This report brings together certain temperature information of the Columbia River which is related to the Hanford plant of the United States Atomic Energy Commission. The temperature of the Columbia River is important for a number of reasons including the possible effect on aquatic life especially the habitat for salmon and the supply of cooling water for the Hanford reactors. Since the heated cooling waters from these atomic reactors are returned to the Columbia River without substantial cooling, the re suiting river water temperature increase is monitored. Climatic conditions influence greatly the temperature and flow of the river. Of these, the solar heating effects are very important. In this review the flow and temperature of both the Columbia and Snake Rivers are considered.

Side rupture data experienced to date for I and E fuel elements give rupture rate curves which do not differ significantly from those predicted on the basis of solid fuel elements experience.

A. M. Gaudin and collaborators have published a curve of refining costs versus ore grade in terms of dollars per pound of U308 recovered on the basis of 90% recovery.

Two important problems in the investigation of reactor hazards are the chemical reactivity of various materials employed in reactor construction and the chracteristics of heat transfer under transient conditions, specifically heat transfer when driven by an exponentially increasing heat source (exp t/T). Although these problems are independent of each other, when studied in relation to reactor hazards they may occur in a closely coupled sequence. For example the onset of a dangerous chemical reactor may be due to structural failure of various reactor components under an exponentially rising heat source originating with a runaway nuclear reactor. For this reason, these two problems should eventually be studied together after an exploratory experimental survey has been made in which they are considered separately.

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The detonation of shot one at Bikini Atoll on March 1, 1954, produced a fallout of radioactive ash upon Rongelap Atoll, Marshall Islands. The distribution of the radioactive ash on the islands and in the plants and animals of the area has been studied and evaluated. During the first expedition to Rongelap Atoll on March 26, 1954, biological samples were collected and measurements made of the radiation contamination. On three additional expeditions extensive collections of material were made for this study, the last on January 25-30, 1955. The decline in radioactivity was measured in 1499 samples of fish, invertebrates, land plants, algae, birds, plankton, soil, and water from the Rongelap area. During this study particular emphasis was placed upon evaluation of the radioactivity in food used by the natives. Coconut milk collected on March 26, 1954, contained 1.03 microcuries per kilogram of wet tissue while the coconut meat had 1.16 mu c/kg. By January 25-30, 1955, the level in coconut milk had declined to 0.041 mu c/kg and the meat to 0.036 mu c/ kg. Fish muscle on March 26, 1954, averaged 2.74 mu c/kg and fish liver 204.0 mu c/kg. The decline to January 25-30 was 0.10 mu c/kg …

A project proposal is now under preparation for converting all areas to the alum and activated silica coagulation process, and modifying the present test installations to permanent facilities. The conversions will be designed to service increased water flows resulting from the reactor plant expansion program now under way. As an alternate to the installation of permanent facilities at the various areas, the possibility of hauling already prepared activated silica from those areas having excess capacity to those areas requiring large capital expenditures was suggested. The purpose of this study is to make an economic evaluation of the operating costs of hauling activated silica compared to the increased capital investment necessary to manufacture activated silica at various areas.

This document addresses questions concerning radioactive build-up in a liquid control solution recycling through the pile at the Hanford Works plant. The solution composition and method used to obtain dose rates are included.

A scheme was proposed whereby the third and second uranium cycle salt wastes in the Redox plant are combined, stripped, evaporated, and then returned as scrub to the first (and possibly second) cycles as scrub, operating as a dual scrub column. It is the purpose of this report to study this proposed method of back-cycling, and to investigate other methods of reducing chemical and waste storage costs.

Corrosion of aluminum front cap supported shielding slugs has been noted at all reactors except C Reactor which has galvanized shielding pieces. There has been a considerable amount of difficulty caused by sticking of the places. The difficulty is caused by the growth of corrosion products in the annulus around the shielding piece which affectively siezes it. As recently as June, 1953 the shielding pieces on nearly 50 per cent of a group of 40 tubes at B Reactor were corroded to the extent that a pipe wrench was required for their removal. Similar instances, to varying degrees, have occurred at all reactors except C.The purpose of this test was to evaluate the radiation affects of removing the front shielding pieces as part of a program to eliminate the sticking problem.

