What is this part from my dad's work at a nuclear research establishment?

[Orodruin]

29g? Last measurement was 216g.

The displaced water, not the object itself.

 

[marcosmatt]

29g? Last measurement was 216g.So, non-magnetic?

29g of water so 29ml

 

[marcosmatt]

300 series stainless steel should be around 8 g/cm³, give or take. It would be slightly greater density if contained Mo or Nb, and the British used something similar to a Type 347, but much greater Ni content, e.g., 20Cr/25Ni/0.7Mn/0.5Nb, which would be more like 8.2-8.3 g/cm³.

I have a colleague who tentatively identified the component as an AGR brace, as opposed to spacer grid. He will check his drawings.

Awesome thanks for that. So next Q will be what is an AGR brace... off to Google

 

[Astronuc]

Awesome thanks for that. So next Q will be what is an AGR brace... off to Google

What is AGR Fuel?​

AGR fuel is a type of oxide fuel made from uranium dioxide powder. An AGR fuel element is made up of uranium oxide pellets stacked inside stainless steel tubes, which are grouped together in a graphite sleeve to form a fuel assembly. Thirty-six stainless steel tubes, each containing 64 pellets, make up an assembly. The steel tubes are held by a machined brace – a recent innovation that improves fuel performance and nuclear safety.

https://info.westinghousenuclear.com/blog/the-art-of-innovation-westinghouse-agr-fuel

BNFL bought Westinghouse, then sold it to Toshiba, which then got mired in the bankruptcy of Westinghouse over the fiasco of US AP1000 projects. Westinghouse Electric Co. is now owned by a Canadian private equity group, Brookfield Business Partners.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/business/westinghouse-toshiba-nuclear-bankruptcy.html
https://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Westinghouse-sale-to-Brookfield-completed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Nuclear_Fuels_Ltd - a complicated history.

Westinghouse operates what was BNFL's Springfield plant.
https://www.westinghousenuclear.com/uknuclear/

 

[gmax137]

Late to the party, so nothing really to add. Other than "Safety Third" -- if it IS zirconium, don't go drilling or machining it. Zirconium fires are no joke and I'm betting you don't have a Class D extinguisher in the kitchen.

Fun facts: zirconium is used in reactor structures (eg, grids) due to its very low neutron cross section. Other uses included the "brillo" in old flashbulbs and the flash powder used by earlier photogs.

 

[berkeman]

In my book at least two illustrations are based on photos I took in my kitchen.

The water flowing out of the faucet, and maybe the dice? Or was the picture of the street signs from your kitchen window?

 

[Orodruin]

The water flowing out of the faucet, and maybe the dice? Or was the picture of the street signs from your kitchen window?

The faucet and the soap film between two rings.

The dice were photographed in my living room iirc.
The street signs were next to a roundabout about a 10 minute walk away.

 

[berkeman]

[ continuing_slight_hijack ]

Did you take the cover picture too? It gives insights into how your mind works...

[ /hijack ]

 

[Orodruin]

[ continuing_slight_hijack ]

Did you take the cover picture too? It gives insights into how your mind works...

View attachment 304605

[ /hijack ]

Yea. That is taken in central Stockholm. I took the picture (I actually went looking for catenaries specifically and had some ideas on where to find them - the flowing water in the background was a bonus) and wrote the equations. The publisher’s graphics designers put the picture into a couple of suggestions for the cover and asked which was my favorite.

 

[DaveC426913]

So didn't believe earlier result so made something to measure better. This brings me to 29g and a density of 7.4g/cm^3. That I believe is around the stainless steel mark. Few pics for entertainment value

OK, I had to review the posts:

Mass: 216g (post 22)
Volume: 29ml (post 27)
So ~7.5g/cm^3