Application of generalized linear least-squares methodology to criticality safety computations

A large number of operations under the authority of the U.S. Department of Energy are concerned with the handling of fissile material in some form. These include domestic and foreign research reactor fuels; both operational and shutdown uranium enrichment facilities; production reactors (Hanford and Savannah River); various remediation activities, which include shutdown reactors, waste tanks, and various burial sites; and, ultimately, the final disposition of both government and civilian spent fuels. These applications contain various types of fissile material including 233U, 235U, 239Pu, and other fissionable and nonfissionable actinides and many types of moderating/reflecting materials including light water, heavy water, sand, graphite, beryllium, and various structural materials. While validation of the criticality safety calculations involving these materials, the number of available critical experiments covering these situations is limited