Core Design
The core was contained in a 117 cm (46 in) long mild steel cylinder which was 15.2 cm (6.0 in) inside diameter and 0.6 cm (0.24 in) thick. The fuel assembly was 15 cm (5.9 in) in diameter 14 cm (5.5 in) tall and contained 55 fuel elements. Each fuel element was composed of δ-phase plutonium-239. They were each 1.64 cm (0.65 in) diameter and 14 cm (5.5 in) long. The fuel elements were clad in 0.5 millimetres (0.020 in) thick plain carbon steel. The core was located at the bottom of the steel cylinder.
The core was cooled by liquid mercury. The maximum output was 25 kW of thermal energy. The mercury was circulated through the core and out to a mercury-water heat exchanger at a maximum flow rate of 0.15 L/s by an induction type electromagnetic pump which had no moving parts.
Read more about this topic: Clementine (nuclear Reactor)
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