This memorandum discusses the roflanging of the corroded rear Van Stone flanges at the B Pile after cutting 3/8-inch off the rear gun barrel which should place the B Pile in a condition as good as, or better than that of the D or F Piles.

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There were no cases of unusual blistering of slugs being followed under Production Tests. Two normal production tubes were borescoped following trouble with discharge. In Tube 3188-D a distorted slug became stuck in the region of sharp curvature near the inner end of the rear gun barrel; this is the first time this phenomenon has occurred. Examination of irradiated slugs of rolled metal after normal exposure indicates that rolled material has no particular advantages over extruded material from the standpoint of blistering. However, no extensively blistered pieces were found in either the rolled metal are being held for more extended exposure. Inspection of a large number of Van Stone flanges in the D and F Piles has confirmed that the inlet flanges are in generally good condition but that the rear Van Stone flanges of tubes in the 0.140-inch orifice sone of both piles were badly corroded and generally contained deep pits that extended about half-way through the flange. The Van Stone test units are to be installed unshielded in the risor room at the rear of the D Pile, since the shielding required in the X Sample Room exceeded the allowable floor loading. Recent experimental observations indicate that solid …

This monthly report details technical activities in pile technology at the Hanford Engineer Works for the time period of April 6 through April 12, 1947.

Data acquired form the sampling of Yakima River water-t Tests is presented. The sampling took place on June 24, 1947. The samples were analyzed for ph value, alkalinity, chlorine, harness, NH(sub 3), NO(sub 3), biological oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity.

This memorandum lists the effect upon reactivity which would result from certain changes of material or design which might be considered for the new piles. Some of the information, published previously, is report here for convenience.

U.M. Staebier reports from the pile areas. Foil tests were conducted at the B pile. A power coefficient test was performed at the D pile; special request materials and reactivity balance are also reported. The new No. 2 horizontal rod of the F pile has been slightly resized. Graphite temperature readings, thermal conductivity calculations, special request materials, and reactivity balance are also reported. General physics are considered. Production tests 105-85-P and 106-1-P are reported. Egg testing at the 305 test pile is discussed. (GHH)

Data acquired from the sampling of Yakima River water on June 24, 1947, is presented. The water was analyzed for temperature, hardness, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, chlorine, alkalinity, NO(sub 3), NH(sub 3), and ph value.

The test of March 7, 1947 was planned as a check on power coefficient values; however, an analysis of reactivity data gave evidence of a considerable flattening of ``A`` rod in the region between 0--75 inches out. A second test of longer duration was therefore made on April 1, 1947 in order to obtain a check calibration of this portion of the control rod. The results of this test verified the flattening of this portion of ``A`` rod. The redetermined power coefficients based on new rod calibrations are given.

This report describes a test performed on April 2, 1947 to determine the reactivity power coefficients and the graphite relaxation period of the F Pile in accordance with the procedure described by this Production Test.

This document details 100 Areas technical activities in reactor physics research and operation for the month of February 1947.

Recent discussions in the group have given rise to the problem of determining whether the beta contamination found in the Columbia River is carried by the algae which are found in the retention basin. The algae accumulate in the basin and apparently remain there longer than the retained water, and thus may be contaminated to a greater extent than the water itself.

Four routine shutdowns were experienced during the month. A measurable amount of the excess reactivity held in the control rods at the first of the month has been lost in the decrease in the average accumulated exposure of all the metal in the pile. The vertical safety rod guides have been measured for vertical alignment by the Maintenance Dept. A definite pattern has been found in the misalignment of the guides. The horizontal rod thimbles were borrowed on January 2, 1947 to see if any leaks were present. No leaks were observed but No. 2 Rod and No. 8 Rod had heavy gouge marks along the longitudinal axes. Several thimbles contained white corrosion. During the month two new bismuth tubes were established, 2871-D and 2877-D. This now gives the desired pattern of ten bismuth tubes.

