HIGH POWER DENSITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. Fourteenth Quarterly Progress Report, July-September 1963
The number of Task 1A assemblies included for continued irradiations in the VBWR was reduced from nine to seven as a result of the failure of pellet fuel assemblies 2C and 3C. Assemblies currently operating are 1A, 2A, 1B, 2B, 1C, and 1F. Assembly 4C, suspected to be a leaker as a result of sipping tests, is to be reinserted based on soundness in visual and ultrasonic examinations. The average burnup of the group operating as of September 1 is 7500 Mwd/t. Special assemblies 12S and 1SM-1 were inserted in VBWR. Assembly 11S, after rebuilding at RML, was delivered to VBWR for insertion. Assemblies 1SM-1, 4S, and 9S, operated without incident, but 12S gave positive signals of being a leaker under the multi-tube in-core sampler. Later, 12S was declared a failed assembly based on the in-core results and visual observation of a cracked rod. Modifications to the instrumented fuel assembly probes were made by removing the failed flow meter rotors to allow continued use of the flux detectors and thermocouples. A ser~es of noise recordings of fluxes, flows, and temperatures were made at 91 Mw(t) at the Big Rock Point plant. Thermocouple response tests were performed to verify the temperature measurements. A simple procedure was devised for improving the agreement between calculated power distribution and the results of the gamma scan. The first eight R and D assemblies were verified to determine their relative reactivity, and then loaded into the core. The relationship between power and flow for fixed control rod position was investigated to evaluate the feasibility of flow control. The technique shows considerable promise, at least over the range from 50% to full power. Enrichment requirements for the Phase H R and D fuel bundles were estimated for several cladding possibilities. Plans for achieving optimum performance from the Big Rock plant are being based on the concept of maintaining a fixed power shape throughout each operating cycle. The desired shape for the present cycle was computed. Mlethods of selecting control rod patterns to maintain this shape are being investigated for use in the online computer. Several errors in the on-line computer program were discovered and corrected. The plant performance, xenon transient, and control rod sequence program were written, assembled and de-bugged; and the programs for several periodic logs were written and assembled. The computer was put on line during plant startup in August, and is presently performing satisfactorily, with the loss of only a few calculational cycles. Eight developmental fuel assemblies were delivered, installed, and verified; and three instrumented assemblies were modified and installed in the Big Rock Point core. The on-line computer successfully completed the 99% availability test over a 6-month period. Re- evaluation and verification of the operating limits for the Phase I tests is being made. Phase II operational testing at Big Rock Point is being defined and will depend in part on results forthcoming from the Phase I test. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- General Electric Co. Atomic Power Equipment Dept., San Jose, Calif.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT(04-3)-361
- NSA Number:
- NSA-18-007927
- OSTI ID:
- 4133993
- Report Number(s):
- GEAP-4391
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-64
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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