In order to obtain data for the development and design of the Purex dissolvers and to demonstrate to Manufacturing and Technical personnel the feasibility of increasing the size of dissolver cuts at BiPO{sub 4} and Redox, a dissolver production test program in a BiPO{sub 4} dissolver is requested. These tests are expected to supplement the program already initiated on the 321 Bldg. dissolver, explaining dissolver behavior to the extent that existing dissolvers can be operated under more nearly optimum conditions and that new dissolvers can be designed with accuracy.

The loading on the primary transformers which step down the 230 kv transmission voltage to a distribution voltage of 13.8 kv, at 100-B-C, 100-D-DR, 100-F, and 100-H Areas will be increased by the synchronous motors now being installed in those areas under Project CG-558. This report summarizes: The changes in electric loads (both kv and power factor) which will result when the new motors are placed in service and certain older motors are withdrawn from service. Electric loads are tabulated in section 4.0 for each area for present conditions, the planned changes and the post-CG-558 conditions. The reduction of distribution voltage during the starting of individual 4500 hp synchronous motors. Since the synchronous motors will be started across the line as induction motors, the starting current will be high, and at a low power factor. Voltage drops are calculated for the starting of a synchronous motor, with one and then with two transformer banks paralleled. The current-interrupting capacity of switchgear vs. the maximum short-circuit current which could occur with separate transformers and with two primary transformers in parallel.

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This document provides details of the radiation monitoring efforts of the Reactor Section during the month of December 1954.

This memorandum discusses experimental determination which was made of the sensitivity and operational characteristics of the modified effluent water beta activity monitor system which is to be utilized at C pile for slug rupture detection. The optimum operating conditions for this system were also determined. A comparison of the performance of the C pile system with that of the existing Hanford type beta system was made to establish the degree of improvement realized through system redesign; this information being of assistance to the Pile Physics slug rupture detector development program. This report discusses the performance of both beta sensitive systems and the parameters upon which improved performance depends. A two ionization-chamber mockup of the C pile system was installed in the near effluent water sample room at H pile and utilized in these studies.

This monthly document provides activities of the Radiation Monitoring Group of the Reactor Section during the month of December 1954.

This report discusses the use of solvent extraction techniques at HAPO for separating plutonium from uranium and fission products which is rather expensive. This is in part due to solvent, chemical and process steam costs and in part to the need for complicated equipment to handle the process. It is felt that the use of ion exchange resin techniques might be economically attractive both as to lowered chemical costs and equipment simplification. Also, the decontamination achieved by solvent extraction is at time marginal. Changing to another process following partial decontamination by solvent offers the possibility of greater over-all DF`s.

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A new method of calculating neutron distributions in a cylinder which has appreciable absorption is described. Measurements and calculations on the small-source theory treatment of resonance absorption in U-238 are given. Experimental measurements are reported of the bucklings of lattices utilizing hollow uranium slugs. The effects of varying amounts of cooling water in a graphite-uranium lattice have been measured. A detailed mathematical fitting of experimental reactivity data has been started; some initial results are given here. Curves showing the periods of the lattice testing reactor under various conditions have been calculated in connection with a study of the nuclear safety of this reactor. A method for calculating the critical mass and an estimate (4.4 kg of-U-235) thereof is presented. A technique for measuring the conversion efficiency for U-233 production of Hanford-type lattices is being developed. In connection with the study of the temperature coefficient of reactivity, an analysis has been made of the errors in reactivity change estimates produced by errors in cross-section measurements. The dependence of Pu-240 content in product plutonium on the flux level at which irradiation takes place, which is produced by the 23-day half life of Np-239 is worked out in some detail. An experiment for …

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This document details radiation monitoring activities of the Reactor Section during the month of March 1955.

This document is a supplementary operating guide to document HW-44064, ``Process Specifications for Critical Mass Control -- Purex Plant.`` It is primarily intended that this document illustrate the actual operational means of conforming to the limits of critical mass control as presented in HW-44064.

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