Quarterly report discussing fuel cell research and development work at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). This report describes activities focuses on the development of electrolyte structures that have good electrolyte retention and mechanical properties as well as long term stability, and on developing methods of synthesis amenable to mass production.

This report describes the 14 releases of fission products that occurred in EBR-II from April 1975 to March 1977. Each release was readily detected, and all but one (in a driver-fuel subassembly) was identified with a particular subassembly. Xenon tagging was the primary method of identification, although other methods were used where appropriate. Methods of monitoring and identifying fission-product sources are discussed, and each release and identification is described. Effects of breached elements on plant availability were minimal in this period. From all evidence, cladding breaching on elements in EBR-II continues to be a benign process.

This report covers the research, development, and management activities of the programs at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and at subcontractors' laboratories on high-temperature batteries during the period October 1978 - March 1979. These batteries are being developed for electric-vehicle propulsion and for stationary energy--storage applications. The present cells, which operate at 400-500 C, are of a vertically oriented, prismatic design with one or more inner positive electrodes of FeS or FeS2, facing electrodes of lithium-aluminum alloy, and molten LiCl-KC1 electrolyte.