This document is an addendum to DC 56-8-167 and gives a description of the proposed Navy nuclear seaplane program and the objectives of the X211 engine study program.

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The Savannah River reactors were operated initially for the production of plutonium, and used slug-type natural uranium fuel elements. Recently one reactor was converted to the production of tritium, and other reactors will be converted soon. slug-type elements (of enriched uranium-aluminum) were charged into this reactor in order to reduce to a minimum the development effort required before the shift to tritium was made. It was recognized, however, that the slug elements would be deficient in that they would give a low yield of tritium per atom of uranium-235 destroyed because of the large parasitic capture of neutrons by aluminum. Also the production rate of tritium would be low because of the small amount of surface available for the transfer of the fission heat. Both of these shortcomings will be reduced materially by the substitution of tubular elements for the slugs now employed. The development of this type of element has progressed so that a full reactor loading of tubular fuel elements is contemplated for early 1957. The special hazards related to the production of tritium using tubular fuel elements are described in this memorandum which has been written as a supplement to a report entitled ``Reactor Safety Determination -- …

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This document presents a summary of work and progress at the Hanford Engineer Works for August 1956. The report is divided into sections by department. A plant wide general summary is included at the beginning of the report, after which the departmental summaries begin. The Manufacturing Department reports plant statistics, and summaries for the Metal Preparation, Reactor and Separation sections. The Engineering Department`s section summarizes work for the Technical, Design, and Project Sections. Costs for the various departments are presented in the Financial Department`s summary. The Medical, Radiological Sciences, Utilities and General Sciences, Employee and Public Relations, and Community Real Estate and Services departments have sections presenting their monthly statistics, work, progress, and summaries.

Progress is reported in the fabrication and inspection of metals.

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S>A convenient modified form of Maxwell distribution is chosen. The modified expressions for the energy transfer from the ions to the electrons in a plasma and the bremsstrahlung from the electrons are calculated. Using the expressions some possible steady-state conditions for the ion and electron gases are derived and compared with those for the usual Maxwell distributions. (anth)

Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn. A survey of chemical radiolysis methods of measuring interfacial area by means of short range particle irradiation of a liquid interface indicated the most promising system was an aqueous solution of polonium210 in contact with a benzene solution of tetrachloroethylene. Experimentally, the rate of chloride liberation was quite low, and when measured by activation analysis, the specific rate of chloride production was subject to a very large relative error. (auth)

Formulas and curves are presented for design and strength evaluation of perforated plates. (auth)

Work on a study program on high-speed computers is reported. Computer programming is discussed. ILLIAC use and operation are summarized. (For preceding period see AECU-3373.) (W.D.M.)

The food irradiation facility described consists of: a fully enriched light-water-cooled and -moderated heterogeneous reactor core surrounded by a blanket of indium sulfate aqueous solution; an indium solution system which includes the reactor blanket and the gamma radiators; primary and auxiliary cooling water systems for removal of reactor heat; radiator cubicles into which the food is conveyed for irradiation; and buildings for housing the reactor, radiators, and operations personnel. (auth)

A shield design method employing the IBM type 650 computer is developed. All the necessary equations and procedures are presented. Special attention was given to computation methods and the forms and parameters of the equations to attain minimum storage space and calculating time on the computer. The resulting equations apply only to gamma radiation due to the activation of pressurized water in primary coolant systems (6 Mev decay gamma source). The same analysis may be used however for other sources of radiation. (auth)

One of the specifications for the final plutonium product is a maximum neutron emissivity (neutrons per gram-second). The major source of neutrons in plutonium is the spontaneous fission of the 240 isotopes. The concentration of the 240 isotope is a function principally of the total pile exposure and, to a lesser extent of pile operating parameters; in particular, the moderator temperature. The objectives of this production test were: to establish with greater accuracy and precision, empirical relationships between the neutron emissivity, the plutonium isotope 240 concentration, and the pile exposure; and to determine if the isolated plutonium nitrate solution could be used as a control point for neutron emissivity prior to final fabrication. Accomplishment of these objectives would permit setting of pile exposure goals at the maximum possible level for greatest economy while still maintaining product quality within specifications.

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