BROOKS LEADERSHIP achieved through design
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Industrial use of ozone isn't new. O v e r 50 years ago a n ozone water treating plant was set u p in Nice, France. Even so, today there a r e only a half-dozen commercial a p plications in this country. But for the future, it seems certain that t h e u n i q u e properties of ozone together with cost-cutting new developments will make ozonation just as well known as oxidation. L.J.W.
Boiling Water Reactor Profile
α FULL for every
LINE service
W h a t e v e r y o u r flow m e a s u r e m e n t or r e m o t e transmission n e e d s . . . B r o o k s h a s t h e answer. M o r e over, i t is a practical answer . . . because t h e same practical design features a r e carried t h r o u g h t h e line. F r o m Hi-Accuracy F l o w I n d i c a t o r s t o low-cost p u r g e m e t e r s . . . from t h e well-known A r - M e t Ar m o u r e d M e t e r t o t h e n e w con vertible electric o r p n e u m a t i c flow t r a n s m i t t e r s , you'll find t h e s e com m o n features: self-alignment of essential p a r t s , simplified cleaning a n d assembly, a n d designs t h a t eliminate troublesome line s t r a i n on t h e m e t e r i n g elements. Y o u c a n depend o n B r o o k s r o t a m e t e r e q u i p m e n t for lowest final cost all d o w n t h e line—because i t h a s been performance-proven w h e r e it c o u n t s m o s t : in daily service. Send for your copy of Bulletin 110b, a brief, well illustrated guide to Brooks Rotameters and Accessory Equipment,
BROOKS ROTAMETER COMPANY SS7 Β Street, Lansdale, Pa.
the
n e w s t a n d a r d of flow measurement and c o n t r o l
In a nuclear power generating plant, the reac tor serves the same purpose as the boiler in a standard steam power station. Argonne's boiling water re actor is now drawing the attention of everyone inter ested in just what makes up a nuclear power reactor
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Ε Argonne experimental boiling water reactor (EBWR)—first of five reactor projects in A E C ' s civilian power reactor development pro g r a m is the first reactor on which all the details are known. I n a nutshell, nuclear energy liberated by a chain reaction heats u r a n i u m metal fuel plates. H e a t is transferred to water t h a t comes in contact with the fuel plates, the water is converted to steam, a n d the steam is used for generating electric ity. E B W R generates 5000 kw. of electricity a n d 20,000 kw. of heat. Reactor fuel is a mixture of n a t u r a l a n d slightly enriched u r a n i u m . Light water serves as a moderator a n d coolant. W i t h some variations, a n u m b e r of commercial reactors now being planned will probably look a lot like E B W R . T h e reactor proper is con tained in a pressure vessel 7 feet in diameter a n d 23 feet high with 2 3 /s-inch thick steel walls. Inner surfaces in contact with the reactor water or steam a r e stainless steel clad. T h e vessel wall is protected from excessive heat generation by a
Circle No. 32 A on Readers' Service Card, page 115 A 32 A
INDUSTRIAL A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
boron-stainless steel thermal shield. Inside this pressure vessel, a core 4 feet in diameter consists of fuel assemblies a n d control rods fitted into a support a n d shroud structure. Core diameter can be increased from 4 to 5 feet a n d fuel elements of dif ferent dimensions are provided to change the water-to-uranium ratio in t h e core. T w o enrichments of u r a n i u m , 0.7 a n d 1.4% U 236 , are available to permit the critical size and power distribution pattern of the core to be varied. U p to 148 fuel assemblies—77 5 / 8 inches long by 3 s /4 inches square—can be held within a 5-foot diameter. Cur rently, because of the 4-foot core, only 114 assemblies a r e used. Of these, 106 contain enriched u r a n i u m a n d 8 contain normal u r a n i u m . A total of 6.1 tons of u r a n i u m averag ing 1.4% U 2 3 5 is now being used. D u m m y assemblies fill out the core. Space between the core a n d the ves sel wall is downcomer space for circulating water. Components in the core's active region are m a d e of Zircaloy-2, a metal which does not absorb neu trons readily a n d has good corrosion resistance. Outside of the active region stainless steel is used. Fuel plates are uranium-zirco nium-niobium alloy sheets, m a n u factured in two thicknesses as well as in two enrichments. T h e u r a n i u m alloy is clad with Zircaloy-2 sheet. T h e six fuel plates are arranged parallel to one another with water channel space between adjacent plates. T h e side plates are also m a d e of Zircaloy sheets, a n d d u m m y fuel assemblies are m a d e of a l u m i n u m nickel alloy sheets t h a t have shown promising corrosion resistance in laboratory tests. T h e y are used in stead of zirconium because of lower cost. Should corrosion become ex cessive, the dummies can be replaced. T o control t h e rate of change of the nuclear chain reaction, nine control rods are used in the reactor. M a d e of neutron-absorbing metals, the rods, when inserted into the active region of the core, act as a d a m p e r on the reaction. T h e rods can pre vent a chain reaction from occurring or stop one that is already in prog ress. Pushing the rods u p a n d out of the active region starts the chain reaction a n d raises the power level to the desired point.
