One of the characteristics of the safety control system of the Hanford reactors which is of primary concern from the standpoint of reactor safety is the response time. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the safety control system is sufficiently fast-acting to prevent an intolerably large power excursion from developing. An intolerably large power excursion is one that would cause a melting of the uranium while the reactor power is above the previous operating level. The purpose of this report is to show the techniques used to analyze the speed of control of the Hanford reactors. This report will help to standardize the methods and reduce to a routine the solution of this type of problem. The analog circuits will be presented and explained. A report has been written previously on the speed of control. The changes in the problem have necessitated the redesigning of the analog circuit and also the issuing of this report. This report compiles and organizes the analog work done on the speed of control to date.

Figures are included which gives the necessary information on C Reactor for analysis of stress buildup in the graphite tube blocks.

Methods for dissolving unirradiated uranium-molybdenum alloy reactcr fuels in nitric acid, nitric acid--ferric nitrate, and nitric acid-- phosphoric acid solutions were studied on a laboratory scale. Flowsheets based on the results propose dissolution of alloys containing 3% molybdenum in boiling 6 M HNO/ sub 3/ to yield stsble solutions that are 0.6 M in uranium and 3 to 4 M in nitric acid. The uranium can then be easily decontaminated and recovered in a conventional Purex-type tributyl phosphate solvent extraction process. Alloys containing 10% molybdenum would be dissolved in boiling 11 M HNO/sub 3/, allowing molybdic oxide to precipitate. The molybdic oxide, which carries 5-10% of the uranium, is removed by centrifugation and the acidity of the supernatant solution adjusted tc allow recovery of the uranium by Purex-type solvent extraction procedures. The uranium carried by the molybdic oxide is recovered after the MoO/ sub 3/ is dissolved in warm 5 M NaOH. Less than 0.1% of the uranium is solubilized during the caustic dissolution. Alternative methods investigated involve dissolution in nitric acid containing 0.5 to 1 M ferric nitrate to complex the molybdenum. These techniques lead to undesirably large volumes of high-level solvent extraction waste solutions. Phosphate ion is also …

The effect of extracted zirconium and nitric acid upon the chemical stability of tributyl phosphate was investigated using gas-liquid chromatography. Tributyl phosphate was degraded approximately 1000 times faster by the tributyl phosphate-zirconium reaction than by the tributyl phosphatenitric acid reaction. Normal butyl nitrate was the major volatile product for both systems studied; with extracted zirconium a solid complex corresponding to the formula Zr(NO/sub 3/ )/sub 2/(DBP)/sub 2/ was also obtained. (auth)

Corrosion studies were conducted on stainless steel types 347 and Carpenter-20, Monel, titanium 55A, and tsntalum in decontamination solutions. These solutions are: 10% nitric acid, 10% citric acid, 10% sodium hydroxide--2.5% tartaric acid, 10% oxalic acid, 0.003M periodic acid in 0.05M nitric acid, 3% sodium fluoride --20% nitric acid, Turco 4501 and Turco 4502, and 0.25M phosphoric acid. Boron stainless steel type 304L was studied in 10% sodium hydroxide--2.5% tartaric acid, 10 and 60% nitric acids, Turco 4501 and Turco 4502. The two austenitic stainless steels were found to be acceptable construction materials for handling each of the decontamination solutions except 3% sodium fluoride--20% nitric acid. Special limitations are defined for Monel, titanium 55A, and tantalum when exposed to decontamination reagents. (auth)

Some 53 high-purity binary tantalum-base alloys were prepared and evaluated as candidate materials of construc tion for the Los Alamos Molten Plutonium Reactor Experiment. Preliminary data indicate that good resistance to attack by the fuels can be obtained by alloying tantalum. Alloys containing additions of rhenium and tungsten showed good corrosion resistance in polythermal (1352 to 1022 deg F) tilting-furnace exposures. Tantalum--yttrium alloys also displayed good corrosion resistance, even though the yttrium apparently was lost during arc melting. Most of the alloys, including those which showed good corrosion resistance, were amenable to arc melting and casting and fabrication at room temperature. (auth)

