A report is presented to provide a tool for evaluating the relative economic incentives for changing reactor core parameters. The cost relations are shown in terms of differential cost in lieu of total cost. A total cost for each reactor described is included so that power costs for a specified set of parameters can be obtained. A description is also included concerning 5 reactor types considered along with a discussion of the effects on power costs of varying the significant core parameters. A listing of basic references is given. (J.R.D.)

The GCRE-I hazard summary report is supplemented in the following areas: geometry and operation of the steam cooling system, the reactor coolant by-pass, and by-pass valving; the means by which by-passed circuits are prevented from remaining unintentionally disabled; design details, and details of procedure for core flooding operations. (A.C.)

The phenomenon of the electromagnetic pinch effect is used to accelerate ionized gases for space propulsion. Electrical energy, initially stored in capacitors, is discharged across two nozzle shaped electrodes wherein the radial pinch is converted to axial motion of the effected gases instead of confinement at the axis. The gas dynamics of a pinch using the hydrodynamical model of a msgnetic piston driving a shock wave is combined with the electrodynamics of the circuit to calculate the discharge behavior. Experiments on three different electrode designs are discussed and results compared with calculated values. Results are applied to one particular space propulsion system consisting of a nuclear energy source, a space radiator, a turbine-generator, capacitor, and a pinch tube. The specific mission analyzed is a one-way unmanned flight to a Mars orbit, starting from an Earth orbit. (auth)

Results are reported from a series of experimental highexplosive shots under inversion conditions at the Nevada Test Site which were made in an attempt to refine blast prediction techniques. Applications of the data in determinations of the amount of energy which remains in the blast wave as it reaches acoustic level and in determinations of the magnitude of the reflection factor when the blast wave strikes the ground are discussed. Data on shock wave propagation are presented graphically. It is concluded that the blast phenomenology of high-altitude shots can be predicted by using modified Sach's scaling. With some extrapolation to the height-of-burst versus blast-yield curve, it should be possible to make order-of-magnitude predictions of blast effects from high-altitude shots up to heights of burst of 1,000,000 ft. (C.H.)

The positional tolerance method of dimensioning is described. The emphasis is placed on the elimination of ambiguities and increase in tolerances provided by this method as compared to the older, bilateral method. (auth)

This document contains 3 reports dealing with the delayed effects of radiation on the eyes of survivors of the atomic explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the first study, 1000 persons who were listed as having been in the open and within two kilometers of the hypocenter at the time of the explosion were selected at random from the census files of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission for study. In addition, 231 others, comprising the total available number of surviving persons listed at present in the census files as having been within one kilometer of the hypocenter, were examined, as were several hundred others who were contacted through newspaper publicity, referrals from local ophthalmologists, or through hearsay. The survey resulted in bringing in persons having, or having had, a variety of ocular conditions. Those connected with the atomic bomb included the following diagnoses; multiple injuries of eyes and eyelids; keratoconjunctivitis from ultraviolet and ionizing radiations; thermal burn of the cornea and of the retina; retinitis proliferans; and radiation cataracts. The cataracts were the only delayed manifestations of ocular injury from the atomic bomb. The second paper is a case report of a histopathologic study of atomic bomb radiation cataract. The …

A study to define the effectiveness limits of sulfamic acid and to discover other better stabilizers for Pu(III) is described. Ascorbic and isoascorbic acids, used in conjunction with sulfamic acid reduced Pu(IV) to stable Pu(III) in nitric acid. Aminoguanidine sulfate also retarded the oxidation of Pu(III) but did not reduce Pu(IV). (J.R.D.)

The performance, reliability, stability, and reactivity lifetime variations of the Shippingport PWR are determined under normal steady state conditions. These characteristics are studied over a period of 758 EFPH, at a power level of about 60 Mw(e). Flux-tilt corrections and plant operations during this time are described. (T.F.H.)

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Abstract: "An experimental study was made to determine the effective shielding provided by a modern reinforced-concrete office building (AEC Headquarters building) from nuclear fallout. Pocket ionization chambers were used for measurement of the radiation-field strength. Fallout was simulated with distributed and point-source configurations of Co-60 and Ir-192 sources. Four typical sections were selected for study, and experiments were performed on each. These included an external wing with exposed basement walls and an external wing with a buried basement. Roof studies were made on an internal wing with a full basement and on the east end of wing A, which has a thin-roof construction. The thick-roof construction of 8 in. of concrete and 2 in. of rigid insulation covers all the building except the east end of wing A, which has 4 in. of concrete and 2 in. of insulation."

