While the safety status of the Richland facilities has in the past been deemed adequate, all aspects of nuclear technology have progressed and evolved including standards of nuclear safety. Hence, the national nuclear safety environment within which the Richland facilities are operated is grossly different now than was the case ten years ago; a commensurate change can be expected in the future. Further, the urgency of national security aspects of Hanford operation seems less acute now than in the past and may become less so in the future. Finally, the isolation of the Hanford site has been reduced by the release of land, and the concentration of people and valuable property in near proximity may increase in the future. While some program modifications and changes in emphasis are to be expected, the five-year outline shown here is considered to be a reasonable representation of the safety work of highest priority to be studied. The Nuclear Safety Program consists of seven, concurrent subprograms. These are: 8RLa--fuel temperature transients under accident conditions; 8RLb--chemical and metallurgical reactions and fission product release from overheated fuel; 8RLc--control of fission gases; 8RLd--meteorological studies; 8RLe--ground fixation of radioactive material in liquid wastes; 8RLf--particle formation and release from …

The following is all the information the authors can get on the graphite bar history from the A and G test holes at C-Reactor. The A test hole was charged with 18--23 1/2 inch long graphite bars before the original startup of C-Reactor. This was 6/12/53. On 9/21/63 seven of the graphite bars were discharged. Position {number_sign}18 thru {number_sign}12. Positions {number_sign}11 thru {number_sign}1 are still in the reactor. Data on the seven bars discharged and the eleven bars still in the reactor is given. On 7/21/59 a 2-foot section of tube block was removed from the G test hole. This tube block had received 15,462 MWD/AT at time of discharge. On 4/21/60 three solid graphite bars were removed from the G test hole. These bars received a total of 18,642 MWD/AT. There are six more bars in the G test hole. They are in positions 1 thru 6. The approximate total exposure is given.

This report itemizes the irradiations performed by Testing and Irradiation Services for Battelle-Northwest. It lists the material being irradiated, awaiting disposition and material shipped during the report period.

This report gives the status of production tests control tube loadings in reactor process tubes containing significant amounts of SS material. Data are given in table form. For further description of column headings and the current discharge goal exposure plan refer to Document DUN-3443.

This document contains the reports of progress and the plans for future work of Douglas United Nuclear, Inc., on the Target Space Enhancement Mission. The DUN research and development program is based on a long-range operating plan which recognizes a continuing need for the production of special nuclear materials in AEC facilities. Among these expected needs are increased requirements for non-defense plutonium, tritium, and other isotopes. The purpose of the target space enhancement mission is to establish an improved irradiation capability in the Hanford reactors to respond to these needs. Programs are included to reduce the unit costs of non-defense plutonium, to develop the use of Oralloy to meet future enrichment requirements, and to increase the flexibility of the reactors to produce isotopes such as plutonium-238 and uranium-233. The paper describes the scope and objectives; incentives for the study; progress during this report period; evaluation of efforts; budget period plans; and program schedules. Four studies are being undertaken: channel enlargement; highly enriched fuel use; high power density fuel; and advanced technology which includes reactor kinetics, instrumentation, and control systems improvements and transient analysis.

This program is directed to the production of higher weight plutonium isotopes and transplutonium isotopes from the irradiation of transuranic elements, particularly plutonium. Since production of Pu-238 from the irradiation of Np-237 and Am-241 is the subject of Mission 4, Pu-238 Program, it is excluded from this Mission. Specific products which are of prime interest are Cm-244 and plutonium containing a high concentration of either the Pu-240 isotope or the Pu-242 isotope. Because of the potential interest in Cm-244 as a heat source in the 1970`s, the main emphasis has been to provide the capability for producing this isotope. In support of this program, irradiations have been performed to obtain isotopic buildup rates, and a production and economic calculational model has been prepared for determining production methods and costs of producing Cm-244 in the Richland complex. The Richland production reactors have particular advantages in producing higher weight plutonium isotopes from the irradiation of plutonium because of a desirable neutron flux spectrum and a high heat removal capability. Specifically, the high temperature thermal neutron flux maximizes the capture-to-fission ratio of the Pu-239 and Pu-241 isotopes; the high heat removal capability provides for the large decrease in heat generation in the plutonium …

In anticipation of a continuing trend for reductions in military plutonium requirements, reactor programs at the Richland site are being directed toward other long-term production objectives. For the general case of an alternate reactor product, uranium-238 would be displaced from the reactor by another target material, e.g., lithium (for tritium production) or neptunium-237 (for plutonium-238 production), and the remaining fuel would require higher enrichment (increase of uranium-235 concentration) to maintain reactor reactivity. The operating fuel reprocessing facilities at Hanford were originally designed for the processing of fuels containing less than one percent U-235 (pre-irradiation basis). Today, limited amounts of a ``spike`` fuel, averaging about 1.15 percent U-235, are included in the production load, and demonstration quantities of 2.1 percent enriched coproduct fuels have been processed under special test support conditions. Anticipated reactor programs requiring higher enrichment fuels pose new problems of reprocessing technology. These problems have their bases in the increased U-235 content of the fuel, and in the material and design features provided to obtain a higher specific power in the reactor. The programs required to develop the technological bases for reprocessing proposed Hanford fuels of greater enrichments, generally in excess of one percent U-235, are described by this …

This report itemizes the irradiations performed by Testing and Irradiation Services for Battelle-Northwest. It lists the material being irradiated, awaiting disposition and material shipped during the report period.

Brief summaries are presented on the following presentations: welding for low voltage operation, welding techniques at Mound, welding/joining at Sandia, Ultrasonic`s plastic assemblies of detonator components, laser welding bridge-wires, laser safety in the Biorad industrial environment, nondestructive testing at Mound, thermal cycle data and evaluation, thermal cycle nondestructive testing, corrosion of detonator electrode and bridge-wire, and corrosion studies and fabrication of bridge-wire at Sigmund Cohn.

