BRAZING FUEL ELEMENTS FOR THE OMR
The problem in fabricating fuel elements for organicmoderated reactors by filling stainless-stell tubes (0.5 in. ID x 0.0068 in. thick) with enriched UO/sub 2/ pellets and combining a number of these tubes (usually 19) into a bundle inside an outer coolant tube is joining the tubes together with spacer pieces to form a rigid bundle while keeping the amount of steel to a minimum. Spot welding was rejected, and furnace brazing was chosen, with palladiumbase brazing alloys. Some of the properties of brazed joints with these alloys are given. A complete experimental fuel element was brazed with 0.020-in.-dia. wire of PNl alloy in a hydrogen atmosphere, and the Joints were judged to be satisfactory. Suggestions are offered for improving the brazing. Some of the problems irtroduced by brazing in this way are decrease of strength properties of steel, disortion, and need of a nondestructive testing methos to check for fuel- element tube perforation and weakening. (D.L.C.)
- Research Organization:
- Hawker Siddeley Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., London
- NSA Number:
- NSA-15-001816
- OSTI ID:
- 4157550
- Journal Information:
- Nuclear Power, Vol. 5, Issue 54; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-61; ISSN 0546-8981
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
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