UCRL-JC-128203 PREPRINT Technical Information Resources for Criticality Safety D.P. Heinrichs B.L. Koponen This paper was prepared for submittal to the American Nuclear Society Winter Meeting Albuquerque, NM November 16-21, 1997 June 25, 1997 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory This is a preprint of a paper intended for publication in a journal or proceedings. Since changes may be made before publication, this preprint is made available with the understanding that it will not be cited or reproduced without the permission of the author.
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-1- Technical Information Resources for Criticality Safety David P. Heinrichs Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory P. O. Box 808, L-128 Livermore, California 94550 Brian L. Koponen Safe Sites of Colorado Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site P.O. Box 464 Golden, Colorado 80402-0464 June 25, 1997 This paper was prepared for submittal to the American Nuclear Society 1997 Winter Meeting November 16-21, 1997 Albuquerque, New Mexico
-2- This paper will discuss some basic technical information resources that would be helpful to the novice nuclear criticality safety specialist. These include bibliographic and benchmark compilations (Table I), handbooks (Table II), and online resources (Table III). The specialist should also be familiar with benchmark quality experimental data needed for code validation. This paper will also discuss the critical experiment data obtained in the 1950s and 1960s at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. A series of precise plutonium metal array measurements were made in the 1960s at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) which provide excellent benchmark data for array calculations with Monte Carlo codes. The units were three- and six-kilogram alpha-phase plutonium metal cylinders. Some measurements included moderator jackets around the units. Models of some of these experimental configurations are included in the International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments as PU-MET-THERM-001, PU-MET-FAST-003, PU- MET-FAST-004, and PU-MET-017. These LLNL array experiments were the essential benchmarks used in validation of the computational methods employed in the design of the Hanford button vault as reported in ARH-SA- 48. The LLNL buttons were later transferred to the Rocky Flats Critical Mass Laboratory for further critical array experimentation using a water immersion tank. Dr. Robert E. Rothe has completed a draft report describing these experiments. Although natural uranium, graphite-moderated systems have received extensive treatment, experiments with enriched uranium, graphite-moderated systems are not extensive. Some experiments, however, with enriched uranium (93.2%) -graphite were performed at LLNL in the 1950s. These experiments were near-homogeneous, simple-geometry assemblies designed to permit modeling by one-dimensional diffusion theory codes available at the time. Ten different basic assemblies were studied. Foils of uranium were interspersed with blocks of graphite to vary the C/ 235 U ratio from about 300 to 10,000. Some of the assemblies were reflected by graphite or beryllium.
-3- A similar series of measurements was made with beryllium oxide blocks and enriched uranium foils. About seven basic assemblies were constructed with BeO/ 235 U ratios which varied from about 130 to 7600. Other important LLNL experiments involved single units of enriched uranium or plutonium metal with various reflectors. Summaries of classified LLNL experiments also exist. Unfortunately, there is no programmatic support to declassify any experiments at this time. These LLNL measurements are reported in UCRL and internal LLNL reports, ANS transactions, or international conferences. Some of these reports, however, do not include the level of detail which is required to develop benchmark models acceptable by present standards. It is thus desirable that the original source materials (such as the experimental logbooks, internal memoranda, drawings, photographs, etc.) be preserved. In 1979 LLNL published a computer-generated bibliography of over 1000 critical experiment references. This was followed in 1982 by a compilation of the 688 complete summaries of papers on nuclear criticality safety published in the Transactions of the American Nuclear Society. These two compilations formed the core of a computer-based information system maintained at LLNL until 1992. Several thousand additional criticality reports were identified and made part of the online system, but support for the system was ended before a publication could be issued. Recently, the databases were salvaged from backup tapes and made available for use by the Criticality Safety Department at Rocky Flats and the Criticality Safety Group at LLNL. It is unlikely that the mission of Rocky Flats or LLNL would support reissuance of these publications, however the database has recently been made available to the criticality safety community via the U.S. Department of Energy s Nuclear Criticality Safety Center. The current version merges the earlier databases, and includes substantial amendments. Additional information on LLNL experiments and updates to some of the bibliographic compilations may be obtained from the authors.
