Progress is reviewed on the following reactors: EBWR; Borax-V; ZPR-III- ZPR-VI; ZPR-IX; EBR-I; and EBR-II. An outline of fast and slow reactor safety studies in TREAT is presented. Progress is also reported in applied nuclear and reactor physics; development of reactor fuels, materials, and components; heat engineering technology; separation processes; and advanced reactor concepts. (T.F.H.)

Measurements of dielectric leakage, capacitance, electric strength, andd charge scattering phenomena were performed at the Kukla and Godiva III critical assemblies for tantalum and aluminum electrolytic, wax- and oilimpregnated paper, mylar, mica, and ceramic capacitors, and for mylar and Vitamin B-impregnated paper. Leakage data indicate that gamma induced conductivity in capacitor dielectric varies directly with gamma DELTA , where gamma is the gamma radiation rate and DELTA is 0.9 for mylar, 0.7 for Vitamin Q-impregnated paper, and approximately 1.0 for the other dielectrics. A small portion of the tantalum oxide conductivity induced by gamma radiation exhibited a recovery time of approximately 150 mu s. Transient capacitance changes due to radiation were non- existent within plus or minus 0.1% for mica and Vitamin Q capacitors. Transient charging of tantalum capacitors was noted during irradiation with no applied voltage. No drastic changes in electric strength were noted during irradiation of mylar and Vitamin Q-impregnated paper. Results are compared with a summary of data previously collected by others. The use of test data in parametric form as a tool for predicting transient radiation effects is discussed. (auth)

A conceptual design and economic evaluation of 300 and 40 MW/.sub e/ steam-cooled fast breeder reactor power plants were performed. A reactor core composed of U-Pu oxide rod-type fuel elements clad with Inconel-X and surrounded by a blanket of depleted UO/sub 2/ fuel was studied in some detail. Reactor breeding ratios of from 1.27 to 1.5 and overall system doubling times of from 20 to 30 years are achievable. For the near term (1967) 300 MW/sub e/ plant, an energy cost of 7.6 mills/kwh is estimated, based on AEC ground rules for privately financed plants and utilities. This cost may go down to 5.7 mills/kwh by 1975. For the 40 MW/sub e/ plant corresponding energy costs are 19.5 and 13.7 mills/kwh, r -spectively. The R&D program required for this reactor concept is estimated at million with an additional million for improvements leading to the 1975 reactor. Investigation of the operational and safety aspects of the reactor indicated that satisfactory procedures can be used for startup, shutdown, and emergency cooling of the reactor. An increase in reactivity upon flooding can be prevented by incorprating small amounts of high resonance absorption material in the core. Preliminary calculations indicate a substantial increase in …

A summary is presented of activities in reactor and general engineering research programs. Discussions are included for developments in EBWR, BORAX-V, ZPR-III. ZPR-VI, ZPR-IX, EBR-I, and EBR-II. Reactor safety studies were performed for fast and thermal reactors. Nuclear technology developments are discussed for applied nuclear and reactor physics, reactor fuels and materials development, heat engineering studies, separations processes, and advanced reactor concepts. (B.O.G.)

The percentage of helium which will bypass the core if the reflector system shown is used is predicted. It is estimated that nominally about 0.1 to 0.2% of the total flow will bypass the core, which is not considered excessive. The most difficult parameter to determine was Z, the gap between the sealing surfaces. The method used to predict Z is presented. The effect of bowing due to a temperature gradient across the seals is discussed. (auth)

Changes in neutron multiplication caused by voids in the island of the HFlR were calculated and measured experimentally. The results indicated that with only water initially in the island the maximum change in neutron multiplication ( DELTA k/sub max) associated with island voids is 0.032 with a corresponding void fraction of 70%. With a simulated 300 g Pu target in the island DELTA k/sub max/ was 0.0l6, and the corresponding void fraction was 42%. In view of these large changes in neutron multiplication, calculations were made to determine what additional materials could be used in the island to reduce DELTA k/sub max/ and what the associated decrease in peak thermal flux wouId be. The results indicated that of the materials considered the use of beryllium in the water island resulted in the smallest decrease in flux for a specified DELTA k/sub max/. To reduce DELTA k/sub max/ to 0.01 required 26% by volume of beryllium in the island; the corresponding reduction in thermal flux, as compared to an all-water island, was about 10%. In order to reduce DELTA k/sub max/ to 0.0l with a 300 g Pu target in the island, the aIuminum-to-water ratio of the target had to be …

