Laboratory studies involving fluid flow through porous media require use of fluids having low dissolved gas content. Water is the major fluid used in various and box model and soil permeability studies carried out by the Geochemical and Geophysical Research group. Tap water supplied to the 222-U Bldg. contains a large amount of dissolved air. Under the reduced pressure encountered during model studies, the air is released from solution and gradually clogs the pores of the sand or other porous material. This, of course. leads to anomalous results and cannot be tolerated in precious studies. A system was required to effectively remove the air and make available a continuous supply of desired water for the model studies.

Production of Pu, UO{sub 3}, and Pu metal exceeded forecasts. The 2nd attempt at Purex to recover Zr-Nb resulted in about 1/3 recovery, contaminated with about 1% of the Ce. Palm losses to Purex U product were eliminated, and the Pu content was reduced 5 to 10{times}. Routing the dissolver rinses into 3WB concentrator resulted into improved rinsing efficiency. Unclarified feed was processed through Purex HA column. In a test for using B in Redox, the B was routed completely to the waste; it was not detectable in product streams beyond the first cycle. Almost 1000 g Palm was purified and converted to oxide. Ferrous ion catalyzed the reduction of Palm VI by hydrazine or semicarbazide. Coordination of E-metal and NPR reprocessing at Redox in multipurpose dissolver was studied. An interim fission product recovery program at Purex will be directed toward low-efficiency collection of Pm {sup 147}. Locations for critical incident alarms were selected. (DLC)

The build up of contaminated film on the internal surfaces of high temperature in-reactor recirculating water loops has created serious radiation exposure problems to operational and maintenance personnel. A considerable amount of work has been applied to develop an effective decontamination process for the decontamination of these loops and their components.

Radiolytic gas concentration in the HRT as a function of operating power and temperature have been calculated for the conditions of Run 18. The partial pressure of the radiolytic gas was estimated for the various conditions. The maximum total vapor pressure (the maximum summation of the radiolytic gas partial pressures excess oxygen partial pressures and D2O vapor pressure) was found to exist at the core and blanket outlets for all avcrage temperatures greater than 250 C. Below 240 C at some recombination rate constants and power levels, the maximum pressure will be highest at the heat exchanger exit. In the calculations the transfer of radiolytic gas between the core and blanket systems was neglected. The simplification is equivalent to saying that the radiolytic gas transfer between the systems is equal. The results of the calculations show that this is nearly true when 60% of the total power is generated in the core. The effect of pump-up in each system was included. (auth)

The Atomic Energy Commission has recently developed an enlarged program for the study of graphite moderated, gas cooled power reactor systems. It has been recognized, however, that understanding of radiation damage and radiation induced chemical reactions of graphite at the proposed high moderator temperatures is inadequate and that improved understanding is essential if the design of such reactors is to be optimized. Accordingly, the Atomic Energy Commission requested Hanford to organize a modest research and development program directed toward the study of these graphite problems.

A pyroelectric carrier distillation method, using sodium fluoride as a spectroscopic carrier, was developed for the impurity analysis of plutonium metal. (auth)

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: Whether Navarro County can spend tax money to maintain dams constructed in Navarro County by the Navarro-Hill Soil Conservation District.

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: Constitutionality of H.B. 57, 56 Leg., relating to whether or not the State may tax beer sold to and consumed on Military Reservations within the State.

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: Constitutionality of House Bill 102, 56th Leg., The Texas Area Planning Act.

BS>The thermal characteristics of various reactors fueled with uranium dioxide fuel pellets are listed. (W.L.H.)

The status of the various development projects associated with the Yankee Power Reactor is given. No data are reported. (For preceding period see YAEC-55.) (D.E.B.)

From abstract: Absolute cross sections for the production of charged secondary particles is the bombardments of aluminum, nickel, silver, and gold by 332-Mev protons, 187-deuterons, and 380-Mev alpha particles have been determined.

