B.

Rouben
UN0802
Reactor Exercises 2

1. A research reactor is in the shape of a parallelepiped with a square base of

side 5.2 m and a height 6.8 m. The reactor is filled uniformly with a fuel of
one-group properties f = 0.0072 cm-1 (and = 2.45) and a = 0.0070 cm-1.
The reactor operates steadily at a fission power of 15 MW. The average
value of Energy per fission Ef = 200 MeV, and 1 eV =1.6*10 -19 J. [Neglect the
extrapolation distance.]
(a) What is the value of the diffusion coefficient?
(b) What are the average and maximum values of the neutron flux?
(c) What is the maximum value of the neutron flux?
(d) At what rate is the fuel consumed in the entire reactor (in nuclides.s -1)
and at the centre of the reactor (in nuclides.cm-3.s-1)?
Solution on next page.
Solution:

f
a
k
(a ) We know that B 2
eff
(1) and k eff 1 (" reactor operates steadily" )
D
f a
D ( 2)
B2
2 2
3.1416 3.1416
We can get B 2 from the dim ensions : B 2 2 * 9.434 * 10 5 cm 2
520 680
0.0072 0.0070
D 2.12 cm
9.434 * 10 5
3.87 P
(b) The max imum flux is at the centre 0,0,0 A ( from Lamarsh, for a parallelepiped )
VE R f
3.87 * 15 MW
3.357 *1012 cm 2 .s 1
0.0072 cm 1
520 2 cm 2 * 680 cm * 200 MeV *
2.45
Let the average flux be . We can find it as follows :
Total Power E R * Average Fission Rate * Volume E R f V
15 MW
8.675 * 1011 cm 2 .s 1
0.0072 cm 1

200MeV * * 520 2 cm 2 * 680 cm
2.45
(c ) Sorry , this is a repetition of part of (b)!
(d ) The fuel is consumed by absorption, not just fission!
Total fuel consumption in reactor a V 0.0070 cm 1 * 8.675 * 1011 cm 2 .s 1 * 520cm 2 * 680cm
1.117 * 1018 s 1
& Fuel consumption at centre of reactor a 0,0,0 0.0070 cm 1 * 3.357 * 1012 cm 2 .s 1
2.350 * 1010 cm 3 .s 1

2. A homogeneous, bare cylindrical reactor with diameter 6.5 m and height 5.8
m is critical, and is operated at a fission power of 800 MW. The material of
which it is composed has (in 1 energy group):
= 2.38, f = 0.0042 cm-1, a = 0.0099 cm-1
[Note: neglect the extrapolation distance.]

a) Calculate the diffusion length.

b) What is the ratio of leakage to absorption?
c) What is the ratio of leakage t absorption?
d) Calculate the ratio of the flux on the cylinder axis at a distance of 1.8 m
from the centre of the reactor to the flux on the cylinder axis at a distance
of 0.2 m from the centre.
e) What is the average fission rate per cm3 in the reactor?
Solution on next page.
 Solution:
To calculate L2 , we need to know D. We do it this way :
Re actor is critical Material Buckling Geometrical Buckling
2 2 2 2
2.405 3.1416 2.405
Geometrical Buckling cm 2 0.8410 * 10 4 cm 2
H R 580 325
f a
Material Buckling 0.8410 * 10 4 cm 2
D
2.38 * 0.0042 0.0099
D cm 1.142 cm
0.8410 * 10 4
D 1.142
L2 cm 2 115 .3 cm 2
a 0.0099
Diffusion Length L 10.74 cm

Solution:
DB 2 115 .3 cm * 0.8410 cm 2
Ratio of leakage to absorption 0.0097
a 0.0099 cm 1

Solution:
z
The axial flux is proportion al to cos , where z is measured from
H
the midplane of the cylinder
Ratio of flux on axis 1 m from the centre to flux at 1.5 m from centre
cos *180 / 580
0.564
cos * 20 / 580
f) What is the average fission rate per cm3 of the reactor?
Solution:
Power rate Total Power
Fission rate
200 MeV 200MeV * Volume
800 MW
1.299 * 1011 fissions.cm 3 .s 1
200 MeV * 3.1416 * 325 cm * 580 cm
2