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A thermal analysis was carried out to determine the thermal behavior of the M.O.R.L. and lunar base reactor systems during atmospheric reentry. Of particular interest are the configurations of the various reactor systems at impact and the effect of the presence of a 4 Pi neutron shield upon the reactor thermal behavior.

Fabrication of LiAlO{sub 2} target elements for the N-Reactor Coproduct Demonstration Program required development of a suitable fabrication process consistent with installation of a minimum production facility on a limited time schedule. The most advanced manufacturing process developed and used within the facility and schedule constraints is described in detail. Major problems encountered in obtaining required component materials and development of the fabrication process are discussed and analyzed for impact on future programs utilizing LiAlO{sub 2} target elements.

These notes report on strontium and cesium storage capabilities in B- Plant. Construction of tanks is discussed, including cost. Other aspects of waste management are recorded including neptunium- plutonium 238 separation waste, heat generation rates for fission products, and radioisotope production in Purex processing.

Calculated temperatures permitted in the Columbia River under various suggested regulations were plotted and reported in support of AEC studies. Mechanisms of Environmental Exposure. Measurements of radioactivity were completed in 362 pupils and 5 teachers at Emerson School on November 17. Measurements will begin at the third Pasco elementary school on December 5. Lectures were given at Mark Twain School to the teaching staff on November 20, and to 23 classroom son November 27 through December 1. A lecture was also given to the PTA meeting the evening of November 20 at Robert Frost elementary school in Pasco. Modifications were made to the electronic equipment and to the mobile whole-body counter van to improve the performance of the facility to further protect the NaI crystal from potential cold weather damage. Errors found inn the computer-calculated environmental doses were being corrected at month`s end, and the doses will be recalculated in December.

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Examination of Zircaloy-2 process tubes from Hanford Production Reactors has revealed extensive zirconium hydride formation. In general, attack is limited to the downstream portions of tubes where aluminum spacers are located. Most of the hydride platelets are contained in a case or layer on the inner surface of the tube. It is not unusual to find cases 0.004 to 0.005 in. thick. Analyses of the 0.037 in. wall tubes with such cases intact often reveal hydrogen concentrations greater than 1000 ppM. Investigation indicates that the hydriding is the result of galvanic contact between aluminum and Zircaloy-2. The galvanic couple (contact between dissimilar metals in the presence of reactor cooling water which serves as the electrolyte) results in the cathodic charging of hydrogen into the Zircaloy.

The main values of the 302 gantry exercise were to check the preparation of the Neurospora experiment and the spacecraft loading procedure under timed conditions and to provide final assurance that necessary operations can be completed with appropriate inspection in the allotted time. Because of the brief time interval between the 302 Gantry Exercise and the scheduled Biosatellite A flight, no attempt was made to assay for forward-mutation frequecies; however, biocompatibility tests were performed on the 302 hardware by plating conidia from a number of the modules in the usual fashion to assay survival. The average heteokaryotic conidial survival was 82.6%, which is sufficiently high for use of the conidia in a forward-mutation experiment. Calibration of thermoluminescent dosimeters was carried out using a /sup 85/Sr ..gamma.. source.

The object of the study was the investigation of the behaviour of structures subject to earthquakes. After .describing and analysing seismic movements, useful concepts for earthquake-proofing structures are lintroduced. Then, the dynamic behaviour of systems with n degrees of freedom was studied in order to evolve the theoretical computation of seismic behaviour, a typical application being reticulated structures. The next stage was showing the computational procedure for seismic spectra and the natural frequencies of buildings, an attempt being made to define earthquake-proofing criteria for a special type of reinforced-concrete construction. . The last matter dealt with is elastoplastic behaviour of structures, a study of increasingly growing importance.

Preliminary studies utilizing the MOFDA code have been made for tritium production at the K reactors using 33 and 35 grams per foot oralloy (93.5% U-235) in aluminum in conjunction with standard K5N and K5E fuel elements, respectively. For this report, it was assumed that all tritium would be produced in discrete charges of LiAl target elements. It is intended that the study will be extended at some later time to include LiAl splines. The analysis includes the effect of coolant loss on reactivity for hot-or-cold and green-or-exposed conditions for several oralloy loading fractions.

The temperature standard of the new regulation, although less restrictive than previously proposed, continues to be one with which Hanford may find compliance difficult. The degree of restriction will depend both on natural river conditions and the methods of enforcement. Other specific standards are not apt to be restricting in the near future, but will necessitate further study and probably increased routine surveillance. One general requirement, which stipulates that ``all known, available and reasonable methods of treatment`` it must be pursued before approval is granted for a dilution zone, may present difficulties. No guidelines are given for ``reasonable``, yet an adequate dilution zone is mandatory for Hanford reactor effluents to comply with the regulation.

The extended form of the Jones and Furry theory, which describes the behavior of a multicomponent heavy isotopic gas in a Clusius-Dickel thermal diffusion column, is tested. Experimental and theoretical values of the thermal diffusion column transport equation coefficients Hsub{ik},Ksub{c}, and Ksub{d}, are determined for krypton, a heavy isotopic gas with six isotopes. The experiments are carried out in a column of the hotwire type, at three wire temperatures: Tsub{H}=350 degrees C, 500 degrees C and 800 degrees C. Good agreement is found between the theoretical and experimental values of the coefficients. Seven of nine of the experimentally determined values of the coefficients agree within +- 10% with the corressponding theoretical values. The remaining two experimental values agree within +- 20% with the corresponding theoretical values.

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This report describes research, development, support, and test activities in the Sandia Laboratory Aerospace Nuclear Safety Program for November 1967.

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