There is a continuing high interest in the development of organic coolant technology for application to future Hanford reactors. In addition to the HAPO organic program, two other programs are being sponsored by the Atomic Energy Commission. These include the Naval Reactor program, aimed at a reactor for ship propulsion, and the Civilian Power Reactor program. Because of the similarity of the technical efforts in the three programs, an attempt is being made to establish effective liaison among the programs. To this end, a visit was made to several sites actively engaged in organic development work. These sites and their primary functions are detailed in this report.

Investigating possible structural, mineralogical and volcanic relations between the central core and ore-producing sediments of the northeast flank.

Supersonic performance of variable two-dimensional inlets designed for engine-inlet matching.

Discussing the geology of the Midnite Mine Area, in the Spokane Indian Reservation

"An investigation has been conducted in the Langley 20-foot free-spinning tunnel on a l/19-scale model of the North American T-28C airplane to determine the spin and recovery characteristics. The T-28C airplane is similar to the T-28B airplane except for slight modifications for the arresting hook. The lower rear section of the fuselage was cut out and, consequently, the lower part of the rudder was removed to make a smooth fairing with the fuselage" (p. 1).

Cluster fuel elements meet many of the requirements of high temperature recirculating water reactors and have several advantages over solid fuel elements. Operation at higher specific power levels for a given temperature limit are attainable because of the larger heat transfer surface. Failure of a single rod in cluster does not restrict coolant flow as severely as failure of a solid fuel element, hence the number and severity of stuck charges can be reduced.

Discussing a geologic reconnaissance of the northwestern White River Plateau, in Rio Blanco and Garfield counties, Colorado.

Report presenting summaries of full-scale engine tests of pentaborane, pentaborane-JP-4 fuel mixtures, and trimethylborate-methyl-alcohol-azeotrope fuels. Tests were conducted at an altitude of 50,000 feet and Mach number of 0.8. Results regarding the fuel effects on overall performance, effects on component performance, effect of turbine-outlet temperature on engine performance, and miscellaneous observations are provided.

This report summarizes the full-scale engine tests of pentaborane, pentaborane - JP-4 fuel mixtures, and trimethylborate azeotrope fuel. The tests were conducted in a full-scale turbojet engine at a simulated altitude of 50,000 feet and Mach number of 0.08. Engine speeds were 90 to 100 percent of rated speed. Pentaborane reduced the the specific fuel consumption to two-thirds that of JP-4 fuel. However, because boron oxide collected in the engine, the performance deteriorated with continued operation of pentaborane in each of the short-duration tests reported.

The letter E. R. Irish/W. H. Swift to R.E. Burns and H. H. Hopkins, dated August 15, 1956, subject Plutonium Concentration Problems, requested information on corrosion of stainless steel, titanium, and tantalum in plutonium nitrate-nitric acid solution, with and without sulfate ion. Experimental conditions and results of tests designed to yield the requested information are given below.

By use of small magnetic probes inserted into the discharge, the magnetic field distributions in the interior of a high-power pinched discharge have been measured as a function of time. From these data the current distributions can be deduced. By applying a static pressure calculation, in the cases when the radical pinch accelerations are small, the plasma pressure nkT in the pinch has been determined, with superimposed axial magnetic fields, and for stable and unstable configurations.

Report presenting a compilation of sea-level static and flight-performance data for existing and designed U.S. axial-flow turbojet and ram-jet engines. Factors considered include engine size, performance, and weight, and actual and theoretical performances are compared.

Report presents the results of experimental and theoretical research conducted on flow separation associated with steps, bases, compression corners, curved surfaces, shock-wave boundary-layer reflections, and configurations producing leading-edge separation. Results were obtained from pressure-distribution measurements, shadowgraph observations, high-speed motion pictures, and oil-film studies. The maximum scope of measurement encompassed Mach numbers between 0.4 and 3.6, and length Reynolds numbers between 4,000 and 5,000,000.

Note presenting an analysis of the method of measuring moment of inertia of an airplane by oscillating it on knife edges and a spring for application to flexible airplanes. The application and results of the above method in ground oscillation tests are described.

A report about how minor- and trace-element content of sulfides associated with uranium ore deposits from sandstone-type deposits have proved that selenium commonly substitutes for sulfur.

Quarterly report for the technical branch of the Materials Testing Reactor of Idaho. Includes current developments and experiments.

From objectives: "The objectives of this investigation were to evaluate the hydraulic forces in the pulse column, and determine their effects on pulse column design."

Report presenting an investigation in the 300 mph 7- by 10-foot tunnel to determine the chordwise and spanwise load distribution on a thin 60 degree delta-wing-fuselage model equipped with double slotted and extended double slotted flaps. The effects of a canard on the loads of the wing with the extended double slotted flaps are also determined.

Radiobiological studies were made to determine effects of radioactive effluents from the Hanford reactors upon the aquatic biota of the Columbia River and to evaluate related hazards. Data from studies completed between September, 1945, and December, 1955 are presented and interpreted. All forms of life were many times more radioactive than the water they inhabited. Some radioisotopes were much more readily accumulated than others in living organisms. Differences in the concentration of certain radioisotopes by various species of organisms and kinds of body tissue are described; and geographical, seasonal and annual fluctuations in the concentration of radioisotopes in organisms are discussed.

A report about the use of clad specimens to successfully measure the thermal conductivity of irradiated uranium.

From abstract: "Natural uranium plates that were irradiated to 600 and 1500 MWD/T were cut under water by a guillotine-type shear. Irradiation reduced the force required for shearing to 50 per cent of that required for unirradiated uranium. Measurements were made of radioactivity released to treated and untreated water in which the cut sections were stored."

The statistical approach to the gust-load problem, which consists in considering flight through turbulent air to be a stationary random process, is extended by including the effect of lateral variation of the instantaneous gust intensity on the aerodynamic forces. The forces obtained in this manner are used in dynamic analyses of rigid and flexible airplanes free to move vertically, in pitch, and in roll. The effect of the interaction of longitudinal, normal, and lateral gusts on the wind stresses is also considered.

Memorandum presenting an airborne missile simulator used to represent visually the predicted flight behavior of the Navy XASM-N-7 Bullpup air-to-surface missile, which is guided along the line of sight to the target by bang-bang radio signals controlled by the pilot of the launch airplane. Quantitative response measurements showed that the simulator gave a good representation of the trajectory and control characteristics predicted for the Bullpup missile, and the simulation appeared plausible to the pilots.

The desirability of employing leakproof process pumps for handling the corrosive and radioactive process solutions in the H.A.P.O. separations plants has led to the establishment of a program for the development and testing of packless pumps with particular emphasis on evaluation of commercially available units. One such pump, its operating characteristics and behavior, are described in this report.