Dogs, pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs, and mice were exposed to nuclear detonations in two open underground partitioned shelters. The shelters were of similar construction, and each was exposed to separate detonations. Each inner chamber filled through its own orifice; thus four separate pressure environments were obtained. An aerodynamic mound was placed over the escape hatch of each structure to determine its effect on the pressure-curve shape inside the chamber. In one test a sieve plate bolted across the top of the mound was evaluated. Wind protective baffles of solid plate and of heavy wire screen were installed in the shelters to compare primary and tertiary blast effects on dogs. The shelters also contained static and dynamic pressure gages, radiation detectors, telemetering devices, and, in one test, air-temperature measuring instruments, dust-collecting trays, and eight pigs for the biological assessment of thermal effects. One dog was severely injured from tertiary blast effects associated with a maximal dynamic pressure (Q) of 10.5 psi, and one was undamaged with a maximal Q of 2 psi. Primary blast effects resulting from peak overpressures of 30.3, 25.5, 9.5, and 4.1 psi were minimal. The mortality was 19% of the mice exposed to a peak pressure of …

This monthly document details activities of the Hanford Operations Office during the month of July 1959. (FI)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether rentals were due December 4, 1958 on certain submerged lands leases in the Gulf of Mexico dated December 4, 1953 if the lessees desired to have the running of primary terms suspended under Article 5421i, VCS, and related questions.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether bonds to be issued under Section 18, Article VII, Constitution of Texas, could be construed as revenue bonds.

This report discusses testing three-foot Zircaloy-2 jacketed tube-and-tube elements with either natural or 1.6% enriched unalloyed or 2% zirconium alloyed uranium which will be irradiated in any of the KER Loops to goals up to 5000 WD/T. Downstream thermocouples to measure flow channel coolant temperatures will be included for charges of enriched elements. Special tray discharges to prevent the fall of the elements to the basin are required for all loadings. The tube-and-tube geometry is being investigated for use in the NPR because of its large surface to volume ratio and low uranium temperature for a given specific power. A series of irradiations is planned to study the dimensional stability and uranium behavior of the tubular elements at jacket surface temperatures up to 315{degree}C and exposures up to 5000 WD/T. Because of its lower reaction rate with high temperature vater, the uranium-2 w/o zirconium alloy may be useful in a high temperature recirculating system. Consequently the behavior of this alloy will be compared to the behavior of unalloyed uranium.

Prior to this experiment, no measurements of Ball 3X effectiveness had been performed for any of the older 2004-tube Hanford piles, and calculations concerning total control requirements were made assuming the vertical safety system strength equal to the strength of the B, D, F vertical safety rods. With current and projected enrichment loadings, the vertical control system was calculated to be inadequate to satisfy the total control criteria at all times, resulting in the necessity to provide supplementary control in the form of horizontal rods or temporary process tube poison. Because of the larger ball channels at DR, the Ball 3X system is stronger than at the other 29-VSR piles. Therefore, the potential relaxation of total control limits was greater for DR should an experiment show the Ball 3X strength to be significantly greater than the B, D, F VSR strength. PT-IP-126-C authorized an experiment to determine the Ball 3X effectiveness at DR Pile by measurement of the relative strength of a VSR and a column of 3X balls in the same channel. The experiment was performed in March, 1958, and on the strength of favorable results a supplement to the PT was prepared to authorize the same test at …

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This document details activities of the Hanford Operations Office during the month of February 1959. (FI)

The purpose of this report is to present the results of experimental tests made to determine the degree of protection offered by the Panellit system to accidental flow reductions caused by plugging incidents to a K reactor process tube operating at low front header pressures.

The objective of this test was to determine the in-reactor performance of co-extruded Zr-2 jacketed tube-and-tube elements. The effect of power, surface temperature, and uranium alloying on dimensional stability and uranium swelling and cracking was to be measured. The charge consisted of two unalloyed tube-and-tube elements, which were Zr-2 jacketed and were 36 inches in length. The rest of the charge consisted of spacer material and coupon holders. The test started on 6-29-59 and ran for a period of 32 days. On 7-30-59, the delayed neutron monitor reading and loop activities increased to a point that required reactor shutdown scram. The reactor was shut down, and the fuel elements were discharged. Loop water samples were analyzed for fission products. Evidence was found of high activity of Iodine isotopes of very short half-life. There was also some indication of other fission products. Visual inspection of the fuel elements after discharge disclosed small wrinkles on the jacket surface of the two unalloyed elements.

This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, April, 1959. Metallurgy, reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation process, reactor technology, financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, and employee relations are discussed.

In view of the more-or-less eminent conversion of at least some of the older Hanford reactors to minimum process tubes it has been requested the feasibility and economics of increasing the process channel size by overboring be studied. This report is concerned with the feasibility from an operational physics standpoint of either raising reactor power levels with present aluminum process tubes and redesigned fuel elements raising reactor power levels with zirconium replacement tubes of current outside diameter, or raising power levels with either zirconium or aluminum tubes of 200 mils greater outside diameter. This report is of a survey nature only, and the data contained herein should be considered in that light.

The hot press process has been altered so as to eliminate the slight wrinkling near the ID base. This was done by incorporating a three minute time delay in the pressing cycle. The pressing time was decreased to five minutes to restrict formation of the brittle intermetallic compound, Ni{sub 2}Al{sub 3}.

Abstract: Testing of the Natural Circulation Steam Generator has been conducted with the Sodium Reactor Experiment. A necessary modification of the original feed-water control system was utilized.