QUARTERLY TECHNICAL REPORT, SPERT PROJECT, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, 1960

Technical Report · Tue Oct 31 04:00:00 EST 1961

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4015092· OSTI ID:4015092

Schroeder, F ed

Spert I. Tests of fuel plates for investigation of reactivity- compensating mechanisms are described. Inpile tests of low-enrichment U0/sub 2/ fuel rods with and without cladding penetrations for the thermocouple installations indicate that the penetrations lead to rod rupture. Spert II. The ratio of the prompt neutron lifetime to the effective delayed neutron fraction was analyzed to be 0.11 sec for an expanded D/sub 2/O core. Measurements of the neutron flux and void coefficient of reactivity as functions of core position are reported. Spert III. The results of data analysis for the experiments on the effects of system pressure and coolant flow rate on power excursions are reported. Rippling and bowing of the clad fuel plates were observed following power excursion tests, and blisters were formed on the outside fuel plates of three fuel assemblies. Engineering Channel flow distributions were measured for a Spert III dummy fuel assembly in the ETR hydraulic test facility. For a total assembly flow rate of 400 gpm, corresponding to 20,000-gpm flow in Spert III, the maximum flow deviation from the mean is 19.6%. (D.L.C.)

• Research Organization: Phillips Petroleum Co., Atomic Energy Div., Idaho Falls, Idaho
• Sponsoring Organization: US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: AT(10-1)-205
• NSA Number: NSA-15-025592
• OSTI ID: 4015092
• Report Number(s): IDO-16687
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CANNING
CONFIGURATION
COOLANT LOOPS
DEFORMATION
DISTRIBUTION
EXCURSIONS
FAILURES
FLUID FLOW
FUEL ELEMENTS
HYDRAULICS
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
MOCKUP
PLATES
PRESSURE
REACTIVITY
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
RESEARCH REACTORS
RODS
SPERT-1
SPERT-3
TESTING
THERMOCOUPLES
URANIUM DIOXIDE
VARIATIONS