Operating Experience With the Sodium Reactor Experiment and Its Application to the Hallam Nuclear Power Facility

Abstract

I freeze-seal, During the SRE cleanup, following the fuel element damage, it was found that the SRE fuel handling machine would not permit handling of broken elements, Both the fuel elements and the handling machine for the Hallam Nuclear Power Facility are of a modified design so that this difficulty should not arise. In addition, it was found necessary to control the coolant f l o k in SRE so that system temperatures could be maintained after a reactor scram, thus avoiding excessive thermal stresses in the reactor and syst.em components. Such flow control has also been incorporated in the HNF'F design. Special HNE'F features which were incorporated subsequent to the SRE fuel element damage include the addition of an activity monitoring system for the core cover gas, the complete elimination of tetralin f o r auxiliary cooling of plant equipment, provision of instrumentation for fuel elements, and addition of carbon traps in the primary sodium system. Special tests and experiments on SBE have demonstrated unusual reactor stability and capability for rapid power changes. Similar characteristics are predicted f o r HNPF, The experiences gained from the SRE and the HNPF development programs which have been incorporated in the design features of the HNPF should result in a facility of high reliability and long life.

Nuclear Fuels and Reprocessing Technologies: A U.S. Perspective

“…It was operated by Atomics International at the Santa Susana Field Laboratory near Simi Valley, CA. [141][142][143] • Los Alamos Moten Plutonium Reactor Experiment-I (LAMPRE-I) was used to test fast reactor fuels and materials. The engineering and physics data gained from LAMPRE-I was used to support the design of LAMPRE-II.…”