An analysis of the MSRE U-233 initial criticality for benchmark problem development

Abstract

The Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) was a demonstration molten salt reactor operated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the 1960's. The reactor was operated in two phases: one with 235U-based fuel salt, and one with 233U-based fuel salt. This work assesses the feasibility of using experimental data from the 233U zero-power initial critical experiment for the development of a criticality benchmark problem. This includes a reconstruction of best-estimate values for several key model inputs (including reactor geometry elements, experimental conditions, and material composition), as well as an initial uncertainty analysis to quantify the standard uncertainty that could be expected for an associated benchmark description.