DEVELOPMENT AND MANUFACTURE OF FUEL, BLANKET, AND THERMOCOUPLE RODS FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL BREEDER REACTOR I, CORE IV

Technical Report · Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1963

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4148667· OSTI ID:4148667

Burt, Jr., W. R.; Hins, A. G.; Mayfield, R. M.; Shuck, A. B.

A description is given of the development and manufacture of Core IV for the Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I). A total of 420 rods and 10 thermocouple fuel rods containing plutonium-1.25 wt% aluminum fuel slugs were made. In addition, 120 blanket rods and 5 thermocouple A description is given of the developrnent and manufacture of Core IV for the Experimental Breeder Reactor I (EBR-I). A total of 420 rods and 10 thermocouple fuel rods containing plutonium-1.25 wt% aluminum fuel slugs were made. In addition, 120 blanket rods and 5 thermocouple rods were assembled with depleted uranium slugs. Both the fissile and fertile slugs were NaK bonded in Zircaloy-2 jacket tubes. The fuel alloy was made by induction melting plutonium and aluminum. The centrifugal casting technique developed for EBR-I, Core-II was tried without success with this alloy. The gas pressure injection casting method developed for the EBR-II fuel cycle was used to cast the Core-IV rods. These were parted into rough slugs which were roll-sized and coined to final shape. After coining, the slugs were heat-treated and inspected. A loading technique was developed to protect the outside of the jacket tube and the weld zone from plutonium contamination. A connector fitting, with an integral tube for NaK filling, was welded to the top of the jacket tube. A measured quantity of NaK was injected through the fill opening by a hypodermic needle and syringe. The filling tube was then welded closed by the capacitor-discharge technique. The rods were then heat treated, leak detected, eddy-current bond inspected, x-rayed for NaK level, and gaged. All rods were surveyed for alpha contamination of the external surfaces and were shipped in approved birdcages to the reactor site. (auth)

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., Ill.
• DOE Contract Number: W-31-109-ENG-38
• NSA Number: NSA-18-004784
• OSTI ID: 4148667
• Report Number(s): ANL-6622
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-64
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
ALPHA DETECTION
ALUMINUM
ALUMINUM ALLOYS
BLANKETS
BONDING
BREEDING
CAPACITORS
CASTING
CENTRIFUGATION
CLOSURES
CONFIGURATION
CONTAMINATION
EBR-1
EDDY CURRENTS
ENRICHMENT
FABRICATION
FAILURES
FERTILE MATERIALS
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
FUEL ELEMENTS
GAGES
GASES
HEAT TREATMENTS
INDUCTION
INJECTION
JACKETS
JOINTS
LEAK DETECTORS
LEVELS
MACHINING
MELTING
PLANNING
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM ALLOYS
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
POWER PLANTS
PRESSURE
PRODUCTION
RADIOGRAPHY
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR FUELING
REACTORS
REMOTE HANDLING
RODS
ROLLING
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SURFACES
TESTING
THERMOCOUPLES
TRANSPORT
TUBES
URANIUM
WELDING
WE