission product inventory is found to be largest at 20% dwell time. Therefore, the fission product inventory at 20% dwell time can be used as the initial condition for the single channel event for the CANDU 6 reactors. (author)

  15. Comparison of actinides and fission products recycling scheme with the normal plutonium recycling scheme in fast reactors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salahuddin Asif

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Multiple recycling of actinides and non-volatile fission products in fast reactors through the dry re-fabrication/reprocessing atomics international reduction oxidation process has been studied as a possible way to reduce the long-term potential hazard of nuclear waste compared to that resulting from reprocessing in a wet PUREX process. Calculations have been made to compare the actinides and fission products recycling scheme with the normal plutonium recycling scheme in a fast reactor. For this purpose, the Karlsruhe version of isotope generation and depletion code, KORIGEN, has been modified accordingly. An entirely novel fission product yields library for fast reactors has been created which has replaced the old KORIGEN fission products library. For the purposes of this study, the standard 26 groups data set, KFKINR, developed at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Germany, has been extended by the addition of the cross-sections of 13 important actinides and 68 most important fission products. It has been confirmed that these 68 fission products constitute about 95% of the total fission products yield and about 99.5% of the total absorption due to fission products in fast reactors. The amount of fissile material required to guarantee the criticality of the reactor during recycling schemes has also been investigated. Cumulative high active waste per ton of initial heavy metal is also calculated. Results show that the recycling of actinides and fission products in fast reactors through the atomics international reduction oxidation process results in a reduction of the potential hazard of radioactive waste.

  16. Studies on the properties of hard-spectrum, actinide fissioning reactors. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, J.B.; Prichard, A.W.; Schofield, P.E.; Robinson, A.H.; Spinrad, B.I.

    1980-01-01

    It is technically feasible to construct an operable (e.g., safe and stable) reactor to burn waste actinides rapidly. The heart of the concept is a driver core of EBR-II type, with a central radial target zone in which fuel elements, made entirely of waste actinides are exposed. This target fuel undergoes fission, as a result of which actinides are rapidly destroyed. Although the same result could be achieved in more conventionally designed LWR or LMFBR systems, the fast spectrum reactor does a much more efficient job, by virtue of the fact that in both LWR and LMFBR reactors, actinide fission is preceded by several captures before a fissile nuclide is formed. In the fast spectrum reactor that is called ABR (actinide burning reactor), these neutron captures are short-circuited

  17. System model for analysis of the mirror fusion-fission reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bender, D.J.; Carlson, G.A.

    1977-01-01

    This report describes a system model for the mirror fusion-fission reactor. In this model we include a reactor description as well as analyses of capital cost and blanket fuel management. In addition, we provide an economic analysis evaluating the cost of producing the two hybrid products, fissile fuel and electricity. We also furnish the results of a limited parametric analysis of the modeled reactor, illustrating the technological and economic implications of varying some important reactor design parameters

  18. Feasibility study of applying the passive safety system concept to fusion–fission hybrid reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, Zhang-cheng; Xie, Heng

    2014-01-01

    The fusion–fission hybrid reactor can produce energy, breed nuclear fuel, and handle the nuclear waste, etc., with the fusion neutron source striking the subcritical blanket. The passive safety system consists of passive residual heat removal system, passive safety injection system and automatic depressurization system was adopted into the fusion–fission hybrid reactor in this paper. Modeling and nodalization of primary loop, partial secondary loop and passive core cooling system for the fusion–fission hybrid reactor using relap5 were conducted and small break LOCA on cold leg was analyzed. The results of key transient parameters indicated that the actuation of passive safety system could mitigate the accidental consequence of the 4-inch cold leg small break LOCA on cold leg in the early time effectively. It is feasible to apply the passive safety system concept to fusion–fission hybrid reactor. The minimum collapsed liquid level had great increase if doubling the volume of CMTs to increase its coolant injection and had no increase if doubling the volume of ACCs

  19. Synergies in the design and development of fusion and generation IV fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bogusch, E.; Carre, F.; Knebel, J.; Aoto, K.

    2007-01-01

    Future fusion reactors or systems and Generation IV fission reactors are designed and developed in worldwide programmes mostly involving the same partners to investigate and assess their potential for realisation and contribution to meet the future energy needs beyond 2030. Huge scientific and financial effort is necessary to meet these objectives. First programmes have been launched in Generation IV International Forum (GIF) for fission and in the Broader Approach for fusion reactor system development. Except the physics basis for the energy source, future fusion and fission reactors, in particular those with fast neutron core face similar design issues and development needs. Therefore the call for the identification of synergies became evident. Beyond ITER cooled by water, future fusion reactors or systems will be designed for helium and liquid metal cooling and higher temperatures similar to those proposed for some of the six fission reactor concepts in GIF with their diverse coolants. Beside materials developments which are not discussed in this paper, design and performance of components and systems related to the diverse coolants including lifetime and maintenance aspects might offer significant potentials for synergies. Furthermore, the use of process heat for applications in addition to electricity production as well as their safety approaches might create synergistic design and development programmes. Therefore an early identification of possible synergies in the relevant programmes should be endorsed to minimise the effort for future power plants in terms of investments and resources. In addition to a general overview of a possible synergistic work programme which promotes the interaction between fusion and fission programmes towards an integrated organisation of their design and R and D programmes, some specific remarks will be given for joint design tools, numerical code systems and joint experiments in support of common technologies. (orig.)

  20. Synergies in the design and development of fusion and generation IV fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bogusch, E.; Carre, F.; Knebel, J.U.; Aoto, K.

    2008-01-01

    Future fusion reactor and Generation IV fission reactor systems are designed and developed in worldwide programmes to investigate and assess their potential for realisation and contribution to the future energy needs beyond 2030 mostly involving the same partners. Huge scientific and financial effort is necessary to meet these objectives. First programmes have been launched in Generation IV International Forum (GIF) for fission and in the Broader Approach for fusion reactor system development. Except for the physics basis for the energy source, future fusion and fission reactors, in particular those with fast neutron core, face similar design issues and development needs. Therefore, the call for the identification of synergies became evident. Beyond ITER cooled by water, future fusion reactor systems will be designed for high-temperature helium and liquid metal cooling but also water including supercritical water and molten salt similar to those proposed for some of the six fission reactor concepts in GIF with their diverse coolants. Beside materials developments which are not discussed in this paper, design and performance of components and systems related to the diverse coolants including lifetime and maintenance aspects might offer significant potentials for synergies. Furthermore, the use of process heat for applications in addition to electricity production as well as their safety approaches can create synergistic design and development programmes. Therefore, an early identification of possible synergies in the relevant programmes should be endorsed to minimise the effort for future power plants in terms of investments and resources. In addition to a general overview of a possible synergistic work programme which promotes the interaction between fusion and fission programmes towards an integrated organisation of their design and R and D programmes, some specific remarks will be given for joint design tools, numerical code systems and joint experiments in

  1. Preparation of a primary target for the production of fission products in a nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arino, H.; Cosolito, F.J.; George, K.D.; Thornton, A.K.

    1976-01-01

    A primary target for the production of fission products in a nuclear reactor, such as uranium or plutonium fission products, is comprised of an enclosed, cylindrical vessel, preferably comprised of stainless steel, having a thin, continuous, uniform layer of fissionable material, integrally bonded to its inner walls and a port permitting access to the interior of the vessel. A process is also provided for depositing uranium material on to the inner walls of the vessel. Upon irradiation of the target with neutrons from a nuclear reactor, radioactive fission products, such as molybdenum-99, are formed, and thereafter separated from the target by the introduction of an acidic solution through the port to dissolve the irradiated inner layer. The irradiation and dissolution are thus effected in the same vessel without the necessity of transferring the fissionable material and fission products to a separate chemical reactor. Subsequently, the desired isotopes are extracted and purified. Molybdenum-99 decays to technetium-99m which is a valuable medical diagnostic radioisotope. 3 claims, 1 drawing figure

  2. Nuclear data in the problem of fission reactor decommissioning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manokhin, V.N.; Kulagin, N.T.

    1993-01-01

    This report presents a review of the works published in Russia during last several years and devoted to the problem of nuclear data and calculations of nuclear facilities activation for fission reactor decommissioning. 6 refs

  3. Expected value of finite fission chain lengths of pulse reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Jianjun; Zhou Zhigao; Zhang Ben'ai

    2007-01-01

    The average neutron population necessary for sponsoring a persistent fission chain in a multiplying system, is discussed. In the point reactor model, the probability function θ(n, t 0 , t) of a source neutron at time t 0 leading to n neutrons at time t is dealt with. The non-linear partial differential equation for the probability generating function G(z; t 0 , t) is derived. By solving the equation, we have obtained an approximate analytic solution for a slightly prompt supercritical system. For the pulse reactor Godiva-II, the mean value of finite fission chain lengths is estimated in this work and shows that the estimated value is reasonable for the experimental analysis. (authors)

  4. Fusion-Fission hybrid reactors and nonproliferation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greenspan, E.

    1984-09-01

    New options for the development of the nuclear energy economy which might become available by a successful development of fusion-breeders or fusion-fission hybrid power reactors, identified and their nonproliferative attributes are discussed. The more promising proliferation-resistance ettributes identified include: (1) Justification for a significant delay in the initiation of fuel processing, (2) Denaturing the plutonium with 238 Pu before its use in power reactors of any kind, and (3) Making practical the development of denatured uranium fuel cycles and, in particular, denaturing the uranium with 232 U. Fuel resource utilization, time-table and economic considerations associated with the use of fusion-breeders are also discussed. It is concluded that hybrid reactors may enable developing a nuclear energy economy which is more proliferation resistant than possible otherwise, whileat the same time, assuring high utilization of t he uranium and thorium resources in an economically acceptable way. (author)

  5. A fission-fusion hybrid reactor in steady-state L-mode tokamak configuration with natural uranium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reed, Mark; Parker, Ronald R.; Forget, Benoit

    2012-01-01

    This work develops a conceptual design for a fusion-fission hybrid reactor operating in steady-state L-mode tokamak configuration with a subcritical natural or depleted uranium pebble bed blanket. A liquid lithium-lead alloy breeds enough tritium to replenish that consumed by the D-T fusion reaction. The fission blanket augments the fusion power such that the fusion core itself need not have a high power gain, thus allowing for fully non-inductive (steady-state) low confinement mode (L-mode) operation at relatively small physical dimensions. A neutron transport Monte Carlo code models the natural uranium fission blanket. Maximizing the fission power gain while breeding sufficient tritium allows for the selection of an optimal set of blanket parameters, which yields a maximum prudent fission power gain of approximately 7. A 0-D tokamak model suffices to analyze approximate tokamak operating conditions. This fission blanket would allow the fusion component of a hybrid reactor with the same dimensions as ITER to operate in steady-state L-mode very comfortably with a fusion power gain of 6.7 and a thermal fusion power of 2.1 GW. Taking this further can determine the approximate minimum scale for a steady-state L-mode tokamak hybrid reactor, which is a major radius of 5.2 m and an aspect ratio of 2.8. This minimum scale device operates barely within the steady-state L-mode realm with a thermal fusion power of 1.7 GW. Basic thermal hydraulic analysis demonstrates that pressurized helium could cool the pebble bed fission blanket with a flow rate below 10 m/s. The Brayton cycle thermal efficiency is 41%. This reactor, dubbed the Steady-state L-mode non-Enriched Uranium Tokamak Hybrid (SLEUTH), with its very fast neutron spectrum, could be superior to pure fission reactors in terms of breeding fissile fuel and transmuting deleterious fission products. It would likely function best as a prolific plutonium breeder, and the plutonium it produces could actually be more

  6. Fission-suppressed hybrid reactor: the fusion breeder

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moir, R.W.; Lee, J.D.; Coops, M.S.

    1982-12-01

    Results of a conceptual design study of a 233 U-producing fusion breeder are presented. The majority of the study was devoted to conceptual design and evaluation of a fission-suppressed blanket and to fuel cycle issues such as fuel reprocessing, fuel handling, and fuel management. Studies in the areas of fusion engineering, reactor safety, and economics were also performed

  7. Specialists' meeting on fission product release and transport in gas-cooled reactors. Summary report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1985-07-01

    The purpose of the Meeting on Fission Product Release and Transport in Gas-Cooled Reactors was to compare and discuss experimental and theoretical results of fission product behaviour in gas-cooled reactors under normal and accidental conditions and to give direction for future development. The technical part of the meeting covered operational experience and laboratory research, activity release, and behaviour of released activity.

  8. Specialists' meeting on fission product release and transport in gas-cooled reactors. Summary report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1985-01-01

    The purpose of the Meeting on Fission Product Release and Transport in Gas-Cooled Reactors was to compare and discuss experimental and theoretical results of fission product behaviour in gas-cooled reactors under normal and accidental conditions and to give direction for future development. The technical part of the meeting covered operational experience and laboratory research, activity release, and behaviour of released activity

  9. Fabrication and Testing of a Modular Micro-Pocket Fission Detector Instrumentation System for Test Nuclear Reactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reichenberger, Michael A.; Nichols, Daniel M.; Stevenson, Sarah R.; Swope, Tanner M.; Hilger, Caden W.; Roberts, Jeremy A.; Unruh, Troy C.; McGregor, Douglas S.

    2018-01-01

    Advancements in nuclear reactor core modeling and computational capability have encouraged further development of in-core neutron sensors. Measurement of the neutron-flux distribution within the reactor core provides a more complete understanding of the operating conditions in the reactor than typical ex-core sensors. Micro-Pocket Fission Detectors have been developed and tested previously but have been limited to single-node operation and have utilized highly specialized designs. The development of a widely deployable, multi-node Micro-Pocket Fission Detector assembly will enhance nuclear research capabilities. A modular, four-node Micro-Pocket Fission Detector array was designed, fabricated, and tested at Kansas State University. The array was constructed from materials that do not significantly perturb the neutron flux in the reactor core. All four sensor nodes were equally spaced axially in the array to span the fuel-region of the reactor core. The array was filled with neon gas, serving as an ionization medium in the small cavities of the Micro-Pocket Fission Detectors. The modular design of the instrument facilitates the testing and deployment of numerous sensor arrays. The unified design drastically improved device ruggedness and simplified construction from previous designs. Five 8-mm penetrations in the upper grid plate of the Kansas State University TRIGA Mk. II research nuclear reactor were utilized to deploy the array between fuel elements in the core. The Micro-Pocket Fission Detector array was coupled to an electronic support system which has been specially developed to support pulse-mode operation. The Micro-Pocket Fission Detector array composed of four sensors was used to monitor local neutron flux at a constant reactor power of 100 kWth at different axial locations simultaneously. The array was positioned at five different radial locations within the core to emulate the deployment of multiple arrays and develop a 2-dimensional measurement of

  10. Needs and accuracy requirements for fission product nuclear data in the physics design of power reactor cores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rowlands, J.L.

    1978-01-01

    The fission product nuclear data accuracy requirements for fast and thermal reactor core performance predictions were reviewed by Tyror at the Bologna FPND Meeting. The status of the data was assessed at the Meeting and it was concluded that the requirements of thermal reactors were largely met, and the yield data requirements of fast reactors, but not the cross section requirements, were met. However, the World Request List for Nuclear Data (WRENDA) contains a number of requests for fission product capture cross sections in the energy range of interest for thermal reactors. Recent reports indicate that the fast reactor reactivity requirements might have been met by integral measurements made in zero power critical assemblies. However, there are requests for the differential cross sections of the individual isotopes to be determined in addition to the integral data requirements. The fast reactor requirements are reviewed, taking into account some more recent studies of the effects of fission products. The sodium void reactivity effect depends on the fission product cross sections in a different way to the fission product reactivity effect in a normal core. This requirement might call for different types of measurement. There is currently an interest in high burnup fuel cycles and alternative fuel cycles. These might require more accurate fission product data, data for individual isotopes and data for capture products. Recent calculations of the time dependence of fission product reactivity effects show that this is dependent upon the data set used and there are significant uncertainties. Some recent thermal reactor studies on approximations in the treatment of decay chains and the importance of xenon and samarium poisoning are also summarized. (author)

  11. Major features of a mirror fusion--fast fission hybrid reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moir, R.W.; Lee, J.D.; Burleigh, R.J.

    1974-01-01

    A conceptual design was made of a fusion-fission reactor. The fusion component is a D-T plasma confined by a pair of magnetic mirror coils in a Yin-Yang configuration and sustained by hot neutral beam injection. The neutrons from the fusion plasma drive the fission assembly which is composed of natural uranium carbide fuel rods clad with stainless steel and is cooled by helium. It was shown how the reactor can be built using essentially present day construction technology and how the uranium bearing blanket modules can be routinely changed to allow separation of the bred fissile fuel of which approximately 1200 kg of plutonium are produced each year along with the approximately 750 MW of electricity. (U.S.)

  12. Sustainable and safe nuclear fission energy technology and safety of fast and thermal nuclear reactors

    CERN Document Server

    Kessler, Günter

    2012-01-01

    Unlike existing books of nuclear reactor physics, nuclear engineering and nuclear chemical engineering this book covers a complete description and evaluation of nuclear fission power generation. It covers the whole nuclear fuel cycle, from the extraction of natural uranium from ore mines, uranium conversion and enrichment up to the fabrication of fuel elements for the cores of various types of fission reactors. This is followed by the description of the different fuel cycle options and the final storage in nuclear waste repositories. In addition the release of radioactivity under normal and possible accidental conditions is given for all parts of the nuclear fuel cycle and especially for the different fission reactor types.

  13. Investigations of the natural fission reactor program. Progress report, October 1977--September 1978

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cowan, G.A.; Norris, A.E.

    1978-10-01

    The U.S. study of the Oklo natural reactor began in 1973 with the principal objectives of understanding the processes that produced the reactor and that led to the retention of many of its products. Major facets of the program have been the chemical separation and mass spectrometric analysis of the reactor components and products, the petrological and mineralogical examination of samples taken from the reactor zones, and an interdisciplinary modeling of possible processes consistent with reactor physics, geophysics, and geochemistry. Most of the past work has been on samples taken within the reactor zones. Presently, these studies give greater emphasis to the measurement of mobile products in additional suites of samples collected peripherally and ''downstream'' from the reactor zones. This report summarizes the current status of research and the views of U.S. investigators, with particular reference to the extensive work of the French scientists, concerning the main features of the Oklo natural fission reactor. Also mentioned briefly is the U.S. search for natural fission reactors at other locations

  14. Geochemical properties and nuclear chemical characteristics of Oklo natural fission reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hidaka, Hiroshi [Hiroshima Univ., Higashi-Hiroshima (Japan). Faculty of Science

    1997-07-01

    There are six uranium deposits in the Gabonese Republic in the cnetral Africa. `Fission reactor zone`, the fission chain reactions generated about 200 billion years ago, was existed in a part of them. CEA begun geochemical researches of Oklo deposits etc. in 1991. The geochemical and nuclear chemical properties of Oklo were reviewed from the results of researches. Oklo deposits is consisted of main five sedimentary faces such as sandstone (FA), Black Shale formation (FB), mudstone (FC), tuff (FD) and volcaniclastic sandstone (FE) from the bottom on the base rock of granite in the Precambrian era. Uranium is enriched in the upper part of FA layer and the under part of FB layer. {sup 235}U/{sup 238}U, U content, fission proportion, duration time, neutron fluence, temperature, restitution factor of {sup 235}U and epithermal index ({gamma}) were investigated and compared. The geochemical properties of Oklo are as followed: large enrich of uranium, the abundance ratio of {sup 235}U as same as that of enriched uranium, interaction of natural water and small rear earth elements. These factors made casually Oklo fission reactor. (S.Y.)

  15. Overview of standards subcommittee 8, fissionable materials outside reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McLaughlin, T.P.

    1996-01-01

    The American Nuclear Society's Standards Subcommittee 8, titled open-quotes Fissionable Materials Outside Reactors,close quotes has worked for the past 35 yr to prepare and promote standards on nuclear criticality safety for the handling, processing, storing, and transportation of fissionable materials outside reactors. The reader is referred to the Transactions of the American Nuclear Society, Vols. 39 (1981) and 64 (1991), for previous papers associated with ANS-8 poster sessions. In addition to discussions on the then-current standards, the reader will find articles on working group efforts that never materialized into standards, such as proposed 8.13, open-quotes Use of the Solid-Angle Method in Nuclear Criticality Safety,close quotes and on applications and critiques of current standards. The paper by McLendon in Vol. 39 is particularly interesting as an overview of the early history of ANS-8 and its standards

  16. JENDL-4.0 benchmarking for fission reactor applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiba, Go; Okumura, Keisuke; Sugino, Kazuteru; Nagaya, Yasunobu; Yokoyama, Kenji; Kugo, Teruhiko; Ishikawa, Makoto; Okajima, Shigeaki

    2011-01-01

    Benchmark testing for the newly developed Japanese evaluated nuclear data library JENDL-4.0 is carried out by using a huge amount of integral data. Benchmark calculations are performed with a continuous-energy Monte Carlo code and with the deterministic procedure, which has been developed for fast reactor analyses in Japan. Through the present benchmark testing using a wide range of benchmark data, significant improvement in the performance of JENDL-4.0 for fission reactor applications is clearly demonstrated in comparison with the former library JENDL-3.3. Much more accurate and reliable prediction for neutronic parameters for both thermal and fast reactors becomes possible by using the library JENDL-4.0. (author)

  17. Fusion--fission hybrid reactors based on the laser solenoid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steinhauer, L.C.; Taussig, R.T.; Quimby, D.C.

    1976-01-01

    Fusion-fission reactors, based on the laser solenoid concept, can be much smaller in scale than their pure fusion counterparts, with moderate first-wall loading and rapid breeding capabilities (1 to 3 tonnes/yr), and can be designed successfully on the basis of classical plasma transport properties and free-streaming end-loss. Preliminary design information is presented for such systems, including the first wall, pulse coil, blanket, superconductors, laser optics, and power supplies, accounting for the desired reactor performance and other physics and engineering constraints. Self-consistent point designs for first and second generation reactors are discussed which illustrate the reactor size, performance, component parameters, and the level of technological development required

  18. Application of Campbell's MSV method in monitoring of reactor's fission power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stankovic, S.J.; Vukcevic, M.; Loncar, B.; Vasic, A.; Osmokrovic, P.

    2003-01-01

    This paper presents some possibilities of Campbell's MSV (Mean Square Value) method in monitoring the reactor's fission power. Investigation of gamma discrimination compared to neutron component of signal along with change of variance and mean value the detector output signal for a specified range of reactor's fission power (10mW-22W) was carried out. The uncompensated ionization chamber for mixed n- gamma fields was used as detector element. Experimental measurements were performed using digitized MSV method, and obtained results were compared to those obtained by classical measuring chain. The final conclusion is that the order of discrimination in MSV signal processing is about fifty times larger than for classical measuring method (author)

  19. Hefei experimental hybrid fusion-fission reactor conceptual design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qiu Lijian; Luan Guishi; Xu Qiang

    1992-03-01

    A new concept of hybrid reactor is introduced. It uses JET-like(Joint European Tokamak) device worked at sub-breakeven conditions, as a source of high energy neutrons to induce a blanket fission of depleted uranium. The solid breeding material and helium cooling technique are also used. It can produce 100 kg of 239 Pu per year by partial fission suppressed. The energy self-sustained of the fusion core is not necessary. Plasma temperature is maintained by external 20 MW ICRF (ion cyclotron resonance frequency) and 10 MW ECRF (electron cyclotron resonance frequency) heating. A steady state plasma current at 1.5 Ma is driven by 10 MW LHCD (lower hybrid current driven). Plasma density will be kept by pellet injection. ICRF can produce a high energy tail in ion distribution function and lead to significant enhancement of D-T reaction rate by 2 ∼ 5 times so that the neutron source strength reaches to the level of 1 x 10 19 n/s. This system is a passive system. It's power density is 10 W/cm 3 and the wall loading is 0.6 W/cm 2 that is the lower limitation of fusion and fission technology. From the calculation of neutrons it could always be in sub-critical and has intrinsic safety. The radiation damage and neutron flux distribution on the first wall are also analyzed. According to the conceptual design the application of this type hybrid reactor earlier is feasible

  20. Workshop summaries for the third US/USSR symposium on fusion-fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jassby, D.L.

    1979-07-01

    Workshop summaries on topics related to the near-term development requirements for fusion-fission (hybrid) reactors are presented. The summary topics are as follows: (1) external factors, (2) plasma engineering, (3) ICF hybrid reactors, (4) blanket design, (5) materials and tritium, and (6) blanket engineering development requirements

  1. Preconceptual design and analysis of a solid-breeder blanket test in an existing fission reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deis, G.A.; Hsu, P.Y.; Watts, K.D.

    1983-01-01

    Preconceptual design and analysis have been performed to examine the capabilities of a proposed fission-based test of a water-cooled Li 2 O blanket concept. The mechanical configuration of the test piece is designed to simulate a unit cell of a breeder-outside-tube concept. This test piece will be placed in a fission test reactor, which provides an environment similar to that in a fusion reactor. The neutron/gamma flux from the reactor produces prototypical power density, tritium production rates, and operating temperatures and stresses. Steady-state tritium recovery from the test piece can be attained in short-duration (5-to-6-day) tests. The capabilities of this test indicate that fission-based testing can provide important near-term engineering information to support the development of fusion technology

  2. Progress on the conceptual design of a mirror hybrid fusion--fission reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moir, R.W.; Lee, J.D.; Burleigh, R.J.

    1975-01-01

    A conceptual design study was made of a fusion-fission reactor for the purpose of producing fissile material and electricity. The fusion component is a D-T plasma confined by a pair of magnetic mirror coils in a Yin-Yang configuration and is sustained by neutral beam injection. The neutrons from the fusion plasma drive the fission assembly which is composed of natural uranium carbide fuel rods clad with stainless steel and helium cooled. It was shown conceptually how the reactor might be built using essentially present-day technology and how the uranium-bearing blanket modules can be routinely changed to allow separation of the bred fissile fuel

  3. Nuclear data for structural materials of fission and fusion reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goulo, V.

    1989-06-01

    The document presents the status of nuclear reaction theory concerning optical model development, level density models and pre-equilibrium and direct processes used in calculation of neutron nuclear data for structural materials of fission and fusion reactors. 6 refs

  4. Fission-product burnup chain model for research reactor application

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Jung Do; Gil, Choong Sup; Lee, Jong Tai [Korea Atomic Energy Research Inst., Daeduk (Republic of Korea)

    1990-12-01

    A new fission-product burnup chain model was developed for use in research reactor analysis capable of predicting the burnup-dependent reactivity with high precision over a wide range of burnup. The new model consists of 63 nuclides treated explicitly and one fissile-independent pseudo-element. The effective absorption cross sections for the preudo-element and the preudo-element yield of actinide nuclides were evaluated in the this report. The model is capable of predicting the high burnup behavior of low-enriched uranium-fueled research reactors.(Author).

  5. Transient fission product release during reactor shutdown and startup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hunt, C.E.L.; Lewis, B.J.

    1995-01-01

    Sweep gas experiments performed at CRL from 1979 to 1985 have been analysed to determine the fraction of the fission product gas inventory that is released on reactor shutdown and startup. Empirical equations were derived and applied to calculate the xenon release from companion fuel elements and from a well documented experimental fuel bundle irradiated in the NRU reactor. The measured gas release could be matched to within about a factor of two for an experimental irradiation with a burnup of 217 MWh/kgU. (author)

  6. Direct energy conversion in fission reactors: A U.S. NERI project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slutz, Stephen A.; Seidel, David B.; Polansky, Gary F.; Rochau, Gary E.; Lipinski, Ronald J.; Besenbruch, G.; Brown, L.C.; Parish, T.A.; Anghaie, S.; Beller, D.E.

    2000-01-01

    In principle, the energy released by a fission can be converted directly into electricity by using the charged fission fragments. The first theoretical treatment of direct energy conversion (DEC) appeared in the literature in 1957. Experiments were conducted over the next ten years, which identified a number of problem areas. Research declined by the late 1960's due to technical challenges that limited performance. Under the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative the authors are determining if these technical challenges can be overcome with todays technology. The authors present the basic principles of DEC reactors, review previous research, discuss problem areas in detail, and identify technological developments of the last 30 years that can overcome these obstacles. As an example, the fission electric cell must be insulated to avoid electrons crossing the cell. This insulation could be provided by a magnetic field as attempted in the early experiments. However, from work on magnetically insulated ion diodes they know how to significantly improve the field geometry. Finally, a prognosis for future development of DEC reactors will be presented

  7. Source driven breeding fission power reactors and the nuclear energy strategy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greenspan, E.

    The nuclear energy economy is facing severe difficulties associated with low utilization of uranium resources, safety, non-proliferation and environmental issues. Energy policy makers face the dilemma: commercialize LMFBRs immediately with the risk of negative economical, proliferation or other consequences, or continue with R and D programs that will provide the information needed for sounder decisions, but now taking the risk of running out of economically exploitable uranium ore resources. The development of hybrid reactors can provide an assurance against the latter risk and offers many interesting new options for the nuclear energy strategy. Being based on the technology of LWRs and HWRs, Light Water Hybrid Reactors (LWHR) provide a most natural link between the fission reactor technology of the present and the fusion power technology of the future. The investment in their development in excess of that required for the development of fusion power reactors is expected to be relatively small, thus making the development of LWHRs potentially a high benefit-to-cost ratio program. It is recommended that the fission and fusion communities will cooperate in hybrids R and D programs aimed at assessing the technological and economical viability of hybrid reactors as reliably and soon as possible. (author)

  8. Reactor physics and reactor strategy investigations into the fissionable material economy of the thorium and uranium cycle in fast breeder reactors and high temperature reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schikorr, W.M.

    In this work the properties governing the fissionable material economy of the uranium and thorium cycles are investigated for the advanced reactor types currently under development - the fast breeder reactor (FBR) and the high temperature reactor (HTR) - from the point of view of the optimum utilization of the available nuclear fuel reserves and the continuance of supply of these reserves. For this purpose, the two reactor types are first of all considered individually and are subsequently discussed as a complementary overall system

  9. AUS, Neutron Transport and Gamma Transport System for Fission Reactors and Fusion Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-01-01

    1 - Description of program or function: AUS is a neutronics code system which may be used for calculations of a wide range of fission reactors, fusion blankets and other neutron applications. The present version, AUS98, has a nuclear cross section library based on ENDF/B-VI and includes modules which provide for reactor lattice calculations, one-dimensional transport calculations, multi-dimensional diffusion calculations, cell and whole reactor burnup calculations, and flexible editing of results. Calculations of multi-region resonance shielding, coupled neutron and photon transport, energy deposition, fission product inventory and neutron diffusion are combined within the one code system. The major changes from the previous release, AUS87, are the inclusion of a cross-section library based on ENDF/B-VI, the addition of the POW3D multi-dimensional diffusion module, the addition of the MICBURN module for controlling whole reactor burnup calculations, and changes to the system as a consequence of moving from IBM mainframe computers to UNIX workstations. 2 - Method of solution: AUS98 is a modular system in which the modules are complete programs linked by a path given in the input stream. A simple path is simply a sequence of modules, but the path is actually pre-processed and compiled using the Fortran 77 compiler. This provides for complex module linking if required. Some of the modules included in AUS98 are: MIRANDA Cross-section generation in a multi-region resonance subgroup calculation and preliminary group condensation. ANAUSN One-dimensional discrete ordinates calculation. ICPP Isotropic collision probability calculation in one dimension and for rod clusters. POW3D Multi-dimensional neutron diffusion calculation including feedback-free kinetics. AUSIDD One-dimensional diffusion calculation. EDITAR Reaction-rate editing and group collapsing following a transport calculation. CHAR Lattice and global burnup calculation. MICBURN Control of global burnup

  10. Structural materials issues for the next generation fission reactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chant, I.; Murty, K. L.

    2010-09-01

    Generation-IV reactor design concepts envisioned thus far cater to a common goal of providing safer, longer lasting, proliferation-resistant, and economically viable nuclear power plants. The foremost consideration in the successful development and deployment of Gen-W reactor systems is the performance and reliability issues involving structural materials for both in-core and out-of-core applications. The structural materials need to endure much higher temperatures, higher neutron doses, and extremely corrosive environments, which are beyond the experience of the current nuclear power plants. Materials under active consideration for use in different reactor components include various ferritic/martensitic steels, austenitic stainless steels, nickel-base superalloys, ceramics, composites, etc. This article addresses the material requirements for these advanced fission reactor types, specifically addressing structural materials issues depending on the specific application areas.

  11. Transient coupled calculations of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor using the Transient Fission Matrix approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Laureau, A., E-mail: laureau.axel@gmail.com; Heuer, D.; Merle-Lucotte, E.; Rubiolo, P.R.; Allibert, M.; Aufiero, M.

    2017-05-15

    Highlights: • Neutronic ‘Transient Fission Matrix’ approach coupled to the CFD OpenFOAM code. • Fission Matrix interpolation model for fast spectrum homogeneous reactors. • Application for coupled calculations of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor. • Load following, over-cooling and reactivity insertion transient studies. • Validation of the reactor intrinsic stability for normal and accidental transients. - Abstract: In this paper we present transient studies of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor (MSFR). This generation IV reactor is characterized by a liquid fuel circulating in the core cavity, requiring specific simulation tools. An innovative neutronic approach called “Transient Fission Matrix” is used to perform spatial kinetic calculations with a reduced computational cost through a pre-calculation of the Monte Carlo spatial and temporal response of the system. Coupled to this neutronic approach, the Computational Fluid Dynamics code OpenFOAM is used to model the complex flow pattern in the core. An accurate interpolation model developed to take into account the thermal hydraulics feedback on the neutronics including reactivity and neutron flux variation is presented. Finally different transient studies of the reactor in normal and accidental operating conditions are detailed such as reactivity insertion and load following capacities. The results of these studies illustrate the excellent behavior of the MSFR during such transients.

  12. Transient coupled calculations of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor using the Transient Fission Matrix approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laureau, A.; Heuer, D.; Merle-Lucotte, E.; Rubiolo, P.R.; Allibert, M.; Aufiero, M.

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Neutronic ‘Transient Fission Matrix’ approach coupled to the CFD OpenFOAM code. • Fission Matrix interpolation model for fast spectrum homogeneous reactors. • Application for coupled calculations of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor. • Load following, over-cooling and reactivity insertion transient studies. • Validation of the reactor intrinsic stability for normal and accidental transients. - Abstract: In this paper we present transient studies of the Molten Salt Fast Reactor (MSFR). This generation IV reactor is characterized by a liquid fuel circulating in the core cavity, requiring specific simulation tools. An innovative neutronic approach called “Transient Fission Matrix” is used to perform spatial kinetic calculations with a reduced computational cost through a pre-calculation of the Monte Carlo spatial and temporal response of the system. Coupled to this neutronic approach, the Computational Fluid Dynamics code OpenFOAM is used to model the complex flow pattern in the core. An accurate interpolation model developed to take into account the thermal hydraulics feedback on the neutronics including reactivity and neutron flux variation is presented. Finally different transient studies of the reactor in normal and accidental operating conditions are detailed such as reactivity insertion and load following capacities. The results of these studies illustrate the excellent behavior of the MSFR during such transients.

  13. Fission product poisoning in KS-150 reactor operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rana, S.B.

    1978-01-01

    A three-dimensional model of the KS-150 reactor was used to study reactivity changes induced by reactor poisoning with fission products Xe 135 and Sm 149 . A comparison of transients caused by the poisoning showed the following differences: (1) the duration of the transient Xe poisoning (2 days) is shorter by one order of magnitude than the duration of Sm poisoning (20 days); however, the level of Xe poisoning is greater approximately by one order than the level of the Sm poisoning; (2) the level of steady-state Xe poisoning depends on the output level of the reactor; steady-state Sm poisoning does not depend on this level; (3) following reactor shutdown Xe poisoning may increase to the maximum value of up to Δrhosub(Xe)=20% and will then gradually decrease; Sm poisoning may reach maximum values of up to Δrhosub(Sm)=2% and does not decrease. (J.B.)

  14. Energy production using fission fragment rockets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chapline, G.; Matsuda, Y.

    1991-08-01

    Fission fragment rockets are nuclear reactors with a core consisting of thin fibers in a vacuum, and which use magnetic fields to extract the fission fragments from the reactor core. As an alternative to ordinary nuclear reactors, fission fragment rockets would have the following advantages: Approximately twice as efficient if one can directly convert the fission fragment energy into electricity; by reducing the buildup of a fission fragment inventory in the reactor one could avoid a Chernobyl type disaster; and collecting the fission fragments outside the reactor could simplify the waste disposal problem. 6 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs

  15. Neutron dosimetry for radiation damage in fission and fusion reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, D.L.

    1979-01-01

    The properties of materials subjected to the intense neutron radiation fields characteristic of fission power reactors or proposed fusion energy devices is a field of extensive current research. These investigations seek important information relevant to the safety and economics of nuclear energy. In high-level radiation environments, neutron metrology is accomplished predominantly with passive techniques which require detailed knowledge about many nuclear reactions. The quality of neutron dosimetry has increased noticeably during the past decade owing to the availability of new data and evaluations for both integral and differential cross sections, better quantitative understanding of radioactive decay processes, improvements in radiation detection technology, and the development of reliable spectrum unfolding procedures. However, there are problems caused by the persistence of serious integral-differential discrepancies for several important reactions. There is a need to further develop the data base for exothermic and low-threshold reactions needed in thermal and fast-fission dosimetry, and for high-threshold reactions needed in fusion-energy dosimetry. The unsatisfied data requirements for fission reactor dosimetry appear to be relatively modest and well defined, while the needs for fusion are extensive and less well defined because of the immature state of fusion technology. These various data requirements are examined with the goal of providing suggestions for continued dosimetry-related nuclear data research

  16. Reference and standard benchmark field consensus fission yields for U.S. reactor dosimetry programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gilliam, D.M.; Helmer, R.G.; Greenwood, R.C.; Rogers, J.W.; Heinrich, R.R.; Popek, R.J.; Kellogg, L.S.; Lippincott, E.P.; Hansen, G.E.; Zimmer, W.H.

    1977-01-01

    Measured fission product yields are reported for three benchmark neutron fields--the BIG-10 fast critical assembly at Los Alamos, the CFRMF fast neutron cavity at INEL, and the thermal column of the NBS Research Reactor. These measurements were carried out by participants in the Interlaboratory LMFBR Reaction Rates (ILRR) program. Fission product generation rates were determined by post-irradiation analysis of gamma-ray emission from fission activation foils. The gamma counting was performed by Ge(Li) spectrometry at INEL, ANL, and HEDL; the sample sent to INEL was also analyzed by NaI(Tl) spectrometry for Ba-140 content. The fission rates were determined by means of the NBS Double Fission Ionization Chamber using thin deposits of each of the fissionable isotopes. Four fissionable isotopes were included in the fast neutron field measurements; these were U-235, U-238, Pu-239, and Np-237. Only U-235 was included in the thermal neutron yield measurements. For the fast neutron fields, consensus yields were determined for three fission product isotopes--Zr-95, Ru-103, and Ba-140. For these fission product isotopes, a separately activated foil was analyzed by each of the three gamma counting laboratories. The experimental standard deviation of the three independent results was typically +- 1.5%. For the thermal neutron field, a consensus value for the Cs-137 yield was also obtained. Subsidiary fission yields are also reported for other isotopes which were studied less intensively (usually by only one of the participating laboratories). Comparisons with EBR-II fast reactor yields from destructive analysis and with ENDF/B recommended values are given

  17. Physical Investigation for Neutron Consumption and Multiplication in Blanket Module of Fusion-Fission Hybrid Reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tariq Siddique, M.; Kim, Myung Hyun

    2014-01-01

    Fusion-fission hybrid reactor can be the first milestone of fusion technology and achievable in near future. It can provide operational experience for tritium recycling for pure fusion reactor and be used for incineration of high-level long-lived waste isotopes from existing fission power reactors. Hybrid reactor for waste transmutation (Hyb-WT) was designed and optimized to assess its otential for waste transmutation. ITER will be the first large scaled experimental tokamak facility for the testing of test blanket modules (TBM) which will layout the foundation for DEMO fusion power plants. Similarly hybrid test blanket module (HTBM) will be the foundation for rationality of fusion fission hybrid reactors. Designing and testing of hybrid blankets will lead to another prospect of nuclear technology. This study is initiated with a preliminary design concept of a hybrid test blanket module (HTBM) which would be tested in ITER. The neutrons generated in D-T fusion plasma are of high energy, 14.1 MeV which could be multiplied significantly through inelastic scattering along with fission in HTBM. In current study the detailed neutronic analysis is performed for the blanket module which involves the neutron growth and loss distribution within blanket module with the choice of different fuel and coolant materials. TRU transmutation and tritium breeding performance of HTBM is analyzed under ITER irradiation environment for five different fuel types and with Li and LiPb coolants. Simple box geometry with plate type TRU fuel is adopted so that it can be modelled with heterogeneous material geometry in MCNPX. Waste transmutation ratio (WTR) of TRUs and tritium breeding ration (TBR) is computed to quantify the HTBM performance. Neutron balance is computed in detail to analyze the performance parameters of HTBM. Neutron spectrum and fission to capture ratio in TRU fuel types is also calculated for detailed analysis of HTBM

  18. Physical Investigation for Neutron Consumption and Multiplication in Blanket Module of Fusion-Fission Hybrid Reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tariq Siddique, M.; Kim, Myung Hyun [Kyung Hee Univ., Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-05-15

    Fusion-fission hybrid reactor can be the first milestone of fusion technology and achievable in near future. It can provide operational experience for tritium recycling for pure fusion reactor and be used for incineration of high-level long-lived waste isotopes from existing fission power reactors. Hybrid reactor for waste transmutation (Hyb-WT) was designed and optimized to assess its otential for waste transmutation. ITER will be the first large scaled experimental tokamak facility for the testing of test blanket modules (TBM) which will layout the foundation for DEMO fusion power plants. Similarly hybrid test blanket module (HTBM) will be the foundation for rationality of fusion fission hybrid reactors. Designing and testing of hybrid blankets will lead to another prospect of nuclear technology. This study is initiated with a preliminary design concept of a hybrid test blanket module (HTBM) which would be tested in ITER. The neutrons generated in D-T fusion plasma are of high energy, 14.1 MeV which could be multiplied significantly through inelastic scattering along with fission in HTBM. In current study the detailed neutronic analysis is performed for the blanket module which involves the neutron growth and loss distribution within blanket module with the choice of different fuel and coolant materials. TRU transmutation and tritium breeding performance of HTBM is analyzed under ITER irradiation environment for five different fuel types and with Li and LiPb coolants. Simple box geometry with plate type TRU fuel is adopted so that it can be modelled with heterogeneous material geometry in MCNPX. Waste transmutation ratio (WTR) of TRUs and tritium breeding ration (TBR) is computed to quantify the HTBM performance. Neutron balance is computed in detail to analyze the performance parameters of HTBM. Neutron spectrum and fission to capture ratio in TRU fuel types is also calculated for detailed analysis of HTBM.

  19. Neutron and thermal dynamics of a gaseous core fission reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    van Dam, H.; Kuijper, J.C.; Stekelenburg, A.J.C.; Hoogenboom, J.E.; Boersma-Klein, W.; Kistemaker, J.

    1989-01-01

    In this paper neutron kinetics and thermal dynamics of a Gaseous Core Fission Reactor with magnetical pumping are shown to have many unconventional aspects. Attention is focused on the properties of the fuel gas, the non-linear neutron kinetics and the energy balance in thermodynamical cycles

  20. Tokamak hybrid thermonuclear reactor for the production of fissionable fuel and electric power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Velikhov, E.P.; Glukhikh, V.A.; Gur'ev, V.V.

    1978-01-01

    The results of feasibility studies of a tokamak- based hybrid reactor concept are presented. The system selected has a D-T plasma volume of 575 m 3 with additional plasma heating by injection of fast neutral particles. The method of heating makes it possible to achieve an economical two-component tokamak regime at ntau=(4-6)x10 13 sxcm -3 , i e. far below the Lawson criterion. Plasma and vacuum chamber are surrounded by a blanket where fissionable plutonium is produced and heat transformed into electric power is generated. Major plasma-neutron-physical characteristics of the 6905 MWth (2500 MWe) reactor and its electromagnetic system are presented. Evaluations show that the hybrid reactor can produce about 800 kg of Pu per 1GWth/yr as compared to 70-150 kg of Pu for fast breeder reactors. The increased Pu production rate is the major merit of the concept promising for both power generation and fuelling thermal fission reactions

  1. Transmutation of fission products in reactors and accelerator-driven systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janssen, A.J.

    1994-01-01

    Energy flows and mass flows in several scenarios are considered. Economical and safety aspects of the transmutation scenarios are compared. It is difficult to find a sound motivation for the transmutation of fission products with accelerator-driven systems. If there would be any hesitation in transmuting fission products in nuclear reactors, there would be an even stronger hesitation to use accelerator-driven systems, mainly because of their lower energy efficiency and their poor cost effectiveness. The use of accelerator-driven systems could become a 'meaningful' option only if nuclear energy would be banished completely. (orig./HP)

  2. Transient fission-product release during reactor shutdown and startup

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hunt, C.E.L.; Lewis, B.J.; Dickson, L.W.

    1997-12-01

    Sweep-gas experiments performed at AECL's Chalk River Laboratories from 1979 to 1985 have been further analysed to determine the fraction of the gaseous fission-product inventory that is released on reactor shutdown and startup. Empirical equations were derived and applied to calculate the stable xenon release from companion fuel elements and from a well-documented experimental fuel bundle irradiated in the NRU reactor. The calculated gas release could be matched to the measured values within about a factor of two for an experimental irradiation with a burnup of 217 MWh/kgU. There was also limited information on the fraction of the radioactive iodine that was exposed, but not released, on reactor shutdown. An empirical equation is proposed for calculating this fraction. (author)

  3. Radiochemical studies on fission

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1973-07-01

    Research progress is reported on nuclear chemistry; topics considered include: recoil range and kinetic energy distribution in the thermal neutron ftssion of /sup 245/Cm; mass distribution and recoil range measurements in the reactor neutron-induced fission of /sup 232/U; fission yields in the thermal neutron fission of /sup 241/PU highly asymmetric binary fission of uranium induced by reactor neutrons; and nuclear charge distribution in low energy fission. ( DHM)

  4. Solid State Track Recorder fission rate measurements in low power light water reactor pressure vessel mockups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruddy, F.H.; Roberts, J.H.; Kellogg, L.S.

    1985-01-01

    The results of extensive SSTR measurements made at the Pool Critical Assembly (PCA) facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been reported previously. Measurements were made at key locations in PCA which is an idealized mockup of the water gap, thermal shield, pressure vessel geometry of a light water reactor. Recently, additional SSTR fission rate measurements have been carried out for 237-Np, 238-U, and 235-U in key locations in the NESTOR Shielding and Dosimetry Improvement Program (NESDIP) mockup facility located at Winfrith, England. NESDIP is a replica of the PCA facility, and comparisons will be made between PCA and NESDIP measurements. The results of measurements made at the engineering mockup at the VENUS critical assembly at CEN/SCK, Mol, Belgium will also be reported. Measurements were made at selected radial and azimuthal locations in VENUS, which models the in-core and near-core regions of a pressurized water reactor. Comparisons of absolute SSTR fission rates with absolute fission rates made with the Mol miniature fission chamber will be reported. Absolute fission rate comparisons have also been made between the NBS fission chamber, radiometric fission foils, and SSTRs, and these results will be summarized

  5. Vaporization of low-volatile fission products under severe CANDU reactor accident conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, B.J.; Corse, B.J.; Thompson, W.T.; Kaye, M.H.; Iglesias, F.C.; Elder, P.; Dickson, R.; Liu, Z.

    1997-01-01

    An analytical model has been developed to describe the release behaviour of low-volatile fission products from uranium dioxide fuel under severe reactor accident conditions. The effect of the oxygen potential on the chemical form and volatility of fission products is determined by Gibbs-energy minimization. The release kinetics are calculated according to the rate-controlling step of diffusional transport in the fuel matrix or fission product vaporization from the fuel surface. The effect of fuel volatilization (i.e., matrix stripping) on the release behaviour is also considered. The model has been compared to data from an out-of-pile annealing experiment performed in steam at the Chalk River Laboratories. (author)

  6. Natural fission reactors from Gabon. Contribution to the study of the conditions of stability of a natural radioactive wastes storage site (2 Ga)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pourcelot, L.

    1997-01-01

    The natural fission reactors of Oklo consists of a core of uraninite (60%) with fission products, embedded in a pure clay matrix. Thus, the aim of geological, mineral, and geochemical studies of the Oklo Reactors is to assess the behaviour of fission products in an artificial waste depository. Previous studies have shown that Reactor Zone 10, located in the Oklo mine, represents an example for an exceptional confinement of fission products since 2 Ga. In reactor Zone 9, located in Oklo open pit, migrations are more important. Reactor ZOne 13 was influenced by a thermal event due to a doleritic intrusion, located some twenty meters far away, one Ga years after fission reaction operations. In this study,we characterized temperature and redox conditions of fluids by using stable isotopes of uraninites and clays. Moreover mineralogical and chemical characteristics were defined. (author)

  7. Transmutation of long-lived fission product (137Cs, 90Sr) by a reactor-accelerator system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toyama, Shin-ichi; Takashita, Hirofumi; Konashi, Kenji; Sasao, Nobuyuki; Sato, Isamu.

    1990-01-01

    The report discusses the transmutation of long-lived fission products by a reactor and accelerator. It is important to take some criteria into consideration in transmutation disposal. To satisfy the criteria, a combined system of a reactor and an accelerator is proposed for the transmutation. An outline of the transmutation reactor and the accelerator is presented. The transmutation reactor has the ability to transmute a large quantity of fission products. However, it is desirable to have a high transmutation rate as well as a large disposal ability. Besides the transmutation property, it is necessary to investigate the physics of the transmutation reactor such as nuclear characteristics and burnup properties in order to obtain the most suitable, high performance core concept. A study on those properties is also presented. A high power accelerator is required for the transmutation. So a test linac is developed to accelerate high intensity beams. (N.K.)

