A PROPOSAL FOR A MEGAWATT REACTOR EXPERIMENT UTILIZING A MOLTEN PLUTONIUM FUEL

Technical Report · Fri Oct 31 00:00:00 EST 1958

OSTI ID:4326242

Kiehn, R M; King, L D.P.; Peterson, R E; Swickard, E O

Proposed design for LAMPRE I, formulated on the basis of known fuel alloy and container technology is as follows: A plutonium-iron eutectic alloy with a melting point of 410 deg C, will be held in a tantalum heat exchanger which serves as a core container and also permits removal of heat from the fuel by circulating sodium coolant. Since no breeding demostrations will be attempted, a simple iron reflector, also sodium cooled, surrounds the core. This reflector, the core, and a gasblanketed system for injecting molten fuel into the core, are enclosed in the main reactor vessel. Gaseous fission products escaping from the core are collected in the fuel matering system and vented through delay lines and absorber beds. Fuel density variation with temperature provides a strongly negative, prompt temperature coefficient of reactivity which facilitates reactor control. Reactivity adjustment, for a given fuel loading is effected by movable reflector segments external to thae reactor vessel. Suitable modifications to these segments permit them to serve as reactor oscillators. Approximnte values of selected design specifications and characteristics of the reactor experiment are summarized. (auth)

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N. Mex.
• NSA Number: NSA-12-015000
• OSTI ID: 4326242
• Report Number(s): A/CONF.15/P/445
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Prepared for the Second U.N. International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, 1958. Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-58
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

PHYSICS
ADSORPTION
ALLOYS
BLANKETS
BUCKLING
CONFERENCE
CONFIGURATION
CONTROL
CONTROL SYSTEMS
COOLANT LOOPS
CRITICALITY
DENSITY
EUTECTICS
FISSION PRODUCTS
GASES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT TRANSFER
IRON ALLOYS
LEAKS
LIQUID METAL COOLANT
LIQUID METAL FUEL
MEASURED VALUES
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
MELTING
MELTING POINTS
METALLURGY
NEUTRON FLUX
PLANNING
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM ALLOYS
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR OSCILLATORS
REACTORS
REFLECTORS
SODIUM
STABILITY
TANTALUM
TEMPERATURE
VESSELS
ZONES