This quarterly progress report details ongoing work at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory as part of the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Project. Topics of discussion include reactor theory and design, shielding research, materials research, appendixes with information on ongoing analytical chemical studies.

From abstract: "This report describes the decontamination of Oak Ridge National Laboratory Purex Pilot Plant facilities and presents an appraisal of the decontaminating techniques and reagents which were employed."

Abstract: "Experiments were performed to characterize the types of nitro compounds that might be formed by reaction of Shell Spray Base with nitric acid, to determine the extent of their formation, if any, and their path under conditions of nitric acid recovery in the Purex Process. It is concluded that the instability of Shell Spray Base to nitration, under conditions to prevail in the plant, presents neither a disposal problem nor a safety problem."

From introduction: The Bluff-Salt Wash contact was mapped on aerial photographs. Mines and prospects were also plotted on the photos. The mines and prospects were studied and a brief description of the mineralization and its occurrence was written. These field notes, which will be given to Hatfield and party, contain data on the presence of carbon and fossil logs, lithology of the gangue rock, sedimentary structures, etc. Regional structure and evidence for igneous activity were also noted.

"Evaluation of the rotating multicylinder method for the measurement of droplet-size distribution, volume-median droplet size, and liquid-water content in clouds showed that small uncertainties in the basic data eliminate the distinction between different cloud droplet-size distributions and are a source of large errors in the determination of the droplet size. Calculations of the trajectories of cloud droplets in incompressible and compressible flow fields around a cylinder were performed on a mechanical analog constructed for the study of the trajectories of droplets around aerodynamic bodies" (p. 1).

Memorandum presenting the results of a wind-tunnel investigation of the damping in pitch of a model triangular wing with an aspect ratio of 4 combined with a slender pointed body. The investigation was conducted at Mach numbers from 0.10 to 0.95 for Reynolds numbers of 550,000 and 1,250,000 with additional data obtained at Reynolds numbers of 3,000,000 and 6,000,000 at Mach number 0.23. Results regarding the effects of oscillation amplitude, Mach number, Reynolds number, angle of attack, frequency, and pitching axis position are provided.

Report presenting a study and experimental investigation on the pressure rise across shock waves required to cause separation of the boundary layer on a flat plate. The interaction of shock wave and boundary layer was investigated experimentally when the boundary layer was caused to separate from the surface of a tube. Results regarding testing and correlation with other results are provided.

An investigation was made comparing the performance of JFC-2 fuel and unleaded, clear gasoline in a 3000-pound-thrust turbojet engine. The JFC-2 fuel was a blend of percent diesel fuel and 25 percent aviation gasoline. Engine combustion efficiency was equal to that obtained with gasoline at rated engine speed and altitudes up to 35,000 feet, but at lower engine speeds or at higher altitudes the JFC-2 fuel gave lower combustion efficiency. No discernible difference was obtained in starting or low-speed combustiion blow-out characteristics of the two fuels. Turbine-discharge radial temperature profiles were nearly the same at altitudes up to 35,000 feet.

Report presenting the results of an investigation to determine the effects of simulated skin wrinkling of the wing surface on the aerodynamic characteristics of two wing-body combinations. The lift, drag, and pitching moment of a low-wing wing-body combination with a plane triangular wing of aspect ratio 3 are presented for a range of Mach and Reynolds numbers.

From Summary: "Results of flight-path computations are presented for launchings from a straight deck and the curved ramp under conditions of insufficient lift at the instant of take-off."

From Summary: "Data are presented on the instrumentation and calibration technique used in determining the position error of angle-of-attack sensors mounted on the fuselage of a 35 degree swept-wing fighter airplane. The true angle of attack was determined by the use of a nose boom with five angle-of-attack vanes spaced 20 inches apart on alternate sides of the boom. Errors due to boom bending, upwash around the boom, and vane floating angle were measured and corrections applied to all indicated angles of attack."

Report presenting an investigation of flutter of wings mounted on the after portion of a body free to pitch was made in the flutter research tunnel. Uniform wings of 0 and 45 degrees sweep were tested at various positions rearward of the pitch axis. A low-frequency flutter was observed on the unswept wing, but no flutter was obtained for the swept wings.

From Introduction: "The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the effect of two-speed gearing on the take-off efficiency under certain conditions. The present paper gives charts from which the efficiencies can be readily computed for optimum rotational speeds. Also included is a brief discussion of the static thrust of thin propellers, including the effect of camber on the static thrust."

