LLC # " . Wi min LUM ' II ' . : Will .. UNCLASSIFIED ORNL *!!**** 19,... via LE . 4. nas LC WM 325 ORNL P-325 HIGH FLUX ISOTOPE REACTOR* MASTER By . ---- ---- J. R. McWierter Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, Tennessee = -.-.-.-. S -. E BA. Prepared for Presentation at the United States Army Nuclear Science Seminar Held at Oak Ridge, Tennessee 9 - 22 August 1964 *Research sponsored by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission under contract with the Union Carbide Corporation. --LEGAL NOTICE --- This report na promet na na arenan at haverament agencored ward Norther to knited mr. m walimaw old w at end w w repente ma het theme 1. A u momen mut u , a hoce a month trwa me not, hay * rutrum O v er or www a premeritur. . Onnettom, m y e and Novametma, mida ma darmot per to de Item Nowhere to t he hem ar to prome. r met te pe HIGI FLUX ISCOPE REACTOR J. R. Mowherter Cak Ridge Nationai Libcratory Orik Ridge, Tennessee The primary purpose of the ligli Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) is to produce research antities of transplitoridien isot opes. The type, size, und power level of the reactor are consistent with the desired minimum transplutonii prediction !!te: anoint of reed material available. During the first verur ve perition in till power ipproximately re-entlı Or' it grown of Secr' :id quod groter antities of unericilun and curiwn will be produced. Appropriate recycling of curium could later raise the U loading was increased to 9.4 kg. An element with this increased loading was fabricated and is being evaluated in another critical experiment. A check of the power distribution in the fuel region and the worth of the control rods is being made in this latter experiment. The control region is composed of two, thin, concentric cylinders, each of which has "black," "grey," and "white" regions. As shown in Fig. 6, the rods are arranged so that withdrawing the cylinders in oppo- site directions as the cycle progresses maintains symmetry about the hori- zontal midplane. In order to provide multiplicity of the safety rods, the outer cylinder is split into four segments. Europium, tantalum and aluminum are used in the 'black," "grey," and + + . "white" regions, respectively. The europium, as the oxide, and the tantalum, :. . as the metal, are dispersed in and clad with aluminum, which is the primary structural material of the rods. AAS 7 7 2 UWCL ASSO MAMLA.owo 191NR ALUMINUM FILLER v o MVOLUTE FULL PLATE no 26 de he men ari makanan 0.050. in TYPICAL COOLANT WATER CHANNEL XXXXX XXXI XXXX XXX WWWP sico - FUEL ..AMARA FILLER CONTAINING SURNABLE PCISON, manevando 0.050 in. THICK L I SIDE PLATE X . X X XXXXXX si '. X X X - X X X XXXXX - XXX XXXXX XXX X 5. Fuel and Burnablo-Poison Distribution in the As-Built Element, i...--. : .i f .-12. Sit 3 . UNCLASSIFIED ORNL-LR-DWG 46129AR VINT GRAY O ] WHITE BLACK .. CORE CORE CORE n CNP CORE I CORE Woning mari o SHUT DOWN COLO CLEAN CRITICAL I DAY LATER EQUILIBRIUM Xe MID CYCLE END OF CYCLE Control Plate Positions During a Cycle. 11 The beryllium reilector around the control region is 2 ft high and 1 it thick. The inner 4-in.-thick annulus of beryllium is removable to permit replacement when necessitated by radiation damage. As shown in Fig. 2, the beryllium is penetrated by a large number of holes. There are four horizontal bean holes, two of which can be combined and used as a through hole. The thermal-neutron flux in these beam holes will be as high as 5 x 10+4 neutrons cm2 sect. The thermal-neutron flux in the vertical holes in the reflector will range from as high as 1 x 10+) in the removable reflector to about 1 x 10+4 at the outer edge of the permanent reflector. As shown in Fig. 7, the reactor core is contained in a cylindrical pressure vessel which is 94 in. in inside diameter. The vessel has a removable flat upper head and a fixed hemispherical lower head. The core assembly is supported by a 4-ft-high pedestal mounted on the lower head. A 30 in.