Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

PRINCIPLES OF REACTOR SHIELDING The design of the biological shields placed around a nuclear reactor and at various points in a nuclear power plant to protect operating personnel and the public at large from the radiations

 sources of radiation
shield be given foremost thought

Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

Prompt Fission Neutrons: Emitted from the core, in designing a biological Delayed Fission Neutrons: Ordinarily not an important considerations
there are a few of them and their energies are so low .

Prompt Fission y Rays: Emitted in the core, these y-rays are largely attenuated by the materials in the core.

Fission Product Decay y Rays: Emitted from the fuel, these y -rays are a continuing source of radiation after the shutdown of a reactor

Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

Inelastic y Rays: emitted due to inelastic neutron scattering, occurs only with energetic neutrons Capture y Rays: radiative capture reaction ,most probable at resonance and thermal energies
( thermal neutrons are usually present in a reactor shield, the shield may be a source of capture y-rays)

Activation y Rays: These y -rays are emitted by radioactive nuclides formed as the result of neutron absorption
(Much of the internal structure of a reactor becomes radioactive in this way, so does the coolant and any extraneous atoms in the coolant)

Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

Among all of these radiation sources, the prompt fission neutrons are the most difficult to shield against. fast neutrons are first slowed down to thermal energies and then absorbed Neutrons lose , on average, 50% of energy in with hydrogenous material

elastic collision

Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

Most of the shielding in stationary nuclear power plant is ordinary concrete, which contains approximately 10 w /o water and has a hydrogen atom density equal to about one quarter that of water. Concrete is inexpensive, structurally sound, and readily formed into any desired shape

Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

Very fast neutrons are slowed down by inelastic scattering
(often shields of moderately heavy or heavy materials)

the average energy E' of a neutron emerging from an inelastic collision with a nucleus of mass number A is:

E =6.4sqr E/A
(E is the energy of the incident neutron and both E' and E are
in MeV)
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Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

In a nuclear reactor Iron and other heavy materials are used in for attenuating y-rays
( as the average energy of fission neutrons is too low to have inelastic scattering

play a significant role in slowing down)

shield divided into alternating regions of, say, iron and a hydrogenous material (concrete or polyethylene) attenuates y-rays and neutrons at the same rate This is done for mobile nuclear power systems for a stationary power plant, simple concrete shielding is cheaper
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Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

Once the fast neutrons thermalize in a shield, they must then be absorbed. when thermal neutrons are captured in water, a 2.2-MeV y-ray is emitted as the result of the 1H(n,y )2H reaction. When the thermal neutrons are captured by iron, however, 7.6-MeV and a 9.3-MeV y-ray are emitted.
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Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

To reduce the intensity of such y-rays, boroneither natural or enriched is sometimes added to reactor shields Boron has a high absorption cross-section (759 b), due mostly to the 10B (n, a) 7Li reaction A 0.5 MeV y ray is emitted in this reaction,

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Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

REACTOR SHIELD DESIGN:
REMOVAL-ATTEN UATION CALCULATIONS:

The preliminary design of a reactor shield can be carried out using the point kernel [The flux G (r)
at a distance r from a point fission source emitting one fission neutron per sec isotropically.]

and the removal cross-sections

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Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

Consider a spherical reactor consisting of a core of radius R surrounded by a hydrogenous shield of thickness a The core consists of a mixture of metal and water, with the volume fraction of metal equal to f let the fission neutrons are being produced uniformly throughout the core at the rate of S neutrons/cm3 -sec.
The fast neutron flux at P at the surface of the shield from dV within the core: dV = 2 r 2 sin d dr.
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Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

in the case of a small core and a thick shield: sin and max R/(R+a)

rs

hence rmax

2R +a

yields the final result:

(P) = S * A/4 ( R/R+a)2 e-RS a(1-e-2R)..1

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Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

In equation 1 above: = neutron flux at the surface of the shield (neutrons/cm2 . sec) S = No. of neutrons produced /cm3 .sec A= a constant for water and has a value of .12 for water = (1-f)RW +fRM

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Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

where: f=metal volume fraction of core 1-f=water volume fraction of core(refector) RW=Macroscopic removal x-section of water(cm-) RM = Macroscopic removal x-section of metal (cm-) RS= Macroscopic removal x-section of shield (cm-) R= core radius (in case of cylindrical core) a = shield radius( radius of reflector+shield)
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Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

Now we are given that:
Reactor Power =10 Kw (e) = 14 fast neutrons Calculate: Reactor shield dimensions for this condition;
Solution: Let 1. Core is made up of: An assembly of uranium rods & water with metal volume fraction of 75% i.e f=.75 Volume of the core =32 l => 32 000 cc
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Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

Using eq-1 as above we have:

14 = S * 0.12/4 ( R/R+a)2 e-RS a(1-e-2R)

As Or And And So And =0.25 x 0.103 + 0.75 x 0.174 = 0.156 cm2R=0.312R RS a= 0.103a S = 2.42 x fission density fission density = No. of fissions / sec /reactor volume No. of fissions/sec =energy produced by reactor/energy produced per fission No. of fissions /sec = 10000 J/sec / 3.2 x 10-11 j/fission Note; there are 200 MeV/fission = 3.2 x 10 -11 J
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Shielding of 10 kWe 14 fast neutron flux reactor

No. of fissions/sec = 3125 x 1011 fissions/sec Fission density = No. of fissions/sec / reactor vol =97.65 x 108 fissions/cm3.sec Hence S=2.42 x fission density neutrons/cm3.sec Or S= 236.313 x 108 neutrons/cm3.sec For a 32 liter(l) reactor core: R= 3 20 cm Then from eq -1 : 14 = 236.313 x .12 x 108/4 x 0.156 (20/20+a)2e-0.103a(1-e-6.24) From which; a =272 cm Keeping reflector thickness= 15 cm Shield thickness = 257 cm So

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