Initial Loading to Criticality of the Enrico Fermi Reactor

Technical Report · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1964

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4049734· OSTI ID:4049734

Mueller, R. E. ^[1]; Branyan, C. E. ^[1]; Nims, J. B. ^[1]

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1. Atomic Power Development Associates, Inc., Detroit, MI (United States)

The loading of fuel into the Enrico Fermi reactor began on July 24, 1963. Criticality was achieved at 12:23 p.m. on August 23, 1963, when the reactor diverged on a 178-second period with 99 fuel subassemblies loaded. The entire loading sequence proceeded with remarkable smoothness. No spurious scrams occurred and the only delay in the schedule was a minor one brought about by maintenance on the transfer rotor mechanism. Near the end of the loading sequence, subcritical measurements were made to detect whether any significant reactivity effects existed due to primary sodium coolant flow. No flow effects were observed. After the critical loading was achieved, further measurements were made to obtain preliminary reactivity worths of the regulating control rod, the temporary in-core instrument thimble, an edge fuel subassembly, and several inner radial blanket subassemblies. The last of these measurements was completed on September 3, 1963. All measurements were in good agreement with the predicted values.

• Research Organization: Atomic Power Development Associates, Inc., Detroit, MI (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• NSA Number: NSA-18-035139
• OSTI ID: 4049734
• Report Number(s): APDA-NTS-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
BLANKETS
BREEDING
Blankets
Breeding
CONFIGURATION
CONTROL
CONTROL ELEMENTS
CRITICALITY
Configuration
Control
Control Elements
Criticality
DETECTION
Detection
EFFBR
FAST NEUTRONS
FUEL ELEMENTS
Fast Neutrons
Fuel Elements
INSTRUMENTS
Instruments
LIQUID FLOW
LIQUID METAL COOLANT
Liquid Flow
Liquid Metal Coolant
MAINTENANCE
MEASURED VALUES
MOTORS
Maintenance
Measured Values
Motors
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR FUELING
REACTORS
RODS
ROTATION
Reactivity
Reactor Core
Reactor Fueling
Reactor Technology
Reactors
Rods
Rotation
SENSITIVITY
SODIUM
STARTUP
Sensitivity
Sodium
Startup
TESTING
Testing