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MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART
NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS -1963
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LEGAL NOTICE
This report was prepared as an account of
Government sponsored work. Neither the
United States, nor the Commission, nor any
person acting on behalf of the Commission:
A. Makes any warranty or representa-
tion, expressed or implied, with respect to
the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness
of the information contained in this report,
or that the use of any information, appa-
ratus, method, or process disclosed in this
report may not infringe privately owned
rights; or
B. Assumes any liabilities with respect
to the use of, or for damages resulting from
the use of any information, apparatus,
method, or process disclosed in this report.
As used in the above, “person acting on
behalf of the Commission” includes any em-
ployee or contractor of the Commission, or
employee of such contractor, to the extent
that such employee or contractor of the
Commission, or employee of such contractor
prepares, disseminates, or provides access
to, any information pursuant to his employ-
ment or contract with the Commission, or
his employment with such contractor.
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ORNa-P-15-02
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Conf. 651101-15
651101-15
P1 1965
APPLICATION OF AN ON-LINE DIGITAL COMPUTER TO
A REACTOR EXPERIMENT*
J. R. Engel
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
The operation of the Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment utilizes
a versatile and powerful device for acquisition and analysis of
data – an on-line digital computer. The machine 18 & Bunker-Ramo

Model 340 which is widely used for process control.
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A total of 273 analog process signals are arranged in a table,
which under normal conditions is scanned once each 5 sec. Some
of the signals appear at several points in the scan table to
permit more frequent readout. (For example, neutron flux is read
every 0.2 sec.) Every 10 min. all of the values are converted to
engineering units and stored on magnetic tape, along with complete
identification of variables and the times.
High and/or low alarm limits are imposed on 171 of the signals
Departures from the limits are annunciated and typed out on a
logging typewriter in the reactor control room. If any signal
in a particular group of 24 goes out of limits, the computer is
switched to a "fast scan" mode of operation. In this mode the
scan table is reduced to 64 entries and all 64 are read, converted
to engineering units, and stored on magnetic tape once each 1/4 sec.
for a period of 1 min.
A number of calculations using current reactor data are
performed on a periodic basis and on operator demand. All calcu-
lation results are stored on magnetic tape. In addition, summaries
Research sponsored by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission
under contract with the Union Carbide Corporation.
-2-
of the calculations are typed periodically on logging typewriters.
Table 1 lists the major routine calculations, calculation periods,
type-out periods, and demandability of the calculations. Routine
logs of analog and calculated values are typed out on hourly,
8-hourly, and 24-hourly schedules.
Although the conventional instrumentation is such that the
entire plant can be operated without the computer, the availa-
bility of the computer has a substantial effect on the operation.
Without the computer, 4 to 6 manhours per shift were required for
recording routine data on various logs. This time has been sub-
stantially reduced and is expected to be reduced even further as
experience with the computer is accumulated. A more significant
effect is the closer surveillance of the operation that is possible
with the computer. For example, a heat balance every 4 hours or a
reactivity balance every 5 minutes would be out of the question with
manual data acquisition and processing.
A primary function of the MSRE is to provide information on
the behavior of this promising, but unusual fluid-fuel system.
The logger-computer is an invaluable aid in this, with its ability
to monitor, analyze and record the operating variabies, to extract
the important information and make it immediately available for
study. The extremely large, but compact capacity for information
storage (magnetic tape) is used to produce a very complete history
of the operation in a readily accessible form. In a reactor ex-
nome About Windowson's
periment, where one cannot foresee all of the system analyses
en
which may prove desirable, this is a great asset.
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Table 1
ROUTINE CALCULATIONS PERFORMED
by the
MSRE ON-LINE COMPUTER
Demandable
Normal
Interval
Print Out
Inveral
Calculation
Reactivity
Balance
5 min
1 hr
Yes
AT between fuel
inlet & reactor
vessel lower
head
10 min
1 hr
No
AT between fuel
inlet & core-
support flange 10 min
H
Cell Air average
temperature
0
1 hr
Yes
Heat balance
4 hr
+
Yes
Salt
Inventory
8 hr
0
Yes
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The computer has the capability for retrieving and processing
previously accumulated data without interfering with the on-line
functions.
In addition, the capability exists for modifying exist-
ing programs or developing new data-processing programs, using
Fortran, while the computer is on-line. Data can also be retrieved
and processed by other computers at ORNL.

END
VTT
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DATE FILMED
10/ 19 / 65