HTGR FUEL ELEMENT PERFORMANCE IN PEACH BOTTOM REACTOR.
Abstract
The Peach Bottom reactor utilizes fuel elements which each consist of pyrocarbon-coated particles of mixed uranium-thorium carbides dispersed in a graphite matrix contained in a low permeability graphite tube; the tube functions as the main structural member.The reactor core contains 804 fuel elements of this type, each 3-1/2 in. in diameter and 12 ft long positioned vertically in a close-packed array.Cooling is accomplished by helium gas at 350 psi flowing through the interstices among the elements.The outlet gas temperature is 1340F.Operation of the Peach Bottom reactor at high power began in January 1967, and the reactor has accumulated several hundred megawatt hours since that time.The thermal performance of the fuel has been gratifying and has easily met the design objective of 8.3 kw/liter at an average fuel temperature of approximately 1800F.The good thermal performance of this fuel has confirmed the objective of high coolant temperature necessary to generate modern steam at 1000F and 1450 psi.Retention of fission products by the fuel has been very good; the total circulating gaseous fission-product radioactivity in the helium coolant inventory has been approximately 200 millicuries at full power.Deposition of solid fission-product plateout on components of the primary loop has been so low as to allow easy access to primary loop components.
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