Search Results

open access

Low strain diameter expansion of internally pressurized Zircaloy-4 tubing at high temperatures

Description: Tests of closed-end, internally pressurized, Zircaloy-4 tubing specimens were utilized to develop low strain creep characteristics as a function of time at temperatures in the range of 1475/sup 0/F to 2000/sup 0/F (802/sup 0/C to 1093/sup 0/C) and hoop stresses in the range of 250 to 2500 psi for use in loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) analyses. The strain rate above the start of the alpha to beta phase transformation region, approximately 1490/sup 0/F (810/sup 0/C), was found to be sensitive to… more
Date: March 1978
Creator: White, L.S. & Busby, C.C.
open access

Susceptibility of unirradiated recrystallized Zircaloy-4 tubing to stress corrosion cracking

Description: Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in unirradiated recrystallized Zircaloy-4 internally pressurized tubing specimens in atmospheres containing iodine vapor, cesium, or combinations of iodine and cesium is evaluated experimentally in terms of the effects of internal surface flaw morphology, iodine and cesium concentrations, tubing hydrogen content, test temperature, and test atmosphere water vapor content on the time to failure. The iodine vapor SCC data are analyzed in the framework of a fracture … more
Date: December 1977
Creator: Polan, N. W. & Tucker, R. P.
open access

Model to estimate radiation dose commitments to the world population from the atmospheric release of radionuclides

Description: The equations developed for use in the LWBR environmental statement to estimate the dose commitment over a given time interval to a given organ of the population in the entire region affected by the atmospheric releases of a radionuclide are presented and may be used for any assessment of dose commitments in these regions. These equations define the dose commitments to the world resulting from a released radionuclide and each of its daughters and the sum of these dose commitments provides the t… more
Date: February 1978
Creator: Rider, J.L. & Beal, S.K.
open access

Thoria powder process development

Description: The development program to identify the critical parameters for the process of converting thorium nitrate solution into thoria powder is described. Thorium oxalate hexahydrate is precipitated from the reaction of thorium nitrate solution with oxalic acid. The resulting thorium oxalate hexahydrate slurry is filter pressed into a cake which is air calcined to form thoria powder. Changes in the critical processing parameters such as free nitric acid content of the thorium nitrate solution, precipi… more
Date: October 1, 1979
Creator: Hutchison, C.R. & Lloyd, R.
open access

Fuel rod-grid interaction wear: in-reactor tests

Description: Wear of the Zircaloy cladding of LWBR irradiation test fuel rods, resulting from relative motion between rod and rod support contacts, is reported. Measured wear depths were small, 0.0 to 2.7 mils, but are important in fuel element behavior assessment because of the local loss of cladding thickness, as well as the effect on grid spring forces that laterally restrain the rods. An empirical wear analysis model, based on out-of-pile tests, is presented. The model was used to calculate the wear on … more
Date: November 1, 1979
Creator: Stackhouse, R. M.
open access

Results of initial nuclear tests on LWBR

Description: This report presents and discusses the results of physics tests performed at beginning of life on the Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR). These tests have confirmed that movable seed assembly critical positions and reactivity worths, temperature coefficients, xenon transient characteristics, core symmetry, and core shutdown are within the range of values used in the design of the LWBR and its reactor protection analysis. Measured core physics parameters were found to be in good agreement with t… more
Date: June 1, 1979
Creator: Sarber, W. K.
open access

Out-of-pile accelerated hydriding of Zircaloy fasteners

Description: Mechanical joints between Zircaloy and nickel-bearing alloys, mainly the Zircaloy-4/Inconel-600 combination, were exposed to water at 450/sup 0/F and 520/sup 0/F to study hydriding of Zircaloy in contact with a dissimilar metal. Accelerated hydriding of the Zircaloy occurred at both temperatures. At 450/sup 0/F the dissolved hydrogen level of the water was over ten times that at 520/sup 0/F. At 520/sup 0/F the initially high hydrogen ingress rate decreased rapidly as exposure time increased and… more
Date: October 1, 1979
Creator: Clayton, J. C.
open access

Summary of several hydraulic tests in support of the light water breeder reactor design

Description: As part of the Light Water Breeder Reactor development program, hydraulic tests of reactor components were performed. This report presents the results of several of those tests performed for components which are somewhat unique in their application to a pressurized water reactor design. The components tested include: triplate orifices used for flow distribution purposes, multiventuri type flowmeters, tight lattice triangular pitch rod support grids, fuel rod end support plates, and the balance … more
Date: May 1, 1979
Creator: McWilliams, K. D. & Turner, J. R.
open access

