"This report describes the conceptual design of 300 Mwe fast breeder reactor power plant that utilizes a paste-fuel system consisting of small, spherical particles settled in sodium" (p. 7). It includes a discussion of the paste-fuel system, the design of the core and blanket structure with analysis, a description of the fuel-handling system, processes for fabricating and processing the fuel, and schematics.

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To determine the temperature coefficient of reactivity when the station is operating at power.

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Production of Pu and U nitrates, U oxides, Pu metal buttons, and fabricated parts are reported. 135 kCi Sr-90 was isoalted in Purex plant and stored for further Sr-89 decay. The new scrub cartridge in Purex co-decontamination cycle column performed better than the old. Increased Np losses were attributed to failure of plastic plates in 2nd cycle U extraction column.

This report is divided into: production (fuel elements), engineering (present reactor fuels, N Reactor development), and general (AlSi shop). (DLC)

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This is the annual report (1960) from the Hanford Atomic Products Operation. Various programs are briefly described including production of fuel elements, production reactor operations, reprocessing, criticality research, radiological research activities, reactor materials testing, the plutonium recycle program, and the allocation of resources.

This report addresses a monthly progress report for the Chemical Technology Division for Chemical Development Section B during June 1959.

A previous study described proposed facilities at B-Plant which integrate future fission product and waste calcination activities. However, in the reactivation of B-Plant in accordance with this study, heavy expenditures, above budgeted funds, would be required at an early date for Phase 1 process changes coupled with general rehabilitation work and facilities for updating of radiological control. Since waste calcination activities in B-Plant are not scheduled until Fiscal Year 1966, the expense of B-Plant rehabilitation items would be borne solely by the Fission Product Program. This report provides the Title I design of Phase 1 fission product facilities at B-Plant which can be provided vith minimum capital expenditures. The facility described in this report accomplishes the overall processing objectives of the facility, namely the recovery and storage of crude strontium-90 and rare-earth concentrates, although certain B-Plant improvements are deferred to later phases of the Fission Product and Waste Calcination Programs.

A 500 MWe sodium-cooled, PuO2-UO2 fuel, fast spectrum reactor design is presented, which is calculated to have a fuel cycle cost in the civinity of 1 mill/ekw hr, and to have important safety features due to an appreciably negative Doppler effect.

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This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, April 1961. Metallurgy, reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology, financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, and employee relations are discussed.

Interest in neptunium recovery became active in early 1958. At this time neptunium chemistry was sketchy, the path of neptunium through the Purex Plant was not clearly defined nor were the effects of operating variables on the path. An intense research and development program carried out in Hanford Laboratories Operation, research and Engineering Operation (CPD), and Purex Operation led to the first recovery attempt in June 1958. Continuing efforts on flowsheet improvement resulted in further neptunium recovery from Purex. In April 1961 a routine neptunium isolation run was undertaken. During the course of this run approximately 75 per cent of the accumulated neptunium was lost to the high level waste storage tanks. It is the purpose of this report to document the facts surrounding this occurrence.

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Pu nitrate production was above revised forecast. 141 kCi Sr-90 was isolated in Purex and stored for decay; to date, 1190 kCi has been recovered from Purex wastes. Casks of Cs-137 and Sr-90 were turned over to AEC for ORNL. Production of UO{sub 3}, Pu metal buttons, and weapon component fabrication exceeded forecasts. Purex processing continued until April 14. The Purex neptunium campaign had low yield because of loss to waste system. The cartridge in the Purex co-decontamination column scrub section was replaced with a new design. After the Redox organic distillation pot was replaced, {gamma} activity in Redox recovered hexone increased 300 {times}; product quality returned to normal after the faulty steam traps were replaced. Fabricated parts underwent dimensional changes after machining and gaging; part dimensions have been altered to compensate. Design for the proposed caisson-lateral leak detection system was revised to contain 3 horizontal laterals beneath each tank and 7 vertical wells around each tank. A ratio exists between the Cs-137 in the coating waste solution and the total U in liquid and precipitate phases. (DLC)

This document details activities of the Fuels Preparation Department during the month of March 1961. (FI)

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This document details activities of the Fuels Preparation Department during the month of April 1961. (FI)

Each tube of the PRTR is provided with flow monitoring equipment consisting of a venturi flow meter in the inlet piping, sensing lines containing valves, and a Panellit flow transmitter. The flow transmitter does three things: converts the pressure drop signal of the venturi to a visual readout; provides an electrical signal for recording; and provides a signal to the safety circuit which causes a reactor scram should the flow increase or decrease beyond pre-set valves. After startup of the PRTR, it was found that the readings of flow meters on those process tubes which connect near the inlet of the bottom ring headers were fluctuating excessively. As an interim measure during the power tests at low reactor powers, the meter fluctuations were reduced by throttling the valves in the sensing lines from the flow venturi to the flow meter. This was recognized as being questionable for a permanent solution since this practice introduces an unknown and variable lengthening of the response characteristics of the meter. An experimental program was therefore undertaken to determine the degree of valve throttling which might be appropriate for fluctuation suppression and to device other and better methods of suppression. The experiments show that throttling …

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This document details activities of the Fuels Preparation Department during the month of September, 1961. (FI)