THE DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF THE UO$sub 2$ FUEL ELEMENT SYSTEM. Progress Report for Period September 1-December 31, 1959

Technical Report · Mon Oct 31 04:00:00 EST 1960

OSTI ID:4147201

Murtha, B E

A substitution of one quarter hard 304 SS tubing for annealed 347 SS in the Advanced Pressurized Water Reactor (APWR) fuel red resulted in a decrease in cladding thickness of 5 mils. A fuel cycle cost estimate for the APWR is contained. A preliminary cost analysis of fabricating UO/sub 2/ fuel elements by vibratory compaction was made. The thermally acceptable diameter for an are- fused powderpacked fuel rod was in the range of 0.350 plus or minus 0.005 in. for all fuel densities considered (80, 85, 90, and 94%). The use of a metal heat- transfer medium in the gas gap annulus of a pelletized fuel red was investigated. The financial implications of (1) varying the pellet and tube tolerances of a fuel red, (2) varying the gas gap conductivity, and (3) including the contribution of radiation in the thermal calculations were investigated. The economics of a UO/sub 2/ pellet with zoned enrichment are discussed. Preliminary experiments indicated that brazing of empty fuel tubes into cluster formations will have to be done in a vertical position. The feasibility of dip brazing as a fuel red end-closure procedure was established. (For preceding period see NYO2735.) (C.J.G.)

• Research Organization: Combustion Engineering, Inc. Nuclear Div., Windsor, Conn.
• NSA Number: NSA-14-018143
• OSTI ID: 4147201
• Report Number(s): NYO-9006
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ANNEALING
BRAZING
CANNING
COMPACTING
DENSITY
ECONOMICS
ELECTRIC ARCS
ENRICHMENT
FABRICATION
FUEL ELEMENTS
GASES
HEAT TRANSFER
MATERIALS TESTING
METALS, CERAMICS, AND OTHER MATERIALS
NUMERICALS
PELLETS
PLANNING
POWDERS
PRESSURE
REACTORS
RODS
STAINLESS STEEL-304
STAINLESS STEEL-347
STAINLESS STEELS
TESTING
THICKNESS
TUBES
URANIUM DIOXIDE
VIBRATIONS
WATER
ZONES