This report covers the progress made on an intensive program to develop and evaluate UO2 as a possible fuel element for the PWR.

Letter opinion 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, John Ben Shepperd, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Status of an oil and gaslease on mineral classified State free school land on which late payments of delay rentals were made in 1943, 1945, and 1946.

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Several safety infractions at the plant are reported. Budget data is given. Some planning information is given for Purex design testing, separations process and equipment demonstration, separations chemistry, separations engineering, separations hazards, hydriside development, waste handling, and recycle development.

The theory and results of chemical exchange experiments for separation of Pu and U isotopes are presented. Solvent extraction systems were studied in both aqueous and organic media. Chemical exchange systems are proposed which could yield high separation factors. (W.L.H.)

Heat transfer coefficients were determined for the eutectic mixture LiF- KF-NaF (Flinak) flowing in forced convection through circular tubes. Heat, electrically generated in the tube wall was transferred uniformly to the fluid during passage through small-diameter tubes of nickel, Inconel, and 316 stainless steel. The variables involved: Reynolds modulus (N/sub R//sub e/), 2300 to 9500; Prandtl modulus (N/sub P//sub r/, 1.6 to 4.0; average fluid temperatures, 980 to 1370 deg F; and heat flux, 9,000 to 192,000 Btu/hr-ft/sup 2/. Forced-convection heat transfer with Flinak can be represented by the general correlation for heat transfer with ordinary fluids (0.5 < N /sub P//sub r/< 100). The existence of an interfacial resistance in Flinak-Inconel systems was established and its composition determined. Preliminary measurements of thermal conductivity and thickness of film were made. The results verify the effect of the film on Flinak heat transfer in small-diameter Inconel tubes. Thermal entry lengths, determined from variations of local heat transfer coefficients in the entrance of the heated section, were correlated with the Peclet modulus. (auth)

Zircaloy-2 clad fuel rods whose fuel was U/sup 238/ -10 wt.% Nb-5 wt.% U/ /sup 235/ were fabricated for testing in the Materials Testing Reactor. The fuel was duplex melted and given a homogenizing heat treatment prior to assembly into extrusion billets. The rods were prepared by co-extruding the fuel alloy in Zircaloy-2 cups, then drawing the rods to size. (auth)

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Report presenting an investigation to determine the effects of forging at 1950 degrees and 2150 degrees Fahrenheit as well as the effects of several heat treatments on the performance of Inconel 550 in a turbojet engine. Differences in engine performance of the different turbine blades could not be associated with consistent differences in microstructure or grain size. Results regarding blade performance, blade elongation during engine operation, microstructure of as-heat-treated blades, grain size, metallurgical studies of failed blades, stress-rupture tests, and hardness are provided.

Report presenting an impulse-type supersonic compressor designed for turning to the axial direction that was tested in air with three different sets of stator blades at eight angle settings.

Memorandum presenting a determination of the effects on engine performance of using turbojet engines for boundary-layer control by suction at the engine inlet or by bleeding air from the compressor outlet for three current production engines. Results regarding bleed, suction, and variable-area turbine are provided.

An investigation was undertaken to determine the characteristics of several basic types of thrust-reverser. Models of three types, target, tailpipe cascade, and ring cascade, were tested with unheated air. The effects of design variables on reverse-thrust performance, reversed-flow boundaries, and thrust modulation characteristics were determined.

Report presenting an analysis of the problems associated with matching secondary-air requirements of ejector exhaust nozzles and auxiliary inlets has been made for free-stream Mach numbers up to 2.0. The analysis indicated that inlets located in the free stream supply higher pressure recovery than ejectors generally require for optimum net internal thrust at Mach numbers above about 1.4. Net-thrust gains can be achieved by immersing the auxiliary inlet in a boundary layer where the inlet-momentum penalty is less.

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The Steering Committee approved 8 studies related to separation processes, analytical chemistry, waste handling, and recycle development. Safety and security issues were discussed. Appendices detail the financial status of the Technical Division and estimated man months for development studies approved for the Purex Process, tritium separations, thorium recycle, U-235 separations, and 100-, 200-, and 300-Area studies in analytical chemistry development. The status of 25 other Technical Division studies are listed along with their budget.