  8. Total Absorption Spectroscopy of Fission Fragments Relevant for Reactor Antineutrino Spectra and Decay Heat Calculations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Porta A.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Beta decay of fission products is at the origin of decay heat and antineutrino emission in nuclear reactors. Decay heat represents about 7% of the reactor power during operation and strongly impacts reactor safety. Reactor antineutrino detection is used in several fundamental neutrino physics experiments and it can also be used for reactor monitoring and non-proliferation purposes. 92,93Rb are two fission products of importance in reactor antineutrino spectra and decay heat, but their β-decay properties are not well known. New measurements of 92,93Rb β-decay properties have been performed at the IGISOL facility (Jyväskylä, Finland using Total Absorption Spectroscopy (TAS. TAS is complementary to techniques based on Germanium detectors. It implies the use of a calorimeter to measure the total gamma intensity de-exciting each level in the daughter nucleus providing a direct measurement of the beta feeding. In these proceedings we present preliminary results for 93Rb, our measured beta feedings for 92Rb and we show the impact of these results on reactor antineutrino spectra and decay heat calculations.

  9. Reaction Rate Benchmark Experiments with Miniature Fission Chambers at the Slovenian TRIGA Mark II Reactor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Štancar, Žiga; Kaiba, Tanja; Snoj, Luka; Barbot, Loïc; Destouches, Christophe; Fourmentel, Damien; Villard, Jean-François AD(; )

    2018-01-01

    A series of fission rate profile measurements with miniature fission chambers, developed by the Commisariat á l'énergie atomique et auxénergies alternatives, were performed at the Jožef Stefan Institute's TRIGA research reactor. Two types of fission chambers with different fissionable coating (235U and 238U) were used to perform axial fission rate profile measurements at various radial positions and several control rod configurations. The experimental campaign was supported by an extensive set of computations, based on a validated Monte Carlo computational model of the TRIGA reactor. The computing effort included neutron transport calculations to support the planning and design of the experiments as well as calculations to aid the evaluation of experimental and computational uncertainties and major biases. The evaluation of uncertainties was performed by employing various types of sensitivity analyses such as experimental parameter perturbation and core reaction rate gradient calculations. It has been found that the experimental uncertainty of the measurements is sufficiently low, i.e. the total relative fission rate uncertainty being approximately 5 %, in order for the experiments to serve as benchmark experiments for validation of fission rate profiles. The effect of the neutron flux redistribution due to the control rod movement was studied by performing measurements and calculations of fission rates and fission chamber responses in different axial and radial positions at different control rod configurations. It was confirmed that the control rod movement affects the position of the maximum in the axial fission rate distribution, as well as the height of the local maxima. The optimal detector position, in which the redistributions would have minimum effect on its signal, was determined.

  10. Survey on the fusion/fission-hybrid-reactors, a literature review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    A survey, based on existing literature, of the work being pursued worldwide on fusion - fission (hybrid) reactor systems is presented. Six areas are reviewed: Plasma physics parameters; Blankets concepts; Fuel cycles; Reactor conceptual designs; Safety and environmental problems; System studies and economic perspectives. Attention has been restricted to systems using magnetically confined plasmas, mainly to mirror and Tokamak - type concepts. The aim is to provide sufficient information, even if not exhaustive, on hybrid reactor concepts in order to help understand what may be expected from their possible development and the ways in which hybrids could affect the future energy scenario. Some concluding remarks are made which represent the personal view of the authors only

  11. Role of fission gas release in reactor licensing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1975-11-01

    The release of fission gases from oxide pellets to the fuel rod internal voidage (gap) is reviewed with regard to the required safety analysis in reactor licensing. Significant analyzed effects are described, prominent gas release models are reviewed, and various methods used in the licensing process are summarized. The report thus serves as a guide to a large body of literature including company reports and government documents. A discussion of the state of the art of gas release analysis is presented

  12. Fission products collecting devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsumoto, Hiroshi

    1979-01-01

    Purpose: To enable fission products trap with no contamination to coolants and cover gas by the provision of a fission products trap above the upper part of a nuclear power plant. Constitution: Upon fuel failures in a reactor core, nuclear fission products leak into coolants and move along the flow of the coolants to the coolants above the reactor core. The fission products are collected in a trap container and guided along a pipeline into fission products detector. The fission products detector monitors the concentration of the fission products and opens the downstream valve of the detector when a predetermined concentration of the fission products is detected to introduce the fission products into a waste gas processing device and release them through the exhaust pipe. (Seki, T.)

  13. Measurement of tritium production rate distribution for a fusion-fission hybrid conceptual reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Xinhua; Guo Haiping; Mou Yunfeng; Zheng Pu; Liu Rong; Yang Xiaofei; Yang Jian

    2013-01-01

    A fusion-fission hybrid conceptual reactor is established. It consists of a DT neutron source and a spherical shell of depleted uranium and hydrogen lithium. The tritium production rate (TPR) distribution in the conceptual reactor was measured by DT neutrons using two sets of lithium glass detectors with different thicknesses in the hole in the vertical direction with respect to the D + beam of the Cockcroft-Walton neutron generator in direct current mode. The measured TPR distribution is compared with the calculated results obtained by the three-dimensional Monte Carlo code MCNP5 and the ENDF/B-Ⅵ data file. The discrepancy between the measured and calculated values can be attributed to the neutron data library of the hydrogen lithium lack S(α, β) thermal scattering model, so we show that a special database of low-energy and thermal neutrons should be established in the physics design of fusion-fission hybrid reactors. (authors)

  14. Fusion-fission hybrid as an alternative to the fast breeder reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barrett, R.J.; Hardie, R.W.

    1980-09-01

    This report compares the fusion-fission hybrid on the plutonium cycle with the classical fast breeder reactor (FBR) cycle as a long-term nuclear energy source. For the purpose of comparison, the current light-water reactor once-through (LWR-OT) cycle was also analyzed. The methods and models used in this study were developed for use in a comparative analysis of conventional nuclear fuel cycles. Assessment areas considered in this study include economics, energy balance, proliferation resistance, technological status, public safety, and commercial viability. In every case the characteristics of all fuel cycle facilities were accounted for, rather than just those of the reactor

  15. Study on the technical feasibility of Fission-Track dating at two irradiation positions of the RA-6 research reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dorval, Eric

    2005-01-01

    The method of Fission-Track dating is based upon the detection of the damage caused by fission fragments from the Uranium contained in geological samples.In order to determine the age of a sample, both the amount of spontaneous fissions occurred and the Uranium concentration must be known.The latter requires the irradiation of the samples inside a reactor with a well-thermalized flux, so that fissions are induced over 235 U targets only. Therefore, the Uranium concentration may be determined.The main inconvenient presented by the irradiation sites at the RA-6 MTR-type reactor is that neutron flux is not completely thermal there, which means that fissions due to epithermal and fast neutrons will not be negligible.In the same way, tracks due to fissions of 238 U and 232 Th will be detected. In order to know the corrections that must be applied to those measurements performed in this reactor, it is necessary to characterize fast flux.Because of it, this laboratory's gamma spectrometry equipment had to be calibrated. After that, several activation detectors were irradiated and results were analyzed. Finally, it was determined that it is feasible to Fission-Track date at the I6 position. However, limitations associated to this method were analyzed for the values of flux measured in the different sites

  16. Inventories of radioactive fission products in the core of thermal nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marinkovic, N.

    1977-01-01

    As a part of the analysis concerning radiological consequences of a major LWR accident, inventories of the most significant radioactive nuclides and stable fission gases in the core of a PWR type reactor have been calculated. Calculations were performed by the DELFIN code using nuclide data and neutron flux data earlier obtained by the METHUSELAH code. Comparison with simplified calculation method show that it is quite rough for certain nuclides but the accuracy may be sufficient for safety analysis purposes recalling the inaccuracies in the later parts of fission product transport process (author)

  17. The study of two, three and four dimensional nonlinear dynamics of nuclear fission reactors and effective parameters on its behaviour

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tajik, M.; Ghasemizad, A.

    2008-01-01

    In this research, new physical fission reactor parameters which have very sensitive effects on the qualitative behavior of a reactor, are introduced. Therefore, the two, the nonlinear dynamics of two, three and four dimensional, considering almost the effective parameters are formulated for describing nuclear fission reactor systems. Using both analytical and numerical methods, the stability and instability of the given dynamical equations and the conditions of stability are studied in these systems. We have shown that the two parameters of the mean energy residence time in fuel and coolant and also their ratios have the most qualitative effects on the dynamical behaviour of a typical nuclear fission reactor. Increasing or decreasing of these parameters from a captain limit can lead to stability or un stability in a given system

  18. Comparison of nuclear irradiation parameters of fusion breeder materials in high flux fission test reactors and a fusion power demonstration reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischer, U.; Herring, S.; Hogenbirk, A.; Leichtle, D.; Nagao, Y.; Pijlgroms, B.J.; Ying, A.

    2000-01-01

    Nuclear irradiation parameters relevant to displacement damage and burn-up of the breeder materials Li 2 O, Li 4 SiO 4 and Li 2 TiO 3 have been evaluated and compared for a fusion power demonstration reactor and the high flux fission test reactor (HFR), Petten, the advanced test reactor (ATR, INEL) and the Japanese material test reactor (JMTR, JAERI). Based on detailed nuclear reactor calculations with the MCNP Monte Carlo code and binary collision approximation (BCA) computer simulations of the displacement damage in the polyatomic lattices with MARLOWE, it has been investigated how well the considered HFRs can meet the requirements for a fusion power reactor relevant irradiation. It is shown that a breeder material irradiation in these fission test reactors is well suited in this regard when the neutron spectrum is well tailored and the 6 Li-enrichment is properly chosen. Requirements for the relevant nuclear irradiation parameters such as the displacement damage accumulation, the lithium burn-up and the damage production function W(T) can be met when taking into account these prerequisites. Irradiation times in the order of 2-3 full power years are necessary for the HFR to achieve the peak values of the considered fusion power Demo reactor blanket with regard to the burn-up and, at the same time, the dpa accumulation

  19. Comparative evaluation of solar, fission, fusion, and fossil energy resources. Part 2: Power from nuclear fission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clement, J. D.

    1973-01-01

    Different types of nuclear fission reactors and fissionable materials are compared. Special emphasis is placed upon the environmental impact of such reactors. Graphs and charts comparing reactor facilities in the U. S. are presented.

  20. Potentials of fissioning plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karlheinz, Thom.

    1979-01-01

    Successful experiments with the nuclear pumping of lasers have demonstrated that in gaseous medium the kinetic energy of fission fragments can be converted directly into non-equilibrium optical radiation. This confirms the concept that the fissioning medium in a gas-phase nuclear reactor shows an internal structure such as a plasma in nearly thermal equilibrium varying up to a state of extreme-non-equilibrium. The accompanying variations of temperatures, pressure and radiative spectrum suggest wide ranges of applications. For example, in the gas-phase fission reactor concept enriched uranium hexafluoride or an uranium plasma replaces conventional fuel elements and permits operation above the melting point of solid materials. This potential has been motivation for the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to conduct relevant research for high specific impulse propulsion in space. The need to separate the high temperature gaseous fuel from the surfaces of a containing vessel and to protect them against thermal radiation has led to the concept of an externally moderated reactor in which the fissioning gaseous material is suspended by fluid dynamic means and the flow of opaque buffer gas removes the power. The gaseous nuclear fuel can slowly be circulated through the reactor for continuous on-site reprocessing including the annihilation of transuranium actinides at fission when being fed back into the reactor. An equilibrium of the generation and destruction of such actinides at fission when being fed back into the reactor. An equilibrium of the generation and destruction of such actinides can thus be achieved. These characteristics and the unique radiative properties led to the expectation that the gas-phase fission reactor could feature improved safety, safeguarding and economy, in addition to new technologies such as processing, photochemistry and the transmission of power over large distances in space

  1. Organic free radicals and micropores in solid graphitic carbonaceous matter at the Oklo natural fission reactors, Gabon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rigali, M.J.; Nagy, B.

    1997-01-01

    The presence, concentration, and distribution of organic free radicals as well as their association with specific surface areas and microporosities help characterize the evolution and behavior of the Oklo carbonaceous matter. Such information is necessary in order to evaluate uranium mineralization, liquid bitumen solidification, and radio nuclide containment at Oklo. In the Oklo ore deposits and natural fission reactors carbonaceous matter is often referred to as solid graphitic bitumen. The carbonaceous parts of the natural reactors may contain as much as 65.9% organic C by weight in heterogeneous distribution within the clay-rich matrix. The solid carbonaceous matter immobilized small uraninite crystals and some fission products enclosed in this uraninite and thereby facilitated radio nuclide containment in the reactors. Hence, the Oklo natural fission reactors are currently the subjects of detailed studies because they may be useful analogues to support performance assessment of radio nuclide containment at anthropogenic radioactive waste repository sites. Seven carbonaceous matter rich samples from the 1968 ± 50 Ma old natural fission reactors and the associated Oklo uranium ore deposit were studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy and by measurements of specific surface areas (BET method). Humic acid, fulvic acid, and fully crystalline graphite standards were also examined by ESR spectroscopy for comparison with the Oklo solid graphitic bitumens. With one exception, the ancient Oklo bitumens have higher organic free radical concentrations than the modem humic and fulvic acid samples. The presence of carbon free radicals in the graphite standard could not be determined due to the conductivity of this material. 72 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab

  2. Energy distribution of antineutrinos originating from the decay of fission products in a nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rudstam, G.; Aleklett, K.

    1979-01-01

    The energy spectrum of antineutrinos around a nuclear reactor has been derived by summing contributions from individual fission products. The resulting spectrum is weaker at energies above approx. 8 MeV than earlier published antineutrino spectra. The reason may be connected to the strong feeding of high-lying daughter states in the beta decay of fission products with high disintegration energies

  3. Material challenges for the next generation of fission reactor systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buckthorpe, Derek

    2010-01-01

    The new generation of fission reactor systems wil require the deployment and construction of a series of advanced water cooled reactors as part of a package of measures to meet UK and European energy needs and to provide a near term non-fossil fuel power solution that addresses CO 2 emission limits. In addition new longer term Generation IV reactor tye systems are being developed and evaluated to enhance safety, reliability, sustainability economics and proliferation resistance requirements and to meet alternative energy applications (outside of electricity generation) such as process heat and large scale hydrogen generation. New fission systems will impose significant challenges on materials supply and development. In the near term, because of the need to 'gear up' to large scale construction after decades of industrial hibernation/contraction and, in the longer term, because of the need for materials to operate under more challenging environments requiring the deployment and development of new alternative materials not yet established to an industrial stage. This paper investigates the materials challenges imposed by the new Generation III+ and Generation IV systems. These include supply and fabrication issues, development of new high temperature alloys and non-metallic materials, the use of new methods of manufacture and the best use of currently available resources and minerals. Recommendations are made as to how these materials challenges might be met and how governments, industry, manufacturers and researchers can all play their part. (orig.)

  4. Material challenges for the next generation of fission reactor systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Buckthorpe, Derek [AMEC, Knutsford, Cheshire (United Kingdom)

    2010-07-01

    The new generation of fission reactor systems wil require the deployment and construction of a series of advanced water cooled reactors as part of a package of measures to meet UK and European energy needs and to provide a near term non-fossil fuel power solution that addresses CO{sub 2} emission limits. In addition new longer term Generation IV reactor tye systems are being developed and evaluated to enhance safety, reliability, sustainability economics and proliferation resistance requirements and to meet alternative energy applications (outside of electricity generation) such as process heat and large scale hydrogen generation. New fission systems will impose significant challenges on materials supply and development. In the near term, because of the need to 'gear up' to large scale construction after decades of industrial hibernation/contraction and, in the longer term, because of the need for materials to operate under more challenging environments requiring the deployment and development of new alternative materials not yet established to an industrial stage. This paper investigates the materials challenges imposed by the new Generation III+ and Generation IV systems. These include supply and fabrication issues, development of new high temperature alloys and non-metallic materials, the use of new methods of manufacture and the best use of currently available resources and minerals. Recommendations are made as to how these materials challenges might be met and how governments, industry, manufacturers and researchers can all play their part. (orig.)

  5. Thermochemical data for reactor materials and fission products: The ECN database

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cordfunke, E.H.P.; Konings, R.J.M.

    1993-02-01

    The activities of the authors regarding the compilation of a database of thermochemical properties for reactor materials and fission products is reviewed. The evaluation procedures and techniques are outlined and examples are given. In addition, examples of the use of thermochemical data for the application in the field of Nuclear Technology are given. (orig.)

  6. Simulation of fusion first-wall environment in a fission reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hassanein, A.M.; Kulcinski, G.L.; Longhurst, G.R.

    1982-01-01

    A novel concept to produce a realistic simulation of a fusion first-wall test environment has been proposed recently. This concept takes advantage of the (/eta/, α) reaction in 59 Ni to produce a high internal helium content in the metal while using the 3 He (/eta/, /rho/)T reaction in the gas surrounding the specimen to produce an external heat and particle flux. Models to calculate heat flux, erosion rate, implantation, and damage rate to the walls of the test module are presented. Preliminary results show that a number of important fusion technology issues could be tested experimentally in a fission reactor such as the Engineering Test Reactor

  7. A long term radiological risk model for plutonium-fueled and fission reactor space nuclear system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bartram, B.W.; Dougherty, D.K.

    1987-01-01

    This report describes the optimization of the RISK III mathematical model, which provides risk assessment for the use of a plutonium-fueled, fission reactor in space systems. The report discusses possible scenarios leading to radiation releases on the ground; distinctions are made for an intact reactor and a dispersed reactor. Also included are projected dose equivalents for various accident situations. 54 refs., 31 figs., 11 tabs

  8. High Temperature Fission Chamber for He- and FLiBe-cooled Reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bell, Zane W. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Giuliano, Dominic R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Holcomb, David Eugene [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Lance, Michael J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Miller, Roger G. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Warmack, Robert J. Bruce [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Wilson, Dane F. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Harrison, Mark J. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2015-01-01

    We have evaluated candidate technologies for in-core fission chambers for high-temperature reactors to monitor power level via measurements of neutron flux from start-up through full power at up to 800°C. This research is important because there are no commercially available instruments capable of operating above 550 °C. Component materials and processes were investigated for fission chambers suitable for operation at 800 °C in reactors cooled by molten fluoride salt (FLiBe) or flowing He, with an emphasis placed on sensitivity (≥ 1 cps/nv), service lifetime (2 years at full power), and resistance to direct immersion in FLiBe. The latter gives the instrument the ability to survive accidents involving breach of a thimble. The device is envisioned to be a two-gap, three-electrode instrument constructed from concentric nickel-plated alumina cylinders and using a noble gas–nitrogen fill-gas. We report the results of measurements and calculations of the response of fill gasses, impurity migration in nickel alloy, brazing of the alumina insulator, and thermodynamic calculations.

  9. Technical Bases to Consider for Performance and Demonstration Testing of Space Fission Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hixson, Laurie L.; Houts, Michael G.; Clement, Steven D.

    2004-01-01

    Performance and demonstration testing are critical to the success of a space fission reactor program. However, the type and extent to which testing of space reactors should be performed has been a point of discussion within the industry for many years. With regard to full power ground nuclear tests, questions such as 'Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Are there equivalent alternatives? Can a test facility be constructed (or modified) in a reasonable amount of time? Will the test article accurately represent the flight system? Are the costs too restrictive?' have been debated for decades. There are obvious benefits of full power ground nuclear testing such as obtaining systems integrated reliability data on a full-scale, complete end-to-end system. But these benefits come at some programmatic risk. In addition, this type of testing does not address safety related issues. This paper will discuss and assess these and other technical considerations essential in deciding which type of performance and demonstration testing to conduct on space fission reactor systems. (authors)

  10. Qualitative and quantitative characteristics of fission products in spent nuclear fuel from RBMK-type reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adlys, G.; Adliene, D.

    2002-01-01

    Well-known empirical models or experimental instruments and methods for the estimation of fission product yields do not allow prediction of the behavior and evaluation of the time-dependent qualitative and quantitative characteristics of all fission products in spent nuclear fuel during long-term storage. Several computer codes were developed in different countries to solve this problem. French codes APOLLO1 and PEPIN were used in this work for modeling the characteristics of spent nuclear fuel in the RBMK reactor. The modeling results of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of long-lived fission products for different cooling periods of spent nuclear fuel, including 50-year cooling period, are presented in this paper. The 50-year cooling period conforms to the foreseen time of storage of spent nuclear fuel in CONSTOR and CASTOR casks at the Ignalina NPP. These results correlate well with evaluated quantities for the well-known yields of the nuclides and could be used for the compilation of the database for long-lived fission products in spent nuclear fuel from the RBMK-type reactor. They allow one to predict and to solve effectively safety problems concerning with long-term spent nuclear fuel storage in casks. (author)

  11. Thermodynamic cycle calculations for a pumped gaseous core fission reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuijper, J.C.; Van Dam, H.

    1991-01-01

    Finite and 'infinitesimal' thermodynamic cycle calculations have been performed for a 'solid piston' model of a pumped Gaseous Core Fission Reactor with dissociating reactor gas, consisting of Uranium, Carbon and Fluorine ('UCF'). In the finite cycle calculations the influence has been investigated of several parameters on the thermodynamics of the system, especially on the attainable direct (nuclear to electrical) energy conversion efficiency. In order to facilitate the investigation of the influence of dissociation, a model gas, 'Modelium', was developed, which approximates, in a simplified, analytical way, the dissociation behaviour of the 'real' reactor gas. Comparison of the finite cycle calculation results with those of a so-called infinitesimal Otto cycle calculation leads to the conclusion that the conversion efficiency of a finite cycle can be predicted, without actually performing the finite cycle calculation, with reasonable accuracy, from the so-called 'infinitesimal efficiency factor', which is determined only by the thermodynamic properties of the reactor gas used. (author)

  12. The electronuclear cycle: from fission to new reactor systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belier, G.; Cugnon, J.; Lapoux, V.; Liatard, E.; Porquet, Marie-Genevieve; Rudolf, G.

    2006-09-01

    The Joliot Curie School trains each year, and since 1981, PhD students, post-Doctorates and researchers on scientific breakthroughs performed in a topic related to nuclear physics, in a broad range. These proceedings brings together the 11 lectures given at the 2006 session of Joliot Curie School on the topic of the electronuclear cycle: - Fission: from phenomenology to theory (Berger, J.F.); - Physics of nuclear reactors (Baeten, P.); - Data modeling and evaluation (Bauge, E.; Hilaire, S.); - Measurement of cross sections of interest for minor actinides incineration (Jurado, B.); - Spallation data and modelling for hybrid reactors (Boudard, A.); - Nuclear wastes: overview (Billard, I.); - Long living nuclear wastes transmutation processes and feasibility (Varaine, F.); - Hybrid reactors: recent advances for a demonstrator (Billebaud, A.); - Systems of the future and strategy (David, S.); - Non-nuclear energies (Nifenecker, H.); - Fundamental physics with ultracold neutrons (Protasov, K). The last section is a compilation of abstracts of presentations given by Young searchers' (Young searchers' seminars)

  13. Feasibility study of a fission supressed blanket for a tandem-mirror hybrid reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moir, R.W.; Lee, J.D.; Barr, W.L.

    1981-01-01

    A study of fission suppressed blankets for the tandem mirror not only showed such blankets to be feasible but also to be safer than fissioning blankets. Such hybrids could produce enough fissile material to support up to 17 light water reactors of the same nuclear power rating. Beryllium was compared to 7 Li for neutron multiplication; both were considered feasible but the blanket with Li produced 20% less fissile fuel per unit of nuclear power in the reactor. The beryllium resource, while possibly being too small for extensive pure fusion application, would be adequate (with carefully planned industrial expansion) for the hybrid because of the large support ratio, and hence few hybrids required. Radiation damage and coatings for beryllium remain issues to be resolved by further study and experimentation. Molten salt reprocessing was compared to aqueous solution reprocessing

  14. Release of radioactive fission products from BN-600 reactor untight fuel elements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osipov, S.L.; Tsikunov, A.G.; Lisitsin, E.C.

    1996-01-01

    The experimental data on the release of radioactive fission products from BN-600 reactor untight fuel elements are given in the report. Various groups of radionuclides: inert gases Xe, Kr, volatile Cs, J, non-volatile Nb, and La are considered. The results of calculation-experimental study of transfer and distribution of radionuclides in the reactor primary circuit, gas system and sodium coolant are considered. It is shown that some complex radioactivity transfer processes can be described by simple mathematical models. (author)

  15. Computer program FPIP-REV calculates fission product inventory for U-235 fission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, W. S.; Call, D. W.

    1967-01-01

    Computer program calculates fission product inventories and source strengths associated with the operation of U-235 fueled nuclear power reactor. It utilizes a fission-product nuclide library of 254 nuclides, and calculates the time dependent behavior of the fission product nuclides formed by fissioning of U-235.

  16. Fission product chemistry in severe nuclear reactor accidents, specialists' meeting at JRC-Ispra, 15-17 January 1990

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nichols, A.L.

    1990-05-01

    A specialists' meeting was held at JRC-Ispra from 15 to 17 January 1990 to review the current understanding of fission-product chemistry during severe accidents in light water reactors. Discussions focussed on the important chemical phenomena that could occur across the wide range of conditions of a damaged nuclear plant. Recommendations for future chemistry work were made covering the following areas: (a) fuel degradation and fission-product release, (b) transport and attenuation processes in the reactor coolant system, (c) containment chemistry (iodine behaviour and core-concrete interactions). (author)

  17. Calculation of burnup and power dependence on fission gas released from PWR type reactor fuel element

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Edy-Sulistyono

    1996-01-01

    Burn up dependence of fission gas released and variation power analysis have been conducted using FEMXI-IV computer code program for Pressure Water Reactor Fuel During steady-state condition. The analysis result shows that the fission gas release is sensitive to the fuel temperature, the increasing of burn up and power in the fuel element under irradiation experiment

  18. Feasibility study of a fission-suppressed tandem-mirror hybrid reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, J.D.; Moir, R.W.; Barr, W.L.

    1982-04-01

    Results of a conceptual design study of a U-233 producing fusion breeder consisting of a tandem mirror fusion device and two types of fission-suppressed blankets are presented. The majority of the study was devoted to the conceptual design and evaluation of the two blankets. However, studies in the areas of fusion engineering, reactor safety, fuel reprocessing, other fuel cycle issues, economics, and deployment were also performed

  19. In-reactor testing of self-powered neutron detectors and miniature fission chambers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duchene, J.; LeMeur, R.; Verdant, R.

    1975-01-01

    The CEA has tested a variety of ''slow'' self-powered neutron detectors with rhodium, silver and vanadium emitters. Currently there are 120 vanadium detectors in the EL4 heavy water reactor. In addition, ''fast'' detectors with cobalt emitters have been tested at Saclay and 50 of these are in reactor. Other studies are concerned with 6 mm diameter miniature fission chambers. Two fast response chambers with argon-nitrogen filling gas became slow during irradiation, but operated to 600 deg C. An argon filled chamber of 4.7 mm diameter, for traversing in core system in pressurized water reactor, has shown satisfactory test results. (author)

  20. An experimental investigation of fission product release in SLOWPOKE-2 reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harnden, A.M.C.

    1995-09-01

    Increasing radiation fields due to a release of fission products in the reactor container of several SLOWPOKE-2 reactors fuelled with a highly-enriched uranium (HEU) alloy core have been observed. It is believed that these increases are associated with the fuel fabrication where a small amount of uranium-bearing material is exposed to the coolant at the end-welds of the fuel element. To investigate this phenomenon samples of reactor water and gas from the headspace above the water have been obtained and examined by gamma spectrometry methods for reactors of various burnups at the University of Toronto, Ecole Polytechnique and Kanata Isotope Production Facility. An underwater visual examination of the fuel core at Ecole Polytechnique has also provided information on the condition of the core. This report (Volume 1) summarizes the equipment, analysis techniques and results of tests conducted at the various reactor sites. The data report is published as Volume 2. (author). 30 refs., 9 tabs., 20 figs

  1. Advanced Computational Materials Science: Application to Fusion and Generation IV Fission Reactors (Workshop Report)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stoller, RE

    2004-07-15

    The ''Workshop on Advanced Computational Materials Science: Application to Fusion and Generation IV Fission Reactors'' was convened to determine the degree to which an increased effort in modeling and simulation could help bridge the gap between the data that is needed to support the implementation of these advanced nuclear technologies and the data that can be obtained in available experimental facilities. The need to develop materials capable of performing in the severe operating environments expected in fusion and fission (Generation IV) reactors represents a significant challenge in materials science. There is a range of potential Gen-IV fission reactor design concepts and each concept has its own unique demands. Improved economic performance is a major goal of the Gen-IV designs. As a result, most designs call for significantly higher operating temperatures than the current generation of LWRs to obtain higher thermal efficiency. In many cases, the desired operating temperatures rule out the use of the structural alloys employed today. The very high operating temperature (up to 1000 C) associated with the NGNP is a prime example of an attractive new system that will require the development of new structural materials. Fusion power plants represent an even greater challenge to structural materials development and application. The operating temperatures, neutron exposure levels and thermo-mechanical stresses are comparable to or greater than those for proposed Gen-IV fission reactors. In addition, the transmutation products created in the structural materials by the high energy neutrons produced in the DT plasma can profoundly influence the microstructural evolution and mechanical behavior of these materials. Although the workshop addressed issues relevant to both Gen-IV and fusion reactor materials, much of the discussion focused on fusion; the same focus is reflected in this report. Most of the physical models and computational methods

  2. Nuclear data requirements for fission reactor neutronics calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Finck, P.

    1998-01-01

    The paper discusses current European nuclear data measurement and evaluation requirements for fission reactor technology applications and problems involved in meeting the requirements. Reference is made to the NEA High Priority Nuclear Data Request List and to the production of the new JEFF-3 library of evaluated nuclear data. There are requirements for both differential (or basic) nuclear data measurements and for different types of integral measurement critical facility measurements and isotopic sample irradiation measurements. Cross-section adjustment procedures are being used to take into account the simpler types of integral measurement, and to define accuracy needs for evaluated nuclear data

  3. Reactor core and initially loaded reactor core of nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koyama, Jun-ichi; Aoyama, Motoo.

    1989-01-01

    In BWR type reactors, improvement for the reactor shutdown margin is an important characteristic condition togehter with power distribution flattening . However, in the reactor core at high burnup degree, the reactor shutdown margin is different depending on the radial position of the reactor core. That is , the reactor shutdown margin is smaller in the outer peripheral region than in the central region of the reactor core. In view of the above, the reactor core is divided radially into a central region and as outer region. The amount of fissionable material of first fuel assemblies newly loaded in the outer region is made less than the amount of the fissionable material of second fuel assemblies newly loaded in the central region, to thereby improve the reactor shutdown margin in the outer region. Further, the ratio between the amount of the fissionable material in the upper region and that of the fissionable material in the lower portion of the first fuel assemblies is made smaller than the ratio between the amount of the fissionable material in the upper region and that of the fissionable material in the lower region of the second fuel assemblies, to thereby obtain a sufficient thermal margin in the central region. (K.M.)

  4. Conceptual design of a fission-based integrated test facility for fusion reactor components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watts, K.D.; Deis, G.A.; Hsu, P.Y.S.; Longhurst, G.R.; Masson, L.S.; Miller, L.G.

    1982-01-01

    The testing of fusion materials and components in fission reactors will become increasingly important because of lack of fusion engineering test devices in the immediate future and the increasing long-term demand for fusion testing when a fusion reactor test station becomes available. This paper presents the conceptual design of a fission-based Integrated Test Facility (ITF) developed by EG and G Idaho. This facility can accommodate entire first wall/blanket (FW/B) test modules such as those proposed for INTOR and can also accommodate smaller cylindrical modules similar to those designed by Oak Ridge National laboratory (ORNL) and Westinghouse. In addition, the facility can be used to test bulk breeder blanket materials, materials for tritium permeation, and components for performance in a nuclear environment. The ITF provides a cyclic neutron/gamma flux as well as the numerous module and experiment support functions required for truly integrated tests

  5. Safety analysis on tokamak helium cooling slab fuel fusion-fission hybrid reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei Renjie; Jian Hongbing

    1992-01-01

    The thermal analyses for steady state, depressurization and total loss of flow in the tokamak helium cooling slab fuel element fusion-fission hybrid reactor are presented. The design parameters, computed results of HYBRID program and safety evaluation for conception design are given. After all, it gives some recommendations for developing the design

  6. Irradiation positions for fission-track dating in the University of Pavia TRIGA Mark II nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oddone, Massimo; Meloni, Sandro; Balestrieri, Maria Laura; Bigazzi, Giulio

    2002-01-01

    An irradiation position arranged is described in the present paper for fission-track dating in the Triga Mark II reactor of the University of Pavia. Fluence values determined using the NIST glass standard SRM 962a for fission-track dating and the traditional metal foils are compared. Relatively good neutron thermalization (φ th /φ f = 0.956) and lack of significant fluence spatial gradients are good factors for fission-track dating. Finally, international age standards (or putative age standards) irradiated in this new position yielded results consistent with independent reference ages. (author)

  7. Resonance self-shielding effect in uncertainty quantification of fission reactor neutronics parameters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chiba, Go; Tsuji, Masashi; Narabayashi, Tadashi

    2014-01-01

    In order to properly quantify fission reactor neutronics parameter uncertainties, we have to use covariance data and sensitivity profiles consistently. In the present paper, we establish two consistent methodologies for uncertainty quantification: a self-shielded cross section-based consistent methodology and an infinitely-diluted cross section-based consistent methodology. With these methodologies and the covariance data of uranium-238 nuclear data given in JENDL-3.3, we quantify uncertainties of infinite neutron multiplication factors of light water reactor and fast reactor fuel cells. While an inconsistent methodology gives results which depend on the energy group structure of neutron flux and neutron-nuclide reaction cross section representation, both the consistent methodologies give fair results with no such dependences.

  8. Development and manufacturing of special fission chambers for in-core measurement requirements in nuclear reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geslot, B.; Berhouet, F.; Oriol, L.; Breaud, S.; Jammes, C.; Filliatre, P.; Villard, J. F.

    2009-01-01

    The Dosimetry Command control and Instrumentation Laboratory (LDCI) at CEA/Cadarache is specialized in the development, design and manufacturing of miniature fission chambers (from 8 mm down to 1.5 mm in diameter). The LDCI fission chambers workshop specificity is its capacity to manufacture and distribute special fission chambers with fissile deposits other than U 235 (typically Pu 242 , Np 237 , U 238 , Th 232 ). We are also able to define the characteristics of the detector for any in-core measurement requirements: sensor geometry, fissile deposit material and mass, filling gas composition and pressure, operating mode (pulse, current or Campbelling) with associated cable and electronics. The fission chamber design relies on numerical simulation and modeling tools developed by the LDCI. One of our present activities in fission chamber applications is to develop a fast neutron flux instrumentation using Campbelling mode dedicated to measurements in material testing reactors. (authors)

  9. Japanese list of requests for neutron nuclear data for fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Igarasi, Sin-iti; Asami, Tetsuo

    1977-05-01

    Requests for neutron nuclear data for fission reactors are presented. These are screened by a WRENDA Working Group of Japanese Nuclear Data Committee and submitted to WRENDA 76/77. This report includes 163 requests of which 55 requests are newly registered in the WRENDA. Three requests of the previous list are withdrawn. This activity is a part of the international cooperation with CCDN, NEANDC and INDC. (auth.)

  10. Development and optimization of neutron measurement methods by fission chamber on experimental reactors - management, treatment and reduction of uncertainties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blanc-De-Lanaute, N.

    2012-01-01

    The main objectives of this research thesis are the management and reduction of uncertainties associated with measurements performed by means of a fission-chamber type sensor. The author first recalls the role of experimental reactors in nuclear research, presents the various sensors used in nuclear detection (photographic film, scintillation sensor, gas ionization sensor, semiconducting sensor, other types of radiation sensors), and more particularly addresses neutron detection (activation sensor, gas filling sensor). In a second part, the author gives an overview of the state of the art of neutron measurement by fission chamber in a mock-up reactor (signal formation, processing and post-processing, associated measurements and uncertainties, return on experience of measurements by fission chamber on Masurca and Minerve research reactors). In a third part, he reports the optimization of two intrinsic parameters of this sensor: the thickness of fissile material deposit, and the pressure and nature of the filler gas. The fourth part addresses the improvement of measurement electronics and of post-processing methods which are used for result analysis. The fifth part deals with the optimization of spectrum index measurements by means of a fission chamber. The impact of each parameter is quantified. Results explain some inconsistencies noticed in measurements performed on the Minerve reactor in 2004, and allow the improvement of biases with computed values [fr

  11. Study of advanced fission power reactor development for the United States. Volume II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1976-01-01

    This report presents the results of a multi-phase research study which had as its objective the comparative study of various advanced fission reactors and evaluation of alternate strategies for their development in the USA through the year 2020. By direction from NSF, ''advanced'' reactors were defined as those which met the dual requirements of (1) offering a significant improvement in fissile fuel utilization as compared to light-water reactors and (2) currently receiving U.S. Government funding. (A detailed study of the LMFBR was specifically excluded, but cursory baseline data were obtained from ERDA sources.) Included initially were the High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR), Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GCFR), Molten Salt Reactor (MSR), and Light-Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR). Subsequently, the CANDU Heavy Water Reactor (HWR) was included for comparison due to increased interest in its potential. This volume presents the reasoning process and analytical methods utilized to arrive at the conclusions for the overall study

  12. Fission track dating method: I. Study of neutron flux uniformity in some irradiation positions of IEA-R1 reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osorio, A.M.; Hadler, J.C.; Iunes, P.J.; Paulo, S.R. de

    1993-06-01

    In order to use the fission track dating method the flux gradient was verified within the sample holder, in some irradiation positions of the IEA-R1 reactor at IPEN/CNEN, Sao Paulo. The fission track dating method considers only the thermal neutron fission tracks, to subtract the other contributions sample irradiations with a cadmium cover was performed. The neutron flux cadmium influence was studied. (author)

  13. Journey from discovery of nuclear fission to accelerator-driven sub-critical reactor systems (ADS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kapoor, S.S.

    2005-01-01

    The epoch making discovery of nuclear fission in 1939, which resulted purely from the curiosity driven basic research to understand the atomic and nuclear structure has changed the world forever with the onset of a new era in the history of human civilization. The basic nuclear physics research pursued after the discovery of fission has also been of much relevance in the harnessing of nuclear energy. In the recent years, there is considerable interest towards developing accelerator driven sub-critical reactor systems (ADS) for the incineration of the long-lived spent fuel radioactive waste and for the utilization of thorium fuel for nuclear power generation. In this talk, we discuss important milestones in the journey from discovery of nuclear fission to ADS. (author)

  14. Migration of U-series radionuclides around the Bangombe natural fission reactor (Gabon)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bros, R.; Yanase, N.; Isobe, H.; Sato, T.; Iida, Y.; Ohnuki, T.; Roos, P.; Holm, E.

    1999-01-01

    The Bangombe natural fission reactors has undergone extensive weathering phenomena and continues to be affected by the penetration of meteoric waters. Hence this system provides a model for studying the stability of spent fuel uraninite and the influence of various rock matrices on the mobilization/retardation of various actinides and fission products. The Bangombe uranium deposit has been investigated by drilling on a grid. Radiochemical analysis by alpha- and gamma-spectroscopy of the obtained rocks show significant disequilibria of the 234 U/ 238 U, 230 Th/ 234 U, and 226 Ra/ 230 Th parent-daughter pairs. In this paper, a conceptual model for spatio/temporal evolution of the Bangombe system is proposed. (J.P.N.)

  15. Development and manufacturing of special fission chambers for in-core measurement requirements in nuclear reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Geslot, B.; Berhouet, F.; Oriol, L.; Breaud, S.; Jammes, C.; Filliatre, P.; Villard, J. F. [CEA, DEN, Dosimetry Command Control and Instrumentation Laboratory, F-13109 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France)

    2009-07-01

    The Dosimetry Command control and Instrumentation Laboratory (LDCI) at CEA/Cadarache is specialized in the development, design and manufacturing of miniature fission chambers (from 8 mm down to 1.5 mm in diameter). The LDCI fission chambers workshop specificity is its capacity to manufacture and distribute special fission chambers with fissile deposits other than U{sup 235} (typically Pu{sup 242}, Np{sup 237}, U{sup 238}, Th{sup 232}). We are also able to define the characteristics of the detector for any in-core measurement requirements: sensor geometry, fissile deposit material and mass, filling gas composition and pressure, operating mode (pulse, current or Campbelling) with associated cable and electronics. The fission chamber design relies on numerical simulation and modeling tools developed by the LDCI. One of our present activities in fission chamber applications is to develop a fast neutron flux instrumentation using Campbelling mode dedicated to measurements in material testing reactors. (authors)

  16. Fission product monitoring of TRISO coated fuel for the advanced gas reactor-1 experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scates, Dawn M.; Hartwell, John K.; Walter, John B.; Drigert, Mark W.; Harp, Jason M.

    2010-01-01

    The US Department of Energy has embarked on a series of tests of TRISO coated particle reactor fuel intended for use in the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) as part of the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) program. The AGR-1 TRISO fuel experiment, currently underway, is the first in a series of eight fuel tests planned for irradiation in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) located at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The AGR-1 experiment reached a peak compact averaged burnup of 9% FIMA with no known TRISO fuel particle failures in March 2008. The burnup goal for the majority of the fuel compacts is to have a compact averaged burnup greater than 18% FIMA and a minimum compact averaged burnup of 14% FIMA. At the INL the TRISO fuel in the AGR-1 experiment is closely monitored while it is being irradiated in the ATR. The effluent monitoring system used for the AGR-1 fuel is the Fission Product Monitoring System (FPMS). The FPMS is a valuable tool that provides near real-time data indicative of the AGR-1 test fuel performance and incorporates both high-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometers and sodium iodide [NaI(Tl)] scintillation detector-based gross radiation monitors. To quantify the fuel performance, release-to-birth ratios (R/B's) of radioactive fission gases are computed. The gamma-ray spectra acquired by the AGR-1 FPMS are analyzed and used to determine the released activities of specific fission gases, while a dedicated detector provides near-real time count rate information. Isotopic build up and depletion calculations provide the associated isotopic birth rates. This paper highlights the features of the FPMS, encompassing the equipment, methods and measures that enable the calculation of the release-to-birth ratios. Some preliminary results from the AGR-1 experiment are also presented.

  17. The 235U Prompt Fission Neutron Spectrum in the BR1 Reactor at SCK•CEN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wagemans, Jan; Malambu, Edouard; Borms, Luc; Fiorito, Luca

    2016-02-01

    The BR1 research reactor at SCK•CEN has a spherical cavity in the graphite above the reactor core. In this cavity an accurately characterised Maxwellian thermal neutron field is present. Different converters can be loaded in the cavity in order to obtain other types of neutron (and gamma) irradiation fields. Inside the so-called MARK III converter a fast 235U(n,f) prompt fission neutron field can be obtained. With the support of MCNP calculations, irradiations in MARK III can be directly related to the pure 235U(n,f) prompt fission neutron spectrum. For this purpose MARK III spectrum averaged cross sections for the most relevant fluence dosimetry reactions have been determined. A calibration factor for absolute measurements has been determined applying activation dosimetry following ISO/IEC 17025 standards.

  18. The 235U Prompt Fission Neutron Spectrum in the BR1 Reactor at SCK•CEN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wagemans Jan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The BR1 research reactor at SCK•CEN has a spherical cavity in the graphite above the reactor core. In this cavity an accurately characterised Maxwellian thermal neutron field is present. Different converters can be loaded in the cavity in order to obtain other types of neutron (and gamma irradiation fields. Inside the so-called MARK III converter a fast 235U(n,f prompt fission neutron field can be obtained. With the support of MCNP calculations, irradiations in MARK III can be directly related to the pure 235U(n,f prompt fission neutron spectrum. For this purpose MARK III spectrum averaged cross sections for the most relevant fluence dosimetry reactions have been determined. A calibration factor for absolute measurements has been determined applying activation dosimetry following ISO/IEC 17025 standards.

  19. RESONANCE SELF-SHIELDING EFFECT IN UNCERTAINTY QUANTIFICATION OF FISSION REACTOR NEUTRONICS PARAMETERS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    GO CHIBA

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available In order to properly quantify fission reactor neutronics parameter uncertainties, we have to use covariance data and sensitivity profiles consistently. In the present paper, we establish two consistent methodologies for uncertainty quantification: a self-shielded cross section-based consistent methodology and an infinitely-diluted cross section-based consistent methodology. With these methodologies and the covariance data of uranium-238 nuclear data given in JENDL-3.3, we quantify uncertainties of infinite neutron multiplication factors of light water reactor and fast reactor fuel cells. While an inconsistent methodology gives results which depend on the energy group structure of neutron flux and neutron-nuclide reaction cross section representation, both the consistent methodologies give fair results with no such dependences.

  20. Gas dynamics models for an oscillating gaseous core fission reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuijper, J.C.; Dam, H. van; Hoogenboom, J.E. (Interuniversitair Reactor Inst., Delft (Netherlands))

    1991-01-01

    Two one-dimensional models are developed for the investigation of the gas dynamical behaviour of the fuel gas in a cylindrical gaseous core fission reactor. By numerical and analytical calculations, it is shown that, for the case where a direct energy extraction mechanism (such as magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD)) is not present, increasing density oscillations occur in the gas. Also an estimate is made of the attainable direct energy conversion efficiency, for the case where a direct energy extraction mechanism is present. (author).

  1. Innovative fission reactors for this century

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Minguez, E.

    2007-01-01

    of the 21st Century both innovative fission reactors and fusion reactors. For 2025, it seems that many countries of EU will have to construct NPPs until 40 GWe: France, UK, Germany, North Europe, Russia, Spain, Rumania and Turkey, between others. The viability of these innovative concepts will be presented in this paper

  2. Fission-product source terms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lorenz, R.A.

    1981-01-01

    This presentation consists of a review of fission-product source terms for light water reactor (LWR) fuel. A source term is the quantity of fission products released under specified conditions that can be used to calculate the consequences of the release. The source term usually defines release from breached fuel-rod cladding but could also describe release from the primary coolant system, the reactor containment shell, or the site boundary. The source term would be different for each locality, and the chemical and physical forms of the fission products could also differ

  3. Thermodynamics of soluble fission products cesium and iodine in the Molten Salt Reactor

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Capelli, E.; Beneš, O.; Konings, R.J.M.

    2018-01-01

    The present study describes the full thermodynamic assessment of the Li,Cs,Th//F,I system. The existing database for the relevant fluoride salts considered as fuel for the Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) has been extended with two key fission products, cesium and iodine. A complete evaluation of all

  4. Study on fission blanket fuel cycling of a fusion-fission hybrid energy generation system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Z.; Yang, Y.; Xu, H.

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents a preliminary study on neutron physics characteristics of a light water cooled fission blanket for a new type subcritical fusion-fission hybrid reactor aiming at electric power generation with low technical limits of fission fuel. The major objective is to study the fission fuel cycling performance in the blanket, which may possess significant impacts on the feasibility of the new concept of fusion-fission hybrid reactor with a high energy gain (M) and tritium breeding ratio (TBR). The COUPLE2 code developed by the Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology of Tsinghua University is employed to simulate the neutronic behaviour in the blanket. COUPLE2 combines the particle transport code MCNPX with the fuel depletion code ORIGEN2. The code calculation results show that soft neutron spectrum can yield M > 20 while maintaining TBR >1.15 and the conversion ratio of fissile materials CR > 1 in a reasonably long refuelling cycle (>five years). The preliminary results also indicate that it is rather promising to design a high-performance light water cooled fission blanket of fusion-fission hybrid reactor for electric power generation by directly loading natural or depleted uranium if an ITER-scale tokamak fusion neutron source is achievable.

  5. Irradiation effects in fused quartz 'Suprasil' as a detector of fission fragments under high flux of reactor neutrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moraes, O.M.G. de.

    1984-01-01

    A systematic study about the registration characteristics of synthetic fused quartz 'Suprasil I' use as a detector of fission fragments under high flux of reactor neutrons and the effects of irradiation on it was performed. Fission fragments of 252 Cf, gamma radiation doses of of 60 Co up to 150 MGy, and integrated neutrons fluxes up to 10 20 n/cm 2 were used. A model to explain the effects on track registration and development characteristics of 'Suprasil I' irradiated on reactors were proposed, based on the obtained results for efficiency an for annealing. (C.G.C.) [pt

  6. Conceptual design study of Hyb-WT as fusion–fission hybrid reactor for waste transmutation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siddique, Muhammad Tariq; Kim, Myung Hyun

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Conceptual design study of fusion-fission hybrid reactor for waste transmutation. • MCNPX and MONTEBURNS are compared for transmutation performance of WT-Hyb. • Detailed neutronic performance of final optimized Hyb-WT design is analyzed. • A new tube-in-duct core design is implemented and compared with pin type design. • Study shows many aspects of hybrid reactor even though scope was limited to neutronic analysis. - Abstract: This study proposes a conceptual design of a hybrid reactor for waste transmutation (Hyb-WT). The design of Hyb-WT is based on a low-power tokamak (less than 150 MWt) and an annular ring-shaped reactor core with metal fuel (TRU 60 w/o, Zr 40 w/o) and a fission product (FP) zone. The computational code systems MONTEBURNS and MCNPX2.6 are investigated for their suitability in evaluating the performance of Hyb-WT. The overall design performance of the proposed reactor is determined by considering pin-type and tube-in-duct core designs. The objective of such consideration is to explore the possibilities for enhanced transmutation with reduced wall loading from fusion neutrons and reduced transuranic (TRU) inventory. TRU and FP depletion is analyzed by calculating waste transmutation ratio, mass burned per full power year (in units of kg/fpy), and support ratio. The radio toxicity analysis of TRUs and FPs is performed by calculating the percentage of toxicity reduction in TRU and FP over a burn cycle

  7. Computation of fission product distribution in core and primary circuit of a high temperature reactor during normal operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mattke, U.H.

