Integral neutronics experiments in analytical mockups for blanket of a hybrid reactor

• For checking property of the hybrid blanket by integral experiments, three mockups are established.
• In spherical mockup with depleted uranium and cubic mockup with natural uranium, the plutonium production rates and uranium fission rates are measured.
• In spherical mockup with depleted uranium and LiPb, tritium production rates are measured.
• The measured results are compared to the calculated ones with MCNP-4B code and ENDF/B-VI library data.

The paper describes recent progress in integral neutronics experiments in the analytical mockups for the blanket in a fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor. A conceptual blanket of the hybrid reactor is mainly loaded with natural uranium and lithium material. In the fission fuel region, uranium material and light water are arranged alternately. The mockups of the conceptual blanket are designed and used for checking neutron property of the blanket by integral experiments. Based on materials available, the spherical fission mockup for fission research and plutonium production consists of three layers of depleted uranium shells and several layers of polyethylene and graphite shells. The spherical lithium mockup for tritium production consists of depleted uranium and LiPb alloy shells. The cubic mockup consists of natural uranium and polyethylene and its structure is basically consistent with one of the fuel region. In the mockups with the D-T neutron source, the plutonium production rates, uranium fission rates and tritium production rates are measured, separately. The measured results are compared to the calculated ones with MCNP-4B code and ENDF/B-VI library data.