Fuel rod welding (LWBR development program)

Technical Report · Thu Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:6449179

Bickel, W L

Procedures were developed to weld both ends of approximately 25,000 fuel rods for the Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) core. The rods were welded using the gas tungsten arc (GTA) method in high-purity helium at 1 atmosphere. Welding parameters, including weld current, arc gap, and speed of rotation, were established to control the size of the weld. Electrode and chill positioning with respect to the endclosure/tube joint controlled the location of the weld. Weld quality of the fuel rods was ensured by 100-percent nondestructive testing by ultrasonic and radiographic inspection and the destructive evaluation of process control samples in each weld lot.

• Research Organization: Bettis Atomic Power Lab., West Mifflin, PA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-11-0014
• OSTI ID: 6449179
• Report Number(s): WAPD-TM-1235
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210500* -- Power Reactors
Breeding
ALLOYS
BREEDER REACTORS
CONTROL
FABRICATION
FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL RODS
INSPECTION
JOINING
JOINTS
LWBR TYPE REACTORS
PERFORMANCE
QUALITY CONTROL
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR CORES
REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
TIN ALLOYS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
WELDED JOINTS
WELDING
ZIRCALOY
ZIRCALOY 4
ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
ZIRCONIUM BASE ALLOYS