Analytical Study of Some Aspects of Vortex Tubes for Gas-Phase Fission Heating

Technical Report · Mon Jul 21 04:00:00 EDT 1958

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4112764· OSTI ID:4112764

Kerrebrock, J. L. ^[1]; Lafyatis, P. G. ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Several problems connected with vortex cavity reactors were studied analytically. They include; the generation of high-strength vortices by utilization of bleed through a porous tube wall to stabilize the shear layer on the wall; the nuclear criticality problem; the suitability of various compounds of plutonium as gaseous fissionable materials; and the problem of retaining the fission fragments within the vortex tube. It is concluded that the shear layer on the vortex tube wall can be stabilized if a mass flow greater than or equal to the vortex through flow is bled through the porous wall, and that the tangential Mach numbers which can be obtained are then slightly more than one-half the inviscid values. Beryllium oxide or graphite-moderated reactors of reasonable size and weight can attain criticality if the product of the hydrogen pressure in the vortex core and the maximum value of the ratio of fissionable gas density to hydrogen density in the tube is greater than about 100 atmospheres. The reactor weights are then in the order of 10,000 lb or less. Of the several compounds of plutonium considered as gaseous fuel carriers, plutonium trifluoride and plutonium tribromide appear to be the most promising. It is probable that they can be held in gaseous form in hydrogen, under the desired concentrations. The rate of loss of fission fragments from the vortex tube can be reduced to a small fraction of the rate of their generation by making the vortex tubes about twice the minimum size that is allowable for satisfactory retention of the fissionable material.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• NSA Number: NSA-15-008253
• OSTI ID: 4112764
• Report Number(s): CF-58-7-4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
42 ENGINEERING
Analysis
BERYLLIUM MODERATOR
BERYLLIUM OXIDES
CRITICALITY
Criticality
DEPOSITS
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUELS
Fission
Fission Products
GAS FLOW
GAS FUEL
GASES
GRAPHITE MODERATOR
Gas Flow
Gas Fuel
Graphite
HYDROGEN
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PLUTONIUM BROMIDES
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM FLUORIDES
PRESSURE
Plutonium
Plutonium Fluoride
REACTOR CORE
REACTORS
TUBES
TURBULENCE
VELOCITY
VORTEX FLOW
Vortex Cavity Reactors
Vortex Tubes
WEIGHT