NUCLEAR SUPERHEAT PROJECT FIRST QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT JULY-SEPTEMBER 1959
Activities are reported in a program which emphasizes nuclear superheat fuel development and coolant chemistry evaluations utilizing the Superheet Advanced Demonstration Experiment (SADE) as the basic engineering development tool. The development activity is restricted to consideration of light water moderated reactor types using low en richment ceramic UO/sup 2/ fuel. The design of the SADE loop is described. It provides a fully instrumented flexible test facility that is introduced into the Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor (VBWR) through a refueling port. Progress is reported in selection of preliminary reference design conditions and establishment of a design philosophy for the Superheat Reactor. Advantages of the bayonet fuel configuration are discussed along with those associated with the bayonet tube bundle concept. Most of the physics effort during the period was devoted to development of calculational tools for study of specific types of superhest fuel elements, and preliminary analysis of power distributions in integral superheat reactors. The nuclear analysis of various superheat and boiling water lattices is being carried out using a three-group diffusion theory with fission restricted to the thermal group. In a study of power distributions in superheat reactors it ivas found that the specific power of a fuel element is essentially proportional to the product of thermal flux in the fuel, and fuel enrichment, thus posing the question of optimum fuel location. A summary of system parameters is included. In fuel technology, a summary is given of post-irradiation observations of the first superheat fuel element irradiated in the SADE loop of VBWR. In out-of-pile cladding pressure tests, empty tubing and tubes loaded with simulated fuel in which the gap clearance was varied were subjected to pressure collapse tests. Plans for further fuel testing in SADE are given. Several fuel concepts are discussed with the emphasis on the SH-4 concept. A discussion of the combination boiling-superheet fuel concept is also included. In materials development, type 304 stainless steel was selected as the reference cladding material with 316 stainless steel the alternate. Data from radiochemical and coolant chemistry evaluations are summarized. Results are given of a radietion heat transfer experiment employing low vacuum nitrogen and nitrogen at 415 psia, and helium at 14.7 to 255 psia. Parametric studies and calculations were conducted for a high- quality test section to determine a feasible type with design dimensions which will result in optimum range of test variables within the limits of the existing facility. (J.R.D.)
- Research Organization:
- General Electric Co., Atomic Power Equipment Dept., San Jose, Calif.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT(04-3)-189
- NSA Number:
- NSA-15-016705
- OSTI ID:
- 4048821
- Report Number(s):
- GEAP-3290
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Project Agreement No. 13. Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-61
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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