There were seven charges of metal inspected during the month for corrosion and blistering studies. There were no unusual cases of blistering noted and the corrosion rates were normal for this time of year. Borescopic examination of the graphite packing around the ``B`` Hole in the F Pile revealed that the graphite is no more severely cracked than in the D Pile when it was inspected about a year ago. Examination of the graphite at the downstream and of Tube 1385-D did not indicate that any damage had been done by the leak in that tube. Forty one tubes have been charged in the F Pile on Production Test 105-90-P, ``Exposure of TX Metal Slugs.`` The routine job of taking vertical bowing measurements was turned over to the Instrument Department after working with them once in each Area. Installation of Van Stone test units was completed and a brief run was started. Van Stone flanges at both ends of 64 process tubes in both the B and F Piles were measured with a micrometer to determine the minimum amount of metal remaining.

This monthly report details Engineering Department technical activities for the month of May 1947.

This is the first of a series of monthly reports covering details of the work of the Engineering Group of the Pile Technology Section of the Technical Department. The monthly Slug Inspection Report is being discontinued as a separate document and is being incorporated in this group report. Included is work on corrosion and blistering; graphite expansion; and irradiation studies.

The excess reactivity available in an operating pile is absorbed in poison columns and horizontal rods. The temperature distribution of the pile is determined by the relative strengths and locations of the poison columns and the configuration of control rods used. A method for adjusting poison columns and rods to improve upon the pile`s temperature distribution is given in Document {number_sign}7-2654, ``Procedure for Improving Temperature Distribution via Rods and Columns,`` Wheeler and Menegus to Jordan, September 9, 1945. A relationship between poison moment (inhour lattice units) and temperature moments (per coat) was theoretically derived in the above document and has since been measured on several occasions on the basis of operating experience. A survey of recent operating data for the F Pile has been made by H. A. Gauper, Jr. with the intent of improving the method for obtaining the temperature and poison moments and relating changes in the two. This study was concerned with only the horizontal and vertical dipole moments. The results of Mr. Gauper`s investigation are summarized in this memorandum.

This report summarizes physics experiments carried out in different parts of the 100 area at Hanford during December, 1946. This included work on the D pile, F pile, and experiments aimed at studying the irradiation properties of graphite and metal samples exposed to different radiation environments. Pile tests included reactivity tests, calibrations of control rods, and power coefficient tests.

This monthly report details Physics Department 100 Area technical activities for the month of April 1947.

This monthly report covers activities for the production reactors. The 100 Area activities include: corrosion and blistering studies of slugs and flanges; study of the process tube leak at 105-D; graphite expansion studies which include galling of process tubes and stresses in biological shields; and irradiation studies.

This report contains a letter, written on July 25, 1947, concerning the sampling program at Columbia River. The author suggests reducing the sampling schedule. He states that chemical composition sampling should be reduced by one-fifth and radioactivity sampling be reduced by one-third. He suggests that only mid-channel samples are required for representative studies. He further states that weekly sampling should occur. By following these suggestions, the cost of the sampling program should be drastically reduced because the hours of manpower taken to sample the river, analyze the data, organize, and store information would be reduced.

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This report contains the calculation of the number and spacing of poison columns required to hold a 105 pile in the following cases: (1) complete failure of horizontal rods, (2) complete failure of all rods. Using 10% Cd 90% Pb poison columns of 1.44 inch diameter, it is found that 17 poison columns are required to hold the pile in case of complete failure of horizontal rods, and 65 poison columns are required to hold the pile in case of complete failure of all rods.

The gas thermometer in the F Pile has been overhauled and re-calibrated. The readings are still in agreement with the readings from the graphite thermocouples. A similar overhaul of the gas thermometer in the D Pile will be made during June. The progress of further outward bowing of Tube 2496-D can not be followed satisfactorily even though readings are obtained from both inlet and outlet ends of the tube. Preliminary results obtained from the one-tube mock-up suggest the possibility that the graphite adjacent to the gun barrels in the upper part of the D Pile may fracture after an additional expansion of about 50%, and that this fracturing may distort the tube locally so that 1.44-inch diameter pieces can not be passed through the tube. There is definite indication that continued expansion of the graphite in the D Pile is causing an increase in both the frequency and severity of gun-barrel binding. The committee endorses the proposal that tubes in the top corners of the F Pile which have yet to be discharged for the first time should be left empty rather than re-loaded. This move would be in the direction of reducing the size of the pile in anticipation …