FUEL CYCLE PROGRAM. A BOILING WATER REACTOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. Eighth Quarterly Progress Report, April-June 1962

Technical Report · Tue Jul 10 04:00:00 EDT 1962

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4151346· OSTI ID:4151346

Hodde, J.A. comp.

A frequency analysis was made of the VBWR stability test data. Interpretation of the steady-state noise observed in the stability tests involved consideration of several possible sources of excitation. One of these, a theory of water surface waves, is summarized. Visual and destructive examinations were made of selected fuel rods. Fretting corrosion of the Zircaloy-clad fuel rods against stainless steel spacers was observed. Evidence that UO/sub 2/ thermal conductivity increases with time was obtained. Hot gas isotatic pressed fuel rods failed after 316 Mwd/T irradiation and 5 months storage under water. Shakedown operation of a 7-rod test section for measuring burnout heat flux was conducted. A comparison of measured and calculated isotopic composition for uranium and plutonium isotopes after 400 Mwd/T irradiation indicated that the calculations underestimate capture in U/sup 238/ and overestimate capture in Pu/ sup 239/. Flux wire irradiations provided axial and radial flux profiles and the ratio of thermal to fast flux as a function of axial position. (M.C.G.)

• Research Organization: General Electric Co. Atomic Power Equipment Dept., San Jose, Calif.
• NSA Number: NSA-18-001239
• OSTI ID: 4151346
• Report Number(s): GEAP-4048
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BOILING
CAPTURE
CORROSION
FAST NEUTRONS
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUELS
MEASURED VALUES
NEUTRON FLUX
PLUTONIUM 239
POWER PLANTS
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
STAINLESS STEELS
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMAL NEUTRONS
URANIUM 238
URANIUM DIOXIDE
WATER
ZIRCALOY