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-5- Table I. Experimental Data Compilations and Bibliographies Resource Report Comments Handbook of Experimental Criticality Data, United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Reactor Physics Constants, Argonne National Laboratory AHSB(S) Handbook 5 (1967) ANL-5800, 2nd Edition (1963) Extensive compilation of critical mass data with extensive bibliography. Valuable summary of experimental data. Los Alamos Critical-Mass Data LA-3067-MS (1975) Summary of LANL critical experiments with extensive bibliography. The Data of Nuclear Reactor Physics: A Bibliography, Section 1, Critical Experiments Critical Dimensions of Systems Containing 235 U, 239 Pu, and 233 U Experimental Criticality Specifications, An Annotated Bibliography Through 1976. International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments, Nuclear Energy Agency Critical Mass Laboratory Experiments and Contributions (Historical Perspective- Pacific Northwest Laboratory) LA-3740-MS (1967) LA-10860-MS (1987) LA-UR-77-684 (1977) NEA/NSC/DOC(95)03, (1996) PNL-SA-8898 Excellent reference to the older literature. A computer-scanned set of approximately 200 references used in completing this compilation is available. Basic data for criticality safety applications selected by Hugh Paxton. This handbook is available in printed form, on CD-ROM, or via the Internet. Summary of PNL critical experiments with extensive bibliography. Nuclear Criticality Experiments from 1943 to 1978, An Annotated Bibliography, Volumes I, II, and III UCRL-52769 (1979) Includes abstracts of 1067 critical experiment citations with indices and keywords. Nuclear Criticality Safety Experiments, Calculations, and Analyses-1958 to 1982 A Summary of Experiments at the Nuclear Safety Facility, 1965-1990 UCRL-53369 (1982), volumes 1 and 2. Manuscript authored by Dr. Robert E. Rothe A compilation of 688 complete summaries of criticality papers published in ANS transactions. Descriptions of RFP critical experiments with references to
-6- Table II. Criticality Safety Handbooks logbooks and reports. Title Report Comments Criticality Handbook, Atlantic Richfield Hanford Company Standard de Criticite - Valeurs Minimales Critique ARH-600 (1968) CEA-N-2051 (1978) Computational data with engineering applications. Available in French only. Guide de Criticite CEA-R3114 (1967) Available in French only. Handbook of Nuclear Safety, E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. Critical and Safe Masses and Dimensions U and UO2 Rods in Water Nuclear Criticality Safety Guide for the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant Criticality of Uranium: Control and Safety Criticality Control and Safety Handbuch zur Kritikalitaet Nuclear Criticality Safety Handbook, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute Criticality Data and Nuclear Safety Guide Applicable to the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant Criticality Control in Operations with Fissile Material Criticality Data and Factors Affecting Criticality of Single Homogeneous Units DP-532 DP-1014 (1966) GAT-225, Rev 4 (1981) Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic Chemistry, Suppl. Vol. A6, Section 7 (1983) Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic Chemistry, Vol. 8, Transurane, Part A2, Section 14.3 (1973) Gesellschaft fuer Reaktorsicherheit mbh JAERI-Review 95-013 (1995) K-1019, Fifth Rev. (1959) LA-3366 (Rev) (1972) LA-3612 (1967) Primer by Clark. Lattices of LEU in water. Practical handbook specific to PGDP. Primer by Clayton and Bierman Primer by Clayton (PNL) Available in German only. Available in English. Practical handbook specific to K-25 Primer by Paxton. Primer by Stratton.
-7- Nuclear Criticality Safety Guide LA-12808 (1996) TID-7016 revision. Critical Parameters of Fissile Materials and Nuclear Safety Reference Manual UDK 621.039.54 737.2 (03) Available in Russian only. Nuclear Safety Handbook, Y-12 Plant Y-1272 (1963) Computational data with engineering applications. Table III. Internet Resources Resource Address Contents Nuclear Criticality Safety (Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy at LLNL) International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project Los Alamos National Laboratory Research Library Nuclear Criticality Safety Division (American Nuclear Society) http://ncsc.llnl.gov http://wastenot.ineel.gov/i csbep http://lib-www.lanl.gov http://www.vic.com NEA handbook of evaluated critical benchmark experiments. Bibliography of experiments. News, links to other sites, etc. ICSBEP Homepage at INEEL. Online card catalog. Access to digitized reports. News, links to other sites, etc. Membership information under development.
Technical Information Department Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory University of California Livermore, California 94551