This document details activities of the irradiation processing department during the month of September 1956. A general summary is included at the start of the report, after which the report is divided into the following sections: research and engineering operations; production and reactor operations; facilities engineering operation; employee relations operations; and financial operation.

In a previous study it was determined experimentally that heat deterioration, or burnout, of the shield masonite is more severe than radiation damage under existing and proposed operating conditions. Higher shield temperatures, which are expected to result from increased power levels, fringe enrichment, and higher graphite temperatures, will markedly increase the rate at which the masonite burns out. The laminated iron-masonite biological shield will lose, as a result of burnout, the hydrogen and oxygen necessary to attenuate and moderate neutrons. The purpose of this production test has been to obtain experimental data from which future shield leakage rates could be estimated. The attenuation data reported here were obtained in the DR pile bulk shield facility from experiments using various void spacings to simulate burnout conditions. From these data it was hoped to determine (1) the resultant attenuation properties of the shields, and (2) the exposure rates due to radiation penetrating the shield.

Letter opinion 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, John Ben Shepperd, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Validity of interagency contract between Board for Texas State Hospitals and Special Schools and Central Education Agency concerning vocational rehabilitation services to patients of the McKnight Hospital.

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, John Ben Shepperd, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Authority of Board of Directors of Texas A.&M. College to sell "West Farm" of Arlington State College for the purpose of acquiring suitable land for additional buildings.

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Experimental investigations were undertaken at Columbia University to determine the heat transfer and fluid flow characteristics of fuel elements for the Savannah River reactors. Primarily the tests simulated quatrefoil operation, but a number of tests directly applicable to the operation of extended surface fuel elements were performed. Data books were published in which the experimental data are tabulated.

Sodium dichromate has been tested for use as a process water corrosion inhibitor at a concentration of 0.5 ppm. The test was conducted by operating one half of D Reactor with 0.5 ppm while the other half operated at the normal concentration of 2 ppm sodium dichromate. A concentration of 0.5 ppm was found to be as effective a corrosion inhibitor as the normal concentration of 2 ppm except under one very important set of circumstances. If the reactor process tube ribs were previously worn or corroded down, so that the water in the between-rib annulus became excessively hot; 0.5 ppm sodium dichromate was found to be non-effective in stopping corrosion at this location. From five to ten times as many slug ruptures and tube leaks occurred from this accelerated between-rib corrosion if the sodium dichromate concentration was 0.5 ppm rather than 2 ppm.

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A brief description of the process is given, and details of work over a three-year period are summarized. The continuous production of Re metal by low- temperature fused salt electrolysis into a continuously circulating Hg cathcde has been demonstrated. The product is amenable to direct hot pressing or to powder preparation by distilling off the Hg. The production of pure BeCl/sub 2/ in good yield by direct chlorination of BeO has been demonstrated. The production of pure BeCl/sub 2/ in good yield by direct chlorination of beryl has been studied. The status of this work is not sufficiently advanced to permit valid conclusions as to ultimate success. The electrolytic cell and associated equipment and the chlorination equipment are described in detail. Operating procedures and representative results are given. The course for continued work is indicated. (auth)

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Memorandum presenting a low-speed investigation in the free-flight tunnel to determine the effect of small canard surfaces on the directional stability of a fighter-airplane model with an aspect ratio of 3.4 and a 42 degree sweptback wing. The canard surfaces were found to be generally ineffective at angles of attack below 20 degrees.

Memorandum presenting an airborne missile simulator used to represent visually the predicted flight behavior of the Navy XASM-N-7 Bullpup air-to-surface missile, which is guided along the line of sight to the target by bang-bang radio signals controlled by the pilot of the launch airplane. Quantitative response measurements showed that the simulator gave a good representation of the trajectory and control characteristics predicted for the Bullpup missile, and the simulation appeared plausible to the pilots.

Report discussing tests of a model of the Chance Vought Regulus II missile to determine the lift, static stability, dynamic stability, trim, duct information, and drag for a range of Mach numbers.

Report presenting a summary of NACA research on afterburners for turbojet engines during the past 5 years. The references present over 1000 afterburner configurations and about 3500 hours of operation. The report covers the following topics: burner-inlet diffusers, fuel-injection systems, flameholders, combustion space, combustion instability, starting and transient performance, effects of diluents, and burner-shell cooling.

Report discussing testing on the drag, longitudinal stability, and lateral stability characteristics of a model of the McDonnell F4H-1 airplane. The minimum drag coefficients, neutral point, horizontal-tail-incidence range, static directional stability, and effective dihedrals are presented.

A summary is given of the background and present status of the pure-planing theory for rectangular flat plates and v-bottom surfaces. The equations reviewed are compared with experiment. In order to extend the range of available planing data, the principal planing characteristics for models having sharp bottom surfaces having constant angles of dead rise of 20 degrees and 40 degrees. Planing data were also obtained for flat-plate surfaces with very slightly rounded chines for which decreased lift and drag coefficients are obtained.

Report presenting one-tenth-scale models of two inlet configurations of fighter-type aircraft have been tested in the 4- by 4-foot supersonic pressure tunnel. The pressure-recovery and force characteristics of the inlets were determined as a function of mass-flow ratio, angle of inlet compression, angle of attack, and Mach number.

An investigation of the effects of jet nozzle geometry, size of base annulus, and base bleed upon the base and afterbody pressures of a cylindrical afterbody at transonic speeds has been conducted. Sonic and supersonic conical nozzles with jet-to-base diameter ratios from 0.25 to 0.85 were investigated with a cold jet at jet total-pressure ratios up to approximately 8.0 through a Mach number range from 0.6 to 1.25. Base pressure coefficients of about -0.55 were measured for the sonic nozzles at a Mach number of 1 or greater. The jet-to-base diameter ratio had a substantial effect on the base pressure obtained on the cylindrical afterbody of this investigation. Base bleed was beneficial in increasing the base pressure under certain conditions but had little or no effect at certain other conditions.