Problem
The biggest nuclear power facility in the United States is the triple-unit Arizona Palo Verde Power Plant. Each independent unit is rated to produce 3817.4 MWt. The facility is limited by regulations to achieve maximum power slowly (no less than 33 hours). You are asked to calculate what is the reactivity insertion (in dollars, or cents) required to achieve full power (starting from the critical reactor at power equal 1 W). Assume the Br for the reactor is 0.083 s. Comment on the value obtained, can you make this insertion at the beginning of the process and achieve a uniform increase in power hour by hour until hour 33?