The PWR Plant was operated at approximately 60 MW net electrical output for a total of 1000 EFPH from February 3, 1959 to March 28, 1959. During this period, while performing DL-S-225, there were two planned shutdowns, no safety shutdowns or safety insertions and one flux title. The performance of the plant was satisfactory during the period of the test.

The purpose of the survey was to determine the radiation levels in the 1 D Boiler Chamber during plant operation. The conclusion of this survey is that the radiation level in the 1 D Boiler Compartment with the 1A, 1B, and 1C Main Coolant loops in service at approximately 100 per cent power ranged from .03 MR/HR to 6.0 MR/HR.

The purpose of the survey was to determine the radiation level in the Turbine Generator Services Building, around the Fuel Handling Canal, in the limited access areas of the reactor plant containers and on the boiler container roofs during plant operation. The test was performed with the plant at approximately 100 per cent power with three loops (1A, 1B, and 1C) in service. The radiation levels of the areas surveyed with a few exceptions were essentially background (.03 MR/HR). These exceptions were the Auxiliary Chamber and the limited access areas between the containers. The highest radiation level obtained in the survey was >2500 MR/HR at the reactor chamber walkway.

The purpose of the test was to determine the direction and magnitude of any drift in the temperature sensing elements and the receiver-indicating units for the primary loop and pressurizer resistance thermometers. To obtain intercalibration data for various temperature sensing elements in the primary coolant system. To obtain data on the difference between the calculated signal generated by the BF-3 counters, considering the known rate of decay of the PO-BE source, and the measured values. Determination of temperature sensing element and instrumentation drifts could not be made due to a lack of comparative data. Five temperature intercalibrations were performed using the calibrating Tc resistance thermometers as a standard. The data obtained from the nuclear instrumentation was too erratic to form any conclusions.

The purpose of the test was to determine the direction and magnitude of any drift in the temperature sensing elements and the receiver-indicating units for the primary loop and pressurizer resistance thermometers. To obtain intercalibration data for various temperature sensing elements in the primary coolant system. To obtain data on the difference between the calculated signal generated by the BF-3 counters, considering the known rate of decay of the PO-BE source, and the measured values. Of the 62 core thermocouples observed 19 were either reading less than 400 F or were reading in excess of 20 F from the calibrating thermometer temperatures. In each case the thermocouple was considered defective. The remainder were within 2 per cent of the calibrating thermometers. The primary loop (Norwood Indicators) resistance thermometers all read with 0.2 percent of the calibrating thermometers. No conclusion could be made for the pressurizer temperature instruments or the boiler Tb resistance thermometers, except that the 1A boiler temperature varied 10 F to 20 F from the 1Band 1C boiler temperatures. A laboratory calibration of this instrument will be made. The data obtained from the source range nuclear instrumentation was too erratic to form any conclusion. No drift evaluation on …

The purpose of the test was to determine the responses of the plant when subjected to load transients exceeding the design magnitudes, and to determine the maximum load changes, positive or negative, that the plant can sustain. The reactor plant responded satisfactorily to all load transients. The only limits exceed were the pressurizer high and low level alarm points. The magnitude of the transients and the time required for the plant to return to equilibrium was dependent upon the size of the the load change. The pressurizer spray was effective in reducing reactor coolant pressure positive surges; however, this resulted in larger negative surges than when the spray valve was closed.

The purpose of the test is to determine the reason for the decreases in the liquid levels of the reference chambers serving the reactor plant remote liquid level indicators. The remote gages and the local liquid level gages agreed closely for the Reactor Plant Component Cooling Water Expansion Tank and the Coolant Discharge and Vent System flash tank and blow-off tank. There appeared to be no loss of water from the D/P cell reference chambers for these two systems over the period of the test. There was no definite indication of leakage from the Valve Operating System reference chamber, however, the differences between remote indicator readings and the sight glass readings are attributed to sticking of the ball check valve on the upper sight glass, inaccuracy of the readings and instrument error. It is recommended that he lower shut-off valve on the upper sight glass be cleaned and reopened prior to reading the sight glass to ensure that the ball check valve is not stuck in the closed position. No lead age was found in any of the level indicating systems.

