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The special study group was activated by a charter letter from Sub-Section Managers of Pile Technology on June 20, 1956. The principal objectives were: to collect the information which is presently available for new reactor design and to determine what information should be developed; to make a guess at pile variables; and to point out development programs which must be pursued to achieve a detailed design start in two years. The study was restricted to graphite moderated reactors with H{sub 2}0, D{sub 2}0, and organic coolants. The program was to determine technical feasibility only and detailed economic considerations were not to be included. This report presents the conclusions of the group and some of the reasoning behind these conclusions.

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This document provides conclusions made concerning inlet line (pigtail) rupture effects on the Hanford reactors.

A method of predicting the performance of fission gas adsorption traps containing activated charcoal is presented. This method is applied in the evaluation of the fission gas traps designed for use in the ORNL-MTR44 loop experiment. The method should also be applicable in evaluating fission gas traps contained in other reactor experiments. (auth)

S>Optical tooling has been evaluated for the measurement of physical dimensions of radioactive parts through hot cell windows. Instruments were set up outside of a four foot thick lead glass window and by means of a grid plate which had been accurately scribed, a ''contour map'' or calibration chart of the window variations was recorded. Although the window was not specially selected, the readings were within 1.0% of the true dimension without using correction factors. One of the calibration chart with the window reduced the error to plus or minus 0.1%. The method is considered feasible and sufficiently fast for a wide variety of hot cell measurements. A pin point light source is suggested as a simple check for selective assembly of lead glass laminates during manufacture of hot cell windows to provide control of optical properties. (auth)

The study of the Oak Ridge School of Reactor Technology Buttermilk Reactor is continued with analog computer simulation of a loss of fuel flow incident. (T-R-H-)

The kinetics of the gamma deg C was con- beta deg C was con- alpha , beta deg C was con- gamma , and alpha deg C was con- beta deg C was con- gamma transformations were determined with a fiuid displacement technique. The rates of formation of the alpha and beta phases from the gamma phase were determined after gamma heat treating and allowing a sample to traasform isothermally in the alpha and beta ramges. Isothermal reaction curves were obtained from 160 C to -78C. The time-temperature-transformation curve of the gamma deg C was con- beta deg C was con- alpha transformation was plotted. The effect of the gamma heat treating time and temperature on the rate of transformation was examined. Isothermal reaction curves and time-temperature- transformation curves of the beta deg C was con- gamma , and alpha deg C was con- beta deg C was con- gamma transformations were plotted. Photomicrographs of specimens having transformed from the gamma range at different rates of transformation are presented. (auth)

One of the three major categories of HAPO fuel element failures is the side corrosion type rupture. The majority of side-corrosion failures has been characterized by oval or tear-drop shaped flow patterns containing evidence of accelerated corrosion. Thorough examination of many of these so-called `hot spot` failures has indicated the failure was caused by poor heat transfer associated with misalignment, dimensional distortion or poor jacket-to-core bonding. It has been postulated that misalignment of the fuel element is a necessary condition for formation of hot spots under the present reactor operating conditions. Neither tru-line contours nor X-8001 alloy are successful in the prevention of misalignment and associated ruptures; therefore, it has been proposed to test the effectiveness of projections on the side of the fuel element toward preventing fuel misalignment in ribbed process tubes. A previous test of this element termed the `bumper fuel element` was encouraging; however, it failed to provide the conclusive proof required to justify a large-scale demonstration loading. Supplement A to the basic test was written to obtain necessary preliminary data. This report presents an outline of further testing required to accelerate evaluation of the bumper concept.

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Water depth in the intake channel to the coolant-water screenhouse and surrounding area in the Ohio River near the intake channel were measured. From these measurements, the amount of silt removed during a previous dredging was determined. (C.J.G.)

