The following report proposes a concept of a transient version of Astron thermonuclear reactor while describing the basic concepts of the reactor and the design criteria.

Abstract: A magnetic-jack control-safety rod is under development for the 45.5 thermal megawatt Organic Moderated Reactor. The rod is "unitized," i.e., the poison element, drive, position indicator, and shock absorber are contained in a compact assembly which is inserted in a regular fuel channel opening in the core. Tests to develop components capable of operating under these conditions are described and results are reported.

Abstract: Force, moment, and center of pressure information are presented for four models of the Hi-Lo configuration.

Introduction: The thermodynamic properties of Freon-114 presented herein supplement those of Volume I and encompass a range of temperature above the critical to 400 F &176 F.

From abstract: "Steady temperatures and thermal stresses are determined for long hexagonal tubes having round holes for the case of uniform internal heat generation and a fluid-cooled inside surface. Thermal stresses are also determined for thick plates pierced by holes on an equilateral triangular pattern and for hexagonal tubes having a hexagonal hole with rounded inside corners. Stresses in the end regions of tubes are also investigated."

"This bibliography lists selected articles on beryllium which have appeared in journals received in the library of the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, Livermore, California and articles, reports, and books which have appeared in the following abstracting services between January, 1958 and August 1959."

Abstract: "Theoretical and experimental results of the effect of gamma moderation are described. A 6.7-fold enhancement factor was obtained with a 1/8-in. - thick sodium-iodide crystal when using gamma moderation and a Co-60 gamma source. A counter was designed and built to make the most use of gamma source. A counter was designed and built to make the most use of gamma moderation. The results indicate that this counter can be made energy independent over a wide region. Though the cost of the counter is about 1/3 that of a 1-in, -diam, 1-in. -thick sodium-iodide crystal plus photomultiplier, the counting efficiency for gammas such as Na-24 is over two times greater."

From introduction: This report describes the procedures used and the results obtained in evaluating the Wiancko type 3-PBM-2 microbarograph system.

From scope of work: This report investigates the dynamic characteristics of sealed military type relays as affected by applied coil voltage and/or current, temperature, spring tension, contact force, contact overtravel, and mechanical clearances.

Abstract: "The pressure drop associated with the flow of air through a cylindrical bed of spherical pebbles has been investigated experimentally. The results of this investigation are reported here."

Abstract: Design nomographs and equations have been prepared for determining the bending stresses and hoop stresses at the junction of a cylinder and sphere when: (1) Internal pressure exists in the sphere and (2) There is a difference in average temperature between the cylinder and the sphere. A correlation of calculated stresses and photoelastically determined stresses for models with internal pressure is presented.

The addition of a surface active agent to an aqeous-organic interface produced a resistance to mass transfer equivalent to slightly more than 1 cm of water. Five semicontinuous Druhm runs were made with 1/2in. thick MgO liners and terminated due to either failures of the UFe nozzle or a top gasket leak. In preliminary scale-up tests of the flame calcination equipment, a maximum feed rate equivalent to 720 g oxides/hr was achieved using a 3-in. i.d. magnesia reflector with an outside wall temperature of 1500°C.

The purpose of this program is to determine the effects of neutron radiation and reactor gaseous atmospheres on the structural integrity of candidate materials for the PRTR gas-cooled loop. An exploratory investigation is being conducted to select a high temperature resistant alloy for the fabrication of tubes and supporting appliances for the PRTR gas-cooled loop. In addition to a low neutron cross section, the material must be able to withstand the operating conditions outlined in Table 1.

"The objective of project 32.3 was to evaluate some operational characteristics of a radiological shelter and to determine values for some countermeasures-system parameters."

At the request of the Hanford Operations Office of the Atomic Energy Commission, a criticality instrumentation meeting was held at Hanford on August 17 and 18, 1959. The purposes of the meeting were: (a) to review types of criticality control and/or alarm instrumentation at each site, their problems, shortcomings and potential obsolescence; (b) to discuss instrumentation in the area if approaching criticality; and (c) to consider for material balance purposes, the feasibility of devising instruments to detect the buildup of plutonium and enriched uranium bearing residues in process systems.

