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2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
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Breaking ground on a new approach to construction
The drive to Kairos Power’s reactor demonstration site in Oak Ridge, Tenn., is not only scenic—it’s historic. Nearly 85 years ago, roughly 30,000 construction workers transformed orchards and farmland into a key Manhattan Project site. Depending on your route, you may pass by one of the three gatehouses that were once military checkpoints controlling access to Atomic Energy Commission production facilities.
A. B. Shuck, J. E. Ayer
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 12 | Number 3 | March 1962 | Pages 398-404
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE62-A28090
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The development of remote controlled methods for manufacturing EBR-II fuel elements was influenced by many interacting factors. Radiation levels within the process cell have been predicted to range from 103 to 107 rad per hour. Radiation damage to organic lubricant, electrical insulations, elastic seals, and protective coatings precludes the use of many standard machine components. Heat generated in the fuel by absorbed radiation makes forced cooling necessary in many operations. Oxygen must be exluded from all operations where the fuel is exposed. Equipment must be designed for remote maintenance and component replacement within the limitation of available manipulators. The EBR-II fuel consisted of fissium alloy pins sodium bonded in stainless steel tubes. Precision casting was chosen as the basis for refabricating the fuel pins. Remote controlled equipment was developed to cast, assemble, and inspect the EBR-II fuel elements. Radiation resistant, plug-in machine components were developed to give reasonable life expectancy and to allow remote maintenance and replacement.