Full Sized Plate-1 Flow Tests – Technical and Functional
Requirements
OSU-HMFTF-997004-TECH-001
Prepared by:
Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics
Oregon State University
116 Radiation Center
Corvallis, OR 97331-5902
Approved: ____________________________
Brian G. Woods
OSU Program Manager
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release of this document is maintained by the Configuration Manager.
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Tech. Report Title:
Full Sized Plate-1 Flow Tests – Technical and Functional Requirements
Purpose:
The purpose of this document is to describe the technical and functional requirements of the flow tests to
be performed in the Oregon State University (OSU) Hydro-Mechanical Fuel Test Facility (HMFTF) on the
Full Sized Plate-1 test element. Out-of-pile flow testing of each geometric configuration that is intended for
experimental insertion into the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) is intended to be performed as a part of the
integrated design process of such an experiment. The purpose of these tests is to confirm design calculations
and related aspects that are important to maintaining intended experiment operation.
Affected Document(s):
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Wade R. Marcum
Reviewed By:
Aaron Weiss
Approved By:
Brian G. Woods
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Prepared for the
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of NNSA/NA-23 Material Management and Minimization
Under DOE Idaho Operations Office
Contract DE-AC07-05ID14517
DISCLAIMER
This information was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency
of the U.S. Government. Neither the U.S. Government nor any agency
thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied,
or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness,
or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or
represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. References
herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name,
trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or
imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. Government
or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein
do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. Government or any agency
thereof.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section
1
Page
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 8
1.1
PURPOSE
8
1.2
SCOPE
9
2
EMIPRE CHOPPED DUMMY IN-PILE TUBE EXPERIMENT DESCRIPTION .............. 9
3
FUEL ELEMENT FLOW TEST REQUIREMENTS .......................................................... 12
3.1
EMPIRE-CDIPT INTEGRATED DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
13
3.2
EMPIRE-CDIPT-1 (STRUCTURAL AND HYDRAULIC CHARACTERIZATION TEST)
14
4
SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................... 16
5
REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................... 16
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure
Page
Figure 1: Isometric breakdown of the EMPIRE-CDIPT Composition ......................................... 10
Figure 2: Sketch of the in-vehicle arrangement of components within EMPIRE-CDIPT ........... 11
LIST OF TABLES
Table
Page
Table 1: Fuel Element Safety Basis Requirements ....................................................................... 13
Table 3: EMPIRE-CDIPT Integrated Flow Test (EMPIRE-CDIPT-1) ........................................ 14
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LIST OF ACRONYMS
ATR
Advanced Test Reactor
FSP
Full Sized Plate
HEU
Highly Enriched Uranium
HMFTF
Hydro-Mechanical Fuel Test Facility
HPRR
High Performance Research Reactor
INL
Idaho National Laboratory
LEU
Low Enriched Uranium
NNSA
National Nuclear Security Administration
OSU
Oregon State University
T&FR
Technical and Functional Requirement
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INTRODUCTION
The Convert branch of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is working to develop
high uranium density fuels for research and test reactors. These fuels are intended to enable conversion
from highly enriched uranium (HEU) based fuel to low enriched uranium (LEU) based fuel for U.S.
and European high performance research reactors (HPRR).
The development of the high uranium density fuels for the research reactors has been centered on
several objectives; although the enrichment of Uranium 235 is reduced in the LEU fuel, it is desired to
maintain equal reactor performance characteristics while meeting all safety requirements. With this in
mind, two fuel designs are being developed around a uranium molybdenum alloy fuel phase: a
dispersion and a monolithic version. The Full Sized Plate-1 (FSP-1) will be irradiated at the INL's
Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) to test the irradiation performance of fueled plates. The hydraulic
characterization tests of the holders and vehicles that will be used to irradiate the FSP-1 plates are the
subject of this effort.
1.1
Purpose
Out-of-pile flow testing of representative geometric configurations intended for experimental
insertion into the ATR will be performed as a part of the integrated design process of such an
experiment. The purpose of these tests is to calibrate, validate, and verify design and hydraulic
calculations for the experiment.
The requirements of the experimental flow tests identified herein include:
1. Verify that the integrity of experimental hardware and its configuration is not compromised
under anticipated in-pile hydraulic loads.
2. Provide experimental data to:
a. Quantify hydraulic characteristics of the experiment, which may be used to update
experiment calculations
b. Quantify the transient response of experiment hardware to expected hydraulic loads
and boundary conditions
3. Potentially identify phenomena that were not identified during design and calculation
process.
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Scope
The Technical and Functional Requirements (T&FRs) defined herein describe flow testing with
respect to the FSP-1 geometric configuration that is intended to be placed in the ATR. This
representative geometry has been designed by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and reviewed
so as to minimize differences between out-of-pile flow test geometry and in-pile reactor geometry.
2
FULL SIZED PLATE-1 EXPERIMENT DESCRIPTION
The FSP-1 experimental vehicle, also referred to as the “Full Sized Plate-1” is designed to facilitate
in-pile testing of various test plates within flux trap locations of the ATR which can be configured
appropriately for the vehicle to be placed within. These irradiation test programs are driven to yield
appropriate fluence levels on each fueled experiment to support the development of the uraniummolybdenum alloy fuel. The vehicle comprises four main components (shown in Figure 1 and
Figure 2):