The effluent water temperature of each process tube of a reactor is indicative of the operating conditions internal to that tube. A temperature monitor which will provide individual tube effluent water temperature on demand has been in use for many years in reactor operation. However, the primary sensing element, as well as other parts of the system, were not suited for installation in the No. 2 safety circuit. During the design of the K reactors, it was shown that a continuous temperature monitor could provide protection during single tube failures, except those cases wherein the flow through the tube was diminished to a very low value, provided a primary sensing element with a very short time response could be obtained. A resistance type sensing element was designed by a vendor and the continuous temperature monitor was included in the scoping of the K reactors. Although the continuous temperature monitor was approved, there were no data which showed the protection provided by such a continuous monitor. It was known that such a device would react to flow changes considerably later than the front face pressure monitor (Panellit Gages) and there was considerable doubt about the protection provided during major changes in …

The major physics research effort this quarter was directed toward the detection of the antiproton. Negative particles of proton mass were first counted on September 22, 1955. On October 19, 1955 the discovery and identification of the antiproton was announced. Total cross-section measurements for {pi}{sup +} and {pi}{sup -} mesons continued. A study was made of neutron interactions and of the {gamma}-ray decay products of mesons. Proton-proton scattering was done at 2 Bev and 4 Bev using counters, and at 5.5 Bev using a 35-atmos diffusion cloud chamber. Emulsion exposure s to protons were made for three groups outside the laboratory. The bevatron facilities were improved this quarter by the addition of a heavy-duty inner-radius platform at the experimental area. New thin windows, an improved plunging beam clipper, a new 4-in. quadrupole-magnet set, and a new 12-by-60-in. analyzing magnet were added to the experimental facilities. Improvements were made in magnet-current stabilization and in reliability of the radiofrequency-accelerating systems. The beam was successfully tracked during a step in peak magnet current, and for a short time into inversion.

The following document analyzes the Automatic Isotope Mass Spectrometer that consists of a Laboratory Isotope Mass Spectrometer, covered by Union Carbide Nuclear Company Job Specification "JS-747", which has been modified to meet Union Carbide Nuclear Company Job Specification "JS-741", as well as the instrument's samples collected and analyzed.

The indicated methods for determining the following constituents of Diban, which is an aqueous solution of dibasic aluminum nitrate, Al(OH)2NO3, were evaluated statistically: 1aluminum by gravimetric, volumetric, and spectrophotometric procedures, 2. basicity (hydroxyl value) by formation of an aluminum complex and titration of the free acid with standard alkali solution, 3. total nitrogen by the Kjeldahl method, 4. ammonia by the Kjeldahl method, and 5. nitrates by means of a cation-exchange resin and titration of the liberated acid with standard alkali solution. Recommendations are made regarding the preferred methods of determining the constituents in dibasic aluminum nitrate and regarding means of minimizing errors in these analyses.

LITR Fluoride-Fuel Loop. — The inconel loop was dismantled for removal of the samples and for recovery of the uranium by using the remote cutting tools installed in a half cell of the Solid State Building. Disassembly proceeded without incident. An electric-arc cutting technique was developed for removal of the stainless steel enclosure around the pump bowl. Fission power and maximum flux were determined by irradiating a simulated loop, by heat-balance calculations, by radiochemical analyses for fission products in the fuel, by measuring the activation of cobalt foils attached to the loop, and by activation of the loop tubing itself. The determination of the power by these various methods gave 2.5 to 2.8 kw during operation of the loop, and the maximum power density was 0.4 kw/cc. Chemical analyses of the fuel were carried out to determine U, Zr, and the major constituents of inconel: Ni, Cr, and Fe.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the theory and results of chemical exchange experiments for separation of heavy metal isotopes. The aim is to find a means of predicting those chemical exchange systems likely to produce large isotopic separation factors.