Development of Be/sub 2/C--graphite--UC/sub 2/ fuel for pulsed reactors

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6901355

Marion, R H; Muenzer, W A

A recent program to upgrade the Annular Core Pulsed Reactor (ACPR) at Sandia Laboratories resulted in the development of UO/sub 2/-BeO and (U,Zr)C-graphite fuels for pulsed reactor applications. The work described in the paper is an attempt to develop a fuel which is superior to either of these in a pulsed reactor environment. The main fuel requirements are high volumetric enthalpy (to absorb the nuclear pulse without excessive temperature rise), high thermal stress resistance (to withstand the thermal stresses caused by the radial temperature gradient during the 2 to 5 ms risetime pulse), and a simple pellet geometry. The fuel is a right circular cylinder whose outer diameter is 33.0 mm.

• Research Organization: Sandia Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA); Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-04-0789
• OSTI ID: 6901355
• Report Number(s): SAND-78-0227C; CONF-780622-13
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
220600* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360201 -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Preparation & Fabrication
ACPR REACTOR
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
BERYLLIUM CARBIDES
BERYLLIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBIDES
CARBON
CARBON COMPOUNDS
DESIGN
ELEMENTS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
FABRICATION
FUEL PELLETS
GRAPHITE
HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
HYDRIDE MODERATED REACTORS
MATRIX MATERIALS
MIXED SPECTRUM REACTORS
NONMETALS
PELLETS
PULSED REACTORS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
RESEARCH REACTORS
SOLID HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
URANIUM CARBIDES
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS