A double-focusing magnetic field for a spectrometer of the flat type which gives radial focusing to roughly the sixth order, and which utilizes azimuthal variation of the field coefficients, has been devised.

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This report describes efforts to develop a safe, practical method to extinguish fires inside contaminated gloveboxes. Oil, trash, and metal fires were set to test various materials and techniques. Dry chemical extinguishers and MgO sand proved more practical than flooding the boxes with either CO/sub 2/ or argon. Gas replacement techniques pressurized the boxes and greatly increased the risk of outside contamination. 5 figs. (TEM)

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Basic surface-water and precipitation data collected from June 1961 through June 1965 at 10 stations in Lower Little Creek basin of Lamar and Marion Counties, Mississippi, are presented. The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission's Tatum dome site of Project Dribble is in Lower Little Creek basin. The data show a 3.80-inch deficiency in precipiation in the Tatum dome are from April 1964 through June 1965 and an 11.72-inch deficiency from June 1961 through June 1965. The mean monthly discharge at Lower Little Creek (4892.40) was less than the median monthly value during 11 of the 15 months from April 1964 through June 1965. Chemical analyses of water samples collected from five streams in the Tatum Dome area indicate that the water is of generally good quality; for example, dissolved-solids content ranged from 16 to 23 parts per million for samples collected during the period from October 31, 1961, through October 23, 1964. 4 figures, 4 tables.

This report presents a proposed test program to study the corrosion of aluminum-clad fuel elements under conditions expected at the more severe conditions which will be encountered in operating the present Hanford reactor at higher power levels.

These criteria delineate objective, bases, and functional requirements governing preparation of design of the bauxite-sulfuric acid feed facilities installed in the 183-KE and KW Buildings. These facilities produces the chemical coagulant used in the treatment of Columbia River water in the K Area water plants and thus replaces the existing liquid alum feed systems used for this purpose.

The objectives of this production test are to confirm the KVNS fuel element design, determine the effect of support height on annulus coolant temperature distribution (R Value), evaluate the effect of eccentricity on KVNS fuel element irradiation behavior.

From considerations of the results of experimental simulations of non-axial placement of fuel elements in process tubes and in-reactor experience, it is concluded that the ultimate outcome of a charging error which results in operation with one or more unsupported fuel elements in a K Zircaloy-2 process tube would be multiple fuel failure and failure of the process tube. The outcome of the accident is determined by the speed with which the fuel failure is detected and the reactor is shut down. The release of fission products would be expected to be no greater than that which has occurred following severe fuel failure incidents. The highest probability for fission product release occurs during the discharge of failed fuel elements, when a small fraction of the exposed uranium of the fuel element may be oxidized when exposed to air before the element falls into the water-filled discharge chute. The confinement and fog spray facilities were installed to reduce the amount of fission products which might escape from the reactor building after such an event.

The objective of this test is to evaluate the hypothesis that autoclave film damage is a necessary condition for groove pitting of X-8001 alloy fuel cladding.

The completion of Phase III construction in B Plant will provide facilities to meet certain common needs of departmental Waste Management and Fission Product programs. This is an estimate of the total and unit costs of operation in these facilities on a `goin concern` basis, recognizing full well the highly tentative nature of information available with respect to staffing, process rates, equipment, etc., approximately 3 to 4 years in advance of operations. It is planned that this document serve as an operating cost guideline during the interim period, subject to periodic revision as more firm data of significant cost impact becomes available. This review covers those functions performed within B Plant proper plus a PAW feed material preparation function tentatively planned for Purex head end for convenience purposes. Feed material streams from supernatant and sludge removal functions are considered F.O.B. B Plant. No staffing or costs have been included for tank farm activities or the 200 North storage function. Cesium and strontium costs include processing to a solid and packaging in a high integrity container compatible with final confinement requirements. Staffing is provided to perform a peroxyacetate strike or similar function for the cerium-rare earth fraction, but additional study would …

The incentives, objectives, and previous test results of the hot-die- sizing program have been presented in recent documents. The test described in this report is one additional step in the evaluation of an alternate fuel fabrication process.

The objective of production test detailed in this report was to characterize the effects of NH{sub 4}OH as a pH control agent in a recirculating, high temperature and pressure water system having NPR characteristics. Of particular interest is the crud forming and decomposition characteristics of NH{sub 4}OH at potential NPR conditions.

