PWR Program Progress Rpt [Dec 2 1955 - Jan 12 1956] [declassified]

106 Pages·1956·10.663 MB·English

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T@LE OF CONTENTS
ATOMIC POWID OnVISION
TECHIIICAL PROGRESS REPQRT
-PA-R T I
PWR EN(I12INEERPNG
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A, Power Plant Analysis and Systems
10 Plant Functional. Design and Opera%i.onal Analysis
20 Reactor Plant Layout and Site Faci:ILities
30 Primary Coolant Fluid Systems
40 Non-Nuclear Control Systems Design
50 Reactor Control System Design
60 Control System Tests
70 Reactor Plant Ins tallation and. Test
80 Power Station Manual and Test, Program
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Bo Power Plant Components
10 Primary Coolant Valves
20 Primary Coolant F%mp.f:
30 A~xielliapyp lnmps
Primary coo.ant I;oop
L O
Steam Generators
5 0
6, Reactor Plant Auxcflfaagr Pressure Vessels
70 Reactor Plant Eleotrteal Camporuents
80 FWR Non-Nuclear Pnst~umentation
90 PKR Nuclear Ens%rumentation
1.0 Radiation Monitoring Equipmen%
0
C, Materials, Control Mechanisms and Tesb
Non4ore Materials
Materids for Primary LOOP Components
Control Mechanism Design end Test
0
Control Mechanism - Component Devehpment
0
Control Mechanism Prototype Development
Do Reactor 'and AuiiliaPies
C .
Me@hanhal Design of Reactor Cope i:
Mechanical Tesang of Reactor Compoiients
Reactor Preliminary Design
Reactor Specificatdons
? Reactor Core Imtmentation
Radioactive Materials Handling & Vit:wrEng Equipment
Refueling Equipmen%
Reactor Thermal & Hydraulic AndgSf:j and Tests
Reactor Vessel Assembly
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v 1
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0s 001 7 oaa 0 0 OD e* 0 0 0 000 -5
A, -fie]. -Eleme n--t Page
:e
Core Raw Materials and Shapes 32
0
:s Non-Destructive Testing 3b
0
fie1 Rod Process Development 36
Fuel $AssemblyP rocess BevePsysmmYent 38
Fuel EPemewk Testing and Evaluation bo
Fuel Element Pre-Mandfactw ing Operations h4
of 'Core Materials'
P PI_
Basic Study of MetalPie Fuel $c Cladding Alloys 47
Eksic Study of Ceramic Fuels 50
Irradiation Effects on Ceramic Fuels 53
Irradiation Effects on Metallic Fuels 58
AU.oy Development 61
Ceramic Fuel Materials Developmen% 65
60
In-Pile Screening Teats of FWR Fuel Materials 69
In-Pile Emoswe Tests of PWR Fuel Materials 69
In-Pile Roof Tests of FWt Fuel Element Assemblies 70
Chemistry Operations 71
Radiochemistry 72
5 0
6 Fission Product Removal Process Development 72
0
FWR Fuel 'Element Rupture Studies 76
7 0
WllR Coolant, Development 77
00
PWR Decontamination and Waste Disposal. 78
9 0
Bo -Rea-cto r Phys-ics
m CoPe and eontror Phyafea 82
1 0
20 FWR Shielding Physics 83
3 FWR Flexible Critical ExperfmePat 84
0,
Two-Region Critical Experiments 8b
L O
50 Long Term Reactivity Gaiia Experfmenti3 85
ILLUST IUT I BNS
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Fig, l View of Construction of the PWR Powep Plant. December 27, 1955 Pla
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Fig, 2 Plant Container Erection, West lbfler Compartment December 27,1955112,
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Fig, 3 Blanket Assembly 21%
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Fig, 4 Seed Cluster 22%
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Fig, 5 ShPoud Assembly 2 2b
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Figo 6 Instrumentation Location 2sa
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Figo 7 FYR Blanket Orifice Regions 27a
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Fig, 8 v9FiP,u pw of Rottom Head Segments for Welding PWR Pressure Vessel 30%
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Fig, 9 Welding Vessel Supports PNR Model Vessel 31%
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Q_D_ 000 0 - SOE 0 0 00 OD 0 0 0 000 cc . - . __.__
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A, Qtems Design
l., A proposal was submitted recommending a major revision in the Power Station
Manual Ppogrm. (p,P29
DP%mfngs and specifications for the mmbinationmeutron shield tank and reactor
%Do
vessel support were submitted to vendors for bids, Drawings and specifications
for the Guniting of the reactor plant container were apprdved for construction.
