Report presenting research and development papers from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Analytical Chemistry Division.

Report documenting the ongoing research of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Chemical Technology Division. This report includes tables, diagrams, graphs, and articles related to chemical technology.

Report describing the performance characteristics of gas-cooled fast reactors, which compare well with those of sodium-cooled fast reactors. With oxide fuel and helium, CO2, and SO2 coolant at pressures of 1000 to 1500 psia, the reactors have slightly higher breeding ratios than comparable sodium-cooled reactors.

Report issued by Oak Ridge National Laboratory that describes research and progress at the Chemical Technology Division.

Report issued by Oak Ridge National Laboratory that discusses progress and work performed by the Chemical Technology Division.

The development of nuclear reactors and other sources of nuclear particles has provided the analyst with a new method which has been successfully applied to the determination of microgram and even submicrogram quantities of many elements. In this method, known as "radioactivation analysis," the element to be determined is "activated" through some type of nuclear reaction which produces a radioactive isotope of the element. Since the radioisotope produced decays with its own characteristic radiation and half-life, it is possible, through radiochemical measurements following radioactivation, to devise a method of analysis which is very specific for particular elements. Whenever necessary, the radioisotope is separated by chemical means and its radioactivity is then measured by some type of radiation counter.

Report documenting the ongoing research and developments of the Chemical Technology Division of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

From introduction: "this is the fifth of a series of quarterly reports which will cover the progress and results from the conceptual design, economic evaluations and research and development work performed by the General Electric Company as part of the Nuclear Superheat Project."

From introduction: "This is the seventh of a series of quarterly reports which will cover the progress and results from the conceptual design, economic evaluations and research and development work performed by the General Electric Company as part of the Nuclear Superheat Project."

An approximation is derived for the time constant which characterizes the rate of energy loss of fast ions moving through a plasma. Using particle and energy-balance equations a simple approximate criterion is derived for the estimation of the importance of energy degradation during plasma buildup in a DCX type machine. Next, there is derived the steady-state ion energy distribution for a case in which energy losses are to electrons at a given temperature and particle losses are by charge exchange. The distribution function is used to compute loss rate, upper critical current, ionization rate, and other functions of interest. Quantitative application is made to DCX-2 under various conditions of operation of carbon and deuterium arcs.

Report documenting ongoing research and development undertaken by the Metallurgy Division of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

This memorandum presents a description of several additional miscellaneous HRT core maintenance tools, not in an earlier report (1). These tools were used in the removal of the cut up diffuser plates, probing the core wall, gauging the size of the holes, and other simple tasks. Function, design, and operation are described for the following items.

The use of the DD^3 amplifier with the RIDL 200- and 400-channel analyzers has been found advantageous for certain applications. In order to use the DD2, certain modifications to the input circuits of the Analog-to Digital Converter Unit are necessary. In addition, the modifications improved the linearity of the analyzer in the low channels. Using the analyzer with the RIDL Type 30-7 Scintillation Pulse Amplifier, it was noted that non-linearity of as much as 5 or 6 channels was present below channel 20. With the modifications made and with the use of the DD2, this non-linearity has been reduced to less than 1/2 channel.

Departures from the usual precipitation method produced crystalline uranium peroxide in several forms. Three types of segregated needles were used in the preparation of three pellets for pellet-type elements. Densities of the pellets ranged from 93 to 97% of theoretical, depending on conditions of precipitation.

The ORNL analog computer was used to simulate four widely different experiment conditions in the small EGCR in-pile loops. Various control and safety systems were evaluated in each case. Curves are included which show the response to postulated accidents and component failures. The results indicate that one standard control and safety system will probably be adequate for a wide variety of test conditions.

The Model Q-1212C Pulser is a single frequency (60 pps) generator whose output waveform is characterized by a rise-time of less than 4 mµsec and, depending upon the method of termination, an exponential decay having a time constant of 300 or 600µsec. The waveform approximates that produced by a radiation detector. The waveform approximates that produced by a radiation detector. The maximum available output from the instrument is 10 volts, positive or negative polarity, and is continuously adjustable by means of step switches and a 10-turn potentiometer. The potentiometer has a linearity of 0.1%.

A mathematical model is presented for the prediction of heat transfer coefficients for fully developed turbulent flow of fluids in circular pipes by analogy to the transfer of momentum. There is also presented an empirical velocity distribution equation derived from existing experimental data for use in the analogy model. Heat transfer coefficients for fluids with Prandtl numbers ranging from 0.01 to 100 and Reynolds numbers ranging from 5x10^3 to 10^7 are presented in tabular and graphical forms for both the case of constant heat flux at the pipe wall and the case of constant temperature at the pipe wall. The heat transfer coefficients computer in this investigation are compared with existing experimental dat, and a discussion of the parameters affecting the heat transfer characteristics of fluids in turbulent motion in circular pipes is presented.

Some results have been obtained which may be of use in studying the escape of fission fragments from slurry particles which contain fissioning material. Assuming that the fission fragments are of fixed range H, that they are generated uniformly and isotopically in a sphere of diameter D, the escape probability , mean path length, and path length distribution function have been derived.

An investigation is made to determine the adequacy of presently used analog circuits in solving dynamic fluid flow heat transfer equations. A mathematical analysis is made of dynamic heat transfer in pipes with zero losses, with losses proportional to pip temperature, and with heat inputs. The results of this analysis are compared with analog results by means of generalized temperature versus time graphs. The analog circuit is found to be adequate for most conditions, but sometimes requires modification when heat inputs are considered.

The solution of the monoenergetic Boltzmann equation in an infinite homogeneous, nonmultiplying medium with linearly anisotropic scattering and an isotropic plane source is given and compared with the corresponding solution for isotropic scattering. The effective source strength for the asymptotic flux turns out to be the same as that for isotropic scattering to first order in Σa/Σ.

A proposed modification to the experiment off-gas system for the EGCR-LITR Capsule Experiment is evaluated by comparing the atmospheric radiation doses to laboratory personnel that could result in the event of an experiment failure while utilizing the present off-gas system to those doses that would result if various modifications to the existing system were effected. The modifications considered include the addition of an iodine vapor adsorber and a krypton-xenon adsorber. The addition of an iodine vapor adsorber to the off-gas system, which presently includes an absolute filter, reduces the atmospheric dose to the thyroid from 510 mr to 1.4mr. The total body dose is also reduced from 2.2 to 1.3 mr. The total body dose can be further reduced to 0.7 mr if a large krypton-xenon adsorber is included. Basd upon these calculated atmospheric radiation doses it is concluded that the addition of an activated charcoal iodine vapor adsorber will reduce the atmospheric hazard to an acceptable level.

From introduction: "This report sets forth the results of a technical and economic analysis of automatic propulsion system control as a possible design improvement in the direct cycle boiling water reactor propulsion system in a T7 tanker."

From introduction: "This is the second of a series of quarterly reports which will cover the progress and results from the conceptual design, economic evaluations and research and development work performed by the General Electric Company as part of the Nuclear Superheat Project."

Uranium extractions from carbonate solutions were effective and phase separation rates were rapid using a new commercial quaternary extractant, Alamine 336. Extraction coefficients were approximately proportional to the quaternary concentration. Addition of -0.5 mole tridecanol/mole quaternary to the solvent gave optimum extraction efficiency and phase separation rates.