Report describing the status of the SM-1, SM-1A, and PM-2A reactors, specifically regarding the effects "of irradiation on nil-ductility transition temperature and the associated problem of brittle fracture." (p. iii)

An analysis of the EGCR core structure was made to determine the lateral deflections (bowing) of the graphite columns resulting from shrinkage caused by fast-neutron irradiation, the life expectancy of each column due to restraints imposed on the bowing, and the reaction forces induced in the supporting structures. Based on currently avallable data for EGCR type graphite shrinkage and assuming experimental loop operation, a maximum bowing potential of 3.61 in. was calculated for an interior column. It was found that strains equivalent to the rupture strains observed from tensile tests could be expected after 4 to 6 years of full-power operation. Over half of the columns will reach these strains before the 20-yr reactor design life is reached. (auth)

Equilibrium krypton and xenon adsorption isotherms were obtained for four varieties of charcoal and for Linde Molecular Sieves Types 4A and 5A, generally at 0, 25, and 60°c. Such data are of interest in connection with design and evaluation of adsorbers for radioactive noble gas fission products. The isotherms were fitted, by linear regression analysis, to straight-line forms of the Freundlich and Langmuir equations. The Freundlich linear equation gave the better fit and the parameters of this equation are presented for each of the isotherms. Also presented are the constants for an equation representing the temperature dependence of arbitrary adsorption coefficients, the coefficients having been calculated from the Freundlich isotherm parameters. Some aspects of the applicability and accuracy of these results are discussed.

Report regarding experiments made to determine the fallout-radiation protection offered by a "single-story stucco and frame house with a heavy shake roof and no basement," (p. 5) which is noted as being popular in the southwestern United States.

The present Quarterly Report is the continuation of a series issued by the new Fuels Development Operation. Reports in this series combine portions of the quarterly reports by the former Metallurgy Research and Fuel Technology Sub-Sections. Work reported includes research conducted by the Physical Metallurgy Operation, and research and development conducted by Fuel Design, Fuels Fabrication Development and Ceramic Fuels Development Operations.

One of the techniques by which highly ionized plasmas can be generated in the laboratory makes use of strong, electromagnetically driven shock waves propagating into a cold gas. In this paper the phenomenon is analyzed as a one-dimensional single-fluid hydromagnetic problem, neglecting dissipation behind the wave. We hypothesize that the rarefaction wave remains attached to the front. In the limit of essentially complete ionization behind the front the problem can be solved analytically as long as the transverse magnetic field there remains small compared with the longitudinal field.

A philosophy for designing wideband multistage transistor amplifiers is presented. The amplifier was visualized as an integral unit, the interstage networks constituting the elements of the amplifier unit. By designing the amplifier as a unit and adjusting the over-all response (gain and bandwidth) with the interstage time constants, an increase in gain-bandwidth product was realized over the iteratively designed amplifiers. The resulting increase in gainbandwidth product resulted from absence of the bandwidth shrinkage factor for multistage amplifiers. Formulas were derived for both a two- and three- transistor integrally designed wideband amplifier, in which shunt peaking networks were used for coupling. Experimental amplifiers were con structcd following these formulas, and the observed performance agreed quite well with the calculations. (auth)

This document details activities of the irradiation processing department during the month of July 1961. A general summary is included at the start of the report, after which the report is divided into the following sections: Research and Engineering Operations; Production and Reactor Operations; Facilities Engineering Operation; Employee Relations Operation; Financial Operation; and NPR Project.

This document details activities of the irradiation processing department during the month of March, 1961. A general summary is included at the start of the report, after which the report is divided into the following sections: Research and Engineering Operations; Production and Reactor Operations; Facilities Engineering Operation; Employee Relations Operation; Financial Operation; and NPR project.

