Measurement of Reactivity Effect and Thermal Neutron Flux in Non-uniformly Distributed Fuel Assemblies

A reactivity effect due to spatial variation of nuclear fuel concentration is an important problem for nuclear criticality safety in a reprocessing plant. As a method theoretically estimating this reactivity effect, the Goertzel's necessary condition is well known. To investigate this theoretical prediction, we have performed systematically a series of measurements of reactivity effect due to nonuniformity in the fuel distribution using a solid moderated core of the Kyoto University Critical Assembly. Thermal neutron flux distributions have been also measured using the activation method with gold wire. A nonuniform assembly was found to have an excess reactivity of 0.2%Δk/k when it had the same uranium mass as the uniform assembly was exactly critical. The fuel concentration of this nonuniform assembly was 40% higher in the center region than the uniform one. Moreover, the spatial distribution of reaction rate of gold wire due to thermal neutrons was flatter in this nonuniform assembly than in the uniform...