Mortimer A Schultz

US Patent:

43057861, Dec 15, 1981

Filed:

Feb 12, 1979

Appl. No.:

6/011285

Inventors:

Mortimer A. Schultz - North Palm Beach FL

Assignee:

Wachter Associates, Inc. - Gibsonia PA

International Classification:

G21C 1700

US Classification:

376254

Abstract:

A system for determining whether a self-sustaining neutron chain reaction (i. e. , criticality) may occur as each successive nuclear fuel element is added to a liquid-filled tank. This is accomplished by determining whether a multiplication factor, k, approaches unity after each element is added to the tank in accordance with the equation: CR=(. alpha. S)/(1-k) where: S is the emission rate of the neutron source;. alpha. is a term that reflects the detector sensitivity as well as the attenuation of the neutron between source and detector and various geometric considerations in the tank; CR is the counting rate from a neutron detector; and k is a multiplication factor of the assembly at any given time for any given element configuration.