STRONTIUM-90 POWER PROJECT QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT I

Technical Report · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1959

OSTI ID:4228391

The purpose of the Sr/sup 90/ contract is to design an apparatus capable of converting the radioisotopic decay energy into a useful source of electrical power. The apparatus must have a safe, long, unattended life. Two designs will be produced during the contract study, one for land application and the other for sea application. In addition to these conceptual designs, an inoperative model will be constructed to illustrate a possible design of the land-based application. The first quarter of the Sr/sup 90/ program was concerned with construction of the model, investigation of possible compound torms of Sr/sup 90/, cladding requirements, selection of energy conversion, and biological shielding. Required laboratory materials and reagents were procured as well as a small furnace, ball mill and a press for use in a fume hood. Special apparatus such as a contained corrosion test assembly for Sr/sup 00/ tracer experiments was fabricated. Stable as well as tracer experiments are in progress to determine the corrosion resistance of various compound forms of Sr in hot and cold fresh and sea water. Similar tests are being conducted on cladding materials such as Mo, Ta, W, and Ni. Compound forms of Sr are being studied as pure ceramics, ceramics with non- metallic additives, and cermets. Cladding requirements such as element insertion and lid welding are under test. The problem of heat transfer, including a method employing helium gas under 12 atmospheres of pressure, is being analyzed. Thermal conductivity and stress measurements are 50% completed on those compounds of strontium still under examination. Of the original six compounds of strontium considered (plus two additional) flve compounds were eliminated and three are still under test. Those still being tested are strontium boride, strontium titanate, and strontium zirconate. A model of the land based application is being completed. It incorporates strontium boride as the heat element compound and lead telluride thermoelectric materials for conversion of heat into electricity. A biological shielding determination was made for the land based conceptual design at Brookhaven National Laboratory. For this work, a 100channel pulse height analyzer was employed. Tests showed that bremmstrahlung generated within the heat elements would be in the low kilovolt region and would be attenuated by the element and heat accumulator. Only those beta particles escaping from the outer 1/4 inch and impinging upon the cladding would generate hard gamma radiation. A statistical evaluation of thermal conductivity from the heat elements outward and through the cladding, heat accumulator to the finned biological shield is in progress. (auth)

• Research Organization: Martin Co. Nuclear Div., Baltimore
• NSA Number: NSA-14-001638
• OSTI ID: 4228391
• Report Number(s): MND-SR-1672
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BETA PARTICLES-- BREMSSTRAHLUNG-- DECAY-- ENERGY-- FINS-- GAMMA RADIATION-- HEAT EXCHANGERS-- POWER-- PULSE ANALYZERS-- SHIELDING-- STATISTICS-- STRONTIUM 90-- TESTING-- THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY-- THERMOELECTRICITY
CERAMICS-- CERMETS-- HEAT TRANSFER-- HELIUM-- LEAD COMPOUNDS-- POWER-- PRESSURE-- STRONTIUM BORIDES-- STRONTIUM COMPOUNDS-- STRONTIUM 90-- TELLURIDES-- THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY-- THERMAL STRESSES-- THERMOELECTRICITY-- TITANIUM OXIDES-- WELDING-- ZIRCONIUM OXIDES
CHEMICALS-- COATING-- CORROSION PROTECTION-- DECAY-- FURNACES-- LABORATORY EQUIPMENT-- MATERIALS TESTING-- MOLYBDENUM-- NICKEL-- PLANNING-- POWER-- SEA-- SHIELDING-- STRONTIUM CO
ENGINEERING AND EQUIPMENT