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MARVEL team shares lessons learned through microreactor development
On June 1 at the American Nuclear Society’s Annual Conference in Denver, Colo., a team from Idaho National Laboratory presented a session titled “Lessons Learned from MARVEL Reactor Fabrication.” The presentation highlighted challenges that arose as they moved from design to manufacturing and assembly, with a focus on reactor part fabrication, Stirling engine implementation, and reactivity control system development.
Delwin M. Romrell, Don M. Art, Richard D. Redekopp, James B. Waldo, Jerry L. Marshall
Nuclear Technology | Volume 86 | Number 3 | September 1989 | Pages 264-274
Technical Paper | Fuel Cycle | doi.org/10.13182/NT89-A34294
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The fuel handling sequence at the Fast Flux Test Reactor in Richland, Washington, utilizes several computer-aided fuel handling machines, a fuel conditioning station, and fuel storage vessels. Each system is designed to appropriately maintain the sodium-wetted fuel in an argon atmosphere (to prevent sodium reaction with moisture and oxygen) and control the temperature of the fuel assembly within the specified limits. Refueling experience has been used to decrease plant refueling time. Equipment utilization has exceeded original estimates because of changes in the irradiation program. Most of the fuel handling equipment has operated reliably, but with aging, some equipment upgrades are in progress or are being planned.