Electric heater for nuclear fuel rod simulators
Abstract
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.
- Inventors:
-
- Knoxville, TN
- (Oak Ridge, TN)
- Concord, TN
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 864185
- Patent Number(s):
- 4326122
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
H - ELECTRICITY H05 - ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR H05B - ELECTRIC HEATING
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- electric; heater; nuclear; fuel; rod; simulators; directed; cartridge-type; simulator; reactor; studies; comprises; elongated; cylindrical; housing; containing; longitudinally; extending; helically; wound; heating; element; radially; inwardly; separated; crushed; cold-pressed; preforms; boron; nitride; electrically; insulate; providing; thermal; conductivity; magnesia; magnesia-15; percent; mixture; disposed; cavity; helical; coefficient; expansion; magnesia-boron; urging; outwardly; elevated; temperatures; assure; adequate; contact; radially inward; radially inwardly; cylindrical housing; heating element; elevated temperatures; thermal conductivity; boron nitride; thermal expansion; nuclear fuel; elevated temperature; fuel rod; longitudinally extending; radially outwardly; radially outward; thermal contact; housing containing; electric heater; electric heat; reactor studies; percent boron; elongated cylindrical; type heat; helically wound; wound heat; electrically insulate; /219/29/338/376/976/
Citation Formats
McCulloch, Reginald W, Morgan, Jr., Chester S., and Dial, Ralph E. Electric heater for nuclear fuel rod simulators. United States: N. p., 1982.
Web.
McCulloch, Reginald W, Morgan, Jr., Chester S., & Dial, Ralph E. Electric heater for nuclear fuel rod simulators. United States.
McCulloch, Reginald W, Morgan, Jr., Chester S., and Dial, Ralph E. Fri .
"Electric heater for nuclear fuel rod simulators". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/864185.
@article{osti_864185,
title = {Electric heater for nuclear fuel rod simulators},
author = {McCulloch, Reginald W and Morgan, Jr., Chester S. and Dial, Ralph E},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1982}
}