    1991-08-01

    The fission product release during normal operation from the core of a high temperature reactor is well known to be very low. A HTR-Modul-reactor with a reduced power of 170 MW th is examined under the aspect whether the contamination with Cs-137 as most important nuclide will be so low that a helium turbine in the primary circuit is possible. The program SPTRAN is the tool for the computations and siumlations of fission product transport in HTRs. The program initially developed for computations of accident events has been enlarged for computing the fission product transport under the conditions of normal operation. The theoretical basis, the used programs and data basis are presented followed by the results of the computations. These results are explained and discussed; moreover the consequences and future possibilities of development are shown. (orig./HP) [de

  8. Overview of tritium fast-fission yields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanner, J.E.

    1981-03-01

    Tritium production rates are very important to the development of fast reactors because tritium may be produced at a greater rate in fast reactors than in light water reactors. This report focuses on tritium production and does not evaluate the transport and eventual release of the tritium in a fast reactor system. However, if an order-of-magnitude increase in fast fission yields for tritium is confirmed, fission will become the dominant production source of tritium in fast reactors

  9. Fission Product Transport and Source Terms in HTRs: Experience from AVR Pebble Bed Reactor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rainer Moormann

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Fission products deposited in the coolant circuit outside of the active core play a dominant role in source term estimations for advanced small pebble bed HTRs, particularly in design basis accidents (DBA. The deposited fission products may be released in depressurization accidents because present pebble bed HTR concepts abstain from a gas tight containment. Contamination of the circuit also hinders maintenance work. Experiments, performed from 1972 to 88 on the AVR, an experimental pebble bed HTR, allow for a deeper insight into fission product transport behavior. The activity deposition per coolant pass was lower than expected and was influenced by fission product chemistry and by presence of carbonaceous dust. The latter lead also to inconsistencies between Cs plate out experiments in laboratory and in AVR. The deposition behavior of Ag was in line with present models. Dust as activity carrier is of safety relevance because of its mobility and of its sorption capability for fission products. All metal surfaces in pebble bed reactors were covered by a carbonaceous dust layer. Dust in AVR was produced by abrasion in amounts of about 5 kg/y. Additional dust sources in AVR were ours oil ingress and peeling of fuel element surfaces due to an air ingress. Dust has a size of about 1  m, consists mainly of graphite, is partly remobilized by flow perturbations, and deposits with time constants of 1 to 2 hours. In future reactors, an efficient filtering via a gas tight containment is required because accidents with fast depressurizations induce dust mobilization. Enhanced core temperatures in normal operation as in AVR and broken fuel pebbles have to be considered, as inflammable dust concentrations in the gas phase.

  10. An assessment of fission product data for decay power calculation in fast reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sridharan, M.S.; Murthy, K.P.N.

    1987-01-01

    A review of our present capability at IGC, Kalpakkam to predict fission product decay power in fast reactors is presented. This is accomplished by comparing our summation calculations with the calculations of others and the reported experimental measurements. Our calculations are based on Chandy code developed at our Centre. The fission product data base of Chandy is essentially drawn from the yield data compiled by Crouch (1977) and the data on halflives etc. compiled by Tobias (1973). In general, we find good agreement amongst the different calculations (within ±5%) and our calculations also compare well with experimental measurements of AKIAMA et al and MURPHY et al

  11. A method for measuring power signal background and source strength in a fission reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baers, B.; Kall, L.; Visuri, P.

    1977-01-01

    Theory and experimental verification of a novel method for measuring power signal bias and source strength in a fission reactor are reported. A minicomputer was applied in the measurements. The method is an extension of the inverse kinetics method presented by Mogilner et al. (Auth.)

  12. Review of the neutron capture process in fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poenitz, W.P.

    1981-07-01

    The importance of the neutron capture process and the status of the more important cross section data are reviewed. The capture in fertile and fissile nuclei is considered. For thermal reactors the thermal to epithermal capture ratio for 238 U and 232 Th remains a problem though some improvements were made with more recent measurements. The capture cross section of 238 U in the fast energy range remains quite uncertain and a long standing discrepancy for the calculated versus experimental central reaction rate ratio C28/F49 persists. Capture in structural materials, fission product nuclei and the higher actinides is also considered

  13. Conceptual design of a hybrid fusion-fission reactor with intrinsic safety and optimized energy productivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Talebi, Hosein; Sadat Kiai, S.M.

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Designing a high yield and feasible Dense Plasma Focus for driving the reactor. • Presenting a structural method to design the dual layer cylindrical blankets. • Finding, the blanket production energy, in terms of its geometrical and material parameters. • Designing a subcritical blanket with optimization of energy amplification in detail. - Abstract: A hybrid fission-fusion reactor with a Dense Plasma Focus (DPF) as a fusion core and the dual layer fissionable blanket as the energy multiplier were conceptually designed. A cylindrical DPF, energized by a 200 kJ bank energy, is considered to produce fusion neutron, and these neutrons drive the subcritical fission in the surrounding blankets. The emphasis has been placed on the safety and energy production with considering technical and economical limitations. Therefore, the k eff-t of the dual cylindrical blanket was defined and mathematically, specified. By applying the safety criterion (k eff-t ≤ 0.95), the geometrical and material parameters of the blanket optimizing the energy amplification were obtained. Finally, MCNPX code has been used to determine the detailed dimensions of the blankets and fuel rods.

  14. Thermoradiation treatment of sewage sludge using reactor waste fission products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reynolds, M.C.; Hagengruber, R.L.; Zuppero, A.C.

    1974-06-01

    The hazards to public health associated with the application of municipal sewage sludge to land usage are reviewed to establish the need for disinfection of sludge prior to its distribution as a fertilizer, especially in the production of food and fodder. The use of ionizing radiation in conjunction with mild heating is shown to be an effective disinfection treatment and an economical one when reactor waste fission products are utilized. A program for researching and experimental demonstration of the process on sludges is also outlined

  15. Transport of volatile fission products in the fuel-to-sheath gap of defective fuel elements during normal and reactor accident conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, B.J.; Bonin, H.W.

    1995-01-01

    An analytical treatment has been used to model the vapour transport of radioactive fission products released into the fuel-to-sheath gap of defective nuclear fuel elements. The model accounts for both diffusive and bulk-convective transport. Convective transport becomes important as a result of a significant release of gaseous fission products into the gap during a high-temperature reactor accident. However, during normal reactor operation, diffusion is shown to be the dominant process of transport. The model is based on an analysis of several in-reactor tests with operating defective fuel elements, and high-temperature annealing experiments with irradiated fuel specimens. ((orig.))

  16. Joint ICFRM-14 (14. international conference on fusion reactor materials) and IAEA satellite meeting on cross-cutting issues of structural materials for fusion and fission applications. PowerPoint presentations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2009-01-01

    The Conference was devoted to the challenges in the development of new materials for advanced fission, fusion and hybrid reactors. The topics discussed include fuels and materials research under the high neutron fluence; post-irradiation examination; development of radiation resistant structural materials utilizing fission research reactors; core materials development for the advanced fuel cycle initiative; qualification of structural materials for fission and fusion reactor systems; application of charged particle accelerators for radiation resistance investigations of fission and fusion structural materials; microstructure evolution in structural materials under irradiation; ion beams and ion accelerators

  17. Regulatory aspects of fusion power-lessons from fission plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Natalizio, A.; Brunnader, H.; Sood, S.K.

    1993-01-01

    Experience from fission reactors has shown the regulatory process for licensing a nuclear facility to be legalistic, lengthy, unpredictable, and costly. This experience also indicates that much of the regulatory debate is focused on safety margins, that is, the smaller the safety margins the bigger the regulatory debate and the greater the amount of proof required to satisfy the regulatory. Such experience suggests that caution and prudence guide the development of a regulatory regime for fusion reactors. Fusion has intrinsic safety and environmental advantages over fission, which should alleviate significantly, or even eliminate, the regulatory problems associated with fission. The absence of a criticality concern and the absence of fission products preclude a Chernobyl type accident from occurring in a fusion reactor. Although in a fusion reactor there are large inventories of radioactive products that can be mobilized, the total quantity is orders of magnitude smaller than in fission power reactors. The bulk of the radioactivity in a fusion reactor is either activation products in steel structures, or tritium fuel supplies safely stored in the form of a metal tritide in storage beds. The quantity of tritium that can be mobilized under accident conditions is much less than ten million curies. This compares very favorably with a fission product inventory greater than ten billion curies in a fission power reactor. Furthermore, in a fission reactor, all of the reactivity is contained in a steel vessel that is pressurized to about 150 atmospheres, whereas in a fusion reactor, the inventory of radioactive material is dispersed in different areas of the plant, such that it is improbable that a single event could give rise to the release of the entire inventory to the environment. With such significant intrinsic safety advantages there is no a priori need to make fusion requirements/regulations more demanding and more stringent than fission

  18. Part I. Fuel-motion diagnostics in support of fast-reactor safety experiments. Part II. Fission product detection system in support of fast reactor safety experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Devolpi, A.; Doerner, R.C.; Fink, C.L.; Regis, J.P.; Rhodes, E.A.; Stanford, G.S.; Braid, T.H.; Boyar, R.E.

    1986-05-01

    In all destructive fast-reactor safety experiments at TREAT, fuel motion and cladding failure have been monitored by the fast-neutron/gamma-ray hodoscope, providing experimental results that are directly applicable to design, modeling, and validation in fast-reactor safety. Hodoscope contributions to the safety program can be considered to fall into several groupings: pre-failure fuel motion, cladding failure, post-failure fuel motion, steel blockages, pretest and posttest radiography, axial-power-profile variations, and power-coupling monitoring. High-quality results in fuel motion have been achieved, and motion sequences have been reconstructed in qualitative and quantitative visual forms. A collimated detection system has been used to observe fission products in the upper regions of a test loop in the TREAT reactor. Particular regions of the loop are targeted through any of five channels in a rotatable assembly in a horizontal hole through the biological shield. A well-type neutron detector, optimized for delayed neutrons, and two GeLi gamma ray spectrometers have been used in several experiments. Data are presented showing a time history of the transport of Dn emitters, of gamma spectra identifying volatile fission products deposited as aerosols, and of fission gas isotopes released from the coolant

  19. Fifty years with nuclear fission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Behrens, J.W.; Carlson, A.D.

    1989-01-01

    The news of the discovery of nuclear fission, by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann in Germany, was brought to the United States by Niels Bohr in January 1939. Since its discovery, the United States, and the world for that matter, has never been the same. It therefore seemed appropriate to acknowledge the fifieth anniversary of its discovery by holding a topical meeting entitled, ''Fifty Years with Nuclear Fission,'' in the United States during the year 1989. The objective of the meeting was to bring together pioneers of the nuclear industry and other scientists and engineers to report on reminiscences of the past and on the more recent development in fission science and technology. The conference highlighted the early pioneers of the nuclear industry by dedicated a full day (April 26), consisting of two plenary sessions, at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in Washington, DC. More recent developments in fission science and technology in addition to historical reflections were topics for two fully days of sessions (April 27 and 28) at the main site of the NIST in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The wide range of topics covered in this Volume 1 by this topical meeting included plenary invited, and contributed sessions entitled: Preclude to the First Chain Reaction -- 1932 to 1942; Early Fission Research -- Nuclear Structure and Spontaneous Fission; 50 Years of Fission, Science, and Technology; Nuclear Reactors, Secure Energy for the Future; Reactors 1; Fission Science 1; Safeguards and Space Applications; Fission Data; Nuclear Fission -- Its Various Aspects; Theory and Experiments in Support of Theory; Reactors and Safeguards; and General Research, Instrumentation, and By-Product. The individual papers have been cataloged separately

  20. Production of Fission Product 99Mo using High-Enriched Uranium Plates in Polish Nuclear Research Reactor MARIA: Technology and Neutronic Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaroszewicz Janusz

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of 235U irradiation is to obtain the 99mTc isotope, which is widely used in the domain of medical diagnostics. The decisive factor determining its availability, despite its short lifetime, is a reaction of radioactive decay of 99Mo into 99mTc. One of the possible sources of molybdenum can be achieved in course of the 235U fission reaction. The paper presents activities and the calculation results obtained upon the feasibility study on irradiation of 235U targets for production of 99Mo in the MARIA research reactor. Neutronic calculations and analyses were performed to estimate the fission products activity for uranium plates irradiated in the reactor. Results of dummy targets irradiation as well as irradiation uranium plates have been presented. The new technology obtaining 99Mo is based on irradiation of high-enriched uranium plates in standard reactor fuel channel and calculation of the current fission power generation. Measurements of temperatures and the coolant flow in the molybdenum installation carried out in reactor SAREMA system give online information about the current fission power generated in uranium targets. The corrective factors were taken into account as the heat generation from gamma radiation from neighbouring fuel elements as well as heat exchange between channels and the reactor pool. The factors were determined by calibration measurements conducted with aluminium mock-up of uranium plates. Calculations of fuel channel by means of REBUS code with fine mesh structure and libraries calculated by means of WIMS-ANL code were performed.

  1. Assessment of fission product release from the reactor containment building during severe core damage accidents in a PWR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fermandjian, J.; Evrard, J.M.; Generino, G.

    1984-07-01

    Fission product releases from the RCB associated with hypothetical core-melt accidents ABβ, S 2 CDβ and TLBβ in a PWR-900 MWe have been performed using French computer codes (in particular, the JERICHO Code for containment response analysis and AEROSOLS/B1 for aerosol behavior in the containment) related to thermalhydraulics and fission product behavior in the primary system and in the reactor containment building

  2. Mirror fusion--fission hybrids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, J.D.

    1978-01-01

    The fusion-fission concept and the mirror fusion-fission hybrid program are outlined. Magnetic mirror fusion drivers and blankets for hybrid reactors are discussed. Results of system analyses are presented and a reference design is described

  3. Resuspension of fission products during severe accidents in light-water reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borkowski, R.; Bunz, H.; Schoeck, W.

    1986-05-01

    This report investigates the influence of resuspension phenomena on the overall radiological source term of core melt accidents in a pressurized water reactor. A review of the existing literature is given and the literature data are applied to calculations of the source term. A large scatter in the existing data was found. Depending on the scenario and on the data set chosen for the calculations the relative influence of resuspended fission products on the source term ranges from dominant to negligible. (orig.) [de

  4. Transfer parameters of fission and activation products present in effluents of nuclear power reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cancio, D.; Menossi, C.A.; Ciallella, N.R.

    1978-01-01

    The paper presents results of research carried out in Argentina on transfer parameters of fission and activation products which may be present in the effluents of nuclear power reactors. For some nuclides, as Sr-90, Co-137 and I-131, the parameters were obtained by studies of the fallout, from measurements of integrated levels in the environment and in the food chains. Other values are concentration factors derived from laboratory and field experiments. They refer to fish, molluscs, crustaces and fresh water plants, for several fission and activation nuclides. Transfer parameters obtained have been of significant importance for environmental assessments, relating to nuclear installations in Argentina. (author)

  5. A proposed standard on medical isotope production in fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schenter, R. E.; Brown, G. J.; Holden, C. S.

    2006-01-01

    Authors Robert E. Sehenter, Garry Brown and Charles S. Holden argue that a Standard for 'Medical Isotope Production' is needed. Medical isotopes are becoming major components of application for the diagnosis and treatment of all the major diseases including all forms of cancer, heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer's, among others. Current nuclear data to perform calculations is incomplete, dated or imprecise or otherwise flawed for many isotopes that could have significant applications in medicine. Improved data files will assist computational analyses to design means and methods for improved isotope production techniques in the fission reactor systems. Initial focus of the Standard is expected to be on neutron cross section and branching data for both fast and thermal reactor systems. Evaluated and reviewed tables giving thermal capture cross sections and resonance integrals for the major target and product medical isotopes would be the expected 'first start' for the 'Standard Working Group'. (authors)

  6. Fission product release from UO2 during irradiation. Diffusion data and their application to reactor fuel pins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Findlay, J.R.; Johnson, F.A.; Turnbull, J.A.; Friskney, C.A.

    1980-01-01

    Release of fission product species from UO 2 , and to a limited extent from (U, Pu)0 2 was studied using small scale in-reactor experiments in which these interacting variables may be separated, as far as is possible, and their influences assessed. Experiments were at fuel ratings appropriate to water reactor fuel elements and both single crystal and poly-crystalline specimens were used. They employed highly enriched uranium such that the relative number of fissions occurring in plutonium formed by neutron capture was small. The surface to volume ratio (S/V) of the specimens was well defined thus reducing the uncertainties in the derivation of diffusion coefficients. These experiments demonstrate many of the important characteristics of fission product behaviour in UO 2 during irradiation. The samples used for these experiments were small being always less than 1g with a fissile content usually between 2 and 5mg. Polycrystalline materials were taken from batches of production fuel prepared by conventional pressing and sintering techniques. The enriched single crystals were grown from a melt of sodium and potassium chloride doped with UO 2 powder 20% 235 U content. The irradiations were performed in the DIDO reactor at Harwell. The neutron flux at the specimen was 4x10 16 neutrons m -2 s -1 providing a heat rating within the samples of 34.5 MW/teU

  7. Material synergism fusion-fission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sankara Rao, K.B.; Raj, B.; Cook, I.; Kohyama, A.; Dudarev, S.

    2007-01-01

    In fission and fusion reactors the common features such as operating temperatures and neutron exposures will have the greatest impact on materials performance and component lifetimes. Developing fast neutron irradiation resisting materials is a common issue for both fission and fusion reactors. The high neutron flux levels in both these systems lead to unique materials problems like void swelling, irradiation creep and helium embitterment. Both fission and fusion rely on ferritic-martensitic steels based on 9%Cr compositions for achieving the highest swelling resistance but their creep strength sharply decreases above ∝ 823K. The use of oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys is envisaged to increase the operating temperature of blanket systems in the fusion reactors and fuel clad tubes in fast breeder reactors. In view of high operating temperatures, cyclic and steady load conditions and the long service life, properties like creep, low cycle fatigue,fracture toughness and creepfatigue interaction are major considerations in the selection of structural materials and design of components for fission and fusion reactors. Currently, materials selection for fusion systems has to be based upon incomplete experimental database on mechanical properties. The usage of fairly well developed databases, in fission programmes on similar materials, is of great help in the initial design of fusion reactor components. Significant opportunities exist for sharing information on technology of irradiation testing, specimen miniaturization, advanced methods of property measurement, safe windows for metal forming, and development of common materials property data base system. Both fusion and fission programs are being directed to development of clean steels with very low trace and tramp elements, characterization of microstructure and phase stability under irradiation, assessment of irradiation creep and swelling behaviour, studies on compatibility with helium and developing

  8. Fission product and aerosol behaviour within the containment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beard, A.M.; Benson, C.G.; Bowsher, B.R.; Dickinson, S.; Nichols, A.L.

    1990-04-01

    Experimental studies have been undertaken to characterise the behaviour of fission products in the containment of a pressurised water reactor during a severe accident. The following aspects of fission product transport have been studied: (a) aerosol nucleation, (b) vapour transport processes, (c) chemical forms of high-temperature vapours, (d) interaction of fission product vapours with aerosols generated from within the reactor core, (e) resuspension processes, (f) chemistry in the containment. Chemical effects have been shown to be important in defining and quantifying fission product source terms in a wide range of accident sequences. Both the chemical forms of the fission product vapours and their interactions with reactor materials aerosols could have a major effect on the magnitude and physicochemical forms of the radioactive emission from a severe reactor accident. Only the main conclusions are presented in this summary document; detailed technical aspects of the work are described in separate reports listed in the annex

  9. Neutronics analysis of water-cooled energy production blanket for a fusion-fission hybrid reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Jieqiong; Wang Minghuang; Chen Zhong; Qiu Yuefeng; Liu Jinchao; Bai Yunqing; Chen Hongli; Hu Yanglin

    2010-01-01

    Neutronics calculations were performed to analyse the parameters of blanket energy multiplication factor (M) and tritium breeding ratio (TBR) in a fusion-fission hybrid reactor for energy production named FDS (Fusion-Driven hybrid System)-EM (Energy Multiplier) blanket. The most significant and main goal of the FDS-EM blanket is to achieve the energy gain of about 1 GWe with self-sustaining tritium, i.e. the M factor is expected to be ∼90. Four different fission materials were taken into account to evaluate M in subcritical blanket: (i) depleted uranium, (ii) natural uranium, (iii) enriched uranium, and (iv) Nuclear Waste (transuranic from 33 000 MWD/MTU PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor) and depleted uranium) oxide. These calculations and analyses were performed using nuclear data library HENDL (Hybrid Evaluated Nuclear Data Library) and a home-developed code VisualBUS. The results showed that the performance of the blanket loaded with Nuclear Waste was most attractive and it could be promising to effectively obtain tritium self-sufficiency and a high-energy multiplication.

  10. Device for measuring fission product density

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaneda, Mitsunori.

    1980-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the fission product density of xenon or the like and enable measurement of real time of fission product density in a reactor by calculating the disintegration and annihilation of the fission product on the basis of neutron detected output. Constitution: The neutron flux in a reactor is detected by a detector, and applied to first and second density calculators. Second fission product density signal of xenon or the like outputted from first device is again inputted to the device to form an annihilation signal due to disintegration to determine the present density of the second fission product of xenon or the like corresponding to the decrease of the neutron due to the poison of xeron or the like. Similarly, second device determines the first fission product density of iodine or the like. (Sekiya, K.)

  11. Hybrid reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moir, R.W.

    1980-01-01

    The rationale for hybrid fusion-fission reactors is the production of fissile fuel for fission reactors. A new class of reactor, the fission-suppressed hybrid promises unusually good safety features as well as the ability to support 25 light-water reactors of the same nuclear power rating, or even more high-conversion-ratio reactors such as the heavy-water type. One 4000-MW nuclear hybrid can produce 7200 kg of 233 U per year. To obtain good economics, injector efficiency times plasma gain (eta/sub i/Q) should be greater than 2, the wall load should be greater than 1 MW.m -2 , and the hybrid should cost less than 6 times the cost of a light-water reactor. Introduction rates for the fission-suppressed hybrid are usually rapid

  12. The geo-reactor. A link between nuclear fission and geothermal energy?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Degueldre, Claude; Fiorina, Carlo

    2013-01-01

    Recent high-precision isotope analysis data suggests the potential occurrence of a geo-reactor. Specific gas isotopes that could have been generated by binary and ternary fissions were identified in volcano emanations or as soluble/associated species in crystalline rocks and semi-quantitatively evaluated as isotopic ratio or estimated amounts. Presently if it is evident that according to the actinide inventory on the Earth, local potential criticality of the geo-system may have been reached, several questions remain such as why, where and when did a geo-reactor be operational? Even if the hypothesis of a geo-reactor operation in the proto-Earth period should be acceptable, it could be difficult to anticipate that a geo-reactor is still operating today. This could be tested in the future by assessing and reconstructing the system by antineutrino detection and tomography through the Earth. The present paper focuses on the geo-reactor conditions including history, spatial extension and regimes. The discussion based on recent calculations involves investigations on the limits in term of fissile inventory, size and power, based on stratification through the gravitational field and the various features through the inner mantel, the boundary with the core, the external part and the inner-core. the reconstruction allows to formulating that from the history point of view there are possibilities that the geo-reactor reached criticality in a proto-Earth period as a thorium/uranium reactor triggered by an under-layer with heavier actinides. The geo-reactor should be a key component of geothermal energy sources. (author)

  13. Review of fission-fusion pellet designs and inertial confinement system studies at EIR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seifriz, W [Eidgenoessisches Inst. fuer Reaktorforschung, Wuerenlingen (Switzerland)

    1978-01-01

    The article summarizes the work done so far at the Swiss Federal Institute for Reactor Research (EIR) in the field of the inertial confinement fusion technique. The following subjects are reviewed: a) fission fusion pellet designs using fissionable triggers, b) uranium tampered pellets, c) tampered pellets recycling unwanted actinide wastes from fission reactors in beam-driven micro-explosion reactors, and d) symbiotic fusion/fission reactor studies.

  14. Assessment of the high temperature fission chamber technology for the French fast reactor program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jammes, C.; Filliatre, P.; Geslot, B.; Domenech, T.; Normand, S. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, CEA (France)

    2011-07-01

    High temperature fission chambers are key instruments for the control and protection of the sodium-cooled fast reactor. First, the developments of those neutron detectors, which are carried out either in France or abroad are reviewed. Second, the French realizations are assessed with the use of the technology readiness levels in order to identify tracks of improvement. (authors)

  15. Apparatus for measuring the release of fission gases and other fission products by degassing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stradal, Karl Alfred

    1970-10-15

    In gas-cooled high-temperature reactors, the fuel is, in general, inserted in the fuel elements in the form of small particles, which are, for example, coated with pyrolytic carbon. The purpose of this coating is to keep the fission products separate from the coolant gas. The further development of these coated particles makes it necessary to check the retention capacity. One possible method of doing this is the degassing test after irradiation in the reactor. An apparatus is described below, which was developed and installed in order to measure to a higher degree of sensitivity and in serial measurements the release of fission gases and sparingly volatile fission products.

  16. Measurement of fission cross-section of actinides at n_TOF for advanced nuclear reactors

    CERN Document Server

    Calviani, Marco; Montagnoli, G; Mastinu, P

    2009-01-01

    The subject of this thesis is the determination of high accuracy neutron-induced fission cross-sections of various isotopes - all of which radioactive - of interest for emerging nuclear technologies. The measurements had been performed at the CERN neutron time-of-flight facility n TOF. In particular, in this work, fission cross-sections on 233U, the main fissile isotope of the Th/U fuel cycle, and on the minor actinides 241Am, 243Am and 245Cm have been analyzed. Data on these isotopes are requested for the feasibility study of innovative nuclear systems (ADS and Generation IV reactors) currently being considered for energy production and radioactive waste transmutation. The measurements have been performed with a high performance Fast Ionization Chamber (FIC), in conjunction with an innovative data acquisition system based on Flash-ADCs. The first step in the analysis has been the reconstruction of the digitized signals, in order to extract the information required for the discrimination between fission fragm...

  17. Fusion--fission hybrid concepts for laser-induced fusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maniscalco, J.

    1976-01-01

    Fusion-fission hybrid concepts are viewed as subcritical fission reactors driven and controlled by high-energy neutrons from a laser-induced fusion reactor. Blanket designs encompassing a substantial portion of the spectrum of different fission reactor technologies are analyzed and compared by calculating their fissile-breeding and fusion-energy-multiplying characteristics. With a large number of different fission technologies to choose from, it is essential to identify more promising hybrid concepts that can then be subjected to in-depth studies that treat the engineering safety, and economic requirements as well as the neutronic aspects. In the course of neutronically analyzing and comparing several fission blanket concepts, this work has demonstrated that fusion-fission hybrids can be designed to meet a broad spectrum of fissile-breeding and fusion-energy-multiplying requirements. The neutronic results should prove to be extremely useful in formulating the technical scope of future studies concerned with evaluating the technical and economic feasibility of hybrid concepts for laser-induced fusion

  18. Cumulative fission yield of Ce-148 produced by thermal-neutron fission of U-235

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hasan, A.A.

    1984-12-01

    Cumulative fission yield of 148 cesium isotopes and some other fission products produced by thermal-neutron fission of 235 uranium is determined by Germanium/Lithium spectroscopic methods. The measuremets were done at Tsing-Hua open pool reactor using 3 to 4 mg of 93.15% enriched 235 uranium samples. Gamma rays are assigned to the responsible fission products by matching gamma rays energies and half lives. Fission rate is calculated by fission track method. Cumulative fission yields of 148 cesium, 90 krypton, 130 iodine, 144 lanthanum, 89 krypton, 136 xenon, 137 xenon and 140 cesium are calculated. This values are compared with previously predicted values and showed good agreement. 21 Ref

  19. Space Fission System Test Effectiveness

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Houts, Mike; Schmidt, Glen L.; Van Dyke, Melissa; Godfroy, Tom; Martin, James; Bragg-Sitton, Shannon; Dickens, Ricky; Salvail, Pat; Harper, Roger

    2004-01-01

    Space fission technology has the potential to enable rapid access to any point in the solar system. If fission propulsion systems are to be developed to their full potential, however, near-term customers need to be identified and initial fission systems successfully developed, launched, and utilized. One key to successful utilization is to develop reactor designs that are highly testable. Testable reactor designs have a much higher probability of being successfully converted from paper concepts to working space hardware than do designs which are difficult or impossible to realistically test. ''Test Effectiveness'' is one measure of the ability to realistically test a space reactor system. The objective of this paper is to discuss test effectiveness as applied to the design, development, flight qualification, and acceptance testing of space fission systems. The ability to perform highly effective testing would be particularly important to the success of any near-term mission, such as NASA's Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter, the first mission under study within NASA's Project Prometheus, the Nuclear Systems Program

  20. Status of fission yield measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maeck, W.J.

    1979-01-01

    Fission yield measurement and yield compilation activities in the major laboratories of the world are reviewed. In addition to a general review of the effort of each laboratory, a brief summary of yield measurement activities by fissioning nuclide is presented. A new fast reactor fission yield measurement program being conducted in the US is described

  1. New ceramics for nuclear industry. Case of fission and fusion reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yvars, M.

    1979-10-01

    The ceramics used in the nuclear field are described as is their behaviour under radiation. 1) Power reactors - nuclear fission. Ceramics enter into the fabrication of nuclear fuels: oxides, carbides, uranium or plutonium nitrides or oxy-nitrides. Silicon carbide SiC is used for preparing the fuels of helium cooled high temperature reactors. Its use is foreseen in the design of gas high temperature gas thermal exchangers, as is silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ). In the materials for safety or control rods, the intense neutron flows induce nuclear reactions which increase the temperature of the neutron absorbing material. Boron carbide B 4 C, rare earth oxides Ln 2 O 3 , or B 4 C-Cu or B 4 C-Al cermets are employed. Burnable poison materials are formed of Al 2 O 3 -B 4 C or Al 2 O 3 -Ln 2 O 3 cermets. The moderators of thermal neutron reactors are in high purety polycrystalline graphite. For the thermal insulation of reactor vessels and jackets, honeycomb ceramics are used as well as ceramic fibres on an increasing scale (kaolin, alumina and other fibres). 2) fusion reactors (Tokomak). These require refractory materials with a low atomic number. Carbon fibres, boron carbide, some borons (Al B 12 ), silicon nitrides and oxy-nitrides and high density alumina are the substances considered [fr

  2. The wastes of nuclear fission; Les dechets de la fission nucleaire

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Doubre, H. [Paris-11 Univ., Centre de Spectrometrie Nucleaire et de Spectrometrie de Masse, IN2P3/CNRS, 91 - Orsay (France)

    2005-07-01

    In this paper the author presents the problems of the radioactive wastes generated by the nuclear fission. The first part devoted to the fission phenomenon explains the incident neutron energy and the target nuclei role. The second part devoted to the nuclear wastes sources presents the production of wastes upstream of the reactors, in the reactors and why these wastes are dangerous. The third part discusses the radioactive wastes management in France (classification, laws). The last part details the associated research programs: the radionuclides separation, the disposal, the underground storage, the transmutation and the thorium cycle. (A.L.B.)

  3. Energy deposition measurements in fast reactor safety experiments with fission thermocouple detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wright, S.A.; Scott, H.L.

    1979-01-01

    The investigation of phenomena occurring in in-pile fast reactor safety experiments requires an accurate measurement of the time dependent energy depositions within the fissile material. At Sandia Laboratories thin-film fission thermocouples are being developed for this purpose. These detectors have high temperature capabilities (400 to 500 0 C), are sodium compatible, and have milli-second time response. A significant advantage of these detectors for use as energy deposition monitors is that they produce an output voltage which is directly dependent on the temperature of a small chip of fissile material within the detectors. However, heat losses within the detector make it necessary to correct the response of the detector to determine the energy deposition. A method of correcting the detector response which uses an inverse convolution procedure has been developed and successfully tested with experimental data obtained in the Sandia Pulse Reactor (SPR-II) and in the Annular Core Research Reactor

  4. Theoretical Description of the Fission Process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nazarewicz, Witold

    2009-01-01

    Advanced theoretical methods and high-performance computers may finally unlock the secrets of nuclear fission, a fundamental nuclear decay that is of great relevance to society. In this work, we studied the phenomenon of spontaneous fission using the symmetry-unrestricted nuclear density functional theory (DFT). Our results show that many observed properties of fissioning nuclei can be explained in terms of pathways in multidimensional collective space corresponding to different geometries of fission products. From the calculated collective potential and collective mass, we estimated spontaneous fission half-lives, and good agreement with experimental data was found. We also predicted a new phenomenon of trimodal spontaneous fission for some transfermium isotopes. Our calculations demonstrate that fission barriers of excited superheavy nuclei vary rapidly with particle number, pointing to the importance of shell effects even at large excitation energies. The results are consistent with recent experiments where superheavy elements were created by bombarding an actinide target with 48-calcium; yet even at high excitation energies, sizable fission barriers remained. Not only does this reveal clues about the conditions for creating new elements, it also provides a wider context for understanding other types of fission. Understanding of the fission process is crucial for many areas of science and technology. Fission governs existence of many transuranium elements, including the predicted long-lived superheavy species. In nuclear astrophysics, fission influences the formation of heavy elements on the final stages of the r-process in a very high neutron density environment. Fission applications are numerous. Improved understanding of the fission process will enable scientists to enhance the safety and reliability of the nation's nuclear stockpile and nuclear reactors. The deployment of a fleet of safe and efficient advanced reactors, which will also minimize radiotoxic

  5. Miniature fission chambers calibration in pulse mode: interlaboratory comparison at the. SCK·CEN BR1 and CEA CALIBAN reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lamirand, V.; Geslot, B.; Gregoire, G.; Garnier, D.; Breaud, S.; Mellier, F.; Di-Salvo, J.; Destouches, C.; Blaise, P.; Wagemans, J.; Borms, L.; Malambu, E.; Casoli, P.; Jacquet, X.; Rousseau, G.; Sauvecane, P.

    2013-06-01

    Miniature fission chambers are suited tools for instrumenting experimental reactors, allowing online and in-core neutron measurements of quantities such as fission rates or reactor power. A new set of such detectors was produced by CEA to be used during the next experimental program at the EOLE facility starting in 2013. Some of these detectors will be employed in pulse mode for absolute measurements, thus requiring calibration. The calibration factor is expressed in mass units and thus called 'effective mass'. A calibration campaign was conducted in December 2012 at the SCK.CEN BR1 facility within the framework of the scientific cooperation VEP (VENUS-EOLE-PROTEUS) between SCK.CEN, CEA and PSI. Two actions were conducted in order to improve the calibration method. First a new characterisation of the thermal flux cavity and the MARK3 neutron flux conversion device performed by SCK.CEN allowed using calculated effective cross sections for determining detectors effective masses. Dosimetry irradiations were performed in situ in order to determine the neutron flux level and provide link to the metrological standard. Secondly two fission chambers were also calibrated at the CEA CALIBAN reactor (fast neutron spectrum), using the same method so that the results can be compared with the results obtained at the SCK.CEN. In this paper the calibration method and recent improvements on uncertainty reduction are presented. The results and uncertainties obtained in the two reactors CALIBAN and BR1 are compared and discussed. (authors)

  6. Chemical aspects of fission product transport in the primary circuit of a light water reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bowsher, B.R.; Dickinson, S.; Nichols, A.L.; Ogden, J.S.; Potter, P.E.

    1985-01-01

    The transport and fission products in the primary circuit of a light water reactor are of fundamental importance in assessing the consequences of severe accidents. Recent experimental studies have concentrated upon the behaviour of simulant fission product species such as caesium iodide, caesium hydroxide and tellurium, in terms of their vapour deposition characteristics onto metals representative of primary circuit materials. An induction furnace has been used to generate high-density/structural materials aerosols for subsequent analysis, and similar equipment has been incorporated into a glove-box to study lightly-irradiated UO/sub 2/ clad in Zircaloy. Analytical techniques are being developed to assist in the identification of fission product chemical species released from the fuel at temperatures from 1000 to 2500 0 C. Matrix isolation-infrared spectroscopy has been used to identify species in the vapour phase, and specific data using this technique are reported

  7. Chemical aspects of fission product transport in the primary circuit of a light water reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bowsher, B.R.; Dickinson, S.; Nichols, A.L.; Ogden, J.S.; Potter, P.E.

    1985-01-01

    The transport and deposition of fission products in the primary circuit of a light water reactor are of fundamental importance in assessing the consequences of severe accidents. Recent experimental studies have concentrated upon the behavior of simulant fission product species such as cesium iodide, cesium hydroxide and tellurium, in terms of their vapor deposition characteristics onto metals representative of primary circuit materials. An induction furnace has been used to generate high density/structural materials aerosols for subsequent analysis, and similar equipment has been incorporated into a glove-box to study lightly-irradiated UO 2 clad in Zircaloy. Analytical techniques are being developed to assist in the identification of fission product chemical species released from the fuel at temperatures from 1000 to 2500 0 C. Matrix isolation-infrared spectroscopy has been used to identify species in the vapor phase, and specific data using this technique are reported

  8. Planetary Surface Power and Interstellar Propulsion Using Fission Fragment Magnetic Collimator Reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsvetkov, Pavel V.; Hart, Ron R.; King, Don B.; Rochau, Gary E.

    2006-01-01

    Fission energy can be used directly if the kinetic energy of fission fragments is converted to electricity and/or thrust before turning into heat. The completed US DOE NERI Direct Energy Conversion (DEC) Power Production project indicates that viable DEC systems are possible. The US DOE NERI DEC Proof of Principle project began in October of 2002 with the goal to demonstrate performance principles of DEC systems. One of the emerging DEC concepts is represented by fission fragment magnetic collimator reactors (FFMCR). Safety, simplicity, and high conversion efficiency are the unique advantages offered by these systems. In the FFMCR, the basic energy source is the kinetic energy of fission fragments. Following escape from thin fuel layers, they are captured on magnetic field lines and are directed out of the core and through magnetic collimators to produce electricity and thrust. The exiting flow of energetic fission fragments has a very high specific impulse that allows efficient planetary surface power and interstellar propulsion without carrying any conventional propellant onboard. The objective of this work was to determine technological feasibility of the concept. This objective was accomplished by producing the FFMCR design and by analysis of its performance characteristics. The paper presents the FFMCR concept, describes its development to a technologically feasible level and discusses obtained results. Performed studies offer efficiencies up to 90% and velocities approaching speed of light as potentially achievable. The unmanned 10-tons probe with 1000 MW FFMCR propulsion unit would attain mission velocity of about 2% of the speed of light. If the unit is designed for 4000 MW, then in 10 years the unmanned 10-tons probe would attain mission velocity of about 10% of the speed of light

  9. RSAC, Gamma Doses, Inhalation and Ingestion Doses, Fission Products Inventory after Fission Products Release

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richardson, L.C.

    1967-01-01

    1 - Description of problem or function: RSAC generates a fission product inventory from a given set of reactor operating conditions and then computes the external gamma dose, the deposition gamma dose, and the inhalation-ingestion dose to critical body organs as a result of exposure to these fission products. Program output includes reactor operating history, fission product inventory, dosages, and ingestion parameters. 2 - Method of solution: The fission product inventory generated by the reactor operating conditions and the inventory remaining at various times after release are computed using the equations of W. Rubinson in Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 17, pages 542-547, June 1949. The external gamma dose and the deposition gamma dose are calculated by determining disintegration rates as a function of space and time, then integrating using Hermite's numerical techniques for the spatial dependence. The inhalation-ingestion dose is determined by the type and quantity of activity inhaled and the biological rate of decay following inhalation. These quantities are integrated with respect to time to obtain the dosage. The ingestion dose is related to the inhalation dose by an input constant

  10. NEET Enhanced Micro-Pocket Fission Detector for High Temperature Reactors - FY16 Status Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Unruh, Troy [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Reichenberger, Michael [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Stevenson, Sarah [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Tsai, Kevin [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); McGregor, Douglas [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2016-09-01

    A collaboration between the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), the Kansas State University (KSU), and the French Atomic Energy Agency, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, (CEA), has been initiated by the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET) Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation (ASI) program for developing and testing High Temperature Micro-Pocket Fission Detectors (HT MPFD), which are compact fission chambers capable of simultaneously measuring thermal neutron flux, fast neutron flux and temperature within a single package for temperatures up to 800 °C. The MPFD technology utilizes a small, multi-purpose, robust, in-core fission chambers and thermocouple. As discussed within this report, the small size, variable sensitivity, and increased accuracy of the MPFD technology represent a revolutionary improvement over current methods used to support irradiations in US Material Test Reactors (MTRs). Previous research conducted through NEET ASI1-3 has shown that the MPFD technology could be made robust and was successfully tested in a reactor core. This new project will further the MPFD technology for higher temperature regimes and other reactor applications by developing a HT MPFD suitable for temperatures up to 800 °C. This report summarizes the research progress for year two of this three year project. Highlights from research accomplishments include: • Continuation of a joint collaboration between INL, KSU, and CEA. Note that CEA is participating at their own expense because of interest in this unique new sensor. • An updated parallel wire HT MPFD design was developed. • Program support for HT MPFD deployments was given to Accident Tolerant Fuels (ATF) and Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) irradiation test programs. • Quality approved materials for HT MPFD construction were procured by irradiation test programs for upcoming deployments. • KSU improved and performed electrical contact and fissile material plating.

  11. Experiments to determine the rate of beta energy release following fission of Pu239 andU235 in a fast reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murphy, M.F.; Taylor, W.H.; Sweet, D.W.; March, M.R.

    1979-02-01

    Measurements have been made of the rate of beta energy release from Pu239 and U235 fission fragments over a period of 107 seconds following a 105 second irradiation in the zero-power fast reactor Zebra. Results are compared with predictions using the UKFPDD-1 decay data file and two different sets of fission product yield data. (author)

  12. Energy released in fission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    James, M.F.

    1969-05-01

    The effective energy released in and following the fission of U-235, Pu-239 and Pu-241 by thermal neutrons, and of U-238 by fission spectrum neutrons, is discussed. The recommended values are: U-235 ... 192.9 ± 0.5 MeV/fission; U-238 ... 193.9 ± 0.8 MeV/fission; Pu-239 ... 198.5 ± 0.8 MeV/fission; Pu-241 ... 200.3 ± 0.8 MeV/fission. These values include all contributions except from antineutrinos and very long-lived fission products. The detailed contributions are discussed, and inconsistencies in the experimental data are pointed out. In Appendix A, the contribution to the total useful energy release in a reactor from reactions other than fission are discussed briefly, and in Appendix B there is a discussion of the variations in effective energy from fission with incident neutron energy. (author)

  13. Gamma-ray spectrometric measurements of fission rate ratios between fresh and burnt fuel following irradiation in a zero-power reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kröhnert, H., E-mail: hanna.kroehnert@ensi.ch [Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), CH-5232 Villigen (Switzerland); École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Perret, G.; Murphy, M.F. [Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), CH-5232 Villigen (Switzerland); Chawla, R. [Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), CH-5232 Villigen (Switzerland); École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)

    2013-01-11

    The gamma-ray activity from short-lived fission products has been measured in fresh and burnt UO{sub 2} fuel samples after irradiation in a zero-power reactor. For the first time, short-lived gamma-ray activity from fresh and burnt fuel has been compared and fresh-to-burnt fuel fission rate ratios have been derived. For the measurements, well characterized fresh and burnt fuel samples, with burn-ups up to 46 GWd/t, were irradiated in the zero-power research reactor PROTEUS. Fission rate ratios were derived based on the counting of high-energy gamma-rays above 2200 keV, in order to discriminate against the high intrinsic activity of the burnt fuel. This paper presents the measured fresh-to-burnt fuel fission rate ratios based on the {sup 142}La (2542 keV), {sup 89}Rb (2570 keV), {sup 138}Cs (2640 keV) and {sup 95}Y (3576 keV) high-energy gamma-ray lines. Comparisons are made with the results of Monte Carlo modeling of the experimental configuration, carried out using the MCNPX code. The measured fission rate ratios have 1σ uncertainties of 1.7–3.4%. The comparisons with calculated predictions show an agreement within 1–3σ, although there appears to be a slight bias (∼3%).

  14. Fission Surface Power Technology Development Update

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palac, Donald T.; Mason, Lee S.; Houts, Michael G.; Harlow, Scott

    2011-01-01

    Power is a critical consideration in planning exploration of the surfaces of the Moon, Mars, and places beyond. Nuclear power is an important option, especially for locations in the solar system where sunlight is limited or environmental conditions are challenging (e.g., extreme cold, dust storms). NASA and the Department of Energy are maintaining the option for fission surface power for the Moon and Mars by developing and demonstrating technology for a fission surface power system. The Fission Surface Power Systems project has focused on subscale component and subsystem demonstrations to address the feasibility of a low-risk, low-cost approach to space nuclear power for surface missions. Laboratory demonstrations of the liquid metal pump, reactor control drum drive, power conversion, heat rejection, and power management and distribution technologies have validated that the fundamental characteristics and performance of these components and subsystems are consistent with a Fission Surface Power preliminary reference concept. In addition, subscale versions of a non-nuclear reactor simulator, using electric resistance heating in place of the reactor fuel, have been built and operated with liquid metal sodium-potassium and helium/xenon gas heat transfer loops, demonstrating the viability of establishing system-level performance and characteristics of fission surface power technologies without requiring a nuclear reactor. While some component and subsystem testing will continue through 2011 and beyond, the results to date provide sufficient confidence to proceed with system level technology readiness demonstration. To demonstrate the system level readiness of fission surface power in an operationally relevant environment (the primary goal of the Fission Surface Power Systems project), a full scale, 1/4 power Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU) is under development. The TDU will consist of a non-nuclear reactor simulator, a sodium-potassium heat transfer loop, a power

  15. High flux Particle Bed Reactor systems for rapid transmutation of actinides and long lived fission products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Powell, J.; Ludewig, H.; Maise, G.; Steinberg, M.; Todosow, M.

    1993-01-01

    An initial assessment of several actinide/LLFP burner concepts based on the Particle Bed Reactor (PBR) is described. The high power density/flux level achievable with the PBR make it an attractive candidate for this application. The PBR based actinide burner concept also possesses a number of safety and economic benefits relative to other reactor based transmutation approaches including a low inventory of radionuclides, and high integrity, coated fuel particles which can withstand extremely high in temperatures while retaining virtually all fission products. In addition the reactor also posesses a number of ''engineered safety features,'' which, along with the use of high temperature capable materials further enhance its safety characteristics

  16. Isotopic composition of fission gases in LWR fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jonsson, T.

    2000-01-01

    Many fuel rods from power reactors and test reactors have been punctured during past years for determination of fission gas release. In many cases the released gas was also analysed by mass spectrometry. The isotopic composition shows systematic variations between different rods, which are much larger than the uncertainties in the analysis. This paper discusses some possibilities and problems with use of the isotopic composition to decide from which part of the fuel the gas was released. In high burnup fuel from thermal reactors loaded with uranium fuel a significant part of the fissions occur in plutonium isotopes. The ratio Xe/Kr generated in the fuel is strongly dependent on the fissioning species. In addition, the isotopic composition of Kr and Xe shows a well detectable difference between fissions in different fissile nuclides. (author)

  17. On fission product retention in the core of the low powered high temperature reactor under accident conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bastek, H.

    1984-01-01

    In the core of the high temperature reactor the fuel element and the coated particles contained herein provide the safest enclosure for fission products. The complex process of fission product transport out of the particle kernel, through the particle coating and within the fuel element graphite is described in a simplified form by the Fick's diffusion. The effective diffusion coefficient is used for calculation. Starting from the existing ideas of fission product transport five burn-up and temperature-dependent diffusion coefficients for Cesium in (Th,U)O 2 -kernels are derived in this study. The results have been gained from several fuel element radiation experiments in recent years, which showed extreme variation in regard to burn-up, temperature cycle, neutron flux and operation time. Cs-137 release measurements from single particle kernels were present from all the experiments. Furthermore, annealing tests of AVR-fuel elements were analyzed. Heat-temperatur and heating-time, the fuel element burn-up in the AVR-reactor, as well as the measured Cs-137 inventory of the fuel elements before and after annealing, are included in the investigation as essential parameters. With the aid of the derived diffusion coeffizients and already present data sets the Cs-137 release of fuel elements into a small reactor core is investigated under unrestricted core heat-up. While the released Cs-137 is derived mainly from defective particles at accident temperatures up to 1600 0 C, the main part diffuses through the particle coating at higher accident temperatures. (orig./HP) [de

  18. Yields of some fragments on 235U, 238U and 239Pu fission due to the neutrons of the SBR-1 reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yurova, L.N.; Bushuev, A.V.; Ozerkov, V.N.; Chachin, V.V.; Zvonarev, A.V.; Liforov, Yu.G.; Koleganov, Yu.V.; Miller, V.V.; Gorbatyuk, O.V.

    1979-01-01

    Determined are the values of the yields of fission fragments in spectrum close to that of the neutron fission using the data on yields at fission by thermal neutrons. The relation between the activities of fragments in samples irradiated in the BR-1 center and in the thermal colomn of the same reactor was measured with the help of the Ge(Li). The relative rate of fissions in uranium and plutonium samples in the center or in thermal colomn were measured by track detectors. The comparison of the yields obtained and the data of other authors is being made

  19. Advanced burnup calculation code system in a subcritical state with continuous-energy Monte Carlo code for fusion-fission hybrid reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsunaka, Masayuki; Ohta, Masayuki; Miyamaru, Hiroyuki; Murata, Isao

    2009-01-01

    The fusion-fission (FF) hybrid reactor is a promising energy source that is thought to act as a bridge between the existing fission reactor and the genuine fusion reactor in the future. The burnup calculation system that aims at precise burnup calculations of a subcritical system was developed for the detailed design of the FF hybrid reactor, and the system consists of MCNP, ORIGEN, and postprocess codes. In the present study, the calculation system was substantially modified to improve the calculation accuracy and at the same time the calculation speed as well. The reaction rate estimation can be carried out accurately with the present system that uses track-length (TL) data in the continuous-energy treatment. As for the speed-up of the reaction rate calculation, a new TL data bunching scheme was developed so that only necessary TL data are used as long as the accuracy of the point-wise nuclear data is conserved. With the present system, an example analysis result for our proposed FF hybrid reactor is described, showing that the computation time could really be saved with the same accuracy as before. (author)

  20. Chemical Production using Fission Fragments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dawson, J. K.; Moseley, F.