Production of new surface area by fracturing of rock behind an explosive-initiated high amplitude wave is probably an important mechanism for energy absorption in the region near n explosion in rock. Explosive-initiated high amplitude pulses in cylinders of three different rocks and two concretes were studied to determine the pulse amplitude need to damage the cylinders. An average high amplitude wave velocity of half the elastic wave velocity was observed in a porous limestone. Elastic theory is not expected to apply to a wave fracturing a rock. Rapid decreases in original free surface velocity of the greywacke rock which was most thoroughly tested indicate that this rock sustained tensile stresses about a hundred times greater than its probably tensile strength for times a long as fifty microseconds.

The purpose of the test was to determine the temperature and pressure coefficients of reactivity at zero power. Data was obtained during this test which indicates a new temperature coefficient and a pressure coefficient corrected to station operating conditions of 500 F and 1785 PSIG.

The purpose of the test was to determine the level of the radiation field in the Turbine Plant during a significant power run. The initial power level survey had an average radiation level of 0.02 mr/hr. this survey showed and average radiation level of 0.03, which was considered background level. this radiation level was far below the maximum allowable level of 2 mr/hyr. No Neutrons were detected.

The purpose of the test was to determine the ability of the Control Air System to provide the necessary quantity and quality of clean, dry air to keep the rod drive mechanism stator and position indicator housings at about 3 PSIG in order to avoid low stator resistances resulting from condensation during plant cooldown. The Control Air System is capable of providing the quality of air specified in AEC letter SBO:JWF:100 dated November 17, 1958 of less than 44 grains of moisture per lb. of air in the control air line nearest the reactor chamber.

A commercially available electronic high vacuum pump has bee tested on various types of mass spectrometers used at the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Considerable savings in operating and maintenance costs can be realized from the use of this pump. the greatest savings result from the elimination of the cold trap required for the diffusion pump whether it is cooled by liquid nitrogen or by mechanical refrigeration. additional savings results from the fact that the pump currently is usually an adequate indication of the pressure in the spectrometer tube and that a continuously running mechanical fore pump is not required.

This is the fifty-fourth progress report of the Laboratory for Nuclear Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Progress reported covers the period for Physics and Chemistry through April 30,1959. Progress is reported on: (1) Chemistry of the fission elements group, (2) Nuclear chemistry (inorganic) group, (3) Nuclear chemistry (organic) group, (4) Cosmic ray group, (5) High energy accelerator physics group, (6) Bubble chamber group, (7) Liner acceleratory group, (8) Rockefeller generator group, (9) ONR generator group, (8) Radioactivity group, (9) Cyclotron group, (10) Theoretical group, (11) Personnel listing.

Studies are being made on the effects of variation of aluminum content, heat treatment, surface preparation, and other metallurgical factors on the room temperature ductility of Al-- Fe alloys. It is estimated that approximately 65 percent of the proposed research has been completed over the first eight and one-half months of the contract period.

This technical report covers five areas: (1) High-speed computer program; (2) Mathematical methods; (3) ILLIAC use and operations; (4) IBM 650 use and operation; (5) General laboratory information.

This technical report covers five areas: (1) High-speed computer program; (2) Mathematical methods; (3) ILLIAC use and operations; (4) IBM 650 use and operation; (5) General laboratory information.

The order of magnitude of the non-mesonic to mesonic ratio has been measured for several species of hyper- fragments. With this ratio as well as the branching ratio of the mesonic decays and a determination of the lifetime, it is possible to find the partial decay rates of the various modes. This decay rate should throw light on the influence of nucleons on the strangeness violation in the decay. The effect should be greater for heavy hyperfragments. The difficulty in attempts to measure lifetimes in emulsions is that the mean energy of the hyperfragments products by K mesons and Pions is so low that the moderation time is a very small fraction of the lifetime. Although the stopping power of bubble chambers is considerably less, the spatial resolution of these devices is such that the heavier hyperfragments can not be seen or identified. For these reasons, it seems possible to measure lifetimes of heavy hyperfragments only in emulsions. In an attempt to achieve higher nuclear excitation energies in interactions and correspondingly more energetic hyperfragments, a search has made for hyperfragments produced by heavy primaries from the cosmic rays.

