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BWXT will scout potential TRISO fuel production sites in Wyoming
BWX Technologies Inc. announced today that its Advanced Technologies subsidiary has signed a cooperation agreement with the state of Wyoming to evaluate locations and requirements for siting a potential new TRISO nuclear fuel fabrication facility in the state.
G. W. Keilholtz, R. E. Moore, H. E. Robertson
Nuclear Technology | Volume 17 | Number 3 | March 1973 | Pages 234-246
Technical Paper | Material | doi.org/10.13182/NT73-A31267
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The effects of fast neutrons on four commercial poly crystalline alumina products of high density were investigated. These materials have been considered for use as electrical insulators in nuclear-powered thermionic converters. Fast-neutron fluences up to 8.4 × 1021 n/cm2(>0.1 MeV) were achieved; irradiation temperatures ranged from 60 to 1230°C. Neutron damage was manifested by gross fracturing, volume increase, and separation at grain boundaries. There was very little damage at temperatures below 100°C, but it was much greater at temperatures from 570 to 1070°C (the temperature range for thermionic applications). At 1100°C and above, in-reactor thermal annealing was rapid enough to reduce damage effects significantly, but increased damage occurred to specimens irradiated at much higher temperatures (∼1230°). Based on the irradiation results, the following conclusions and recommendations were made for the use of poly crystalline alumina in thermionic converters: (a) the alumina should be of high purity to minimize gross fracturing, and it should be of small grain size to minimize the effects due to separation at grain boundaries; (b) the thermionic device should be designed for continuous operation because thermal cycling apparently promotes separation at grain boundaries; (c) the design should allow for an increase in volume of the alumina insulators of about 3%; and (d) alumina of high purity and small grain size can withstand fast-neutron fluences up to about 4.3 × 1021 n/cm2 in an ETR-type neutron spectrum and up to about 2.8 × 1021 n/cm2 in an EBR-II-type spectrum for those neutrons with energies >0.1 MeV.