aluminum has been considered as a material for cladding fuel elements to be used in reactors cooled by high-temperature recirculating water. Aluminum is abundant, chap, has a relatively low cross section for thermal neutrons, and is readily fabricated into complex shapes. For these reasons, it appears that the use of aluminum rather than steel, Zircaloy or other candidate materials for fuel element cladding, would result in considerable savings in operating expense. The actual economics will of course depend on specific factors such as core materials and design of the reactor/. Aluminum appears particularly attractive for cladding the cores of aluminum-plutonium alloy proposed for the Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor since, in this case, the physical characteristics of the core and cladding would be practically identical.

An estimate was made of the beam hole currents to be expected from both the radial and tangential beam holes in the present HFIR design. The angular fluxes required for these calculation were determined by an 18-group, S8 transport calculation (SNG reactor code). Both type beam holes produced thermal neutron currents of 7.5 x 10^10 neutrons/cm^2 sec. at a power level of 100 Mw. The nonthermal component of the beam current was 7.0 x 10^10 and 4.5 x 10^10 neutrons/cm^2 -sec for the radial and tangential holes, respectively.

This document reports the circumstances surrounding the failure of sheathed thermocouples during a test being conducted in the KAPL-120 Loop. The report is prepared to provide a record of these events and to acquaint those who use these thermocouples for testing of other applications with the difficulties that are sometimes encountered.

Abstract: A definitive investigation of the boron-carbon equilibrium system is being made by X-ray diffraction, metallographic, and thermal analytical techniques. Alloys are being produced by sintering pressed powder aggregates with subsequent arc melting. Alloys have been made at two atomic percent intervals up to thirty atomic per cent carbon. In the future, higher carbon compositions are to be investigated. Techniques have been worked out for the metallographic preparation of the extremely hard and friable alloys.

A significant reduction in non-equilibrium losses is possible through the use of poison splines for reactivity and heat distribution control during reactor startups. The curves presented show the results of an analysis of recent KE Reactor poison spline startup usage. These curves demonstrate the magnitude of gains possible at other reactors through the use of poison splines for turnaround control.

In 1955 the Fuels Development Operation began irradiation testing of fuel elements in high temperature water. It was assumed that if a new reactor were built at Hanford, it would be cooled by high-temperature, pressurized water. Corrosion tests showed that aluminum-clad production fuel elements could not be used in high-temperature water. Therefore, while work to improve the resistance of aluminum to high-temperature water proceeded, the Fuel Design Operation began irradiation of stainless steel- and Zircaloy-2-clad fuel elements. During 1956 and 1957, stainless steel-clad elements were tested in the Materials Testing Reactor (MTR), Hanford H Reactor Loop, and the KE Reactor Recirculating (KER) Loops. During 1957, a coextrusion method for cladding uranium rods with Zircaloy-2 was developed. The first irradiation of Zircaloy-2-clad fuel from an off-site supplier began in late 1958. The objective of the irradiation was to study the dimensional stability of the fuel rods and a seven-rod fuel assembly. Two coextruded, seven-rod elements were irradiated in KER Loop l.

None

From Abstract: "The data for gummed film fallout measurements through December 1959 are reported. The bulk of the report consists of summary tables for each gummed film station listing the monthly estimates of strontium 90 deposition and infinity gamma dose."

This document consists of length and annealing data sheets.

The described information consists of fuel element specifications, irradiation system parameters, operating conditions, and failure observations to include rupture identification.

Although the corrosion of resistance of Zircaloy--2 clad fuel elements in high temperature water is excellent, some concern has been expressed in regard to the resistance against fretting corrosion. Since this form of corrosion can proceed quite rapidly it could induce fuel element failure through penetration of the cladding. Fretting corrosion if it occurred, would take place either where the fuel element contacted the process tube or where portions of the fuel element contacted each other, e. g. wire-wrapping around a cluster of cylindrical fuel rods. This form of corrosion is defined as corrosion occurring at contact areas and as such, fretting of Zircaloy-2 could take place in many reactor concepts. This report details the results of testing performed to induce fretting corrosion of Zircaloy-2 and the direction of the future tests.

