"An analysis is presented of the accidental release of activity following the operation of the NS "Savannah" at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation docks in Camden, New Jersey. Although a number of accidents are considered, the report is primarily concerned with the environmental activity levels and subsequent exposures which would result from the "maximum credible accident" (p. v).

This report presents the results of a study that argues the importance of providing thermal energy from steam-electric power plants to urban areas.

A capital cost breakdown of the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, a directly maintained remotely operated plant for processing spent enriched uranium fuel assemblies from reactors, is presented. The capital investment in the plant, including design, construction, training, and preoperational costs, an estimate of the direct costs incurred by the Atomic Energy Commission, and a proportional part of the costs of Central Facilities, including the value of the land and improvements theorem when acquired by the Commision, was $31,105,899. The cost of design and construction was $25,212,231, of which $3,773,357 was expanded on design and inspection.

The Homogeneous Reactor Test (HRT) is the experimental reactor facility (Frontispiece) being designed and constructed at ORNL as the next step in homogeneous reactor development between the 1-Mv HRE and a "full-scale" power station. The HRT will provide an integrated test at 5 to 10 Mv for the flowsheet and equipment designs on which the full-scale effort will be based. Furthermore, its design is such that several homogeneous systems which require essentially the same operating equipment may be tested with comparatively minor modifications of the original reactor installation. The reactor will be assembled in the building which housed the HRE, located in the experimental reactor exclusion area approximately one mile south of the oak ridge laboratory. (See figure 1) / It is the purpose of this report to provide information with which the hazardous aspects of this reactor may be evaluated. Briefly, it will be shown after a statement of purpose and a general description of the reactor that: 1. The design characteristics and equipment requirements are such that escape of highly reactive material from the reactor piping is unlikely. 2. Should the entire core and blanket contents suddenly escape from the reactor system, a seal-welded steel tank surrounding the …

The successful completion of a program of experiments, including the Aircraft Reactor Experiment (ARE), has demonstrated the high probability of producing militarily useful aircraft nuclear power plants employing reflector-moderated circulating-fuel reactors. Consequently, and accelerated program culminating in operation of the Aircraft Reactor Test (ART) is under way. In order to adhere to the compressed schedule of the accelerated program, it is essential that the Atomic Energy Commission approve the 7500 Area in Oak Ridge as the test site by February15, 1955. This report summarizes the hazards associated with operating the contained 60-Mv reactor of the ART at the proposed Oak Ridge test site.

Chemical and engineering data were obtained for the feed digestion system and the extraction-scrub step of the Monex tributyl phosphate solvent-extraction process for recovering thorium and uranium from nitric acid-digested unclarified monasite sludge. Tests of the recommended conditions in a 2-in.-dia pulsed column demonstrated that thorium losses were approximately 1.2% and uranium losses, 1.5%. The flowsheet is workable but is not necessarily optimum.

The enthalpies and heat capacities of seventeen fluoride mixtures in the liquid state have been determined using Bunsen Ice Calorimeters and copper block calorimeters. The fluoride mixtures were composed of the fluorides of two or more of the following metals: lithium, sodium, potassium, beryllium, zirconium, and uranium. The enthalpies and heat capacities of most of these mixtures were studied in the solid state also. Estimates of the heat of fusion have been made. General empirical equations have been developed which represent the enthalpies and heat capacities of the fluoride mixtures in the liquid and in the solid state.

An inconel loop circulating fluoride fuel (62 1/2 make [unintelligible] NaF, 12 1/2 make [unintelligible] ZrF4, 25 make [unintelligible] UF4, 92 [unintelligible] enriched) was operated at 1485°F with a temperature difference of about 35°F in the Low Intensity Test Reactor for 645 hr. For 475 hr of this time the reactor was at full power, and fission power generation in the loop was 2.7 kw, with a max length power density of 0.4 kw/cc. The total volume of fuel was 1290 cc (5.o kg [unintelligible] and the the flow through the irradiated section was 8.6 fps (Reynolds number 5500). The loop has been disassembled and has been examined by chemical and metallographic analyses. Ne acceleration of corrosion of decomposition of fuel by irradiation was noted, although deposition of fission-product ruthenium was absorbed. Ne mass transfer of Inconel was formed, and the corrosive [unintelligible] was general and relatively light. The average corrosive generation, in the usual form of subsurface yields, was 0.5 [unintelligible], the maximum penetration was 2 to 3 miles.

The methods of analysis given in this report are those which were used in the Analytical Chemistry Division of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for analyzing samples which were derived from the experimental work on the separation of the isotopes of boron by chemical exchange. The samples consisted principally of boron trifluoride solutions in anisole (methyl phenyl ether, CH30C6H5). The boron concentration ranged from a few parts per million to 5 or 6 per cent. Boron was determined on all samples. During the early stages of the project, iron and copper were occasionally determined, while a limited number of aqueous solutions and water extracts of anisole solutions of BF3 were analyzed for fluoboric and hydroxyfluoboric acids, boric acid, total boron, and total fluoride. Boron was determined by the use of either a spectrophotometric or volumetric method, depending on the amount available. Initially, if the amount of sample and boron concentration were such as to provide a total of at least 2 to 4 mg of boron, the volumetric method was utilized and found to be satisfactory. For smaller amount, the spectrophotometric method was used. Later, because of its greater speed and simplicity, the spectrophotometric method was used for samples in …

This report is the result of a study to develop heat-resistant fin materials possessing a high thermal conductivity for air radiators. Since an economical and commercially feasible product was desired, the investigation was restricted primarily to a study of electroplated copper, clad copper, and copper alloys. Sheet material 0.008 to 0.010 in. thick was evaluated for fabricability and for metallurgical stability and thermal conductivity at 1500°F. From the results of the rests it was concluded that: (1) electroplates were unsatisfactory; (2) clad-copper fins possessing a thermal conductivity of 50% of that of copper are commercially feasible; (3) copper-aluminum alloys possessing a thermal conductivity approaching that of copper at 1500°F are possible. Service tests of clad copper and the copper-aluminum alloys indicate that the choice of materials will be dictated by the requirements of the radiator, since each presents some unique problems.

