before, consisting of 50% NaF, 44.5% ZrF), and 5.5% UF, , may turn out to be
too corrosive and it causes trouble due to vaporization of the 2rF).
The
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behavior of beryllium under the thermal cycling which will occur isuncertain,
The effects of irradiation on materials, especially on corrosion by the fused
salts, are difficult to determine and may prove quite serious,
Pratt and
Whitney, which has been in this program less than a year, seems deeply concerned over the number and magnitude of new problems to be solved outside as
well as inside the reactor, including pumps and plumbing for fused salts and
radiators for heating air with hot radioactive sodium.
We were not sufficiently
informed of their studies on the engine and on the integration of the reactor- ;
engine system with the aircraft to be able to judge progress and prospects.
The present schedule is necessarily quite tentative.
ORNL has full
responsibility for the first Circulating Fuel Reactor Experiment (CFRE), which»
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will be designed for about 60 MW of heat and is scheduled to be operating in
1958.
Pratt and Whitney will support this Experiment and will be responsible
for the next step, a full-scale ground prototype which is scheduled to operate
in 1959.
A prototype unit in an airplane is scheduled for 1960-61.
Our impression of this program is rather confused and troubled.
The fatal
illness of the leader of the project has undoubtedly impaired progress at ORNL
in tackling the key difficulties in the reactor system.
Furthermore, we
gathered that the planned close collaboration of ORNL and P&W is slow in
getting underway and that mutual confidence and cooperation are not yet well
established,