    1960-01-01

    Some reactor design considerations of the use of fission recoil fragment energy for the production of chemicals of industrial importance have been discussed previously in a paper given at the Second United Nations International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy [A/Conf. 15/P.76]. The present paper summarizes more recent progress made on this topic at AERE, Harwell. The range-energy relationship for fission fragments is discussed in the context of the choice of fuel system for a chemical production reactor, and the experimental observation of a variation of chemical effect along the length of a fission fragment track is described for the irradiation of nitrogen-oxygen mixtures. Recent results are given on the effect of fission fragments on carbon monoxide-hydrogen gas mixtures and on water vapour. No system investigated to date shows any outstanding promise for large-scale chemical production. (author) [fr

  1. Pressure due to fission gases in a fuel element circulating in a reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fonteray, Jean

    1965-01-01

    This document states calculation hypotheses and methods used to assess pressures due to fission gases in a fuel element moving in a reactor channel in the reverse direction with respect to the cooling fluid. The calculation comprises the calculation of the temperature in the fuel rod, of the reduced diffusion coefficient, of the diffused gas fraction, of the pressure. The appendix describes the use of the SPM 076 software: input data, output results, computing time [fr

  2. Euratom innovation in nuclear fission: Community research in reactor systems and fuel cycles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goethem, G. van; Hugon, M.; Bhatnagar, V.; Manolatos, P.; Deffrennes, M.

    2007-01-01

    The following questions are naturally at the heart of the current Euratom research and training framework programme:(1)What are the challenges facing the European Union nuclear fission research community in the short (today), medium (2010) and long term (2040)? (2)What kind of research and technological development (RTD) does Euratom offer to respond to these challenges, in particular in the area of reactor systems and fuel cycles? In the general debate about energy supply technologies there are challenges of both a scientific and technological (S/T) as well as an economic and political (E/P) nature. Though the Community research programme acts mainly on the former, there is nevertheless important links with Community policy. These not only exist in the specific area of nuclear policy, but also more generally as is depicted in the following figure. It is shown in the particular area of nuclear fission, to what extent Euratom research, education and innovation ('Knowledge Triangle' in above figure) respond to the following long-term criteria: (1) sustainability, (2) economics, (3) safety, and (4) proliferation resistance. Research and innovation in nuclear fission technology has broad and extended geographical, disciplinary and time horizons:- the community involved extends to all 25 EU Member States and beyond; - the research assembles a large variety of scientific disciplines; - three generations of nuclear power technologies (called II, III and IV) are involved, with the timescales extending from now to around the year 2040. To each of these three generations, a couple of challenges are associated (six in total):- Generation II (1970-2000, today): security of supply+environmental compatibility; - Generation III (around 2010): enhanced safety and competitiveness (economics); - Generation IV (around 2040): cogeneration of heat and power, and full recycling. At the European Commission (EC), the research related to nuclear reactor systems and fuel cycles is

  3. Growth of optical transmission loss at 850 nm in silica core optical fibers during fission reactor irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shikama, T.; Narui, M.; Sagawa, T.

    1998-01-01

    Pure, OH-doped and F-doped silica core optical fibers were irradiated in a fission reactor at 400±10 K using an electric heater at a reactor power greater than 10 MW (20% of the full power). The temperature was not controlled well at the early stage of the reactor startup, when the temperature was about 320-340 K. The optical fibers were irradiated with a fast neutron (E>1 MeV) flux of 3.2 x 10 17 n/cm 2 s and a gamma dose rate of 3 x 10 3 Gy/s for 527 h. Optical transmission loss at 850 nm was measured in situ during irradiation. A prompt increase in optical transmission loss was observed as irradiation started, which was probably due to dynamic irradiation effects caused by short-lived and transient defects and is probably recoverable when irradiation ceases. After the prompt increase in optical transmission loss, a so-called radiation hardening was observed in fibers containing OH. Radiation hardening was also observed in 900 ppm OH-doped fiber at the second startup. The optical transmission loss increased linearly with irradiation dose, denoted as the accumulated loss, which we believe is due to irradiation-induced long-lived defects. Accumulated loss dominates radiation-induced optical transmission loss in a fission reactor irradiation. (orig.)

  4. Fission energy program of the US Department of Energy, FY 1981

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-03-01

    Information is presented concerning the National Energy Plan and fission energy policy; fission energy program management; converter reactor systems; breeder reactor systems; and special nuclear evaluations and systems

  5. Applications: fission, nuclear reactors. Fission: the various ways for reactors and cycles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bacher, P.

    1997-01-01

    A historical review is presented concerning the various nuclear reactor systems developed in France by the CEA: the UNGG (graphite-gas) system with higher CO 2 pressures, bigger fuel assemblies and powers higher than 500 MW e, allowed by studies on reactor physics, cladding material developments and reactor optimization; the fast neutron reactor system, following the graphite-gas development, led to the Superphenix reactor and important progress in simulation based on experiment and return of experience; and the PWR system, based on the american license, which has been successfully accommodated to the french industry and generates up to 75% of the electric power in France

  6. Fission reactor based epithermal neutron irradiation facilities for routine clinical application in BNCT-Hatanaka memorial lecture

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harling, Otto K.

    2009-01-01

    Based on experience gained in the recent clinical studies at MIT/Harvard, the desirable characteristics of epithermal neutron irradiation facilities for eventual routine clinical BNCT are suggested. A discussion of two approaches to using fission reactors for epithermal neutron BNCT is provided. This is followed by specific suggestions for the performance and features needed for high throughput clinical BNCT. An example of a current state-of-the-art, reactor based facility, suited for routine clinical use is discussed. Some comments are provided on the current status of reactor versus accelerator based epithermal neutron sources for BNCT. This paper concludes with a summary and a few personal observations on BNCT by the author.

  7. Contained fission explosion breeder reactor system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Juhl, N.H.; Marwick, E.F.

    1983-01-01

    A reactor system for producing useful thermal energy and valuable isotopes, such as plutonium-239, uranium-233, and/or tritium, in which a pair of sub-critical masses of fissile and fertile actinide slugs are propelled into an ellipsoidal pressure vessel. The propelled slugs intercept near the center of the chamber where the concurring slugs become a more than prompt configuration thereby producing a fission explosion. Re-useable accelerating mechanisms are provided external of the vessel for propelling the slugs at predetermined time intervals into the vessel. A working fluid of lean molten metal slurry is injected into the chamber prior to each explosion for the attenuation of the explosion's effects, for the protection of the chamber's walls, and for the absorbtion of thermal energy and debris from the explosion. The working fluid is injected into the chamber in a pattern so as not to interfere with the flight paths of the slugs and to maximize the concentration of working fluid near the chamber's center. The heated working fluid is drained from the vessel and is used to perform useful work. Most of the debris from the explosion is collected as precipitate and is used for the manufacture of new slugs

  8. Muon catalyzed fusion - fission reactor driven by a recirculating beam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eliezer, S.; Tajima, T.; Rosenbluth, M.N.

    1986-01-01

    The recent experimentally inferred value of multiplicity of fusion of deuterium and tritium catalyzed by muons has rekindled interest in its application to reactors. Since the main energy expended is in pion (and consequent muon) productions, we try to minimize the pion loss by magnetically confining pions where they are created. Although it appears at this moment not possible to achieve energy gain by pure fusion, it is possible to gain energy by combining catalyzed fusion with fission blankets. We present two new ideas that improve the muon fusion reactor concept. The first idea is to combine the target, the converter of pions into muons, and the synthesizer into one (the synergetic concept). This is accomplished by injecting a tritium or deuterium beam of 1 GeV/nucleon into DT fuel contained in a magnetic mirror. The confined pions slow down and decay into muons, which are confined in the fuel causing little muon loss. The necessary quantity of tritium to keep the reactor viable has been derived. The second idea is that the beam passing through the target is collected for reuse and recirculated, while the strongly interacted portion of the beam is directed to electronuclear blankets. The present concepts are based on known technologies and on known physical processes and data. 29 refs., 6 figs., 4 tabs

  9. 1: the atom. 2: radioactivity. 3: man and radiations. 4: the energy. 5: nuclear energy: fusion and fission. 6: the operation of a nuclear reactor. 7: the nuclear fuel cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    This series of 7 digest booklets present the bases of the nuclear physics and of the nuclear energy: 1 - the atom (structure of matter, chemical elements and isotopes, the four fundamental interactions, nuclear physics); 2 - radioactivity (definition, origins of radioelements, applications of radioactivity); 3 - man and radiations (radiations diversity, biological effects, radioprotection, examples of radiation applications); 4 - energy (energy states, different forms of energy, characteristics); 5 - nuclear energy: fusion and fission (nuclear energy release, thermonuclear fusion, nuclear fission and chain reaction); 6 - operation of a nuclear reactor (nuclear fission, reactor components, reactor types); 7 - nuclear fuel cycle (nuclear fuel preparation, fuel consumption, reprocessing, wastes management). (J.S.)

  10. Fission-product release during accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hunt, C.E.L.; Cox, D.S.

    1991-09-01

    One of the aims when managing a reactor accident is to minimize the release of radioactive fission products. Release is dependent not only on the temperature, but also on the partial pressure of oxygen. Strongly oxidizing atmospheres, such as those that occurred during the Chernobyl accident, released semi-volatile elements like ruthenium, which has volatile oxides. At low temperatures, UO 2 oxidization to U 3 O 8 can result in extensive breakup of the fuel, resulting in the release of non-volatile fission products as aerosols. Under less oxidizing conditions, when hydrogen accumulates from the zirconium-water reaction, the resulting low oxygen partial pressure can significantly reduce these reactions. At TMI-2, only the noble gases and volatile fission products were released in significant quantities. A knowledge of the effect of atmosphere as well as temperature on the release of fission products from damaged reactor cores is therefore a useful, if not necessary, component of information required for accident management

  11. Data sheets of fission product release experiments for light water reactor fuel, (2)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishiwatari, Nasumi; Nagai, Hitoshi; Takeda, Tsuneo; Yamamoto, Katsumune; Nakazaki, Chozaburo.

    1979-07-01

    This is the second data sheets of fission products (FP) release experiments for light water reactor fuel. Results of five FP release experiments from the third to the seventh are presented: results of pre-examinations of UO 2 pellets, photographs of parts of fuel rod assemblies for irradiation and the assemblies, operational conditions of JMTR and OWL-1, variations of radioiodine-131 level in the main loop coolant during experimental periods, and representative results of post-irradiation examinations of respective fuel rods. (author)

  12. Fission reactors and materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frost, B.R.T.

    1981-12-01

    The American-designed boiling water reactor and pressurized water reactor dominate the designs currently in use and under construction worldwide. As in all energy systems, materials problems have appeared during service; these include stress-corrosion of stainless steel pipes and heat exchangers and questions regarding crack behavior in pressure vessels. To obtain the maximum potential energy from our limited uranium supplies is is essential to develop the fast breeder reactor. The materials in these reactors are subjected to higher temperatures and neutron fluxes but lower pressures than in the water reactors. The performance required of the fuel elements is more arduous in the breeder than in water reactors. Extensive materials programs are in progress in test reactors and in large test rigs to ensure that materials will be available to meet these conditions

  13. Fusion-Fission Hybrid for Fissile Fuel Production without Processing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fratoni, M; Moir, R W; Kramer, K J; Latkowski, J F; Meier, W R; Powers, J J

    2012-01-02

    Two scenarios are typically envisioned for thorium fuel cycles: 'open' cycles based on irradiation of {sup 232}Th and fission of {sup 233}U in situ without reprocessing or 'closed' cycles based on irradiation of {sup 232}Th followed by reprocessing, and recycling of {sup 233}U either in situ or in critical fission reactors. This study evaluates a third option based on the possibility of breeding fissile material in a fusion-fission hybrid reactor and burning the same fuel in a critical reactor without any reprocessing or reconditioning. This fuel cycle requires the hybrid and the critical reactor to use the same fuel form. TRISO particles embedded in carbon pebbles were selected as the preferred form of fuel and an inertial laser fusion system featuring a subcritical blanket was combined with critical pebble bed reactors, either gas-cooled or liquid-salt-cooled. The hybrid reactor was modeled based on the earlier, hybrid version of the LLNL Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE1) system, whereas the critical reactors were modeled according to the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) and the Pebble Bed Advanced High Temperature Reactor (PB-AHTR) design. An extensive neutronic analysis was carried out for both the hybrid and the fission reactors in order to track the fuel composition at each stage of the fuel cycle and ultimately determine the plant support ratio, which has been defined as the ratio between the thermal power generated in fission reactors and the fusion power required to breed the fissile fuel burnt in these fission reactors. It was found that the maximum attainable plant support ratio for a thorium fuel cycle that employs neither enrichment nor reprocessing is about 2. This requires tuning the neutron energy towards high energy for breeding and towards thermal energy for burning. A high fuel loading in the pebbles allows a faster spectrum in the hybrid blanket; mixing dummy carbon pebbles with fuel pebbles enables a softer spectrum in

  14. Unit mechanisms of fission gas release: Current understanding and future needs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tonks, Michael; Andersson, David; Devanathan, Ram; Dubourg, Roland; El-Azab, Anter; Freyss, Michel; Iglesias, Fernando; Kulacsy, Katalin; Pastore, Giovanni; Phillpot, Simon R.; Welland, Michael

    2018-06-01

    Gaseous fission product transport and release has a large impact on fuel performance, degrading fuel properties and, once the gas is released into the gap between the fuel and cladding, lowering gap thermal conductivity and increasing gap pressure. While gaseous fission product behavior has been investigated with bulk reactor experiments and simplified analytical models, recent improvements in experimental and modeling approaches at the atomistic and mesoscales are being applied to provide unprecedented understanding of the unit mechanisms that define the fission product behavior. In this article, existing research on the basic mechanisms behind the various stages of fission gas release during normal reactor operation are summarized and critical areas where experimental and simulation work is needed are identified. This basic understanding of the fission gas behavior mechanisms has the potential to revolutionize our ability to predict fission product behavior during reactor operation and to design fuels that have improved fission product retention. In addition, this work can serve as a model on how a coupled experimental and modeling approach can be applied to understand the unit mechanisms behind other critical behaviors in reactor materials.

  15. Study on the calculation method of source term from fission products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Jing; Gong Quan; Qiu Haifeng

    2014-01-01

    As a major part of radioactive nuclides, fission products play an important role in nuclear power plant design. The paper analyzes the calculation model of core activity inventory, the model of fission products releasing from the pellets to RCS, the balance model of fission products in RCS, and then proves them by calculation of the typical pressurized water reactor. The model is proved applicable for calculating fission products of pressurized water reactors. (authors)

  16. Modeling requirements for full-scope reactor simulators of fission-product transport during severe accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellison, P.G.; Monson, P.R.; Mitchell, H.A.

    1990-01-01

    This paper describes in the needs and requirements to properly and efficiently model fission product transport on full scope reactor simulators. Current LWR simulators can be easily adapted to model severe accident phenomena and the transport of radionuclides. Once adapted these simulators can be used as a training tool during operator training exercises for training on severe accident guidelines, for training on containment venting procedures, or as training tool during site wide emergency training exercises

  17. The neutronics studies of a fusion fission hybrid reactor using pressure tube blankets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Youqi; Zu Tiejun; Wu Hongchun; Cao Liangzhi; Yang Chao

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, a fusion fission hybrid reactor used for energy producing is proposed based on the situation of nuclear power in China. The pressurized light water is applied as the coolant. The fuel assemblies are loaded in the pressure tubes with a modular type structure. The neutronics analysis is performed to get the suitable design and prove the feasibility. The energy multiplication and tritium self-sustaining are evaluated. The neutron load is also cared. From different candidates, the PWR spent fuel is selected as the feed fuel. The results show that the hybrid reactor can meet the expected reactor core lifetime of 5 years with 1000 MWe power output. Two ways are discussed including burning the discharged PWR spent fuel and burning the reprocessed plutonium. The energy multiplication is big enough and the tritium can be self-sustaining for both of the two ways. The neutron wall load in the operating time is kept smaller than the one of ITER. The way to use the reprocessed plutonium brings low neutron wall load, but also brings additional difficulties in operating the hybrid reactor. The way to use the discharged spent fuel is proposed to be a better choice currently.

  18. Non Nuclear Testing of Reactor Systems In The Early Flight Fission Test Facilities (EFF-TF)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Dyke, Melissa; Martin, James

    2004-01-01

    The Early Flight Fission-Test Facility (EFF-TF) can assist in the design and development of systems through highly effective non-nuclear testing of nuclear systems when technical issues associated with near-term space fission systems are 'non-nuclear' in nature (e.g. system's nuclear operations are understood). For many systems, thermal simulators can be used to closely mimic fission heat deposition. Axial power profile, radial power profile, and fuel pin thermal conductivity can be matched. In addition to component and subsystem testing, operational and lifetime issues associated with the steady state and transient performance of the integrated reactor module can be investigated. Instrumentation at the EFF-TF allows accurate measurement of temperature, pressure, strain, and bulk core deformation (useful for accurately simulating nuclear behavior). Ongoing research at the EFF-TF is geared towards facilitating research, development, system integration, and system utilization via cooperative efforts with DOE laboratories, industry, universities, and other Nasa centers. This paper describes the current efforts for the latter portion of 2003 and beginning of 2004. (authors)

  19. Fission cross section calculations for 209Bi target nucleus based on fission reaction models in high energy regions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaplan Abdullah

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Implementation of projects of new generation nuclear power plants requires the solving of material science and technological issues in developing of reactor materials. Melts of heavy metals (Pb, Bi and Pb-Bi due to their nuclear and thermophysical properties, are the candidate coolants for fast reactors and accelerator-driven systems (ADS. In this study, α, γ, p, n and 3He induced fission cross section calculations for 209Bi target nucleus at high-energy regions for (α,f, (γ,f, (p,f, (n,f and (3He,f reactions have been investigated using different fission reaction models. Mamdouh Table, Sierk, Rotating Liquid Drop and Fission Path models of theoretical fission barriers of TALYS 1.6 code have been used for the fission cross section calculations. The calculated results have been compared with the experimental data taken from the EXFOR database. TALYS 1.6 Sierk model calculations exhibit generally good agreement with the experimental measurements for all reactions used in this study.

  20. Study of short-lived fission products with the aid of an isotope separator connected to reactor R2-0

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rudstam, G.

    1976-01-01

    This report constitutes a final report on project 74-3289 together with a preliminary report for project 75-3332. These projects have been included in the budget years 1974/75 and 1975/76 as a contribution to the operating costs of reactor R2-0 at Studsvik. The reactor was used for experimental studies on short-lived fission products with OSIRIS isotope-separator equipment. The scientific programme is very broad. It comprises, in the first place, characterisation of fission products (a study of their excitation levels, measurement of decay properties such as half-life and emission of delayed neutrons, determination of neutron energy spectrum, determination of total decay energy, etc.). An important application of this field of research is the determination of decay heat in nuclear fuel. The programme thus comprises research of a fundamental character and applied research. (H.E.G.)

  1. Modelling and simulation the radioactive source-term of fission products in PWR type reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Porfirio, Rogilson Nazare da Silva

    1996-01-01

    The source-term was defined with the purpose the quantify all radioactive nuclides released the nuclear reactor in the case of accidents. Nowadays the source-term is limited to the coolant of the primary circuit of reactors and may be measured or modelled with computer coders such as the TFP developed in this work. The calculational process is based on the linear chain techniques used in the CINDER-2 code. The TFP code considers forms of fission products release from the fuel pellet: Recoil, Knockout and Migration. The release from the gap to the coolant fluid is determined from the ratio between activity measured in the coolant and calculated activity in the gap. Considered the operational data of SURRY-1 reactor, the TFP code was run to obtain the source=term of this reactor. From the measured activities it was verified the reliability level of the model and the employed computational logic. The accuracy of the calculated quantities were compared to the measured data was considered satisfactory. (author)

  2. Unit mechanisms of fission gas release: Current understanding and future needs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tonks, Michael; Andersson, David; Devanathan, Ram; Dubourg, Roland; El-Azab, Anter; Freyss, Michel; Iglesias, Fernando; Kulacsy, Katalin; Pastore, Giovanni; Phillpot, Simon R.; Welland, Michael

    2018-06-01

    Gaseous fission product transport and release has a large impact on fuel performance, degrading fuel and gap properties. While gaseous fission product behavior has been investigated with bulk reactor experiments and simplified analytical models, recent improvements in experimental and modeling approaches at the atomistic and mesoscales are beginning to reveal new understanding of the unit mechanisms that define fission product behavior. Here, existing research on the basic mechanisms of fission gas release during normal reactor operation are summarized and critical areas where work is needed are identified. This basic understanding of the fission gas behavior mechanisms has the potential to revolutionize our ability to predict fission product behavior and to design fuels with improved performance. In addition, this work can serve as a model on how a coupled experimental and modeling approach can be applied to understand the unit mechanisms behind other critical behaviors in reactor materials.

  3. Tritium control and capture in salt-cooled fission and fusion reactors: Status, challenges, and path forward

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forsberg, Charles W.; Lam, Stephen; Carpenter, David M.; Whyte, Dennis G.; Scarlat, Raluca

    2017-01-01

    Three advanced nuclear power systems use liquid salt coolants that generate tritium and thus face the common challenges of containing and capturing tritium to prevent its release to the environment. The Fluoride-salt-cooled High-temperature Reactor (FHR) uses clean fluoride salt coolants and the same graphite-matrix coated-particle fuel as high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. Molten salt reactors (MSRs) dissolve the fuel in a fluoride or chloride salt with release of fission product tritium into the salt. In most FHR and MSR systems, the base-line salts contain lithium where isotopically separated "7Li is proposed to minimize tritium production from neutron interactions with the salt. The Chinese Academy of Science plans to start operation of a 2-MWt molten salt test reactor by 2020. For high-magnetic-field fusion machines, the use of lithium enriched in "6Li is proposed to maximize tritium generation the fuel for a fusion machine. Advances in superconductors that enable higher power densities may require the use of molten lithium salts for fusion blankets and as coolants. Recent technical advances in these three reactor classes have resulted in increased government and private interest and the beginning of a coordinated effort to address the tritium control challenges in 700 °C liquid salt systems. We describe characteristics of salt-cooled fission and fusion machines, the basis for growing interest in these technologies, tritium generation in molten salts, the environment for tritium capture, models for high-temperature tritium transport in salt systems, alternative strategies for tritium control, and ongoing experimental work. Several methods to control tritium appear viable. Finally, limited experimental data is the primary constraint for designing efficient cost-effective methods of tritium control.

  4. Fifty years with nuclear fission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Behrens, J.W.; Carlson, A.D.

    1989-01-01

    The news of the discovery of nucler fission, by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann in Germany, was brought to the United States by Niels Bohr in January 1939. Since its discovery, the United States, and the world for that matter, has never been the same. It therefore seemed appropriate to acknowledge the fiftieth anniversary of its discovery by holding a topical meeting entitled, ''Fifty years with nuclear fission,'' in the United States during the year 1989. The objective of the meeting was to bring together pioneers of the nuclear industry and other scientists and engineers to report on reminiscences of the past and on the more recent developments in fission science and technology. The conference highlighted the early pioneers of the nuclear industry by dedicating a full day (April 26), consisting of two plenary sessions, at the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in Washington, DC. More recent developments in fission science and technology in addition to historical reflections were topics for two full days of sessions (April 27 and 28) at the main sites of the NIST in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The wide range of topics covered by Volume 2 of this topical meeting included plenary invited, and contributed sessions entitled, Nuclear fission -- a prospective; reactors II; fission science II; medical and industrial applications by by-products; reactors and safeguards; general research, instrumentation, and by-products; and fission data, astrophysics, and space applications. The individual papers have been cataloged separately

  5. Description of the blowdown test facility COG program on in-reactor fission product release, transport, and deposition under severe accident conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fehrenbach, P.J.; Wood, J.C.

    1987-06-01

    Loss-of-coolant accidents with additional impairment of emergency cooling would probably result in high fuel temperatures leading to severe fuel damage (SFD) and significant fission product activity would then be transported along the PHTS to the break where a fraction of it would be released and transport under such conditions, there are many interacting and sometimes competing phenomena to consider. Laboratory simulations are being used to provide data on these individual phenomena, such as UO 2 oxidation and Zr-UO 2 interaction, from which mathematical models can be constructed. These are then combined into computer codes to include the interaction effects and assess the overall releases. In addition, in-reactor tests are the only source of data on release and transport of short-lived fission product nuclides, which are important in the consequence analysis of CANDU reactor accidents. Post-test decontamination of an in-reactor test facility also provides a unique opportunity to demonstrate techniques and obtain decontamination data relevant to post-accident rehabilitation of CANDU power reactors. Specialized facilities are required for in-reactor testing because of the extensive release of radioactive fission products and the high temperatures involved (up to 2500 degrees Celsius). To meet this need for the Canadian program, the Blowdown Test Facility (BTF) has been built in the NRU reactor at Chalk River. Between completion of construction in mid-1987 and the first Zircaloy-sheathed fuel test in fiscal year 1987/88, several commissioning tests are being performed. Similarly, extensive development work has been completed to permit application of instrumentation to irradiated fuel elements, and in support of post-test fuel assembly examination. A program of decontamination studies has also been developed to generate information relevant to post-accident decontamination of power reactors. The BTF shared cost test program funded by the COG High Temperature

  6. The wastes of nuclear fission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doubre, H.

    2005-01-01

    In this paper the author presents the problems of the radioactive wastes generated by the nuclear fission. The first part devoted to the fission phenomenon explains the incident neutron energy and the target nuclei role. The second part devoted to the nuclear wastes sources presents the production of wastes upstream of the reactors, in the reactors and why these wastes are dangerous. The third part discusses the radioactive wastes management in France (classification, laws). The last part details the associated research programs: the radionuclides separation, the disposal, the underground storage, the transmutation and the thorium cycle. (A.L.B.)

  7. Ternary fission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wagemans, C.

    1991-01-01

    Since its discovery in 1946, light (charged) particle accompanied fission (ternary fission) has been extensively studied, for spontaneous as well as for induced fission reactions. The reason for this interest was twofold: the ternary particles being emitted in space and time close to the scission point were expected to supply information on the scission point configuration and the ternary fission process was an important source of helium, tritium, and hydrogen production in nuclear reactors, for which data were requested by the nuclear industry. Significant experimental progress has been realized with the advent of high-resolution detectors, powerful multiparameter data acquisition systems, and intense neutron and photon beams. As far as theory is concerned, the trajectory calculations (in which scission point parameters are deduced from the experimental observations) have been very much improved. An attempt was made to explain ternary particle emission in terms of a Plateau-Rayleigh hydrodynamical instability of a relatively long cylindrical neck or cylindrical nucleus. New results have also been obtained on the so-called open-quotes trueclose quotes ternary fission (fission in three about-equal fragments). The spontaneous emission of charged particles has also clearly been demonstrated in recent years. This chapter discusses the main characteristics of ternary fission, theoretical models, light particle emission probabilities, the dependence of the emission probabilities on experimental variables, light particle energy distributions, light particle angular distributions, correlations between light particle accompanied fission observables, open-quotes trueclose quotes ternary fission, and spontaneous emission of heavy ions. 143 refs., 18 figs., 8 tabs

  8. Mirror fusion reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carlson, G.A.; Moir, R.W.

    1978-01-01

    We have carried out conceptual design studies of fusion reactors based on the three current mirror confinement concepts: the standard mirror, the tandem mirror, and the field-reversed mirror. Recent studies of the standard mirror have emphasized its potential as a fusion-fission hybrid reactor, designed to produce fission fuel for fission reactors. We have designed a large commercial hybrid based on standard mirror confinement, and also a small pilot plant hybrid. Tandem mirror designs include a commercial 1000 MWe fusion power plant and a nearer term tandem mirror hybrid. Field-reversed mirror designs include a multicell commercial reactor producing 75 MWe and a single cell pilot plant

  9. 99Tc, Pb and Ru migration around the Oklo natural fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gancarz, A.; Cowan, G.; Curtis, D.; Maeck, W.

    1980-01-01

    This work demonstrates the utility of the Oklo uranium ore deposit and natural fission reactors as a long time scale analogue for man-made radioactive waste repositories. It has been shown that the ores and nearby rocks were open to the loss and gain of 99 Tc, ruthenium, and lead relative to uranium. Identified regions of element deficiencies and those which are correspondingly enriched are separated by less than 10 meters. However, more extensive sampling is required to define the overall extent of the element migration. Element fractionation took place on at least two vastly different time scales; 99 Tc was fractionated from ruthenium within one million years of the end of reactor criticality. Lead-uranium fractionation has been ongoing for most of the two billion years since the ores were formed. Diffusion loss of lead from host uraninite appears to be an important process in the fractionation of lead from uranium

  10. GRSIS program to predict fission gas release and swelling behavior of metallic fast reactor fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Chan Bock; Lee, Byung Ho; Nam, Cheol; Sohn, Dong Seong

    1999-03-01

    A mechanistic model of fission gas release and swelling for the U-(Pu)-Zr metallic fuel in the fast reactor, GRSIS (Gas Release and Swelling in ISotropic fuel matrix) was developed. Fission gas bubbles are assumed to nucleate isotropically from the gas atoms in the metallic fuel matrix since they can nucleate at both the grain boundaries and the phase boundaries which are randomly distributed inside the grain. Bubbles can grow to larger size by gas diffusion and coalition with other bubbles so that they are classified as three classes depending upon their sizes. When bubble swelling reaches the threshold value, bubbles become interconnected each other to make the open channel to the external free space, that is, the open bubbles and then fission gases inside the interconnected open bubbles are released instantaneously. During the irradiation, fission gases are released through the open bubbles. GRSIS model can take into account the fuel gap closure by fuel bubble swelling. When the fuel gap is closed by fuel swelling, the contact pressure between fuel and cladding in relation to the bubble swelling and temperature is calculated. GRSIS model was validated by comparison with the irradiation test results of U-(Pu)-Zr fuels in ANL as well as the parametric studies of the key variable in the model. (author). 13 refs., 1 tab., 22 figs

  11. GRSIS program to predict fission gas release and swelling behavior of metallic fast reactor fuel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Chan Bock; Lee, Byung Ho; Nam, Cheol; Sohn, Dong Seong

    1999-03-01

    A mechanistic model of fission gas release and swelling for the U-(Pu)-Zr metallic fuel in the fast reactor, GRSIS (Gas Release and Swelling in ISotropic fuel matrix) was developed. Fission gas bubbles are assumed to nucleate isotropically from the gas atoms in the metallic fuel matrix since they can nucleate at both the grain boundaries and the phase boundaries which are randomly distributed inside the grain. Bubbles can grow to larger size by gas diffusion and coalition with other bubbles so that they are classified as three classes depending upon their sizes. When bubble swelling reaches the threshold value, bubbles become interconnected each other to make the open channel to the external free space, that is, the open bubbles and then fission gases inside the interconnected open bubbles are released instantaneously. During the irradiation, fission gases are released through the open bubbles. GRSIS model can take into account the fuel gap closure by fuel bubble swelling. When the fuel gap is closed by fuel swelling, the contact pressure between fuel and cladding in relation to the bubble swelling and temperature is calculated. GRSIS model was validated by comparison with the irradiation test results of U-(Pu)-Zr fuels in ANL as well as the parametric studies of the key variable in the model. (author). 13 refs., 1 tab., 22 figs.

  12. Characterization of a facility for the measurement of fission fragment transport effects: experimental determination of the fission rates for fissile and fissionable isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benetti, P.; Raselli, G.L.; Tigliole, A. Borio di; Cagnazzo, M.; Cesana, A.; Mongelli, S.; Terrani, M.

    2002-01-01

    The transfer facility of the LENA laboratory allows the direct neutron irradiation of fissionable material in the D channel of the TRIGA reactor. A test measurement carried out with a ionization chamber and a 239 Pu sample shows the possibility to use this tool for the study of the transport effects of the fission fragment emerging from thin layers of fissile materials. (author)

  13. Advances on fission chamber modelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Filliatre, Philippe; Jammes, Christian; Geslot, Benoit; Veenhof, Rob

    2013-06-01

    In-vessel, online neutron flux measurements are routinely performed in mock-up and material testing reactors by fission chambers. Those measurements have a wide range of applications, including characterization of experimental conditions, reactor monitoring and safety. Depending on the application, detectors may experience a wide range of constraints, of several magnitudes, in term of neutron flux, gamma-ray flux, temperature. Hence, designing a specific fission chamber and measuring chain for a given application is a demanding task. It can be achieved by a combination of experimental feedback and simulating tools, the latter being based on a comprehensive understanding of the underlying physics. A computation route that simulates fission chambers, named CHESTER, is presented. The retrieved quantities of interest are the neutron-induced charge spectrum, the electronic and ionic pulses, the mean current and variance, the power spectrum. It relies on the GARFIELD suite, originally developed for drift chambers, and makes use of the MAGBOLTZ code to assess the drift parameters of electrons within the filling gas, and the SRIM code to evaluate the stopping range of fission products. The effect of the gamma flux is also estimated. Computations made with several fission chambers exemplify the possibilities of the route. A good qualitative agreement is obtained when comparing the results with the experimental data available to date. In a near future, a comprehensive experimental programme will be undertaken to qualify the route using the known neutron sources, mock-up reactors and wide choice of fission chambers, with a stress on the predictiveness of the Campbelling mode. Depending on the results, a refinement of the modelling and an effort on the accuracy of input data are also to be considered. CHESTER will then make it possible to predict the overall sensitivity of a chamber, and to optimize the design for a given application. Another benefit will be to increase the

  14. The Oklo natural nuclear reactors: neutron parameters, age and duration of the reactions, uranium and fission products migrations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruffenach, J.-C.

    1979-09-01

    Mass spectrometry and isotopic dilution technique are used in order to carry out, on various samples from the fossil nuclear reactors at Oklo, Gabon, isotopic and chemical analyses of some particular elements involved in the nuclear reactions: uranium, lead, bismuth, thorium, rare gases (krypton, xenon), rare earths (neodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, dysprosium), ruthenium and palladium. Interpretations of these analyses lead to the determination of many neutron parameters such as the neutron fluence received by the samples, the spectrum index, the conversion coefficient, and also the percentages of fissions due to uranium-238 and plutonium-239 and the total number of fissions relative to uranium. All these results make it possible to determine the age of the nuclear reactions by measuring the amounts of fission rare earths formed, i.e. 1.97 billion years. This study brings some informations to the general problem of radioactive wastes storage in deep geological formations, the storage of uranium, plutonium and many fission products having been carried out naturally, and for about two billion years [fr

  15. Development of Commercial-scale Fission Mo-99 Production System

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Seung-Kon; Lee, Suseung; Hong, Soon-Bog; Jang, Kyung-Duk; Park, Ul Jael; Lee, Jun Sig [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    These days, worldwide {sup 99} Mo supply is not only insufficient but also unstable. Because, most of the main {sup 99}Mo production reactors are more than years old and suffered from frequent and unscheduled shutdown. Therefore, movement to replace old reactors to keep stable supply is now active. Under these conditions, KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) is developing LEU-based fission {sup 99}Mo production process which is connected to the new research reactor (Kijang New Research Reactor, KJRR), which is being constructed in Gijang, Busan, Korea. Historically, the most fission {sup 99}Mo producers have been used highly enriched uranium (HEU) targets so far. However, to reduce the use of HEU in private sector for non-proliferation, {sup 99}Mo producers are forced to convert their HEU-based process to use low enriched uranium (LEU) targets. Economic impact of a target conversion from HEU to LEU is significant. In this study, fission {sup 99}Mo process with non-irradiated LEU targets was presented except separation and purification steps. Pre- and post-irradiation tests of the fission {sup 99}Mo target will be done in 4th quarter of 2016. For the fission Mo production process development, hot experiments with irradiated LEU targets will be done in 4th quarter of 2016. Then, verification of the production process with quality control will be followed until the commercial production of fission {sup 99}Mo scheduled in 2019.

  16. Measurement of prompt fission gamma-ray spectra in fast neutron-induced fission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laborie, J.M.; Belier, G.; Taieb, J.

    2012-01-01

    Knowledge of prompt fission gamma-ray emission has been of major interest in reactor physics for a few years. Since very few experimental spectra were ever published until now, new measurements would be also valuable to improve our understanding of the fission process. An experimental method is currently being developed to measure the prompt fission gamma-ray spectrum from some tens keV up to 10 MeV at least. The mean multiplicity and total energy could be deduced. In this method, the gamma-rays are measured with a bismuth germanate (BGO) detector which has the advantage to present a high P/T ratio and a high efficiency compared to other gamma-ray detectors. The prompt fission neutrons are rejected by the time of flight technique between the BGO detector and a fission trigger given by a fission chamber or a scintillating active target. Energy and efficiency calibration of the BGO detector were carried out up to 10.76 MeV by means of the Al-27(p, gamma) reaction. First prompt fission gamma-ray spectrum measurements performed for the spontaneous fission of Cf-252 and for 1.7 and 15.6 MeV neutron-induced fission of U-238 at the CEA, DAM, DIF Van de Graaff accelerator, will be presented. (authors)

  17. Regulatory simplification of fission product chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Read, J.B.J.; Soffer, L.

    1986-01-01

    The requirements for design provisions intended to limit fission product escape during reactor accidents have been based since 1962 upon a small number of simply-stated assumptions. These assumptions permeate current reactor regulation, but are too simple to deal with the complex processes that can reasonably be expected to occur during real accidents. Potential chemical processes of fission products in severe accidents are compared with existing plant safety features designed to minimize off-site consequences, and the possibility of a new set of simply-stated assumptions to replace the 1982 set is discussed

  18. Neutronic calculation and cross section sensitivity analysis of the Livermore mirror fusion/fission hybrid reactor blanket

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ku, L.P.; Price, W.G. Jr.

    1977-08-01

    The neutronic calculation for the Livermore mirror fusion/fission hybrid reactor blanket was performed using the PPPL cross section library. Significant differences were found in the tritium breeding and plutonium production in comparison to the results of the LLL calculation. The cross section sensitivity study for tritium breeding indicates that the response is sensitive to the cross section of 238 U in the neighborhood of 14 MeV and 1 MeV. The response is also sensitive to the cross sections of iron in the vicinity of 14 MeV near the first wall. Neutron transport in the resonance region is not important in this reactor model

  19. Conceptual design of the blanket and power conversion system for a mirror hybrid fusion-fission reactor. 12-month progress report, July 1, 1975--June 30, 1976

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schultz, K.R.; Baxi, C.B.; Rao, R.

    1976-01-01

    This report presents the conceptual design and preliminary feasibility assessment for the hybrid blanket and power conversion system of the Mirror Hybrid Fusion-Fission Reactor. Existing gas-cooled fission reactor technology is directly applicable to the Mirror Hybrid Reactor. There are a number of aspects of the present conceptual design that require further design and analysis effort. The blanket and power conversion system operating parameters have not been optimized. The method of supporting the blanket modules and the interface between these modules and the primary loop helium ducting will require further design work. The means of support and containment of the primary loop components must be studied. Nevertheless, in general, the conceptual design appears quite feasible

  20. Measurement of MA fission cross sections at YAYOI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ohkawachi, Yasushi; Ohki, Shigeo; Wakabayashi, Toshio [Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp., Oarai, Ibaraki (Japan). Oarai Engineering Center

    1998-03-01

    Fission cross section ratios of minor actinide nuclides (Am-241, Am-243) relative to U-235 in the fast neutron energy region have been measured using a back-to-back (BTB) fission chamber at YAYOI fast neutron source reactor. A small BTB fission chamber was developed to measure the fission cross section ratios in the center of the core at YAYOI reactor. Dependence of the fission cross section ratios on neutron spectra was investigated by changing the position of the detector in the reactor core. The measurement results were compared with the fission cross sections in the JENDL-3.2, ENDF/B-VI and JEF-2.2 libraries. It was found that calculated values of Am-241 using the JENDL-3.2, ENDF/B-VI and JEF-2.2 data are lower by about 15% than the measured value in the center of the core (the neutron average energy is 1.44E+6(eV)). And, good agreement can be seen the measured value and calculated value of Am-243 using the JENDL-3.2 data in the center of the core (the neutron average energy is 1.44E+6)(eV), but calculated values of Am-243 using the ENDF/B-VI and JEF-2.2 data are lower by 11% and 13% than the measured value. (author)

  1. Fusion technology development: role of fusion facility upgrades and fission test reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, P.Y.; Deis, G.A.; Longhurst, G.R.; Miller, L.G.; Schmunk, R.E.

    1983-01-01

    The near term national fusion program is unlikely to follow the aggressive logic of the Fusion Engineering Act of 1980. Faced with level budgets, a large, new fusion facility with an engineering thrust is unlikely in the near future. Within the fusion community the idea of upgrading the existing machines (TFTR, MFTF-B) is being considered to partially mitigate the lack of a design data base to ready the nation to launch an aggressive, mission-oriented fusion program with the goal of power production. This paper examines the cost/benefit issues of using fusion upgrades to develop the technology data base which will be required to support the design and construction of the next generation of fusion machines. The extent of usefulness of the nation's fission test reactors will be examined vis-a-vis the mission of the fusion upgrades. The authors show that while fission neutrons will provide a useful test environment in terms of bulk heating and tritium breeding on a submodule scale, they can play only a supporting role in designing the integrated whole modules and systems to be used in a nuclear fusion machine

  2. Fusion technology development: role of fusion facility upgrades and fission test reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, P.Y.; Deis, G.A.; Miller, L.G.; Longhurst, G.R.; Schmunk, R.E.

    1983-01-01

    The near term national fusion program is unlikely to follow the aggressive logic of the Fusion Engineering Act of 1980. Faced with level budgets, a large, new fusion facility with an engineering thrust is unlikely in the near future. Within the fusion community the idea of upgrading the existing machines (TFTR, MFTF-B) is being considered to partially mitigate the lack of a design data base to ready the nation to launch an aggressive, mission-oriented fusion program with the goal of power production. This paper examines the cost/benefit issues of using fusion upgrades to develop the technology data base which will be required to support the design and construction of the next generation of fusion machines. The extent of usefulness of the nation's fission test reactors will be examined vis-a-vis the mission of the fusion upgrades. We will show that while fission neutrons will provide a useful test environment in terms of bulk heating and tritium breeding on a submodule scale, they can play only a supporting role in designing the integrated whole modules and systems to be used in a nuclear fusion machine

  3. Independent fission yields of Rb and Cs from thermal-neutron-induced fission of 239Pu

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balestrini, S.J.; Forman, L.

    1975-01-01

    The relative independent fission yields of Rb and Cs from thermal-neutron-induced fission of 239 Pu have been measured on line using a mass spectrograph and thermalized neutrons from a burst reactor. Independent yields were derived by normalizing the measurements to products of chain yields and fractional independent yields, estimating the latter from measured cumulative yields of Kr and Xe. Comparing the independent yields with those from 238 U fission, the 239 Pu results show shifts in isotopic yield distribution toward lower mass for both Rb and Cs and also toward the production of more Cs and less Rb when 239 Pu is fissioned

  4. Proton-fission for the accelerator production of Mo-99

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lagunas-Solar, M.C.; Jungerman, J.A.; Castaneda, C.M.

    1993-01-01

    The production of Mo-99 (66.0 h) via de U-238(p,f) Mo-99 fission reaction is proposed as a non-reactor source of this essential precursor of 6.6-h Tc-99m, an isotope of wide use of diagnostic nuclear medicine applications. Measurements of the total excitation function for the U-238(p,f) reaction indicated a maximum and fairly constant cross section of 1.4 barns at > 30 MeV. Combining the advances of high-current (mA) H-accelerators with dual beam (dual target) operation, and assuming a 5% fission yield, estimates of Mo-99 reaches 5 to 14 Ci/h at 1 mA. The proton fission production of Mo-99 appears to more advantageous than the reactor produced via evaporation neutron-induced fission. An accelerator method could allow securing ample supply of Mo-99 independently of the current scarce reactor operation, while also simplifying the associated waste management problems as well as some of the environmental concerns

  5. Proposal to represent neutron absorption by fission products by a single pseudo-fragment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsibulya, A.M.; Kochetkov, A.L.; Kravchenko, I.V.; Nikolaev, M.N.

    1991-01-01

    The concentration of fission products during reactor operation is analyzed. The dependence of a composite fission product capture cross-section as a function of time and on the nature of the A of the fissile nuclide are investigated, and the neutron radiative capture in fission products of a thermal reactor is evaluated. It is concluded that neutron absorption by fission products can be described by pseudo-fragments. (author). 18 refs, 2 figs, 3 tabs

  6. Calculated model of radioactive fission and corrosion product accumulation and distribution in a fast reactor sodium coolant circuit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kizin, V.D.; Konyashov, V.V.

    1987-01-01

    A simple calculation procedure of radioactive products accumulation and distribution in a primary circuit has been developed on the basis of experimental investigations at the BOR-60 reactor. Common knowledge on the impurity products transfer at the liquid-solid and liquid-gas phase boundary is taken. Use is made of the typical in reactor physics relationships for the description of the products transition to the equipment surfaces, of fission products release, metal corrosion and others. Satisfactory agreement of the calculation data with the experimental ones has been obtained. (orig.)

  7. Activation and Radiation Damage Behaviour of Russian Structural Materials for Fusion Reactors in the Fission and Fusion Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blokhin, A.; Demin, N.; Chernov, V.; Leonteva-Smirnova, M.; Potapenko, M.

    2006-01-01

    Various structural low (reduced) activated materials have been proposed as a candidate for the first walls-blankets of fusion reactors. One of the main problems connected with using these materials - to minimise the production of long-lived radionuclides from nuclear transmutations and to provide with good technological and functional properties. The selection of materials and their metallurgical and fabrication technologies for fusion reactor components is influenced by this factor. Accurate prediction of induced radioactivity is necessary for the development of the fusion reactor materials. Low activated V-Ti-Cr alloys and reduced activated ferritic-martensitic steels are a leading candidate material for fusion first wall and blanket applications. At the present time a range of compositions and an impurity level are still being investigated to better understand the sensitive of various functional and activation properties to small compositional variations and impurity level. For the two types of materials mentioned above (V-Ti-Cr alloys and 9-12 % Cr f/m steels) and manufactured in Russia (Russia technologies) the analysis of induced activity, hydrogen and helium-production as well as the accumulation of such elements as C, N, O, P, S, Zn and Sn as a function of irradiation time was performed. Materials '' were irradiated '' by fission (BN-600, BOR-60) and fusion (Russian DEMO-C Reactor Project) typical neutron spectra with neutron fluency up to 10 22 n/cm 2 and the cooling time up to 1000 years. The calculations of the transmutation of elements and the induced radioactivity were carried out using the FISPACT inventory code, and the different activation cross-section libraries like the ACDAM, FENDL-2/A and the decay data library FENDL-2/D. It was shown that the level of impurities controls a long-term behaviour of induced activity and contact dose rate for materials. From this analysis the concentration limits of impurities were obtained. The generation of gas

  8. Natural fission reactors in the Franceville basin, Gabon: A review of the conditions and results of a open-quotes critical eventclose quotes in a geologic system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gauthier-Lafaye, F.; Holliger, P.; Blanc, P.L.

    1996-01-01

    Natural nuclear fission reactors are only known in two uranium deposits in the world, the Oklo and Bangombe deposits of the Franceville basin: Gabon. Since 1982, five new reactor zones have been discovered in these deposits and studied since 1989 in a cooperative European program. New geological, mineralogical, and geochemical studies have been carried out in order to understand the behavior of the actinides and fission products which have been stored in a geological environment for more than 2.0 Ga years. The Franceville basin and the uranium deposits remained geologically stable over a long period of time. Therefore, the sites of Oklo and Bangombe are well preserved. For the reactors, two main periods of actinide and radionuclides migration have been observed: during the criticality, under P-T conditions of 300 bars and 400-500 degrees C, respectively, and during a distention event which affected the Franceville basin 800 to 900 Ma ago and which was responsible for the intrusion of dolerite dikes close to the reactors. New isotopic analyses on uranium dioxides, clays, and phosphates allow us to determine their respective importance for the retention of fission products. The UO 2 matrix appears to be efficient at retaining most actinides and fission products such as REEs, Y, and Zr but not the volatile fission products (Cd, Cs, Xe, and Kr) nor Rb, Sr, and Ba. Some fissiogenic elements such as Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, and Te could have formed metallic and oxide inclusion in the UO 2 matrix which are similar to those observed in artificial spent fuel. Clays and phosphate minerals also appear to have played a role in the retention of fissiogenic REEs and also of Pu. 82 refs., 21 figs., 12 tabs

  9. Dosimetry of fission neutrons in a 1-W reactor, UTR-KINKI

    CERN Document Server

    Endo, S; Yoshitake, Y

    2002-01-01

    The energy spectrum of fission neutrons in the biological irradiation field of the Kinki University reactor, UTR-KINKI, has been determined by a multi-foil activation analysis coupled with artificial neural network techniques and a Au-foil activation method. The mean neutron energy was estimated to be 1.26+-0.05 MeV from the experimentally determined spectrum. Based on this energy value and other information, the neutron dose rate was estimated to be 19.7+-1.4 cGy/hr. Since this dose rate agrees with that measured by a pair of ionizing chambers (21.4 cGy/hr), we conclude that the mean neutron energy could be estimated with reasonable accuracy in the irradiation field of UTR-KINKI. (author)

  10. Investigation of tritium and 233U breeding in a fission-fusion hybrid reactor fuelling with ThO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yildiz, K.; Sahin, S.; Sahin, H. M.; Acir, A.; Yalcin, S.; Altinok, T.; Bayrak, M.; Alkan, M.; Durukan, O.

