Re: Exercise scenarios vs. reality

["Gerry W. Kindred" <gwkindred@centerior.com>]

---------
> From: Egoitein@aol.com
> To: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> Subject: Re:  Exercise scenarios vs. reality
> Date: Tuesday, January 13, 1998 4:25 PM

My experience is with light water reactors at commercial
nuclear power plants.  For criticallity to occur Keff (also
known as the effective multiplication factor) would
have to be 1.0 or greater. Therefore, one must determine 
if an input of positive reactivity would occur as a result of the
3" diameter bolt falling onto the spent fuel racks.  (I'm not
going to get into a course on reactor physics here; however,
the six-factor formula is what you would use to determine
the probability of criticality.) The answer to the question is,
no it will not cause criticality. 



> 
> 
> Hi Jim,  Thank you for your comments.  A few years ago a sling broke when
a
> heavy bolt (3" dia if I recall correctly) fell into the spent fuel pool.
> The
> bolt had been stored there and I  am not sure of all the details.  If
this
> bolt had fallen on spent fuel racks, could criticallity have occured?
> What
> would have been the consequences in the spent fuel building?  What about
> areas
> adjacent to the building?   I would appreciate the insight from other
> radsafers.
>  Ernie
> egoitein@aol.com
>