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Title: STEAM COOLED POWER REACTOR EVALUATION MIXED SPECTRUM SUPERHEATER

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:4835921

The Mixed Spectrum Superheater (MSS) is contained in a pressure vessel in which both boiling of water and superheating of the resulting steam takes place. The reactor is pressurized to 1550 psia and superheated steam is supplied to the turbine at 1450 psia and 950 deg F. Feed water is returned to the reactor vessel at 495 deg F. A reactor thermal power of 8l5 Mw is required to produce 313 Mw of gross electrical power at an efficiency of 40.0%. The analysis indicated that: small amounts of epithermal poisons in the fuel will result in a condition such that, for full power operation, either flooding or depressurization of the system can cause a loss of reactivity; the Doppler coefficient in the superheating region of the core is approximates -l0/sup 5-/ DELTA k/k% C; the power from the superheating region can be controlled independent of the boiling region; andd the fuel element and mechanical designs appear technically feasible for the operating conditions. Design areas requiring further analysis include: reactor safety; physics; and overall design optimization from economic and technical standpoints. The advantages and disadvantages of the MSS concept are pointed out. A summary of the power plant characteristics is given. (B.O.G.)

Research Organization:
General Electric Co. Atomic Power Equipment Dept., San Jose, Calif.
DOE Contract Number:
AT(04-3)-189
NSA Number:
NSA-16-001243
OSTI ID:
4835921
Report Number(s):
GEAP-3590(Rev.1)
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-62
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English