    2007-01-01

    In the world, thorium reserves are three times more than natural Uranium reserves. It is planned in the near future that nuclear reactors will use thorium as a fuel. Thorium is not a fissile isotope because it doesn't make fission with thermal neutrons so it could be converted to 2 33U isotope which has very high quality fission cross-section with thermal neutrons. 2 33U isotope can be used in present LWRs as an enrichment fuel. In the fusion reactors, tritium is the most important fossil fuel. Because tritium is not natural isotope, it has to be produced in the reactor. The purpose of this work is to investigate the tritium and 2 33U breeding in a fission-fusion hybrid reactor fuelling with ThO 2 for Δt=10 days during a reactor operation period in five years. The neutronic analysis is performed on an experimental hybrid blanket geometry. In the center of the hybrid blanket, there is a line neutron source in a cylindrical cavity, which simulates the fusion plasma chamber where high energy neutrons (14.1 MeV) are produced. The conventional fusion reaction delivers the external neutron source for blankets following, 2 D + 3 T →? 4 He (3.5 MeV) + n (14.1 MeV). (1) The fuel zone made up of natural-ThO 2 fuel and it is cooled with different coolants. In this work, five different moderator materials, which are Li 2 BeF 4 , LiF-NaF-BeF 2 , Li 2 0Sn 8 0, natural Lithium and Li 1 7Pb 8 3, are used as coolants. The radial reflector, called tritium breeding zones, is made of different Lithium compounds and graphite in sandwich structure. In the work, eight different Lithium compounds were used as tritium breeders in the tritium breeding zones, which are Li 3 N, Li 2 O, Li 2 O 2 , Li 2 TiO 3 , Li 4 SiO 3 , Li 2 ZrO 3 , LiBr and LiH. Neutron transport calculations are conducted in spherical geometry with the help of SCALE4.4A SYSTEM by solving the Boltzmann transport equation with code CSAS and XSDRNPM, under consideration of unresolved and resolved resonances, in S 8 -P 3

  11. TMI-2 [Three Mile Island] fission product inventory program: FY-85 status report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langer, S.; Croney, S.T.; Akers, D.W.; Russell, M.L.

    1986-11-01

    This report presents the status of the TMI-2 fission product inventory program through May 1985. The fission product inventory program is an assessment of the location of fission products distributed in the plant as a result of the TMI-2 accident. Included in this report are principal results of samples from the reactor building where most of the mobile fission products (i.e., radiocesium and iodine) are expected to be found. The data are now complete enough for most reactor components; therefore, it is possible to direct the balance of the examination and sampling program to areas and components where it is likely to be most productive. Those areas are the reactor core and the reactor building basement, with emphasis on the currently unsampled portions of the core

  12. Safety device for nuclear fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brownlee, M.L.

    1982-01-01

    A plurality of radially arranged and neutron absorbing baffles are stacked in vertical sets under the fuel core assemblies, and the whole enclosed in a bottle shaped containment vessel. The radially arranged baffles of each set extend vertically, and each set has double the number of baffles as the set above it in the stack. A melt-down of a fuel core assembly drops the fissioning nuclear fuel into the stacked sets of baffles, there, as it passes through, to be progressively divided, redivided and dispersed in smaller and smaller masses between the doubling number of baffles in safe fuel pellet size. Neutron absorbing containment prevents contamination of the environment and together with cooling means stops fissioning of fuel

  13. Fission product release mechanisms and groupings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iglesia, F.C.; Brito, A.C.; Liu, Y.

    1995-01-01

    During CANDU postulated accidents the reactor fuel is estimated to be exposed to a variety of conditions. These conditions are dynamic and, during the course of an accident, the fuel may experience a wide range of temperatures and conditions from highly oxidizing to mildly reducing environments. The exposure of the reactor fuel to these environments and temperatures may affect its stoichiometry and release performance. In this paper a review of the important fission product release mechanisms is presented, the results of three out-of-pile experimental programs are summarized, and fission product release groups, for both oxidizing and reducing conditions are proposed. (author)

  14. New Burnup Calculation System for Fusion-Fission Hybrid System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isao Murata; Shoichi Shido; Masayuki Matsunaka; Keitaro Kondo; Hiroyuki Miyamaru

    2006-01-01

    Investigation of nuclear waste incineration has positively been carried out worldwide from the standpoint of environmental issues. Some candidates such as ADS, FBR are under discussion for possible incineration technology. Fusion reactor is one of such technologies, because it supplies a neutron-rich and volumetric irradiation field, and in addition the energy is higher than nuclear reactor. However, it is still hard to realize fusion reactor right now, as well known. An idea of combination of fusion and fission concepts, so-called fusion-fission hybrid system, was thus proposed for the nuclear waste incineration. Even for a relatively lower plasma condition, neutrons can be well multiplied by fission in the nuclear fuel, tritium is thus bred so as to attain its self-sufficiency, enough energy multiplication is then expected and moreover nuclear waste incineration is possible. In the present study, to realize it as soon as possible with the presently proven technology, i.e., using ITER model with the achieved plasma condition of JT60 in JAEA, Japan, a new calculation system for fusion-fission hybrid reactor including transport by MCNP and burnup by ORIGEN has been developed for the precise prediction of the neutronics performance. The author's group already has such a calculation system developed by them. But it had a problem that the cross section libraries in ORIGEN did not have a cross section library, which is suitable specifically for fusion-fission hybrid reactors. So far, those for FBR were approximately used instead in the analysis. In the present study, exact derivation of the collapsed cross section for ORIGEN has been investigated, which means it is directly evaluated from calculated track length by MCNP and point-wise nuclear data in the evaluated nuclear data file like JENDL-3.3. The system realizes several-cycle calculation one time, each of which consists of MCNP criticality calculation, MCNP fixed source calculation with a 3-dimensional precise

  15. International handling of fissionable material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1975-01-01

    The opinion of the ministry for foreign affairs on international handling of fissionable materials is given. As an introduction a survey is given of the possibilities to produce nuclear weapons from materials used in or produced by power reactors. Principles for international control of fissionable materials are given. International agreements against proliferation of nuclear weapons are surveyed and methods to improve them are proposed. (K.K.)

  16. Design of an Online Fission Gas Monitoring System for Post-irradiation Examination Heating Tests of Coated Fuel Particles for High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dawn Scates

    2010-10-01

    A new Fission Gas Monitoring System (FGMS) has been designed at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) for use of monitoring online fission gas-released during fuel heating tests. The FGMS will be used with the Fuel Accident Condition Simulator (FACS) at the Hot Fuels Examination Facility (HFEF) located at the Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) within the INL campus. Preselected Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) TRISO (Tri-isotropic) fuel compacts will undergo testing to assess the fission product retention characteristics under high temperature accident conditions. The FACS furnace will heat the fuel to temperatures up to 2,000ºC in a helium atmosphere. Released fission products such as Kr and Xe isotopes will be transported downstream to the FGMS where they will accumulate in cryogenically cooledcollection traps and monitored with High Purity Germanium (HPGe) detectors during the heating process. Special INL developed software will be used to monitor the accumulated fission products and will report data in near real-time. These data will then be reported in a form that can be readily available to the INL reporting database. This paper describes the details of the FGMS design, the control and acqusition software, system calibration, and the expected performance of the FGMS. Preliminary online data may be available for presentation at the High Temperature Reactor (HTR) conference.

  17. The effect of the greek research reactor operating schedule on its fission product inventory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Annousis, J.N., Armyriotis, J.S.

    1987-12-01

    A simple method to convert the fission product inventory of the 'Democritos' uous Greek Research Reactor (GRR) corresponding to its continuous operation over a given time interval, into the inventory corresponting to GRR discontinuous but periodic operation of the same total duration, is presented in this paper. Relevant correction factors for 31 radioecologically significant radionuclides of the inventory are given as a function of the number of hours or operation per day, 5 days per week of the GRR, according to its present of possible future operating schedule

  18. The effect of the Greek Research Reactor operating schedule on its fission product inventory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    ANOUSSIS, J.N.; ARMYRIOTIS, J.S.

    1987-12-01

    Full text:A simple method to convert the fission product inventory of ''Demokritos'' Greek Research Reactor(GRR) corresponding to its continuous operation over a given time interval, into the inventory corresponding to GRR discontinuous but periodic operation of the same total duration, is presented in this paper. Relevant correction factors for 31 radioecologically significant radionuclides of the inventory are given as a function of the number of hours of operation per day, 5 days per week of the GRR, according to its present or possible future operating schedule. (author)

  19. A study of fission product transport from failed fuel during N reactor postulated accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hagrman, D.L.

    1989-09-01

    This report presents a study of fission product transport behavior in N Reactor during a severe accident. More detail about fission product behavior than has previously been available is provided and key parameters that control this behavior are identified. The current report is an extension to a previous interum study that has added an aerosol formation model, replaced an older aerosol deposition model with an improved correlation, and incorporated results of a revised analysis of the process tubes. The LACE LA1 and LA3 tests are used to assess the revised model applied to determine aerosol deposition. The study concludes that a cesium iodide aerosol is likely to form near the downstream end of the process tubes. Transport of most of the released cesium and iodine as well as less volatile material depends on the behavior of this aerosol and the behavior is sensitive to several parameters that are not well known. If the environment is very clean and effluent flow is sufficient to support oxidation of the zircaloy and uranium of the process tubes, almost none of the aerosol deposits in the riser. Reduction of the effluent flow or the presence of high concentrations of aerosols of very low volatile material like zirconium, uranium, or their oxides causes deposition of the fission products in the riser piping. 24 refs., 18 figs., 11 tabs

  20. Neutronic analysis for the fission Mo99 production by irradiation of leu targets in TRIGA 14 MW reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dulugeac, S. D.; Mladin, M.; Budriman, A. G.

    2013-01-01

    Molybdenum production can be a solution for the future in the utilization of the Romanian TRIGA, taking into account the international market supply needs. Generally, two different techniques are available for Mo 99 production for use in medical Tc 99 generation.The first one is based on neutron irradiation of molybdenum targets of natural isotopic composition or enriched in Mo 98 . In a second process, Mo 99 is obtained as a result of the neutron induced fission of U 235 according to U 235 (n,f) Mo 99 . The objectives of the paper are related to Mo 99 production as a result of fission. Neutron physics parameters are determined and presented, such as: thermal flux axial distribution for the critical reactor at 10 MW inside the irradiation location; reactivity introduced by three Uranium foil containers; neutron fluxes and fission rates in the Uranium foils; released and deposited power in the Uranium foils; Mo 99 activity in the Uranium foils. (authors)

  1. Transient core characteristics of small molten salt reactor coupling problem between heat transfer/flow and nuclear fission reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamoto, Takahisa; Mitachi, Koshi

    2004-01-01

    This paper performed the transient core analysis of a small Molten Salt Reactor (MSR). The emphasis is that the numerical model employed in this paper takes into account the interaction among fuel salt flow, nuclear reaction and heat transfer. The model consists of two group diffusion equations for fast and thermal neutron fluexs, balance equations for six-group delayed neutron precursors and energy conservation equations for fuel salt and graphite moderator. The results of transient analysis are that (1) fission reaction (heat generation) rate significantly increases soon after step reactivity insertion, e.g., the peak of fission reaction rate achieves about 2.7 times larger than the rated power 350 MW when the reactivity of 0.15% Δk/k 0 is inserted to the rated state, and (2) the self-control performance of the small MSR effectively works under the step reactivity insertion of 0.56% Δk/k 0 , putting the fission reaction rate back on the rated state. (author)

  2. The different facilities of the reactor Phenix for radio isotope production and fission product burner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coulon, P.; Clerc, R.; Tommasi, J.

    1993-01-01

    During the last few years different tests have been made to optimize the blanket of the reactor. Year after year the breeding ratio has lost a part of interest regarding the production and availability of plutonium in the world. A characteristic of a fast reactor is to have important neutron leaks from the core. The spectrum of those neutrons is intermediate, the idea was to find a moderator compatible with sodium and stable in temperature. After different tests we kept as a moderator the calcium hydride and as a samply support, a cluster which is separated from the carrier. At the end we present the model used for thermalized calculations. The scheme is then applied to a heavy nuclide transmutation example (Np237 Pu238) and to fission product transmutation (Tc99). (authors). 9 figs

  3. Study of Xenon-poisoning effect on the research reactor power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khamis, I.; Khattab, K.

    2000-01-01

    The uranium 235 is often used as a fuel to produce the energy in nuclear reactors. Uranium nuclei are fissioned with thermal neutrons and produce energy plus a number of neutrons. A fraction of such fission neutrons is involved in other fission with new nuclei to sustain the fission reactions. The remain fraction of the neutrons is lost from the reactor in two ways: escaped from the reactor, or absorbed with other nuclei that exist in the reactor before or produced from fission. Fission nuclei which absorb neutrons heavily are called p oison , such as Xe 135. Because Xe 135 absorbs neutrons heavily, it reduces the number of neutrons in the reactor. Hence, Xe 135 is studied explicitly in the MNSR reactor, and calculation of its negative reactivity is presented in this research during the operation, equilibrium, and after the shutting down of the reactor. (author)

  4. Diamond as a solid state micro-fission chamber for thermal neutron detection at the VR-1 research reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pomorski, Michal; Mer-Calfati, Christine; Foulon, Francois; Sklenka, Lubomir; Rataj, Jan; Bily, Tomas

    2015-01-01

    Diamond exhibits a combination of properties which makes it attractive for neutron detection in hostile conditions. In the particular case of detection in a nuclear reactor, it is resilient to radiation, exhibits a natural low sensitivity to gamma rays, and its small size (as compared with that of gas ionisation chambers) enables fluency monitoring with a high position resolution. We report here on the use of synthetic CVD diamond as a solid state micro-fission chamber with U-235 converting material for in-core thermal neutron monitoring. Two types of thin diamond detectors were developed for this application. The first type of detector is fabricated using thin diamond membrane obtained by etching low-cost commercially available single crystal CVD intrinsic diamond, so called 'optical grade' material. Starting from a few hundred of micrometre thick samples, the sample is sliced with a laser and then plasma etched down to a few tenths of micrometre. Here we report the result obtained with a 17 μm thick device. The detection surface of this detector is equal to 1 mm 2 . Detectors with surfaces up to 1 cm 2 can be fabricated with this technique. The second type of detector is fabricated by growing successively two thin films of diamond, by the microwave enhanced chemical vapour deposition technique, on HPHT single crystal diamond. A first, a film of boron doped (p+) single crystal diamond, a few microns thick, is deposited. Then a second film of intrinsic diamond with a thickness of a few tens of microns is deposited. This results in a P doped, Intrinsic, Metal structure (PIM) structure in which the intrinsic volume id the active part of the detector. Here we report the results obtained with a 20 μm thick intrinsic whose detection surface is equal to 0.5 mm 2 , with the possibility to enlarge the surface of the detector up to 1 cm 2 . These two types of detector were tested at the VR-1 research reactor at the Czech Technical University in Prague. The

  5. Fission product release from fuel of water-cooled reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strupczewski, A.; Marks, P.; Klisinska, M.

    1997-01-01

    The report contains a review of theoretical models and experimental works of gaseous and volatile fission products from uranium dioxide fuel. The experimental results of activity release at low burnup and the model of fission gas behaviour at initial stage of fuel operational cycle are presented. Empirical models as well as measured results of transient fission products release rate in the temperature up to UO 2 melting point, with consideration of their chemical reactions with fuel and cladding, are collected. The theoretical and experimental data were used for calculations of gaseous and volatile fission products release, especially iodine and caesium, to the gas volume of WWER-1000 and WWER-440 type fuel rods at low and high burnup and their further release from defected rods at the assumed loss-of-coolant accident. (author)

  6. Fission rates measured using high-energy gamma-rays from short half-life fission products in fresh and spent nuclear fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kroehnert, H.

    2011-02-01

    In recent years, higher discharge burn-ups and initial fuel enrichments have led to more and more heterogeneous core configurations in light water reactors (LWRs), especially at the beginning of cycle when fresh fuel assemblies are loaded next to highly burnt ones. As this trend is expected to continue in the future, the Paul Scherrer Institute has, in collaboration with the Swiss Association of Nuclear Utilities, swissnuclear, launched the experimental programme LIFE(at)PROTEUS. The LIFE(at)PROTEUS programme aims to better characterise interfaces between burnt and fresh UO 2 fuel assemblies in modern LWRs. Thereby, a novel experimental database is to be made available for enabling the validation of neutronics calculations of strongly heterogeneous LWR core configurations. During the programme, mixed fresh and highly burnt UO 2 fuel lattices will be investigated in the zero-power research reactor PROTEUS. One of the main types of investigations will be to irradiate the fuel in PROTEUS and measure the resulting fission rate distributions across the interface between fresh and burnt fuel zones. The measurement of fission rates in burnt fuel re-irradiated in a zero-power reactor requires, however, the development of new experimental techniques which are able to discriminate against the high intrinsic activity of the fuel. The principal goal of the present research work has been to develop such a new measurement technique. The selected approach is based on the detection of high-energy gamma-ray lines above the intrinsic background (i.e. above 2200 keV), which are emitted by short-lived fission products freshly created in the fuel. The fission products 88 Kr, 142 La, 138 Cs, 84 Br, 89 Rb, 95 Y, 90m Rb and 90 Rb, with half-lives between 2.6 min and 2.8 h, have been identified as potential candidates. During the present research work, the gamma-ray activity of short-lived fission products has, for the first time, been measured and quantitatively evaluated for re

  7. Fission product release mechanisms and groupings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iglesia, F C; Brito, A C; Liu, Y [Ontario Hydro, Toronto, ON (Canada); and others

    1996-12-31

    During CANDU postulated accidents the reactor fuel is estimated to be exposed to a variety of conditions. These conditions are dynamic and, during the course of an accident, the fuel may experience a wide range of temperatures and conditions from highly oxidizing to mildly reducing environments. The exposure of the reactor fuel to these environments and temperatures may affect its stoichiometry and release performance. In this paper a review of the important fission product release mechanisms is presented, the results of three out-of-pile experimental programs are summarized, and fission product release groups, for both oxidizing and reducing conditions are proposed. (author) 92 refs., 6 tabs.

  8. FORIG: a computer code for calculating radionuclide generation and depletion in fusion and fission reactors. User's manual

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blink, J.A.

    1985-03-01

    In this manual we describe the use of the FORIG computer code to solve isotope-generation and depletion problems in fusion and fission reactors. FORIG runs on a Cray-1 computer and accepts more extensive activation cross sections than ORIGEN2 from which it was adapted. This report is an updated and a combined version of the previous ORIGEN2 and FORIG manuals. 7 refs., 15 figs., 13 tabs

  9. A new technique to measure fission-product diffusion coefficients in UO2 fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hocking, W.H.; Verrall, R.A.; Bushby, S.J.

    1999-01-01

    This paper describes a new out-reactor technique for the measurement of fission-product diffusion rates in UO 2 . The technique accurately simulates in-reactor fission-fragment effects: a thermal diffusion that is due to localized mixing in the fission track, radiation-enhanced diffusion that is due to point-defect creation by fission fragments, and bubble resolution. The technique utilizes heavy-ion accelerators - low energy (40 keV to 1 MeV) for fission-product implantation, high energy (72 MeV) to create fission-fragment damage effects, and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) for measuring the depth profile of the implanted species. Preliminary results are presented from annealing tests (not in the 72 MeV ion flux) at 1465 deg. C and 1650 deg. C at low and high concentrations of fission products. (author)

  10. A Model to Reproduce the Response of the Gaseous Fission Product Monitor (GFPM) in a CANDU{sup R} 6 Reactor (An Estimate of Tramp Uranium Mass in a Candu Core)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mostofian, Sara; Boss, Charles [AECL Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, 2251 Speakman Drive, Mississauga Ontario L5K 1B2 (Canada)

    2008-07-01

    In a Canada Deuterium Uranium (Candu) reactor, the fuel bundles produce gaseous and volatile fission products that are contained within the fuel matrix and the welded zircaloy sheath. Sometimes a fuel sheath can develop a defect and release the fission products into the circulating coolant. To detect fuel defects, a Gaseous Fission Product Monitoring (GFPM) system is provided in Candu reactors. The (GFPM) is a gamma ray spectrometer that measures fission products in the coolant and alerts the operator to the presence of defected fuel through an increase in measured fission product concentration. A background fission product concentration in the coolant also arises from tramp uranium. The sources of the tramp uranium are small quantities of uranium contamination on the surfaces of fuel bundles and traces of uranium on the pressure tubes, arising from the rare defected fuel element that released uranium into the core. This paper presents a dynamic model that reproduces the behaviour of a GFPM in a Candu 6 plant. The model predicts the fission product concentrations in the coolant from the chronic concentration of tramp uranium on the inner surface of the pressure tubes (PT) and the surface of the fuel bundles (FB) taking into account the on-power refuelling system. (authors)

  11. Fission product data for thermal reactors. Final report. Part 2. Users manual for EPRI-CINDER code and data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    England, T.R.; Wilson, W.B.; Stamatelatos, M.G.

    1976-12-01

    A four-group fission-product absorption chain library using ENDF/B-IV decay data and cross sections processed with a typical light water reactor spectrum for a modified version of the original CINDER code has been developed as described in Part 1. CINDER is a general point-depletion and fission product code based on an analytical solution of the equations describing nuclides coupled in any linear sequence of radioactive decays and neutron absorptions. The basic code has been in wide use for a number of years. Previously, the user was required to specify all physical data. This report describes the chain library in detail and a modified version of the basic CINDER code (EPRI-CINDER) that is still compatible with existing libraries

  12. Fission gas measuring technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Hyung Kwon; Kim, Eun Ka; Hwang, Yong Hwa; Lee, Eun Pyo; Chun, Yong Bum; Seo, Ki Seog; Park, Dea Gyu; Chu, Yong Sun; Ahn, Sang Bok.

    1998-02-01

    Safety and economy of nuclear plant are greatly affected by the integrity of nuclear fuels during irradiation reactor core. A series of post-irradiation examination (PIE) including non-destructive and destructive test is to be conducted to evaluate and characterize the nuclear performance. In this report, a principle of the examination equipment to measure and analyse fission gases existing nuclear fuels were described and features of the component and device consisting the fission gas measuring equipment are investigated. (author). 4 refs., 2 tabs., 6 figs

  13. Fission gas measuring technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Hyung Kwon; Kim, Eun Ka; Hwang, Yong Hwa; Lee, Eun Pyo; Chun, Yong Bum; Seo, Ki Seog; Park, Dea Gyu; Chu, Yong Sun; Ahn, Sang Bok

    1998-02-01

    Safety and economy of nuclear plant are greatly affected by the integrity of nuclear fuels during irradiation reactor core. A series of post-irradiation examination (PIE) including non-destructive and destructive test is to be conducted to evaluate and characterize the nuclear performance. In this report, a principle of the examination equipment to measure and analyse fission gases existing nuclear fuels were described and features of the component and device consisting the fission gas measuring equipment are investigated. (author). 4 refs., 2 tabs., 6 figs.

  14. Fission reactor container

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akagawa, Katsuhiko.

    1991-01-01

    Cooling water is sent without using dynamic equipments upon loss of coolants accident in a pressure vessel by improving an arrangement of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. That is, a containing space is formed at the center of a suppression chamber for storing cooling water while being partitioned with each other, in which the pressure vessel is placed. Further, a water reservoir is formed above the pressure vessel. Then a water discharge pipe is connected to the reservoir for submerging the stored water over the pressure vessel upon occurrence of loss of coolants accident. Further, a water injection pipe is disposed between the pressure suppression chamber and the pressure vessel for injecting the cooling water in the pressure suppression chamber to the reactor core of the pressure vessel by the difference of a water head upon loss of coolants accident. With such a constitution, the pressure vessel has high earthquake proofness. Further, upon loss of coolants accident of the pressure vessel, the cooling water in the reservoir is discharged to submerge and cool the pressure vessel efficiently. Further, the reactor core of the pressure vessel can certainly be cooled by the cooling water of the pressure suppression chamber without relying on dynamic equipments. (I.S.)

  15. NEET Enhanced Micro Pocket Fission Detector for High Temperature Reactors - FY15 Status Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Unruh, Troy [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); McGregor, Douglas [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Ugorowski, Phil [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Reichenberger, Michael [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Ito, Takashi [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2015-09-01

    A new project, that is a collaboration between the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), the Kansas State University (KSU), and the French Atomic Energy Agency, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, (CEA), has been initiated by the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET) Advanced Sensors and Instrumentation (ASI) program for developing and testing High Temperature Micro-Pocket Fission Detectors (HT MPFD), which are compact fission chambers capable of simultaneously measuring thermal neutron flux, fast neutron flux and temperature within a single package for temperatures up to 800 °C. The MPFD technology utilizes a small, multi-purpose, robust, in-core parallel plate fission chamber and thermocouple. As discussed within this report, the small size, variable sensitivity, and increased accuracy of the MPFD technology represent a revolutionary improvement over current methods used to support irradiations in US Material Test Reactors (MTRs). Previous research conducted through NEET ASI1-3 has shown that the MPFD technology could be made robust and was successfully tested in a reactor core. This new project will further the MPFD technology for higher temperature regimes and other reactor applications by developing a HT MPFD suitable for temperatures up to 800 °C. This report summarizes the research progress for year one of this three year project. Highlights from research accomplishments include: A joint collaboration was initiated between INL, KSU, and CEA. Note that CEA is participating at their own expense because of interest in this unique new sensor. An updated HT MPFD design was developed. New high temperature-compatible materials for HT MPFD construction were procured. Construction methods to support the new design were evaluated at INL. Laboratory evaluations of HT MPFD were initiated. Electrical contact and fissile material plating has been performed at KSU. Updated detector electronics are undergoing evaluations at KSU. A

  16. Laser solenoid fusion--fission design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steinhauer, L.C.; Taussig, R.T.

    1976-01-01

    The dependence of breeding performance on system engineering parameters is examined for laser solenoid fusion-fission reactors. Reactor performance is found to be relatively insensitive to most of the engineering parameters, and compact designs can be built based on reasonable technologies. Point designs are described for the prototype series of reactors (mid-term technologies) and for second generation systems (advanced technologies). It is concluded that the laser solenoid has a good probability of timely application to fuel breeding needs

  17. Two billion year old natural analogs for nuclear waste disposal: the natural nuclear fission reactors in Gabon (Africa)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gauthier-Lafaye, F.

    2002-01-01

    Two billion years ago, the increase of oxygen in atmosphere and the high 235 U/ 238 U uranium ratio (> 3%) made possible the occurrence of natural nuclear reactors on Earth. These reactors are considered to be a good natural analogue for nuclear waste disposal. Their preservation during such a long period of time is mainly due to the geological stability of the site, the occurrence of clays surrounding the reactors and acting as an impermeable shield, and the occurrence of organic matter that maintained the environment in reducing conditions, favourable for the stability of uraninite. Hydrogeochemical studies and modelling have shown the complexity of the geochemical system at Oklo and Bangombe (Gabon) and the lack of precise data about uranium and fission products retention and migration mechanisms in geological environments. (author)

  18. Method to Reduce Long-lived Fission Products by Nuclear Transmutations with Fast Spectrum Reactors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiba, Satoshi; Wakabayashi, Toshio; Tachi, Yoshiaki; Takaki, Naoyuki; Terashima, Atsunori; Okumura, Shin; Yoshida, Tadashi

    2017-10-24

    Transmutation of long-lived fission products (LLFPs: 79 Se, 93 Zr, 99 Tc, 107 Pd, 129 I, and 135 Cs) into short-lived or non-radioactive nuclides by fast neutron spectrum reactors without isotope separation has been proposed as a solution to the problem of radioactive wastes disposal. Despite investigation of many methods, such transmutation remains technologically difficult. To establish an effective and efficient transmutation system, we propose a novel neutron moderator material, yttrium deuteride (YD 2 ), to soften the neutron spectrum leaking from the reactor core. Neutron energy spectra and effective half-lives of LLFPs, transmutation rates, and support ratios were evaluated with the continuous-energy Monte Carlo code MVP-II/MVP-BURN and the JENDL-4.0 cross section library. With the YD 2 moderator in the radial blanket and shield regions, effective half-lives drastically decreased from 106 to 102 years and the support ratios reached 1.0 for all six LLFPs. This successful development and implementation of a transmutation system for LLFPs without isotope separation contributes to a the ability of fast spectrum reactors to reduce radioactive waste by consuming their own LLFPs.

  19. Conceptual innovations in hybrid reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greenspan, E.; Miley, G.H.

    1980-01-01

    A number of innovations in the conception of fusion-fission hybrid reactors, including the blanket, the fusion driver, the coupling of the fusion and the fission components as well as the application of hybrid reactors are described, and their feasibility assessed

  20. Overview of Fusion-Fission Hybrid Reactor Design Study in China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang Jinhua; Feng Kaiming; Deng Baiquan; Deng, P.Zh.; Zhang Guoshu; Hu Gang; He Kaihui; Wu Yican; Qiu Lijian; Huang Qunying; Xiao Bingjia; Liu Xiaoping; Chen Yixue; Kong, M.H.

    2002-01-01

    The motivation for developing fusion-fission hybrid reactors is discussed in the context of electricity power requirements by 2050 in China. A detailed conceptual design of the Fusion Experimental Breeder (FEB) was developed from 1986-1995. The FEB has a subignited tokamak fusion core with a major radius of 4.0 m, a fusion power of 145 MW, and a fusion energy gain Q of 3. Based on this, an engineering outline design study of the FEB, FEB-E, has been performed. This design study is a transition from conceptual to engineering design in this research. The main results beyond that given in the detailed conceptual design are included in this paper, namely, the design studies of the blanket, divertor, test blanket, and tritium and environment issues. In-depth analyses have been performed to support the design. Studies of related advanced concepts such as the waste transmutation blanket concept and the spherical tokamak core concept are also presented

  1. Experimental verification of the fission chamber gamma signal suppression by the Campbelling mode

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vermeeren, L.; Weber, M. [SCK-CEN, Boeretang 200, B-2400 Mol (Belgium); Oriol, L.; Breaud, S.; Filliatre, P.; Geslot, B.; Jammes, C. [CEA, Centre de Cadarache, F-13109 Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Normand, S.; Lescop, B. [CEA, Centre de Saclay, F-91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex (France)

    2009-07-01

    For the on-line monitoring of high fast neutron fluxes in the presence of a strong thermal neutron component, SCK-CEN and CEA are jointly developing a Fast Neutron Detector System, based on {sup 242}Pu fission chambers as sensors and including dedicated electronics and data processing systems. Irradiation tests in the BR2 reactor of {sup 242}Pu fission chambers operating in current mode showed that in typical MTR (Materials Test Reactors) conditions the fission chamber currents are dominated by the gamma contribution. In order to reduce the gamma contribution to the signal, it was proposed to use the fission chambers in Campbelling mode. An irradiation experiment in the BR2 reactor with a {sup 242}Pu and a {sup 235}U fission chamber, both equipped with a suitable cable for measurements in Campbelling mode, proved the effectiveness of the suppression of the gamma-induced signal component by the Campbelling mode: gamma contribution reduction factors of 26 for the {sup 235}U fission chamber and more than 80 for the {sup 242}Pu fission chamber were obtained. The experimental data also prove that photofission contributions are negligibly small. Consequently, in typical MTR conditions the gamma contribution to the fission chamber Campbelling signal can be neglected. (authors)

  2. Determination of the fission products yields, lanthanide and yttrium, in the fission of 238U with neutrons of fission spectra

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nicoli, I.G.

    1981-06-01

    A radiochemical investigation is performed to measure the cumulative fission product yields of several lantanides and yttrium nuclides in the 238 U by fission neutron spectra. Natural and depleted uranium are irradiated under the same experimental conditions in order to find a way to subtract the contribution of the 235 U fission. 235 U percentage in the natural uranium was 3.5 times higher than in the depleted uranium. Uranium oxides samples are irradiated inside the core of the Argonaut Reactor, at the Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear, and the lantanides and yttrium are chemically separated. The fission products gamma activities were detected, counted and analysed in a system constituted by a high resolution Ge(Li) detector, 4096 multichannel analyser and a PDP-11 computer. Cumulative yields for fission products with half-lives between 1 to 33 hours are measured: 93 Y, 141 La, 142 La, 143 Ce and 149 Nd. The chain total yields are calculated. The cumulative fission yields measured for 93 Y, 141 La, 142 La, 143 Ce and 149 Nd are 4,49%, 4,54%, 4,95%, 4,16% and 1,37% respectively and they are in good agreement with the values found in the literature. (Author) [pt

  3. Investigation of applications for high-power, self-critical fissioning uranium plasma reactors. Final technical report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodgers, R.J.; Latham, T.S.; Krascella, N.L.

    1976-09-01

    Analytical studies were conducted to investigate potentially attractive applications for gaseous nuclear cavity reactors fueled by uranium hexafluoride and its decomposition products at temperatures of 2000 to 6000 K and total pressures of a few hundred atmospheres. Approximate operating conditions and performance levels for a class of nuclear reactors in which fission energy removal is accomplished principally by radiant heat transfer from the high temperature gaseous nuclear fuel to surrounding absorbing media were determined. The results show the radiant energy deposited in the absorbing media may be efficiently utilized in energy conversion system applications which include (1) a primary energy source for high thrust, high specific impulse space propulsion, (2) an energy source for highly efficient generation of electricity, and (3) a source of high intensity photon flux for heating working fluid gases for hydrogen production or MHD power extraction. (Author)

  4. Fission fragment simulation of fusion neutron radiation effects on bulk mechanical properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Konynenburg, R.A.; Mitchell, J.B.; Guinan, M.W.; Stuart, R.N.; Borg, R.J.

    1976-01-01

    This research demonstrates the feasibility of using homogeneously-generated fission fragments to simulate high-fluence fusion neutron damage in niobium tensile specimens. This technique makes it possible to measure radiation effects on bulk mechanical properties at high damage states, using conveniently short irradiation times. The primary knock-on spectrum for a fusion reactor is very similar to that produced by fission fragments, and nearly the same ratio of gas atoms to displaced atoms is produced in niobium. The damage from fission fragments is compared to that from fusion neutrons and fission reactor neutrons in terms of experimentally measured yield strength increase, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations, and calculated damage energies

  5. Fission Fragment Yield Data in Support of Advanced Reactor Technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hecht, Adam [Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2017-11-21

    Within the 3 year POP we propose to continue to test and further develop the fission spectrometers, to do development tests and full data acquisition run at the national laboratory neutron beam facilities, to measure correlated fission fragment yields at low neutron energies with 235 U fission targets, and make these data available to the nuclear community. The spectrometer development will be both on the university based r\\prototype and on the National Laboratory Spectrometer, and measurements will be performed with both. Over the longer time frame of the collaboration, we will take data over a range of low energies, and use other fission targets available to the laboratory. We will gather energy specific fragment distributions and reaction cross sections. We will further develop the data acquisition capabilities to take correlated fission fragment'gamma ray/neurton data, all on an event-by-event basis. This really is an enabling technology.

  6. Proceedings of the Second Fusion-Fission Energy Systems Review Meeting

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1977-11-02

    The agenda of the meeting was developed to address, in turn, the following major areas: specific problem areas in nuclear energy systems for application of fusion-fission concepts; current and proposed fusion-fission programs in response to the identified problem areas; target costs and projected benefits associated with fusion-fission energy systems; and technical problems associated with the development of fusion-fission concepts. The greatest emphasis was placed on the characteristics of and problems, associated with fuel producing fusion-fission hybrid reactors.

  7. Fission-product releases from a PHWR terminal debris bed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brown, M.J.; Bailey, D.G., E-mail: morgan.brown@cnl.ca [Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario (Canada)

    2016-06-15

    During an unmitigated severe accident in a pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) with horizontal fuel channels, the core may disassemble and relocate to the bottom of the calandria vessel. The resulting heterogeneous in-vessel terminal debris bed (TDB) would likely be quenched by any remaining moderator, and some of the decay heat would be conducted through the calandria vessel shell to the surrounding reactor vault or shield tank water. As the moderator boiled off, the solid debris bed would transform into a more homogeneous molten corium pool located between top and bottom crusts. Until recently, the severe accident code MAAP-CANDU assumed that unreleased volatile and semi-volatile fission products remained in the TDB until after calandria vessel failure, due to low diffusivity through the top crust and the lack of gases or steam to flush released fission products from the debris. However, national and international experimental results indicate this assumption is unlikely; instead, high- and medium-volatility fission products would be released from a molten debris pool, and their volatility and transport should be taken into account in TDB modelling. The resulting change in the distribution of fission products within the reactor and containment, and the associated decay heat, can have significant effects upon the progression of the accident and fission-product releases to the environment. This article describes a postulated PHWR severe accident progression to generate a TDB and the effects of fission-product releases from the terminal debris, using the simple release model in the MAAP-CANDU severe accident code. It also provides insights from various experimental programs related to fission-product releases from core debris, and their applicability to the MAAP-CANDU TDB model. (author)

  8. Neutronic performance of a fusion-fission hybrid reactor designed for fuel enrichment for LWRs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yapici, H.; Baltacioglu, E.

    1997-01-01

    In this study, the breeding performance of a fission hybrid reactor was analyzed to provide fissile fuel for Light Water Reactors (LWR) as an alternative to the current methods of gas diffusion and gas centrifuge. LWR fuel rods containing UO 2 or ThO 2 fertile material were located in the fuel zone of the blanket and helium gas or Flibe (Li 2 BeF 4 ) fluid was used as coolant. As a result of the analysis, according to fusion driver (D,T and D,D) and the type of coolant the enrichment of 3%-4% were achieved for operation periods of 12 and 36 months in case of fuel rods containing UO 2 , respectively and for operation periods of 18 and 48 months in case of fuel rods containing ThO 2 , respectively. Depending on the type of fusion driver, coolant and fertile fuel, varying enrichments of between 3% and 8.9% were achieved during operation period of four years

  9. Some applications of fission-based testing capabilities in the development of fusion technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, P.Y.; Deis, G.A.; Longhurst, G.R.; Masson, L.S.; Miller, L.G.; Schmunk, R.E.; Takata, M.L.; Watts, K.D.

    1981-10-01

    The testing of fusion materials and components in fission reactors will be increasingly important in the future due to the near-term lack of fusion engineering test devices, and the long-term high demand for fusion testing when they do become available. Fission testing is capable of filling many gaps in fusion reactor design information, and should be aggressively pursued. EG and G Idaho has investigated the application of fission testing in three areas, which are discussed in this paper. First, work was performed on the irradiation of magnet insulators. This work is continuing with an improved test environment. Second, a study was performed which indicated that a fission-suppressed hybrid blanket module could be effectively tested in a reactor such as the Engineering Test Reactor (ETR), closely reproducing the predicted performance in a fusion environment. Finally, a conceptual design is presented for a fission-based Integrated Test Facility (ITF), which can accommodate entire wall/blanket (FW/B) modules for testing in a nuclear environment, simultaneously satisfying many of the FW/B test requirements. This ITF can provide a cyclic neutron/gamma flux, as well as the necessary module support functions

  10. A standard fission neutron irradiation facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sahasrabudhe, S.G.; Chakraborty, P.P.; Iyer, M.R.; Kirthi, K.N.; Soman, S.D.

    1979-01-01

    A fission neutron irradiation facility (FISNIF) has been set up at the thermal column of the CIRUS reactor at BARC. The spectrum and the flux have been measured using threshold detectors. The paper describes the setting up of the facility, measurement and application. A concentric cylinder containing UO 2 powder sealed inside surrounds the irradiation point of a pneumatic sample transfer system located in the thermal column of the reactor. Samples are loaded in a standard aluminium capsule with cadmium lining and transported pneumatically. A sample transfer time of 1 s can be achieved in the facility. Typical applications of the facility for studying activation of iron and sodium in fission neutrons are also discussed. (Auth.)

  11. Neutron induced fission of 237Np – status, challenges and opportunities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruskov Ivan

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Nowadays, there is an increased interest in a complete study of the neutron-induced fission of 237Np. This is due to the need of accurate and reliable nuclear data for nuclear science and technology. 237Np is generated (and accumulated in the nuclear reactor core during reactor operation. As one of the most abundant long-lived isotopes in spent fuel (“waste”, the incineration of 237Np becomes an important issue. One scenario for burning of 237Np and other radio-toxic minor actinides suggests they are to be mixed into the fuel of future fast-neutron reactors, employing the so-called transmutation and partitioning technology. For testing present fission models, which are at the basis of new generation nuclear reactor developments, highly accurate and detailed neutron-induced nuclear reaction data is needed. However, the EXFOR nuclear database for 237Np on neutron-induced capture cross-section, σγ, and fission cross-section, σf, as well as on the characteristics of capture and fission resonance parameters (Γγ, Γf, σoΓf, fragments mass-energy yield distributions, multiplicities of neutrons vn and γ-rays vγ, has not been updated for decades.

  12. Nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schulze, I.; Gutscher, E.

    1980-01-01

    The core contains a critical mass of UN or U 2 N 3 in the form of a noncritical solution with melted Sn being kept below a N atmosphere. The lining of the reactor core consists of graphite. If fission progresses part of the melted metal solution is removed and cleaned from fission products. The reactor temperatures lie in the range of 300 to 2000 0 C. (Examples and tables). (RW) [de

  13. Consultancy to review and finalize the IAEA publication 'Compendium on the use of fusion/fission hybrids for the utilization and transmutation of actinides and long-lived fission products'. Working material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    In addition to the traditional fission reactor research, fusion R and D activities are becoming of interest also to nuclear fission power development. There is renewed interest in utilizing fusion neutrons, Heavy Liquid Metals, and molten salts for innovative systems (energy production and transmutation). Indeed, for nuclear power development to become sustainable as a long-term energy option, innovative fuel cycle and reactor technologies will have to be developed to solve the problems of resource utilization and long-lived radioactive waste management. In this context Member States clearly expressed the need for comparative assessments of various transmutation reactors. Both the fusion and fission communities are currently investigating the potential of innovative reactor and fuel cycle strategies that include a fusion/fission system. The attention is mainly focused on substantiating the potential advantages of such systems: utilization and transmutation of actinides and long-lived fission products, intrinsic safety features, enhanced proliferation resistance, and fuel breeding capabilities. An important aspect of the ongoing activities is the comparison with the accelerator driven subcritical system (spallation neutron source), which is the other main option for producing excess neutrons. Apart from comparative assessments, knowledge preservation is another subject of interest to the Member States: the goal, applied to fusion/fission systems, is to review the status of, and to produce a 'compendium' of past and present achievements in this area

  14. Diversification of 99Mo/99mTc separation: non–fission reactor production of 99Mo as a strategy for enhancing 99mTc availability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pillai, Maroor R A; Dash, Ashutosh; Knapp, Furn F Russ

    2015-01-01

    This paper discusses the benefits of obtaining (99m)Tc from non-fission reactor-produced low-specific-activity (99)Mo. This scenario is based on establishing a diversified chain of facilities for the distribution of (99m)Tc separated from reactor-produced (99)Mo by (n,γ) activation of natural or enriched Mo. Such facilities have expected lower investments than required for the proposed chain of cyclotrons for the production of (99m)Tc. Facilities can receive and process reactor-irradiated Mo targets then used for extraction of (99m)Tc over a period of 2 wk, with 3 extractions on the same day. Estimates suggest that a center receiving 1.85 TBq (50 Ci) of (99)Mo once every 4 d can provide 1.48-3.33 TBq (40-90 Ci) of (99m)Tc daily. This model can use research reactors operating in the United States to supply current (99)Mo needs by applying natural (nat)Mo targets. (99)Mo production capacity can be enhanced by using (98)Mo-enriched targets. The proposed model reduces the loss of (99)Mo by decay and avoids proliferation as well as waste management issues associated with fission-produced (99)Mo.

  15. Evaluation of transmutation performance of long-lived fission products with a super fast reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, Haoliang; Han, Chiyoung; Oka, Yoshiaki; Ikejiri, Satoshi; Ishiwatari, Yuki

    2009-01-01

    The performance of the Super Fast Reactor for transmutation treatment of long-lived fission products (LLFPs) was evaluated. Two regions with soft neutron spectrum, which is of great benefit to the LLFPs transmutation, can be utilized in the Super Fast Reactor. First is in the blanket assembly due to the ZrH 1.7 layer which can slow down the fast neutrons. Second is in the reflector region of core like other metal-cooled fast reactors. The LLFPs selected of transmutation analysis include 99 Tc, 129 I and 135 Cs discharged from LWR. Their isotopes, such as 127 I, 133 Cs, 134 Cs and 137 Cs were also considered. By loading the isotopes ( 99 Tc or 127 I and 129 I) in the blanket assembly and the reflector region simultaneously, the transmutation rates of 5.36%/GWe·y and 2.79%/GWe.y can be obtained for 99 Tc and 129 I, respectively. The transmuted amounts of 99 Tc and 129 I are equal to the outputs from 11.8 and 6.2 1000MWe-class PWRs. Because of the very low capture cross section of 135 Cs and the effect of other cesium isotopes, 135 Cs was loaded with three rings of assemblies in the reflector region to make the transmuted amount be larger than the yields of two 1000MWe-class PWRs. Based on these results, 99 Tc and 129 I can be transmuted conveniently and higher transmutation performance can be obtained by the Super Fast Reactor. However, the transmutation of 135 Cs is very difficult and the transmuted amount is less than that produced by the Super Fast Reactor. It turns out that the 135 Cs transmutation is a challenge not only for the Super Fast Reactor but also for other commercial fast reactors. (author)

  16. Fuel assembly for FBR type reactor and reactor core thereof

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobayashi, Kaoru.

    1998-01-01

    The present invention provides a fuel assembly to be loaded to a reactor core of a large sized FBR type reactor, in which a coolant density coefficient can be reduced without causing power peaking in the peripheral region of neutron moderators loaded in the reactor core. Namely, the fuel assembly for the FBR type reactor comprises a plurality of fission product-loaded fuel rods and a plurality of fertile material-loaded fuel rods and one or more rods loading neutron moderators. In this case, the plurality of fertile material-loaded fuel rods are disposed to the peripheral region of the neutron moderator-loaded rods. The plurality of fission product-loaded fuel rods are disposed surrounding the peripheral region of the plurality of fertile material-loaded fuel rods. The neutron moderator comprises zirconium hydride, yttrium hydride and calcium hydride. The fission products are mixed oxide fuels. The fertile material comprises depleted uranium or natural uranium. (I.S.)

  17. On fusion and fission breeder reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brandt, B.; Schuurman, W.; Klippel, H.Th.

    1981-02-01

    Fast breeder reactors and fusion reactors are suitable candidates for centralized, long-term energy production, their fuel reserves being practically unlimited. The technology of a durable and economical fusion reactor is still to be developed. Such a development parallel with the fast breeder is valuable by reasons of safety, proliferation, new fuel reserves, and by the very broad potential of the development of the fusion reactor. In order to facilitate a discussion of these aspects, the fusion reactor and the fast breeder reactor were compared in the IIASA-report. Aspects of both reactor systems are compared

  18. Nuclear data for fission reactor core design and safety analysis: Requirements and status of accuracy of nuclear data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rowlands, J.L.

    1984-01-01

    The types of nuclear data required for fission reactor design and safety analysis, and the ways in which the data are represented and approximated for use in reactor calculations, are summarised first. The relative importance of different items of nuclear data in the prediction of reactor parameters is described and ways of investigating the accuracy of these data by evaluating related integral measurements are discussed. The use of sensitivity analysis, together with estimates of the uncertainties in nuclear data and relevant integral measurements, in assessing the accuracy of prediction of reactor parameters is described. The inverse procedure for deciding nuclear data requirements from the target accuracies for prediction of reactor parameters follows on from this. The need for assessments of the uncertainties in nuclear data evaluations and the form of the uncertainty information is discussed. The status of the accuracies of predictions and nuclear data requirements are then summarised. The reactor parameters considered include: (a) Criticality conditions, conversion and burn-up effects. (b) Energy production and deposition, decay heating, irradiation damage, dosimetry and induced radioactivity. (c) Kinetics characteristics and control, including temperature, power and coolant density coefficients, delayed neutrons and control absorbers. (author)

  19. Transport properties of fission product vapors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Im, K.H.; Ahluwalia, R.K.

    1983-07-01

    Kinetic theory of gases is used to calculate the transport properties of fission product vapors in a steam and hydrogen environment. Provided in tabular form is diffusivity of steam and hydrogen, viscosity and thermal conductivity of the gaseous mixture, and diffusivity of cesium iodide, cesium hydroxide, diatomic tellurium and tellurium dioxide. These transport properties are required in determining the thermal-hydraulics of and fission product transport in light water reactors

  20. Target conception for the Munich fission fragment accelerator

    CERN Document Server

    Maier, H J; Gross, M L; Grossmann, R; Kester, O; Thirolf, P

    1999-01-01

    For the new high-flux reactor FRM II, the fission fragment accelerator MAFF is under design. MAFF will supply intense mass-separated radioactive ion beams of very neutron-rich nuclei with energies around the Coulomb barrier. A central part of this accelerator is the ion source with the fission target, which is operated at a neutron flux of 1.5x10 sup 1 sup 4 cm sup - sup 2 s sup - sup 1. The target consists of typically 1 g of sup 2 sup 3 sup 5 U dispersed in a cylindrical graphite matrix, which is encapsulated in a Re container. To enable diffusion and extraction of the fission products, the target has to be maintained at a temperature of up to 2400 deg. C during operation. It has to stand this temperature for at least one reactor cycle of 1250 h. Comprehensive tests are required to study the long-term behaviour of the involved materials at these conditions prior to operation in the reactor. The present paper gives details of the target conception and the projected tests.

  1. Fission gas release of MOX with heterogeneous structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakae, N.; Akiyama, H.; Kamimura, K; Delville, R.; Jutier, F.; Verwerft, M.; Miura, H.; Baba, T.

