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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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New coolants, new fuels: A new generation of university reactors
Here’s an easy way to make aging U.S. power reactors look relatively youthful: Compare them (average age: 43) with the nation’s university research reactors. The 25 operating today have been licensed for an average of about 58 years.
Karl Hornyik
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 49 | Number 3 | November 1972 | Pages 247-254
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE72-A22539
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The generation of tritium from the 10B(n, 2α)3H reaction involving boric acid in the coolant-moderator of PWRs is studied. First, the total amount of tritium produced by this process during a core cycle is calculated for the case of base load operation assuming separability of the neutron flux into space, energy, and time modes as well as a linear decrease of the boric acid concentration in compensation for burnup effects. Subsequently, analytic solutions to this problem are obtained for square-wave load-following assuming both total and one particular mode of partial compensation of the reactivity transients due to xenon poisoning by boric acid. The limitation to load following due to practical limitation of the dilution rate is observed. The solutions are expressed in terms of commonly available plant parameters and are presented in graphical form as a function of characteristics of the load following program. The significance of the analysis is illustrated by means of a numerical example; details of the xenon-transient analysis are included as an appendix.