Note presenting an investigation of the problem of selecting heat-exchanger configurations for optimum performance. The method of optimization is illustrated for several compact heat-exchanger configurations where a prescribed amount of heat is transferred. The results for heat-exchanger configurations for which data is reported in the literature are presented in the form of charts illustrating the method of analysis and results that can be drawn.

"Characteristics of a pulsed, occluded-gas ion source, operating in a magnetic field, have been investigated. Mass spectra of hydrogen- and deuterium-loaded sources are presented. Constructional details of the source and its operating characteristics are discussed."

The primary objective of this report is the monthly distribution of experimental data as acquired during that period in the course of engineering studies. Much of the data is of preliminary nature and, therefore, reasonable care should be exercised in its application. You are invited to contact the individual authors for substantiation.

Report presenting an investigation on a transonic bump to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of a series of triangular wings. Four basic triangular-wing plan forms with different aspect ratios, taper ratios, and combinations of tip clipping were tested over a range of Mach and Reynolds numbers. Results regarding angle of attack, drag coefficient, pitching-moment coefficient with lift coefficient, and various curves are provided.

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The following report discusses the chemistry and mineralogy investigations on vanadium oxides.

Abstract: "Approximate melting points have been determined for five samples of uranium tetrafluoride representing incompletely converted uranium dioxide and covering the range from about 2 to 20 w/o UO2, using the method of differential thermal analysis. The results indicate the melting temperatures are in the range of 920 to 980 C. No significant correlation between melting point and UO2 content was observed, possibly because of calcite formation. Similar results were obtained on synthetic mistakes of UF4 containing from 10 to 40 w/o UO2."

Approximately 15,000 "P" Process Aluminum caps clad with aluminum-silicon on the face and sides have been successfully canned. These caps were fabricated by the Aluminum Company of America from clad plate stock. An increase in canned slug yield of about two percent was realized from using these caps and no significant process problems indicated that the additional cost of clad plate might be off-set by the elimination of the centerless grinding now required on the side of the cap base. Therefore, processing of at least 100,000 additional aluminum-silicon clad caps is recommended, and consideration should be given at this time to completely converting from the present cap design to the aluminum-silicon clad cap.

Report presenting the use of a hot-wire anemometer to study the tip-region flow phenomena at the exit of a single-stage transonic compressor rotor. The flow phenomena were recorded as a film which is available as a supplement to the report. Results regarding overall results of hot-wire measurements, quantitative results from hot-wire measurements, and some concluding remarks are provided.

Note presenting measurements of space heating rate, which can yield information that is useful in characterizing turbulent combustion. For Bunsen burner flames stabilized over a field of pipe-induced turbulence, the space heating rate decreased with increasing linear flow and burner diameter and was independent of pilot conditions. Results regarding residual heat values, space conversion rate, turbulent burning velocities, and a comparison of concepts are provided.

Memorandum presenting the subsonic and transonic longitudinal handling qualities of the Douglas D-558-II research airplane with several wing modifications designed to alleviate swept-wing instability and pitch-up. The airplane configurations investigated included the basic wing configuration and two wing-fence configurations in combination with retracted, free-floating, or extended slat,s and a wing leading-edge chord-extension configuration.

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A research and development program in the field of thorium chemistry and metallurgy was conducted. Most of this activity was directed toward the development of techniques for the production of metal by fused salt electrolytic approaches, little effort being proportioned to the preparation of an electrolyte for the process. An aqueous method for the preparation of an anhydrous cell feed was set up and operated for several months. Relatively high operating expense and difficulties with materials of construction prompted the development of a more direct approach for the production of electrolytic cell feed. The system established for cell feed preparation converts thoriumn nitrate to a basic carbonate via the reaction between the nitrate and sodium carbonate, this precipitation being quantitative. Following a suitable filtration and drying operation, the thorium oxycarbonate is converted directly to the chloride by reaction with carbon and chlorine, forming a cell feed containing between 40 and 45% thorium in a molten matrix of sodium and potassium chlorides. The preparation of cell feed by the descrihed process was carried out on a small- tonnage basis, in 1,000-pound batches. The entire process is capable of heing operated on a continuous or semi-continuous basis and presents a commercially feasible …

The EBWR loading requires a total of 888 plates. It is anticipated that approximately 1000 plates will have to be produced to obtain the number of acceptable plates required for the loading. To the end of this quarter, 568 cladding billet cores acceptable with respect to chemical composition and physical soundness had been cast; this number represents 78% of the total number of cores cast. Approximately 75% of the Zircaloy-II stock required has been rolled, and about 55% of the cladding components required have been finished. The anticipated number of 495 cladding billets required for the thin (0.210") natural and enriched plates have been assembled, welded, sealed, and jacketed in steel. A total of 310 cladding billets have been rolled to fuel plates; of this number, 142 have been completely finished, and the remaining 168 are in the finish processing stages. The stability of the equipment for measuring the clad thickness of EBWR fuel plates has been improved by placing the phototube and the anthracene scintillator crystals in an insulated box with a temperature regulation of the order of 0.1°F.

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Memorandum presenting an investigation to devise an air-cooled turbine blade which eliminated the difficulties encountered with brazing in air-cooled-blade fabrication. Techniques were developed for casting air-cooled blades with a large number of relatively small cooling passages near the airfoil surface; two such blades of HS-21 material were operated in a turbojet engine modified for air cooling. Results regarding the heat-transfer characteristics, stress and durability results, and evaluation of cast-cored-blade potential are provided.

This report describes a study which has been completed of Hanford production pile space requirements for the manufacture of polonium 210, thulium 170, and iridium 192. Sufficient radioisotope is required for the generation of 2000 watts of heating by radioactive decay after a decay period of 150 days.

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The following report is a statement of progress during the six-months period from December 1, 1955 to May 31, 1956 on investigations of radioactive materials in the United States and Alaska, undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey under the sponsorship of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.

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Excitation functions have been determined for the spallation and fission reactions induced in plutonium isotopes by 20 to 50 Mev helium ions. The method employed consisted of cyclotron bombardments of plutonium oxide followed by the chemical isolation and alpha or beta counting of radioactive reaction products. Formation cross sections are given where possible for the curium and americium spallation products corresponding to ({alpha},n), ({alpha},2n), ({alpha},3n), ({alpha},4n), ({alpha}5n), ({alpha},p), ({alpha},pn or d), ({alpha},p2n or t), and ({alpha},p3n) reactions in Pu{sup 238} , Pu{sup 239}, and Pu{sup 242}. Fission yield curves and fission cross sections for Pu{sup 238} and Pu{sup 239} serve to define the characteristics of the ({alpha},f) reaction for plutonium isotopes. Chemical procedures are outlined for the separation of both spallation and fission product elements in a sequence of operations performed on the entire dissolved target.