Nuclear Engineering Commons^™

A Sensor For Oxygen In A Potassium-Sodium Alloy, Michael George Pastis

Masters Theses

This project supports a research project to determine the configuration for heat exchanger welds in a space reactor. The reactor is a sodium-potassium (NaK) cooled reactor for use on future missions on the lunar surface or on Mars. Various types of welds in Type 316L stainless steel have been positioned in a furnace which is part of a NaK test loop. The specimens are bathed in circulating NaK at 600 degrees centigrade.

Since the oxygen concentration in the NaK is a major factor in corrosion of the weld specimens, it must be carefully monitored and controlled. However, few techniques are …

A Compact, Convective Flow Nak Test Loop For Material Exposure Contained In An Argon Atmosphere, David Joseph Rowekamp

Masters Theses

The objective of this research project was to construct a compact NaK loop to test weld configurations for application in a space reactor. The NaK loop fits inside of standard welding glove-box, and holds 64 weld specimens and a diffusion bonded tube-plate assembly. The NaK loop has a furnace which operates at a 650 degrees Celsius. It contains two independent and by-passable cold traps to maintain low oxygen levels in the NaK. The loop also contains a coil heat exchanger to cool the NaK. The loop operates with purely with convective flow, which is driven by the temperature differential between …