From abstract: The principal efforts during the fourth project quarter were the near-completion of the final design and preparation of specifications for plant components. Reactor development work included final preparations for the flexible zero-power test (PMZ-1) program and revised fuel element irradiation test program, continuation of reactor flow test, further work on heat transfer test program, and final design and fabrication of the prototype magnetic jack-type control rod actuators.

From abstract: Reactor development work includes: initiation of the flexible zero-power test (PMZ-1) experimental program, fabrication and delivery of a PM-1 type fuel element, continuation of reactor flow and heat transfer tests, development work on rare earth control rods, and testing and redesign of the prototype magnetic jack-type control rod actuator.

Under simplifying assumptions, an expression is obtained relating the integrated kinetic energy transferred to moderator atoms to the thermal neutron exposure in adjacent fuel. Reactor-dependent factors are explicit in the expression which make it possible to compare graphite contraction data from different reactors or to estimate graphite damage in a new reactor based oil observed damage in existent reactors. Graphite temperature, which may be an important factor in graphite contraction, is not considered as one of the variables in this report. Also, the damage dependency on neutron energy is not dealt with in great detail because of the relatively unknown facts in this regard. A particular application of concern at the present is to determine the pertinent factors relating to fast neutron exposure in the NPR to assist in determining the integrated damage over the life of the pile.

Abstract: An analysis of SM-1 Core II and SM-1A Core I zero power experiments was made by comparing these cores to each other and to AM-1 Core I on the basis of critical bank positions, bank calibrations and available chemical analyses of the fuel plate compositions. The effects of replacing boron absorbers by europium absorbers upon rod worth and stuck rod conditions were studied. Comparisons of measured and calculated power distributions were made. It was concluded that both SM-1 Core II and SM-1A Core I contain nearly identical B-10 loading of 17.79 grams, compared to the best estimate of 15.75 grams for SM-1 Core I. The available data indicates that all three cores possess similar nuclear characteristics.

This report addresses the control design review of P&W quarterly for July to September 1960.

In order to predict graphite damage rates for the NPE, it is necessary to have some knowledge of the neutron fluxes at various energy levels. In particular it is important to know flux levels relative to those existing where graphite samples have been irradiated experimentally. Three-group flux levels have been calculated for regions far from boundaries in the core of the NPR and of a K-reactor. The results reported here have been obtained from more detailed calculations using better cross section data than used in obtaining a previous set of values (for NPR only). The calculations of effective group cross sections for the reactor lattice still are not entirely satisfactory however, and it is hoped that some improvement can be made. Since any revision of the cross sections will affect the calculated flux levels, the values reported here should be regarded as preliminary. It is felt that the relationship between NPR and K fluxes should be fairly satisfactory, since identical calculational methods were used for both.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Validity of an application for an absentee ballot or of an absentee ballot signed with an "X", and related questions.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Authority of Kleberg County to execute an oil and gas lease on a county road right of way.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Authority of the Secretary of State to accept and file the application for Certificate of Authority of Panhandle Telephone Co-Operative, Inc., a foreign corporation, which proposes to furnish rural telephone service and related questions.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Term of office of members of the Commission on State and Local Tax Policy.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Will Wilson, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: If a county wide local option election were held in Grayson County resulting in a dry vote, what effect would such election have on the local option election held by the City of Denison on July 9, 1960?

Four naturally occurring materials, namely, vermiculite, variscite, Tennessee rock phosphate, and Florida pebble phosphate, were studied to determine the feasibility of their use in columns for the sorption of strontium from high pH, intermediate-level wastes produced at ORNL. Excepting vermiculite, all materials were found to be effective in strontium removal.

The purpose of this report is to present laboratory data concerning thermal and hydraulic changes which occur in a low power process channel during a flow interruption. The experiments were conducted in the Heat Transfer Laboratory of Thermal Hydraulics Operation.