ARMY GAS-COOLED REACTOR SYSTEMS PROGRAM. STUDY OF MOBILE GAS-COOLED NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS. VOLUME I. PLANT DESCRIPTION

Technical Report · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1962

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4137757· OSTI ID:4137757

>The study considered a wide variety of possible designs for a mobile gas-cooled nuclear power plant to produce 500 kw(e) for military applications. It included consideration, optimization, and selection of coolants (air, nitrogen, helium, argon, or otuers); thermodynamic cycles (direct open-cycle, direct closed-cycle, and dual cycles, both regenerative and non-regenerative); reactor moderaters (beryllium oxide, metal hydrides, water, or no moderator); shielding (during operation and transport following operation); high-temperature materials (for reactor core, reflecter, controls, shielding, structure, heat exchangers, and turbomachinery); and investigation of many other variables. Conceptual designs were completed for several systems. The High Density Moderated Reactor System, designated HDMR, evolved as the optimum gas-cooled nuclear power plant, and is described. This concept utilizes a closed regenerative Brayton cycle with air as the working fluid. Hastelloy-X pins are used in the 18-inch diameter core; some contain UO/sub 2/ fuel and some contain yttrium hydride moderator. The hydrogen moderation provides maximum safety within acceptable shield weights. Other systems studied are also described. The HDMR offers significant advantages over existing military power plants, both nuclear and fossil fueled, in terms of logistic support requirements, mobility, reliability, and simplicity. (auth)

• Research Organization: Aerojet-General Nucleonics, San Ramon, Calif.
• Sponsoring Organization: US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• NSA Number: NSA-18-003181
• OSTI ID: 4137757
• Report Number(s): IDO-28584(Vol.I)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AGR
AIR
ARGON
BERYLLIUM OXIDES
BRAYTON CYCLE
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CONTROL
ELECTRICITY
FUELS
GAS COOLANT
GASES
HASTELLOY
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HELIUM
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
MODERATORS
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NITROGEN
PLANNING
POWER
POWER PLANTS
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REACTORS
REFLECTORS
RODS
SAFETY
SHIELDING
SLOWDOWN
THERMODYNAMICS
TRANSPORT
TURBINES
URANIUM DIOXIDE
WATER MODERATOR
WEIGHT
YTTRIUM HYDRIDES