The sodium-graphite reactor would use known technology, and an SGR
SodiunGraphite
Reactor
experiment would be appropriate.
North American Aviation.
The AEC was still negotiating with
.
Perhaps the AEC would finance an experiment,
and NAA the pilot plant.
The next subject was water-cooled reactors.
Continued support will
Water-
be given to ANL for research on principles,
An experimental boiling wate)
Rosetors
reactor may be built to obtain more experimental data on this type of
operation than could be got from the recent boiling experiment carried
out with limited experimental facilities at Arco.
Ool. Krisberg next described the Arco boiling water experiment.
The
Arco
experiment was carried out to study the feasibility of extracting power
Veter°
by direct boiling of primary water coolant » and to learn how safe water- .
Experiment-
cooled reactors might be when suddenly made supercritical,
the assembly was composed of MTR fuel elements.
,
The core of
The reactivity was
increased suddenly by known increments, and the behavior of the system
studied,
Neutron flux, pressure in the water, and temperature of the
fuel and of the aluminum can were recorded oscillographically.
behavior was very satisfactory.
The
At moderate power, the operation was
steady; with large excess k the water was expelled in geyser fashion and
the reactor turned itself off.
The water boiled with small fluctuations
at 24-28 kw/liter at one atmosphere.
With the system closed and operatin;
at 100 psi the operation was somewhat more stable.
unstable at 4% excess k.
very promising,
It became quite
It was concluded that the system was safe end
Further study of the steadiness of such a system, par-
ticularly how it is affected by-pressure and geometry, needs to be done.
At 12:35 p.m, this session was adjourned.
a
eer
_
Department of Energy
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Histerians ortigg
KECHIVES
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