Fuel element swelling problems have been experienced in the high-exposure fuel irradiation program in C Reactor, In an effort to determine the mechanism responsible for this swelling, three elements from C Reactor, one of which was a ruptures, were sent to the Radiometallurgy Laboratory for visual and metallographic examination. Because the swelled fuel was not numbered as to column position, the exact position of the examined elements is not known but they were believed to have come from the center of the charge and therefore exposures for these individual elements will be 25--50% higher than the column average exposures. This percentage figure was determined from data from nine tubes of C2N fuel which exhibited swelling. These nine tubes operated under nearly the same conditions as the examined elements. Maximum core temperatures for the examined elements are believed to be between 300--340C. The mechanisms for swelling were different in the high and low-exposure fuels. The high-exposure fuel exhibited grain-boundary tearing along a wide circumferential band over the entire transverse section of the fuel examined. The areas near the OD and ID were relatively free from tearing. The low-exposure fuel showed no grain boundary tearing but it did contain angular voids in …

The purpose of this report is to explain the computerized method of reporting operating quality costs at the Neutron Devices Department (NDD), St. Petersburg, Florida. Quality Control Management recognized the need to report operating quality costs more meaningfully. With the aid and cooperation of the Finance Section, a GE 415 computerized (COBOL) procedure was developed and implemented at NDD to measure quality cost expenditures more effectively. The detailed procedure and explanation of pertinent quality cost activities can be found in the Appendices.

This report gives the status of production tests control tube loadings in reactor process tubes containing significant amounts of SS material. All data are given in table form. For further description of column headings and the current discharge goal exposure plan refer to Document DUN 3443.

This report itemizes the irradiations performed by Testing and Irradiation Services for Battelle-Northwest. It lists the material being irradiated, awaiting disposition and material shipped during the report period. Specific data given is TISR No., Request number, Material, Piece number, operating time, CMK Absorbed, charge date, location, exposure to date, discharge date and time, and shipping date.

Evaluation of the adequacy of the emergency cooling water addition system (ECWA system) requires analysis of the postulated accidents for which the system is required to function. Analysis of these accidents requires a knowledge of the amount of the ECW added that goes to the fuel; both the total amount to the fuel and the amount to the central fuel assemblies. This memorandum presents the methods used to calculate the flows to the fuel and the results of the calculations. The calculations are illustrated with a loss of pumping power accident and a plenum line break accident.

The technical concept for Project Travois contains one simple analysis of the potential hazard of contaminating the Arrowrock Reservoir on the Boise River with some of the radionuclides produced. This previous analysis assumes homogeneous and prompt mixing of all the tritium and tungsten isotopes. This simple analysis is physically unrealistic sine there is no way of transporting all of these radionuclides to the reservoir, promptly. We shall in this paper reanalyze the contamination problem in such a way that we define the type of site geology and hydrology information that must be developed.

A discussion is given of where to go next in exploring HE systems with energy equal to LX-09, or better.

Because of the persistent problem of convenient determination of underground yield, Certain `electromagnetically` oriented ideas in this area are summarized. They all require much more detailed study and evaluation, although one or two of them are inexpensive enough to perhaps warrant an empirical test. Methods discussed are: Vertical sounding of the Ionosphere; The electromagnetic `Magnetic Bubble` scheme; Non-resonant scattering; Resonant scattering; and The gravitational pulse.

None

The desirability of evaluating low assay plutonium-238 ({approximately}23% Pu-238) oxide was discussed with AEC personnel during a meeting at Germantown on July 6, 1967. In September, 1967 a sample of this material was furnished to Mound for evaluation. This evaluation was to be completed on a schedule which would not interfere with production of material for the SNAP programs, and was to include characterization of the oxide feed, and preparation and subsequent characterization of plasma-fired microspheres according to SNAP-27 procedures. Authorization to perform this work was received from DAO on September 1, 1967.

RX-04-CW, LX-07-1, and RX-09-CD were tested. The RX-04-CW and LX-07-1 are not complete; however, results so far show the TX-04-CW comparable in sensitivity to PBX 9404 while the LX-07-1 is less sensitive at 14{degree}. The RX-09-CD was slightly more sensitive than the RX-09-CB previously tested.

This report presents details of the activities of Douglas United Nuclear at the Hanford site during the month of December 1967.

This report presents details of the activities of Douglas United Nuclear at the Hanford site during the month of June 1968.

RX-09-CB and LX-07 were made to supply material for testing. Both were made in the 300-gallon kettle in 250-pound batches which were then blended into 1,000-pound lots. An RX-09 with no plasticizer (HMX and DNPA) was made in the 30-liter reactor for special gap and friction studies. Approximately 20 pounds of DNPOH, supplied by Aerojet, was converted to DNPA and polymerized by the emulsion polymerization process. Work on high surface area PETN continued by precipitation recrystallizing two 10 kg batches; one to supply material for detonator applications to Mound Laboratory and the other to supply high surface area PETN to LRL for special applications. Surface area for this batch was 21,200 cm{sup 2}/gm. The detonator material had a surface area of 14,500 cm{sup 2}/gm. A system duplicating the English method for achieving high surface area has been completed with the installation of the 8-inch Micronizer, and two preliminary trials of one pound each have been made. Surface areas were 20,900 and 14,900 cm{sup 2}/gm. The system is being modified slightly to eliminate the problems incurred during these trial runs and preparations are in process for making a 10 kg batch to be shipped to Mound.

This report itemizes the irradiations performed by Testing and Irradiation Services for Battelle-Northwest. It lists the material being irradiated, awaiting disposition and material shipped during the report period during May 1968.