The purpose of the test was to evaluate the operation of the Nuclear Instrumentation Power Range Amplifier during start up. While the station was operating at a gross load of 16.5 megawatts, a variation of 0, 8.5, 2.7 and 4.4 existed between the compensated ion chamber currents (CIC) and the test currents for channels A, B, C and D respectively. The off site modifications to channel C power range amplifier did not cause the ion chamber current and test current to be the same at 16.5 megawatts gross power. The modifications to channel C were made to correct for this deficiency.

The purpose of the test was to fill the condensate storage tank and the Condensate System and obtain satisfactory preliminary operation. The components of the Condensate System performed adequately and satisfactorily with the exception of fill control valve (M9-VI). This valve (M9-VI) is not used in the current operation procedure.

Studies are being made on the effects of variation of aluminum content, heat treatment, surface preparation, and other metallurgical factors on the room temperature ductility of Al-- Fe alloys. It is estimated that approximately 65 percent of the proposed research has been completed over the first eight and one-half months of the contract period.

As previously reported, zirconium undergoes large dimensional increases after scaling in air in a critical temperature range, 700 degree-1050 degree C. This finding was observed with specimens of a constant thickness (0;062 in.) To study the thickness effect, a number of specimens ranging in thickness from 0.020 to 0.200 in. were scaled in air at a temperature (900 degree C) where the growth is a maximum for a given time. Both cold rolled iodine sheet and forged iodide bar stock were used. to determine the effect of orientation, specimens from the forged bar were obtained such that the scaling surface was either parallel to or perpendicular to the long axis of the bar.

Uranium extractions from carbonate solutions were effective and phase separation rates were rapid using a new commercial quaternary extractant, Alamine 336. Extraction coefficients were approximately proportional to the quaternary concentration. Addition of -0.5 mole tridecanol/mole quaternary to the solvent gave optimum extraction efficiency and phase separation rates.

The rate of uranium sorption by a strong-base anion-exchange resin (Dovex 21K) from a uranyl sulfate solution (U 0.005 M, H2SO4 0.02M, SO4 0.2 M) was studied using a stirred vessel technique and measuring the U235 gamma radiation on each bead. Resin initially in the chloride form and the sulfate for was studied.

This report presents a detailed study of HRT Run 14, which was abruptly terminated by the formation of a hole in the Zircaloy-2 core tank. In this run the reactor was operated at high temperature and pressure for ten days from March 25 to April 4, 1958. Nuclear power operation extended from March 29 until April 4, when fuel solution leaked into the heavy-water blanket. The maximum power level attained was 6.4 Mw.

Calculations are given for eighteen stainless steel clad helium bonded specimens of UO2-ThO2 containing normal U to be placed in 6 holes in a holder in a position of the ORR not to exceed a peak unperturbed flux of 4 x 10^14 n.cm^2/sec and irradiated to a peak nvt of 1.96 x 10^21 neutrons/cm^2

This technical report presents an overview of nuclear reactor maintenance to be used in planning a nuclear reactor. There are certain basic maintenance fundamentals that are common to all types of reactors that may be' incorporated in a power producing facility. Basically, there are only two types of maintenance procedures. The direct type, which is common to conventional steam plants, may be used in some areas where the radioactivity is low enough. In most parts of the plant, maintenance will of necessity be remote due to the high level of radioactivity. For simplicity of description in this report all reactor types are divided into two general classes: solid fuel types and circulating fuel types. The report lists nine types of reactor power plant types with advantages and disadvantages maintenance-wise of each.

The in-plie slurry loop work is now being considered as a joint program between the PAR project and ORNL. It is proposed that PAR design, fabricate and test the in-pile loops and that ORNL operate the loops in-pile, dismantle the loops after irradiation and made the appropriate measurements to determine the radiation effects. This report gives the objects of the slurry in-pile program and outlines the facilities and operations required to execute ORNL's part of this program.

Blake and his co-workers have shown that uranium and other elements can be extracted from acid solutions by various type of organo-phosphorous compounds. Early investigations in the laboratory have demonstrated the applicability of tri-n-alkyl phosphine oxides to the extraction of metal ions from acidic solutions for analytical purposes. This paper is concerned with a similar qualitative investigation of the extraction of metal ions with a di-alkyl phosphoric acid, di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid (D2EPHA).

The fuel requirement of a heavy-water moderated, homogenous, power reactor were estimated for a variety of initial loadings, for both bath and continuous methods of fuel removal. This study considered a 12-ft spherical reactor, temperature 250 C, 500 Mw thermal power, 125 Mw electrical power capability, 0.8 load factor, and 4%/year inventory charges for U and D2O. The fuel shipping-and-processing charges were assumed to be $1/gm of fissionable fuel for the "batch" processed reactors, and $0.37/gm for the "continuous" processed reactors, Under these conditions, the minimum fuel costs associated with a 10-year 'batch" operating period were about 1.8 or 3.1 mills/kw-hr, if highly enriched U cost $15/gm or $20/gm, respectively. the analogous costs for the "continuous" processed reactor were about 1.6 and 2.6 mills/kw-hr, respectively.

