Half-life calculation

1. Chromium-48 has a short half-life of 21.6 hr. How long will it take 360.0 g of
chromium-48 to decay to 11.25 g?

Formula:

Final mass
1. Fraction of sample remaining 
Initial mass

2. Number of Half life

3. Time for one half life is  21.6 hr

4. Total time required for decay is  Number of Half life  Time for one half life
Solution:
Final mass 11.25 g 1
Fraction of sample remaining   
Initial mass 360 g 32

 1 1 1 1 1 1
Number of Half life          5
 32 2 2 2 2 2 

Time for one half life is  21.6 hr

Total time required for decay is  Number of Half life  Time for one half life
 21.6  5  108 hr
 2. What is the half-life of a 100.0 g sample of nitrogen-16 that
decays to 12.5 g of nitrogen-16 in 21.6 s?
Formula:
Final mass
1. Fraction of sample remaining 
Initial mass

2. Number of Half life

Total time
3.Time for one half lifeis 
Number of Half life
Solution:

Final mass 12.5 g 1

Fraction of sample remaining   
Initial mass 100 g 8

1 1 1 1 
Number of Half life        3
8 2 2 2 

Total time 21.6

Time for one half lifeis    7.2 s
Number of Half life 3
 3. Potassium-42 has a half-life of 12.4 hours. How much of an 848 g
sample of potassium-42 will be left after 62.0 hours?
Formula:

Total time 62 hrs

Number of Half life   5
Time for one Half life 12.4 hrs
1 1 1 1 1
Final mass  Fraction of sample remaining  Initial mass         848 g  26.5 g
2 2 2 2 2
Solution:

Total time 62 hrs

Number of Half life   5
Time for one Half life 12.4 hrs

Final mass  Fraction of sample remaining  Initial mass

1 1 1 1 1
        848 g
2 2 2 2 2

 26.5 g
4. If the half-life of uranium-235 is 7.04 X 108 y and 12.5 g of
uranium-235 remain after 2.82 X 109 y, how much of the radioactive
isotope was in the original sample?
Formula:

Total time
1. Number of Half life 
Time for one Half life

2. Fraction of sample remaining

Final mass
3. Initial mass 
Fraction of sample remaining
Solution:

Total time 2.82 109

Number of Half life   4
Time for one Half life 7.04 10 8

1 1 1 1 1
Fraction of sample remaining       
 2 2 2 2  16

Final mass 12.5 g

Initial mass    200 g
Fraction of sample remaining 1
16
Hydraulic Diameter
calculation
 Hydraulic Diameter (or)
Effective Diameter
Definition:
Effective diameter through which the fluid flows inside the
non-circular ducts

Where,

Ac = Cross-sectional area through which fluid flows

P = Wetted perimeter (surfaces wetter by fluid)

Hydraulic Diameter
calculation
Number of fuel pin calculation in fuel subassembly
Row1  1
Row 2  1  1 6  7
7 pin fuel assembly
Row 3  7  2  6  19
Row 4  19  3  6  37
Row 5  37  1 6  61
Row 6  61  1 6  91
Row 7  91  1 6  127
Row 8  127  1 6  169
Row 9  169  1 6  217
217 pin fuel assembly
1. Find the side of the hexagon for the 217-pin fuel sub-assembly
having pin diameter 6.6 mm and length of the fuel pin 1000 mm.
The fuel pin triangular pitch is 8.28 mm and gap between the
hexagon and the outer fuel in is 2.53 mm.

D
Side of the hexagon  n  Pt   Gap  72.07 mm
2
where, n  number of triangular pitch
2. Find the side of the hexagon for the 169-pin fuel sub-assembly
having pin diameter 6.6 mm and length of the fuel pin 1000 mm.
The fuel pin triangular pitch is 8.28 mm and gap between the
hexagon and the outer fuel in is 2.53 mm.

D
Side of the hexagon  n  Pt   Gap
2
where, n  number of triangular pitch

=63.79
3. Find the hydraulic diameter for the 7-pin fuel sub-assembly,
having fuel pin diameter 6.6 mm and side of the hexagon is 18 mm.

Formula: 4 Ac
Dh 
Pw
where,
3 3 2  DFP
2
Ac  Ac  HEX  Ac  FP  S N
2 4
Pw  PHEX  PFP  6 S  N  DFP

S  side of hexagon, mm
N  Number of fuel pin
FP  fuel pin
HEX  Hexagon
Solution:
4 Ac
Dh 
Pw
3 3 2 D
2
Ac  Ac  HEX  Ac  FP  S N FP
 841  239  602 mm 2

2 4

Pw  PHEX  PFP  6S  N  DFP  108  145  253 mm

Dh  9.5 mm
Find the hydraulic diameter for the 61-pin fuel sub-assembly, having fuel pin diameter 6.6 mm and side of
the hexagon is 40 mm.

Ans: 5.5 mm

4 Ac
Dh 
Pw
where,
3 3 2  DFP
2
Ac  Ac  HEX  Ac  FP  S N
2 4
Pw  PHEX  PFP  6 S  N  DFP

S  side of hexagon, mm
N  Number of fuel pin
FP  fuel pin
HEX  Hexagon
1. Find the fully developed heat transfer coefficient for 7-pin fuel
sub-assembly. The average clad and fluid temperatures are 859 K
and 848 K at the outlet of the sub-assembly. Heat flux equivalent to
the heat generation 1600 kW/m2.

Formula: Qcov  hAs t

q
h
(TS  T )
where,
q  heat flux,W / m 2

TS  Average clad temperature, K

T  Average fluid temperature, K
 q
h
(TS  T )

1600 103

(859  848)

 145.5 kW / m  K
2
2. Find the fully developed heat transfer coefficient (in kW/m2-K)
for 217-pin fuel sub-assembly. The average clad and fluid
temperatures are 859 K and 848 K at the outlet of the sub-assembly.
The constant heat flux applied on the surface the fuel pins are 1800
kW/m2.

q
h  163.6 kW / m  K
2

(TS  T )
2. Find the fully developed Nusselt number for liquid sodium
(k=70.2 W/m-K) flowing through the nuclear fuel sub-assembly.
The 7-pin sub-assembly having fully developed heat transfer
coefficient of 160 kW/m2-K and the hydraulic diameter of 3.952
mm.
Formula:
h  Dh
Nu 
k
where,
h  Heat transfer coefficient ,W / m 2  K
Dh Hydraulic diameter , m
k thermal conductivity ,W / m  K
 h  Dh
Nu 
k
160 10  3.952
3

70.2
9
CAT-I Examination on MS team APP
Pattern

Part-A
5 × 2 marks=10 marks
Part-B
4 × 5 marks =20 marks

Total= 30 Marks