    2015-01-01

    It is very useful for fuel integrity evaluation to accumulate knowledge base on fuel behavior of uranium and plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel used in light water reactors (LWRs). Fission gas release is one of fuel behaviors which have an impact on fuel integrity evaluation. Fission gas release behavior of MOX fuels having heterogeneous structure is focused in this study. MOX fuel rods with a heterogeneous fuel microstructure were irradiated in Halden reactor (IFA-702) and the BR-3/BR-2 CALLISTO Loop (CHIPS program). The 85 Kr gamma spectrometry measurements were carried out in specific cycles in order to examine the concerned LHR (Linear Heat Rate) for fission gas release in the CHIPS program. The concerned LHR is defined in this paper to be the LHR at which a certain additional fission gas release thermally occurs. Post-irradiation examination was performed to understand the fission gas release behavior in connection with the pellet microstructure. The followings conclusions can be made from this study. First, the concerned LHR for fission gas release is estimated to be in the range of 20-23 kW/m with burnup over 37 GWd/tM. It is moreover guessed that the concerned LHR for fission gas release tends to decrease with increasing burnup. Secondly It is observed that FGR (fission gas release rate) is positively correlated with LHR when the LHR exceeds the concerned value. Thirdly, when burnup dependence of fission gas release is discussed, effective burnup should be taken into account. The effective burnup is defined as the burnup at which the LHR should be exceed the concerned value at the last time during all the irradiation period. And fourthly, it appears that FGR inside Pu spots is higher than outside and that retained (not released) fission gases mainly exist in the fission gas bubbles. Since fission gases in bubbles are considered to be easily released during fuel temperature increase, this information is very important to estimate fission gas release behavior

  2. Energy from nuclear fission()

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ripani, M.

    2015-08-01

    The main features of nuclear fission as physical phenomenon will be revisited, emphasizing its peculiarities with respect to other nuclear reactions. Some basic concepts underlying the operation of nuclear reactors and the main types of reactors will be illustrated, including fast reactors, showing the most important differences among them. The nuclear cycle and radioactive-nuclear-waste production will be also discussed, along with the perspectives offered by next generation nuclear assemblies being proposed. The current situation of nuclear power in the world, its role in reducing carbon emission and the available resources will be briefly illustrated.

  3. Future trends in the assessment of hazards from fission product releases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Beattie, J. R.

    1983-11-15

    In comparing and selecting sites for reactors from the point of view of safety, one considers the remote possibility of an accidental release of moderately large amounts of fission products and its effects in relation to the present and future distribution of population in the neighbourhood. At present, until experience is gained of the reliability and safety of reactors, there is a tendency to site them remotely from centres of industry and population, although for economic reasons there will be a need to site large power reactors more closely to such centres in the future. With, among other objectives, the aim of adopting, in the proper course or time, less restrictive siting criteria, improvements are continually made in the intrinsic safety of reactor system and more sophisticated forms of reactor containment are devised, in order to reduce the possibility and scale of any fission product release. Changes and improvements in reactor systems could affect the nature and proportion of an accidental release of fission products if this should occur in the future. It is appropriate to consider what such a release and its radiobiological effects might be.

  4. Chemistry of fission products for accident analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potter, P.E.

    1985-01-01

    Current knowledge concerning the chemical state of the fission product elements during the development of accidents in water reactor systems is reviewed in this paper. The fission product elements which have been considered are Cs, I, Te, Sr and Ba but aspects of the behavior of Mo, Ru and the lanthanides are also discussed. Some features of the reactions of the various species of these elements with other components of the reactor systems are described. The importance of having an adequate knowledge of thermodynamic data and phase equilibria of relatively simple systems in order to interpret experimental observations on complex multi-component systems is stressed

  5. Diamond as a solid state micro-fission chamber for thermal neutron detection at the VR-1 research reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pomorski, Michal; Mer-Calfati, Christine [CEA-LIST, Diamond Sensors Laboratory, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Foulon, Francois [CEA, National Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Sklenka, Lubomir; Rataj, Jan; Bily, Tomas [Department of Nuclear Reactors,Faculty of Nuclear Science and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University, V. Holesovickach 2, 180 00 PRAHA 8 (Czech Republic)

    2015-07-01

    Diamond exhibits a combination of properties which makes it attractive for neutron detection in hostile conditions. In the particular case of detection in a nuclear reactor, it is resilient to radiation, exhibits a natural low sensitivity to gamma rays, and its small size (as compared with that of gas ionisation chambers) enables fluency monitoring with a high position resolution. We report here on the use of synthetic CVD diamond as a solid state micro-fission chamber with U-235 converting material for in-core thermal neutron monitoring. Two types of thin diamond detectors were developed for this application. The first type of detector is fabricated using thin diamond membrane obtained by etching low-cost commercially available single crystal CVD intrinsic diamond, so called 'optical grade' material. Starting from a few hundred of micrometre thick samples, the sample is sliced with a laser and then plasma etched down to a few tenths of micrometre. Here we report the result obtained with a 17 μm thick device. The detection surface of this detector is equal to 1 mm{sup 2}. Detectors with surfaces up to 1 cm{sup 2} can be fabricated with this technique. The second type of detector is fabricated by growing successively two thin films of diamond, by the microwave enhanced chemical vapour deposition technique, on HPHT single crystal diamond. A first, a film of boron doped (p+) single crystal diamond, a few microns thick, is deposited. Then a second film of intrinsic diamond with a thickness of a few tens of microns is deposited. This results in a P doped, Intrinsic, Metal structure (PIM) structure in which the intrinsic volume id the active part of the detector. Here we report the results obtained with a 20 μm thick intrinsic whose detection surface is equal to 0.5 mm{sup 2}, with the possibility to enlarge the surface of the detector up to 1 cm{sup 2}. These two types of detector were tested at the VR-1 research reactor at the Czech Technical University in

  6. Conceptual research on reactor core physics for accelerator driven sub-critical reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Zhixiang; Ding Dazhao; Liu Guisheng; Fan Sheng; Shen Qingbiao; Zhang Baocheng; Tian Ye

    2000-01-01

    The main properties of reactor core physics are analysed for accelerator driven sub-critical reactor. These properties include the breeding of fission nuclides, the condition of equilibrium, the accumulation of long-lived radioactive wastes, the effect from poison of fission products, as well as the thermal power output and the energy gain for sub-critical reactor. The comparison between thermal and fast system for main properties are carried out. The properties for a thermal-fast coupled system are also analysed

  7. Fission product data for thermal reactors. Final report. Part I. A data set for EPRI-CINDER using ENDF/B-IV

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    England, T.R.; Wilson, W.B.; Stamatelatos, M.G.

    1976-12-01

    A four-group fission-product neutron absorption library, appropriate for use in thermal reactors, is described. All decay parameters are taken from ENDF/B-IV. The absorption cross sections are also processed from ENDF/B-IV files, first into a 154-group set and subsequently collapsed into the 4-group set described in this report. The decay and cross section data were used to form 84 linear chains in the CINDER code format. These chains contain all significant fission products having half-lives exceeding 4 hours--a total of 186 nuclides. A 12-chain set containing one pseudo-chain for use in spatial depletion calculations is described. This set accurately reproduces the aggregate absorption buildup of the 84 chains. This report describes the chains and processed data, results of comparison calculations for various fuels, and a comparison of calculated temporal fission-product absorption buildup with corresponding results from a long-term fuel irradiation and cooling integral experiment

  8. Mirror fusion reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1978-01-01

    Conceptual design studies were made of fusion reactors based on the three current mirror-confinement concepts: the standard mirror, the tandem mirror, and the field-reversed mirror. Recent studies of the standard mirror have emphasized its potential as a fusion-fission hybrid reactor, designed to produce fuel for fission reactors. We have designed a large commercial hybrid and a small pilot-plant hybrid based on standard mirror confinement. Tandem mirror designs include a commercial 1000-MWe fusion power plant and a nearer term tandem mirror hybrid. Field-reversed mirror designs include a multicell commercial reactor producing 75 MWe and a single-cell pilot plant

  9. Fission rates measured using high-energy gamma-rays from short half-life fission products in fresh and spent nuclear fuel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kroehnert, H.

    2011-02-15

    In recent years, higher discharge burn-ups and initial fuel enrichments have led to more and more heterogeneous core configurations in light water reactors (LWRs), especially at the beginning of cycle when fresh fuel assemblies are loaded next to highly burnt ones. As this trend is expected to continue in the future, the Paul Scherrer Institute has, in collaboration with the Swiss Association of Nuclear Utilities, swissnuclear, launched the experimental programme LIFE(at)PROTEUS. The LIFE(at)PROTEUS programme aims to better characterise interfaces between burnt and fresh UO{sub 2} fuel assemblies in modern LWRs. Thereby, a novel experimental database is to be made available for enabling the validation of neutronics calculations of strongly heterogeneous LWR core configurations. During the programme, mixed fresh and highly burnt UO{sub 2} fuel lattices will be investigated in the zero-power research reactor PROTEUS. One of the main types of investigations will be to irradiate the fuel in PROTEUS and measure the resulting fission rate distributions across the interface between fresh and burnt fuel zones. The measurement of fission rates in burnt fuel re-irradiated in a zero-power reactor requires, however, the development of new experimental techniques which are able to discriminate against the high intrinsic activity of the fuel. The principal goal of the present research work has been to develop such a new measurement technique. The selected approach is based on the detection of high-energy gamma-ray lines above the intrinsic background (i.e. above 2200 keV), which are emitted by short-lived fission products freshly created in the fuel. The fission products {sup 88}Kr, {sup 142}La, {sup 138}Cs, {sup 84}Br, {sup 89}Rb, {sup 95}Y, {sup 90m}Rb and {sup 90}Rb, with half-lives between 2.6 min and 2.8 h, have been identified as potential candidates. During the present research work, the gamma-ray activity of short-lived fission products has, for the first time, been

  10. Simulation of fission products behavior in severe accidents for advanced passive PWR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tong, L.L.; Huang, G.F.; Cao, X.W.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • A fission product analysis model based on thermal hydraulic module is developed. • An assessment method for fission product release and transport is constructed. • Fission products behavior during three modes of containment response is investigated. • Source term results for the three modes of containment response are obtained. - Abstract: Fission product behavior for common Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) has been studied for many years, and some analytical tools have developed. However, studies specifically on the behavior of fission products related to advanced passive PWR is scarce. In the current study, design characteristics of advanced passive PWR influencing fission product behavior are investigated. An integrated fission products analysis model based on a thermal hydraulic module is developed, and the assessment method for fission products release and transport for advanced passive PWR is constructed. Three modes of containment response are simulated, including intact containment, containment bypass and containment overpressure failure. Fission products release from the core and corium, fission products transport and deposition in the Reactor Coolant System (RCS), fission products transport and deposition in the containment considering fission products retention in the in-containment refueling water storage tank (IRWST) and in the secondary side of steam generators (SGs) are simulated. Source term results of intact containment, containment bypass and containment overpressure failure are obtained, which can be utilized to evaluate the radiological consequences

  11. Home brew technetium : clinical scale desktop plasma fusion neutron source to produce Tc99m as an alternative to industrial scale fission reactor sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bosi, S.G.; Khachan, J.; Oborn, B.M.

    2011-01-01

    Full text: Tc-99m (decay product of Mo-99) accounts for ∼ 90% of world's production of radiopharmaceuticals. Recent unexpected shutdowns of two fission reactors and routine maintenance closures .e created a global shortage of Tc-99m, hence the large global effort to find alternative sources. This project aims to design and produce a novel prototype Mo-99/Tc-99m source. An operational desktop neutron source is available at the University of Sydney, employing a deuterium fusion-plasma to create 2.45 MeV neutrons. These neutrons will be used to activate Mo-98 thin an activation vessel. In one embodiment, the activation vessel contains an aqueous slurry or gel containing Mo-98 which converts to 0-99 upon activation. The decay product Tc-99m could then be milked, similar to existing Tc-99m generators. Monte Carlo will be :ed to assess yield versus size and geometry for various vessel designs. The neutron source filled with deuterium operating at 250 W, produces 3 x 106 neutrons continuously. The neutron flux can be increased ∼ 100-fold if the fill gas is 50% tritium and by another ∼ 100-1000-fold by increasing the power. This is being designed for local use, perhaps on the scale f one or a few hospitals, so the yield would not need to be industrial ;ale as with fission reactor sources. This device is low cost <$300 K) compared with cyclotrons and fission reactors.

  12. Lanthanide fission product separation from the transuranics in the integral fast reactor fuel cycle demonstration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goff, K.M.; Mariani, R.D.; Benedict, R.W.; Ackerman, J.P.

    1993-01-01

    The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) is an innovative reactor concept being developed by Argonne National Laboratory. This reactor uses liquid-metal cooling and metallic fuel. Its spent fuel will be reprocessed using a pyrochemical method employing molten salts and liquid metals in an electrofining operation. The lanthanide fission products are a concern during reprocessing because of heating and fuel performance issues, so they must be removed periodically from the system to lessen their impact. The actinides must first be removed form the system before the lanthanides are removed as a waste stream. This operation requires a relatively good lanthanide-actinide separation to minimize both the amount of transuranic material lost in the waste stream and the amount of lanthanides collected when the actinides are first removed. A computer code, PYRO, that models these operations using thermodynamic and empirical data was developed at Argonne and has been used to model the removal of the lanthanides from the electrorefiner after a normal operating campaign. Data from this model are presented. The results demonstrate that greater that 75% of the lanthanides can be separated from the actinides at the end of the first fuel reprocessing campaign using only the electrorefiner vessel

  13. Fission product behaviour in the primary circuit of an HTR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Decken, C.B. von der; Iniotakis, N.

    1981-01-01

    The knowledge of fission product behaviour in the primary circuit of a High Temperature Reactor (HTR) is an essential requirement for the estimations of the availability of the reactor plant in normal operation, of the hazards to personnel during inspection and repair and of the potential danger to the environment from severe accidents. On the basis of the theoretical and experimental results obtained at the ''Institute for Reactor Components'' of the KFA Juelich /1/,/2/ the transport- and deposition behaviour of the fission- and activation products in the primary circuit of the PNP-500 reference plant has been investigated thoroughly. Special work had been done to quantify the uncertainties of the investigations and to calculate or estimate the dose rate level at different components of the primary cooling circuit. The contamination and the dose rate level in the inspection gap in the reactor pressure vessel is discussed in detail. For these investigations in particular the surface structure and the composition of the material, the chemical state of the fission products in the cooling gas, the composition of the cooling gas and the influence of dust on the transport- and deposition behaviour of the fission products have been taken into account. The investigations have been limited to the nuclides Ag-110m; Cs-134 and Cs-137

  14. Feasibility study on fission moly target development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Byung Ku; Kim, Seong Nyun; Shon, Dong Seong; Choi, Chang Beom; Lee, Jae Kuk; Park, Jin Ho; Jeong, Won Myung; Jeon, Kwan Sik; You, Jae Hyung; Kang, Kyung Chul; Ahn, Jong Hwan; Ju, Po Kuk

    1996-01-01

    A multi-purpose research reactor, HANARO has been operated on the beginning of 1995 and can be utilized for production of various radioisotopes. And a R and D program for fission Mo production was established, and the technical and economical feasibility study has been performed for fission Mo production in Korea. In this study the process for fission Mo production was recommended as follows; 1. Target : UO 2 of annulus type. 2. Separation and purification : Nitric acid dissolution → Alumina adsorption → Benzoin oxime precipitation → Alumina adsorption. And more desirable plan for steady supply of fission Mo were suggested in following viewpoints; 1. Technical collaboration with foreign company. 2. Backup supply system. 3. Marketing arrangement. (Author)

  15. World Energy Data System (WENDS). Volume XI. Nuclear fission program summaries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1979-06-01

    Brief management and technical summaries of nuclear fission power programs are presented for nineteen countries. The programs include the following: fuel supply, resource recovery, enrichment, fuel fabrication, light water reactors, heavy water reactors, gas cooled reactors, breeder reactors, research and test reactors, spent fuel processing, waste management, and safety and environment

  16. Okulo natural reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamakawa, Minoru

    1993-01-01

    French CEA has reported in 1972 that natural nuclear reactors existed in Okulo uranium deposit in Gabon in Africa, that caused nuclear fission chain reaction (Okulo phenomena) spontaneously two billion years ago. The fission products and transuranic elements produced by the natural reactors have been preserved in strata without movement while subjected to geological phenomena for such very long years. 16 zones of the natural reactors have been discovered so far. The geological features of the Okulo uranium deposit are explained. The total amount of 235 U lost by the chain reaction was estimated to be about 6t, and the fission products were about 6t. The Okulo phenomena offered the valuable results of the synthetic formation disposal test that the nature has carried out for such long years. The significance of the study on natural analog is discussed. Organic substances and the mechanism of holding and movement of uranium and fission nuclides, the stability of uraninite and the age measurement of the deposit by Nd-Sm process are reported as the main results. (K.I.)

  17. Fission Product Data Measured at Los Alamos for Fission Spectrum and Thermal Neutrons on 239Pu, 235U, 238U

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selby, H.D.; Mac Innes, M.R.; Barr, D.W.; Keksis, A.L.; Meade, R.A.; Burns, C.J.; Chadwick, M.B.; Wallstrom, T.C.

    2010-01-01

    We describe measurements of fission product data at Los Alamos that are important for determining the number of fissions that have occurred when neutrons are incident on plutonium and uranium isotopes. The fission-spectrum measurements were made using a fission chamber designed by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) in the BIG TEN critical assembly, as part of the Inter-laboratory Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) Reaction Rate (ILRR) collaboration. The thermal measurements were made at Los Alamos' Omega West Reactor. A related set of measurements were made of fission-product ratios (so-called R-values) in neutron environments provided by a number of Los Alamos critical assemblies that range from having average energies causing fission of 400-600 keV (BIG TEN and the outer regions of the Flattop-25 assembly) to higher energies (1.4-1.9 MeV) in the Jezebel, and in the central regions of the Flattop-25 and Flattop-Pu, critical assemblies. From these data we determine ratios of fission product yields in different fuel and neutron environments (Q-values) and fission product yields in fission spectrum neutron environments for 99 Mo, 95 Zr, 137 Cs, 140 Ba, 141,143 Ce, and 147 Nd. Modest incident-energy dependence exists for the 147 Nd fission product yield; this is discussed in the context of models for fission that include thermal and dynamical effects. The fission product data agree with measurements by Maeck and other authors using mass-spectrometry methods, and with the ILRR collaboration results that used gamma spectroscopy for quantifying fission products. We note that the measurements also contradict earlier 1950s historical Los Alamos estimates by ∼5-7%, most likely owing to self-shielding corrections not made in the early thermal measurements. Our experimental results provide a confirmation of the England-Rider ENDF/B-VI evaluated fission-spectrum fission product yields that were carried over to the ENDF/B-VII.0 library, except

  18. Proceedings of the specialists' meeting on physics and engineering of fission and spallation, 1989

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakagome, Yoshihiro

    1990-07-01

    The third meeting was held on August 1, and the fourth meeting was held on December 12, 1989. The reports of the international conferences on 50 years research on nuclear fission in Germany and USA, and the reports on the nuclear data of fission-produced nuclei for evaluating reactor decay heat, the atomic mass formula considering proton-neutron interaction and unstable nuclei, research on short life fission fragments by on-line isotope separation process, the reactor physics on waste annihilation disposal and fuel breeding with an accelerator, the double differential cross section of back neutrons in nuclear spallation reaction, measurement of fission cross section and fission neutron spectra with fast neutrons, U-235 fission spectra by unfolding activation foil data and production mechanisms of intermediate mass fragments from hot nuclei-emission of complex and fission fragments for 84 Kr+ 27 Al at 10.6 MeV/u were made. (K.I.)

  19. Anomalies in the Charge Yields of Fission Fragments from the ^{238}U(n,f) Reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, J N; Lebois, M; Qi, L; Amador-Celdran, P; Bleuel, D; Briz, J A; Carroll, R; Catford, W; De Witte, H; Doherty, D T; Eloirdi, R; Georgiev, G; Gottardo, A; Goasduff, A; Hadyńska-Klęk, K; Hauschild, K; Hess, H; Ingeberg, V; Konstantinopoulos, T; Ljungvall, J; Lopez-Martens, A; Lorusso, G; Lozeva, R; Lutter, R; Marini, P; Matea, I; Materna, T; Mathieu, L; Oberstedt, A; Oberstedt, S; Panebianco, S; Podolyák, Zs; Porta, A; Regan, P H; Reiter, P; Rezynkina, K; Rose, S J; Sahin, E; Seidlitz, M; Serot, O; Shearman, R; Siebeck, B; Siem, S; Smith, A G; Tveten, G M; Verney, D; Warr, N; Zeiser, F; Zielinska, M

    2017-06-02

    Fast-neutron-induced fission of ^{238}U at an energy just above the fission threshold is studied with a novel technique which involves the coupling of a high-efficiency γ-ray spectrometer (MINIBALL) to an inverse-kinematics neutron source (LICORNE) to extract charge yields of fission fragments via γ-γ coincidence spectroscopy. Experimental data and fission models are compared and found to be in reasonable agreement for many nuclei; however, significant discrepancies of up to 600% are observed, particularly for isotopes of Sn and Mo. This indicates that these models significantly overestimate the standard 1 fission mode and suggests that spherical shell effects in the nascent fission fragments are less important for low-energy fast-neutron-induced fission than for thermal neutron-induced fission. This has consequences for understanding and modeling the fission process, for experimental nuclear structure studies of the most neutron-rich nuclei, for future energy applications (e.g., Generation IV reactors which use fast-neutron spectra), and for the reactor antineutrino anomaly.

  20. Fluidized-bed nuclear reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grimmett, E.S.; Kunze, J.F.

    1975-01-01

    A reactor vessel containing a fluidized-bed region of particulate material including both a neutron-moderating and a fertile substance is described. A gas flow including fissile material passes through the vessel at a sufficient rate to fluidize the particulate material and at a sufficient density to support a thermal fission reaction within the fluidized-bed region. The high-temperature portion of a heat transfer system is located within the fluidized-bed region of the reactor vessel in direct contact with the fluidized particles. Heat released by fission is thereby transferred at an enhanced rate to a coolant circulating within the heat transfer system. Fission products are continuously removed from the gas flow and supplemental fissile material added during the reactor operation. (U.S.)

  1. Transport and release of fission products during nuclear reactor accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, K.W.; Kuhlman, M.R.; Gieseke, J.A.

    1984-01-01

    This study represents the identification and formulation of a systematic, mechanistic approach to estimating source terms and the implementation of this approach through calculations of fission products release to the environment for a large PWR reactor under a selected set of accident conditions. The development and improvement of calculational procedures is an evolutionary process and in the long term must be verified through experimental studies. It is anticipated that as additional information is obtained the accuracy of predictions can be improved and uncertainties reduced. Transport and deposition of radionuclides were found to be quite dependent on the accident sequences and the corresponding thremal hydraulic conditions. Reduced temperatures led to increased deposition of vapor species, and reduced flow rates to increased aerosol deposition. It is to be recognized that the estimates of release fractions are subject to uncertainties in the data and computer models employed in the calculations and are expected to have been influenced by assumptions regarding plant geometry, thermal hydraulics, deposition mechanisms, and sequence events. The effects of these assumptions will be investigated as this study continues. (Author)

  2. Steady-state and transient fission gas release and swelling model for LIFE-4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Villalobos, A.; Liu, Y.Y.; Rest, J.

    1984-06-01

    The fuel-pin modeling code LIFE-4 and the mechanistic fission gas behavior model FASTGRASS have been coupled and verified against gas release data from mixed-oxide fuels which were transient tested in the TREAT reactor. Design of the interface between LIFE-4 and FASTGRASS is based on an earlier coupling between an LWR version of LIFE and the GRASS-SST code. Fission gas behavior can significantly affect steady-state and transient fuel performance. FASTGRASS treats fission gas release and swelling in an internally consistent manner and simultaneously includes all major mechanisms thought to influence fission gas behavior. The FASTGRASS steady-state and transient analysis has evolved through comparisons of code predictions with fission-gas release and swelling data from both in- and ex-reactor experiments. FASTGRASS was chosen over other fission-gas behavior models because of its availability, its compatibility with the LIFE-4 calculational framework, and its predictive capability

  3. Determination of procedures for transmutation of fission product wastes by fusion neutrons. Volume 2. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lang, G.P.

    1980-12-01

    This study is concerned with the engineering aspects of the transmutation of fission products utilizing neutrons generated in fusion reactors. It is assumed that fusion reactors, although not yet developed, will be available around the turn of the century. Therefore, early studies of this type are appropriate as a guide to the large amount of further investigations that will be needed to fully evaluate this concept. Not all of the radioactive products from light water reactors can be economically transmuted, but it appears that the most hazardous can. This requires that fission-product wastes must first be separated into a number of fractions, and in some instances this must be accomplished with extremely high separation factors. A review of current commercial separation processes and of promising methods that are now in the laboratory stage indicate that the necessary processes can most likely be developed but will require an active and sustained development program. Current fusion reactor concepts were examined as to their suitability for transmuting the separated fission wastes. It was concluded that the long-lived fission products were most amenable to transmutation. The medium-lived fission products, Cs-137 and Sr-90, require higher neutron fluxes than are available in the most developed fusion reactor concepts. Concepts which are less developed may eventually be adaptable as transmuters of these fission products

  4. Preliminary assessment of a symbiotic fusion--fission power system using the TH/U refresh fuel cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bender, D.J.; Lee, J.D.; Moir, R.W.

    1977-10-01

    Studies of the mirror hybrid reactor by LLL/GA have concluded that the most promising role for this reactor concept is that of a producer of fissile fuel for fission reactors. Studies to date have examined primarily the U/Pu fuel cycle with light-water reactors serving as the consumers of the hybrid-bred fissile fuel; the specific scenarios examined required reprocessing and refabrication of the bred fuel before introduction into the fission reactor. This combination of technologies was chosen to illustrate the manner in which the hybrid reactor concept could serve the needs of, and use the technology of, the fission reactor industry as it now exists (and as it was thought it would evolve). However, the current U.S. Administration has expressed strong concerns about proliferation of nuclear weapons capability and terrorist diversion of weapons-grade nuclear materials. These concerns are based on the projected technology for the light-water reactor/fast breeder reactor using the U/Pu fuel cycle and extensive reprocessing/refabrication. A symbiotic nuclear power generation concept (hybrid fissile producer plus fission burner reactors) is described which eliminates those aspects of the present nuclear fuel cycle that (may) represent significant proliferation/diversion risks. Specifically, the proposed concept incorporates the following features: (1)Th/U 233 fuel cycle, (2) no reprocessing or fabrication of fissile material, and (3) no fissile material in a weapons-grade state

  5. Average cross-sections for /n, p/ reactions on calcium in a fission-type reactor spectrum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bruggeman, A.; Maenhaut, W.; Hoste, J.

    1974-01-01

    The average cross-section in a fission-type reactor spectrum sigmasub(F) was experimentally determined for the reactions 42 Ca/n,p/ 42 K, 43 Ca/n,p/ 43 K and 44 Ca/n,p/ 44 K. Calcium carbonate samples and fast neutron flux monitors were irradiated with and without cadmium shielding in the Thetis reactor (Institute for Nuclear Sciences, Rijksuniversiteit Gent). The potassium activities induced in the calcium carbonate samples were separated and purified by tetraphenylborate precipitation, after which they were measured with a Ge/Li/-detector of calibrated detection efficiency. On the basis of sigmasub(F)=0.64 mb for the reaction 27 Al/n,α/ 24 Na, the average cross-sections were as follows: 42 Ca/n,p/ 42 K: 2.82+-0.07 mb; 43 Ca/n,p/ 43 K: 1.89+-0.05 mb; 44 Ca/n,p/ 44 K: 0.065+-0.003 mb. (T.G.)

  6. Continuous radiochemical analysis of fission products in a nuclear reactor water coolant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moskvin, L.N.; Zakharov, L.K.; Leont'ev, G.G.; Mel'nikov, V.A.; Orlenkov, I.S.; Slutskij, G.K.

    1975-01-01

    Method for continuous radiochemical analysis of I, Cs, Ba, Sr and Ce isotopes in a reactor water heat-transfer agent was developed. A continuous two-dimensional chromatographic process of complex mixtures separation of substances proved to be feasible on several parallel sorbent layers, which moved at constant velocities and separated by stationary intermediate collectors. Tests on model solutions containing I, Ce, Cs and Ba isotopes and on heat-carrier samples showed quantitative separation of elements. The results were indicative of a basic possibility of using multisorbent chromatographs for continuous control of multicomponent mixtures, particularly for control of radioactive fission product compositions in water heat-transfer agents in nuclear power plants. A diagram is shown for a two-dimensional chromatographic separation of a multicomponent mixture. Also shown is a flow chart of an installation for continuous control of iodine and cesium isotope activities

  7. Fission product release assessment for end fitting failure in Candu reactor loaded with CANFLEX-NU fuel bundles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oh, Dirk Joo; Jeong, Chang Joon; Lee, Kang Moon; Suk, Ho Chun [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    1998-12-31

    Fission product release (FPR) assessment for End Fitting Failure (EFF) in CANDU reactor loaded with CANFLEX-natural uranium (NU) fuel bundles has been performed. The predicted results are compared with those for the reactor loaded with standard 37-element bundles. The total channel I-131 release at the end of transient for EFF accident is calculated to be 380.8 TBq and 602.9 TBq for the CANFLEX bundle and standard bundle channel cases, respectively. They are 4.9% and 7.9% of total inventory, respectively. The lower total releases of the CANFLEX bundle O6 channel are attributed to the lower initial fuel temperatures caused by the lower linear element power of the CANFLEX bundle compared with the standard bundle. 4 refs., 1 fig., 4 tabs. (Author)

  8. Fission product release assessment for end fitting failure in Candu reactor loaded with CANFLEX-NU fuel bundles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oh, Dirk Joo; Jeong, Chang Joon; Lee, Kang Moon; Suk, Ho Chun [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    1997-12-31

    Fission product release (FPR) assessment for End Fitting Failure (EFF) in CANDU reactor loaded with CANFLEX-natural uranium (NU) fuel bundles has been performed. The predicted results are compared with those for the reactor loaded with standard 37-element bundles. The total channel I-131 release at the end of transient for EFF accident is calculated to be 380.8 TBq and 602.9 TBq for the CANFLEX bundle and standard bundle channel cases, respectively. They are 4.9% and 7.9% of total inventory, respectively. The lower total releases of the CANFLEX bundle O6 channel are attributed to the lower initial fuel temperatures caused by the lower linear element power of the CANFLEX bundle compared with the standard bundle. 4 refs., 1 fig., 4 tabs. (Author)

  9. World Energy Data System (WENDS). Volume XI. Nuclear fission program summaries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1979-06-01

    Brief management and technical summaries of nuclear fission power programs are presented for nineteen countries. The programs include the following: fuel supply, resource recovery, enrichment, fuel fabrication, light water reactors, heavy water reactors, gas cooled reactors, breeder reactors, research and test reactors, spent fuel processing, waste management, and safety and environment. (JWR)

  10. Conceptual design of the blanket and power conversion system for a mirror hybrid fusion-fission reactor. Addendum 1. Alternate concepts. 12-month progress report addendum, July 1, 1975--June 30, 1976

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schultz, K.R.; Dee, J.B.; Backus, G.A.; Culver, D.W.

    1976-01-01

    During the course of the Mirror Hybrid Fusion-Fission Reactor study several alternate concepts were considered for various reactor components. Several of the alternate concepts do appear to exhibit features with potential advantage for use in the mirror hybrid reactor. These are described and should possibly be investigated further in the future

  11. Research Reactors Types and Utilization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdelrazek, I.D.

    2008-01-01

    A nuclear reactor, in gross terms, is a device in which nuclear chain reactions are initiated, controlled, and sustained at a steady rate. The nuclei of fuel heavy atoms (mostly 235 U or 239 Pu), when struck by a slow neutron, may split into two or more smaller nuclei as fission products,releasing energy and neutrons in a process called nuclear fission. These newly-born fast neutrons then undergo several successive collisions with relatively low atomic mass material, the moderator, to become thermalized or slow. Normal water, heavy water, graphite and beryllium are typical moderators. These neutrons then trigger further fissions, and so on. When this nuclear chain reaction is controlled, the energy released can be used to heat water, produce steam and drive a turbine that generates electricity. The fission process, and hence the energy release, are controlled by the insertion (or extraction) of control rods through the reactor. These rods are strongly neutron absorbents, and thus only enough neutrons to sustain the chain reaction are left in the core. The energy released, mostly in the form of heat, should be continuously removed, to protect the core from damage. The most significant use of nuclear reactors is as an energy source for the generation of electrical power and for power in some military ships. This is usually accomplished by methods that involve using heat from the nuclear reaction to power steam turbines. Research reactors are used for radioisotope production and for beam experiments with free neutrons. Historically, the first use of nuclear reactors was the production of weapons grade plutonium for nuclear weapons. Currently all commercial nuclear reactors are based on nuclear fission. Fusion power is an experimental technology based on nuclear fusion instead of fission.

  12. Fission gas release behaviour in MOX fuels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Viswanathan, U.K.; Anantharaman, S.; Sahoo, K.C.

    2002-01-01

    As a part of plutonium recycling programme MOX (U,Pu)O 2 fuels will be used in Indian boiling water reactors (BWR) and pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR). Based on successful test irradiation of MOX fuel in CIRUS reactor, 10 MOX fuel assemblies have been loaded in the BWR of Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS). Some of these MOX fuel assemblies have successfully completed the initial target average burnup of ∼16,000 MWD/T. Enhancing the burnup target of the MOX fuels and increasing loading of MOX fuels in TAPS core will depend on the feedback information generated from the measurement of released fission gases. Fission gas release behaviour has been studied in the experimental MOX fuel elements (UO 2 - 4% PuO 2 ) irradiated in pressurised water loop (PWL) of CIRUS. Eight (8) MOX fuel elements irradiated to an average burnup of ∼16,000 MWD/T have been examined. Some of these fuel elements contained controlled porosity pellets and chamfered pellets. This paper presents the design details of the experimental set up for studying fission gas release behaviour including measurement of gas pressure, void volume and gas composition. The experimental data generated is compared with the prediction of fuel performance modeling codes of PROFESS and GAPCON THERMAL-3. (author)

  13. Local Fission Gas Release and Swelling in Water Reactor Fuel during Slow Power Transients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mogensen, Mogens Bjerg; Walker, C.T.; Ray, I.L.F.

    1985-01-01

    Gas release and fuel swelling caused by a power increase in a water reactor fuel (burn-up 2.7–4.5% FIMA) is described. At a bump terminal level of about 400 W/cm (local value) gas release was 25–40%. The formation of gas bubbles on grain boundaries and their degree of interlinkage are the two...... factors that determine the level of fission gas release during a power bump. Release begins when gas bubbles on grain boundaries start o interlink. This occurred at r/r0 ~ 0.75. Release tunnels were fully developed at r/r0 ~ 0.55 with the result that gas release was 60–70% at this position....

  14. Neutron transport. Physics and calculation of nuclear reactors with applications to pressurized water reactors and fast neutron reactors. 2 ed.

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bussac, J.; Reuss, P.

    1985-01-01

    This book presents the main physical bases of neutron theory and nuclear reactor calculation. 1) Interactions of neutrons with matter and basic principles of neutron transport; 2) Neutron transport in homogeneous medium and the neutron field: kinetic behaviour, slowing-down, resonance absorption, diffusion equation, processing methods; 3) Theory of a reactor constituted with homogeneous zones: critical condition, kinetics, separation of variables, calculation and neutron balance of the fundamental mode, one-group and multigroup theories; 4) Study of heterogeneous cell lattices: fast fission factor, resonance absorption, thermal output factor, diffusion coefficient, computer codes; 5) Operation and control of reactors: perturbation theory, reactivity, fuel properties evolution, poisoning by fission products, calculation of a reactor and fuel management; 6) Study of some types of reactors: PWR and fast breeder reactors, the main reactor types of the present French program [fr

  15. Fission 99Mo production technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miao Zengxing; Luo Zhifu; Ma Huimin; Liang Yufu; Yu Ningwen

    2003-01-01

    This paper describes a production technology of fission 99 Mo in the Department Isotope, CIAE. The irradiation target is tubular U-Al alloy containing highly enriched uranium. The target is irradiated in the swimming pool reactor core. The neutron flux is about 4x10 13 /cm 2 .sec. The production scale is 3.7-7.4 TBq (100-200Ci) of fission 99 Mo per batch. Total recovery of 99 Mo is more than 70%. The production practice proves that the process and equipment are safe and reliable. (author)

  16. Preliminary results of the BTF-104 experiment: an in-reactor test of fuel behaviour and fission-product release and transport under LOCA/LOECC conditions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dickson, L W; Elder, P H; Devaal, J W; Irish, J D; Yamazaki, A R [Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Chalk River, ON (Canada)

    1996-12-31

    The BTF-104 experiment is one of a series of in-reactor tests being performed to measure fuel behaviour and fission-product release from nuclear fuel subjected to accident conditions. The primary objective of the BTF-104 experiment was to measure fission-product releases from a CANDU-sized fuel element under combined Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) and Loss-of-Emergency-Core-Cooling (LOECC) conditions at an average fuel temperature of about 1550 deg C. The preliminary results of the BTF-104 experiment are presented in this paper. (author). 6 refs., 12 figs.

  17. Fission energy: The integral fast reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Yoon I.

    1989-01-01

    The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) is an innovative reactor concept being developed at Argonne National Laboratory as a such next- generation reactor concept. The IFR concept has a number of specific technical advantages that collectively address the potential difficulties facing the expansion of nuclear power deployment. In particular, the IFR concept can meet all three fundamental requirements needed in a next-generation reactor as discussed below. This document discusses these requirements

  18. Fission energy: The integral fast reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chang, Yoon I.

    1989-01-01

    The Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) is an innovative reactor concept being developed at Argonne National Laboratory as a such next- generation reactor concept. The IFR concept has a number of specific technical advantages that collectively address the potential difficulties facing the expansion of nuclear power deployment. In particular, the IFR concept can meet all three fundamental requirements needed in a next-generation reactor as discussed below. This document discusses these requirements.

  19. Code Development on Fission Product Behavior under Severe Accident-Validation of Aerosol Sedimentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ha, Kwang Soon; Kim, Sung Il; Jang, Jin Sung; Kim, Dong Ha

    2016-01-01

    The gas and aerosol phases of the radioactive materials move through the reactor coolant systems and containments as loaded on the carrier gas or liquid, such as steam or water. Most radioactive materials might escape in the form of aerosols from a nuclear power plant during a severe reactor accident, and it is very important to predict the behavior of these radioactive aerosols in the reactor cooling system and in the containment building under severe accident conditions. Aerosols are designated as very small solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in a gas phase. The suspended solid or liquid particles typically have a range of sizes of 0.01 m to 20 m. Aerosol concentrations in reactor accident analyses are typically less than 100 g/m3 and usually less than 1 g/m3. When there are continuing sources of aerosol to the gas phase or when there are complicated processes involving engineered safety features, much more complicated size distributions develop. It is not uncommon for aerosols in reactor containments to have bimodal size distributions for at least some significant periods of time early during an accident. Salient features of aerosol physics under reactor accident conditions that will affect the nature of the aerosols are (1) the formation of aerosol particles, (2) growth of aerosol particles, (3) shape of aerosol particles. At KAERI, a fission product module has been developed to predict the behaviors of the radioactive materials in the reactor coolant system under severe accident conditions. The fission product module consists of an estimation of the initial inventories, species release from the core, aerosol generation, gas transport, and aerosol transport. The final outcomes of the fission product module designate the radioactive gas and aerosol distribution in the reactor coolant system. The aerosol sedimentation models in the fission product module were validated using ABCOVE and LACE experiments. There were some discrepancies on the predicted

  20. Code Development on Fission Product Behavior under Severe Accident-Validation of Aerosol Sedimentation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ha, Kwang Soon; Kim, Sung Il; Jang, Jin Sung; Kim, Dong Ha [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-05-15

    The gas and aerosol phases of the radioactive materials move through the reactor coolant systems and containments as loaded on the carrier gas or liquid, such as steam or water. Most radioactive materials might escape in the form of aerosols from a nuclear power plant during a severe reactor accident, and it is very important to predict the behavior of these radioactive aerosols in the reactor cooling system and in the containment building under severe accident conditions. Aerosols are designated as very small solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in a gas phase. The suspended solid or liquid particles typically have a range of sizes of 0.01 m to 20 m. Aerosol concentrations in reactor accident analyses are typically less than 100 g/m3 and usually less than 1 g/m3. When there are continuing sources of aerosol to the gas phase or when there are complicated processes involving engineered safety features, much more complicated size distributions develop. It is not uncommon for aerosols in reactor containments to have bimodal size distributions for at least some significant periods of time early during an accident. Salient features of aerosol physics under reactor accident conditions that will affect the nature of the aerosols are (1) the formation of aerosol particles, (2) growth of aerosol particles, (3) shape of aerosol particles. At KAERI, a fission product module has been developed to predict the behaviors of the radioactive materials in the reactor coolant system under severe accident conditions. The fission product module consists of an estimation of the initial inventories, species release from the core, aerosol generation, gas transport, and aerosol transport. The final outcomes of the fission product module designate the radioactive gas and aerosol distribution in the reactor coolant system. The aerosol sedimentation models in the fission product module were validated using ABCOVE and LACE experiments. There were some discrepancies on the predicted

  1. Migration of fission products in UO2. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prussin, S.G.; Olander, D.R.

    1995-01-01

    Results of an experimental and calculational effort to examine the fundamental mechanisms of fission product migration in and release from polycrystalline uranium dioxide are reported. The experiments were designed to provide diffusion parameters for the representative fission products tellurium, iodine, xenon, molybdenum and ruthenium under both reducing and oxidizing conditions. The calculational effort applied a new model of fission product release from reactor fuel that incorporates grain growth as well as grain boundary and lattice diffusion

  2. Energy for the long run: fission or fusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kulcinski, G.L.; Kessler, G.; Holdren, J.; Haefele, W.

    1979-01-01

    The alternatives of the most likely and controversial long-range energy sources, fusion and fast-breeder fission, are compared in several areas: potential biological and social hazards, costs of research and development, capital costs, technical complexity, and time factors. It is concluded that from biological and social hazards standpoint, fusion is preferable to fast-breeder fission reactors; however, the LMFBR has already passed on the threshold of scientific and engineering feasibility. It is pointed out that LMFBR should not be compared with short-term energy sources, e.g. coal or oil, but should be compared only with other long-term energy sources, e.g. other types of breeder reactors

  3. The chemistry of fission products for accident analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potter, P.E.

    1985-01-01

    Current knowledge concerning the chemical state of the fission product elements during the development of accidents in water reactor systems is reviewed in this paper. The fission products elements which have been considered are Cs, I, Te, Sr and Ba but aspects of the behaviour of Mo, Ru and the lanthanides are also discussed. Some features of the reactions of the various species of these elements with other components of the reactor systems are described. The importance of having an adequate knowledge of thermodynamic data and phase equilibria of relatively simple systems in order to interpret experimental observations on complex multi-component systems is stressed

  4. Electroplating method for producing ultralow-mass fissionable deposits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruddy, F.H.

    1989-01-01

    A method for producing ultralow-mass fissionable deposits for nuclear reactor dosimetry is described, including the steps of holding a radioactive parent until the radioactive parent reaches secular equilibrium with a daughter isotope, chemically separating the daughter from the parent, electroplating the daughter on a suitable substrate, and holding the electroplated daughter until the daughter decays to the fissionable deposit

  5. Fusion--fission hybrid reactors: a capsule introduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holdren, J.P.

    1977-01-01

    A short introduction to fusion-fission hybrid systems is provided touching on (a) basic technological characteristics; (b) potential applications; (c) relevance of environmental considerations in the development rationale for hybrids. References to the more technical literature are supplied

  6. Criticality accident in uranium fuel processing plant. The estimation of the total number of fissions with related reactor physics parameters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishina, Kojiro; Oyamatsu, Kazuhiro; Kondo, Shunsuke; Sekimoto, Hiroshi; Ishitani, Kazuki; Yamane, Yoshihiro; Miyoshi, Yoshinori

    2000-01-01

    This accident occurred when workers were pouring a uranium solution into a precipitation tank with handy operation against the established procedure and both the cylindrical diameter and the total mass exceeded the limited values. As a result, nuclear fission chain reactor in the solution reached not only a 'criticality' state continuing it independently but also an instantly forming criticality state exceed the criticality and increasing further nuclear fission number. The place occurring the accident at this time was not reactor but a place having not to form 'criticality' called by a processing process of uranium fuel. In such place, as because of relating to mechanism of chain reaction, it is required naturally for knowledge on the reactor physics, it is also necessary to understand chemical reaction in chemical process, and functions of tanks, valves and pumps mounted at the processes. For this purpose, some information on uranium concentration ratio, atomic density of nuclides largely affecting to chain reaction such as uranium, hydrogen, and so forth in the solution, shape, inner structure and size of container for the solution, and its temperature and total volume, were necessary for determining criticality volume of the accident uranium solution by using nuclear physics procedures. Here were described on estimation of energy emission in the JCO accident, estimation from analytical results on neutron and solution, calculation of various nuclear physics property estimation on the JCO precipitation tank at JAERI. (G.K.)

  7. Isotopic nuclear reactor with on-line separation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liviu, Popa-Simil

    2007-01-01

    In the new reactor-waste cycle design the nuclear reactor gets features of the living beings - resembling the plants/vegetation -. The separation of waste starts inside the fuel by using the fission reaction to separate the fission products from the fuel. The fuel, which is preferred to be highly isotopic enriched, is fabricated in beads smaller than the fission product range, immersed in a gentle flowing liquid drain. If this liquid is Lead Bismuth (LBE) the fission products will be lighter, while in Sodium-Potassium (NaK) will be heavier, except for gases. This drain liquid will collect both the fission products and the collision damage, drawing them slow to give time to short lives disintegration chains to take place inside the shielded nuclear reactor area outside the reactor core in a separation unit. While the drain liquid with the fission products is outside the reactor core few choices are available: - To solidify the drain liquid freezing all elements inside and transport the metal in cryogenic conditions to a remote separation unit, or to apply a separation partitioning process online stabilizing and packing the fission products only, or a combination of these two. The radioactivity of this drain liquid is smaller than that of the actual used fuel because it represents the accumulation of a very short period (about 1 month or less) and had enough time to cool down all the short lives. The separation unit on-line with the nuclear reactor is composed of a density separation unit, followed by a phase interface concentration unit which moves out of the LBE the fission products as lighter impurities, and an electrochemical separation unit for the fission products. Further, chemical separation, stabilization processes are applied and the fission products are delivered partitioned on groups of chemical compatible products. Finally the specific waste is about 1 Kg/Gw*day, to which the stabilization products have to be added which increases this mass by 10 times

  8. Development of Fission Mo-99 Process for LEU Dispersion Target

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Seung Kon; Lee, Su Seung; Hong, Soon Bog; Jang, Kyung Duk; Park, Ul Jae; Lee, Jun Sig [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-05-15

    KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) is developing LEU-based fission {sup 99}Mo production process which is connected to the new research reactor (Kijang New Research Reactor, KJRR), which is being constructed in Gijang, Busan, Korea. Historically, the most fission {sup 99}Mo producers have been used highly enriched uranium (HEU) targets so far. However, to reduce the use of HEU in private sector for non-proliferation, {sup 99}Mo producers are forced to convert their HEU-based process to use low enriched uranium (LEU) targets. Economic impact of a target conversion from HEU to LEU is significant. Overall cost for the production of the fission {sup 99}Mo increases significantly with the conversion of fission {sup 99}Mo targets from HEU to LEU. It is not only because the yield of LEU is only 50% of HEU, but also because radioactive waste production increases 200%. On the basis, worldwide efforts on the development of {sup 99}Mo production process that is optimized for the LEU target become an important issue. In this study, fission {sup 99}Mo process with non-irradiated LEU targets was presented except separation and purification steps. Pre- and post-irradiation tests of the fission {sup 99}Mo target will be done in 4th quarter of 2016.

  9. Development of Fission Mo-99 Process for LEU Dispersion Target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Seung Kon; Lee, Su Seung; Hong, Soon Bog; Jang, Kyung Duk; Park, Ul Jae; Lee, Jun Sig

    2016-01-01

    KAERI (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) is developing LEU-based fission 99 Mo production process which is connected to the new research reactor (Kijang New Research Reactor, KJRR), which is being constructed in Gijang, Busan, Korea. Historically, the most fission 99 Mo producers have been used highly enriched uranium (HEU) targets so far. However, to reduce the use of HEU in private sector for non-proliferation, 99 Mo producers are forced to convert their HEU-based process to use low enriched uranium (LEU) targets. Economic impact of a target conversion from HEU to LEU is significant. Overall cost for the production of the fission 99 Mo increases significantly with the conversion of fission 99 Mo targets from HEU to LEU. It is not only because the yield of LEU is only 50% of HEU, but also because radioactive waste production increases 200%. On the basis, worldwide efforts on the development of 99 Mo production process that is optimized for the LEU target become an important issue. In this study, fission 99 Mo process with non-irradiated LEU targets was presented except separation and purification steps. Pre- and post-irradiation tests of the fission 99 Mo target will be done in 4th quarter of 2016

  10. Experimental determination of the antineutrino spectrum of the fission products of 238U

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haag, Nils-Holger

    2013-01-01

    Fission of 238 U contributes about 10 % to the antineutrino emission of a pressurized water reactor. In the present thesis, the beta spectrum of the fission products of 238 U was determined in an experiment at the neutron source FRM II. This beta spectrum was subsequently converted into an antineutrino spectrum. This first measurement of the antineutrino spectrum supports all current and future reactor antineutrino experiments.

  11. Experimental Verification of the Fission Chamber Gamma Signal Suppression by the Campbelling Mode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vermeeren, L.; Weber, M.; Oriol, L.; Breaud, S.; Filliatre, P.; Geslot, B.; Jammes, C.; Normand, S.; Lescop, B.

