The goal of this research is to design a radioisotope powered battery that is able to charge a cellular device when the owner is in need. This project resulted in a device powered by the beta decay of Sr-90. The beta particles interact with the scintillation material to create photons. These photons are channeled to an amorphous silicon photovoltaic cell located at either end of the trapezoidal, mirrored channels. The photons interact with the materials in the photovoltaic cell, releasing electrons.

Five slabs, each 1.5 cm thick, were manufactured. They were made of PMC 121/30 Dry mixed with 2.8% calcium carbonate. This material created a flexible rubber slab, one of which had a channel cut into it to fit a dosimeter. After researching the various dosimeters commonly used in medical phantoms, a MOSFET dosimeter was chosen, due to its ability to get immediate feedback without a need for further processing. Using the five slabs, breast thicknesses of 3, 4.5, 6, and 7.5 cm could be tested. To test the density of the slabs, small pieces of PMC were weighed and then their volume was found.

The team looked at four requirements for the RUSE: It must be safe, educational, cost effective, and small enough to fit on campus. The RUSE is designed to have a maximum multiplication factor of 0.9 to keep a relatively large margin between operating multiplication factor and criticality. The RUSE was also designed around different student laboratories. The team picked 10 labs in order to replicate the current Critical Reactor Laboratory course structure. The RUSE is designed as a pool-type reactor with a hexagonal pitch structure for the reused RCF fuel pins.

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Historically, a popular method of validating neutron cross sections has been through measurements with critical experiments that are designed such that their neutron multiplication factor deviates largely from transport calculations if the nuclear data being used in the calculation is inaccurate. For the validation of the intermediate energy molybdenum cross section evaluation, the team was tasked with designing a High-enriched uranium (HEU) critical experiment.