A preliminary design study, Phase I of the ALPR project, has been made in accordance with the Army Reactors Branch specifications for a nuclear "package" power plant with a 200-260-kw electric and 400 kw heating capacity. The plant is to be installed at the Idaho Reactor Testing Station as a prototype for remote arctic installations. The "conventional" power plant as well as the exterior reactor components are described in the accompanying report and cost estimate by Pioneer Service and Engineering Company, Architect-Engineers for the project."Nuclear" components of the reactor are designed by Argonne National Laboratory as described in the present report.

A preliminary design study, Phase I of the ALPR . project, has been made in accordance with the Army Reactors Branch specifications for a nuclear ''package'' power plant with a 200 to 260 kw electric and 400 kw heating capacity..The plant is to be installed at the Idaho Reactor Testing Station as a prototype for remote arctic installations. The ''conventiornl'' power plant as well as the exterior reactor components are described, and cost estimates are given. ''Nuclear'' components of the reactor are described. (auth)

Progress report of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Biology Division providing updates on various projects, experiments, and other work. This report includes a summary of scholarly output from the division and departmental activities in cytology and genetics, mammalian genetics and development, microbial protection and recovery, mammalian recovery, pathology and physiology, general physiology, biochemistry, enzymology and photosynthesis, microbiology, plant biochemistry, and biophysics.

Memorandum presenting an investigation of the effect of Mach number variation from 1.8 to 7.4 on boundary-layer transition on a slender fin-stabilized ogive-cylinder body in free flight at a constant length Reynolds number of 13.8 million. Results showed that increasing Mach number had a very favorable effect of increasing the extent of the laminar boundary layer for a given surface roughness. Results regarding Mach number and surface roughness, effects of pressure rise, and long laminar runs are provided.

Memorandum presenting an investigation in the 9-inch supersonic tunnel to determine the effects of a sonic jet exhausting from a wing-mounted nacelle on the body drag of a body-wing-nacelle combination for various longitudinal, spanwise, and vertical nacelle locations and jet pressure ratios. The results indicated that the maximum variations in the total and fore drags of the body due to jet interference were about one-fourth of the basic body drag.

This is the monthly report for the Hanford Laboratories Operation, March, 1956. Metallurgy, reactor fuels, chemistry, dosimetry, separation processes, reactor technology; financial activities, visits, biology operation, physics and instrumentation research, employee relations, pile technology, safety and radiological sciences are discussed.

All HRT process piping and equipment is contained in a large tank and flanged connections with stainless steel ring gaskets are used where needed to permit the removal of values and items of equipment. Underwater remote maintenance is to be employed and special provisions are required for indicating and locating leaks at all mechanical joints in the process system. Each joint is monitored and a signal is given when a leak occurs. The valve operator stems are sealed with stainless steel bellows and a means of detecting a leak in the bellows has been included. (auth)

Report presenting an investigation made in the 4- by 4-foot supersonic pressure tunnel to determine the effects of body camber and body indentation on the longitudinal characteristics of a delta-wing-body combination at Mach number 1.61. Three bodies were tested with a 3-percent-thick 60 degree delta wing: a basic parabolic body, a body indented so as to have an improved wing-body area distribution at Mach number 1.8, and a body which was both indented and cambered. Results indicated that none of the changes had any appreciable effect at Mach number 1.61 on the minimum drag or maximum lift-drag ratios of the configurations tested.

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Memorandum presenting the results of an experimental investigation to determine the pressure-distribution characteristics of a conically cambered wing with and without pylon-mounted engine nacelles for Mach numbers of 1.6 and 1.9. The pressure data obtained during this investigation indicate that the low-pressure region existing on the upper surface over the forward part of the wing was spread over a larger proportion of the local chord than would be the case for an uncambered wing.

Memorandum presenting the results of an experimental investigation to determine the pressure-distribution characteristics of a conically cambered wing with and without pylon-mounted engine nacelles for Mach numbers of 1.6 and 1.9. Wing airfoil sections in the streamwise direction were composed of NACA 0004.08-63 sections symmetrically distributed about a cambered surface conical about the wing apex. Results regarding pressure distribution and loading are provided.

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