Fabrication and loading of fuel rods for the Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR Development Program)
- eds.
The fabrication and inspection operations used for the manufacture of approximately 24,000 fuel rods for the Light Water Breeder Reactor are described in detail. This report also describes the development work to establish the fabrication procedures and investigations undertaken to solve problems encountered during manufacturing. The approximately 10 foot long LWBR fuel rods were made in four outside diameters ranging from 0.306 inch (seed) to 0.832 inch (reflector). Each rod was fabricated by sealing cylindrical oxide fuel pellets (ThO/sub 2/-U/sup 233/O/sub 2/), into Zircaloy seamless tubes by welding Zircaloy enclosures at the ends. The special inspections performed to assure a high quality product meeting all design requirements are described. These inspections included weld radiography and ultrasonic inspection, in-motion radiography to evaluate internal dimensions and pellet integrity, helium leak testing, corrosion testing, and detection of surface contamination. The facilities designed and built for this fabrication effort are described and the resultant manufacturing yields are presented. 13 refs., 42 figs., 20 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Bettis Atomic Power Lab., West Mifflin, PA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC11-76PN00014
- OSTI ID:
- 5947848
- Report Number(s):
- WAPD-TM-1278; ON: DE86009977
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
FUEL RODS
FABRICATION
LOADING
LWBR TYPE REACTORS
DESIGN
EVALUATION
INSPECTION
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
ULTRASONIC TESTING
ZIRCALOY
ACOUSTIC TESTING
ALLOYS
BREEDER REACTORS
FUEL ELEMENTS
MATERIALS HANDLING
MATERIALS TESTING
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
TESTING
THERMAL REACTORS
TIN ALLOYS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM BASE ALLOYS
210500* - Power Reactors
Breeding