The W-2 SLSF (Sodium Loop Safety Facility) experiment was an instrumented in-reactor test performed to characterize the failure response of full-length, preconditioned LMFBR prototypic fuel pins to slow transient overpower (TOP) conditions. Although the test results were expected to confirm analytical predictions of upper level failure and fuel expulsion, an axial midplane failure was experienced. Extensive post-test analyses were conducted to understand all of the unexpected behavior in the experiment. (1) The initial post-test effort focused on the temperature oscillations recorded by the 54 thermocouples used in the experiment. In order to synthesize the extensive data records and identify patterns of behavior in the data records, a computer-generated film was used to present the temperature data recorded during the experiment.

The economic future of methanol is reviewed in light of its potential uses as a substitute for traditional hydrocarbon fuels and feedstocks as well as some evolving new uses. Methanol's future market position will depend strongly on its production cost in comparison with competitive products. One promising way to reduce the production cost is by use of an improved catalyst in the process by which methanol is obtained from the feedstock - which can be either natural gas or a similar product such as synthesis gas from coal gasification. To estimate the potential cost savings with an improved catalyst, we have based our analysis on a recent study which assumed use of synthesis gas from underground coal gasification as a feedstock for making methanol. The improved catalyst we studied was an actinide oxide whose features include high tolerance to sulfur and heat, and a yield of about 4 mol% methanol per pass with a 2/1 mixture of H/sub 2//CO. We calculated the effect of this catalyst on methanol production costs in a 12,000-bbl/day plant. The result was a saving of from 1 cent to 2.5 cent per gallon on the total methanol synthesis cost of 23 cents per gallon (i.e., …

Fuel aging studies were performed on the fuel form (plutonium-238 dioxide and yttrium) used in the Milliwatt Generator Radioisotopic Heat Source to determine the possibility of fuel degradation and of the resultant generation of respirable fines. In addition to long-term thermal aging of the fuel, evaluations included the effects of thermal ramping of the aged fuel to 1000/sup 0/C and of impacting thermally hot (450/sup 0/C) heat sources at 150 m/sec after thermal aging.