Conceptual design and economic studies of a steamcooled fast breeder reactor that can also be used as a source of power are presented. Two reactor plant sizes were considered: a 300-Mw(e) central power station plant and a 40 Mw(e) plant. It was concluded that attractive economics and good breeding characteristics breeding ratios from 1.27 to 1.42) can be achieved in steam- cooled PuO/sub 2/UO/sub 2/ fueled fast reactors. Low capital costs can be obtained by a compact reactor core and the absence of large heat exchangers and complicated process systems. Reactor design data are discussed. Analysis showed that these reactors can be prevented from going prompt critical, when fully flooded, by incorporating a tolerable amount of high resonance absorption materials such as hafnium or indium. An increase in reactivity on loss of coolant was indicated by preliminary calculations. (M.C.G.)

BS>Data from examination of blade-type control rods which were used in BORAX are discussed. Operation and maintenance of EBWR is outlined. In work on Borax V, modifications for easier installation of reactor and components is outlined followed by discussion of superheat fuel element development, and fabrication of various reactor components. Borax reactor design is also reported along with information on development and testing. In research on sodiumcooled reactors, activities are summarized in the LPR III and LPR IV programs along with developmental work on EBR I and II. Studies on reactor safety are reported and activities in a program of nuclear technology and general support are outlined. (J.R.D.)

The mechanisms and kinetics of the loss of boron during heating at 1135 deg C under various dynamic environments were determined from powder compacts of 5 wt% elemental boron dispersed in matrices of Fe, Cr, Ni, Si, Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/, Cr/sub 2/O/sub 3/, NiO, and SiO/sub 2/, compacts of austenitic stainless steel alloy powder containing 0.25 wt% boron, and wrought specimens of 0.13 wt% boron-- stainless steel alloy. The compacts containing 5 wt% boron were heat treated in vacuum, highpurity argon, wet helium, and hydrogen. With the exception of those heat treated in hydrogen, significant boron losses occurred only when a supply of oxygen, either from the sample itself or as a deliberate addition to the heat- treating environment, was available. Correspondingly, the loss mechanism is postulated to be the oxidation of boron to boron sesquioxide and its volatilization from the sample. The loss rate is controlled by the volatilization rate of the oxide which is directly influenced by structure of the compact and sintering environment. Independent of the chemical nature of the matrix, boron losses were incurred during heat treatment in hydrogen. Variations of the water content of the hydrogen from 7 to 460 ppm did not significantly influence …

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Studies carried out on corrosion associated with the hydrofluorination- dissolution phase in the fused-salt Fluoride Volatility Process are summarized. Corrosion for hydrofluorination-dissolver vessels used in bench-scale and semiworks-scale process development at ORNL is discussed. The results of a study on construction materials for the dissolution phase are presented. Corrosion studies at ANL are described for comparison purposes. A full-size hydrofluorinator dissolver is described. (M.C.G.)

>The plant was operated from Feb. l959 until Jan. 3, 1961 when a nuclear excursion rendered the plant inoperable, A summary of operations is presented for the period Feb. 1960 until the incident. Plant operational tinwe during the period was 78% of that available. Satisfactory operation of conventional plant equipment was observed during 196 startups and scrams. An inspection of fuel assemblies after 700 Mwd showed no damage except to the B-Al strips attached to these assemblies. A greater than predieted gain in core reactivity was attributed to boron loss. Control rod sticking occurred 53 times ln 2,730 cases of operation. Test results on a PL-type condenser showed that its performance meets design rating. Steam quality remained greater than 99% for power levels up to 4.7 Mw(t) and radiation in the main steam system continued to be satisfactorily low. Waste handling requirements were increased but posed no problem. (J.R.D.)

