THE DESIGN OF A CRYOSTAT FOR THE AIR FORCE NUCLEAR ENGINEERING TEST FACILITY.

Abstract

A liquid helium cryostat for nuclear irradiation experiments to be performed at the Air Force Nuclear Engineering Test Facility was designed for use in the reactor beam tubes. Liquid helium consumption due to thermal heat transfer is reduced to 0.13 liter/hr by gas cooled shields around the sample chamber and in the transfer line. The low consumption rate will allow operation using liquid helium from a storage dewar. Gamma radiation is the largest heat source in the cryostat and must be reduced with a gamma shield. Fast neutron heating of the helium coolant is significant and may limit the fast neutron flux to which the cryostat can be exposed to less than 10 to the 12th power n/sq cm sec. Operating the cryostat with liquid helium in the reactor does not endanger reactor control or structure. The cryostat can be operated with a wide range of coolants and can be readily modified for any sample chamber smaller than a cylinder 4 inches in diameter and 8 inches long. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1964
Accession Number
AD0603609

Entities

People

  • Ernie Donald Braunschweig

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Buildings And Structures
  • Cryostats
  • Engineering
  • Fast Neutrons
  • Gamma Rays
  • Heat Transfer
  • Neutron Flux
  • Neutrons
  • Nuclear Engineering
  • Radiation
  • Rate Of Consumption
  • Reactor Control
  • Test Facilities

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Nuclear and Radiation Engineering.