Open AccessHIGH POWER DENSITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, FOURTH QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT, JANUARY-MARCH 1961
Author(s) -
L.K. Holland
Publication year - 1961
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/4060863
Subject(s) - materials science , burnup , nuclear engineering , rod , power density , fabrication , control rod , research reactor , mechanical engineering , power (physics) , neutron , engineering , nuclear physics , thermodynamics , physics , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
ABS>High-Power Density Fuel Development. High-power density VBWR fuel assemblies were irradiated to approximately 400 Mwd/t and found to be in good condition after irradiation. Fabrication and calibration of two instrumented VBWR fuel assemblies are described. Fuel Fabrication Development. A tandem- rolled fuel bundle was produced. Swaging studies were carried out for stainless steel-clad fuel rods. Inspection of defected clad powder-compacted UO/sub 2/ specimens after 570 hr of erosion flow testing in water or steam at 535 to 545 deg F indicated that only small amounts of U0/sub 2/ had been eroded. A study of density-particle size relationships was made for vibratory-compacted binary and ternary fused UO/sub 2/ powder mixes. Design characteristics are given for 10 special HPD-VBWR assemblies. Vibration tests on a 36-rod Consunaers-type element are reported. Stability, Heat Transfer, and Fluid Flow. The results of a stability analysis of the 50-Mw Big Rock Reactor are presented. Physics Development. The effects of enrichment variations in the fuel rods and of inserted control rods on the power distribution were studied. Studies of gross radial power distribution for a 300-Mw reactor indicate that proper radial cycling of partially burned fuel can produce desirable radial power shapes. The physics analysis of the reactor core for a laine 300-Mwe conceptual design is summarized. The incentives and functions of a computer to be used for maximizing fuel burnup are discussed. (D.L.C.