    2011-01-01

    For the on-line monitoring of high fast neutron fluxes in the presence of a strong thermal neutron component, SCK-CEN and CEA are jointly developing a Fast Neutron Detector System, based on 242 Pu fission chambers as sensors and including dedicated electronics and data processing systems. Irradiation tests in the BR2 reactor of 242 Pu fission chambers operating in current mode showed that in typical MTR conditions the fission chamber currents are dominated by the gamma contribution. In order to reduce the gamma contribution to the signal, it was proposed to use the fission chambers in Campbelling mode. An irradiation experiment in the BR2 reactor with a 242 Pu and a 235 U fission chamber, both equipped with a suitable cable for measurements in Campbelling mode, proved the effectiveness of the suppression of the gamma-induced signal component by the Campbelling mode: gamma contribution reduction factors of 26 for the 235 U fission chamber and more than 80 for the 242 Pu fission chamber were obtained. The experimental data also prove that photofission contributions are negligibly small. Consequently, in typical MTR conditions the gamma contribution to the fission chamber Campbelling signal can be neglected. (authors)

  12. Feasibility and Safety Assessment for Advanced Reactor Concepts Using Vented Fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klein, Andrew; Lenhof, Renae; Deason, Wesley; Harter, Jackson

    2015-01-01

    Recent interest in fast reactor technology has led to renewed analysis of past reactor concepts such as Gas Fast Reactors and Sodium Fast Reactors. In an effort to make these reactors more economic, the fuel is required to stay in the reactor for extended periods of time; the longer the fuel stays within the core, the more fertile material is converted into usable fissile material. However, as burnup of the fuel-rod increases, so does the internal pressure buildup due to gaseous fission products. In order to reach the 30 year lifetime requirements of some reactor designs, the fuel pins must have a vented-type design to allow the buildup of fission products to escape. The present work aims to progress the understanding of the feasibility and safety issues related to gas reactors that incorporate vented fuel. The work was separated into three different work-scopes: 1. Quantitatively determine fission gas release from uranium carbide in a representative helium cooled fast reactor; 2. Model the fission gas behavior, transport, and collection in a Fission Product Vent System; and, 3. Perform a safety analysis of the Fission Product Vent System. Each task relied on results from the previous task, culminating in a limited scope Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) of the Fission Product Vent System. Within each task, many key parameters lack the fidelity needed for comprehensive or accurate analysis. In the process of completing each task, the data or methods that were lacking were identified and compiled in a Gap Analysis included at the end of the report.

  13. Feasibility and Safety Assessment for Advanced Reactor Concepts Using Vented Fuel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klein, Andrew [Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States). Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics; Matthews, Topher [Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States); Lenhof, Renae [Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States); Deason, Wesley [Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States); Harter, Jackson [Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR (United States)

    2015-01-16

    Recent interest in fast reactor technology has led to renewed analysis of past reactor concepts such as Gas Fast Reactors and Sodium Fast Reactors. In an effort to make these reactors more economic, the fuel is required to stay in the reactor for extended periods of time; the longer the fuel stays within the core, the more fertile material is converted into usable fissile material. However, as burnup of the fuel-rod increases, so does the internal pressure buildup due to gaseous fission products. In order to reach the 30 year lifetime requirements of some reactor designs, the fuel pins must have a vented-type design to allow the buildup of fission products to escape. The present work aims to progress the understanding of the feasibility and safety issues related to gas reactors that incorporate vented fuel. The work was separated into three different work-scopes: 1. Quantitatively determine fission gas release from uranium carbide in a representative helium cooled fast reactor; 2. Model the fission gas behavior, transport, and collection in a Fission Product Vent System; and, 3. Perform a safety analysis of the Fission Product Vent System. Each task relied on results from the previous task, culminating in a limited scope Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) of the Fission Product Vent System. Within each task, many key parameters lack the fidelity needed for comprehensive or accurate analysis. In the process of completing each task, the data or methods that were lacking were identified and compiled in a Gap Analysis included at the end of the report.

  14. Calculation of low-energy reactor neutrino spectra reactor for reactor neutrino experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Riyana, Eka Sapta; Suda, Shoya; Ishibashi, Kenji; Matsuura, Hideaki [Dept. of Applied Quantum Physics and Nuclear Engineering, Kyushu University, Kyushu (Japan); Katakura, Junichi [Dept. of Nuclear System Safety Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka (Japan)

    2016-06-15

    Nuclear reactors produce a great number of antielectron neutrinos mainly from beta-decay chains of fission products. Such neutrinos have energies mostly in MeV range. We are interested in neutrinos in a region of keV, since they may take part in special weak interactions. We calculate reactor antineutrino spectra especially in the low energy region. In this work we present neutrino spectrum from a typical pressurized water reactor (PWR) reactor core. To calculate neutrino spectra, we need information about all generated nuclides that emit neutrinos. They are mainly fission fragments, reaction products and trans-uranium nuclides that undergo negative beta decay. Information in relation to trans-uranium nuclide compositions and its evolution in time (burn-up process) were provided by a reactor code MVP-BURN. We used typical PWR parameter input for MVP-BURN code and assumed the reactor to be operated continuously for 1 year (12 months) in a steady thermal power (3.4 GWth). The PWR has three fuel compositions of 2.0, 3.5 and 4.1 wt% {sup 235}U contents. For preliminary calculation we adopted a standard burn-up chain model provided by MVP-BURN. The chain model treated 21 heavy nuclides and 50 fission products. The MVB-BURN code utilized JENDL 3.3 as nuclear data library. We confirm that the antielectron neutrino flux in the low energy region increases with burn-up of nuclear fuel. The antielectron-neutrino spectrum in low energy region is influenced by beta emitter nuclides with low Q value in beta decay (e.g. {sup 241}Pu) which is influenced by burp-up level: Low energy antielectron-neutrino spectra or emission rates increase when beta emitters with low Q value in beta decay accumulate. Our result shows the flux of low energy reactor neutrinos increases with burn-up of nuclear fuel.

  15. Some methods of failed fuel element detection in water cooled reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strindehag, O.M.

    1976-01-01

    The methods are surveyed using fission products released in the coolant for the detection of failed fuel elements in water cooled reactors. The classification of the detection methods is made with respect to fission product detection in the coolant and to gaseous fission product detection. The detection systems are listed used for the AGESTA power reactor and for the experimental loops of the RA research reactor based on the detection of either gaseous fission products or gaseous daughter products. The AGESTA reactor detection systems using electrostatic precipitators consist of five precipitator channels of which three are intended for detection and two for localization. A special detection unit was developed for the failed fuel element detection in the R-2 reactor experimental steam loop. Its description is listed. In the reactor pressurized-water loop a Cherenkov counter was used in the detection of fission products. An ion exchange monitor whose application is described was used in the total measurement of the main coolant flow in the AGESTA reactor. (J.P.)

  16. The Munich accelerator for fission fragments MAFF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Habs, D.; Gross, M.; Assmann, W.; Ames, F.; Bongers, H.; Emhofer, S.; Heinz, S.; Henry, S.; Kester, O.; Neumayr, J.; Ospald, F.; Reiter, P.; Sieber, T.; Szerypo, J.; Thirolf, P.G.; Varentsov, V.; Wilfart, T.; Faestermann, T.; Kruecken, R.; Maier-Komor, P.

    2003-01-01

    The Munich Accelerator for Fission Fragments MAFF has been designed for the new Munich research reactor FRM-II. It will deliver several intense beams (∼3x10 11 s -1 ) of very neutron-rich fission fragments with a final energy of 30 keV (low-energy beam) or energies between 3.7 and 5.9 MeV·A (high-energy beam). Such beams are of interest for the creation of super-heavy elements by fusion reactions, nuclear spectroscopy of exotic nuclei, but they also have a potential for applications, e.g. in medicine. Presently the Munich research reactor FRM-II is ready for operation, but authorities delay the final permission to turn the reactor critical probably till the end of 2002. Only after this final permission the financing of the major parts of MAFF can start. On the other hand all major components have been designed and special components have been tested in separate setups

  17. Behavior of solid fission products in irradiated fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, Ung Sup; Jung, Yang Hong; Kim, Hee Moon; Yoo, Byun Gok; Kim, Do Sik; Choo, Yong Sun; Hong, Kwon Pyo

    2004-01-01

    Many fission products are generated by fission events in UO 2 fuel under irradiation in nuclear reactor. Concentration of each fission product is changed by conditions of neutron energy spectrum, fissile material, critical thermal power, irradiation period and cooling time. Volatile materials such as Cs and I, the fission products, degrade nuclear fuel rod by the decrease of thermal conductivity in pellet and the stress corrosion cracking in cladding. Metal fission products (white inclusion) make pellet be swelled and decrease volume of pellet by densification. It seems that metal fission products are filled in the pore in pellet and placed between UO 2 lattices as interstitial. In addition, metal oxide state may change structural lattice volume. Considering behavior of fission products mentioned above, concentration of them is important. Fission products could be classified as bellows; solid solution in matrix : Sr, Zr, Nb, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm - metal precipitates : Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, In, Sb, Te - oxide precipitates : Ba, Zr, Nb, Mo, (Rb, Cs, Te) - volatile and gases : Kr, Xe, Br, I, (Rb, Cs, Te)

  18. Experimental neutronic science and instrumentation: from hybrid reactors to fourth generation reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jammes, Ch.

    2010-07-01

    After an overview of his academic career and scientific and research activities, the author proposes a rather detailed synthesis and overview of his scientific activities in the fields of cross sections and Doppler effect (development and validation of a code), on the MUSE-4 hybrid reactor (experiments, static and dynamic measurements), on the TRADE hybrid reactor (experimental means, sub-critical reactivity measurement), on the RACE hybrid reactor (experimental results, modelling and interpretation), and on neutron detection (design and modelling of fission chamber, on-line measurement of the fast flow). The next part gives an overview of some research programs (neutron monitoring in sodium-cool fast reactors, research and development on fission chambers, improvement of effective delayed neutron measurements)

  19. 1: the atom. 2: radioactivity. 3: man and radiations. 4: the energy. 5: nuclear energy: fusion and fission. 6: the operation of a nuclear reactor. 7: the nuclear fuel cycle; 1: l'atome. 2: la radioactivite. 3: l'homme et les rayonnements. 4: l'energie. 5: l'energie nucleaire: fusion et fission. 6: le fonctionnement d'un reacteur nucleaire. 7: le cycle du combustible nucleaire

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2002-07-01

    This series of 7 digest booklets present the bases of the nuclear physics and of the nuclear energy: 1 - the atom (structure of matter, chemical elements and isotopes, the four fundamental interactions, nuclear physics); 2 - radioactivity (definition, origins of radioelements, applications of radioactivity); 3 - man and radiations (radiations diversity, biological effects, radioprotection, examples of radiation applications); 4 - energy (energy states, different forms of energy, characteristics); 5 - nuclear energy: fusion and fission (nuclear energy release, thermonuclear fusion, nuclear fission and chain reaction); 6 - operation of a nuclear reactor (nuclear fission, reactor components, reactor types); 7 - nuclear fuel cycle (nuclear fuel preparation, fuel consumption, reprocessing, wastes management). (J.S.)

  20. Measurement and analysis of 14 MeV neutron-induced double-differential neutron emission cross sections needed for fission and fusion reactor technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Dahai.

    1990-10-01

    The main objectives of this IAEA Co-ordinated Research Programme are to improve the data on 14 MeV neutron-induced double-differential neutron emission cross sections for materials needed for fission and fusion reactor technology. This report summarizes the conclusions and recommendations which were agreed by all participants during the Second Research Co-ordination Meeting

  1. ELSA: A simplified code for fission product release calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manenc, H.; Notley, M.J.

    1996-01-01

    During a light water reactor severe accident, fission products are released from the overheated core as it progressively degrades. A new computer module named ELSA is being developed to calculate fission product release. The authors approach is to model the key phenomena, as opposed to more complete mechanistic approaches. Here they present the main features of the module. Different release mechanisms have been identified and are modeled in ELSA, depending on fission product volatility: diffusion seems to govern the release of the highly volatile species if fuel oxidation is properly accounted for, whereas mass transport governs that of lower volatility fission products and fuel volatilization that of the practically involatile species

  2. High flux transmutation of fission products and actinides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gerasimov, A.; Kiselev, G.; Myrtsymova, L.

    2001-01-01

    Long-lived fission products and minor actinides accumulated in spent nuclear fuel of power reactors comprise the major part of high level radwaste. Their incineration is important from the point of view of radwaste management. Transmutation of these nuclides by means of neutron irradiation can be performed either in conventional nuclear reactors, or in specialized transmutation reactors, or in ADS facilities with subcritical reactor and neutron source with application of proton accelerator. Different types of transmutation nuclear facilities can be used in order to insure optimal incineration conditions for radwaste. The choice of facility type for optimal transmutation should be based on the fundamental data in the physics of nuclide transformations. Transmutation of minor actinides leads to the increase of radiotoxicity during irradiation. It takes significant time compared to the lifetime of reactor facility to achieve equilibrium without effective transmutation. High flux nuclear facilities allow to minimize these draw-backs of conventional facilities with both thermal and fast neutron spectrum. They provide fast approach to equilibrium and low level of equilibrium mass and radiotoxicity of transmuted actinides. High flux facilities are advantageous also for transmutation of long-lived fission products as they provide short incineration time

  3. Fission-Based Electric Propulsion for Interstellar Precursor Missions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    HOUTS, MICHAEL G.; LENARD, ROGER X.; LIPINSKI, RONALD J.; PATTON, BRUCE; POSTON, DAVID; WRIGHT, STEVEN A.

    1999-01-01

    This paper reviews the technology options for a fission-based electric propulsion system for interstellar precursor missions. To achieve a total ΔV of more than 100 km/s in less than a decade of thrusting with an electric propulsion system of 10,000s Isp requires a specific mass for the power system of less than 35 kg/kWe. Three possible configurations are described: (1) a UZrH-fueled,NaK-cooled reactor with a steam Rankine conversion system,(2) a UN-fueled gas-cooled reactor with a recuperated Brayton conversion system, and (3) a UN-fueled heat pipe-cooled reactor with a recuperated Brayton conversion system. All three of these systems have the potential to meet the specific mass requirements for interstellar precursor missions in the near term. Advanced versions of a fission-based electric propulsion system might travel as much as several light years in 200 years

  4. Influence of remaining fission products in low-decontaminated fuel on reactor core characteristics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohki, Shigeo

    2002-07-01

    Design study of core, fuel and related fuel cycle system with low-decontaminated fuel has been performed in the framework of the feasibility study (F/S) on commercialized fast reactor cycle systems. This report summarizes the influence on core characteristics of remaining fission products (FPs) in low-decontaminated fuel related to the reprocessing systems nominated in F/S phase I. For simple treatment of the remaining FPs in core neutronics calculation the representative nuclide method parameterized by the FP equivalent coefficient and the FP volume fraction was developed, which enabled an efficient evaluation procedure. As a result of the investigation on the sodium cooled fast reactor with MOX fuel designed in fiscal year 1999, it was found that the pyrochemical reprocessing with molten salt (the RIAR method) brought the largest influence. Nevertheless, it was still within the allowable range. Assuming an infinite-times recycling, the alternations in core characteristics were evaluated as follows: increment of burnup reactivity by 0.5%Δk/kk', decrement of breeding ratio by 0.04, increment of sodium void reactivity by 0.1x10 -2 Δk/kk' and decrement of Doppler constant (in absolute value) by 0.7x10 -3 Tdk/dT. (author)

  5. In-reactor measurements of thermo mechanical behaviour and fission gas release of water reactor fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kolstad, E.; Vitanza, C.

    1983-01-01

    the fuel performance during and after a power ramp can be investigated by direct in-pile measurements related to the thermal, mechanical and fission gas release behaviour. The thermal response is examined by thermocouples placed at the centre of the fuel. Such measurements allow the determination of thermal feedback effects induced by the simultaneous liberation of fission gases. The thermal feedback effect is also being separately studied out-of-pile in a specially designed rod where the fission gas release is simulated by injecting xenon in known quantities at different axial positions within the rod. Investigations on the mechanical behaviour are based on axial and diametral cladding deformation measurements. This enables the determination of the amount of local cladding strain and ridging during ramping, the extent of relaxation during the holding time and the amount of residual (plastic) deformation. Gap width measurements are also performed in operating fuel rods using a cladding deflection technique. Fission gas release data are obtained, besides from post-irradiation puncturing, by continuous measurements of the rod internal pressure. This type of measurement leads to the description of the kinetics of the fission gas release process at different powers. The data tend to indicate that the time-dependent release can be reasonably well described by simple diffusion. The paper describes measuring techniques developed and currently in use in Halden, and presents and discusses selected experimental results obtained during various power ramps and transients. (author)

  6. An analysis of the estimated capital cost of a fusion reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hollis, A.A.

    1981-06-01

    The cost of building a fusion reactor similar to the Culham Conceptual Tokamak reactor Mark IIB is assessed and compared with other published capital costs of fusion and fission reactors. It is concluded that capital-investment and structure-renewal costs for a typical fusion reactor as presently conceived are likely to be higher than for thermal-fission reactors. (author)

  7. An analysis of the estimated capital cost of a fusion reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hollis, A.A.; Evans, L.S.

    1981-01-01

    The cost of building a fusion reactor similar to the Culham Conceptual Tokamak reactor Mark IIB is assessed and compared with other published capital costs of fusion and fission reactors. It is concluded that capital-investment and structure-renewal costs for a typical fusion reactor as presently conceived are likely to be higher than for thermal-fission reactors. (author)

  8. Studying the effect of xenon poisoning on the power of the Syrian miniature neutron source reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khamis, I.; Khattab, K.

    1999-07-01

    The uranium 235 is often used as a fuel to produce the energy in nuclear reactors. Uranium nuclei are fissioned with thermal neutrons and produce energy plus a number of neutrons. A fraction of such fission neutrons is involved in other fission with new nuclei to sustain the fission reactions. The remain fraction of the neutrons is lost from the reactor in two ways: escaped from the reactor, or absorbed with other nuclei that exist in the reactor before or produced from fission. Fission nuclei which absorb neutrons heavily are called p oison , such as Xe 135. Because Xe 135 absorbs neutrons heavily, it reduces the number of neutrons in the reactor. Hence, Xe 135 is studied explicitly in the MNSR reactor, and calculation of its negative reactivity is presented in this research during the operation, equilibrium, and after the shutting down of the reactor. (author)

  9. Statistical properties of reactor antineutrinos

    CERN Document Server

    Rusov, V D; Tarasov, V O; Shaaban, Y

    2002-01-01

    Based on the properties of the cascade statistics of reactor antineutrinos, the efficient method of searching for neutrino oscillations is offered. The determination of physical parameters of this statistics, i.e. the average number of fissions and the overage number of antineutrinos per fission, requires no a priori knowledge of the geometry and characteristics of the detector, the reactor power, and composition of nuclear fuel.

  10. Measurement of the 235U/238U fission cross section ratio in the 235U fission neutron spectrum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azimi-Garakani, D.; Bagheri-Darbandi, M.

    1983-06-01

    Fission cross section ratio of 235 U to 238 U has been measured in the fast neutron field generated by the 235 U fission plate installed on the thermal column of the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR) with a Makrofol solid state nuclear track detector. The experiments were carried out with a set of total six enriched 235 U and depleted 238 U deposits with different masses and Makrofol films of 0.025mm and 0.060mm thicknesses. The chemically etched tracks were counted by an optical microscope. No significant differences were observed with the thin and the thick films. The results showed that the average fission cross section ratio is 3.83+-0.25. (author)

  11. Upper-bound fission product release assessment for large break LOCA in CANFLEX bundle reactor core

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oh, Duk Ju; Lee, Kang Moon

    1996-07-01

    Quarter-core gap inventory assessment for CANDU-6 reactor core loaded with CANFLEX fuel bundles has been performed as one of the licensing safety analyses required for 24 natural uranium CANFLEX bundle irradiation in CANDU-6 reactor. The quarter-core gap inventory for the CANFLEX bundle core is 5 - 10 times lower than that for the standard bundle core, depending on the half-life of the isotope. The lower gap inventory of the CANFLEX bundle core is attributed to the lower linear power of the CANFLEX bundle compared with the standard bundle. However, the whole core total inventories for both the CANFLEX and standard bundle cores are nearly the same. The 6 - 8 times lower upper-bound fission product releases of the CANFLEX bundle core for large break LOCA than those of the standard bundle core imply that the loading of 24 natural uranium CANFLEX bundles would improve the predicted consequences of the postulated accident described in the Wolsung 2 safety report. 2 tabs., 6 figs., 3 refs. (Author)

  12. MEANS FOR SHIELDING AND COOLING REACTORS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wigner, E.P.; Ohlinger, L.A.; Young, G.J.; Weinberg, A.M.

    1959-02-10

    Reactors of the water-cooled type and a means for shielding such a rcactor to protect operating personnel from harmful radiation are discussed. In this reactor coolant tubes which contain the fissionable material extend vertically through a mass of moderator. Liquid coolant enters through the bottom of the coolant tubes and passes upwardly over the fissionable material. A shield tank is disposed over the top of the reactor and communicates through its bottom with the upper end of the coolant tubes. A hydrocarbon shielding fluid floats on the coolant within the shield tank. With this arrangements the upper face of the reactor can be opened to the atmosphere through the two superimposed liquid layers. A principal feature of the invention is that in the event radioactive fission products enter thc coolant stream. imposed layer of hydrocarbon reduces the intense radioactivity introduced into the layer over the reactors and permits removal of the offending fuel material by personnel shielded by the uncontaminated hydrocarbon layer.

  13. Survey of Materials for Fusion Fission Hybrid Reactors Vol 1 Rev. 0

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Farmer, Joseph Collin [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States). Chemistry Materials and Life Sciences Directorate

    2007-07-03

    Materials for fusion-fission hybrid reactors fall into several broad categories, including fuels, blanket and coolant materials, cladding, structural materials, shielding, and in the specific case of inertial-confinement fusion systems, laser and optical materials. This report surveys materials in all categories of materials except for those required for lasers and optics. Preferred collants include two molten salt mixtures known as FLIBE (Li2BeF4) and FLINABE (LiNaBeF4). In the case of homogenous liquid fuels, UF4 can be dissolved in these molten salt mixtures. The transmutation of lithium in this coolant produces very corrosive hydrofluoric acid species (HF and TF), which can rapidly degrade structural materials. Broad ranges of high-melting radiation-tolerant structural material have been proposed for fusion-fission reactor structures. These include a wide variety of steels and refractory alloys. Ferritic steels with oxide-dispersion strengthening and graphite have been given particular attention. Refractory metals are found in Groups IVB and VB of the periodic table, and include Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, and W, as serve as the basis of refractory alloys. Stable high-melting composites and amorphous metals may also be useful. Since amorphous metals have no lattice structure, neutron bombardment cannot dislodge atoms from lattice sites, and the materials would be immune from this specific mode of degradation. The free energy of formation of fluorides of the alloying elements found in steels and refractory alloys can be used to determine the relative stability of these materials in molten salts. The reduction of lithium transmutation products (H+ and T+) drives the electrochemical corrosion process, and liberates aggressive fluoride ions that pair with ions formed from dissolved structural materials. Corrosion can be suppressed through the use of metallic Be and Li, though the molten salt becomes laden with colloidal suspensions of Be and Li corrosion

  14. Feasibility study of chabazite absorber tube utilization in online absorption of released gaseous fission products and substitution of burnable absorber rods with chabazite absorber tubes in VVER-1000 reactor series

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahmani, Yashar

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Chabazite tubes are used for online removal of the released gaseous fission products. • The feasibility of using chabazite tubes instead of burnable absorber rods was studied. • A computational cycle was designed using the WIMSD5-B, CITATION-LDI2 and WERL codes. • In modeling fission gas release, the Weisman, Booth, Mason and T.S. models were used. • By this method, it is possible to increase cycle length and enhance heat transfer. - Abstract: As gaseous fission products, e.g. xenon and krypton have adverse effects such as reducing the rate of heat transfer in fuel rods and adding negative reactivity to the reactor core, the present manuscript was dedicated to development of a novel method for improving these defects. In the proposed method, chabazite absorber tubes were used for online removal of the released gaseous fission products from gaseous gap spaces. Moreover, in this research, feasibility of using chabazite absorber tubes instead of burnable absorber rods was examined. To perform the required modeling and calculations to successfully meet the mentioned objectives, a thermo-neutronic computational cycle was designed using the coupling of WIMSD5-B and CITATION-LDI2 codes in the neutronic section and the WERL code in the thermo-hydraulic calculations. In addition, in modeling the release process of gaseous fission products, the Weisman, Booth, Mason, and T.S. models were examined. It is worth mentioning that in this research, calculations and modeling procedures were based on the first cycle of Bushehr’s VVER-1000 reactor to study the feasibility of the proposed solution. The obtained results revealed that with application of the proposed method in this research, it is possible to increase cycle length, improve safety thresholds, and enhance heat transfer in the core of nuclear reactors.

  15. Analytical measurements of fission products during a severe nuclear accident

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doizi, D.; Reymond la Ruinaz, S.; Haykal, I.; Manceron, L.; Perrin, A.; Boudon, V.; Vander Auwera, J.; tchana, F. Kwabia; Faye, M.

    2018-01-01

    The Fukushima accident emphasized the fact that ways to monitor in real time the evolution of a nuclear reactor during a severe accident remain to be developed. No fission products were monitored during twelve days; only dose rates were measured, which is not sufficient to carry out an online diagnosis of the event. The first measurements were announced with little reliability for low volatile fission products. In order to improve the safety of nuclear plants and minimize the industrial, ecological and health consequences of a severe accident, it is necessary to develop new reliable measurement systems, operating at the earliest and closest to the emission source of fission products. Through the French program ANR « Projet d'Investissement d'Avenir », the aim of the DECA-PF project (diagnosis of core degradation from fission products measurements) is to monitor in real time the release of the major fission products (krypton, xenon, gaseous forms of iodine and ruthenium) outside the nuclear reactor containment. These products are released at different times during a nuclear accident and at different states of the nuclear core degradation. Thus, monitoring these fission products gives information on the situation inside the containment and helps to apply the Severe Accident Management procedures. Analytical techniques have been proposed and evaluated. The results are discussed here.

  16. Analytical measurements of fission products during a severe nuclear accident

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Doizi D.

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The Fukushima accident emphasized the fact that ways to monitor in real time the evolution of a nuclear reactor during a severe accident remain to be developed. No fission products were monitored during twelve days; only dose rates were measured, which is not sufficient to carry out an online diagnosis of the event. The first measurements were announced with little reliability for low volatile fission products. In order to improve the safety of nuclear plants and minimize the industrial, ecological and health consequences of a severe accident, it is necessary to develop new reliable measurement systems, operating at the earliest and closest to the emission source of fission products. Through the French program ANR « Projet d’Investissement d’Avenir », the aim of the DECA-PF project (diagnosis of core degradation from fission products measurements is to monitor in real time the release of the major fission products (krypton, xenon, gaseous forms of iodine and ruthenium outside the nuclear reactor containment. These products are released at different times during a nuclear accident and at different states of the nuclear core degradation. Thus, monitoring these fission products gives information on the situation inside the containment and helps to apply the Severe Accident Management procedures. Analytical techniques have been proposed and evaluated. The results are discussed here.

  17. Fission gas behavior in mixed-oxide fuel during transient overpower

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Randklev, E.H.; Treibs, H.A.; Mastel, B.; Baldwin, D.L.

    1979-01-01

    Fission gas behavior can be important in determining fuel pin and core performance during a reactor transient. The results are presented of examinations characterizing the changes in microstructural distribution and retention of fission gas in fuel for a series of transient overpower (50 cents/s) tested mixed-oxide fuel pins and their steady state siblings

  18. Fission-track studies of uranium distribution in geological samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brynard, H.J.

    1983-01-01

    The standard method of studying uranium distribution in geological material by registration of fission tracks from the thermal neutron-induced fission of 235 U has been adapted for utilisation in the SAFARI-1 reactor at Pelindaba. The theory of fission-track registration as well as practical problems are discussed. The method has been applied to study uranium distribution in a variety of rock types and the results are discussed in this paper. The method is very sensitive and uranium present in quantities far below the detection limit of the microprobe have been detected

  19. Controlled isotropic fission fragment sources on the base of nuclear-physical facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sevast'yanov, V.D.; Maslov, G.N.

    1995-01-01

    Isotropic fission fragment sources (IFFS) are developed on the base of a neutron generator and pulse fast reactor. IFFS permit to calibrate fission fragment detectors. The IFFS consist of radiators with 235 U. The radiators are placed in a thermal neutron field of the neutron generator or in the reactor core center. The fragment activity is controlled by indications of an α-particle counter or by indications of a monitor of energy release in the core. 14 refs.; 1 fig.; 1 tab

  20. Thirty years of nuclear fission in Yugoslavia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pesic, M; Stefanovic, D [Boris Kidric Institute of Nuclear Sciences VINCA, Belgrade (Yugoslavia)

    1989-07-01

    Experimental nuclear reactor 'RB' in Boris Kidric Institute in Vinca is the first nuclear facility built in Yugoslavia in which the first Yugoslav controlled nuclear fission was achieved thirty years ago on April 26, 1958. Designed by Yugoslav scientist as a bare, natural uranium-heavy water critical assembly, the 'RB' reactor has survived a series of modifications trying to follow directions of contemporary nuclear research. The actual 'RB' reactor technical characteristics and experimental possibilities are described. The modifications are underlined, the experience gained and plans for future are presented. A brief review of reactor operation and experiments performed is shown. (author)

  1. Process for separately recovering uranium, transuranium elements, and fission products of uranium from atomic reactor fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balal, A.L.; Metscher, K.; Muehlig, B.; Reichmuth, C.; Schwarz, B.; Zimen, K.E.

    1976-01-01

    Spent reactor fuel elements are dissolved in dilute nitric acid. After addition of acetic acid as a complexing agent, the nitric acid is partly decomposed and the mixture subjected to electrolysis while a carrier liquid, which may be dilute acetic acid or a dilute mixture of acetic acid and nitric acid is caused to flow in the electric field between the electrodes either against the direction of ion migration or transversely thereto. The ions of uranium, plutonium, and other transuranium elements, and of fission products accumulate in discrete portions of the electrolyte and are separately withdrawn as at least three fractions after one or more stages of electrolysis

  2. Energy from nuclear fission an introduction

    CERN Document Server

    De Sanctis, Enzo; Ripani, Marco

    2016-01-01

    This book provides an overview on nuclear physics and energy production from nuclear fission. It serves as a readable and reliable source of information for anyone who wants to have a well-balanced opinion about exploitation of nuclear fission in power plants. The text is divided into two parts; the first covers the basics of nuclear forces and properties of nuclei, nuclear collisions, nuclear stability, radioactivity, and provides a detailed discussion of nuclear fission and relevant topics in its application to energy production. The second part covers the basic technical aspects of nuclear fission reactors, nuclear fuel cycle and resources, safety, safeguards, and radioactive waste management. The book also contains a discussion of the biological effects of nuclear radiation and of radiation protection, and a summary of the ten most relevant nuclear accidents. The book is suitable for undergraduates in physics, nuclear engineering and other science subjects. However, the mathematics is kept at a level that...

  3. Innovative High Temperature Heat Pipes for Spacecraft Nuclear Fission Systems, Phase II

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — NASA Glenn is examining small fission reactors for future space transportation and surface power applications. The reactors would have an 8 to 15 year design life...

  4. Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy for Gaseous Fission Products Trace Measurements in Sodium Fast Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacquet, P.; Pailloux, A.; Doizi, D.; Aoust, G.; Jeannot, J.-P.

    2013-06-01

    Safety and availability are key issues of the generation IV reactors. Hence, the three radionuclide confinement barriers, including fuel cladding, must stay tight during the reactor operation. During the primary gaseous failure, fission products xenon and krypton are released. Their fast and sensitive detection guarantees the first confinement barrier tightness. In the frame of the French ASTRID project, an optical spectroscopy technique - Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) - is investigated for the gaseous fission products measurement. A dedicated CRDS set-up is needed to detect the rare gases with a commercial laser. Indeed, the CRDS is coupled to a glow discharge plasma, which generates a population of metastable atoms. The xenon plasma conditions are optimized to 110 Pa and 1.3 W (3 mA). The production efficiency of metastable Xe is then 0.8 %, stable within 0.5% during hours. The metastable number density is proportional to the xenon over argon molar fraction. The spectroscopic parameters of the strong 823.16 nm xenon transition are calculated and/or measured in order to optimize the fit of the experimental spectra and make a quantitative measurement of the metastable xenon. The CRDS is coupled to the discharge cell. The laser intensity inside the cavity is limited by the optical saturation process, resulting from the strong optical pumping of the metastable state. The resulting weak CRDS signal requires a fast and very sensitive photodetector. A 600 ppt xenon molar fraction was measured by CRDS. With the present set-up, the detection limits are estimated from the baseline noise to approximately 20 ppt for each even isotope, 60 ppt for the 131 Xe and 55 ppt for the 129 Xe. This sensitivity matches the specifications required for gaseous leak measurement; approximately 100 ppt for 133 Xe (4 GBq/m 3 ) and 10 ppb for stable isotopes. The odd isotopes are selectively measured, whereas the even isotopes overlap, a spectroscopic feature that applies for stable or

  5. A Covariance Generation Methodology for Fission Product Yields

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Terranova N.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent safety and economical concerns for modern nuclear reactor applications have fed an outstanding interest in basic nuclear data evaluation improvement and completion. It has been immediately clear that the accuracy of our predictive simulation models was strongly affected by our knowledge on input data. Therefore strong efforts have been made to improve nuclear data and to generate complete and reliable uncertainty information able to yield proper uncertainty propagation on integral reactor parameters. Since in modern nuclear data banks (such as JEFF-3.1.1 and ENDF/BVII.1 no correlations for fission yields are given, in the present work we propose a covariance generation methodology for fission product yields. The main goal is to reproduce the existing European library and to add covariance information to allow proper uncertainty propagation in depletion and decay heat calculations. To do so, we adopted the Generalized Least Square Method (GLSM implemented in CONRAD (COde for Nuclear Reaction Analysis and Data assimilation, developed at CEA-Cadarache. Theoretical values employed in the Bayesian parameter adjustment are delivered thanks to a convolution of different models, representing several quantities in fission yield calculations: the Brosa fission modes for pre-neutron mass distribution, a simplified Gaussian model for prompt neutron emission probability, theWahl systematics for charge distribution and the Madland-England model for the isomeric ratio. Some results will be presented for the thermal fission of U-235, Pu-239 and Pu-241.

  6. Effect of fission yield libraries on the irradiated fuel composition in Monte Carlo depletion calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitenkova, E.; Novikov, N.

    2014-01-01

    Improving the prediction of radiation parameters and reliability of fuel behaviour under different irradiation modes is particularly relevant for new fuel compositions, including recycled nuclear fuel. For fast reactors there is a strong dependence of nuclide accumulations on the nuclear data libraries. The effect of fission yield libraries on irradiated fuel is studied in MONTEBURNS-MCNP5-ORIGEN2 calculations of sodium fast reactors. Fission yield libraries are generated for sodium fast reactors with MOX fuel, using ENDF/B-VII.0, JEFF3.1, original library FY-Koldobsky, and GEFY 3.3 as sources. The transport libraries are generated from ENDF/B-VII.0 and JEFF-3.1. Analysis of irradiated MOX fuel using different fission yield libraries demonstrates the considerable spread in concentrations of fission products. The discrepancies in concentrations of inert gases being ∼25%, up to 5 times for stable and long-life nuclides, and up to 10 orders of magnitude for short-lived nuclides. (authors)

  7. Mirror hybrid reactor optimization studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bender, D.J.

    1976-01-01

    A system model of the mirror hybrid reactor has been developed. The major components of the model include (1) the reactor description, (2) a capital cost analysis, (3) various fuel management schemes, and (4) an economic analysis that includes the hybrid plus its associated fission burner reactors. The results presented describe the optimization of the mirror hybrid reactor, the objective being to minimize the cost of electricity from the hybrid fission-burner reactor complex. We have examined hybrid reactors with two types of blankets, one containing natural uranium, the other thorium. The major difference between the two optimized reactors is that the uranium hybrid is a significant net electrical power producer, whereas the thorium hybrid just about breaks even on electrical power. Our projected costs for fissile fuel production are approximately 50 $/g for 239 Pu and approximately 125 $/g for 233 U

  8. The role of fission products in whole core accidents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baker, A R [FRSD, UKAEA, RNPDE, Risley, Warrington (United Kingdom); Teague, H J [SRD, UKAEA, Culcheth, Warrington (United Kingdom)

    1977-07-01

    The review of the role of fission products in whole-core accidents falls into two parts. Firstly, there is a discussion of the hypothetical accidents usually considered in the UK and how they are dealt with. Secondly, there is a discussion of individual topics where fission products are known to be important or might be so. There is a brief discussion of the UK work on the establishment of an equation of state for unirradiated fuel and how this might be extended to incorporate fission product effects. The main issue is the contribution of fission products to the effective vapour pressure and the experimental programme on the pulsed reactor VIPER investigates this. Fission products may influence the probability of occurrence and the severity of MFCIs. Finally, the fission product effects in the pre-disassembly, disassembly and recriticality stages of an accident are discussed. (author)

  9. Mirror reactor studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moir, R.W.; Barr, W.L.; Bender, D.J.

    1977-01-01

    Design studies of a fusion mirror reactor, a fusion-fission mirror reactor, and two small mirror reactors are summarized. The fusion reactor uses 150-keV neutral-beam injectors based on the acceleration of negative ions. The injectors provide over 1 GW of continuous power at an efficiency greater than 80%. The fusion reactor has three-stage, modularized, Venetian blind, plasma direct converter with a predicted efficiency of 59% and a new concept for removal of the lune-shaped blanket: a crane is brought between the two halves of the Yin-Yang magnet, which are separated by a float. The design has desirable features such as steady-state operation, minimal impurity problems, and low first-wall thermal stress. The major disadvantage is low Q resulting in high re-circulating power and hence high cost of electrical power. However, the direct capital cost per unit of gross electrical power is reasonable [$1000/kW(e)]. By contrast, the fusion-fission reactor design is not penalized by re-circulating power and uses relatively near-term fusion technology being developed for the fusion power program. New results are presented on the Th- 233 U and the U- 239 Pu fuel cycles. The purpose of this hybrid is fuel production, with projected costs at $55/g of Pu or $127/g of 233 U. Blanket and cooling system designs, including an emergency cooling system, by General Atomic Company, lead us to the opinion that the reactor can meet expected safety standards for licensing. The smallest mirror reactor having only a shield between the plasma and the coil is the 4.2-m long fusion engineering research facility (FERF) designed for material irradiation. The smallest mirror reactor having both a blanket and shield is the 7.5-m long experimental power reactor (EPR), which has both a fusion and a fusion-fission version. (author)

  10. Experimental determination of the antineutrino spectrum of the fission products of {sup 238}U

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haag, Nils-Holger

    2013-10-09

    Fission of {sup 238}U contributes about 10 % to the antineutrino emission of a pressurized water reactor. In the present thesis, the beta spectrum of the fission products of {sup 238}U was determined in an experiment at the neutron source FRM II. This beta spectrum was subsequently converted into an antineutrino spectrum. This first measurement of the antineutrino spectrum supports all current and future reactor antineutrino experiments.

  11. Release of fission products in transients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Christensen, H.; Lundqwist, R.

    1979-07-01

    A station for automatic sampling of coolant has been put in operation at the Oskarshamn-1 reactor. The release of 131 J and other fission products in spikes in connection with reactor trips and scheduled shutdowns has been measured. A model developed at General Electric has been used to predict the spike release in Oskarshamn-1 and the predicted values have been compared with experimental values. Literature data of iodine spikes in BWR and PWR have been reviewed. (author)

  12. Fission, fusion and the energy crisis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hunt, S E [Aston Univ., Birmingham (UK)

    1980-01-01

    The subject is covered in chapters, entitled: living on capital (energy reserves and consumption forecasts); the atom and its nucleus, mass and energy; fission and the bomb; the natural uranium reactor; enriched reactors; control and safety; long-term economics (the breeder reactions and nuclear fuel reserves); short-term economics (cost per kilowatt hour); national nuclear power programmes; nuclear power and the environment (including reprocessing, radioactive waste management, public relations); renewable energy sources; the fusion programme; summary and comment.

  13. Prediction of fission product and aerosol behaviour during a postulated severe accident in a LWR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guentay, S.; Aeby, F.; Raguin, M.; Passalacqua, R.

    1990-02-01

    Lack of appropriate energy removal causes fuel elements in a reactor core to overheat and may eventually cause core to degrade. Fission products will be emitted from a degraded reactor core. Aerosols are generated when the vapours of various fuel and structural materials reach a cold environment and nucleate. In addition to the fission products release and aerosol generation taking place in the reactor vessel, some more fission products release and aerosol generation will occur when the molten core debris leaves the pressure vessel bottom head and comes in contact with the pedestal concrete floor. Fission products, if they are released to environment from the containment boundary, exert a great danger to public health. A source term is defined as the quantity, timing, and characteristics of the release of radionuclide material to the environment following a postulated severe accident. At PSI a considerable effort hase been spent in investigating and establishing a source term assessment methodology in order to predict the source term for a given Light Water Reactor (LWR) accident scenario. This report introduces the computer programs and the methods associated with the release of the fission products, generation of the aerosols and behaviour of the aerosols in LWR compartments used for a source term assessment analysis at PSI. (author) 4 figs., 5 tabs., 28 refs

  14. Preparation of lumped fission product (FP) cross sections for a multigroup library

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ono, S.; Corcuera, R.P.

    1984-01-01

    A method for the calculation of lumped Fission Product (FP) cross sections has been developed. The group constants fo each nuclide are generated by NJOY code, based on ENDF/B-V data. In this first version, cross section of 28 nuclides are lumped for typical characteristics of Binary Breeder Reactor (BBR). One energy group calculations are made for a 1000 MWe fast reactor to verify the influence of burnup, number of FP and fuel composition on the lumped fission product cross sections. (Author) [pt

  15. Physics and potentials of fissioning plasmas for space power and propulsion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thom, K.; Schwenk, F. C.; Schneider, R. T.

    1976-01-01

    Fissioning uranium plasmas are the nuclear fuel in conceptual high-temperature gaseous-core reactors for advanced rocket propulsion in space. A gaseous-core nuclear rocket would be a thermal reactor in which an enriched uranium plasma at about 10,000 K is confined in a reflector-moderator cavity where it is nuclear critical and transfers its fission power to a confining propellant flow for the production of thrust at a specific impulse up to 5000 sec. With a thrust-to-engine weight ratio approaching unity, the gaseous-core nuclear rocket could provide for propulsion capabilities needed for manned missions to the nearby planets and for economical cislunar ferry services. Fueled with enriched uranium hexafluoride and operated at temperatures lower than needed for propulsion, the gaseous-core reactor scheme also offers significant benefits in applications for space and terrestrial power. They include high-efficiency power generation at low specific mass, the burnup of certain fission products and actinides, the breeding of U-233 from thorium with short doubling times, and improved convenience of fuel handling and processing in the gaseous phase.

  16. Specialists' meeting on role of fission products in whole core accidents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1977-07-01

    Safety of nuclear reactors has been a central concern of the nuclear energy industry from the very beginning. This concern, and the resultant excellence of design, fabrication, and operation, aided by extensive engineered safety features, has given nuclear energy its superior record of protection of the environment and of the public health and safety. With respect to the fast reactor, it was recognized early in the program that there exists a theoretical possibility of a core compaction leading to significant energy release. The considerations of fission product effects are primarily on of the main concerns in evaluation of safety issues. Since fission products have the potential for dispersing fuel from the core region and thereby producing reactor shutdown, knowledge of their effects can contribute to demonstrating that there is a low probability producing whole-core involvement. Similarly, knowledge of fission product effects can contribute to demonstrating that there is a low probability of a whole-core disruptive accident leading to sufficient energy release to challenge the containment capability.

  17. Specialists' meeting on role of fission products in whole core accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1977-01-01

    Safety of nuclear reactors has been a central concern of the nuclear energy industry from the very beginning. This concern, and the resultant excellence of design, fabrication, and operation, aided by extensive engineered safety features, has given nuclear energy its superior record of protection of the environment and of the public health and safety. With respect to the fast reactor, it was recognized early in the program that there exists a theoretical possibility of a core compaction leading to significant energy release. The considerations of fission product effects are primarily on of the main concerns in evaluation of safety issues. Since fission products have the potential for dispersing fuel from the core region and thereby producing reactor shutdown, knowledge of their effects can contribute to demonstrating that there is a low probability producing whole-core involvement. Similarly, knowledge of fission product effects can contribute to demonstrating that there is a low probability of a whole-core disruptive accident leading to sufficient energy release to challenge the containment capability

  18. Power-balance analysis of muon-catalyzed fusion-fission hybrid reactor systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, R.L.; Krakowski, R.A.

    1985-01-01

    A power-balance model of a muon-catalyzed fusion system in the context of a fission-fuel factory is developed and exercised to predict the required physics performance of systems competitive with either pure muon-catalyzed fusion systems or thermonuclear fusion-fission fuel factory hybrid systems

  19. Prospect of realizing nuclear fusion reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-01-01

    This Report describes the results of the research work on nuclear fusion, which CRIEPI has carried out for about ten years from the standpoint of electric power utilities, potential user of its energy. The principal points are; (a) economic analysis (calculation of costs) based on Japanese analysis procedures and database of commercial fusion reactors, including fusion-fission hybrid reactors, and (b) conceptual design of two types of hybrid reactors, that is, fission-fuel producing DMHR (Demonstration Molten-Salt Hybrid Reactor) and electric-power producing THPR (Tokamak Hybrid Power Reactor). The Report consists of the following chapters: 1. Introduction. 2. Conceptual Design of Hybrid Reactors. 3. Economic Analysis of Commercial Fusion Reactors. 4. Basic Studies Applicable Also to Nuclear Fusion Technology. 5. List of Published Reports and Papers; 6. Conclusion. Appendices. (author)

  20. The fusion-fission hybrid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teller, E.

    1985-01-01

    As the history of the development of fusion energy shows, a sustained controlled fusion reaction is much more difficult to produce than rapid uncontrolled release of fusion energy. Currently, the ''magnetic bottle'' technique shows sufficient progress that it might applied for the commercial fuel production of /sup 233/U, suitable for use in fission reactors, by developing a fusion-fission hybrid. Such a device would consist of a fusion chamber core surrounded by a region containing cladded uranium pellets cooled by helium, with lithium salts also present to produce tritium to refuel the fusion process. Successful development of this hybrid might be possible within 10 y, and would provide both experience and funds for further development of controlled fusion energy

  1. Transmutation of Tc-99 and I-129 in fission reactors. A calculational study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kloosterman, J.L.; Li, J.M.

    1995-03-01

    The HWR is a better candidate for large-scale transmutation of long-lived fission products. When target pins containing either Tc-99 or I-129 are positioned in the centre of each fuel bundle of a 935 MW e CANDU reactor, the transmutation half lives are 44 and 20 years, respectively, and the gross transmutation rates 60 and 48 kg/a. The positive coolant void coefficient is reduced in both cases with about 30%. When Tc-99 target pins are positioned in the moderator between the fuel bundles, the transmutation half life becomes 25 years and the gross transmutation rate 106 kg/a. This means that one HWR can serve four PWRs with equal power. The fast reactor seems most promising. When Tc-99 target pins are irradiated in moderated subassemblies in the inner core of Superphenix (∼1240 MW e ), a transmutation half life of 15 years is obtained with a gross transmutation rate of 122 kg/a. These values become 18 years and 101 kg/a when non-moderated subassemblies are used for the irradiation. This implies that one fast reactor can serve four to five PWRs with equal power. The PWR seems not very effective for transmutation of Tc-99. Large inventories are needed to obtain a Tc-99 transmutation rate equal to the production rate (18 kg/a for a 900 MW e PWR). When all guide tubes of an UO 2 fuelled PWR are filled with Tc-99 with density of 5 g cm -3 , the transmutation half life is 39 years and the gross transmutation rate 64 kg/a. (orig./GL)

  2. Thermodynamic parameters and transport coefficients of the U-C-F gas mixture in the steady flow gaseous core fission reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berg, M.S. van den.

    1995-01-01

    Thermodynamic parameters and transport coefficients have been calculated for a multicomponent reacting U-C-F gas mixture in the steady flow gaseous core fission reactor. Element abundances are consistent with thermodynamic equilibrium between the gas mixture and a cooled solid graphite wall at 2500 K. Results are presented for various pressures, a fluorine potential of 5.6 and temperatures between 2500 and 7000 K. As a result of dissociation processes of uranium and carbon fluoride compounds, ''effective'' values of thermodynamic parameters and transport coefficients show anomalous behaviour with respect to so-called ''frozen'' values. The chemical reaction energy of the U-C-F gas mixture has been calculated as the driving-force behind the process of fuel redistribution to attain criticality conditions inside a functioning reactor. (author)

  3. Highlights from the IAEA coordinated research programme on fuel performance and fission product data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nabielek, H.; Schenk, W.; Verfondern, K.

    1996-01-01

    Seven countries are cooperating with the objectives (i) to document the status of the experimental data base and of the predictive methods for Gas-Cooled Reactor fuel performance and fission product behaviour; (ii) to verify and validate methods in fuel performance and fission product retention prediction. These countries are China, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, USA and the UK. Duration of the programme is 1993-96. The technology areas addressed in this IAEA Coordinated Research Programme are: Fuel design and manufacture, Normal operation fuel performance and fission product behaviour, Accident condition fuel performance and fission product behaviour, -core heatup, -fast transients, -oxidising conditions (water and air ingress), Plateout, re-entrainment of plateout, fission product behaviour in the reactor building, and Performance of advanced fuels. Work performed so far has generated a 300-page draft document with important information for normal operations (Germany, Japan, China, Russia) and accident conditions (USA, Japan, Germany, Russia) and, additionally, a special chapter on advanced fuels (Japan). (author)

  4. Measurement of fission product release during LWR fuel failure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osetek, D.J.; King, J.J.

