SNAP PROGRAMS. Quarterly Progress Report No. 3 for April 1 through June 30, 1960

Technical Report · Tue Oct 31 00:00:00 EST 1961

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4131513· OSTI ID:4131513

Design studies were made for the cooling, shielding, and electrical- control support systems required for the testing of the isotope-fueled 125-w generator in a hot-cell facility. A ceric oxide fuel containing 10 wt.% SiC exhibited suitable burn-up characteristics in simulated postorbital re-entry heating conditions. Inconel X was selected as the fuelcontainment material. Negative pitch angle injections were evaluated for the injection-stage flight vehicle. The second electrically heated 125-w generator was assembled and prepared for checkout. A successful reproducible process for bonding the p element was developed in which GeTe was furnace melted into an iron shoe and a spring-loaded element was bonded to the shoe in an induction furnace. The p element contact resistance was 0.1 milliohm. The maximum output on the first generator was measured as 78.2 w. Measurements were stopped when power output deteriorated to 28.8 w. An inspection showed that oxidation due to insufficient reducing atmosphere at the hot junction contacts was the cause. Parametric thermoelectric generator performance tests were conducted in which the internal gas pressure was varied from 0 to 1.5 atm. and the external pressure was either 1 atm. or a vacuum. The fabrication, operation, and penformance of cesium diodes were studied. The effect of a molybdenum powder film on heat transfer when placed in a molybdenum--tungsten interface was determined. In development studies on a low-power thermionic generator, cathode and sapphiresuppcnt creep tests were conducted up to 500 deg C, at which temperature no creep was observed. The design of Generator 2A was completed. A heater was developed for the generators which is capable of simulating the power density of a Cm/sup 242/ heat source. A titanium alloy, A-70, was found which possessed satisfactory properties for use as a lead-through at 1050 deg C. A method of electrically insulating the two stages of a generator was developed. Tests were performed which showed that no irteraction takes place between Ce/sub 2/O/sub 3/ and molybdenum in an oxygen atmosphere at 1600 deg F. Methods for removing aluminum from a curium capsule by volatilizing in either bromine or chlorine gas were investigated. An analysis to determine the heltam pressure build-up in aluminum- americium capsules was conducted. Dose rates were determined for americium slugs before irradiation at distances from the slug surface up to 1 m. An evaluation of the effectiveness of the curium shipping cask was made. The power release by decay products of Pu/sup 236/ and U/sup 232/ was determined. Equations are presented concerning the reaction kinetics involved in the neutron irradiation of Am/sup 241/ with the subsequent production of Cm/sup 242/. (For preceding period see MND-P-3010.) (C.J.G.)

• Research Organization: Martin Co. Nuclear Div., Baltimore
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AT(30-3)-217
• NSA Number: NSA-15-001945
• OSTI ID: 4131513
• Report Number(s): MND-P-3011
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-61
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

PHYSICS
ALUMINUM ALLOYS
AMERICIUM
CAPTURE
CERIUM OXIDES
CESIUM
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
COOLING
CURIUM ISOTOPES
ELECTRON TUBES
GENERATORS
HEATING
INCONEL ALLOYS
IRRADIATION
MOLYBDENUM
NEUTRONS
NICKEL ALLOYS
NIOBIUM ALLOYS
PLANNING
PLUTONIUM
RADIOISOTOPES
SHIELDING
SNAP SYSTEMS
SPACE
THERMIONIC CELLS
THERMIONICS
THERMOELECTRICITY
TITANIUM ALLOYS
TUNGSTEN
URANIUM
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems