Fabrication of Fuel Rod Support Grids for the Shippingport Light Water Breeder Reactor: LWBR Development Program

摘要

The fabrication of grids to support fuel rods in a close-packed hexagonal array for the Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) is described. A variety of manufacturing and inspection processes, many of which were developed specifically for LWBR, were used in the grid fabrication process sequence. Among the unique operations performed were precision stamping of AM-350 stainless steel components, brazing of the components into the grid geometry, decarburization of the grids to the desired carbon level, and the measurement of grid dimensional characteristics utilizing a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) with associated computerized data recording equipment. These processes, from basic component fabrication to final grid inspection, are described in detail and the significant problems encountered during the course of grid manufacture and inspection are dis cussed. 7 refs., 33 figs., 4 tabs. (ERA citation 13:030293)