A Ten Megawatt Boiling Heterogeneous Package Power Reactor: Reactor Design and Feasibility Problem

Technical Report · Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1954

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4322176· OSTI ID:4322176

Rosen, M. A. ^[1]; Coburn, D. B. ^[1]; Flynn, T. A. ^[1]; Hemmerle, E. H. ^[1]; Klotz, C. E. ^[1]; MacPhee, J. ^[1]; McIntosh, T. W. ^[1]; Rhode, G. K. ^[1]; Struyk, J. R. ^[1]

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1. Oak Ridge School of Reactor Technology, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

This design study describes a reactor and associated power plant designed to produce 1050 kw of net electric power and 3535 kw of steam for heating purposes. The total thermal output of the reactor is 10,000 kw. The fuel plates consist of highly enriched UO₂ imbedded in a matrix of stainless steel and clad on all sides with stainless steel. The core is cooled and moderated by naturally circulated, boiling, light water. At full power the core has an average void fraction of 20% by volume in the coolant. The saturated steam, at 415 psia and 448.2°F, is used to drive a turbogenerator. This steam is also used to generate non-radioactive steam for space heating. The reactor is loaded with 18.1 kg of U 235 and will supply 15 megawatt-years of energy before refueling is required. This corresponds to 2.5 years of operation at an average load factor of 60%. Burnout poison in the form of B₄C is incorporated to reduce the reactivity excursion and thus facilitate control. The major objective has been to design a reactor which will re quire a minimum of development effort and yet be reliable and inexpensive. The estimated capital investment is $1,258,400. The estimated cost per kilowatt-hour for net electric and steam power at the bus, based on a 60% load demand is 4.43 cents and 1.08 cents, respectively.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge School of Reactor Technology, Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• NSA Number: NSA-12-011821
• OSTI ID: 4322176
• Report Number(s): CF-54-8-237
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Decl. Nov. 1957. Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-58
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
42 ENGINEERING
BOILING
BORON CARBIDES
BUBBLES
BUILDINGS
BURNUP
CANNING
CONFIGURATION
CONTROL
COOLANT LOOPS
CRITICALITY
ECONOMICS
EFFICIENCY
EXPANSION
FUEL ELEMENTS
GENERATORS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEATING
HIGH TEMPERATURE
MASS
OPERATION
PLANNING
PLATES
POISONING
POWER PLANTS
PRESSURE
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
SM-1
STABILITY
STAINLESS STEELS
STEAM
TURBINES
URANIUM 235
URANIUM DIOXIDE
VOLUME
WATER COOLANT
WATER MODERATOR
ZONES
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Criticality
U 235
Uranium
Uranium 235
Boron
Boron Carbdies
Boiling
Coolant Loops
Uranium Oxides
Electric Power
Megawatt-Years
Steam
Radiation
Non-Radioactive
Burnout