A total of 661 animals was exposed to sharp''-rising overpressures of 3 to 4 msec duration using a shock tube of novel design which produced a pressure pulse similar to that obtained with high explosives. The reflected shock overpressures associated with 50% lethality were 29.0, rabbit, respectively. Other observations included the time of death in mortally wounded animals and gross pathological lesions likely to contribute to mortality. Selected data from the literature bearing upon the influence of overpressure and pulse duration on lethality were reviewed. These included pulse durations ranging from less than 1 msec to 8 sec. The critical pulse duration, that duration shorter than which the overpressures required for mortality increases sharply, was noted to depend upon animal size and to be of the order of many hundreds of microseconds to very few milliseconds for smaller'' animals and a few to many tens of milliseconds for larger'' animals. (auth)

A study was conducted to assess the feasibility of transporting the first spent core of the Elk River Power Reactor to Policoro, ltaly. Commercial transport arrangements were also examined and it was found that changes in indemnity and/or insurance are required. Other aspects appear favorable. (J.R.D.)

Tests are performed on Pathfinder superheat fuel element mockups, under reactor conditions of 600 psig, in order to determine the parameters influencing heat transfer from the fuel elements to the moderating water under shutdown conditions. The peak temperatures reached by the superheat elements are also found as functions of the heat generation rate. A mathematical model of the heat transfer system is developed. (T.F.H.)

The Stationary Low Power Reactor No. 1 (SL-1) was a boiling water reactor demonstration plant for remote military bases. The plant had been operated by Combustion Engineering, Inc. from February, l959 until January 3, 1961 at which time a nuclear excursion rendered the plant inoperable, This report summarizes the of operations of maintenance, test, health and safety, and administrative activities for the year February, 1960 until the incident.

Report issued by the APDA over a design study "of a facility for testing sodium-cooled thermal reactor fuel assemblies in the Advanced Test Reactor" (p. 5). The results are presented and discussed. This report includes tables, and illustrations.

A review of the theories of electron paramagnetic resonance in biology is presented, including a discussion of the nature of the physical observation, followed by examples of materials of biological interest. Iq discussing these examples, information is presented in terms of the nature of the starting material under observation rather than the nature of the magnetic entities observed. The examples proceed from the simpler molecules of biological interest (metabolites, vitamins, cofactors) into the more complex materials (polymers, proteins, nucleic acids) toward cellular organelles (mitochondria, chloroplasts) and, finally, to whole cells, organisms and organs. The observation of photoinduced unpaired electrons in photosynthetic material is described and the various parameters controlling it are discussed. The basic observation is interpreted in terms of a primary photophysical act of quantum conversion.

From abstract: "This program was a study of the basic variables that affect electrostatic classification of heterogeneous aerosols of submicron size, especially below 0.1 [mu]."

This document reports progress during the month of February, 1961, recording investigations and studies of a flow rate using a curved pipe or S-tube and documenting measurements of mass flow, tube design and construction.

This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, January 1961. Metallurgy, reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology, financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, and employee relations are discussed.

This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, February 1961. Metallurgy, reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology, financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, and employee relations are discussed.

This report details activities of the Fuels Development Operation for the months of April, May, and June 1961.

The objectives of this test are: 1. To establish grain size limits for acceptable uranium fuel element cores. 2. To establish, if possible, criteria for predicting core dimensional stability during irradiation by comparing the relative dimensional stabilities associated with grain size and with variations in grain size in individual cores. 3. To obtain process tube and fuel corrosion data associated with bumper fuel elements in new tubes with no mixer, one mixer in the 10th position and two mixers in the 7th and 15th position from the rear. Fuel cores representing the full range of UT-2 voltage values (grain size converts to d-c voltage) of interest are segregated into three categories: a. Large grains. b. Variations of grain size in an individual core. c. Small grains. Each category will be subdivided into three groups, each covering a small range of values. After canning, the finished fuel elements will be assembled into twenty-seven (27) charges in three latin square patterns for irradiation to a 900 MWD/T exposure goal in D Reactor.