From abstract: The objective of the contract is the design, development, fabrication, installation initial testing and operation of a prepackaged, air transportable nuclear power plant, the PM-1.

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. The variation of Fe/sub 3/Al order as a function of temperature for 13.9 Alfenol was redetermined under constant instrumental conditions. The variation of the electrical resistivity of the three alloys under consideration with temperature on slow cooling is illustrated. An anomaly in the disordering process near the Fe/sub 3/Al -- FeAl transformation temperature was manifested in the stoichiometric Fe/sub 3/Al alloy. Above a temperature of 490 deg C there was a rapid decrease in the integrated intensity of the (210) FeAl superlattice reflection. The best ductilities obtained corresponded to heat treatments involving slow cooling to produce a high degree of Fe/sub 3/Al order and subsequent annealing of the ordered material for short periods of time near the Fe/sub 3/Al -- FeAl transformation temperature. (M.C.G.)

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Uranium-bearing thermoelectric compounds are now being prepared by tantalum bomb melting and by the hydride process. Tests of devices made up from these compounds indicate that the main fabrication problems are densification and contact bonding. Data from a hot-swaged pellet and a swaged device of US/sub 2/ indicate some promise for that compound. Improvements in techniques of thermoelectric parameter measurements include programming of automatic test data recording at desired intervals around the clock; increased accuracy and versatility of measurements through use of a newly-constructed adjustable precision resistor; and a method for measuring which should lead to an experimental means for determining the thermoelectric figure of merit, Z. Potential profile studies on PbTe pelleta are yielding important information on contact resistance parameters. A fission-fired thermoelectric generator is being prepared for the next in-pile test. (auth)

The raw water export system forms the last ditch water supply system to the ``O`` and ``C`` type reactors; in the event of electrical and steam power failure, the export system is designed to supply enough raw water coolant. After the original export orifice was modified twice, the export system was retested.

The purpose of this review is to report the operability status of the reactor control instrumentation. The status of the instruments was determined twice during the first six months of this year, April 1 and June 1. The information contained in this report is not intended to be a complete description of the control instruments, but only as they apply to reactor control. The assigned Pile Physicist at each reactor reported the status of instrumentation at his reactor. Chart I summarizes the operability status of the various instruments. Chart II shows the relative range of reactor power over which these control instruments apply. Appendix II contains a functional description of the instruments and Appendix III lists how each instrument is used during reactor operation.

Irradiation of the initial test in this program involving ten tubes of alternately charged nickel-plated C-64 alloy clad test elements and X-8001 alloy control elements has been successfully completed. The test indicated that the nickel-plate spalling problem has been resolved as no significant spalling or flaking was observed during the post-irradiation examination. The second test in this program will be to verify the performance of nickel-plate with a pilot loading (up to 100 charges) of fuel elements which have been nickel-plated on a production basis. The objectives of this test are to demonstrate with a larger scale test that nickel-plate performs satisfactorily and that reducing the nominal plate thickness from .6 mil to .2 mil will not affect the performance of the nickel-plate fuel element. This test authorizes the irradiation of up to 100 columns of OIIN, chemically nickel-plated, C-64 alloy jacketed fuel elements to 200% of normal goal exposure to extend the evaluation of nickel-plated fuel elements on a pilot scale at DR Reactor. Seventy columns will be plated to a nominal thickness of .6 mil and thirty columns to a nominal .2 mil thickness. Twenty measured columns, ten representing each plate thickness, will be charged to monitor the …