[3.

11] Using the data in Appendix E calculate the microscopic absorption cross section of
water, averaged over a thermal neutron spectrum:
a. at room temperature.
b. at 300 oC, which is a typical operating temperature for a water-cooled reactor.
The microscopic cross section may be considered 1/v.
a.
b.

The value in the appendix is tat room temperature of

is 0.5896 b

To 293.61 o K

.The value

Temperature corrections for 1/v cross sections are given by the expression
following Eq. (3.59):
1/ 2
aT (T ) To T aT (To )
Since 300 0C = 300 + 273 0K = 573 0K
1/ 2
aT (573) 293.6 573 0.5896 0.422 b

[4.2] In a fast reactor designers often want to minimize the coolant to fuel volume ratio to
minimize the amount of neutron slowing down. From a geometric point of view what is
the theoretical limit on the smallest ratio of coolant to fuel volume that can be obtained
a. with a square lattice,
b. with a hexagonal lattice?
For part a: The fuel diameter d can be no larger than the lattice pitch l. Thus
l2 d 2 / 4 4
Vc / V f
1 0.273
d2 /4

For part b. the diameter can be no greater than the face to face distance of the hexagon.
If s is the side length of the hexagon, its area is six equilateral triangles, each with an area
2
2
of ( 3 / 4)s or (3 3 / 2)s the side to side distance is twice the height of one of these
3s hence d= 3s . We have
3 3s 2 / 2 d 2 / 4 3 3 s 2 / 2
2 3
Vc / V f

1
1 0.1027
2
2
d /4
3s / 4

triangles or

[4.3] A sodium-cooled fast reactor is fueled with PuO2 , mixed with depleted UO2 . the
structural material is iron. Averaged over the spectrum of fast neutrons, the microscopic
cross sections and densities are the following:

PuO2
UO2

b
1.95
0.05

a b
2.40
0.404

t b
8.6
8.2

g/cm3
11.0
11.0

Na

Fe

0.001
8
0.008
7

3.7

0.97

3.6

7.87

The fuel is 15% PuO2 and 85% UO2 by volume. The volumetric composition of the core
is 30% fuel, 50% coolant and 20% structural material. Calculate k assuming that the
values of for plutonium and uranium in the fast spectrum are 2.98 and 2.47,
respectively, and that the cross sections of oxygen can be neglected. What fraction of the
mass of the core does the fuel account for?

In this core we know that

VFe / V 0.20 .

V V f VNa VFe

and are given:

V f / V 0.30 VNa / V 0.50

,
,

V VPuO2 VUO2
V
/ V 0.15
V / V 0.85
We also know that f
and are given PuO2 f
and UO2 f
Using volume weighting we may write

(V f / V ) ff
0.30 ff
k f

a
(V f / V ) af (VNa / V ) aNa (VFe / V ) aFe 0.30 af 0.50 aNa 0.20 aFe
Using volume weighting for the fissile and fertile material in the fuel:
2
2
2
2
ff (VPuO2 / V f ) 49 PuO
(VUO2 / V f ) 28UO
0.15 49 PuO
0.85 28UO
f
f
f
f

and
2
2
af (VPuO2 / V f ) aPuO2 (VUO2 / V f )UO
0.15 aPuO2 0.85UO
a
a

Combining equations we then have for the multiplication

2
2
0.045 49 PuO
0.255 28UO
f
f
k
2
0.045 aPuO2 0.255UO
0.50 aNa 0.20 aFe
a
No
N

A
Using
and ignoring the cross sections of oxygen, we have

UO2
0.045 PuO2 N o 49 49
N o 28 28
f 0.255
f
APuO2
AUO2
k
PuO2
UO2

0.045
N o a49 0.255
N o a28 0.50 Na N o aNa 0.20 Fe N o aFe
APuO2
AUO2
ANa
AFe
APuO2 239 2*16 271 AUO2 238 2*16 270 ANa 23 AFe 55.85
,
,
,
.
Thus canceling N o from numerator and denominator, and using the densities and cross
sections given we have

Note that

11
11
2.98 1.95 0.255
2.47 0.05
271
270
k
11
11
0.97
7.87
0.045
2.40 0.255
0.404 0.50
0.0018 0.20
0.0087
271
270
23
55.85
0.011 0.001283
k
0.004384 0.004197 0.003796 10 2 0.002452 10
1 ,
k 1.342
0.045