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089333 1 (1971-03-15)

handle is hein.gao/gaobacvhf0001 and id is 1 raw text is: UNITED STATES GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE WASHINGTON, D.C. 20548 CIVIL DIVISION March 15, 1971 LM089333 Dear Mr. Shaw: The General Accounting Office has reviewed selected aspects of the Atomic Energy Commission's (AEC's) Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor program being conducted at the Argonne National Laboratory facilities in Illinois and Idaho. Our review was made pursuant to the Budget and Accounting Act, 1921 (31 U.S.C. 53) and the Accounting and Auditing Act of 1950 (31 U.S.C. 67). The review was directed primarily toward an evaluation of Argonne's management of fuel pro- curement from commercial sources for the Experimental Breeder Reactor-2 (EBR-2). EBR-2 is the primary fast flux irradiation facility, a sodium- cooled fast reactor, used for testing materials and fuels for use in liquid metal cooled fast breeder reactors. It was originally designed as a prototype to demonstrate central power plant operation, but in 1966 was changed to an irradiation test facility to meet the needs of the Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor program. Fuel elements are used in EBR-2 to irradiate experimental sub- assemblies containing fuel or fuel materials. An important step in the production of fuel elements is the bonding process, which is to provide a uniform, gas-free sodium bond between the fuel pin and the jacket to ensure maximum heat removal from the fuel element. From 1954 to 1961 Argonne performed research on various bonding methods, including the vibratory and centrifuge processes. In the vibratory process, the elements are vibrated vertically to moisten the fuel pin and jacket surfaces. In the centrifuge process, the fuel elements are placed in slots on a centrifuge table and are rotated at high speeds. The research program showed that under laboratory conditions centrifuge processing had been successful. However, Argonne selected the vibratory process for in-house production at the Illinois and Idaho sites because the centrifuge device would be relatively complex, difficult to repair, and limited as to the length and number of elements that could be processed simultaneously. 50TH ANNIVERSARY 1921-1971 .

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