ORNL-2106 - the Molten Salt Energy Technologies Web Site

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ART FACILITY
F. R. McQuilkin
Construction work is nearing completion on the
contract portion of the Aircraft Reactor Test (ART)
facility in Building 7503. Package 1 work on the
building additions, building alterations, and cell
installation was approximately 7% behind schedule
at the 92.5% completion point on June 1, 1956.
About onehalf the deficiency may be accounted
for by lack of breakers and reactors for the eiec-
trical switchgear. During the quarter the principal
work accomplished included final erection of the
cell tanks; erection of the stack; placement of
concrete for the main air duct, the penthouse, the
radiator pit, the blower house floor and equipment
bases, the cell encasement, and the main building
floor at an elevation of 852 ft; painting; grading;
fencing; and general job and site cleanup.
Package 2 work on the installation of diesel
generators and facility, electrical control centers,
and spectrometer-room electrical and air-condition-
ing equipment progressed to the 79% completion
point during the quarter. The installation of the
electrical control centers and the diesel generators
will complete this work. The estimated date for
shipment of the diesel generators is June 25,1956.
The contract for Package A work on the installa-
tion of auxiliary piping was negotiated with the
V. L. Nicholson Company . . at a contract price of
$50,351.62, with completion scheduled for June 15, .
1956, unless material delivery schedules interfere.
Some of the Package 1 and Package 2 work MY
1.5. PROCUREMENT AND CONSTRUCTION
ilding. The dark-sided
n building is the addition which
actor cell, the heat dumps, and
The appurtenances to
W. F. Boudreau
PERIOD ENDING JUNE IO, 1956
wide door that is required in order that the reactor
and the tops of the cell tanks may pass into the
building. The cylinder bank in the left foreground,
which served as helium storage for the Aircraft
Reactor Experiment (ARE) will be used for storage
of nitrogen for he ART. In the foreground, in
front of the truck, may be seen the 1500-kva transformer
and substation that will serve the purchased
power (TVA) portion of the power service to the
facility. The openings in the generator house,
on the right, will receive the radiators for the
five diesel generators that will have 300-kw continuous
ratings and will supply the locally generated
power service to the facility. In Fig. 1.5.3
may be seen the pressure vessel and water tank
that make up the containment cell. The 24-ft-dia,
36-ft-high pressure vessel is within the 30-ft-dia
water tank. The top portion of the water tank had
been removed and was sitting on the main floor
when the photograph was taken. Although the
pressure vessel manhole is 5 ft in diameter and
will pass most of the items to be installed within
the vessel, the contractor will remove the top head
to provide the required access for the reactor.
The pressure vessel was field stress-relieved and
hydrostatically tested at 300 psi during the quarter.
Inspection of the welded joints between the 24-in.dia
junction panel sleeves and the 4-in.-thick shell
walls revealed a failure of a joint in the heataffected
zone of the sleeve base metal. Therefore
all eight of the one-piece sleeves were replaced
with two-piece units and a revised joint design
and welding procedure was used. The field stress-
c ich is Q view from a relief procedure and the hydrostatic pressure tests
B.l’
ion of the 10-ft-dia and
and the generator house MY be Seen in Fig. 1.52.
On the left may be seen the newly installed 32-ft-
Will be repeated.
The concrete penthouse adjacent to the cell is
shown in Fig. 1.5.4. This structure will house
the NaK pumps, pump motors, and the mechanisms
for supporting these units and the radiators, and
will also house the NaK piping to the main air
t and to the radiator pit below, The special
ipment room is directly below und covered by
e roof plugs shown in the open doorway.
Design work continued on Package 3, which
omprises the process equipment, process piping,
etc. to be installed by ORNL. The design will
probably be completed in July 1956.
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