QP. 39
3, The system description and system schematic for the following fluid system9
were submitted to the Atomic Energy 'Codasion for approval during this report
period,
1, Fuel Element Failure Detection System (1-AP-8036) (p. 7 )
2, Radioactive Waste Disposal. 'System (l-AP-801r3) (p.7 1
4. Service Air System (I-U-8016) (p. 6 )
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5, Control Air System (n-AP-80!;59 (PO8
4.e Tlhe feasibility study of 'a control system capable of handling the fixed roller
nut mechanism, or the collapsible rotor mechanism, or a combination of both,
has been approved, (p. 8 )
'
5 The Reactor Protection System Design DescrfFtion was completed, (pa1 0)
Bo -P ower Plant Csonents
1, The 18 in, motor operated prototype valve has been installed in the AE, pump
test loop and w i l l undergo engineering tests during this period, (p.13)
2. Relief valve test facility is being designed by Stone & Webster to conform with
the desires of the American Gas and :Electric Service Company, (p.Mh)
3, The Westinghouse prototype main coolant p u p has completed a11 tests satis-
r,Q
f actorfly, (p.
bo Two piping specifications, one for stainless steel and the other for general
piping (cwbon steel, cast iron and lion-ferrous piping), were prepared by Stone
& Tebster and submitted by Bettis Plant to the Atomic Energy Codasion for
appPovaPo (p. 3 1
Rds were received and the ordey plal=ed for the Nuclear Instrumentation System.
(Po 17)
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6,, Bfds were received on the Operational Radfation Monitoring Systqm and the order
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w i l l be placed at the beginning of %be next report period, (po ~ 7 )
4 0. Materials, and Rod Control Mechanisms
l,, Torch brazed Joints of gold and gold-copper alloys ahow adequate corrosion
resistance to hydrogenated water, Testing is continuing in 3 service waters,
as)
(Po
2,. A report on the results of load-deflection tests on Haynes 25, Refractaboy 24$
and S-8x6 sppings is being prepared. Inconel X aqd Haynes 25 wire for torsional
modulus and relaxations tests is on order, A 30-day corrosion and relaxation
screening test of Ni-Soan-C springs is mmpTete, (p, 18)
3,, The final selection of one or more types of control rod drive mechanisms is to
be made February 21, after completion of further core design analysis, The
manufacturing information was released for one pmduction prototype of a fixed
colPer nut mechanism and a coZPapsib'Be mtor mechanism, (p, 19)
,
bo The life test of the type XRN-2IA probloebgrpe mechmdm %a a@proaching the design
goal of IhOS cycles dieth no scrm f"aiElslpea. (p, 19)
* :
n* . 10 l3ming thfs perfod, the major effort of %his Subdlvi8fon has been concentrated
on prepamtion of the WllR Reference Design Report, It is now %n$ieipa%edt hat
the report will be issued by January ILS, Y9560 Design details of all reactor
components, with the exception of blanket assemblies instrumented fop power
shift, are discussed in this report, (po 21)
20 Blanket fuel rod toleranees have been established and w t l l be submitted to the
'AEC for approval about January 15, k9!;6, A manufactiwing release of'U02p ellets
through the steps of agglomeration, cmmpacting and sintering was given on
December 165 1955, as per schedule, (p, 22) .
