The monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, December 1963. Reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology, financial activities, biology operation, and physics and instrumentation research, and applied mathematics, and programming operations are discussed.

Water testing of the RI-7C3 impeller in the Pt-2 test stand was completed. Still photographs and movies showed that a vortex was present on the leading edge tip of all blades at NPSH values up to 150 ft at all five test flows of 660, 680, 700, 720, and 740 gpm. Sound data showed a possible correlation with the cavitation performance of the impeller. The sound intensity increased until the tip vortices entered the flow channels and then decreased, reaching a minimum just before head loss occurred. As the head fell off, the sound intensity increased to a level as great or greater than the previous maximum. The TP-1 turbopump detail parts required to complete the assembly of the pump in its modified form were completed. The turbopump was assembled with the tested impeller and installed in the PT-4 water pump test stand. The pump was operated at low speed to assure proper seating of the seals and testing started. The PT-6 liquid metal test stand construction drawings were completed. Construction of the test stand was started by disassembling, cleaning, and acid pickling the entire loop piping. Reassembly of the test loop was started. (N.W.R.)

A research program is being conducted to obtain experimental data in the irradiation of plutonium-enriched fuel to confirm a theoretical model for predicting isotopic composition and reactivity changes in plutonium-enriched, light-water-moderated reactors. Autoradiographs of unirradiated fuel indicated approximates 10% microsegregation of the PuO/sub 2/. The irradiations of flux wires and the project fuel element in VBWR are described; the fuel element was removed after approximates 5000 Mwd/t burnup when VBWR operation was stopped in Dec. 1963. Progress on the EPITHERMOS code is described. (D.L.C.)

A partial model of the reactor core was used, and demineralized water was circulated at flow rates determined by the Reynolds analogy to the prototype. Black plastic beads were introduced into the flow stream and photographed by using a Milliken camera recording at 500 frames per second. Calculations showed that 79% of the total mass flow was accounted for by this method. The 21% of the mass flow that was not accounted for was presumed to be due to flow in non- channel areas and in two non-orificed channels. Some error could also be attributed to the use of non-spherical beads that created non-uniform velocities in the channels, The visibility through the SNAP 2/10A core section, for the purpose of visual observation and optical recording, was very good. The high speed pictures were clear and sharp. The velocity determination based on the frame by frame analysis of the film did not present any problem. The experiment demonstrated that clear Lucite can be used as the material for visual flow observation in a full-scale SNAP 2/10A model core vessel. (auth)

Development progress is reported on fast reactors, liquid metal cooled reactors, ZPR-III No. 22 and 44, Z PR-VI No. 1, ZPR-IX, Borax-V, Faret, EBR-I, EBR-II, treat, Fermi Fast Breeder Reactor, critical assemblies, Argonne Advanced Research Reactor, EBWR, magnetohydrodynamic cells, thermionic cells, fuel cells, and boiling water reactors. Reactor technology is reported on fuel development, physics, heat and fluid engineering, materials development and properties, chemical separations, nuclear safety, and corrosion testing. (N.W.R.)