Abstract: A fuel material evaluation was made by destructively examining a full-scale experimental fuel element, irradiated in the SRE to a maximum of 850 Mwd/MTU.

Abstract: Tests were performed to determine the effect of thermal cycling on the across-the-seat leakage characteristics of commercially available valves considered for use in the sodium coolant system of the Hallam Nuclear Power Facility.

Introduction: The development and qualification of the system acceptance test heaters and the reactor simulator heater are described in this progress report.

Abstract: This report describes in detail two designs of a nominal 6-kwe Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), one using thermoelectrics for power conversion and the other using the Mercury-Rankine cycle NPP.

Abstract: This report presents an analysis of coolant boiling in sodium graphite reactors.

Purpose: Automatic recording equipment was designed for use with a high temperature Sykes experiment in which calorimetric measurements were to be made to temperatures approaching 2000* C. At such high temperatures, radiation becomes the dominant mechanism for heat transfer. The temperature differences which are used to determine the magnitude of this transfer no longer are directly proportional to it, but must be related by the Stefan-Boltzman law of radiation.

Abstract: The following report covers the final design of the modular steam generators.

Abstract: The structural design criteria and the system basic loads for the SNAP 2 compact power unit are presented.

Abstract: The influence of plutonium on the nuclear characteristics of organic moderated cores is studied.

Abstract: A loop has been constructed to study the removal of water and highly volatile materials from Organic Moderated Reactor coolant by vacuum degasification. An analysis of the process was made to determine the most important parameters for study during the experimental program.

Design and operational techniques are described for a freeze seal type centifugal pump for use in the Sodium Reactor Experiment.

From summary: The full 140 element loading of the core was completed on October 10, 1962. At this point, critical operation was begun for operator training and post-critical testing purposes.

Abstract: Uranium monocarbide shows considerable potential for use as a fuel in high temperature, high power density, nuclear power reactors. As Atomics International is proposing its use in sodium graphite type reactors, it was necessary to develop a process for fabricaing sodium bonded uranium carbide fuel elements.

Introduction: This report has been prepared to document the extensive analytical work required to design the control system for the Sodium Components Test Installation (SCTI), constructed for the Atomic Energy Commission at the Atomics International field laboratory.

Abstract: One hundred gram quantities of uranium dioxide, irradiated to burnup as great as 21,000 Mwd/MTU and previously reprocessed by AIROX (Atomics International Reduction Oxidation), were refabricated into high density pellets and encapsulated for re-irradiation.

This report summarizes the results and conclusions of a study made to evaluate the merits of using zirconium hydride as a solid moderator in an integral boiling water-nuclear superheat reactor of the pressure vessel type.

Abstract: An analytical and experimental effort toward a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in nuclear power reactor loss-of-pressure accidents is presented.

From abstract: A conceptual design study has been performed for a sodium cooled, graphite moderated, thermal power-breeder reactor utilizing the Thorium-Uranium 233 breeding cycle. Several aspects of the design of the system are considered but no attempt has been made to supply all the details. It appears that the design presented is feasible and will allow the production of economic power as well as full utilization of thorium resources.

Introduction: A series of critical and subcritical experiments have been carried out as part of the Advanced Sodium Graphite Reactor (ASGR) Critical Experiments program to provide physics information which would be directly applicable to the AGSR concept.

Introduction: The purpose of this experiment is to determine the loss of electrical power output due to operating many unequally-heated cesium diodes, connected in series and parallel circuits.

"The purpose of this report is to examine the safety aspects of PNPF restart on continued operation, after completion of the core cleanup and system modifications."

"The composition of the solder for the solder plug has been set as the tin-silver eutectic. Final tests on this solder show that life expectancies much longer than 6 months are probable with the current design. The design of the heater tube to contain the solder plug has been settled. This consists of a copper tube impregnated with U235O2. Arrangements have been made to have test specimens fabricated by powder metallurgy techniques. The equipment for the MTR in-pile test of trigger element response times has been largely completed and tested. The design of the complete inner capsule for the BF3 safety element has been developed as well as the cladding technique. Mock-up elements have been tested in the Hanford test reactor to determine the control that may be obtained with elements of this type, although the analysis of the results has not been made. Prototype elements are also ready for testing in the test pile, except for loading with B10F3. Experiments have been designed and submitted for approval for production pile tests of prototype."

"Engineering pertinent to the development of the sodium-cooled, graphite-moderated type of reactor was continued. This included work on problems related to the zirconium canned moderator, low enrichment uranium fuel, sodium piping, secondary coolant system, shielding, and the control and safety elements. A large fraction of the work was devoted specifically to problems of the proposed Sodium Reactor Experiment (SRE) configuration. In this connection, an integrated effort was initiated to prepare a complete preliminary design of the SRE by an early date. In addition, two alternate sodium-graphite reactor configurations were studied. One was an intermediate size, 145 thermal megawatt, unit optimized for the production of low cost plutonium. The second was a low power 10 thermal megawatt intended for power production, but in which sodium circulation through the core was entirely dependent upon thermal convection."

"For a central station reactor power plant of the sodium-graphite type, two designs have been investigated. The first operates as a converter using slightly enriched uranium fuel and produces 150 electrical megawatts. The second operates as a thermal breeder using a U233-Th alloy fuel and produces 300 electrical megawatts. Consideration has also been given to the problem associated with the design and operation of the Sodium Reactor Experiment. All work related to the plutonium plus power sodium-graphite pilot plant, which was undertaken at an earlier date, has been completed."