HEAVY WATER MODERATED POWER REACTORS. Progress Report, May 1962

Technical Report · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1962

OSTI ID:4785240

Hood, R R; Isakoff, L comps

Operation of the Heavy Water Components Test Reactor (HWCTR) at low power was continued for the purpose of conducting startup physics tests. During these tests, evidence was obtained of an apparent relationship between the hydraulics of the HWCTR system and the nuclear reactivity. A Zircaloy-clad tube of vibrationally compacted uranium oxide failed by buckling of the inner sheath during an irradiation test to low exposurc in a Savannah River reactor. The failure is attributed to the buildup of excessive gas pressure within the tube. Buckling measurements were made on a lattice of 37-rod clusters of natural UO/sub 2/ in heavy water. In a comparative irradiation test, Zircaloy-3 exhibited 25% higher ductility than Zircaloy-2 both before and after irradiation to a fast neutron exposure of 5.1 x 10/sup 20/ n/cm/sup 2/. (auth)

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) & Co. Atomic Energy Div., Wilmington, Del.
• NSA Number: NSA-16-030064
• OSTI ID: 4785240
• Report Number(s): DP-745
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BUCKLING
COMPACTING
DEFORMATION
FAILURES
FAST NEUTRONS
FLUID FLOW
FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
GASES
HEAVY WATER MODERATOR
HWCTR
IRRADIATION
MEASURED VALUES
NATURAL URANIUM FUEL
OPERATION
POWER PLANTS
PRESSURE
RADIATION DOSES
REACTIVITY
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REACTORS
STARTUP
URANIUM DIOXIDE
URANIUM OXIDES
VIBRATIONS
ZIRCALOY