ENGINEERING DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR A LIQUID-METAL IN-PILE LOOP

Technical Report · Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1963

OSTI ID:4043206

Thompson, D H; Murphy, G; Fisher, R W

S>Results are presented of an analytical investigation in the areas of fission-product activity, heat transfer, and materials for the preliminary planning of a high-temperature circulating-liquid-metal-fuel in-pile loop. Equations for the fission-product numbers and activities in a circulating fuel were derived from equations existing in the literature for the growth and decay of fission products resulting from one reactor operation and shutdown cycle. These equations were derived for continuous loop irradiation and for the more realistic loop irradiation in a reactor operating on a periodic cycle. The properties of several liquid-metal fuels were calculated and the fission-product activities in these fuels were determined for both the continuous and noncontinuous modes of reactor operation. Gamma heat effects on the in-core loop section geometry and the suitability of commercial high-temperature thermal insulation for in-pile loop application were investigated. Calculations pertaining to the out-of-pile portion of the loop were limited to the determination of thermal stress in the heat exchanger and the effect of coolant flow conditions on the required length of the heat exchanger. The saturated fission-product activity in the liquid-metal fuels would be approximately 2,940 curies per kw of loop fission power and the corresponding activity at one year following two years of continuous fast-neutron irradiation would be approximately 53 curies per kw of loop fission power. Contributions to the total fuel activity from the fuel components and fissionable nuclides produced by radiative capture are small except in dilute fuels. Gamma heating in the in-core pressure tube cannot be satisfactorily removed by conduction and radiation in a gas-filled annulus. The in-core loop section will require a cooling system separate from the circulating fuel that could also be used to provide loop heating during reactor shutdown periods and a means of detecting primary system failure. Because the liquidmetal exchanger can be built compactly, the size of the liquid- metal loop is dependent on the size of the pump and other necessary auxiliary components. (auth)

• Research Organization: Ames Lab., Ames, Iowa
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-82
• NSA Number: NSA-18-019428
• OSTI ID: 4043206
• Report Number(s): IS-760
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-64
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
CAPTURE
COOLING
DECAY
DETECTION
EQUATIONS
FAILURES
FAST NEUTRONS
FISSION
FISSION PRODUCTS
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
GAMMA RADIATION
GASES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT TRANSFER
HEATING
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IN PILE LOOPS
IRRADIATION
LIQUID FLOW
LIQUID METAL FUEL
OPERATION
PLANNING
POWER
PRESSURE
PUMPS
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
RADIOACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTORS
SHUTDOWN
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMAL INSULATION
THERMAL RADIATION
THERMAL STRESSES
TUBES