OMRE

Journal Article · Sun Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1957 · Nuclear Eng.

OSTI ID:4346991

The Organic Moderated Reactor Experiment has been specifically designed to assist in solving the problems inherent in organic moderation and cooling of a power reactor by allowing additional information to be obtained on the stability and general behavior of hydrocarbons under operational conditions of temperature and radiation. It is located at the National Reactor Testing Station in Idaho. Plate-type fuel elements are used. The plates have an active area of 36 in. x 2 1/2 in. and consist of a central element of fully enriched U/O/sub 2/ with stainless steel cladding. It was estimated that 25 elements giving a total investment of 20.6 kg U/sup 235/ would be required to provide sufficient excess reactivity to compensate for fuel burn-up, temperature effects, and xenon poisoning. Criticality was actually achieved with 20 elements. The control rods are steel tubes fllled with compacted boron carbide powder. It was originally planned to operate the reactor on diphenyl on account of its low cost, commercial availability, and low melting point The moderaior actually selected, however, was a mixture known by its trade name of Santowax O.M., consisting of a mixture of ortho- and meta-terpheny-l, with small amounts of diphcnv-l and para-terphenyl, with the consistency of a thick slurry almost solid at room temperature, but completely- liquid slightly- below 200 deg F OMRE is expected to provide a considerable amount of information which camdot be obtained from capsule irradiation or in-pile loop experiments, the most important being the rate of decomposition or damage, the effect of this damage on the operation of the reactor, and the requirements for successful operation in spite of this damage. It should be emphasized that the main object of OMRE is to conduct experiments upon the moderator, and treatment of spent fuel elements is a secondarv consider:dtion. (A.C.)

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-12-003290
• OSTI ID: 4346991
• Journal Information: Nuclear Eng., Journal Name: Nuclear Eng. Vol. Vol: 2
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BORON CARBIDES
BURNUP
CONTROL ELEMENTS
DECOMPOSITION
FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
HYDROCARBONS
OMRE
OPERATION
ORGANIC COOLANT
ORGANIC MODERATOR
PHYSICS
PLATES
POISONING
POLYPHENYLS
RADIATION EFFECTS
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR FUELING
REACTORS
RODS
STABILITY
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
TEMPERATURE
URANIUM 235
URANIUM DIOXIDE
XENON