ORNL-1816 - the Molten Salt Energy Technologies Web Site

ANP QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT
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balancing systems, installation of a vacuum sink
on the reactor-fuel inlet-pressure-transmitter pi lot
valve to protect the pressure transmitter during
the vacuum fill of the fuel system, installation of
a gas nozzle antiplugging device on the fuel pump
tank to reduce the zirconium fluoride vapor-
condensate plugging problem, and a functional
check and setting of low-flow alarms on water
and lubricating oil systems.
After about 24 hr of hot prenuclear operation,
some noises from the bearing housing of the main
fuel pump were noted. This disturbance was first
,heard on the crystal noise pickups. After many
i'kcreases and decrease, in intensity, the noise
finally subsided, and the bearing housing per.
formed quietly during the sealed pit operation.
No detectable increase in drive-motor power oc-
curred during the time the noises were heard.
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RADIUS (cm)
Fig. 1.4. ARE Thermal Flux vs Radius.
5eeRw
ORNL-LR-DWG 445(
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During the filling of the fuel system and subsequent
nuclear operation, there was some leakage
from the gas space of the main fuel pump tank.
This pump tank served as a fluid expansion and
degassing chamber, as well as the pump sump
tank. The gas leakage may have been associated
with any or all compression joints (spark plug
probes, Swagelok fittings), with any welded gas
flange seal, or with the two compression joints
in the rotary element.
The water and the lubricating oil auxiliary
systems on all four pumps (including two standby
pumps) functioned without incident during the
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entire experiment. The seal gas-balancing systems
on the pumps also functioned without incident.
The liquid level indicating probes on the two
sodium pumps and on the main fuel pump (the
standby fuel pump was isolated from the fuel
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