Flow Simulator – The Flow Simulator is a cylindrical body with an outer diameter of
nominally 6 inches, an inner diameter of 5.25 inches and a total length of 74.88 inches. The
Flow Simulator is the interfacing component between the Hydro-Mechanical Fuel Test
Facility (HMFTF) and the remaining components which comprise the FSP-1. The inner
geometry of the Flow Simulator is designed to reflect similar conditions found within the
ATR.

Outer Basket – The Outer Basket is the outer-most geometry which will be placed within
the ATR. The Outer Basked has an outer diameter of 5.13 inches, an inner diameter of 4
inches, and is 66.92 inches in length. An Orifice Plate is located on the lower most surface
of the Outer Basket. Use of an appropriately sized orifice plate will lead to the desired
hydraulic balance (flow rate and pressure drop) that satisfies safety bases and in-pile
irradiation conditions. The Orifice Plate is secured to the outer basked via 6 socket head
cap screws.

Inner Basket – The Inner Basket acts as a holder for the Test Plates. The Inner Basket has
an outer diameter of 3.88 inches and a total length of 65.45 inches. The interior of the Inner
Basket has been machined to a square slot to provide a mating surface to for the Test Plates.
The Inner Basked comprises two assemblies; the top region is the Handle Assembly which
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is connected to the Body Assembly via a hinge point. This hinge allows for the rotation of
the Handle Assembly to be placed out of concentricity with the Body Assembly which
provides sufficient space for the Test Plates to be slid into their appropriate location.

Test Plates & Ram Rod – Six Test Plates are located in the FSP-1. These Test Plates all
have a width of 2.24 inches (2.40 inches including the side rail), thickness of 0.05 inches
(0.25 inches including the side-rail), and a length of 48.75 inches nominally. These plates
are placed adjacent to one another inside the square slot that is located within the Inner
Basket. They are held secure in-place via a Ram Rod. The Ram Rod is a 0.725 inch thick
aluminum square plate which is placed between the outer-most Test Plate and the inner
surface of the Inner Basket. The Ram Rod provides mechanically secures the Test Plates
both horizontally and vertically within the Inner Basket through a compression fit against
the plates’ side-rails). The outer primary surface of the Ram Rod contains a number of ball
plungers which compress the Ram Rod against the side rails of the Test Plates, securing
them horizontally. The Test Plates are secured vertically by a small arm located on the top
of the Ram Rod which mates against the top surface of each test plate’s side rail.
Flow Simulator
Outer Basket
Inner Simulator
Test Plates &
Ram-Rod
Figure 1: Isometric breakdown of the FSP-1 Composition
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Flow Simulator
Outer Basket
Handling Bracket
Inner Basket
Ram Rod
Test Plates (1 – 6)
Test Plate Flow Inlet Region
Test Plate Flow Outlet Region
Orifice Plate
Flow Adaptor
Orifice Plate Flow Outlet Region
Figure 2: Rendering of the basket arrangement of components within FSP-1
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FUEL ELEMENT FLOW TEST REQUIREMENTS
The technical and functional requirements FSP-1 flow tests are based on the integrated design
requirements. Section 3.1 describes the bases for integrated design requirements of the FSP-1 for
which flow test needs were identified.
The Hydraulic Characterization Test is intended to provide an objective assessment of the
hydraulic traits associated with the geometry of FSP-1. These traits include aspects of flow
distribution within the length of the vehicle along with the overall bulk response of the test
apparatus such as pressure drop versus flow rate. The bases identified for this test are satisfied by
exposing the experimental geometry to a constant inlet pressure and temperature while varying
flow rate at small increments over the entire operating range to which the vehicle will be exposed
under irradiation within the ATR core.
The Structural Response Characterization Test is intended to provide an objective assessment of
the rigid-body vibratory response associated with the geometry of FSP-1 as may be observed
within the ATR. This response is intended to be captured under similar experimental controls as
that of the Hydraulic Characterization Test with the use of accelerometers located strategically on
the FSP-1 geometry so as to facilitate the acquisition of mechanical vibration of the experimental
device while being exposed to various hydraulic flow conditions.
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FSP-1 Integrated Design Requirements
#
Table 1: Functional Requirements
Test Title
Description
FSP-1-1
Hydraulic
Characterization
Test
Assess overall pressure drop
across element as a function of
flow.
FSP-1-2
Structural
Response
Characterization
Test
Perform flow induced vibration
tests to identify the presence of
and possibly characterize
vibration of experiment
components such as plates,
capsules or basket
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Basis
Satisfy Outcome 1 in
Section 1.1
Satisfy Outcome 2 in
Section 1.1
Satisfy Outcome 3 in
Section 1.1
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FSP-1 (Hydraulic Characterization Test)
Element
(justification)
Configuration
(justification)
Table 2: FSP-1 Integrated Flow Test (FSP-1-1)
 Complete vehicle of equivalent in-pile form
(Satisfies basis 1 and 2 identified in Table 1 for FSP-1-1)
 Test facility configured in down-flow configuration
(representative of flow direction through ATR core)

