This project aims to design and execute criticality experiments that will serve as validation benchmarks to UF6 criticality applications, conducted by teams from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Current experimental facilities cannot support criticality experiments utilizing the UF6 in a form and quantity needed to approximate the UF6 transport containers. Thus, the criticality experiments in the ongoing project will act as surrogates, providing integral nuclear data validation coverage with high similarity (i.e., ck) towards UF6 30B transport containers. Combination of high enriched uranium (HEU) plates, natural uranium (NU) plates, polyethylene sheets and reflectors, and C2F4 will be used to setup the experimental configurations at the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC). The aim is approximate the effective enrichment and the neutron spectrum of the UF6 criticality applications, eventually providing validation coverage of UF6 transportation with moderation exclusion and other fuel cycle criticality applications involving low moderated UF6. The phases of the project span designing the experiments, material procurement, conducting the experiments, and benchmark evaluation for submission to the ICSBEP criticality handbook.
Milestones and Delieverables
- Finalize Experiment Designs: October 2026
- Procure Components needed for the experiment: December 2026
- Perform Experiments: May 2027
- Present Evaluation to the ICSBEP TRG: March 2028