    1979-01-01

    The PBF is a specialized test reactor consisting of an annular core and a central test space 21 cm in diameter and 91 cm high. A test loop circulates coolant through the central experimental section at typical power reactor conditions. Light-water-reactor-type fuel rods are exposed to power bursts simulating reactivity insertion transients, and to power-cooling-mismatch conditions during which the rods are allowed to operate in film boiling. Fission product concentrations in the test loop coolant are continuously monitored during these transients by a Ge(Li) detector based gamma spectrometer. Automatic batch processing of pulse height spectra results in a list of radionuclide concentrations present in the loop coolant as a function of time during the test. Fission product behavior is then correlated to test parameters and posttest examination of the fuel rods. Data are presented from Test PCM-1

  5. Volatilization and reaction of fission products in flowing steam

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, I.; Steidl, D.V.; Johnson, C.E.

    1985-01-01

    The principal risk to the public from nuclear power plants derives from the highly radioactive atoms (fission products) generated as energy is produced in the nuclear fuel. The revolatilization of fission products from reactor system surfaces due to self-heating by radioactive decay has become a complicating factor in the source-term redefinition effort. It has had a major impact on calculations of fission product distributions in accident safety analyses. The focus of this research effort was to investigate the volatilization and transport of fission products and control rod materials in a flowing gaseous steam-hydrogen mixture. Fission product and control rod materials in various combinations were studied including CsI, CsOH, TeO 2 , SrO, Ag, In, Cd and Mn. The vaporization behavior of the deposits were characterized with respect to vaporization rates, chemical species and downstream transport behavior

  6. FFTF fission gas monitor computer system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hubbard, J.A.

    1987-01-01

    The Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) is a liquid-metal-cooled test reactor located on the Hanford site. A dual computer system has been developed to monitor the reactor cover gas to detect and characterize any fuel or test pin fission gas releases. The system acquires gamma spectra data, identifies isotopes, calculates specific isotope and overall cover gas activity, presents control room alarms and displays, and records and prints data and analysis reports. The fission gas monitor system makes extensive use of commercially available hardware and software, providing a reliable and easily maintained system. The design provides extensive automation of previous manual operations, reducing the need for operator training and minimizing the potential for operator error. The dual nature of the system allows one monitor to be taken out of service for periodic tests or maintenance without interrupting the overall system functions. A built-in calibrated gamma source can be controlled by the computer, allowing the system to provide rapid system self tests and operational performance reports

  7. Fission product source term research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malinauskas, A.P.

    1985-01-01

    The purpose of this work is to describe some of the research being performed at ORNL in support of the effort to describe, as realistically as possible, fission product source terms for nuclear reactor accidents. In order to make this presentation manageable, only those studies directly concerned with fission product behavior, as opposed to thermal hydraulics, accident sequence progression, etc., will be discussed

  8. Chemical factors affecting fission product transport in severe LMFBR accidents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wichner, R.P.; Jolley, R.L.; Gat, U.; Rodgers, B.R.

    1984-10-01

    This study was performed as a part of a larger evaluation effort on LMFBR accident, source-term estimation. Purpose was to provide basic chemical information regarding fission product, sodium coolant, and structural material interactions required to perform estimation of fission product transport under LMFBR accident conditions. Emphasis was placed on conditions within the reactor vessel; containment vessel conditions are discussed only briefly

  9. Nuclear data for neutron emission in the fission process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ganesan, S.

    1991-11-01

    This document contains the proceedings of the IAEA Consultants' Meeting on Nuclear Data for Neutron Emission in the Fission Process, Vienna, 22 - 24 October 1990. Included are the conclusions and recommendations reached at the meeting and the papers presented by the meeting participants. These papers provide a review of the status of experimental and theoretical data on neutron emission in spontaneous and neutron induced fission with reference to the data needs for reactor applications oriented towards actinide burner studies. The specific topics covered are the following: experimental measurements and theoretical predictions and evaluations of fission neutron energy spectra, average prompt fission neutron multiplicity, correlation in neutron emission from complementary fragments, neutron emission during acceleration of fission fragments, statistical properties of neutron rich nuclei by study of emission spectra of neutrons from the excited fission fragments, integral qualification of nu-bar for the major fissile isotopes, nu-bar total of 239 Pu and 235 U, and related problems. Refs figs and tabs

  10. Modelling isothermal fission gas release

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uffelen, P. van

    2002-01-01

    The present paper presents a new fission gas release model consisting of two coupled modules. The first module treats the behaviour of the fission gas atoms in spherical grains with a distribution of grain sizes. This module considers single atom diffusion, trapping and fission induced re-solution of gas atoms associated with intragranular bubbles, and re-solution from the grain boundary into a few layers adjacent to the grain face. The second module considers the transport of the fission gas atoms along the grain boundaries. Four mechanisms are incorporated: diffusion controlled precipitation of gas atoms into bubbles, grain boundary bubble sweeping, re-solution of gas atoms into the adjacent grains and gas flow through open porosity when grain boundary bubbles are interconnected. The interconnection of the intergranular bubbles is affected both by the fraction of the grain face occupied by the cavities and by the balance between the bubble internal pressure and the hydrostatic pressure surrounding the bubbles. The model is under validation. In a first step, some numerical routines have been tested by means of analytic solutions. In a second step, the fission gas release model has been coupled with the FTEMP2 code of the Halden Reactor Project for the temperature distribution in the pellets. A parametric study of some steady-state irradiations and one power ramp have been simulated successfully. In particular, the Halden threshold for fission gas release and two simplified FUMEX cases have been computed and are summarised. (author)

  11. Cerenkov Detectors for Fission Product Monitoring in Reactor Coolant Water

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Strindehag, O

    1967-09-15

    The expected properties of Cerenkov detectors when used for fission product monitoring in water cooled reactors and test loops are discussed from the point of view of the knowledge of the sensitivity of these detectors to some beta emitting isotopes. The basic theory for calculation of the detector response is presented, taking the optical transmission in the sample container and the properties of the photomultiplier tube into account. Special attention is paid to the energy resolution of this type of Cerenkov detector. For the design of practical detectors the results from several investigations of various window and reflector materials are given, and the selection of photomultiplier tubes is briefly discussed. In the case of optical reflectors and photomultiplier tubes reference is made to two previous reports by the author. The influence of the size and geometry of the sample container on the energy resolution follows from a separate investigation, as well as the relative merits of sample containers with transparent inner walls. Provided that the energy resolution of the Cerenkov detector is sufficiently high, there are several reasons for using this detector type for failed-fuel-element detection. It seems possible to attain the desired energy resolution by careful detector design.

  12. Perspective on the fusion-fission energy concept

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liikala, R.C.; Perry, R.T.; Teofilo, V.L.

    1978-01-01

    A concept which has potential for near-term application in the electric power sector of our energy economy is combining fusion and fission technology. The fusion-fission system, called a hybrid, is distinguished from its pure fusion counterpart by incorporation of fertile materials (uranium or thorium) in the blanket region of a fusion machine. The neutrons produced by the fusion process can be used to generate energy through fission events in the blanket or produce fuel for fission reactors through capture events in the fertile material. The performance requirements of the fusion component of hybrids is perceived as being less stringent than those for pure fusion electric power plants. The performance requirements for the fission component of hybrids is perceived as having been demonstrated or could be demonstrated with a modest investment of research and development funds. This paper presents our insights and observations of this concept in the context of why and where it might fit into the picture of meeting our future energy needs. A bibliography of hybrid research is given

  13. NEET Micro-Pocket Fission Detector. Final Project report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Unruh, T. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Rempe, Joy [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); McGregor, Douglas [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Ugorowski, Philip [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Reichenberger, Michael [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Ito, Takashi [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Villard, J. -F. [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

    2014-09-01

    A collaboration between the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), the Kansas State University (KSU), and the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, (CEA), is funded by the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET) program to develop and test Micro-Pocket Fission Detectors (MPFDs), which are compact fission chambers capable of simultaneously measuring thermal neutron flux, fast neutron flux and temperature within a single package. When deployed, these sensors will significantly advance flux detection capabilities for irradiation tests in US Material Test Reactors (MTRs). Ultimately, evaluations may lead to a more compact, more accurate, and longer lifetime flux sensor for critical mock-ups, and high performance reactors, allowing several Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) programs to obtain higher accuracy/higher resolution data from irradiation tests of candidate new fuels and materials. Specifically, deployment of MPFDs will address several challenges faced in irradiations performed at MTRs: Current fission chamber technologies do not offer the ability to measure fast flux, thermal flux and temperature within a single compact probe; MPFDs offer this option. MPFD construction is very different than current fission chamber construction; the use of high temperature materials allow MPFDs to be specifically tailored to survive harsh conditions encountered in-core of high performance MTRs. The higher accuracy, high fidelity data available from the compact MPFD will significantly enhance efforts to validate new high-fidelity reactor physics codes and new multi-scale, multi-physics codes. MPFDs can be built with variable sensitivities to survive the lifetime of an experiment or fuel assembly in some MTRs, allowing for more efficient and cost effective power monitoring. The small size of the MPFDs allows multiple sensors to be deployed, offering the potential to

  14. Tight connection between fission gas discharge channels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, W.; Peehs, M.; Rau, P.; Krug, W.; Stechemesser, H.

    1978-01-01

    The invention is concerned with the tight connection between the fission gas discharge channel, leading away from the support plate of a gas-cooled reactor, and the top of the fuel element suspended from this support plate. The closure is designed to be gas-tight for the suspended as well as for the released fuel element. The tight connection has got an annular body resting on the core support plate in the mouth region of the fission gas discharge channel. This body is connected with the fission gas discharge channel in the fuel element top fitting via a gas-tight part and supported by a compression spring. Care is taken for sealing if the fuel element is removal. (RW) [de

  15. An analysis of the additional fission product release phenomena

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takeda, Tsuneo; Nagai, Hitoshi

    1978-09-01

    The additional fission product release behavior through a defect hole on the cladding of fuel rods has been studied qualitatively with a computer program CODAC-ARFP. The additional fission product release phenomena are described as qualitative evaluation. The additional fission product release behavior in coolant temperature and pressure fluctuations and in reactor start-up and shut-down depends on coolant water flow behavior into and from the free space of fuel rods through a defect hole. Based on the results of evaluations, the experimental results with an inpile water loop OWL-1 are described in detail. The estimation methods of fission product quantity in the free space and fission product release ratio (quantity released into the coolant/quantity in the free space before beginning of release) are necessary for analysis of the fission product release behavior; the estimation method of water flow through a defect hole is also necessary. In development of the above estimation methods, outpile and capsule experiments supporting the additional fission product release experiments are required. (author)

  16. Review of mirror fusion reactor designs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bender, D.J.

    1977-01-01

    Three magnetic confinement concepts, based on the mirror principle, are described. These mirror concepts are summarized as follows: (1) fusion-fission hybrid reactor, (2) tandem mirror reactor, and (3) reversed field mirror reactor

  17. R and D in Ciemat Nuclear Fission Department

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diaz, J. L.; Diaz Arocas, P.; Gomez Briceno, D.; Gonzalez de la Huebra Gordo, A.; Gonzalez Romero, E.; Herranz Puebla, L. E.; Sola Farre, R.

    2000-01-01

    The technologically developed countries count on nuclear fission as a durable energy resource to produce electricity, facing the future by establishing research programmes to enhance the safety and extend the lifetime of the current power plants and to achieve the adequate management of radioactive waste. At the same time, the progress in the development of a new generation of reactors based in innovative safety concepts. The Nuclear fission Department has the ultimate objective of providing technical support to the Spanish nuclear reactors through applied research and development focused on improving the safety and performance of the operating power plants, and cooperating in the activities related to radioactive waste. In this context, the Departament has been organised in four R and D project covering the areas of Safety, Materials, Radioactive. (Author)

  18. Strengthening the fission reactor nuclear science and engineering program at UCLA. Final technical report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okrent, D.

    1997-01-01

    This is the final report on DOE Award No. DE-FG03-92ER75838 A000, a three year matching grant program with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG and E) to support strengthening of the fission reactor nuclear science and engineering program at UCLA. The program began on September 30, 1992. The program has enabled UCLA to use its strong existing background to train students in technological problems which simultaneously are of interest to the industry and of specific interest to PG and E. The program included undergraduate scholarships, graduate traineeships and distinguished lecturers. Four topics were selected for research the first year, with the benefit of active collaboration with personnel from PG and E. These topics remained the same during the second year of this program. During the third year, two topics ended with the departure o the students involved (reflux cooling in a PWR during a shutdown and erosion/corrosion of carbon steel piping). Two new topics (long-term risk and fuel relocation within the reactor vessel) were added; hence, the topics during the third year award were the following: reflux condensation and the effect of non-condensable gases; erosion/corrosion of carbon steel piping; use of artificial intelligence in severe accident diagnosis for PWRs (diagnosis of plant status during a PWR station blackout scenario); the influence on risk of organization and management quality; considerations of long term risk from the disposal of hazardous wastes; and a probabilistic treatment of fuel motion and fuel relocation within the reactor vessel during a severe core damage accident

  19. Heat treatments of irradiated uranium oxide in a pressurised water reactor (P.W.R.): swelling and fission gas release

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zacharie, I.

    1997-01-01

    In order to keep pressurised water reactors at a top level of safety, it is necessary to understand the chemical and mechanical interaction between the cladding and the fuel pellet due to a temperature increase during a rapid change in reactor. In this process, the swelling of uranium oxide plays an important role. It comes from a bubble precipitation of fission gases which are released when they are in contact with the outside. Therefore, the aim of this thesis consists in acquiring a better understanding of the mechanisms which come into play. Uranium oxide samples, from a two cycles irradiated fuel, first have been thermal treated between 1000 deg C and 1700 deg C for 5 minutes to ten hours. The gas release amount related to time has been measured for each treatment. The comparison of the experimental results with a numerical model has proved satisfactory: it seems that the gases release, after the formation of intergranular tunnels, is controlled by the diffusion phenomena. Afterwards, the swelling was measured on the samples. The microscopic examination shows that the bubbles are located in the grain boundaries and have a lenticular shape. The swelling can be explained by the bubbles coalescence and a model was developed based on this observation. An equation allows to calculate the intergranular swelling in function of time and temperature. The study gives the opportunity to predict the fission gases behaviour during a fuel temperature increase. (author)

  20. Fission Product Yields of 233U, 235U, 238U and 239Pu in Fields of Thermal Neutrons, Fission Neutrons and 14.7-MeV Neutrons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laurec, J.; Adam, A.; de Bruyne, T.; Bauge, E.; Granier, T.; Aupiais, J.; Bersillon, O.; Le Petit, G.; Authier, N.; Casoli, P.

    2010-12-01

    The yields of more than fifteen fission products have been carefully measured using radiochemical techniques, for 235U(n,f), 239Pu(n,f) in a thermal spectrum, for 233U(n,f), 235U(n,f), and 239Pu(n,f) reactions in a fission neutron spectrum, and for 233U(n,f), 235U(n,f), 238U(n,f), and 239Pu(n,f) for 14.7 MeV monoenergetic neutrons. Irradiations were performed at the EL3 reactor, at the Caliban and Prospero critical assemblies, and at the Lancelot electrostatic accelerator in CEA-Valduc. Fissions were counted in thin deposits using fission ionization chambers. The number of fission products of each species were measured by gamma spectrometry of co-located thick deposits.

  1. Status on potential of advanced fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    L-Zaleski, C.P.

    1978-01-01

    In this short lecture, only two types of reactors will be discussed: the liquid metal fast breeder reactors (LMFBR) and the high temperature reactors (HTR). This does not mean that other very interesting concepts do not exist, but there are or proven light water reactors and heavy water reactors or has not reached the state of industrial development like molten-salt or gas breeder reactors. In discussing any types of industrial development, it seems to me useful, first to indicate the reasons or motivations for this development. Then I will give a short historical review and analysis of what has been done up to now. For HTR's a very brief status report will be presented. For LMFBR's, I will give indications of experience gained with demonstration plants and more specifically with Phenix, before listing the most important technical problems which still need more work to be fully solved. Finally, I will briefly discuss the economic status and perspectives of LMFBR's and will mention the public acceptance problem

  2. Event tree analysis for the system of hybrid reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Yongwei; Qiu Lijian

    1993-01-01

    The application of probabilistic risk assessment for fusion-fission hybrid reactor is introduced. A hybrid reactor system has been analysed using event trees. According to the character of the conceptual design of Hefei Fusion-fission Experimental Hybrid Breeding Reactor, the probabilities of the event tree series induced by 4 typical initiating events were calculated. The results showed that the conceptual design is safe and reasonable. through this paper, the safety character of hybrid reactor system has been understood more deeply. Some suggestions valuable to safety design for hybrid reactor have been proposed

  3. Laser driven fusion fission hybrids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hansen, L.F.; Maniscalco, J.A.

    1977-11-01

    The role of the fusion-fission hybrid reactor (FFHR) as a fissile fuel and/or power producer is discussed. As long range options to supply the world energy needs, hybrid-fueled thermal-burner reactors are compared to liquid metal fast breeder reactors (LMFBR). A discussion of different fuel cycles (thorium, depleted uranium, and spent fuel) is presented in order to compare the energy multiplication, the production of fissile fuel, the laser efficiency and pellet gain requirements of the hybrid reactor. Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL) has collaborated with Bechtel Corporation and with Westinghouse in two engineering design studies of laser fusion driven hybrid power plants. The hybrid designs which have resulted from these two studies are briefly described and analyzed by considering operational parameters, such as energy multiplication, power density, burn-up and plutonium production as a function time

  4. Analysis of calculated neutron flux response at detectors of G.A. Siwabessy multipurpose reactor (RSG-GAS Reactor)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taryo, Taswanda

    2002-01-01

    Multi Purpose Reactor G.A. Siwabessy (RSG-GAS) reactor core possesses 4 fission-chamber detectors to measure intermediate power level of RSG-GAS reactor. Another detector, also fission-chamber detector, is intended to measure power level of RSG-GAS reactor. To investigate influence of space to the neutron flux values for each detector measuring intermediate and power levels has been carried out. The calculation was carried out using combination of WIMS/D4 and CITATION-3D code and focused on calculation of neutron flux at different detector location of RSG-GAS typical working core various scenarios. For different scenarios, all calculation results showed that each detector, located at different location in the RSG-GAS reactor core, causes different neutron flux occurred in the reactor core due to spatial time effect

  5. SACHET, Dynamic Fission Products Inventory in PWR Multiple Compartment System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kodaira, Hideki

    1990-01-01

    1 - Description of program or function: SACHET evaluates the dynamic fission product inventories in the multiple compartment system of pressurized water reactor (PWR) plants. 2 - Method of solution: SACHET utilizes a matrix of fission product core inventory which is previously calculated by the ORIGEN code. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: Liquid wastes such as chemical waste and detergent waste are not included

  6. Reactor coolant system and containment aqueous chemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torgerson, D.F.

    1986-01-01

    Fission products released from fuel during reactor accidents can be subject to a variety of environments that will affect their ultimate behavior. In the reactor coolant system (RCS), for example, neutral or reducing steam conditions, radiation, and surfaces could all have an effect on fission product retention and chemistry. Furthermore, if water is encountered in the RCS, the high temperature aqueous chemistry of fission products must be assessed to determine the quantity and chemical form of fission products released to the containment building. In the containment building, aqueous chemistry will determine the longer-term release of volatile fission products to the containment atmosphere. Over the past few years, the principles of physical chemistry have been rigorously applied to the various chemical conditions described above. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge and discusses the future directions of chemistry research relating to the behavior of fission products in the RCS and containment

  7. Economic implications of fusion-fission energy systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deonigi, D.E.; Schulte, S.C.

    1979-04-01

    The principal conclusions that can be made based on the estimated costs reported in this paper are twofold. First, hybrid reactors operating symbiotically with conventional fission reactors are a potentially attractive supply alternative. Estimated hybrid energy system costs are slightly greater than estimated costs of the most attractive alternatives. However, given the technological, economic, and institutional uncertainties associated with future energy supply, differences of such magnitude are of little significance. Second, to be economically viable, hybrid reactors must be both fuel producers and electricity producers. A data point representing each hybrid reactor driver-blanket concept is plotted as a function of net electrical production efficiency and annual fuel production. The plots illustrate that the most economically viable reactor concepts are those that produce both fuel and electricity

  8. Fission Fragment Mass Distributions and Total Kinetic Energy Release of 235-Uranium and 238-Uranium in Neutron-Induced Fission at Intermediate and Fast Neutron Energies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duke, Dana Lynn [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

    2015-11-12

    This Ph.D. dissertation describes a measurement of the change in mass distributions and average total kinetic energy (TKE) release with increasing incident neutron energy for fission of 235U and 238U. Although fission was discovered over seventy-five years ago, open questions remain about the physics of the fission process. The energy of the incident neutron, En, changes the division of energy release in the resulting fission fragments, however, the details of energy partitioning remain ambiguous because the nucleus is a many-body quantum system. Creating a full theoretical model is difficult and experimental data to validate existing models are lacking. Additional fission measurements will lead to higher-quality models of the fission process, therefore improving applications such as the development of next-generation nuclear reactors and defense. This work also paves the way for precision experiments such as the Time Projection Chamber (TPC) for fission cross section measurements and the Spectrometer for Ion Determination in Fission (SPIDER) for precision mass yields.

  9. Developments and Tendencies in Fission Reactor Concepts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adamov, E. O.; Fuji-Ie, Y.

    This chapter describes, in two parts, new-generation nuclear energy systems that are required to be in harmony with nature and to make full use of nuclear resources. The issues of transmutation and containment of radioactive waste will also be addressed. After a short introduction to the first part, Sect. 58.1.2 will detail the requirements these systems must satisfy on the basic premise of peaceful use of nuclear energy. The expected designs themselves are described in Sect. 58.1.3. The subsequent sections discuss various types of advanced reactor systems. Section 58.1.4 deals with the light water reactor (LWR) whose performance is still expected to improve, which would extend its application in the future. The supercritical-water-cooled reactor (SCWR) will also be shortly discussed. Section 58.1.5 is mainly on the high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR), which offers efficient and multipurpose use of nuclear energy. The gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR) is also included. Section 58.1.6 focuses on the sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) as a promising concept for advanced nuclear reactors, which may help both to achieve expansion of energy sources and environmental protection thus contributing to the sustainable development of mankind. The molten-salt reactor (MSR) is shortly described in Sect. 58.1.7. The second part of the chapter deals with reactor systems of a new generation, which are now found at the research and development (R&D) stage and in the medium term of 20-30 years can shape up as reliable, economically efficient, and environmentally friendly energy sources. They are viewed as technologies of cardinal importance, capable of resolving the problems of fuel resources, minimizing the quantities of generated radioactive waste and the environmental impacts, and strengthening the regime of nonproliferation of the materials suitable for nuclear weapons production. Particular attention has been given to naturally safe fast reactors with a closed fuel cycle (CFC

  10. Delayed Fission Gamma-ray Characteristics of Th-232 U-233 U-235 U-238 and Pu-239

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lane, Taylor [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Parma, Edward J. [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2015-08-01

    Delayed fission gamma-rays play an important role in determining the time dependent ioniz- ing dose for experiments in the central irradiation cavity of the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR). Delayed gamma-rays are produced from both fission product decay and from acti- vation of materials in the core, such as cladding and support structures. Knowing both the delayed gamma-ray emission rate and the time-dependent gamma-ray energy spectrum is nec- essary in order to properly determine the dose contributions from delayed fission gamma-rays. This information is especially important when attempting to deconvolute the time-dependent neutron, prompt gamma-ray, and delayed gamma-ray contribution to the response of a diamond photo-conducting diode (PCD) or fission chamber in time frames of milliseconds to seconds following a reactor pulse. This work focused on investigating delayed gamma-ray character- istics produced from fission products from thermal, fast, and high energy fission of Th-232, U-233, U-235, U-238, and Pu-239. This work uses a modified version of CINDER2008, a transmutation code developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, to model time and energy dependent photon characteristics due to fission. This modified code adds the capability to track photon-induced transmutations, photo-fission, and the subsequent radiation caused by fission products due to photo-fission. The data is compared against previous work done with SNL- modified CINDER2008 [ 1 ] and experimental data [ 2 , 3 ] and other published literature, includ- ing ENDF/B-VII.1 [ 4 ]. The ability to produce a high-fidelity (7,428 group) energy-dependent photon fluence at various times post-fission can improve the delayed photon characterization for radiation effects tests at research reactors, as well as other applications.

  11. Aerosols and fission product transport

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Megaw, W.J.

    1987-12-01

    A survey is presented of current knowledge of the possible role of aerosols in the consequences of in- and out-of-core LOCAs and of end fitting failures in CANDU reactors. An extensive literature search has been made of research on the behaviour of aerosols in possible accidents in water moderated and cooled reactors and the results of various studies compared. It is recommended that further work should be undertaken on the formation of aerosols during these possible accidents and to study their subsequent behaviour. It is also recommended that the fission products behaviour computer code FISSCON II should be re-examined to determine whether it reflects the advances incorporated in other codes developed for light water reactors which have been extensively compared. 47 refs

  12. Yields of products from thermal-neutron induced fission of 235U

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rudstam, G.; Aagaard, P.; Zwicky, H.U.

    1985-01-01

    Methods for fission yield determinations at an ISOL-system connected to a nuclear reactor have been developed. The present report contains detailed descriptions both of the experimental techniques and of the method used to correct the experimental yields for the decay of short-lived nuclear species in the delay between production and measurement. The methods have been applied to the determination of the fission yields of 40 fission products including 2 isometric pairs in the light mass region and those of 99 fission products including 25 isometric pairs or triplets in the heavy mass region. For 64 cases this is the first determination published. (author)

  13. Detection of gaseous fission products in water - a method of monitoring fuel sheathing failures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tunnicliffe, P. R.; Whittier, A. C.

    1959-05-15

    The gaseous activities stripped from samples of effluent coolant from the NRU fuel elements tested in the central thimble of the NRX reactor (NRU loop) and from the NRX main effluent have been investigated. The activities obtained from the NRU loop can be attributed to gaseous fission products only. Design data have been obtained for a 'Gaseous Fission Product Monitor' to be installed for use with the NRU reactor. It is expected that this monitor will have high sensitivity to activity indicative of an incipient fuel element sheath failure. No qualitative determination of the various gaseous activities obtained from the NRX effluent has been made. A strong component of 25 {+-}1 seconds half-life is not consistent with O-19. Limited information concerning sheath failures in NRX was obtained. Of six failures observed in parallel with the installed delayed neutron monitors, three of these gave pre-warnings and in each case the gaseous fission product monitor showed a substantially greater sensitivity. An experiment in which small samples of uranium, inserted into the NRX reactor, could be exposed at will to a stream of water showed the behaviour of the two types of monitors to be similar. However, a number of signals were detected only by the gaseous fission product monitor. These can be attributed to its sensitivity to relatively long lived fission products. (author)

  14. Nuclear propulsion apparatus with alternate reactor segments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szekely, T.

    1979-01-01

    Nuclear propulsion apparatus comprising: (a) means for compressing incoming air; (b) nuclear fission reactor means for heating said air; (c) means for expanding a portion of the heated air to drive said compressing means; (d) said nuclear fission reactor means being divided into a plurality of radially extending segments; (e) means for directing a portion of the compressed air for heating through alternate segments of said reactor means and another portion of the compressed air for heating through the remaining segments of said reactor means; and (f) means for further expanding the heated air from said drive means and the remaining heated air from said reactor means through nozzle means to effect reactive thrust on said apparatus. 12 claims

  15. Radiation effects in fuel materials for fission reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matzke, H.

    1983-01-01

    Physical and chemical changes that occur in fuel materials during fission are described. Emphasis is placed on the fuels used today, or those foreseen for the future, hence oxides and carbides of uranium and plutonium. Examples are given to illustrate the most interesting neutron effects. (author)

  16. Kinetic-energy distribution for symmetric fission of 236U

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brissot, R.; Bocquet, J.P.; Ristori, C.; Crancon, J.; Guet, C.R.; Nifenecker, H.A.; Montoya, M.

    1980-01-01

    Fission fragment kinetic-energy distributions have been measured at the Grenoble high-flux reactor with the Lohengrin facility. Spurious events were eliminated in the symmetric region by a coherence test based on a time-of-flight measurement of fragment velocities. A Monte-Carlo calculation is then performed to correct the experimental data for neutron evaporation. The difference between the most probable kinetic energy in symmetric fission and the fission in which the heavy fragment is 'magic' (Zsub(H)=50) is found to be approximately =30 MeV. The results suggest that for the symmetric case the total excitation energy available at scission is shared equally among the fragments. (author)

  17. Gaseous fuel reactors for power systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kendall, J. S.; Rodgers, R. J.

    1977-01-01

    Gaseous-fuel nuclear reactors have significant advantages as energy sources for closed-cycle power systems. The advantages arise from the removal of temperature limits associated with conventional reactor fuel elements, the wide variety of methods of extracting energy from fissioning gases, and inherent low fissile and fission product in-core inventory due to continuous fuel reprocessing. Example power cycles and their general performance characteristics are discussed. Efficiencies of gaseous fuel reactor systems are shown to be high with resulting minimal environmental effects. A technical overview of the NASA-funded research program in gaseous fuel reactors is described and results of recent tests of uranium hexafluoride (UF6)-fueled critical assemblies are presented.

  18. Analytical evaluation of fission product sensitivities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sola, A.

    1977-01-01

    Evaluating the concentration of a fission product produced in a reactor requires the knowledge of a fairly large number of variables. Sensitivity studies were made to ascertain the important variables. Analytical formulae were developed sufficiently simple to allow numerical computations. Some simplified formulas are also given and they are applied to the following isotopes: 80 Se, 82 Se, 81 Br, 82 Br, 82 Kr, 83 Kr, 84 Kr, 85 Kr, 86 Kr. Their sensitivities to capture cross sections, fission yields, ratios of activation cross sections, half-lives (during and after irradiation), branching ratios, as well as to the neutron flux and to the time are considered

  19. Uncertainties on decay heat power due to fission product data uncertainties; Incertitudes sur la puissance residuelle dues aux incertitudes sur les donnees de produits de fission

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rebah, J

    1998-08-01

    Following a reactor shutdown, after the fission process has completely faded out, a significant quantity of energy known as 'decay heat' continues to be generated in the core. The knowledge with a good precision of the decay heat released in a fuel after reactor shutdown is necessary for: residual heat removal for normal operation or emergency shutdown condition, the design of cooling systems and spent fuel handling. By the summation calculations method, the decay heat is equal to the sum of the energies released by individual fission products. Under taking into account all nuclides that contribute significantly to the total decay heat, the results from summation method are comparable with the measured ones. Without the complete covariance information of nuclear data, the published uncertainty analyses of fission products decay heat summation calculation give underestimated errors through the variance/covariance analysis in consideration of correlation between the basic nuclear data, we calculate in this work the uncertainties on the decay heat associated with the summation calculations. Contribution to the total error of decay heat comes from uncertainties in three terms: fission yields, half-lives and average beta and gamma decay energy. (author)

  20. Molten salt reactor concept

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sood, D.D.

    1980-01-01

    Molten salt reactor is an advanced breeder concept which is suited for the utilization of thorium for nuclear power production. This reactor is based on the use of solutions of uranium or plutonium fluorides in LiF-BeF 2 -ThF 4 as fuel. Unlike the conventional reactors, no external coolant is used in the reactor core and the fuel salt itself is circulated through heat exchangers to transfer the fission produced heat to a secondary salt (NaF-NaBF 4 ) for steam generation. A part of the fuel stream is continuously processed to isolate 233 Pa, so that it can decay to fissile 233 U without getting converted to 234 Pa, and for the removal of neutron absorbing fission products. This on-line processing scheme makes this reactor concept to achieve a breeding ratio of 1.07 which is the highest for any thermal breeder reactor. Experimental studies at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay, have established the use of plutonium as fuel for this reactor. This molten salt reactor concept is described and the work conducted at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is summarised. (auth.)

  1. Initial charge reactor core

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kiyono, Takeshi

    1984-01-01

    Purpose: To effectivity burn fuels and improve the economical performance in an inital charge reactor core of BWR type reactors or the likes. Constitution: In a reactor core constituted with a plurality of fuel assemblies which are to be partially replaced upon fuel replacement, the density of the fissionable materials and the moderator - fuel ratio of a fuel assembly is set corresponding to the period till that fuel assembly is replaced, in which the density of the nuclear fissionable materials is lowered and the moderator - fuel ratio is increased for the fuel assembly with a shorter period from the fueling to the fuel exchange and, while on the other hand, the density of the fissionable materials is increased and the moderator - fuel ratio is decreased for the fuel assembly with a longer period from the fueling to the replacement. Accordingly, since the moderator - fuel ratio is increased for the fuel assembly to be replaced in a shorter period, the neutrons moderating effect is increased to increase the reactivity. (Horiuchi, T.)

  2. 1978 source book for fusion--fission hybrid systems. Executive summary

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crowley, J.H.; Pavlenco, G.F.; Kaminski, R.S.

    1978-12-01

    The 1978 Source Book for Fusion--Fission Hybrid Systems was prepared by United Engineers and Constructors Inc. for the U.S. Department of Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute. It reviews the current status of fusion--fission hybrid reactors, and presents the prevailing views of members of the fusion community on the RD and D timetable required for the development and commercialization of fusion--fission hybrids. The results presented are based on a review of related references as well as interviews with recognized experts in the field. Contributors from the academic and industrial communities are listed

  3. Comparison of predicted and measured fission product behaviour in the Fort St. Vrain HTGR during the first three cycles of operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanson, D.L.; Jovanovic, V.; Burnette, R.D.

    1985-01-01

    The 330 MW(e) Fort St. Vrain (M) High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) is fueled with (Th,U)C 2 /ThC 2 TRISO-coated fuel particles contained in prismatic graphite fuel elements. Fission product release from the reactor core has been monitored during the first three cycles of operation. In order to assess the validity of the design methods used to predict fission product source terms for HTGRs, fission product release from the reactor core has been predicted by the reference design methods and compared with reactor surveillance measurements and with the results of postirradiation examination (PIE) of spent FSV fuel elements. Overall, the predictive methods have been shown to be conservative: the predicted fission gas release at the end of Cycle 3 is about five times higher than observed. The dominant source of fission gas release is as-manufactured, heavy-metal contamination; in-service failure of the coated fuel particles appears to be negligible, which is consistent with the PIE of spent fuel elements removed during the first two refuelings. The predicted releases of fission metals are insignificant compared to the release and subsequent decay of their gaseous precursors, which is consistent with plateout probe measurements. (author)

  4. Release and transport of fission product cesium in the TMI-2 accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lorenz, R.A.; Collins, J.L.

    1986-01-01

    Approximately 50% of the fission product cesium was released from the overheated UO 2 fuel in the TMI-2 accident. Steam that boiled away from a water pool in the bottom of the reactor vessel transported the released fission products throughout the reactor coolant system (RCS). Some fission products passed directly through a leaking valve with steam and water into the containment structure, but most deposited on dry surfaces inside of the RCS before being dissolved or resuspended when the RCS was refilled with water. A cesium transport model was developed that extended measured cesium in the RCS back to the first day of the accident. The model revealed that ∼62% of the released 137 Cs deposited on dry surfaces inside of the RCS before being slowly leached and transported out of the RCS in leaked or letdown water. The leach rates from the model agreed reasonably well with those measured in the laboratory. The chemical behavior of cesium in the TMI-2 accident agreed with that observed in fission product release tests at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)

  5. Markets for reactor-produced non-fission radioisotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bennett, R.G.

    1995-01-01

    Current market segments for reactor produced radioisotopes are developed and reported from a review of current literature. Specific radioisotopes studied in is report are the primarily selected from those with major medical or industrial markets, or those expected to have strongly emerging markets. Relative market sizes are indicated. Special emphasis is given to those radioisotopes that are best matched to production in high flux reactors such as the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory or the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A general bibliography of medical and industrial radioisotope applications, trends, and historical notes is included

  6. FISPRO: a simplified computer program for general fission product formation and decay calculations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiacoletti, R.J.; Bailey, P.G.

    1979-08-01

    This report describes a computer program that solves a general form of the fission product formation and decay equations over given time steps for arbitrary decay chains composed of up to three nuclides. All fission product data and operational history data are input through user-defined input files. The program is very useful in the calculation of fission product activities of specific nuclides for various reactor operational histories and accident consequence calculations

  7. The computerized reactor period measurement system for China fast burst reactor-II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Wuwen; Jiang Zhiguo

    1996-01-01

    The article simply introduces the hardware, principle, and software of the computerized reactor period measurement system for China Fast Burst Reactor-II (CFBR-II). It also gives the relation between fission yield and pre-reactivity of CFBR-II reactor system of bared reactor with decoupled-component and system of bared reactor with multiple light-material. The computerized measurement system makes the reactor period measurement into automatical and intelligent and also improves the speed and precision of period data on-line process

  8. Computer measurement system of reactor period for China fast burst reactor-II

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Wuwen; Jiang Zhiguo

    1997-01-01

    The author simply introduces the hardware, principle, and software of the reactor period computer measure system for China Fast Burst Reactor-II (CFBR-II). It also gives the relation between Fission yield and Pre-reactivity of CFBR-II reactor system of bared reactor with decoupled-component and system of bared reactor with multiple light-material. The computer measure system makes the reactor period measurement into automation and intellectualization and also improves the speed and precision of period data process on-line

  9. Graphite materials for nuclear reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oku, Tatsuo

    1991-01-01

    Graphite materials have been used in the nuclear fission reactors from the beginning of the reactor development for the speed reduction and reflection of neutron. Graphite materials are used both as a moderator and as a reflector in the core of high temperature gas-cooled reactors, and both as a radiation shielding material and as a reflector in the surrounding of the core for the fast breeder reactor. On the other hand, graphite materials are being positively used as a first wall of plasma as it is known that low Z materials are useful for holding high temperature plasma in the nuclear fusion devices. In this paper the present status of the application of graphite materials to the nuclear fission reactors and fusion devices (reactors) is presented. In addition, a part of results on the related properties to the structural design and safety evaluation and results examined on the subjects that should be done in the future are also described. (author)

  10. Fission reactor control rod

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Irie, Tomoo.

    1991-01-01

    The present invention concerns a control rod in a PWR type reactor. A control rod has an inner cladding tube and an outer cladding tube disposed coaxially, and a water draining hole is formed at the inside of the inner cladding tube. Neutron absorbers are filled in an annular gap between the outer cladding tube and the inner cladding tube. The water draining hole opens at the lower end thereof to the top end of the control rod and at the upper end thereof to the side of the upper end plug of the control rod. If the control rod is dropped to a control rod guide thimble for reactor scram, coolants from the control rod guide thimble are flown from the lower end of the water draining hole and discharged from the upper end passing through the water draining hole. In this way, water from the control rod guide thimble is removed easily when the control rod is dropped. Further, the discharging amount of water itself is reduced by the provision of the water draining hole. Accordingly, sufficient control rod dropping speed can be attained. (I.N.)

  11. Separation of fission Molybdenum for production of technetium generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bayat, L.; Shaham, V.; Davarkha, R.

    2002-01-01

    There are two basically different methods for Mo-99 productions: Activation of Mo-99 contained at about 24% in natural isotopic mixtures. Mo-98 enriched targets are irradiated in high-flux reactors in order to achieve the highest possible specific activity of the product. Idolisation of fission molybdenum from irradiated nuclear fuel targets which have undergone short-term cooling. Maximum fission yield can be attained by irradiation of uranium-235 with the highest possible enrichment. On account of its approximately 1000 times higher specific activity. Fission molybdenum has almost replaced worldwide the product fabricated by activation. However, fission molybdenum-99 production has as its prerequisite a suitably advanced technology by which the production process taking place under high activity conditions can be controlled. An integral part of the process consist in the retention of the fission gases the recycling of non-consumed fuel and the treatment of the waste streams arising. This publication will deal with the individual steps in the process

  12. Interaction of noble-metal fission products with pyrolytic silicon carbide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lauf, R.J.; Braski, D.N.

    1982-01-01

    Fuel particles for the High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) contain layers of pyrolytic carbon and silicon carbide, which act as a miniature pressure vessel and form the primary fission product barrier. Of the many fission products formed during irradiation, the noble metals are of particular interest because they interact significantly with the SiC layer and their concentrations are somewhat higher in the low-enriched uranium fuels currently under consideration. To study fission product-SiC interactions, particles of UO 2 or UC 2 are doped with fission product elements before coating and are then held in a thermal gradient up to several thousand hours. Examination of the SiC coatings by TEM-AEM after annealing shows that silver behaves differently from the palladium group

  13. Two-Dimensional Mapping of the Calculated Fission Power for the Full-Size Fuel Plate Experiment Irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, G. S.; Lillo, M. A.

    2009-08-01

    The National Nuclear Security Administrations (NNSA) Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) program assigned to the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) the responsibility of developing and demonstrating high uranium density research reactor fuel forms to enable the use of low enriched uranium (LEU) in research and test reactors around the world. A series of full-size fuel plate experiments have been proposed for irradiation testing in the center flux trap (CFT) position of the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). These full-size fuel plate tests are designated as the AFIP tests. The AFIP nominal fuel zone is rectangular in shape having a designed length of 21.5-in (54.61-cm), width of 1.6-in (4.064-cm), and uniform thickness of 0.014-in (0.03556-cm). This gives a nominal fuel zone volume of 0.482 in3 (7.89 cm3) per fuel plate. The AFIP test assembly has two test positions. Each test position is designed to hold 2 full-size plates, for a total of 4 full-size plates per test assembly. The AFIP test plates will be irradiated at a peak surface heat flux of about 350 W/cm2 and discharged at a peak U-235 burn-up of about 70 at.%. Based on limited irradiation testing of the monolithic (U-10Mo) fuel form, it is desirable to keep the peak fuel temperature below 250°C to achieve this, it will be necessary to keep plate heat fluxes below 500 W/cm2. Due to the heavy U-235 loading and a plate width of 1.6-in (4.064-cm), the neutron self-shielding will increase the local-to-average-ratio (L2AR) fission power near the sides of the fuel plates. To demonstrate that the AFIP experiment will meet the ATR safety requirements, a very detailed 2-dimensional (2D) Y-Z fission power profile was evaluated in order to best predict the fuel plate temperature distribution. The ability to accurately predict fuel plate power and burnup are essential to both the design of the AFIP tests as well as evaluation of the irradiated fuel performance. To support this need, a detailed MCNP Y

  14. Nuclear fission studies: from LOHENGRIN to FIPPS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chebboubi, Abdelaziz

    2015-01-01

    Nuclear fission consists in splitting a nucleus, in general an actinide, into smaller nuclei. Despite nuclear fission was discovered in 1939 by Hahn and Strassman, fission models cannot predict the fission observables with an acceptable accuracy for nuclear fuel cycle studies for instance. Improvement of fission models is an important issue for the knowledge of the process itself and for the applications. To reduce uncertainties of the nuclear data used in a nuclear reactor simulation, a validation of the models hypothesis is mandatory. In this work, two features of the nuclear fission were investigated in order to test the resistance of the theories. One aspect is the study of the symmetric fission fragments through the measurement of their yield and kinetic energy distribution. The other aspect is the study of the fission fragment angular momentum.Two techniques are available to assess the angular momentum of a fission fragment. The first one is to look at the properties of the prompt gamma. The new spectrometer FIPPS (Fission Product Prompt gamma-ray Spectrometer), is currently under development at the ILL and will combine a fission filter with a large array of gamma and neutron detectors in order to respond to these issues. The first part of this work is dedicated to the study of the properties of a Gas Filled Magnet (GFM) which is the type of fission filter considered for the FIPPS project.The second part of this work deals with the measurement of isomeric yields and evaluations of the angular momentum distribution of fission fragments. The study of the spherical nucleus 132 Sn shed the light on the current limits of fission models. Finally, the last part of this work is about the measurement of the yields and kinetic energy distributions of symmetric fission fragments. Since models predict the existence of fission modes, the symmetry region is a suitable choice to investigate this kind of prediction. In parallel with all these studies, an emphasis on the

  15. Fission distribution measurements of Atucha's fuel pellets with solid state track detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ricabarra, M.D. Bovisio de; Waisman, Dina.

    1979-08-01

    Distribution of fissions in a UO 2 rod has been measured by means of solid state detectors. Mica muscovite and Makrofol-N detectors were used in the experiment. The merits of mica muscovite relative to the Makrofol-N for the detection of fission fragments have been verified. However both fission track detectors closely agree (0,5%) in the final fission distribution of the UO 2 rod. Sensitivity of the detectors shows to be linear in the range between 50.000and 360.000 fission tracks per square centimeter. Due to the high spatial resolution this method is better than any other technique. Determination were made in UO 2 pellets similar to the fuel element of the Atucha reactor. The average fission rate in the rod has been measured within 0,8% error, and provides an accurate determination for the distribution of fissions in the rod wich is needed for the determination of energy liberated per fission in the natural uranium rod.(author) [es

  16. Preparation of multigroup lumped fission product cross-sections from ENDF/B-VI for FBRs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Devan, K.; Gopalakrishnan, V.; Mohanakrishnan, P.; Sridharan, M.S.

    1997-01-01

    Multigroup pseudo fission product cross-sections were computed from the American evaluated nuclear data library ENDF/B-VI, corresponding to various burnups of the proposed 500 MWe prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR), in India. The data were derived from the cross-sections of 111 selected fission products that account for almost complete capture of fission products in an FBR. The dependence of burnup on the pseudo fission product cross-sections, and comparison with other data sets, viz. JNDC, ENDF/B-IV and ABBN, are discussed. (author)

  17. Calculating the mass distribution of heavy nucleus fission product by neutrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gudkov, A.N.; Koldobskij, A.B.; Kolobashkin, V.M.; Semenova, E.V.

    1981-01-01

    The technique of calculating the fission product mass yields by neutrons which are necessary for performing nucleus physical calculations in designing nuclear reactor cores is considered. The technique is based on the approximation of fission product mass distribution over the whole mass range by five Gauss functions. New analytical expressions for determining energy weights of used gaussians are proposed. The results of comparison of experimental data with calculated values for fission product mass obtained for reference processes in the capacity of which the fission reactions are chosen: 233 U, 235 U fission by thermal neutrons, 232 Th, 233 U, 235 U, 238 U by fission spectrum neutrons and 14 MeV neutrons and for 232 Th fission reactions by 11 MeV neutrons and 238 U by 7.7 MeV neutrons. On the basis of the analysis of results obtained the conclusion is drawn on a good agreement of fission product mass yield calculation values obtained using recommended values of mass distribution parameters with experimental data [ru

  18. Simulation of Fission Product Liftoff Behavior During Depressurization Transients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tak, Nam-il; Yoon, Churl; Lee, Sung Nam

    2016-01-01

    As one of crucial technologies for the NHDD project, the development of the GAMMA-FP code is on-going. The GAMMA-FP code is targeted for fission product transport analysis under accident conditions. A well-known experiment named COMEDIE considered two important phenomena, i.e., fission product plateout and liftoff, for fission product transport within the primary circuit of a prismatic high temperature gas cooled reactor. The accumulated fission products on the structural material via the plateout can be liftoff during a blowdown phase after a pipe break accident. Since the fission product liftoff can increase a radioactivity risk, it is important to predict the amount of fission product liftoff during depressurization accidents. In this work, a model for fission product liftoff is implemented into the GAMMA-FP code and the GAMMA-FP code with the implemented model is validated using the COMEDIE blowdown test data. The results of GAMMA-FP show that the GAMMA-FP code can reliably simulate a pressure transient during blowdown phase after a pipe break accident. In addition, a reasonable amount of fission product liftoff was predicted by the GAMMA-FP code. The maximum difference between the measured and predicted liftoff fraction was less than a factor of 10. More in-depth study is required to increase the accuracy of prediction for a fission product liftoff

  19. Nuclear reactor using fuel sphere for combustion and fuel spheres for breeding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamashita, Kiyonobu.

    1995-01-01

    The present invention concerns a pebble bed-type reactor which can efficiently convert parent nuclides to fission nuclides. Fuel spheres for combustion having fission nuclides as main fuels, and fuel spheres for breeding having parent nuclides as main fuels are used separately, in the pebble bed-type reactor. According to the present invention, fuel spheres for breeding can be stayed in a reactor core for a long period of time, so that parent nuclides can be sufficiently converted into fission nuclides. In addition, since fuel spheres for breeding are loaded repeatedly, the amount thereof to be used is reduced. Therefore, the amount of the fuel spheres for breeding is small even when they are re-processed. On the other hand, since the content of the fission nuclides in the fuel spheres for breeding is not great, they can be put to final storage. This is attributable that although the fuel spheres for breeding contain fission nuclides generated by conversion, the fission nuclides are annihilated by nuclear fission reactions at the same time with the generation thereof. (I.S.)

  20. Fission product release as a function of chemistry and fuel morphology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hobbins, R.R.; Osetek, D.J.; Petti, D.A.; Hagrman, D.L.

    1989-01-01

    Analysis of the consequences of severe reactor accidents requires knowledge of the location and chemical form of fission products throughout the accident sequence. Two factors that strongly influence the location and chemical form of fission products are the chemistry within the core and the morphology of the fuel or fuel-bearing debris. This paper reviews the current understanding of the these factors garnered from integral and separate effect experiments and the TMI-2 accident, and provides perspective on the significance of contributing phenomena for the analysis of severe accidents, particularly during the in-vessel phase. Information has been obtained recently on phenomena affecting the release of fission products from fuel and the reactor vessel during the in-vessel melt progression phase of a severe accident. The influence of a number of these phenomena will be reviewed, including fuel chemistry, H 2 /H 2 O ratio, fuel liquefaction, molten pools, and debris beds. 13 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab