NEM325 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering I

HW #7
Due Date: 06.01.2020

1. We want to design a uniform cylindrical critical reactor which would use fuel with
properties a = 0.008 cm-1, f = 0.0081 cm-1, and D = 1.25 cm. If we want to ensure that
the radial leakage is equal to the axial leakage, what will be the dimensions of this reactor?

2. A critical spherical reactor of diameter 6 m has uniform neutronic properties. The

macroscopic absorption and fission cross sections are:

a = 0.0040 cm-1, f = 0.0018 cm-1

The average number of neutrons per fission is  = 2.42

The average neutron flux in the reactor is  = 2.0*1013 n.cm-2.s-1.

What is the total absorption rate of neutrons in the whole reactor?

What is the total production rate of neutrons in the whole reactor?
What is the rate of radiative captures in the whole reactor?
What is the total power of the reactor.?

3. A uniform critical spherical reactor is made with fuel having one group diffusion parameters as:
a = 0.007 cm-1,  =2.42, f = 0.003 cm-1, D = 1.00 cm.
If the fission-power density at the canter of the reactor is 0.1 W.cm-3, what is the total
power of the reactor? You may ignore the extrapolation distance. Determine number of
neutrons leak out per second from the system.

4. The 2-group neutronic properties in a certain reactor are:

D1 D2 a1  a2 12 f2 21 f1

1.4 cm 0.6 cm 0.7E-3 0.4E-2 0.7E-2 0.44E-2 0 0.2E-3
-1 -1 -1 -1
cm cm cm cm cm-1
(a) Determine the infinite medium multiplication constant of the reactor.
(b) Determine the geometric buckling to make reactor critical. (Ignore the extrapolated
distances.) (neglect terms in B4).
(c) Determine fast and thermal leakage probabilities.
(d) Suppose the reactor is spherical. Determine its critical radius.
5. Suppose a critical assembly is made up of 2 identical cylinders, each with height =
0.84*diameter. The halves can be separated from one another for safety, and brought bac
together end to end (as one puck on top of another) for criticality. If the assembly
material has an infinite-lattice multiplication constant of 1.01 and a migration area of 49
cm2 (and neglecting the extrapolation length):

(a) What must be the maximum dimensions of the two halves to ensure sub-criticality
when they are put together? (b) What is the multiplication factor of each half when they
are separated?

6. A homogeneous, bare cylindrical reactor with diameter 6 m and height 6 m is critical, and
operated at a thermal power of 1000 MW. The one group diffusion parameters is given as:
 = 2.38, f = 0.0042 cm-1, a = 0.0099 cm-1
[Note: neglect the extrapolation distance.]
a) Calculate the diffusion length.
b) What is the ratio of leakage to absorption?
c) What is the average fission rate per cm3 in the reactor?
d) What is the maximum flux level in the reactor?

7. A cylindrical nuclear reactor has a diameter of 5.0 m and a height of 5.0 m. The average
neutron flux in the reactor is 2.1014 n.cm-2.s-1. The material in the reactor has an atomic
mass of 270 and a density of 9.4 g.cm-3.

If the total absorption rate of neutrons with the material in the reactor is 3.70*1022 per second,
what are the macroscopic and microscopic absorption cross sections?