STARTUP AND MIDLIFE MOCKUP EXPERIMENTS FOR SM-1, SM-1A, AND PM-2A WITH TYPE 3 ELEMENTS

Technical Report · Thu Jan 10 04:00:00 EST 1963

OSTI ID:4749314

Raby, T M; Walthousen, L D; Moote, F G; Miles, J L

The use of Type 3 fuel elements in the SM-1, SM-1A, and PM-2A reactors was evaluated by a series of critical mockup experiments. The burnable poison loading to meet required excess reactivity and shutdown margin was determined at core startup conditions. Measurements included control rod bank critical positions, bank calibrations, excess reactivity, shutdown margin for critical bank, stuck rod configurations, flux suppressor worth, temperature defect, and temperature coefficient at operating temperature and pressure. Midlife mockup experiments, made to compensate for fuel burnup, B burnup and fission product poison buildup, were performed to check the excess reactivity and shutdown margin at approximately the most reactive conditions during core lifetime. All cores meet the design requirements for adequate shutdown margin with one control rod fully withdrawn (stuck rod criterion) at any time during core life, and for excess reactivity of at least 3;% DELTA K at beginning of core life. (auth)

• Research Organization: Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co. Atomic Energy Div., Washington, D.C.; Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co., Schenectady, N.Y.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-015442
• OSTI ID: 4749314
• Report Number(s): ACNP-62843
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BURNUP
CONTROL ELEMENTS
CRITICALITY
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL ELEMENTS
MOCKUP
PM-2A
POISONING
POWER PLANTS
PRESSURE
REACTIVITY
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REACTORS
SHUTDOWN
SM-1
SM-1A
STARTUP
TEMPERATURE
VARIATIONS
WATER COOLANT
WATER MODERATOR