Electric heater for nuclear fuel rod simulators

Patent · Tue Apr 20 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5195136

Dial, R E; Mcculloch, R W; Morgan, C S

The present invention is directed to an electric cartridge-type heater for use as a simulator for a nuclear fuel pin in reactor studies. The heater comprises an elongated cylindrical housing containing a longitudinally extending helically wound heating element with the heating element radially inwardly separated from the housing. Crushed cold-pressed preforms of boron nitride electrically insulate the heating element from the housing while providing good thermal conductivity. Crushed cold-pressed preforms of magnesia or a magnesia-15 percent boron nitride mixture are disposed in the cavity of the helical heating element. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the magnesia or the magnesia-boron nitride mixture is higher than that of the boron nitride disposed about the heating element for urging the boron nitride radially outwardly against the housing during elevated temperatures to assure adequate thermal contact between the housing and the boron nitride.

• Assignee: Dept. Of Energy
• Patent Number(s): US 4326122
• OSTI ID: 5195136
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
220600* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALLOYS
ANALOG SYSTEMS
BORON COMPOUNDS
BORON NITRIDES
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CONFIGURATION
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
ELECTRICAL INSULATION
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL RODS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
HEATERS
HELICAL CONFIGURATION
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
NITRIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PNICTIDES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
SIMULATORS
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
TESTING
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TIN ALLOYS
ZIRCALOY
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM BASE ALLOYS