Abstract: "This is the first interim report of a literature survey investigating the uses and technology of radioscopes in the countries of the world, with particular emphasis necessarily placed on those more highly industrialized nations. Part I includes a general summary of the quantity and quality of radioisotope work being performed in these countries. Among the outstanding radioisotope applications with respect to quantity is the work of Japan in chemical research, that of USSR in metals research, and that in the USA in medical research. A detailed qualitative examination of the relatively narrow region of radioisotope applications in leak detection is also presented. Part II of this report gives a direct comparison between the progress and status of the US and the USSR in the varied uses of radio-isotopes."

A tabulation is presented of values for selected properties of lithium hydride. (M.C.G.)

Since start-up of the neptunium recovery and purification program at HAPO, the neptunium-has been subjected to the following process steps: Production of crude neptunium nitrate by the Redox and Purex plants; Production of purified neptunium nitrate, using an anion exchange process, in research and development facilities operated by CPD`s Process Chemistry Operation; Production of neptunium oxide (NpO{sub 2}) by Process Chemistry. Mixing the NpO{sub 2} powder with aluminum powder and incorporation in an aluminum-clad-target element, done by the Plutonium Metallurgy Operation of Hanford Laboratories; and Irradiation of the target elements in the Savannah River reactors; and Chemical reprocessing of the irradiated target elements at Savannah River to recover the desired plutonium-238 and the unconverted neptunium. As frequently happens to between-contractor transfers, neptunium material balances between Hanford`s NpO{sub 2} and Savannah River`s recovered neptunium have sometimes been poorer than expected. Because of wide spread interest in this problem, it was deemed desirable to put on record a description of the measurement techniques which have been used at Hanford for NpO{sub 2} and the improvements which have been made in the analytical methods. The measurement methods used for purified nitrate are also described.

During the first two weeks of May while PRTR was being tested at a power level of a few MW, rather large amounts of some fission product gases were observed in the helium system. Samples of D{sub 2}O from the primary cooling system taken during the second week of May were analyzed and found to contain I{sup 131-133-135} and some fission gases (and their daughters) but practically no other fission products. On May 14 the reactor power level was raised to 10 MW and operated at about that level until May 18 at which time the reactor went down. (The power level was actually down to 2 MW for a short period late on May 17, then operated at 15 MW until 1620 on May 18.) On May 17, samples from the primary D{sub 2}O and helium systems were obtained and quantitative analyses of several of the short-lived fission gases and other radioisotopes were performed. Analyses of these samples showed a high concentration of fission gases in the helium system and high I{sup 131} in primary D{sub 2}O system and its ion exchange bed, suggesting possible leakage from a fuel element. Chemical analysis of the primary D{sub 2}O system showed …

Tests were conducted to determine the direction and magnitude of any short- or long-term drift in core thermocouples, primary loop and pressurizer resistance thermometers, and resistance thermometers located in the secondary side of the boilers for Seed 2 at 2303 EFPH. It was found that drift in the core thermocouples is definite but random. Other findings are discussed and calibration data are presented graphically. (J.R.D.)

Tests were conducted to determine the direction and magnitude of drift in core thermocouples, primary loop and pressurizer resistance thermometers, and the resistance thermometers in the secondary side of the boilers. The temperature sensing elements of the reactor coolant loops did not show any significant short-term error. The tests of the core thermocouples were not conclusive. Test data are included. (J.R.D.)

This PITA is designed to permit large-scale application of a change in process water inhibitor concentration before a permanent change to the Water Plant -- Process Standards is fully justified and implemented. Specifically, this PITA authorizes reducing process water dichromate concentration to 1.0 ppm at all reactors (C excluded), provided pH remains at 7.0 {plus_minus} .1.

None

This report consists of eight curves, showing Plutonium-240 concentration and conversion ratio as a function of graphite temperature for various goal exposures. A range of 450 to 1000 degrees centigrade on the moderator temperature is used. Other parameters are consistent with the methods and constants used in present product accountability. No attempt has been made to state absolute conversion ratios or Pu-240 percentages. The purpose of this report is to provide a basis for use in economic studies involving changes in graphite temperatures. No conclusions as to operating changes should be inferred from these curves since the combined economics of any change in graphite temperatures include significant and complex factors in addition to conversion ratio and product quality consideration.