Graphite stored energy in the UCLA research reactor

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5534709

Ashbaugh, C E; Ostrander, N C; Pearlman, H

One of several reactors of similar basic design built in the same time period, the UCLA reactor entered the relicensing process in 1980. A US Nuclear Regulatory Commission-sponsored generic safety analysis of such reactors included a brief evaluation of the energy stored in the graphite (Wigner Energy), and concluded that this was negligibly small. Shutdown of the UCLA reactor facility in 1984 provided an opportunity to measure the stored energy. Samples of graphite were taken at the following locations: immediately adjacent to the boxes; at the center of the graphite island (where the thermal flux peaks); and also from a stringer approx. 2 in. from the reactor core center. All samples were from nearly the same horizontal plane, at about mid-height of the core. Stored energy was measured by differential thermal calorimetry, on a Du Pont Thermal Analyzer Model 1090, with scanning temperatures up to 550/sup 0/C. The highest value found was 33.2 cal/g, next to the fuel boxes. At the island center, it was 19.2 cal/g. The stored energy is small, and further is confined to the graphite volume adjacent to the fuel boxes, which is a small fraction of the total volume of graphite in the reactor. The potential hazard from release of graphite stored energy is negligible.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Los Angeles
• OSTI ID: 5534709
• Report Number(s): CONF-860610-; TRN: 88-004869
• Journal Information: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States), Vol. 52; Conference: American Nuclear Society annual meeting, Reno, NV, USA, 15 Jun 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
ARGONAUT REACTOR
ENERGY STORAGE
REACTOR SAFETY
ADSORPTION
GRAPHITE
NEUTRON FLUX
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
ARGONAUT TYPE REACTORS
CARBON
ELEMENTAL MINERALS
ELEMENTS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
MINERALS
NONMETALS
RADIATION FLUX
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SAFETY
SORPTION
STORAGE
THERMAL REACTORS
TRAINING REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
220600 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Research
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