-ID vessel extension, attached to the lower head, penetrates the biological shielding below the reactor and permits location of the reactor control rod drives in the subpile room. As shown in Fig. 8, the pressure vessel is located in the reactor poi where water above the fuel provides biological shielding during both normal operation and fuel replacement. The reactor core is 26 1/2 ft below the pool water level. A hatch in the vessel upper head 9 ft above the core permits ready replacement of fuel, as required. Primary cooling water enters the vessel through two inlet nozzies near the top, flows through the target, fuel, control, and reflector regions in parallel and leaves through a side outlet in the lower part of 3 . 12 . ... - -: * 12 REACTOR POOLS . - QUICK ACCESS HATCH STORAGE WATERY INLET IT FUEL LA ELEMENTS FUEL :-* 10W - - - :... - - i CONTROL RODS IL TARGET : C E. YON CHAMBER THIMILE + BERYLLIUM REFLECTOR PRESSURE VESSEL OUTER CONTROL ROD DRIVE WATER OUTLET INNER CONTROL ROD DRIVE- ! Low-CONCRETE SHIELDING FISSION 2.2. CHAMBER 31 THIMBLE Fig. 7 NIG PROBE HFIR ASSEMBLY ... M F IT ... . . .. . WN i . 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 UNCLASSIFIE ORNL-OWG 63- Ini APERTURE POOL COVER WALIA 77 ww W . POOL COVER 14 > Pool Cover and Personnel Bridge. " .. . . AVIS - : . 11 - + - - W . WASTYKI iala * CLEAN POOLS F . llo the vessel. As shown in Fig. 9, the 100 MW of heat is removed by any three of the four heat exchangers in parallel. Each exchanger and a closely coupled circulating pump are installed in a separate cell with sufficient shielding to permit maintenance of equipment after isolation of the cell from the remainder of the cperating system. The combined flow of any three of the four pumps is 1.5,000 gpm. The high-pressure system is primarily stainless steel or stainless- clad steel and is designed for operation at pressures up to 1000 psi. Heat 1s removed from the low pressure, secondary side of the exchangers and is dissipated to the atmosphere in conventional cooling towers located outside the reactor building. The reactor site is located about 1 mile south of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The building, reactor pool inside the building, and uther facilities are essentially complete. The pressure vessel and the primary cooling system piping, main circulating pumps, and heat exchangers are installed. Fabrication of the reactor core components is nearing com- pletion. mal power operation of the reactor is scheduled for the latter part of next year. 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 C 0 C 0 [*' ? UNCLASSIFICO ONNL-IN-OWG 693394R Fig. 9. * . * CIRCULATION PUMP (TYP) FLOW VENTURI HORIZONTAL BEAM CAVITY (TYP). HEAT EXCHANGER (TYP) SECONDARY WATER TO COOLING TOWERS Reactor Shield, Heat Exchanger Cells, ore Pool Structures - Horizontol Section. TOOL STORAGE :> SPENT FUEL STORAGE 000000 Oooo00 oo00oo - - - CRITICAL FACILITY REACTOR POOL REACTOR PRESSURE VESSEL CLEAN POOL FEET UL. . US . 71 - 1.2 TE . 4 DATE FILMED 12/ 9/164 .- . 9 - - Et - . T .,19 21 YT 11 1195 1 u . Hi i all 4 . .. 12 1.1, ' N . - L . - t . . SL ". . FLY 71 - - - - - LEGAL NOTICE V ". WW L' . - -. ... LVÅ? This report war prepared as an account of Government sponsored work. Neither the United Slatos, nor the Commission, nor any person acting on behall of the Commission: A. Makes any warranty or representation, expressed or implied, with respect to the accu- racy, completeness, or usefulness of the information contained in this report, or that the use of any information, apparatus, method, or process disclosed in this report may not infringe privately owned rights; or B. Assumes any liabilities with respect to the use of, or lor damages resulting from the use of any information, apparatus, method, or process disclosed in this report. As used in the above, "person acting on behalf of Wie Commission" includes any em- ployee or contractor of the Commission, or omployee of such contractor, to the extent that such employee or contractor of the Commission, or employee of such contractor preparos, disseminates, or provides access to, any information pursuant to his employmont or contract with the Commission, or his employment with such contractor, ART . . st .. .. E' * * * . * 9 , ' * . . END