To summarize one finds that for diffusion in a temperature gradient by a vacancy mechanism one must have E(M) < E(F). No such restrictions occur for interstitial diffusion. The spatial vacancy distribution is very nearly the equilibrium distribution if dislocations are present. If no dislocations are present then one could obtain E(M) by measurement of the spatial distribution.

From the point of view of predicting melting behavior of fuel elements containing fission products after 50 percent burn-up, the fuel can be considered to consist of 2000 moles Th, 150 moles U, 55 moles of rate earth metal, 31 moles of Zr, 25 moles of Mo, 20 moles of Rh-Ru-Tc, and 15 moles of alkaline earth metal. All other fission products are present in too small amounts to have any important effect upon the melting point or will have vaporized. However, the presence of alkali metal vapor should be considered.

The quantity and characteristics of fission products in coolant gases due to leaking fuel elements are discussed. It is concluded that the rare gases, the alkali metals, the halides, and Sb may act as permanent gases to a considerable extent. The other fission products are expected to condense out completely on walls or as dust consisting of metals, carbides, and oxides.

The maximum temperature in the interior of the fuel element could be greatly reduced by incorporating a liquid between the fuel element and the outer can to increase-heat transfer rates. It is of interest to consider what liquids would be chemically compatible with graphite and the actinide carbides. Elements which melt below 1100 and boil above 1400 deg C that form no stable solid carbides, include Cu, Ga, TI, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, and compounds include GeP, GeS, GaP, Ga/sub 2/S, GaTe, GaAs, SnTe, Sm/sub 3/As/sub 2/, Sb/sub 3/Te/sub 2/, Zn/sub 3/Sb/sub 2/, Zn/sub 3/P/sub 2/, ZnS, ZnTe, and Zn/s ub 3/As/sub 2/. Some of these compounds have equilibrium pressures that might be considered too high, but they may actually vaporize slowly enough because of low vaporization coefficients to make them suitable. There are probably rot enough data nor adequate theories for predicting the rates, and Langmuir type vaporization experiments would be necessary to determine the rates of vaporization of these compounds. The main problem in the use of a heat transfer fluid is that of reaction between the fluid and the actinide carbides. Thermodynamically extensive attack would be expected. However, it may be possible to make the rate …

From the point of view of constituents of a fuel element at temperatures between 2500 and 4500 degree K, the fuel elements can be considered to consist of six types of material: carbon, elements less volatile than carbon, 26 moles of rare gases, 21 moles of alkali metals, 17 moles of alkaline earth metals, and 4 moles of miscellaneous volatile elements. Various processes involving the constituents from 2000 to 45000 degree K are considered. Reactivity gain due to can rupture is discussed.

Dilute solutions of uranium, thorium, zirconium, and columbium chlorides in LiCl-KCl eutectic melts were made by anodic dissolution of these metals. After equilibrium was reached between the solution and the metal, the electrode potential was measured relative to a AgCl reference electrode. The nature of the metal ions in the equilibrated melt was determined either from the slope of the isothermal plots of potential versus the logarithm of concentrations, or by using Faraday's law. It was found that in the temperature range of 760 to 830 degree K, U3+, Th4+, Zr4+, and Nb3+ are predominant species existing in the uranium chloride, thorium chloride, zirconium chloride and niobium chloride melts respectively. For niobium chloride melts of higher concentrations that that shown above, other species of niobium ions, notably Nb4+, coexists with Nc3+ in appreciable amounts. The results are explained on the basis of the magnitude of the free energy of formation of the chlorides of these metal ions of different valence states and the tendency for these metal ions to form complex ions wit the chloride ions in the melt.

The progress report covers the work carried out during the first year 1958-59 in the department of metallurgy at M.I.T. under the supervision of Professors John T. Norton and Robert E. Ogilvie. A brief summary of the work that has been completed and in some cases still continuing is given. The work has been listed under the following general headings: (1) Diffusion studies in the uranium-niobium system, (2) X-ray detection of cladding defects, (3) Precision X-ray stress analysis of uranium and zirconium, (4) Magnetic studies of Fe3O3 single crystals, (5) Crystal structure studies of yttrium compounds, (6) Structural relationships in ZrFe2-ZrCr2 system.