Heat Generation in MSBR Fuel After Removal from the Reactor

Abstract

The accompanying graph should be of interest to persons concemed with the afterheat problem for MSBR fuel. The figure shows the decay heat given up by fission products in the fue_l as a function of time after draining from the reactor. Zerc;, time is _taken at the time of draining; the• decay is then fol lowed for 10,000 days (27.4 years).Two cases have been treated for the MSBR operating as noted in the caption of Fig. 1:Case 1 (upper curve) -Equilibrium concentrations of fission products with no sparging of Kr and Xe in the reactor.• -Case 2 (lower curve) . -Equi I ibrium concentrations of fission products with Kr and Xe sparged from the reactor on a 30-sec cycle.It Is of Interest to observe the difference in heat generation rate between Case 1 and Case 2, particularly at times immediately fol lowing draining the MSBR. Heat genera-