ORNL-CF-56-9-32.txt

X-828

" DATE: - September"_“ 11.; 1956

 DAK RIDGE NAT!ONAL LABORM’Q;,;
© .. Operoted By ¥
UNION CARB!DE NUCLEAR COMPANY

_Posf OFFICE BOX P
" OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE

SUBJECT:  FUSED SALT POWER REACTOR STUDY:
- Minutes of Discussian Meeting No. 2

T0: Distribution

FROM: L. G, Alexander- :

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_Alexander

Arnold
Bettis

Billington
~Carrison

Charpie

Qromer

Ergen
Gregg
Gresky

Grimes
Jordan
Kinyon
'MacPherson

Manly

“Mann
Poppendiek
,- Roberts
Swartout
VonderLage

Weinberg

C. R. Library

_ORNL
CENTRAL FILES NUMBER
56-9-Z=

‘This document consists of 3 'puge"s."_.':.

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 FUSED SALT 'roWER-'R'EAcTOR STUDY

Minutes of Discussion Meeting No. 2

~ August 22, 1956

 Present: L. G. Alexander - - W. H. Jordan

L

W. E. Arnold | " B. WoKinyon
‘E. S. Bettis = H. G. MacPherson
D. A, Carrison o L. A+ Mann

S. J. Cromer | 'H. F. Poppendiek
W. K. Ergen = T, J. Roberts

J. L. Cregg S ‘F. C. VonderLage

A, J. Gresky "A. M. Weinberg
W. R. Grimes -

t”Mr, MaePherson opened. the meeting by summarizing the results of D Ao Carrison 8

y}ceeonomie study. The importance of reducing chemical processing costs was empha-{cfrf’”i'
- .slzed. In re the containment problem, the 1ron=ehromiumimolybdenumnnickel alloy

”={]propoaed by the Metallurgy Division was discussed. It appears to have good: highe-.f-'e~’

- temperature strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance. A test for'this“afloyg'pJ"

in a fused-salt-to-sodium heat ~exchanger hasg ‘been scheduled. - The tubing should

S be available in three or four months,_ “Mr. Gregg ‘noted that although inconel may o

. _prove to be satisfactory at 1200°F, the new alloy should be better. Mr. Bettis
:f;‘inquired concerning the possibility of setting up an inconel loop soon. Mr. . Gregg e
 replied that such a 100p is being designed and should be in operation in a matter FENe

'«“-f:-of weeka, _ _ o

._‘-_-_J_.Mr° MaePheraon discussed the possibility of obtaining high conversion ratios in
@& U-233 breeder. On the basis of some preliminary calculations, he felt that one.
- could obtain conversions up to 0.8 in a clean system by keeping the coneentrations
. of thorium and uranium high (4 and 0.2 mol percent; respectively). Under these
"?xeonditions, nearly all absorptions take place at energies above 1.0 ev, in which

'.frange both U-233 and Th compete favorably with Na and Zr for neutrons. Mr. Wein-

‘“if;'berg noted that the recent British data onn in the vieinity of 2 ev clouds the -

'_situation here.

'*7The question of how much ThF) can be incorporated into the melt without raising

' the melting point too high was discussed. Mr. Grimes predicted that the addition:_.'f“'f"-

o of b mol percent of: ThFu would not raise the melting point above 1050CF, and that

1t would be possible to lower the melting point by the addition of KF. Mr. Ergen“:
.~ noted the adverse effect of K on the nuclear economy, But Mr. MacPherson felt -

‘fi]that the effect would not be serious if the neutron spectrum were maintained above

1l ev. Mr. Weinberg inquired if the effeet of fission .product poisons on the neutronf13

"*1eeonomy had been studied. Mr. MaePherson replied that this is being considered and {1"

~that it would probably be- neceasary to process the fuel continuously to remove
o_fiasion products if high conversion ratioa are to be obtained. .

“”7T;ffdf;GA/dé?dd

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o

efb;Mr, MacPherson summarized the result: of a recent conference with Mr. Culler.
I appears that the cost of U-233 ie 80 high that 1t will ve necessary to start
_f'la Th-U—233 breeder with.U-235.,_ -

re"Mr. Carrison suggested that a loop should be eet up for the study of the effect
~of ThF) on corrosion. Mr. Grimes remarked ‘that there are four thermal loOps now

'[u2;‘;g'7d .

--operating with Li-Be-Th fluoride mixtures., He believee that Th will not increase jf.r

~ the rate of corrosion in the fuel under considera.tionu

r;:Ways and means of producing various tranemutation products other than U~233 were

~discussed at some length. Mr. Bettis remarked that it would be poesible to add

‘a8 much as 20 percent of LiF to the melt without impairing the melting point,,-j”’
_Q”ng,.Weinberg preferred to produce transmutation products in a blanket in order
_fiflto 8implify the separation and. purification processes. Mr. Grimes noted that

- lithium hydride is very stable, having a vapor pressure of only one atmosPhere

- at T50°F. “Mr. Ergen remarked- upon the adverse effect of 1Li on neutron economy
_and noted the advantage of using it in a blanket. Mr,_Weinberg proposed putting .

- Li-Al alloy in tubes just inside the core container to avold losses in the con~

" tainer wall, ‘Mr. Bettis remarked upon the high.melting point of LiF and suggested;i_.;&l

'7fjthat the powder could be used in tubes. . Mr. MacPherson: voiced the philosophy that;f"?°”

;;1the reactor ought to be designed to produce power as cheaply as possible, with
. excess neutrons going to produce U-233 which would in turn be used for fuel; if

~ later it proved more profitable to divert neutrons to some other use, this could T
“ be done. Mr. VonderLage raiged the point that a U-235 burner has the best market Lo

_.cypotential at present if power can be produced at, or. below, 10 mil/kw hr’.'”“

'mJiQqu, Bettis concurred°

'““f,Mra.Jorden inquired if there ie any cle&r choice between one and two region

"1ffimechines,. Mr, Weinberg referred to the Wehmeyer report and remarked that they'

.'fjff;had calculated a breeding ratio of about unity.-v'

. »Mr. Weinberg reported that the (n,p) reaction in Clu36 in the high energy region
"*1-{;i@severely prejudices the fast breeder being etudied by Bulmer et al. -

L. c Alexander