Early in the U.S. gas-cooled reactor program, it was recognized that a considerable research and development effort would be needed to utilize the full potential of gas cooling. Hanford Laboratories contribution to this program began in August, 1958 when a graphite studies program was initiated. The primary objectives of the Hanford program are: (1) to secure improved knowledge of the reaction of gas coolants with protected and unprotected graphites over a range of conditions of practical interest for gas cooled power reactors with tolerable damage to the graphite moderator.

Soil chemistry studies have been carried on at Hanford for a number of years in support of the disposal of low and intermediate level liquid wastes to the ground. Equilibrium type experiments were carried out to investigate the mechanisms of the reactions of Sr, Cs, and rare earth ions with soils (1, 3, 4, 5). Experiments were also conducted with simulated and actual wastes in soil columns and an empirical method was developed for prediction of radionuclide breakthrough from ground disposal facilities into ground water on the basis of short, laboratory soil columns and equilibrium experiments (6,7). In this method it is assumed that the shape and position of the breakthrough curve is the same under laboratory conditions as in the larger scale field case. It is also assumed that the "column volume" or amount of soil effectively used for fission product sorption is that directly under a disposal facility without considering any spreading of waste solutions. These assumptions are known to be on the conservative side, but the degree of conservativeness is not known.

Extremely radioactive particles result from the abrasive wheel cutting of irradiated fuel elements in the cut-off cell located in the 327 Building. Due to the use of water during the cutting operation these particles are in suspension and must be removed before the liquid can be discharged to the liquid waste tanks in the 340 building. The filters presently employed in the cell total activity discharged to the 340 Building tanks is attributed to the particles which pass these filters. With the start-up of a new, larger cut-off cell the cutting is expected to increase considerably, thereby increasing the amount of radioactive cuttings requiring disposal. The installation of equipment which would more efficiently remove the suspended particles would (1) reduce the activity level of wastes disposed to ground, (2) reduce the radiation exposure level to drivers who truck the wastes to the 200 Area, and (3) prevent the forming of localized high radiation zones due to the deposition of particles in the waste line in the 327 Building.

Disposal of liquid radioactive wastes to ground requires knowledge of the area ground-water hydrology. Information is desired on direction and velocity of ground-water flow. Direction of flow can be determined from maps showing contours on the water table surface, such contours being derived from well water elevations. Ground-water velocity is more difficult to ascertain.

Through the years, considerable effort has been expended in studies of the explosive reactions sometimes observed in the dissolution of uranium-zirconium alloys in nitric acid. It has been shown (1) that such reactions result from the rapid oxidation of finely dived solids released by the preferential dissolution of the metallic matrix. The explosive portion of such solids has been identifies (1) as an intermetallic compound with the approximate composition UZr2. This compound, referred to as the epsilon phase in previous work, has more recently (2) been termed the delta phase. The latter designation will be employed here.

One of the UO2 fuel element designs proposed for use in the PTRT is the nested tubular concepts. This configuration compromises a central fuel todo surrounded by two concentric tubes of fuel (see sketch, appenx I.) . These UO2 shapes are to be jacketed in the Zircaloy and must be separated from each other and the procuresses tyvm vt annular spaces for the passage of coolant. The annuli are established and and maintained by the longitudinal ribs on the outer surface of all three jacketed fuel elements.

The attached survey information comprises a cross section of Air and Gas Cleaning Operations as used in the Chemical Processing Department at the Hanford Atomic Products Operation, Richland, Washington. Most of the information as requested by J. T. Fitsgerald, Harvard University, is included in these surveys, certain cost information was difficult to isolate in the manner requested and may, therefore, be only roughly approximate. The numerical significance of the data will indicate this in most instances.

Very little information and data are available on the various physical properties of Zircaloy tubing, especially the high temperature- high pressure failure aspects. As greater use is being made of the low cross-sectional properties of this material in the design and development of reactor components, it was considered desirable to determine the type of failure that would be experienced under conditions of a localized over-heating. This hot-spot could be caused by "cocked" or warped fuel elements coming in direct contact with the process tube, thereby preventing adequate cooling media at the particular location.

The Zircaloy-a clad, swaged UOa, 19-rod cluster fuel element for the PRTR was designed to use Zircaloy-a wire spirally wrapped around the fuel rods as spacing members. Such use of unbonded, Zircaloy-a spacers introduced the possibility of fretting corrosion. This paper reports preliminary irradiation tests conducted to determine whether or not such corrosions occurs in this fuel element design.