Calculations indicate that the proposed shielding arrangement will give a dose rate at the surface of the water tank of about 100 mrem per hr., practically all gammas. This is adequate for transportation and handling, but if the radiation actually proves to be this high, a storage location isolated from normal working areas must be provided. The isolation area need not be large, however, since the calculated dose rate at 10 feet from the shielded sources is only 3.5 mrem pr hr. For the short time required to transfer the source from the water tank into the reactor the Pb carrier alone will provide sufficient shielding. At one meter from the source shielded by the Pb carrier, the dose rate is estimated to be 170 mrem per hr., with neutrons contributing he major part. With reasonable care, the operations should be carried out without excessive exposures. The results of the calculations are summarized.

Due to laboratory interest in devices capable of production of high current with short rise times in gaseous discharges (plasmas), an experimental machine has been built and tested to obtain data applicable to the design of a high gradient magnetic induction machine. This machine consists of a condenser type energy storage bank air core coupled to a toroid in which the plasma is produced. It has been used to determine circuit parameters and the effect of these parameters on the plasma.

Zirflex cladding waste is to be neutralized to pH 10 before transfer to waste storage tanks. This treatment causes the precipitation of zirconium oxide or hydroxide, which may lead to flow difficulties during transfer. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the physical properties and flow characteristics of the neutralized slurry to assist in the selectin of satisfactory transfer equipment and storage conditions.

The HAPO Critical Incident Alarm, Model I, is an instrument designed to give an audible and visual alarm signal in the event of a critical incident to which it is exposed. There will be thirty-one (31) of these instruments installed and several spares located in the various manufacturing buildings in the Chemical Processing Department where there exists any possibility of a critical incident occurring. The instrument is intended as a post or after-the-fact warning device. It will offer no protection prior or leading up to, nor prevent, a critical incident. They are intended to be operated from the 115 V. A.C., 60 C.P.S. emergency line power. The instrument is self-contained, including the radiation detector, and will be calibrated to alarm at 500 mr/hour in a gamma field.

Nearly all nuclear reactors being designed and built today- whether for research, power, or productions of fissionable materials- use recirculating fluids for cooling. However, a number of production reactors are still operating with single-pass cooling by treated natural water. The Hanford Atomic Products Operation of the General Electric Company presently operates production reactors for the AEC at Richland, Washington. The first reactors were built during World War II, and utilized a standard water treatment which was designed to provide large quantities of settled, filtered Columbia River water for once-through cooling.

Progress report of the Brookhaven National Laboratory Nuclear Engineering Department providing updates on various projects, experiments, and other work. This report includes a summary of scholarly output from the reactor physics division, the applied chemistry and chemical engineering division, and metallurgy division.

A preliminary study of positive pion production from proton-nucleus collisions revealed that positive pion production cross sections agree more favorably with a Z 2/3 variation than with a variation proportional to the atomic number. A similar study on negative pion production has shown that negative pion yields from proton-nucleus collisions tend to vary in proportion to the number of neutrons in the nucleus. As a result an experiment was performed to investigate if there is a significant change in positive pion production with changing atomic number at two lower pion energies.

MTA quarterly progress report for June-August 1952

Let F be the flux of radiation going from a sample of radius R2 to a counter of radius B1 then the emitted intensity of radiation per unit solid angle. Then the flux between two elements of area do1 and do2 will be given by [equation] since [equation] and [equation]. Calculations and equations follow.

The intuitive concept that a sector shaped centrifuge cell is free from convection is criticized. Not only is a form of convection present for a single sedimenting species, but a more insidious type occurs in a mixture having an appreciable Johnston-Ogston effect. Rather than striving for convection-free sedimentation, the proposal is to utilize if possible an apparently harmless type of convection occurring in a very thin annulus in order to avoid the convection extending between boundaries in a mixture. The requirement that the concentrations be independent of time meets this condition and yields a hyperbolic cell, which is approximated by a sector cell placed in the rotor backwards. Simultaneously, area measurements and calculations involving the Johnston-Ogston anomaly are simplified because of the time independence.

The method of detecting unpaired electrons in liquid and solid systems by electron spin resonance is discussed. The significance of the hyperfine structure in electron spin resonance is discussed and the possible use of these structural features of the electron spin resonance spectrum to elucidate the nature of the photoproduced unpaired electrons in photosynthesizing systems is introduced.

The information in this report is based on experience with a similar unit installed on experimental pule columns in the 321 Building. These installations were made to demonstrate the feasibility of the system. In one case, the installation on the 2A Prototype Column, the differential pressure cell (D/P cell) bottom interface control system was monitored by a capacitance-type instrument. The other installations were made on glass columns and were monitored visually.