MEASUREMENT OF MULTIPLICATION CONSTANT FOR SLIGHTLY ENRICHED HOMOGENEOUS UO3-WATER MIXTURES AND MINIMUM ENRICHMENT FOR CRITICALITY

摘要

The minimum U 235 enrichment required for criticality in an infinite homogeneous system of uranium trioxide (UC3) and water has been determined from measurements of k∞ in the Hanford Physical Constants Testing Reactor, (PCTR). This is the enrichment for which k unity in an aqueous homogeneous system.nThe experiments consisted of k∞ measurements at uranium enrichments of 1. 006,1. 070, and 1. 159 weight per cent U235 for hydrogen- to-uranium atomic ratios in the range of 3. 5 - 7.5.