Report presenting a method for predicting the drag due to lift and lift-drag ratio of all-movable wing and body combinations and all-movable wings in the presence of bodies at supersonic speeds. The method is used to calculate the factors for configurations at which experimental data are available.

From Summary: "The loitering and range performance of airplanes equipped with several different turbojet engines was analytically investigated by applying the results of off-design cycle analyses to specific airplane characteristics. The method of off-design cycle analysis is presented herein and is verified by a check with experimental data. For all engines considered, the loitering and the range fuel flows obtained with rated tail-pipe nozzle area, variable engine speed operations were within 2 or 3 percent of the optimum fuel flow obtainable with any method of engines operation. The optimum loitering altitude generally occurred between approximately 25,000 and 35,000 feet with corresponding optimum flight Mach numbers of 0.4 to 0.65. In general, the optimum range fuel flows occurred at 3000 to 5000 feet higher altitude and at approximately 0.15 higher flight Mach numbers than the optimum loitering fuel flow."

Report presenting an investigation of a model of the Douglas X-3 to determine some methods to improve the low-speed longitudinal stability and control characteristics. Some of the components tested included plain and slotted leading-edge flaps and plain, split, and slotted trailing-edge flaps. Results regarding the effect of various factors on longitudinal stability and flap characteristics are presented.

A method is described for calibrating airspeed installation on airplanes at transonic and supersonic speeds in vertical-plane maneuvers in which use is made of measurements of normal and longitudinal accelerations and attitude angle. In this method all the required instrumentation is carried within the airplane. An analytical study of the effects of various sources of error on the accuracy of an airspeed calibration by the accelerometer method indicated that the required measurements can be made accurately enough to insure a satisfactory calibration.

Abstract: "A uranium-titanium constitution diagram is presented. There is complete solid solubility between titanium and gamma uranium above about 2100 F. Only one compound exists in the system. It has a hexagonal structure based on U2Ti. It has a fairly wide range of stability, particularly on the titanium side. Beta-titanium solid solution decomposes eutectoidally into alpha titanium and compound at 1150 F. Eutectoid composition is about 72 atomic per cent titanium. Gamma-uranium solid solution decomposes eutectoidally at 1325 F into beta uranium and compound. Eutectoid composition is about 6 atomic per cent titanium. Beta uranium and compound react peritectoidally at 1233 F to give alpha uranium. Solubility of titanium in alpha and beta uranium is low as is the solubility or uranium in alpha titanium."

As there is no accurate measurements of the energy distribution of neutrons emerging from large uranium blocks, it becomes of importance to see how much information of this kind can be derived from the slowing down distribution of the neutrons in a water tank.

A method for determining zirconium in plutonium-zirconium alloys was required as part of an investigation of alloys containing fissionable material, with possible use in nuclear reactors. Alloys of these two elements were brought into solution with a bisulfate fusion and the zirconium was separated by precipitation with p-bromomandelic acid. Determinations were completed by weighing the zirconium oxide obtained after ignition of the precipitate at 925 degree C. The precision of this recommended procedure was estimated in terms of the standard deviation for quadruplicate determinations, made with weight aliquots from dissolved alloy samples. The range for the standard deviation was 0.5 to 1.7 parts per thousand for samples from which aliquots each containing 9 to 15 mg of zirconium were selected. The complete recovery of zirconium from solutions of pure zirconyl chloride and plutonium trichloride was shown by the 95 percent confidence limits of 99.9 +- 0.3 percent for the average of four determinations, observed with samples containing 5 to12 mg of zirconium in the presence of 10 to 20 mg of plutonium. It was found the Mo, La, PU(III), and K2Cr2O7 do not interfere with zirconium determinations made according to the recommended procedures, but Pu(IV) does interfere slightly. It was …

From Summary: "Force characteristics determined from tank tests of a 1/5.78 scale model of a hydro-ski-wheel combination for the Grumman JRF-5 airplane are presented. The model was tested in both the submerged and planing conditions over a range of trim, speed, and load sufficiently large to represent the most probable full-size conditions."

The stator-blade angles in the twelfth through fifteenth stages of a 16-stage axial-flow compressor were increased 3O. The over-all performance of this modified compressor is compared to the performance of the compressor with original blade angles. The matching characteristics of the modified compressor and a two-stage turbine were obtained and compared to those of the compressor with original blade angles and the same turbine.

Summary of the research progress meeting of June 12, 1952