CHAPTER 7

1. Compute the prompt neutron lifetime for an infnite critical thermal reactor consisting of a
homogeneous mixture of 235U and (a) D20, (b) Be, (c) graphite.
2. Calculate the thermal neutron diffusion time in water having a density of 44 Ib/ft 3.
3. Express the following reactivities of a 239Pu-fueled thermal reactor in dollars: (a) 0.001, (b) 4%, (c) -
0.01
4. Express the following reactivities of a 235U-fueled thermal reactor in percent: (a) 0.001, (b) $2, (c) -50
cents.
5. Plot the reactivity equation for one-delayed-neutron group for a 235U-fueled thermal reactor and
prompt neutron lifetimes of (a) 0 sec, (b) 10 -4 sec, (c) 10-3 sec. Take  = 0.0065 and  = 0. 1 sec-1.
6. From the plot in Problem 5, determine the periods of 235U-fueled thermal reactors with lp = 10-3 sec
and reactivities of (a) +0. 1 %, (b) - 1 0 cents, (c) +$.50, (d) +$1 .00.
7. Compare the answers to Problem 6, which are based on the one-delayed-group model, with periods
determined from Fig. 7.2.
8. A 235U-fueled reactor originally operating at a constant power of 1 milliwatt is placed on a positive
10-minute period. At what time will the reactor power level reach 1 megawatt?
9. Calculate the ratio of the concentration of the 22.7-sec precursor to the thermal neutron density in
a critical infinite thermal reactor consisting of a mixture of 235U and ordinary water, given that the
thermal flux is 1013 neutrons/cm2-sec. [Hint: Place dC/dt = 0 in Eq. (7.21 ).]
10. The first term on the Right-Hand Side of Eq. (7. 19) gives the number of prompt neutrons slowing
down per cm3/sec while the second term gives this number for the delayed neutrons. Compare the
magnitude of these two terms in a critical reactor.
11. Fifty cents in reactivity is suddenly introduced into a critical fast reactor fueled with 235U. What is the
period of the reactor?
12. The reactor in Problem 7.8 is scrammed by the instantaneous insertion of 5 dollars of negative
reactivity after having reached a constant power level of 1 megawatt. Approximately how long does
it take the power level to drop to 1 milliwatt?
13. When a certain research reactor operating at a constant power of 2.7 megawatts is scrammed, it is
observed that the power drops to a level of I watt in 15 minutes. How much reactivity was inserted
when the reactor was scrammed?
14. An infinite reactor consists of a homogeneous mixture of 235U and H20. The fuel concentration is 5%
smaller than that required for criticality. What is the reactivity of the system?
15. One cent worth of either positive or negative reactivity places a 235U-fueled reactor on what period?
16. It is desired to double the power level of a 235U-fueled reactor in 20 minutes. If lp = 10-4 sec, (a) on
what period should the reactor be placed? (b) how much reactivity should be introduced?
17. During test-out procedures, a 239Pu-fueled thermal reactor is operated for a time at a power of 1
megawatt. The power is then to be increased to 100 megawatts in 8 hours. (a) On what stable
period should the reactor be placed? (b) What reactivity insertion is required?
18. A 235U-fueled research reactor is started up at a power level of 10 watts. Then reactivity according to
the following schedule is inserted into the reactor:
Complete the table.

19. 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 to be 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
CHAPTER 7

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?
20. Suppose it is desired to control the reactor described in Example 7.7 with one central rod having a
worth of 10%. How big should the rod be? [Hint: Plot w versus .]

21. If the reactor in Problem 7. 19 is controlled by an array of 25 more or less uniformly

distributed black rods 0.3 in. in diameter, what is the total worth of the rods?
22. A certain pressurized-water reactor is to be controlled by 61 clustercontrol assemblies,
each assembly containing 20 black rods 1 . 1 5 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 = 0.2 1 cm, and Lt in the core material is approximately 2.6 cm- I Calculate
the total worh of the rods.
23. Consider the problem of detenining the worth of a cruciform control rod in the onedimensional
geometry shown in Fig. 7. 10. First suppose that qT fssion neutrons slow
down to thermal energies per cm3/sec. The quantity qT can be treated as a source term
in the thermal diffusion equation, which becomes

