HAZARD SUMMARY REPORT ON THE EXPERIMENTAL BOILING WATER REACTOR (EBWR)

Technical Report · Fri Oct 31 04:00:00 EST 1958

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4326496· OSTI ID:4326496

West, J. M.; Dietrich, J. R.; Jameson, A. S.; Anderson, G. A.; Harrer, J. M.; Brush, H. F.

In addition to the nine cross-shaped control rods which pass through vertical guide channels in the core, a secondary noninherent safety mechanism in the form of a pressurized concentrated boric acid solution can reduce the reactivity by at least 12.5% k in about 20 seconds. With regard to inherent safety, the EBWR has a much stronger metal temperature coefficient, but a considerably weaker steam formation shutdown mechanlsm, than the Borax reactors. Estimates were made of the amount of reactivity which can be controlled by steam formation in the EBWR. The maximum heat flux in EBWR is believed to be below the burnout point by at least a factor of 4 to 5, based on laboratory tests with electrically heated plates. The EBWR is surrounded by a gas-tight steel building having a volume of abput 400,000 ft/sup 3/ and designed to withstand an internal pressure of 15 psig. A 15,000-gal reservoir of water is suspended from the dome of the building for emergency cooling. The gas-tight building could easily withstand the internal pressure resulting from blowdown of the pressurized water in the reactor. The major design and operating features of the EBWR facility are summarized. (M.H.R.)

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., Lemont, Ill.
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• NSA Number: NSA-12-002488
• OSTI ID: 4326496
• Report Number(s): ANL-5781
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACCIDENTS
ACIDS
BOILING
BORON COMPOUNDS
BUILDINGS
BURNOUT
CONTROL ELEMENTS
EBWR
HEAT TRANSFER
OPERATION
PHYSICS
PLANNING
PRESSURE
REACTIVITY
REACTOR SAFETY
REACTORS
SHUTDOWN
SOLUTIONS
STEAM
TEMPERATURE
TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT
WATER COOLANT