30 The prePimin%P.y system description for) the fuel handling and fuel servicing
system was reviewed by representatives of the other reae$or projec% organfza-
%ions, and, after revision, the aysteni description was submitted to the AEG
for approvaP0 (Po 26)
40 Studies made dwing this period disclosed that a varfe-by of steady state power
chwacteristics can be obtained wtthout increasing local boiling merely by
v%Pying the manner in which the core kllanket is fni%id$y orificedo, (p, 269
50 The reactor vessel shell welds have been radiographed using the 15,000,000 volt
.r
betatron, FDPePiminaPy exmination o€ the f i l m has disclosed that theye are
areas to be repaired, (p, 309
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WA PD-MRP-S 9
SUMMARY (Contd, 1
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E, MJcturiig
1, The manufacture of 12L fuel bundles for the Physics flexible experiment was
completed on DecembeP 14, l95s0 This included the 113 needed for the experi-
I)
ment plus 11. spares, (p. 46)
2, Agglomeration and compaction of U82 powder for the core production has
commenced. (p. 4s)
3* X-ray spectrometer analysis of a theI'mally transformed and irradfated U-9 w/o
Mo smde has definitely conf imed that irradfbtion causes transformation of
the low tempePature alpha plus epsilon phases to the csmosion-re&st%nt high
temperatwe gamma phase While X-ray evidence of irradiation-induced phase
reversal is not available for U-PO W/~O Nb samples, changes in properties
(density, electrical resistivity md hardness) are slfmflar to those observed
for the U-Mo system and indicate %ha%t ransfopmation to the high temperature
corrosion resistant gamma phase also occurs 'in thfs alloy during in-pile
irradiation, (p. 159)
M.1 three experimental aluminum-base alloys being investigated as possible
future cladding materials have survived exposme to 680°F water from 7 to 14
weeks,, However, these same alloys fa.i1ed when exposure to 68OoF steam for 6
to 11 weeks, (oo 63)
-, 1
so
The fourth test of a defected U02 specimen in the X-1 loop reactor was termi-
nated because of fusion of a specimen resulting from excess heat generation,
&c i g ,, 56?4 ;' 7i:
6, Tests of a radial-flow bed filter in the Bettf's R-3 Loop have been completed
with satisfactory results. The filter has been shipped to Chalk River, Canada,
for use in the NRX-X 1 Loop, (p. 73)
To Additional particle deposition experiments have indicated the need for more
detailed examination of the effect of water conditions on particle agglomera-
tion and sedimentation rate, (pe, 74)
8, The application of decontamination pracedwes which do not involve dPaining of
the contents of loop systems has been pupsued'at anaecelerated pace, Cyclic,
two-step tyeatments with very dilute -solutions of periodic and citric acids
have been shown to be moderately effective in transferring radioactive material
from a slightlv contaminated system (Betti5 Loop R-3) to an ion exchanger.
79)
(Po
. 9, Gas stripping experiments conducted in batch lots by boiling under reduced
pressupe have shown excellent correlabion between the removal from water
solution of'dissolved oxygen in macro-mounts and dissolved xenon in trace
amounts. (Do 79) -
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S-UMWR Y (Contd,)-
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F, -P-- hysics
I- The two-dimensional flux distribution studies have been extended t o the 12 and
a
16 rod down conditions. (p. 832
!; The lifetime studies of the refekence design have been carried to 4000 hr in
0
1000 hr steps, The yeactivfty'change fromjhot, clean, criticality to the
ls0
4000 hr equilfbrium xenon condition is The blanket power fraction in-
creases to 3000 hr and then starts decreasing, (po82 )
1
/2' 4 comparison in one-dimension of crftic+fty and flux ctfstribution, using 100
0
points in the lattice instead of 29, shows essentially no change in criticality
or power distyibutfon, (po 82 1
Calculation of yadtation heating in the thermal shfelds and pressure vessel
wall for the reference design has been completed, (p. 83)
,
FurfuPyl alcohol experiments were completed on two slabs, one bare and one
blanketed, Rather small PeactivBty changes were observed, (pa 8h )
The 3,h oxide lattice at 69% density has been completed, (p. 8h 1
X
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