The study of the formation mechanism of free radicals in polymeric materials was continued. Emphasis was placed on an examination of the effect of structural factors on the efficiency of free-radical site formation in acrylate polymers. Site measurements as a function of dose were made for polymethacrylamide and repeated for polymethacrylic acid. The volatile products from the irradiation of polyacrylic acid. polymethacrylic acid, poly-ter- butylmethacrylate. and polycyclohexyl methacrylate were measured quantitatively by mass spectrometry and vapor-phase chromatography. Grafting studies were initiated using polymethylmethacrylate as base polymer and vinylpyrrolidone as graft monomer. (auth)

The utilization of physical and chemical processes to reduce the rate of vapor loss of thermionic emitters composed of mixed carbides of U and Zr in order to increase the permissible operating temperature is being studied. Preliminary, qualitative results obtained from study of physical redeposition processes showed that increasing the collector temperature may markedly reduce the rate of weight loss from a UC emitter operating at 2053 deg K. The requisite experimental equipment for studies of chemical transport processes was designed and constructed. Experiments will proceed through both a physical chemistry approach to an understanding of the transport processes and a technique to evaluate the efficacy of possible combinations of chemical species by monitoring the electron emission from diodes containing such mixtures. (auth)

The experimental plan for irradiating BeO pellets in Experiments ORNL 41- 8 and ORNL 41-9 was chosen in accordance with the principles of experimental design. The design is known by statisticians as a 2/sup 5/ factorial experiment confound'' in six replications. Five variables---size, density, grain size, temperature and time--are controlled at two levels to form the basic 2i factorial experiment. The sixth variable, neutron flux, is introduced by confounding on higher-order interactions. An explanation is presented in nontechnical language the means by which the aims of the experimenters and the physical conditions affecting the experiment were utilized in constructing the experimental design. (auth)

Tests were conducted to determine whether a time limitation exists on the use of internally water-cooled hollow copper conductors operating at densities of up to 330,000 amps/in/sup 2/. Using demineralized water, having a specific resistivity of 4 to 9 x 10/sup 6/ ohm-cm, no indication of a decrease in heat transfer coefficient as a function of time was observed. However, metallographic examination revealed that corrosion--erosion does occur at a slow rate. Using process water there was a time dependent decrease in heat transfer coefficient and a consequent rise in metal temperature. The subsequent use of demineralized water in the same conductor again produced stable heat transfer, over the time spans investigated, 192 hours. The maximum total time investigated was 873 hours for one conductor. (auth)

Thin metallic foils were irradiated with a 15 microampere beam of electrons from an accelerator operating between 50 to 115 kev. The light emission spectrum from the foils was analyzed with a Seya-Namioka Vacuum UV Monochromator with an EMl 6256B photomultiplier tube as detector. The metals irradiated with silver, aluminum, and gold with the former being unbacked and the latter two supported on thin organic substrates. The silver and aluminum data were compared with previously derived theories for the emission of radiation from a dielectric. Substantial agreement was found between theory and the measurements. (auth)

The 6-Bev strong focusing electron synchrotron continued to operate weli. Three-shift operation was began, one shift being devoted to machine maintenance and improvement and two shifts being devoted to serving the various groups of experimentalists. Brief descriptions of the experiments are presented. New equipment was obtained, an external positron beam (10/sup 6/ particles/sec) was established, and preparations for trial production of an external electron beam were completed. (N.W.R.)

Two changes have been incorporated in the tables of this draft: (1) The lithium-aluminum tonnages required for blanket and E-N loadings have been changed, (2) The production numbers for the small production reactors have been reduced per AEC direction, and a separate table is included for these numbers. Included data are power levels, operating efficiency, exposure, tonnage, conversion ratios, and annual production for the C, K, and small reactors.

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The National Accelerator Laboratory opens up a new era in our search of what elementary particles are like; the 100-500 GeV era. If we want to look at the structure of hadrons with the resolution provided by the wavelength of such high energy beams, what can be more natural, to paraphrase Bjorken, than looking at them, i.e. shining light at them and watching for scattering or absorption? This is precisely what we propose to do in the experiments suggested here. Photons, real and virtual, have contributed immeasurably to our understanding of hadronic matter through investigations done at lower-energy (1 {le} E {le} 20 GeV) electron accelerators. NAL, albeit a proton machine, will be our only potential source of photons beyond SLAC energies. Proton-nucleus collisions will produce photons, principally in two-step processes involving radiative hadron (notably {pi}{sup 0}) decays. It has been shown that sizeable fluxes can be obtained by the appropriate construction of beam lines. NAL will then be a unique tool for the study of electromagnetic interactions at energies in the 20-300 GeV range. At high energies ({approx}> 200 GeV), available electron fluxes will set the limit on photon intensities for experimentation; at lower energies, fluxes rise strongly, but …

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