Nuclear waste criticality analysis. Quarterly progress report, 1 October--31 December 1995 Page: 1 of 29
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Quarterly Progress Report
Project Title: Nuclear Waste Criticality Analysis
Principal Investigator: William G. Culbreth
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Covering the Period: 1 October - 31 December 1995
Date: January 19, 1996
Summary:
The work to date includes the preparation of a report related to criticality in spent fuel, a
report on the Oklo reactors and their relevance to Yucca Mountain, and the creation of a
computer program to model the Oklo reactors. The objective of the program includes a
computational model of the only known natural analogue to an underground nuclear waste
repository and the possible application of the model to predict the long-term behavior of Yucca
Mountain. A final summary of all work completed will be presented after the end of the project
on February 29, 1996.
Work Completed to Date:
1. Preparation of Background Information
The topic of nuclear criticality as it applies to spent nuclear fuel is often not well understood.
The professional staff of the Department of Energy and its contractors may benefit by a brief
overview of nuclear fission and how sustained fission can be avoided in spent fuel. To provide
this overview, we prepared a 7 page summary of atomic physics, nuclear fission, criticality
control, and how it applies to the proposed Yucca Mountain site. This summary, titled: "What
is Nuclear Criticality and Why is it of Concern at Yucca Mountain" is included as appendix
A.
2. The Oklo Reactor Phenomenon and its Application to Yucca Mountain
The natural reactors that occurred in French Gabon, Africa over 2 billion years ago give
Yucca Mountain researchers a unique analogue to what might be expected to occur in an
underground nuclear waste repository in the far future. The Oklo reactors may be useful in
predicting radionuclide migration rates from the proposed repository and may indicate potential
criticality problems in the event that water enters the repository horizon. A report titled:
"Review of the Oklo Natural Reactors and their Pertinence to Yucca Mountain" details our
analysis of the Oklo reactors during this quarter. A copy of the report is included as appendix
B.
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Culbreth, W.G. Nuclear waste criticality analysis. Quarterly progress report, 1 October--31 December 1995, report, January 19, 1996; Las Vegas, Nevada. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc664074/m1/1/: accessed April 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.