Contents CHAPTER 1. ATOMIC AND NUCLEAR STRUCTURE AND REACTIONS .. . 1 Introduction Atomic Structure The Structure of Heavy Atoms ‘The Chemical Reaction Nuclear Equations . Energy from Nuclear Reactions Nuclear Fusion and Fission Conversion and Breeding Energy from Fission and Fuel Burnup Radioactivity . . Decay Rates and Half-Lives Radioactive Chains... ... vee Problems ..... Be eeerrrrare CHAPTER 2. NEUTRONS AND THEIR INTERACTIONS 2-1. Introduction Neutron Energies Fission Neutrons Thermal Neutrons Nuclear Cross Sections Neutron Flux and Reaction Rates The l/VRegion ...... The Resonance Region ‘The Fast-Neutron Region Problems 20.2... ee ee . 31 The Variation of Neutron Cross Sections With Neutron Energy . CHAPTER 3. NEUTRON FLUX DISTRIBUTION IN CORES . . . 3-1. Introduction 3-2. Neutron Conservation oe 3-3. The Diffusion of Neutrons in Media ....... 3-4. Neutron Flux Distribution in Reactor Cores v 31 31 33 34 37 41 42 47 49 49vi 3-5. 3-6. 3-7. 3-8. 3-9. Contents Reflectors and Their Effects... .......... The Temperature Coefficient of Reactivity The Unsteady State and Reactivity The Doppler Coefficient and Reactivity... ... Void and Pressure Coefficients of Reactivity wees Problems : sec eee beet eee CHAPTER 4. REACTOR HEAT GENERATION . . . 73 41. 4-2. 43, 44, 45. 4-6. 47. 48. 49. 4-10. 4-11. Introduction Heat Generation Rate in Fuel The Fission Energy in Reactors ee The Fissignable Fuel Density ......... The Fission Cross Section in Reactors Heat Generated by a Single Fuel Element The Total Heat Generated in Core - General ‘The Case of the Homogeneous Core The Case of the Heterogeneous Reactor with a Large Number of Fuel Elements 5 beets Reactor Shutdown Heat Generation Heat Generation by Radioisotopes : . Problems teens CHAPTER 5. HEAT CONDUCTION IN REACTOR ELEMENTS . . . 103 1, General and One-Dimensional Steady-State Cases Sl. 5-2. 5-3 5-4, 5-5, 5-6. 31. 5-8. Introduction General Assumptions The Heat Conduction Equations Heat Flow Out of Solid-Plate-Type Fuel Elements . The Interdependence of Temperature, Heat Transfer, and Heat (or Neutron) Flux 2... ee eee : Heat Flow Out of Solid Cylindrical Fuel Elements... ... Heat Flow Out of Hollow Thick Cylindrical Fuel Elements Heat Flow Out of Sphercally Shaped Fuel : Problems ee en CHAPTER 6. HEAT CONDUCTION IN REACTOR IL ELEMENTS . . . 131 Some Special One-Dimensional Steady-State Cases 6-1. 6-2. 6-3. 6-4. 6-5, Introduction ‘The Absorption of Core Radiations Heat Removal in Slabs Subjected to Radiation. Thermal Shields Secondary Radiations 64 64 67 68 69 70 103 103 106 112 ug, 121 125 128 129 131 131 135 141 144Contents vii 6-6. Fins in Reactors 145 6-7. Heat Transfer from Fins of Low Biot Numbers 148 6-8. The Case of Fins of Constant Cross Sections 149 6-9. Optimum and Triangular Fins 154 6-10. The Case of Circumferential Fins of Constant Thickness we 155 6-11. Heat Transfer in Porous Elements ... . . .. 156 6-12. The Special Case of the Poisson Equation with SQ... 163 6-13, The Dependence of Material Properties on Temperature and Pressure 166 Problems 167 CHAPTER 7. HEAT CONDUCTION IN REACTOR ELEMENTS ... 171 IIL, Two-Dimensional Steady-State Cases Introduction .............. ve weeees IT Finite-Difference Techniques - General 172 Transformation of the Poisson Equation 174 Methods of Solutions. 17 Solution by Matrix Algebra 179 Solution by Iteration... . bees -.. 181 Solution by the Relaxation Method...) sss... 183 Heat Conduction in Finite Difference Systems 186 Nodal Points Near Curved Boundaries 187 Nodal Points on Insulated Boundaries - 189 Nodal Points on a Boundary with a Surface Conductance h .. 190 Nodal Points on a Boundary with Specified Heat Flux wee 192 ‘An Approximate Analytical Method . 192 Analogical Techniques... . . wees wee 195 Problems see eee eee wae we .. 197 CHAPTER 8. HEAT CONDUCTION IN REACTOR ELEMENTS . . . 200 IV. The Unsteady State 8-1. Introduction eee . 200 The Lumped-Parameter Technique... .. wes 200 Time Constant and Temperature-Coefficient Effects... .. . 202 Evaluation of Temperature Transients by Finite Differences. 203 Numerical Solution of a Two-Dimensional Transient Case. . 