Initial Results from the Afci Reactor-accelerator Coupling Experiments (race) Project

The RACE Project, which is being conducted within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI), is a series of accelerator-driven subcritical systems (ADSS) experiments. These ADSS experiments are being conducted with a compact, transportable subcritical assembly at the Idaho State University’s Idaho Accelerator Center (ISU-IAC) in 2004 and with TRIGA reactors at the University of Texas at Austin in 2005 and at the Texas A&M University in 2006. In these experiments, source neutrons are generated by using electron accelerators to induce bremsstrahlung photon-neutron reactions in heavy-metal targets. These accelerator/target systems produce a source of ~10 n/s, which will then initiate fission reactions in the subcritical systems. This paper includes a description of experiments that have been conducted at the ISU-IAC to develop operating experience and experimental techniques. In addition, initial results are discussed.