Nuclear Reactor Kinetics

Sheet 2: Control Rods and Chemical Shim

1. An experimental reactor facility is a bare square cylinder 100 cm high, composed of small beryllium
blocks with thin foils of 235U placed in between, so that the system can be considered a homogeneous
mixture of Be and 235U. The reactor is to be controlled with a single black control rod 2.5 cm in radius
and located along the axis of the system. (a) If the reactor is critical with the rod fully withdrawn, how
much negative reactivity is introduced into the system when the rod is fully inserted? (b) Assuming
that the rod moves into the reactor instantaneously, on what period does the reactor go?
[Σt = 0.760037 cm-1, D = 0.50 cm, ηT = 2.065, LTM = 21 cm, τT = 102 cm2]

2. A small bare reactor is a square cylinder of extrapolated height 70 cm. The reactor consists of a mixture
of ordinary water and 235U at room temperature. Suppose it is desired to control the reactor with one
central rod having a worth of 10%. How big should the rod be?
[Σt = 3.443 cm-1, D = 0.16 cm, ηT = 2.065, LTM2 = 8.1 cm2, τT = 27 cm2]

3. A certain pressurized-water reactor is to be controlled by 61 cluster control assemblies, each assembly

containing 20 black rods 1.15 cm in diameter. The reactor core is a cylinder 320 cm in diameter. The
average thermal diffusion length in the core is 1.38 cm, D = 0.21 cm, and ΣT in the core material is
approximately 2.6 cm-1. Calculate the total worth of the rods.

4. Cruciform rods used for the control of a certain boiling-water reactor consist of blades 24.8 cm wide
and 0.792 cm thick. The parameters of the core material are LT = 1.2 cm and Σa = 0.20 cm-1. The rods
are black to thermal neutrons. How far apart should these rods be placed to provide a total worth
0.0917.

5. A control rod 100 cm long is worth 50 cents when totally inserted. (a) How much reactivity is
introduced into the reactor when the rod is pulled one-quarter of the way out? (b) At what rate is
reactivity introduced at this point per cm motion of the rod?

6. Suppose that, at some time during its operating history, the reactor described in problem 2 is critical
with the rod withdrawn one-half of its full length. If the rod is now suddenly withdrawn another 10
cm, (a) how much reactivity is introduced? (b) On what period does the reactor power rise?

7. What concentration of boron in ppm will give worth of 0.13?

8. An infinite 235U-fueled, water-moderated reactor contains 20% more 235U than required to become
critical. What concentration of (a) boron in ppm or (b) boric acid in g/liter is required to hold down the
excess reactivity of the system?