Methods are presented for determining the electric power requirements of a given communications mission in terms of mission and orbit parameters. Analyses were made of possible applications of available and projected space auxiliary power units in these satellites. The satellitc as a communication node is discussed. Example calculations are given. (M.C.G.)

The scintillation response of CsI(Tl) crystals, having various thallium contents, was measured for excitation of the crystals by monoenergetic gamma rays, protons, and alpha particles. The investi gation was made to provide a test of some of the features of a theoretical model of the scintillation process in thallium-activated alkali iodides proposed by Murray and Meyer. In order to insure that the results obtained in this program would provide a critical test of the scintillation model, special attention was paid to technical effects which could influence the interpretation of the experimental data. For example, the effect of the pulseanalysis time on the relative scintillation response of CsI(Tl) to various charged parti cles was investigated. In addition, the emission spectra of the CsI(Tl) crystals were measured for excitation by x rays, protons, and alpha particles. The results of the investigation showed that the scintillation efficiency of CsI(Tl) is a continuous function of dE/dx, as assumed in the scintillation model, within the accuracy of the experiments when the effect of delta ravs are considered. This led to the conclusion that the light output of CsI(Tl) crystals is, in general, a nonlinear function of the energy of the particle. The shape of the …

The purpose of this investigation is to determine the extent to which Zr and Zr alloys exhibit delayed failure (static fatigune) as caused by a combination of absorbed H and applied stress. Both notched and unnotched specimens of unalloyed Zr and Zircaloy-2 were hydrogenated to 200 ppm and 500 ppm by means of a modified Sieverts apparatus; specimens were evaluated at room temperature. Thus far, no time-dependent fracture was observed which can be attributed to the delayed failure phenomenon; it appears that these materials are relatively insensitive to static fatigune. The effects of grain size, temperature, cold deformation, and superheated water and steam corrosion on susceptibility to delayed failure are being determined. (auth)

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S>Progress is reported on the research and development program being performed in connection with the design of the Pathfinder Atomic Power Plant. The topics covered include: fuel material cladding, bonding, and irradiation testing; heat transfer and fluid flow; fuel element manufacturing research and development; low-enrichment superheater fuel element design; mechanical studies of control rods, guide tubes, and control rod drives; reactor physics; and reactor and system dynamics. (C.H.)

The stress analysis performed on the SM-lA reactor vessel and cover is presented. The msximum combined stress (51,360 psi in compression) occurs in the vessel cover during a 50 deg F/hr transient. A fatigue analysis of these stresses indicated that they could be applied safely at least 2500 times, and since the vessel is expected to receive less than 900 cycles, it should not suffer any fatigue damage. (auth)

The development and fabrication of Pb-Te pellets, contacted to Fe end caps, for use as elements in thermoelectric converters for the SNAP 10A program, is described. The method adopted consists of contacting, by hot pressing in a controlled atmosphere, 24 pellets simultaneously, using q-layer, 8-cavity graphite dies. The optimum hot pressing parameters were found to be 5000 psi at 1550 deg F for 30 min. Several thousand elements were produced by this relatively high-volume process, modifying the normally slow and expensive hot pressing by the use of multilayer, multicavity dies and automatic controls. (auth)

Progress is reported on the organic-cooled reactor program under the topics: organic coolant research, EOCR experimental projects, and EOCR operations. Separate abstracts were prepared for each topic. (M.C.G.)

The expanding use of Zircaloy-clad Zr-enriched U alloy fuel suggested a need for higher capacity reprocessing facilities. The most ungent requirement is for continuous dissolution equpment to match the solvent extraction capacity already available at Idaho Chemical Processing Plant. Because of the rapid disaolution rates possible with aqueous HF on clean metal as well as on oxidized fuels, and subsequent flowsheet economics, it is the reagent of choice. Laboratory measurements and a survey of the properties of UF/sub 4/ indicated highest solubility in the dissolver effluent was obtained at higher total fluoride concentrations and lower fluoride-to-Zr mole ratios. Since Zr salts were shown to be susceptible to precipitation at higher fluoride and Zr concentrations, an optimum dissolver effluent compositton was selected for a Dilute flowsheet at about 5M total fluoride and a 1.1M Zr. The operation of two bench-scale dissolvers verified the feasibility of a continuous process, and Monel and Carpenter20(Nb) were confirmed as suitable materials of construction for the dissolver. Using the Dilute Flowsheet, U solublilty equivalent to the dissolution of fuels containing 2% U, overall, was achieved. Correlations of dissolver effluent flow rate with effluent composition and with total Zr dissolved are given for guidance in engineering scaleup. …

The concept of overboring the graphite channels in an older Hanford reactor and installing oversized tubes charged with oversize fuel elements is being investigated at C reactor. Recently a column of these oversized test fuel elements exhibited three uranium cleavage (split) type failures after experiencing severe reactor flux cycling. This report presents a preliminary description of both the fuel failures and the flux cycling encountered by the reactor.

The existing pumping capacity and piping intertie arrangement between 181-D and 183-DR makes it necessary to continuously cross-feed treated water from 183-DR flumes to insure adequate reactor flow to 105-DR to meet present production levels. This arrangement means that pumping equipment in both 181-D and 183-D is kept in use to the extent that repair or productive maintenance work must be accomplished during reactor outages, or production levels must be reduced to release a pumping unit during operation.

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The water plants and associated steam back-up facilities which supply coolant to Hanford`s eight production reactors are large and vital facilities. Their reliability is essential to the safety and continuity of reactor operation. Their output and efficiency are important to reactor productivity and to the unit cost of plutonium and other irradiation products. In the fiscal year just ended, the cost of operating the reactor water and steam plants was $16,000,000, which represented a major fraction (37%) of the total irradiation cost for the same period. Substantial improvements in water plant capacity and operating economy over an extended period are reflected in this operating cost figure. The purpose of this report is to highlight the capacity increases and cost reductions achieved during the five fiscal years 1958 through 1962.