(a) Show that the solution to this equation, subject to the boundary conditions,

(b) Compute JR by multiplying the neutron curent density at the blade surface by
the area of the blades in the cell and then dividing by the total number of neutrons
thenalizing per second in the cell.
2. It is proposed to use the crucifon rods described in Example 7.9 to control the PWR
described in Problem 7.22. How far apart should these rods be placed to provide the
same total worth as the cluster control rods in that problem?
25. Suppose the fast reactor described in Example 6.3 is controlled with 50 rods, each rod
containing approximately 500 g of natural boron. Estimate the total worth of the rods.
26. The core of a fast reactor is a square cylinder 77.5 cm in diameter. The composition of
the core by volume is as follows: 25% fuel; 25% stainless steel cladding and structural
material; 50% liquid sodium. The fuel consists of a mixture of 238U and 239Pu having
a density of 19.1 g/cm3, the plutonium making up 20 w/o of the mixture. It is desired
to provide 5.5% reactivity control in 10 control rods containing B4C. How much B4C
is required per rod?
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27. 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?
28. Suppose that, at some time during its operating history, the reactordescribed in Example
7.7 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?
29. What concentration ofboron in ppm will give the same worth as the single control rod
in Example 7.7?
30. An infnite 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 tt htld down the excess reactivity of the system?
31. A reactor is operating at constant power. Suddenly the temperature of the incoming
cooht drops below it� previous value. Discuss qualitatively the subsequent behavior
of the reactor in the two cases: (a) CT is positive, (b) CT is negative. Show, in particular,
that the reactor is unstable in (a) and stable in (b).

32. Calculate the prompt temperature coeffcient at room temperature of a reactor lattice
consisting of an assembly of I-in diameter natural uranium rods in a heavy-water
moderator, in which the moderator volume-to-fuel volume ratio is equal to 30.
33. A C02-cooled, graphite-moderated reactor fueled with rods of slightly enriched uranium dioxide 1 .5
cm in diameter has a resonance escape probability of 0.912 at 300K.
What is the value of p at the fuel operating temperature of 665°C?
34. The overall temperature coeffcient of a 235U-fueled reactor is -2 x 10-5 per °C and
is independent of temperature. By how much does the reactivity of the system drop
when its temperature is increased from room temperature (about 70°F) to the operating
temperature of 550°F? Give your answer in percent and in dollars. [Note: The decrease
in reactivity calculated in this problem is called the temperture defect of the reactor.]
35. Show that the temperature coeffcient of B2 is given by

where f is the coefcient of volume expansion of the reactor structure. [Hint: Recall
that f is equal to three times the coeffcient of linear expansion.]
36. A pressurized water reactor fueled with stainless steel-clad fuel elements is contained
in a stainless steel vessel that is a cylinder 6 f in diameter and 8 ft high. Water having an
average temperature of 57SOF occupies approximately one-half of the reactor volume.
How much water is expelled from the reactor vessel if the average temperature of the
system is increased by 10°F? [Note: The volume coeffcients of expansion of water
and stainless steel at 300°C are 3 x 10-3 per °C and 4.5 x 10-5 per °C, respectively.]
37. The thermal utilization of the reactor in Problem 7.36 is 0.682 at 575°F Using the
results of that problem and ignoring the presence of structural material in the core,
estimate aT (f) at approximately 575°F
38. What is the effective half-life of 135Xe in a thermal flux of 1014 neutrons/cm2-sec at a
temperature of 800°C?
39. Compute and plot the equilibrium xenon reactivity as a function of thenal flux from
¢T = 5 x 1012 to ¢T = 5 x 1014
40. Using Fig. 7. 14, plot the maximum post-shutdown xenon reactivity as a function of
CHAPTER 7

thermal flux from ¢T = 1013 to ¢T = 5 X 1014

41. A 235U-fueled reactor operating at a thermal flux of 5 x 1013 neutrons/cm2-sec is
scrammed at a time when the reactor has 5% in reserve reactivity. Compute the time
to the onset of the deadtime and its duration.
42. Calculate the equilibrium concentration, in atoms/cm3, of 135Xe and 149Sm in an infnite
critical 235U-fueIed, water-moderated thenal reactor operating at a temperature of
200°C and a thermal flux of 1013 neutrons/cm2-sec.
43. How much reactivity is tied up in 135Xe and 149Sm in the reactor described in Problem
7.42?
44. Gadolinium- I57 is a stable nuclide having an absorption cross-section at 0.0253 e V
of 240,000 b. It is formed from the decay of the fssion product 157Sm according to the
following chain:

Neither 157Sm nor 157Eu absorbs neutrons to a signifcant extent. The 235U fssion yield
of 157Sm is 7 x 10-5 atoms per fssion. (a) What is the equilibrium reactivity tied up
in 157Gd in a reactor having an average thermal flux of 2.5 x 1013 neutrons/cm2-sec?
(b) What is the maximum reactivity due to this nuclide afer the shutdown ofthe reactor
in part (a)?
45. A nonradioactive fssion product has an absorption cross-section of 75 b. Should this
be considered a permanent poison in a reactor having a thermal flux of 3 x 1013
neutrons/cm2-sec?
46. What fraction of the poisoning in Example 7.14 is due to 135Xe?
47. An infnite reactor containing no fertile material operates at constant power over its
lifetime. (a) Show that the atom density of the fuel decreases according to the relation

where NF (0) and cT (0) are, respectively, the fuel atom density and theral flux at
startup. (b) Find an expression for the flux as a function of time.
48. An infnite 139Pu-fueled fast breeder has the breeding gain G and is operated at constant
power before refueling. Derive expressions for the concentration of239pu and the (onegroup) fast flux
as a function of time after startup.