The development of beryllia-based fuels for HTGC reactor systems

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dc.contributor.authorSmith, Ren_AU
dc.date.accessioned2025-12-11T03:55:34Zen_AU
dc.date.available2025-12-11T03:55:34Zen_AU
dc.date.issued1965en_AU
dc.date.statistics2025-12-06en_AU
dc.descriptionPhysical copy held by ANSTO Library at DDC: 631.48/128en_AU
dc.description.abstractThe intrinsic nuclear and physical properties of beryllium oxide which makes it attractive as a moderator material in nuclear reactors are well known. In fact the first reactor system proposed for electricity production, the Daniel's pile, was based on the use of beryllia as moderator. However this project was abandoned in 1947 [l] partly because of insufficient knowledge of the technology of the material. Recently there has been a renewed interest in the utilization of beryllia as cheaper, more sinterable grades of beryllia have become available and technological advances have yielded a material with reasonably well characterized properties. The Australian Atomic Energy Commission is interested in the potential of beryllia in high-temperature gas-cooled reactor systems, particularly when employed as a matrix for dispersion type fuels and as a moderator. Serious study of these systems began in 1960 with effort concentrated initially on materials problems. The materials research programme has been centred around a reactor concept with an all-ceramic core, cooled by carbon dioxide, employing highlyrated, fission-product-retentive, high burn-up fuels with a maximum fuel surface temperature of 1000 °c. Although various fuel cycles are being considered, experimental work on dispersion fuels has been confined to homogeneous fuel particles of (U,Th)02 in a matrix of BeO. This paper surveys the Australian work directed towards understanding and evaluating the behaviour of beryllia and beryllia-based fuels under conditions which might obtain in the proposed reactor system. Attention is confined mainly to the problems of irradiation damage, fission-product retention, resistance to thermal stress, and corrosion resistance, and their relation to fabrication variables, microstructure, temperature, and neutron environment. Preliminary work has given confidence in the technical performance of all-ceramic beryllia-based fuel provided it is used in the form of simple shapes which facilitate fabrication and handling problems and which suit the intrinsically brittle nature of the material. During 1963 it was decided to make a detailed study of a particular HTGC reactor project based on an all-ceramic pebble-bed concept; this is described elsewhere [2]. A brief report is given of some aspects of materials work directed towards a more complete evaluation of spherical-shaped berylliabased fuel elements for this system.en_AU
dc.identifier.booktitleProceedings of the third international conference on the peaceful uses of atomic energy; held in Geneva 31 August - 9 September 1964 (Multilingual ed)en_AU
dc.identifier.citationSmith, R. (1965). The development of beryllia-based fuels for HTGC reactor systems. Paper presented to the Third International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, Geneva, 31 August - 8 September 1964. In International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy Geneva 1964 : (1965). Proceedings of the third international conference on the peaceful uses of atomic energy; held in Geneva 31 August - 9 September 1964 (Multilingual ed), (Vol,. 2, pp. 329-340). New Yorkm USA : United Nations.en_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceenddate1964-09-09en_AU
dc.identifier.conferencenameThird International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energyen_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceplaceGenevaen_AU
dc.identifier.conferencestartdate1964-08-31en_AU
dc.identifier.pagination329-340en_AU
dc.identifier.placeofpublicationNew York, USAen_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/handle/10238/16773en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherUnited Nationsen_AU
dc.subjectBeryllium oxidesen_AU
dc.subjectThermonuclear reactorsen_AU
dc.subjectElectricityen_AU
dc.subjectAAECen_AU
dc.subjectTechnology assessmenten_AU
dc.subjectSinteringen_AU
dc.subjectMaterialsen_AU
dc.subjectYieldsen_AU
dc.subjectMeV Rangeen_AU
dc.subjectTemperature rangeen_AU
dc.subjectFissionen_AU
dc.subjectHomogeneous reactorsen_AU
dc.subjectDispersionsen_AU
dc.titleThe development of beryllia-based fuels for HTGC reactor systemsen_AU
dc.typeConference Paperen_AU
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