AIRWAY: a fortran computer program to estimate radiation dose commitments to man from the atmospheric release of radionuclides

Description: The AIRWAY computer program was developed to estimate the radiation dose commitments accured by all the people affected by the atmospheric release of radionuclides from a nuclear facility. This computer program provides dose commitment estimates for people on the boundary of the facility, in the immediate vicinity (i.e., within 80 to 100 km) and in the portios of the world beyond the immediate vicinity which are affected by the release. The AIRWAY program considers dose commitments resulting fr… more
Date: June 1979
Creator: Rider, J. L.
open access

Effect of simulated thermal shield motion on nuclear instrument response: measurements and calculations

Description: An experiment has been performed to determine the effect of motion of a thermal shield on the neutron signal expected from ex-core detectors. Using a mockup of the LWBR reactor vessel, thermal shield, and core barrel in conjunction with a /sup 252/Cf neutron source, the change in detector signal with displacement of the various components was investigated. It was found that moving the thermal shield would produce a significant change in detector signal, although the effect was smaller than woul… more
Date: August 1, 1979
Creator: Schick, W. C., Jr.; Emert, C. J.; Shure, K. & Natelson, M.
open access

FLASH6 simulation of semiscale blowdown data, NRC Standard Problems 2 and 3

Description: FLASH6 computer program calculations are compared with experimental data from two simulated loss-of-coolant accident blowdown tests which are designated as numbers 2 and 3 in the Standard problem Series sponsored by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for reactor safety assessment. Both tests are isothermal blowdowns smulating a double-ended, cold-leg break and were conducted in the electrically-heated, 1-1/2 Loop Semiscale System at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The blowdown tests were … more
Date: September 1, 1979
Creator: Harris, B.D.; Prelewicz, D.A. & Beus, S.G.
open access

Ex-reactor deformation of externally pressurized short lengths of fuel rod cladding.

Description: The DECAG (Deformation of Cladding into Axial Gaps) ex-reactor test program evaluated deformation of Zircaloy-4 cladding into axial gaps in tubular fuel elements. These axial gaps are the result of cladding elongation and fuel stack shrinkage. The test program consisted of twelve series and subseries of both fully recrystallized and stress-relieved highly cold worked tubing tested under pressure-temperature combinations in autoclaves. The test program also verified the validity of achieving tes… more
Date: May 1, 1979
Creator: Selsley, I. A.
open access

Effect of fuel chips on cladding stress in zircaloy clad oxide fuel rods

Description: Zircaloy clad oxide fuel rods are subjected to a variety of core power transients. One of these, an up-power transient, can place a severe burden on the fuel rod cladding that would potentially lead to rupture if not properly allowed for during the fuel rod design and plant operation. The cladding stress during such a transient can be increased by the presence of fuel chips between the oxide fuel pellet and the cladding. An analysis procedure based on mechanical tests of fuel and cladding was d… more
Date: November 1978
Creator: Yerman, J. F.
open access

Nondestructive assay of UO/sub 2/--ThO/sub 2/ fuel pellets using the delayed neutron pellet assay gage

Description: This report describes the use of a delayed neutron pellet assay gage to determine nondestructively the fissile content of fuel pellets during the manufacture of the Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) core. The gage characteristics are described including the nature of the calibration curves and the gage sensitivities to pellet parameters. Statistical methods are derived for analyzing the data to obtain the mean weight percent of total uranium in each blend of fuel material as well as the loadin… more
Date: June 1, 1979
Creator: Emert, C.J.; Milani, S. & Beggs, W.J.
open access

Corrosion of Zircaloy-4 tubing in 68OF water

Description: Seamless Zircaloy-4 tubing is utilized as fuel rod cladding in light water reactors. Water corrosion tests at 68OF have been performed to determine the corrosion and hydriding characteristics of Zircaloy-4 tubing, fabricated by cold reduction and finished in two metallurgical conditions: a stress-relief anneal (SRA) and a recrystallization anneal (RXA). These corrosion tests revealed differences in the post-transition corrosion product weight gains of the two materials. A computer corrosion mod… more
Date: December 1, 1978
Creator: Marino, G. P. & Fischer, R. L.
open access

ASBLT: a system of DATATRAN MODULES which process core fuel loading for use in as-built calculations

