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Title: EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF THERMAL TIME LAGS OF THE HARWELL PILE AND THEIR EFFECT ON PILE SAFETY

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4331219

Empirical equations are constructed from test data, expressing the rise in uranium, graphite and channel air temperature with time for a suddenly generated nuclear power and comparison is made with equations deduced theoretically. Similar expressions are developed for a pile diverging exponentially with a given period and the effectiveness of ion chamber and thermal trips of the Harwell Pile assessed for a 10 second doubling time. The limit to which the power of a diverging pile may be considered exponential is investigated for a 26 second period and this data also illustrates the stabilizing effect of the uranium temperature coefficient. The effect of thermal time lags on operational temperature and power measurement is included. (auth)

Research Organization:
Gt. Brit. Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell, Berks, England
NSA Number:
NSA-12-000569
OSTI ID:
4331219
Report Number(s):
POC/Mem-32
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Decl. July 4, 1957. Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-58
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
English