UHTREX
The Ultra-High Temperature Reactor Experiment (UHTREX) was an experimental
The experiment was a spin-off from Project Rover, intended to develop a nuclear thermal rocket.[1]
Reactor core design
The UHTREX core was composed of a vertical hollow rotating cylinder (turret) constructed of solid
Advantages
A typical
The UHTREX used un-clad porous carbon extruded fuel elements each shaped like a long hollow cylinder.
Disadvantages
The major disadvantage to porous reactor fuel is that the entire primary cooling loop including all the
Specifications
UHTREX had following specifications:[4]
- Fuel - highly enriched uranium
- Rated power - 3 MW (thermal)
- Core construction material - graphite
- Moderator - graphite
- Reactor vessel - carbon steel sphere 13 ft. 2 in. diameter 1.75 inches thickness.
- Fuel channels - 312 channels. Each one is 1.1 in. ID, 23.5 in. long and holds up to 4 fuel elements.
- Fuel element - 1 in. OD, 0.5 in. ID and 5.5 in. long (25.4 mm x 12.7 mm x 139.7 mm).
- Core power density - 1.3 W/cc
- Fuel utilization - up to 50%.
- Coolant - psi(3.45 MPa)
- Coolant temperature - inlet 1600 °F, Outlet 2400 °F (871 °C and 1316 °C).
- Coolant flow rate - 10,250 pounds per hour (1.294 kg/s)
where ID and OD are the inner and outer diameter, respectively.
See also
- Omega West Reactor
- Clementine reactor
References
- ^ a b The Bradbury Years from Los Alamos Science Winter/Spring 1983 (Los Alamos National Laboratory).
- ^ The Agnew Years from Los Alamos Science Winter/Spring 1983 (Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory).
- ^ The Atom Volume 11 #51 (Jan-Feb 1974)
- ^ a b c d e f g h ULTRA HIGH TEMPERATURE REACTOR EXPERIMENT (UHTREX) HAZARD REPORT, Los Alamos Science Document #LA-2689 (1962).
- ^ Milestones in the history of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos Science Document Number 21-1993.