Description: ASBLT is a computer program consisting of DATATRAN MODULES which was used during the manufacturing phase of LWBR to collect and evaluate as-built data. The program was part of the LWBR fuel rod inspection process and produced sections of module assembly certification reports. ASBLT used fuel pellet, fuel rod and module assembly data to compute core inventories and to supply input to nuclear design programs for as-built core calculations.
Date: February 1, 1979
Creator: Beaudoin, B.R.; Beggs, W.J.; Case, C.R. & Wilczynski, R.
open access

Iodine and cesium in oxide fuel pellets and zircaloy-4 cladding of irradiated fuel rods

Description: Measurements of fission product iodine and cesium are reported for thoria and binary (ThO/sub 2/--UO/sub 2/) fuels with various irradiation histories. These volatile fission products were measured on the cladding surface or in the fuel by using specially developed radiochemical techniques. The radiochemical iodine measurements are found to be in general agreement with a theoretical iodine release model for irradiated fuel. Microprobe examinations of irradiated fuel rod cladding sections show fi… more
Date: March 1, 1979
Creator: Ivak, D. M. & Waldman, L. A.
open access

Sources of internal hydriding in unirradiated thoria-fueled Zircaloy rods

Description: The low-temperature (less than or equal to 550/sup 0/C), low-pressure (less than or equal to 36 torr) hydrogen absorption characteristics of specific types of Zircaloy-4 internal cladding surfaces (pickled, machined and welded) were investigated. The highest hydrogen contents were found at the machined and abraded surfaces. Although the pickled surface film on Zircaloy-4 retarded hydrogen pickup, especially at lower temperatures (less than or equal to 400/sup 0/C) and very low hydrogen pressure… more
Date: February 1, 1979
Creator: Clayton, J. C.
open access

Summary of the nuclear design and performance of the Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR)

Description: This report presents a summary of the nuclear design and expected nuclear performance of the Light Water Breeder Reactor during operation at the Shippingport Atomic Power Station. Performance predictions are presented for core lifetime, breeding margin, power distributions and performance, kinetic and stability parameters, and for core shutdown and reactivity control capability. Also included is a summary of as-built dimensions of core components and of development of breeding parameter equatio… more
Date: June 1, 1979
Creator: Hecker, H. C.
open access

PDQ-8 reference manual

Description: The PDQ-8 program is designed to solve the neutron diffusion, depletion problem in one, two, or three dimensions on the CDC-6600 and CDC-7600 computers. The three dimensional spatial calculation may be either explicit or discontinuous trial function synthesis. Up to five lethargy groups are permitted. The fast group treatment may be simplified P(3), and the thermal neutrons may be represented by a single group or a pair of overlapping groups. Adjoint, fixed source, one iteration, additive fixed… more
Date: May 1, 1978
Creator: Pfiefer, C J & Spitz, C J
open access

Fission gas release from ThO/sub 2/ and ThO/sub 2/--UO/sub 2/ fuels

Description: Fission gas release data are presented from 51 fuel rods irradiated as part of the LWBR irradiations test program. The fuel rods were Zircaloy-4 clad and contained ThO/sub 2/ or ThO/sub 2/-UO/sub 2/ fuel pellets, with UO/sub 2/ compositions ranging from 2.0 to 24.7 weight percent and fuel densities ranging from 77.8 to 98.7 percent of theoretical. Rod diameters ranged from 0.25 to 0.71 inches and fuel active lengths ranged from 3 to 84 inches. Peak linear power outputs ranged from 2 to 22 kw/ft… more
Date: August 1, 1978
Creator: Goldberg, I.; Spahr, G. L.; White, L. S.; Waldman, L. A.; Giovengo, J. F.; Pfennigwerth, P. L. et al.
open access

Calculational model used in the analysis of nuclear performance of the Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR)

Description: The calculational model used in the analysis of LWBR nuclear performance is described. The model was used to analyze the as-built core and predict core nuclear performance prior to core operation. The qualification of the nuclear model using experiments and calculational standards is described. Features of the model include: an automated system of processing manufacturing data; an extensively analyzed nuclear data library; an accurate resonance integral calculation; space-energy corrections to … more
Date: August 1978
Creator: Freeman, L. B.
open access

Properties of thoria and thoria-urania: a review

Description: Information on the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of thoria and thoria-urania is reviewed and assessed. The properties discussed are those judged to be important for an understanding of the behavior of these oxides as nuclear fuel materials. Evaluation was made, where possible, of the effects of composition, material variables, temperature, and irradiation exposure. Data were taken from a review of the literature and from both published and unpublished data derived from the Light… more
Date: June 1, 1978
Creator: Belle, J. & Berman, R. M.
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