FOUR FACTOR FORMULA

Multiplication Factor, k

k=

number of neutrons in current generation number of neutrons in previous generation k eff = k th fast k = f Bm < Bg Bm = Bg Bm > Bg

k<1 k=1 k>1 Reproduction Factor,

( < 0) subcritical ( = 0) critical ( > 0) supercritical

f Number of neutrons produced by fission = = Fuel = Number of neutrons absorbed by fuel 1+ a

Fuel

where is the number of neutrons produced per fission, and is the capture-to-fission ratio, c/f. Thermal Utilization, Fuel Fuel a thermal neutrons absorbed by fuel a f = = Total = Fuel H Steel total thermal neutrons absorbed a a + a 2O + a + L Fast Fission Factor,

total fission neutrons from thermal and fast fission fission neutrons from thermal fission

Resonance Escape Probability, number of neutrons slowing to thermal energy = total number of fast neutrons available for slowing Non-leakage Probabilities,
NL = fast absorption absorption = = th fast production absorption + leakage a 1 B2 =e g th = = 2 2 a + D B g 1 + L2 B g th

2 where D is the diffusion coefficient, B g is the geometric buckling, and L is the diffusion length.

Conversion Ratio (Breeding Ratio) Average rate of fissile atom ( Pu 239) production CR = Average rate of fissile atom (U 235) consumption = No. of neutrons absorbed in U 238 U 238 a No. of neutrons absorbed in U 235 U 235 a U 238 a U 235 a

= U 235 (1 ) fast +

EEE460-Handout

K.E. Holbert