Localized tensile necking and splitting of the Zircaloy-2 clad on coextruded uranium cored fuel elements may represent an ultimate exposure limit. One way to increase the total energy capability of the fuel element is to corrugate the outside cladding so its perimeter is greater than that of a circle circumscribing the equivalent cross-sectional area. Thus swelling of the core will be accommodated by bending of the cladding rather than by large cladding tensile strains. The principal purpose of the irradiation in to demonstrate that fuel with a corrugated outer cladding accommodates more swelling than a fuel with circular outer cladding and, therefore, can be irradiated with the core in the high alpha uranium temperature range to exposures greater than 2000 MWD/T. This document details a proposal that GEH-10-62 be irradiated to a maximum exposure of 3000 MWD/T or to a volume increase of 5 percent as datermined by weight measurements.

Distortion of the graphite stacks of the Hanford IPD reactors due to neutron irradiation effects has grown to where major corrective or compensatory action must be taken to preserve the operability of the safety control systems and life of the reactors. For the past few years, the line has been satisfactorily held by an aggressive maintenance program and short-range solutions. However, longer range, more permanent solutions are needed and high priority is being given to studies toward these ends. Important from a reactor life standpoint (and of more immediate concern and the subject of this discussion) is the jeopardy the reactors face from the use of the Ball-3X system. Permanent loss of balls in cracks in the graphite stacks following a ball drop is a real possibility in most of the reactors today. Recent, detailed investigations of the internal stack conditions in the K Reactors have revealed gaps opening into the vertical ball channels which are as wide as three inches. Any means to measurably reduce the probability of an inadvertent ball drop without compromising reactor safety could be a much cheaper alternative to any presently contemplated solutions which are directed towards physically preventing loss of balls to the graphite …

The purpose of this memorandum is to transmit revisions to the goal exposure plans of reference (1). The plans, herein, supersede the previous recommendations. Similar to the plans of reference (1), the exposures calculated from these plans are designed to maximize plant return on the basis that the only restraint on metal usage is that imposed by the economics of the plutonium production process and associated uranium cycle, as described and defined in references (2) and (3). When metal throughput is limited by ex-reactor physical capabilities to a level lower than the unrestrained requirements, exposures higher than those recommended in this document would be indicated, as explained in reference (4). In essence then, these plans represent minimum economical exposures for current production fuel types, on the basis of attempting to maximize plant returns. The adjustments recommended herein, stem solely from revised estimates of the metal performance level indices (C{sub R} values) of the various metal types.

The objective of the Production Tests described in this report is to evaluate the operational aspects of a proposed method for reducing minimum downtime. The excess xenon poisoning, which occurs during the first 32--38 hours after the shutdown of a reactor from present equilibrium levels, will be partially overridden by a central enriched zone whose added reactivity contribution would be compensated during normal operation by means of poison splines. The test will be performed at B Reactor.

The exposures calculated from these plans are designed to maximize plant return on the basis that the only restraint on metal usage is that imposed by the economics of the plutonium production process and associated uranium cycle. When metal throughput in limited by ex-reactor physical capabilities to a level lower than the unrestrained requirements, exposures higher than those recommended in this document would be indicated. In essence then, these plans represent minimum economical exposures for current production fuel types, on the basis of attempting to maximize plant returns. The adjustments recommended herein, stem solely from revised estimates of the metal performance level indicies (C{sub R} values) of the various metal types.

The objective of this Production Test Supplement is to evaluate at a K Reactor the operational aspects of a proposed method for reducing minimum downtime. The proposed method is to partially override the xenon transient with a block of enrichment in the central region of the reactor. The purpose of performing this test at a K reactor in addition to the original test at one of the older reactors, is to examine the operational aspects unique to a K reactor and to evaluate the feasibility of the method for reducing minimum downtime at a reactor of that type. It is expected that differences in operating techniques will be indicated at the K plant because of its greater size, of different speed of control restrictions and of the variation in the reactivity effectiveness of enrichment, rods, and poisons. The experience at B Reactor with the use of enriched core to reduce minimum downtime indicates the feasibility of proceeding with a similar test at one of the K reactors.

This monthly report details research and development activities of the Irradiation Processing Department for the month of July 1965.

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This reports documents progress in process and reactor development, reactor engineering, reactor physics, radiological engineering, process technology, auditing, fuel failure experience, operational physics, process physics, and testing.

Data in this report are significant to Pile Physics calculations and are submitted by the Area Physicists at the respective reactors. Reactivity in non-uranium charges and in radial and spike enrichment is calculated either by one-group diffusion theory as described in HW-60439, or by the simpler flux-squared weighting method. The former method provides a more accurate evaluation for larger enrichment inventories; the latter method is sufficient for radial enrichment of less than about 0.25 per cent excess K.