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Sanchez, Rene

Publications and source records attributed to Sanchez, Rene.

24 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2019

Update on Benchmark Analysis of Component Critical Configurations of KRUSTY

Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) is prototype designed as a proof of concept for NASA’s Kilo power program, which was funded in order to create a small reactor for various space applications such as providing power for a colony on Mars or the moon and eventually as a possible option for powering rockets on deep space missions. Before the final prototype design was tested in March 2018, the component critical configuration, which had less external equipment than the prototype design, was created in November 2017. Both of these designs had less external equipment than the final version will have. This component critical con figuration was used to determine the worth of the beryllium oxide (BeO) reflector and of the boron carbide (B4C) control rod as well as creating necessary benchmark configurations.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Prompt Neutron Decay Constant Measurements on a Copper Reflected Intermediate Enrichment Uranium System with Lead Intersitial

This work examines a set of prompt neutron decay constant measurements performed on the Zeus critical experiment. The Zeus experiment was designed to measure the lead void reactivity coefficient associated with an intermediate enrichment uranium system. The initial goal was to perform the measurements on a low enriched uranium system, but weight limitations on the Comet critical assembly only allowed for a system with 21%-22% effective uranium enrichment to be built. The Zeus critical experiment was performed on the Comet critical assembly machine located at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC). The Comet critical assembly machine is a vertical lift assembly capable of supporting general large size critical experiments. This critical experiment consists of a copper reflector set most notably used in other configurations of the Zeus experiment series. The fuel used during the Zeus experiments consists of cylindrical highly enriched uranium (HEU) plates with a nominal 1/8-in. (0.318-cm) thickness. These plates were collocated with natural uranium plates to reduce the effective enrichment of the system to 21%-22%. Lead plates are interleaved between each fuel set.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Characterization of a Polyethylene Moderated Highly Enriched Uranium System

The polyethylene interstitial materials for the Class Foils experiment are one of the teaching tools used to teach criticality safety at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC). This set of polyethylene plates is designed to provide the optimal H/{sup 235}U ratio on the critical mass curve allowing the experiment to have the minimum amount of {sup 235}U. This makes a great teaching tool to show that either additional {sup 235}U or additional moderator would increase the critical mass. The optimal H/{sup 235}U ratio and increased hydrogen density compared to the previously used Lucite plates has reduced the critical mass by 34%, to 997.9 ± 0.65 g. The robustness of this experiment makes it ideal for hands on training. The fuel foils consist of thin highly enriched uranium (93 wt% {sup 235}U) metal foils laminated in plastic; each foil weighs approximately 68 grams. The fuel is interleaved between interstitial plates to attain a critical configuration. The critical configuration requires 14.5 fuel foils. Rossi-α experiments have been proposed as a method of benchmarking kinetics properties given by neutronics codes such as MCNP. (authors)

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2016

Prompt Neutron Decay Constants in a Highly Enriched Uranium-Lead Copper Reflected System

Rossi-{alpha} measurements were performed on highly enriched uranium (HEU)-lead copper reflected systems to determine the prompt neutron decay constants. These constants represent an eigenvalue characteristic of these particular critical configurations, which can be experimentally measured by the Rossi-a or pulse neutron source techniques and calculated by a deterministic or Monte Carlo method. In the measurements presented in this summary, highly enriched uranium interleaved with lead plates and reflected with copper were assembled to a high multiplication and the prompt neutron decay constants were determined by the Rossi-{alpha} technique. This research intended to benchmark the lead neutron cross sections; it was a collaboration between the Japanese Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) Fast Critical Assembly Facility (FCA) in Tokai, Japan and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in the U.S. (authors)

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2015

A new critical experiment in support of the nuclear criticality safety class - 14488

A new critical experiment has been performed on the Planet vertical assembly machine at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC). The purpose of the experiment was to compare the moderator properties of polyethylene versus Lucite and to use the experiment as an instructional tool for criticality safety engineers. The Lucite version of this experiment has been performed many times since the mid-1970's. Similar to the Lucite critical experiment, the polyethylene experiment was designed to emphasize the factors that affect criticality; namely, enrichment, reflection, interaction, moderation, mass, shape, volume, density, concentration, and poisons. The critical mass obtained with the moderating high density polyethylene plates was 997.0 ± 0.65 grams of highly enriched uranium, which is approximately 34% lower than the critical mass obtained using the Lucite moderating plates. This 34% decrease is mostly attributable to the higher hydrogen and carbon atom densities of polyethylene versus Lucite. (authors)

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