ARMY GAS-COOLED REACTOR SYSTEMS PROGRAM SEMIANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT FOR JANUARY 1-JUNE 30, 1960
Gas Cooled Reactor Experiment I. Expedient modifications to the tube bundle and control rods made possible the attainment of initial critical of the GCRE-I reactor early in February. The scheduled series of low-power experiments was completed and the facility shut down in midApril to permit the permanent modification to the tube bundle, control rods, and instrumentation. Gas Cooled Reactor Experiment II. Work on the GCRE-II was limited to materials development and systems studies. These studies included mobile and portable power systems using homogeneous graphite reactors as well as modifications and improvements to the ML-1 system. The materials development effort was devoted to homogeneous graphite fuel materials. The ML-1. Activation measurements were made in the Lid Tank Facility. Reanalysis of stresses in the tube sheet indicated high stresses in certain regions. Design of most of the reactor package was completed and fabrication initiated. An alloy (80% Ag--15% In--5% Cd) was selected for the ML- 1 control blades on the basis of ductility tests, corrosion tests, and neutronic calculations. A critical experiment was performed on the ML-1 configuration with pin type fuel elements. The recuperator design selected is a four-pas-s shell and tube heat exchanger. Fuel-element Development. A preliminary design study indicated that the seven-pin fuel element does not significantly improve performance over that obtainable with the 19-pin design. A corrosion test specimen of Hastelloy X exposed for 5000 hr in air at 1750 deg F showed 0.0016- in. penetration. Beryllium oxide-- uranium oxide capsule irradiation was completed with about 2 at.% U/sup 235/ burn-up at maximum surface temperature of 1740 deg F. The IB-2T-Z irradiation test was completed after about 800 hr of operation, including 1147 thermal cycles between 1000 and 1600 deg F without any evidence of malfunction. The irradiation of the GCRE-1 plate type element (1-3P) was completed after 429 hr of operation. (For preceding period see IDO-28549.) (W.L.H.)
- Research Organization:
- Aerojet-General Nucleonics, San Ramon, CA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AT(10-1)-880
- NSA Number:
- NSA-14-025063
- OSTI ID:
- 4135055
- Report Number(s):
- IDO-28558
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-60
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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