Liquid Metal Fuel Reactor Experiment (Quarterly Technical Report, July-September 1958)

Technical Report · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1960

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4185437· OSTI ID:4185437

Design studies continued on LMFRE-I and the critical experiment. Reactor and systems engineering progress is summarized. Auxiliaries for the Engineering Test Reactor in-pile loop are currently receiving major attention. Design of the Materials Test Reactor in-pile loop is nearly complete and the loop is under fabrication. Additional data have been accumulated on the dynamic loop testing of Croloy 2/1/4 and Croloy l/1/4 in fuel solutions at high velocities. The capsule test apparatus was used to investigate surface finish, effect of time, and other variables. In longtime tests considerable metal transport appeared in the capsules at the higher temperature. The leak test, in which sodium is permitted to contact bismuth in the predetermined leak, has shown no corrosion, erosion, or temperature effects on the Croloy 21/4 material at the leak. Specimens for various mechanical tests are being cut from cemented graphite joints. Information on graphite-to-metal seals and weepage through the graphite cylinders is recon carbide coatings on graphite have been checked following exposure to bismuth. Additional work on alternate impregnating procedures for graphite has been carried out. Initial valve testing work indicates that some of the units are satisfactory. Bellows testing, now underway, should and in evaluating application to valves and other components. Induction heating work is now being done on 6-in. rather than 12-in. pipe. Different arrangements of induction coils will reduce the large thermal differences existing under heatup conditions. Additional tests on induction welding have been directed toward thicker wall tubes. Approximate power requirements for the welding cycle have been obtained on a number of tube diameters and wall thickness. The early run on a test loop for slurries has been shut down for examination pending demonstration of a successful slurry in bench scale apparatus. The results of many combinations of thoria and urania with magnesium, zirconium, and other additives, indicate that magnesium will reduce thoria to the metal and that zirconium will reduce uranium oxide to uranium.

• Research Organization: Babcock & Wilcox Co., Lynchburg, VA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• NSA Number: NSA-14-006030
• OSTI ID: 4185437
• Report Number(s): BAW-1125
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
42 ENGINEERING
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
BISMUTH
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CORROSION
CRITICALITY
CROLOY
Criticality
Croloy
EROSION
FUELS
GRAPHITE
HEATING
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IN PILE LOOPS
INDUCTION
JOINTS
LEAKS
LIQUID METAL FUEL
Liquid Metal Fuel Reactor
MAGNESIUM
METALS
Magnesium
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PIPES
PLANNING
POWER PLANTS
PUMPS
REDUCTION
SEALS
SILICON CARBIDES
SLURRIES
SODIUM
SOLUTIONS
STEELS
Safety
TESTING
THORIUM
TRANSPORT
URANIUM
URANIUM OXIDES
Uranium
VALVES
WELDING
ZIRCONIUM
Zirconium