Criticality in a Repository for Spent Fuel: Lessons From Oklo

Autor:	V. M. Oversby
Rok vydání:	1997
Předmět:	Materials science Fissile material Nuclear engineering chemistry.chemical_element Oklo Nuclear reactor Uranium Spent nuclear fuel Plutonium law.invention Criticality chemistry law Burnup
Zdroj:	MRS Proceedings. 506
ISSN:	1946-4274 0272-9172
Popis:	The conditions that are needed to achieve criticality in a high level waste repository for spent nuclear reactor fuel are reviewed. The effect of initial enrichment of the fuel, burnup, and of mixed oxide fuels on the conditions for criticality are discussed. The situations that produced criticality at Oklo, Gabon, 2000 million years ago are summarized. A model based on the Oklo conditions is presented for estimating the amount of fissile material that must be assembled to create a critical mass in typical granitic rocks. Mechanisms for movement of uranium and plutonium to achieve a critical configuration are discussed and compared to the conditions that are likely to occur in a repository in granite. The sequences of events needed to produce a critical assemblage are shown to be in conflict with the conditions expected in the repository and, in some cases, to require internally inconsistent assumptions to produce the postulated sequence of events. No credible scenario for achieving criticality in a high level waste repository has been found.
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz:	https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_________::e7b26fa30723950c73c01a0d42c014c0 https://doi.org/10.1557/proc-506-781 Zobrazit plný text záznamu Full text from SpringerLink