208 Graphical Solution for a Plane Geometry and No Boundary Layer... Graphical Solution with a Boundary Layer The Case of a Composite Wall Graphical Solution for Cylinders An Exact Analytical Method ProblemsContents CHAPTER 9. HEAT TRANSFER AND FLUID FLOW, 9-1 9-3. 9-4, 9-6. 9-7. 10-1. 10-2. 10-3. 10-4, 10-5. 10-6. NONMETALLIC COOLANTS . . . 231 (Single Phase) Introduction... .. an oe. 231 Heat Removal and Pumping Power»... 1+...) . 232 Heat-Transfer Coefficients: General . . 236 The Effect of the Prandtl Number on Convective Heat Transfer 238 Convective Heat-Transfer Coefficients for Nonmetallic Coo- Jans eee ee . 243 The Effect of Length and Shape of CoolantChannel ...... 249 The Effects of Axially Nonuniform Heat-Flux and Temperature Distributions . : . 251 The Effect oT High Gas Velocity cece ee eee es 253 Problems . bee 237 CHAPTER 10. LIQUID METAL COOLANTS . . . 259 Introduction. . veces sees 259 Some General Considerations... . eee es 260 Induced Radioactivity in Liquid-Metal Coolants 261 Liquid-Metal Compatibility with Materials + 263 Heat-Transfer Properties of Liquid Metals 265 Heat-Transfer Correlations for Liquid Metals » 267 Effect of Axial Heat Diffusion . 2m 10-7. 10-8. 10-9. 10-10. 10-11. 10-12. 10-13. Some Heat-Transfer Correlations of Liquid Metal Fluid Fuels 272 The Heat-Transfer Mechanism in Fluid-Fuel Systems... .. 273 Liquid-Metal Pumps. ........-2..-- bees 279 Direet-Current Pumps . ss 280 Some Design and Operational Problems of de Pumps... . 285 Alternating Current Pumps... . . : coe 288 Problems... . eee 289 CHAPTER 11. HEAT TRANSFER WITH CHANGE IN PHASE . . . 291 IL. 11-2, 11-3. 11-4. 11-5. 11-6. IL-7. 11-8. 11-9, Introduction 291 Processes of Phase Change : 291 Bubble Formation, Growth and Detachment 293 The Boiling Regimes 299 The Boiling Crisis and Burnout 303 Parametric Effects on Boiling and the Boiling Crisis... . « 304 Critical Heat-Flux Correlations for Water... « : Critical Heat-Flux Correlations for Liquids Other Than Water 313 Condensation ee . 316 Problems . 323Contents CHAPTER 72, TWO-PHASE FLOW . . . 325 12-1. Introduction 20.2.2. eee 325 12-2. Quality and Void Fraction in an Nonflow System... . 326 12-3. The FlowSystem ......... en 12-4. Boiling and Nonboiling Heights... ... . 12-5, The Friction Drop in a Two-Phase Channel 12.6. The Acceleration Pressure Drop : 12-7, Two-Phase Flow Pressure Drop at Restrictions 346 12-8, Pressure Rise Due to Sudden Expansion 12-9. Pressure Drop Due to Sudden Contraction 12-10, Two-Phase Flow in Orifices 12-11. Critical Flow : 12-12. Single-Phase Critical Flow 12-13. Two-Phase Critical Flow 12-14. Two-Phase Critical Flow in Long Channels 12-15. Two-Phase Critical Flow in Short Channels Problems CHAPTER 13. CORE THERMAL DESIGN . . . 368 13-1. Introduction ....... beets eee 368 13-2, General Considerations ©... 02... 0.22 e eee 369 13-3, Axial Temperature Distributions of Fuel Element and Coolant 372 13-4. Maximum Temperatures in Fuel Element ........... 376 13-5, Coolant-Channel Orificing .......... 380 13-6. Hot-Spot Factors... 0... eee ee 382 13-7, Basic Statistical Relationships ee 386 138. An Example of Determining a Hot-Spot Subfactor»... . . 390 13-9, The Overall Hot-Spot Factor... ... vee 393 13-10. Core Thermal Design feces : +2. 397 Problems... 0.20.20. e eee beeen es 401 CHAPTER 14. THE BOILING CORE . . . 405 14-1 14-2. 14-3, 14-4, 14-5, 14-6. 14-7, Introduction Boiling-Reactor Flows. Boiling-Reactor Mass and Heat Balance beceeaee The Driving Pressure in a Boiling Channel ‘The Average Density in a Boiling Channel The Chimney Effect... ....0..... 4i7 The Multichannel Boiling Core oes 419 Problems... 2.0.0.0. e vee Lees 423 412 APPENDIX A. ALPHABETICAL LIST OF THE ELEMENTS . . . 427APPENDIX B. APPENDIX C. APPENDIX D. APPENDIX E. APPENDIX F. APPENDIX G. APPENDIX H. Contents PARTIAL LIST OF THE ISOTOPES . . . 429 BESSEL FUNCTIONS . . . 453 SOME THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES . . . 459 SOME PHYSICAL PROPERTIES . . . 471 MOODY FRICTION FACTOR CHART . . . 475 SOME USEFUL CONSTANTS . . . 477 SOME CONVERSION FACTORS . . . 479 REFERENCES . . . 485 INDEX . . . 495