A Look at Nuclear Science and Technology Larry Foulke

Module 5.1 A Taste of Reactor Physics Part 1

What Now ?
What weve learned so far: The fuel cycle Source of nuclear energy Types of radiation interactions Reaction rates Fission and its products Basis for reactor core calculations
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What Now ?
Lets address the calculation of the spatial distribution of the neutron flux in the reactor Control rod (rod Fuel rod
d 1 r , , E , t = dt v r , , E, t t ( r , E, t ) r , , E, t

withdrawn)
8

( ) ) ( r + ( r , t , E E, , , E , t ) dE d 1 (E) , t ) dE d + r , E , t r , E , ( ) ( k 4
4 0 s 4 0 f

Fixed burnable Absorber rod

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0 0 2 4 6 8

Image Source: See Note 1

What Now ?
Will also address the removal of the energy from fission and the conversion of that energy to electricity

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Image Source: See Note 2

What Now ?
Put it all together Time dependence Reactivity Depletion Plant Operations Virtual Plant Tour Design and Design Interfaces

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Image Source: See Note 3

Neutron Balance
Rate of Increase Rate of Rate of Rate of in Number = Production Absorption Leakage of Neutrons of Neutrons of Neutrons of Neutrons
Accumulation = Production

Absorption

Leakage

If Accumulation: =0 Critical >0 <0 Supercritical Subcritical

Steady State Increasing Decreasing

Static Kinetic/ Dynamic Kinetic/ Dynamic

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Nuclear Reactions
Production = Fission Rate (f) Neutrons produced per fission () Destruction Rate = Absorption Rate (a)

What about energy dependence?

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235U

Fission

Cross Section (Energy Dependence)

238U

238U

Absorption

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Image Source: See Note 4

Neutron Scattering

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Image Source: See Note 4

Moderator Materials
Increasingly High-Z Materials
Lower Average Energy Loss Decreasingly Effective Moderation

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Moderator Materials
Hydrogen
Highest average energy loss per collision of any target atom. Small, but noticeable, absorption cross section ( a 0.332 barns )

Deuterium
Almost as effective as hydrogen at moderation. Smaller absorption cross section than hydrogen ( a 0.0005 barns )
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Neutron Moderation Properties of Selected Atoms and Molecules Moderator Target Atomic Mass (A) Scattering Ratio () (1- ) Collisions to Thermal H 1 0.000 1.000 18 H2O 20 D 2 0.111 0.889 25 D2O 35 Be 9 0.640 0.360 86 C 12 0.716 0.284 114 O 16 0.779 0.221 150 Na 23 0.840 0.160 218 U 238 0.983 0.017 2148
Average number of collisions to moderate a fast (1 MeV) neutron to a thermal equilibrium energy of 0.025 eV.

Neutron Moderator Materials

Low Z atoms are more effective moderators than high Z atoms Most modern reactors use H, D, or C as moderators

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Image Source: See Note 4

238U

Absorption Cross Section Importance of Resonance Escape

Jump Resonances

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Image Source: See Note 4

Effect of Heterogeneity of Fuel & Moderator

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Importance of neutron moderation

For fissile isotopes (U235, Pu239, etc.), fission is most efficiently caused by thermal neutrons (energy < 1 eV). However, neutrons produced by fission are born with high energy (energy 2 MeV). In order for the chain reaction to continue, these highenergy fission neutrons must be slowed down to thermal energies (7 orders of magnitude).
Neutrons can lose energy through elastic collisions with target atoms in the material. We also want to minimize the number of neutrons that are absorbed before they reach thermal energies and can cause fission events.
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Infinite System
n Neutron Balance
n Production

Rate vs Absorption Rate f

a

n (Infinite)

Multiplication Factor

f Production Rate = = Absorption Rate a

n n

Simplified model using one energy group Everything has been effectively energy averaged

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Image Source Notes

1. Reprinted with permission from David Griesheimer. Functional Expansion Tallies for Monte Carlo Simulations, PhD Dissertation, Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan (2005). ProQuest/UMI, AAT 3163808. Reprinted with permission from World Nuclear Association. Reprinted with permission from Nuclear Engineering International UK. Source: World Nuclear Industry Handbook 2013. Adapted with permission from the American Nuclear Society. Nuclear Engineering Theory and Technology of Commercial Nuclear Power by Ronald Allen Knief, 2nd Edition. Copyright 2008 by the American Nuclear Society, La Grange Park, Illinois. Figure 2-12 (slide 8), 2-11 (slide 8 and 13), 4-2 (slide 9). Table 4-1 (slide 12).

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