This technical report is the second of a series which concerns the separation of ions by solvent extraction with trialkyl phosphine oxides (TOPO). This investigation has consisted in the extraction of various ions from acidic solutions with extractants that are representative of these ore specific phosphine oxides - triphenylphosphine oxide (THPO) and tris-2-ethylhexylphosihine oxides (TEHPO). In general it is observed that: (a) the order of increasing capacity of extraction is THPO > TOPO >TEHPO. (b) No ion is extracted by THPO or TEHPO that is not extracted by TOPO under certain conditions. (c) The effect of hydrogen ion concentration is greater in TEHPO systems than it is in the other two, which indicated greater selectivity of extraction with TEHPO.

Twenty-five hundred psi ring-type flanges, ring gaskets, bolts, and special connectors were tested for adaptability to the aqueous homogenous reactor. High pressure line closures were studied to obtain empirical data pertinent to the selection or design of a connector capable of withstanding sustained thermal cycling and high pressures encountered in the aqueous homogenous reactor. Specialized stress-strain measurement techniques yielded information concerning flange deformation, ring type gaskets, bolts, and special connectors. The results indicated that no totally acceptable connector is currently available. Most promising of the combination of components tested during this period was a 2500 psi ring type flange with an accurately machined octagonal gasket and Grade B-7 bolts.

Resistance of carbon steel to corrosion in oxygenated high-temperature (250C) water was unexpectedly good at high oxygen concentration. Pertinent literature, critically examined, and toroid experiments indicted that at low oxygen concentration attack did increase with concentration, but as oxygen concentration was sufficiently increased, more protective films were formed on the metal. Some corrosion factors in the application of carbon steel to nuclear reactors systems are discussed.

The HRT refrigeration system was designed to use Freon-11 (CCI3F) as the refrigerant material in the secondary loop. A Van de Graaff irradiation of this material indicated that serious corrosion problems were probable if Freon were used in the proposed metal system. A survey was made of candidate refrigerants, and Amsco 125-82 and triethyl phosphate were selected for irradiation and physical-property determinations.

In order to evaluate the behavior of an APPR type absorber rod, an irradiation test program has been established. Approximately 21 more samples are planned for testing under this request. The request proposes testing a full size APPR-1 type control rod in the MTR. The objective of the test is to better evaluate the neutron absorbing material proposed for the APPR-1 control rod.

A method was developed for calculating shield induced gamma radiation escaping through openings in a biological shield. The method was applied to the HRT and the results indicated that the contribution to the dose from induced activity in the HRT shield was around 0.1 r/hr and was insignificant in comparison to to other mechanisms contributing to the escape of gamma rays through shield openings.

A new type of continuous density meter, applicable for use with ThO2 slurry in high temperature-pressure systems, was tested successfully in a low temperature slurry loop.

The results of an examination of "O" ring gaskets remove from the HRT following a discovery that the water in the leak detector system contained 1000 ppm chloride are presented.

A six-inch diameter "O" ring from the HRT Mockup was examined metallographically after 2452 hours exposure to uranyl sulfate solution at 300C. surface defects, except for cold work defects were found only in areas exposed to uranyl sulfates. Defects found were pits, transgranular cracks, surface cracks, and grain attacks.

It is the purpose of this memo to clarify and revise burnup calculations for the APPR irradiation program and to present a proposed irradiation schedule. the report will also be in the nature of a review of the program.

Loop L-4-12 was the seventh corrosion test loop operated in HB-4 beam hole at the LITR. The loop was inserted on January 24, 1956, and removed on April 17, 1956. This loop had a titanium core which was attached to the 347 stainless steel loop with special titanium to stainless steel couplings.

Techniques are described for determining U-235 abundance by measurement of the intensity of 0.18 Mev gamma radiation. One method involves measurement of the ratio of the intensity of 0.18-Mev radiation to that of 0.1 Mev radiation. The preferred technique consists of chemical separation of uranium followed by direct counting of 0.18-Mev photons. Application has been made in analysis of uranium samples of abundances in the range of 0.05% to 93%. Accuracy appears to be better than 3% if the abundance is between 0.7% and 100%. Findings in the self-absorption of 0.18 Mev radiation in uranium oxide are presented.

A prototype sampler for obtaining samples of high radioactive UO2SO4 solution for use in the HRT is presented. It was successfully operated in conjunction with a low pressure water system and a high pressure, high temperature UO2SO4 system.

The criteria for selection of an HRT secondary refrigerant system refrigerant to replace Freon-11 are given. The properties of Amsco which make it desirable are tabulated and it is compared with triethyl phosphate (the second choice) and Freon-11.