LOS ALAMOS POWER REACTOR EXPERIMENT NUMBER ONE--LAPRE I

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

OSTI ID:4236969

Peterson, R.E. ed.

The Los Alamos Power Reactor Experiment No. 1 consisted of two operational tests of a high temperature homogeneous reactor fueled with uranium (93.5% U/sup 235/) dissolved in H/sub 3/PO/sub 4/. The experiment was terminated following mechanically induced failures of the gold cladding used to protect the stainless steel heat exchanger surfaces against corrosion by the fuel solution. During the short period of operation preceding system failure the predicted recombination of O/sub 2/ and H/sub 2/ resulting from the dissociation of the aqueous fuel solution appears to havc been demonstrated. Nuclear data obtained indicate that calculations made during the design of the reactor were in fair agreement with the observed behavior of the system. In addition to summarizing the data obtained during operation, several of the mechanical components, techniques, and design features developed during fabrication of the reactor systems are described and evaluated. (auth)

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N.Mex.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• NSA Number: NSA-13-018652
• OSTI ID: 4236969
• Report Number(s): LA-2292
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

CORROSION PROTECTION
DECOMPOSITION
FABRICATION
FAILURES
FUEL SOLUTIONS
GOLD
HIGH TEMPERATURE
HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
HYDROGEN
ION RECOMBINATION
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
NUMERICALS
OPERATION
OXYGEN
PHOSPHORIC ACID
REACTORS
STAINLESS STEELS
SURFACES
TESTING