Thirty-five years at Pajarito Canyon Site Page: 64 of 65
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Operating procedures for each class of experiment were prepared and reviewed in detail before the
approval of the experiment. One individual was designated to monitor the safety of the experiment, but
any member of the crew could stop the experiment in case of a safety question.
The effectiveness of the design and operating philosophy described above can be judged by the fact
that critical assembly operations have not caused any fatality or disabling injury due to nuclear radiation
in the 30 years since this program was started.
APPENDIX D
HIGH-TEMPERATURE ROVER REACTOR TESTS AT NEVADA
In the Kiwi-A series, moderation by an axial D20 island conserved enriched uranium in the
graphite-uranium core, making possible high-temperature tests at 70 to 100 MW. All the following were
tested with gaseous-hydrogen coolant.
Kiwi-A, with plate-type elements supported in graphite annuli, tested July 1, 1959, coolant bypass
overheated fuel, pronounced erosion of plates.
Kiwi-A', with short rod-type elements in packed graphite modules, four niobium-lined flow channels in
each element, tested July 8, 1960, some modules broken, liner blistered in places.
Kiwi-A3, similar to above, tested October 19, 1960, liner blistering reduced.
The D20 island was eliminated in Kiwi-B 1 reactors, leading to increased operating power. Full-length
rod-type elements, each containing seven lined flow channels, were in packed full-length graphite
modules. Tests took place as follows.
Kiwi-BlA, tested December 7, 1961, gaseous hydrogen coolant limited power to 300 MW.
Kiwi-B1B, tested September 1, 1962, liquid hydrogen introduced as coolant, 900 MW, some hot spots.
The Kiwi-B4 series had cores consisting of packed full-length hexagonal fuel elements with niobium
coating. Each element contained 19 flow channels. In the following, the power remained at about 1000
MW in tests with liquid hydrogen.
Kiwi-B4A, tested November 30, 1962, evidence of vibration, fuel fragments ejected.
Kiwi-B4D, redesigned core constraint, tested May 13, 1964, hydrogen fire attenuated the full-power
run, no vibration or fuel failure.
Kiwi-B4E, similar to above but with "beaded" fuel, tested August 28, 1964, rerun September 11, 1000
MW for 10.5 min, local corrosion of graphite pieces, fuel in good condition.
Kiwi-TNT, special controls for rapid introduction of reactivity for destructive test of January 13, 1965,
destruction violent, yield 3.1 x 1020 fissions.
The two Phoebus-1 reactors were similar in design to Kiwi-B4E, but with fuel improvements directed
toward increased power density, longer operating duration, and restart capability. The coolant was liquid
hydrogen.
Phoebus-1A, tested June 25, 1965, 1000 MW for 10 min, liquid hydrogen exhausted, overheating led
to core damage.
Phoebus-1B, tested June 26, 1968, 1500 MW for 30 min, attained 1500 K, groups of elements bonded
by deposited pyrocarbon.
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Paxton, H.C. Thirty-five years at Pajarito Canyon Site, report, May 1, 1981; New Mexico. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1105957/m1/64/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.