This volume is one of twenty-one summarizing the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Program of the General Electric Company. This portion describes the studies of advanced applications of nuclear reactors that were performed, including various types of aircraft, missiles, space vehicles, ships, and portable power plants.

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The costs of fluidized bed calcining of the acidic and re-acidified forms of Purex and Thorex wastes were determined. The wastes were assumed produced by a chemical-processing plant recovering unburned fuel from 1500 tons/ yr of U converter fuel at a burnup of 10,000 Mwd/ton and 270 tons/yr of Th converter fuel at 20,000 Mwd/ton. Also, investment costs for storage of the calcine in vented, air cooled, annular bins installed in underground concrete valuts were determined. The cost of fluidized bed calcining was determined at processing rates of 45, 80, and 75 gph for solids storage in bins varying from 3 to 22 in. thick and installed in underground concrete vaults containing 4, 12, 20, and 40 nested annular bins, each nest with an overall diameter of up to 12.5 ft. Aging had negligible effect on costs, except as it permitted thicker bins to be used. The lowest cost, 0.47 x 10/sup -2/ mills/kwh/sub e/, was for processing acidic Purex and Thorex wastes at 75 gph with storage in an underground concrete vault contnining 40 of the 12.5-ftdia. nested bin arrays. And the highest cost, 2.9 x 10/sup -2/ mills/kwh/sub e/, was for processing reacidified Purex and Thorex wastes at …

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The Kinetic Experiment on Water Boiler (KEWB) reactor is a 50-kw aqueous homogeneous research reactor which was designed to study the safety characteristics and dynamic behavior of this class of reactors. When the reactor is placed on a short-period power transient, its aqueous uranyl sulfate fuel solution becomes rapidly supersaturated with H/sub 2/ gas produced by the radiolysis of water. At a critical gas concentration, fission track nucleation of H/sub 2/ bubbles occurs. The rapid formation and growth of these bubbles creates a pressure field, the so-called inential pressure, which causes an increase in solution volume. This increase in solution volume, referred to as void, causes a loss of reactivity and constitutes an important shutdown mechanism. The conditions under which fission track nucleation of gas bubbles occurs are described. It is shown that the void volume and void compensated reactivity can be calculated from a knowledge of the pressure field. Simple models for the pressure field are presented which satisfactorily describe the observed pressures. The inpile capsule and KEWB experiments which confirm the validity of the mechanisms for these processes are described. The equations and data presented make it possible to predict with accuracy the onset and magnitude of the …

A twenty-couple fission-heated thermoelectric generator, TE-5, was tested in the Westinghouse Testing Reactor. The open circuit voltage, instantaneous closed circuit voltage, steady state closed circuit voltage, instantaneous closed circuit current, and steady state closed circuit current were monitored during the 23-day cycle. The initial power output was 110 watts (48 amps at 2.3 volts) at a TH of 660 to 690 deg C and a T/sup C/ of 130 deg C. After 23 days the output was approximately one watt. (auth)

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Methods were developed for the syntheses of alkalimetal p--bar ethylbenzenesulfonates. P--bar ethylbenzenesulfonic acid is isolated and is purified as barium p--bar -ethylbenzenesulfonate which is converted to the Na, K, or Cs p-bar -ethylbenzenesulfonate by means of a slight excess of the corresponding alkali-metal carbonate. Lithium sulfate is used to form the lithium p-bar -ethylbenzenesulfonate. (auth)

ABS>A procedure was developed for fabricating a Teflon dropping-mercury electrode (D.M.E.) that has been shown experimentally to be satisfactory for polarography in glasscorroding media. Because of the lack of a suitable electrode, polarography in such media has not been possible. The electrode consists of a glass-capillary and a Tefloncapillary segment which are attached by guide sleeves to form a unit that behaves as if it were a single segment. Procedures were perfected for precision-lapping a conical end on a glass D.M.E. capillary without plugging the capillary and for fabricating a Teflon segment of specified orifice diameter within a wide range (15 to 110 mu ) and to within plus or minus 10 mu . The Teflon segment has a round smoothwalled orifice, a lapped face that is perpendicular to the bore, and a bore of diameter and shape that can be varied. (auth)

In research on plastics, flow curve data were obtained on asbestos- filled diallyl phthalate formulations. The tensile properties of adhesive formulations after 26 weeks cure time are being tested. In development of radioelements, progress is reported in investigations of kinetics invoived in Po(IV) reduction by ferrous iron and selective adsorption of trace elements. Development of separating and purifying processes is reported for Xe, H/sub 2/, and C. Work on the Ranger x-ray sensor was devoted to fiim casting techniques and Be metallography and deposition. Developmental work in Pu-bearing fuels is reported on techniques for differential thermai analysis, interfacial tension studies on liquids, cerium viscosity, Pu phase studies, and Pu-bearing glass. Developmental work in support of SNAP was devoted to welding, capsule design, source metallography, and recovery of U . Calorimetric measurements related to Ra/sup 223/ half life are reported. Development of a program for reduction of spectrometric data is also reported. (J.R.D.)

Results of studies concerning the asymmetric/symmetric ratio for fission induced by neutrons of energies corresponding to various fission resonances are presented. These studies were carried out primarily with monoenergetic neutrons at 1.8, 2.3, and 4.3 ev. The fission ratios in the low-energy resonance region was found to change from resonance to resonance, and the ratios appear to fall into symmetry classes each of which has a characteristic peak-to-valley mass yield ratio. It appears that a spin dependence is involved in the mass distribution as predicted by the Bohr model. The exact nature of this dependence is not clearly understood. (J.R.D.)