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Conference Spotlight
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.
S. R. Bierman, B. M. Durst, E. D. Clayton, B. W. Howes
Nuclear Technology | Volume 49 | Number 1 | June 1980 | Pages 40-46
Technical Paper | Nuclear Power Reactor Safety / Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT80-A32504
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Criticality experiments with Fast Test Reactor (FTR) fuel pin lattices in water and reflected with concrete have provided benchmark-type data for lattice pitches of 9.53, 12.63, 15.41, and 19.06 mm (water-to-fuel volume ratios of 3.34, 6.92,10.99, and 17.55, respectively). At these center-to-center fuel pin spacings, 554, 260, 191, and 152 fuel pins were required for criticality in rectangular lattices 28, 18, 18, and 14 fuel pins wide, respectively. This corresponds to a decrease of ∼7% from that previously observed in similar lattices with full water reflection. However, the FTR fuel pin design essentially limited the concrete reflection to only the four sides of each fuel lattice.