Control Variables [recommended quantity]
(justification)

Test element arranged to represent nominal in-pile geometry
(as representative of flow distribution through ATR core as feasibly allowable)
Test element inlet pressure [360 psig]
(nominal inlet pressure of ATR core)

Fluid temperature [150 °F]
(ATR fluid temperature ranges from 125 to 175 °F across core)

Fluid conductivity [ < 100 µS/cm]
(minimize mineral interaction with clad material)

Fluid pH [5.5]
(minimize oxide layer growth rate on clad
Flow rate [~250 gpm to 550 gpm]
(span across entire operating condition of in-pile vehicle)
Independent Variable [recommended range]
(justification)

Test type [Destructive, Non-destructive]
(discussion)

Non-destructive
(pressure drop testing is intended to be nondestructive)
Critical Measurements
(plausible instrument selection)

System pressure
(pressure transmitter)

Fluid temperature
(thermocouple)

Total net flow rate
(vortex flow meter, annubar)

Net pressure drop across element test section
(2x pressure transmitters, differential pressure transmitter)

Flow channel flow rate
(total- and static-pressure pitot tubes)

Bypass channel flow rate
(vortex flow meter)

Mechanical Vibration
(accelerometer[s] located on the vehicle and housing)

Fluid conductivity
(fluid conductivity meter)

Fluid pH
(fluid pH meter)
Supplemental Measurements
(plausible instrument selection)
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FSP-1 (Structural Response Characterization Test)
Element
(justification)
Configuration
(justification)
Table 3: FSP-1 Integrated Flow Test (FSP-1-2)
 Complete vehicle of equivalent in-pile form
(Satisfies basis 1 identified in Table 1 for FSP-1-2)
 Test facility configured in down-flow configuration
(representative of flow direction through ATR core)

Control Variables [recommended quantity]
(justification)

Test element arranged to represent nominal in-pile geometry
(as representative of flow distribution through ATR core as feasibly allowable)
Test element inlet pressure [360 psig]
(nominal inlet pressure of ATR core)

Fluid temperature [150 °F]
(ATR fluid temperature ranges from 125 to 175 °F across core)

Fluid conductivity [ < 100 µS/cm]
(minimize mineral interaction with clad material)

Fluid pH [5.5]
(minimize oxide layer growth rate on clad
Flow rate [~250 gpm to ~550 gpm]
(span across entire operating condition of in-pile vehicle)
Independent Variable [recommended range]
(justification)

Test type [Destructive, Non-destructive]
(discussion)

Non-destructive
(pressure drop testing is intended to be nondestructive)
Critical Measurements
(plausible instrument selection)

System pressure
(pressure transmitter)

Fluid temperature
(thermocouple)

Total net flow rate
(vortex flow meter)

Bypass channel flow rate
(vortex flow meter)

Net pressure drop across element test section
(2x pressure transmitters, differential pressure transmitter)

Mechanical Vibration
(accelerometer[s] located on the vehicle and housing)
Fluid conductivity
(fluid conductivity meter)
Supplemental Measurements
(plausible instrument selection)


Fluid pH
(fluid pH meter)
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SUMMARY
This document has summarizes the flow test related requirements of the proposed EMPIRECDIPT geometry to be utilized within the ATR core. The necessities for an integrated flow test
campaign that provides data to support the safety basis and design feedback of in-pile experiments
to be inserted into the ATR have been described.
This work is intended to establish an experimentally-grounded basis for the physical design and
instrumentation needs of the EMPIRE-CDIPT flow test.
5
REFERENCES
None.
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