Test-fuel power-coupling dependence on TREAT core temperature

The Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) is a graphite moderated, UO2 fueled test reactor located at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory and operated by Argonne National Laboratory. One-dimensional transport calculations have been performed to determine the dependence of test-fuel power coupling, expressed as watts per gram of test fuel per MW of TREAT reactor power as indicated by the ion chamber current, on TREAT core temperature during transient operation. The power-coupling behavior of uranium-zirconium flux wires, containing 3.6 wt % uranium enriched to 93 wt % 235U, was also analyzed as a function of core temperature since these wires are often used to predict the behavior of test fuel under transient conditions