NUCLEAR SUPERHEAT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. Fourth Quarterly Progress Report, April-June 1960
Conceptual design work on the 200-Mw(e) integral boiler-nuclear superheater (NUSU) reaotor was continued. Steam conditions of 1200 psig and 1050'F were established as objectives for the NUSU sthdy. The reference NUSU reactor has a central region 6.62 ft in diameter and 9 ft high in which both boiling and superheating occur. Fuel elements in this region are of the double- annular type which transfer heat to water on their outside surface and to steam flowing through their intenior passages. The central boiler-superheater region is aurrounded by a 0.95-ftthick boiler region which is also 9 ft high. Fuel-rod cladding in the boiler region was changed from Zircaloy-2 to type 304 stainless steel. The average specific power in the boiler-superheater zone is 13.6 Mw per shont ton of uranium; the average power density is 36.2 kw per liter of core volume. In the pure boiler region the average values of specific power and power density are 14 Mev/ton and 36.7 kw/liter, respectively. In the boiler- superheater region the mavimum heat fluxes to the water and to the steam are 310,000 and 340,000 Btu/(hr) (sq ft), respectively. In the peripheral boiler region, the maximum heat flux is 374,000 Btu/(hr) (sq ft). Because of ths flat power distribution in the superheater region, batch loading of the fuel appears to be preferable to radial shuffling. The marimum temperature of the cladding in the superheater fuel elements is calculated to be approximately 1225 deg F. The maximuin centerline temperature of UO/sub 2/ in the superheater fuel elements is calculated to be only 3700 deg F, based on an estimate of the hot-channel factors. A study of the shutdown cooling characteristics of the double-annular fuel elements indicates adequate ability to transfer heat to the surrounding water after the heat-generation rate has decayed to 1.42 per cent of the fuel-power level. Criticality was achieved in the first of the NUSU Intermediate Geometry Critical Experiments. The steam purity test loop fabrication and hydrostatic testing were completed. (W.L.H.)
- Research Organization:
- Combustion Engineering, Inc., Windor, Conn.; General Nuclear Engineering Corp., Dunedin, Fla.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT(11-1)-795
- NSA Number:
- NSA-15-012558
- OSTI ID:
- 4076747
- Report Number(s):
- GNEC-138
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-61
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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