http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/1154004895

Final report of SL-1 recovery operation

In May, 1961, it waa determined no renewed nuclear reaction in the SL-1 pressure vessel was possible as long as water was excluded. It was therefore possible to proceed with the final phase of the SL-1 recovery. This work consisted of moving the pressure vessel and core to the Hot Shop at the north end of the National Reactor Testing Station, dissecting and analyzing the reactor and its components, cutting up and burying the reactor building, and decontaminating the rest of the SL-1 area. These things were accomplished by the General Electric Company between May 1961 and July 1962. It was determined that the central control rod was bound in its shroud at a position corresponding to 20- inch withdrawal. Analysis of the pertinent data showed that the amount of reactivity associated with this rod position, inserted at a rate compatihie with manual withdrawal of the rod, can explain the significant evidence which was coliected. No other means of withdrawing the rod was found to be in accordance with the evidence. It was found that the relatively low yield (130 Mw-sec) nuclear excursion produced a water hammer with pressures up to 10,000 psi, which, in turn, caused the pressure vessel to rise some 9 feet in the air. (auth).

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