Criticality Analysis of Pu and U accumulations in a Tuff Fracture Network
The objective of this analysis is to evaluate accumulations within the thermally altered tuff surrounding a drift. The evaluation examines accumulation of Uranium minerals (sddyite), Plutonium oxide (Pu2O), and combinations of these materials. A hypothetical model of the tuff is used to provide insight into the factors that affect criticality for this near-field scenario. The factors examined include: the size of the accumulation, the fissile composition of the accumulation, the water of clayey material in the accumulation and the water fraction in the tuff.