GB1380601A - Plant for irradiation of fuel elements or components of nuclear reactors - Google Patents

Abstract

1380601 Reactors; irradiating materials GES FUER KERNFORSCHUNG mbH 6 April 1972 [7 April 1971] 15873/72 Heading G6C Plant for irradiating test specimens comprises a pair of adjacent critical reactor systems 1, 2 of which one, e.g. system 2, is a pulsed reactor. In the embodiment of Fig. 1 an irradiation channel 4 extends between the reactors which are separated by a neutron shield 3. A test specimen 5 can be moved from initial position 7 in reactor 1 where it achieves a temperature distribution equivalent to that of a normal reactor environment, to a position 8 in reactor 2 where it receives a pulsed neutron flux simulating an overload condition in the normal reactor environment. Initiation of the pulse is automatic in response to movement of the speciment to position 8. Coolant in channel 4 may flow in a closed loop (independent of coolant for the reactors 1, 2) or an open loop. In the embodiment of Fig. 2 the specimen remains stationary in the irradiation channel which extends through a gap between the reactors. Instead, a tubular neutron shield 9, part of which provides a neutron window, is rotatable through 180 degrees to expose the specimen firstly to reactor 1 and subsequently to the pulsed reactor 2. In a modification the neutron shield 9 has opposite but axially offset neutron-absorbing portions and is movable axially, without rotation, to expose the specimen. The test specimens may be reactor fuel elements or other reactor components.