Work performed during the quarter is summarized by direct measurement of fission gas pressure, loop operations, performance of UO2 fuel.

Work performed during the quarter is summarized by direct measurement of fission gas pressure, loop operations, performance of UO2 fuel.

Work performed during the quarter is summarized by: direct measurement of fission gas pressure, loop operations, performance of UO2 fuel, UO2 grain growth and melting studies.

Work performed during the quarter is summarized by; direct measurement of fission gas pressure, loop operations, performance of UO2 fuel, UO2 grain growth and melting studies.

Work performed during the quarter is summarized by: direct measurement of fission gas pressure, loop operations, performance of UO2 fuel, UO2 grain growth and melting studies.

Work performed during the quarter is summarized by: direct measurement of fission gas pressure, loop operations, performance of UO2 fuel, UO2 grain growth and melting studies.

Work performed during the quarter is summarized by: loop operations, performance of UO2 fuel, UO2 grain growth and melting studies, fuel rod mechanism failure studies.

The primary purpose of this joint USAEC-Euratom program is to obtain a better understanding of the maximum achievable operating characteristics of UO2 as a reactor fuel. During the program work will be performed in two areas that have been of concern to reactor core designers for a long time, namely, fission gas release and central melting in fuel rods.

Development of nuclear reactor cores having high power density, long fuel life, and low fabrication costs is the objective of this program sponsored by the AEC. It will be achieved by extensive development and testing carried out in conjunction with the design, construction and operation of the Big Rock Point plant of the Consumers Power Company in Michigan. This second quarterly report describes the progress achieved from July through September 1960.

During the eighth quarter the instrumented assemblies were removed from VBWR and examined for effects of the exposure to reactor conditions. Also during this period the Big Rock developmental fuel assembly design was completed and a topical report was issued. A summary of progress by task is presented here.

Development of nuclear reactor cores having high power density, long fuel life, and low fabrication costs is the objective of this program sponsored by the AEC. Five tasks are in progress: (1) Task 1A-High Power Density Fuel Development. All fuel irradiation has been terminated with the final shutdown of the VBWR. The high burnup average achieved by a single assembly in the group is 10,000 MWD/T (assembly 1F). Twenty-one of the original 24 assemblies have failed or are suspected of failure. Profilometer tests rung on HPD assembly 2E, Rod B, indicate that localized clad deformation occurs during operation. (2) Task 1B-Fuel Fabrication Development. Assembly. All fuel irradiation has been terminated with the final shutdown of the VBWR. The highest average burnup achieved by a single assembly in the group was assembly 4S with 8400 MWD/T. All assemblies in the group have failed or are suspected of failure. The Phase I developmental fuel continues to be irradiated in the Big rock Point reactor with the lead assembly having reached 1500 MWD/T. Fifteen phase II developmental assemblies are being construction for insertion at Big Rock Point in March. Engineering is underway to provide one instrumented assembly probe and two spare flowmeters for …

Development of nuclear reactor cores having high power density, long fuel life, and low fabrication costs is the objective of this program sponsored by the AEC. Five tasks are in progress: (1) Task 1A-High Power Density Fuel Development. The number of assemblies has been reduced to seven as a result of the failure of two pellet fuel assemblies. The average burnup of the group operating as of September 1 is 7500 MWD/T. (2) Task 1B-Fuel Fabrication Development. Assembly. Assembly 12S gave positive signals of being a leaker under the multi-type in-core sampler and was declared failed based on the in-core results and visual observation of a cracked rod. Modifications to the instrumented fuel assembly probes were made by removing the failed flow meter rotors to allow continued use of the flux detectors and thermocouples. Flux detectors and thermocouples performed properly after reactor start up. Flux wire tubes were found to be kinked such that their use was prohibited. (3) Task II-Stability, Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow. A series of noise recordings of fluxes, flows, and temperatures has been made at 91 MWt at the Big Rock Point plant. Preliminary analyses of some of the these records were made to obtain …

The fourth quarter of effort applied to the Consumers R & D Program is summarized in the following: high power density fuel development, fuel fabrication development, stability, heat transfer and fluid flow, physics development, operation planning and test coordination.

Progress is reported on several tasks related to nuclear fuel development at the Consumers Power Company Big Rock Point Plant.

Summary: Technical report describing the testing of eight Potter Meters, for metering inlet flow and measuring exit steam qualities in the Consumers Big Rock Point Instrumented Fuel Assemblies, were individually calibrated for flow and pressure drop up to 500 gpm in the low temperature (130 F) fluid flow facility. The flow calibration comparison made with an ASME orifice installation, agreed to within + - 1 percent among seven of the meters, and meter Serial No. 8 was 2.8 percent lower than the others. Pressure drop among the meters was within about 5 percent. Locked rotor pressure drop data was obtained on one meter. A fully instrumented fuel bundle was tested in the low temperature facility and pressure drop data obtained for the tieplates and meters, spacers, and channel rods. A mock-up of the exit end of the instrumented fuel bundles, composed of 1 foot of fuel rods, tieplate, and Potter Meter was tested in the High Pressure Heat Transfer Facility. Data was obtained for single- and two-phase calibration of total flow and exit steam quality in an instrumented bundle. Each meter was operated, for a minimum of 6-8 hours after bearing modifications necessitated by seizure of the rotors, in the …

From introduction: "Development of nuclear reactor cores having high power density, long fuel life, and low fabrication costs is the objective of this program sponsored by the AEC."

From introduction: "Development of nuclear reactor cores having high power density, long fuel life, and low fabrication costs is the objective of this program sponsored by the AEC."

During the seventh quarter the twenty-four high power density fuel assemblies were irradiated in the VBWR to an average of about 2572 MWD/T. Also during this period the instrumental assembly tasks were completed, and the award of the contract for the Scheduling Computer was made. A summary of progress by task is presented here.

Development of nuclear reactor cores having high power density, long fuel life, and low fabrication costs is the objective of this program sponsored by the AEC. Five tasks are in progress: (1) Task 1A-High Power Density Fuel Development, (2) Task 1B-Fuel Fabrication Development. Assembly, (3) Task II-Stability, Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow, (4) Task III-Physics Development, and (5) Task IV-Co-Ordination and Test Planning.

During the quarter the development program was continued as scheduled. Milestones that were reached included the successful irradiation of prototype Big Rock fuel bundles in VBWR to a level above 2500 MWD/T with power densities as high as 88 kw/1. Also completed was the scheduling computer specification followed by a formal solicitation of bids through the AEC. A summary of progress by task is presented here.

The Big Rock Point Reactor of the Consumers Power Company went critical for the first time on September 27, 1962. Summarized here are objectives and accomplishments of the pre-operational period as well as an indication of work scope remaining.

From introduction: "Development of nuclear reactor cores having high power density, long fuel life, and low fabrication costs is the objective of this program sponsored by the AEC."

The purpose of this report is to present a conceptual design study on a low power electrical and heat generating plant powered by nuclear energy. The nuclear reactor used in this study is the homogeneous circulating fuel type.

Experimental test loops have been used to study the problem of hydraulic stability. The oscillatory behavior of a single-phase and two-phase natural circulation loop has been examined at atmospheric pressures and oscillating modes of operation were studied in terms of heat input.