ORNL-1771 - Oak Ridge National Laboratory

ANP QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT
SURGE TANK-
tube bank to the corresponding holes in the be-
ryllium block, through the upper tube back into
the outlet header, out to the radiator section, and
back to the pump. Banks of tubes were used to
duct the sodium to and from the block to minimize
the flow of electrical current through the sodium
inlet and outlet header tanks. A bypass filter
arrangement was provided, as well as bypass
cooling flow to the sodium-filled lugs connected
to the transformer bus bars.
The high-power-density volume heat source
coupled with transverse sodium flow through the
drilled holes gave a high thermal gradient around
the holes. During the course of the test the power
density was cycled regularly by alternating the
28
ELECl
Fig. 2.4. Beryllium Thermal Stress Test Apparatus.
UNCLASSIFIED
ORNL-LR-DWG 3093
-kvo TRANSFORMER
\
111 ' ~ ~ ~ / ~ A I R - C O OCOPPER L E D BUS BAR
operating conditions as shown in Table 2.6, which
also compares the operating conditions for the
thermal stress test with those for the CFRE.
The test included an initial 100-hr period at a
constant high power density followed by power
cycling at the rate of one cycle per day. The
changes from one power level to the other were,
in all cases, performed at a fairly uniform rate in
a 1-min interval. The test was concluded after
1000 hr of operation, including 36 cycles. The
beryllium sample is now being examined by the
Metallurgy Division for dimensional stability and
evidence of mass transfer, corrosion, or erosion.
Visual inspection of the sample after the test
indicated that no distortion, cracking, or erosion
of the beryllium had taken place.