Report documenting the progress of the Army Gas-Cooled Reactor Systems Program to develop a mobile, low-power, nuclear power plant for Military field operation.

Reaction rates of niobium with nitrogen were determined gravimetrically from 675. to 875 deg C with a recording microbalance and volumetrically from 1100 to 1600 deg C with a modified Sieverts apparatus. Diffusion coefficients and terminal solubilities were determined from 800 to 1600 deg C by the concentration- gradient technique. Tne reaction of nitrogen with niobium follows a parabolic rate law at 675 to 1600 deg C. The expression for the diffusion coefficient for nitrogen in niobium at 800 to 1600 deg C is given as well as the expression for the terminal solubility for nitrogen in niobium. (auth)

Introduction: This report describes areas of granitic rocks suitable for underground nuclear tests within Federally-controlled land in the continental limits of the United States. This information was requested of the U. S. Geological Survey by the Albuquerque Operations Office of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, and was compiled during March 1959 by D. C. Alvord, W. J. Carr, P. M. Hanshaw, S. P. Kanizay, C. S. Robinson, R. W. Schnabel, J. A. Sharps, and C. T. Wrucke.

Two water quality control labs are being provided for the the NPR. One, a "cold" lab, is located in the183 Building adjacent to the control room. Its primary purpose is to provide facilities for quality control of the output of the filter plant and the demineralizer plant. The other, a "hot" lab, is located in the 190 Building. Its primary purpose is to provide facilities for the quality control of the primary and secondary coolants, and the moderator coolant.

Abstract: Testing of the Latch Type Magnetic Jack Control Rod Drive Mechanism was undertaken to determine its feasibility for application in the Yankee Atomic Electric pressured water reactor.

The Palmolive program is directed toward the recovery of neptunium-237 and production of plutonium-238. The neptunium is recovered during the chemical processing of irradiated uranium and is purified and fabricated into target elements. The target elements are irradiated to produce plutonium-238 by neutron capture of neptunium-237 and are processed to provide plutonium for shipment to the final customer and neptunium for recycle within the system. This report summarizes a preliminary engineering study of the technical and economic factors involved in installing long-term Palmolive manufacturing facilities at Hanford to meet the reduced production goals. Prime emphasis is placed on the process technology and plant equipment requirements for fabricating and reprocessing neptunium target elements on a production basis. The relationships of these phases of the target cycle to the recovery and purification of virgin neptunium in the Purex Plant and irradiation of target elements in the Hanford reactors are reviewed in the light of the reduced plutonium-238 demands.

A summary is presented of the basic technical iniormation that pertains to processes that are used at the Dana and Savannah River Plants for the production of heavy water. The manual is intended primarily for plant operating and technical personnel and was prepared to supplement and provide technical support for detailed operating procedures. Introductory sections contain some background information on the history, uses, available processes, and analytical procedures for heavy water. They also include a general comparison of the design and laserformance of the two plants and an analysis of their differences. The technology of the heavy water separation processes used, namely hydrogen sulfide exchange, distillation of water, and electrolysis is discussed in detail. The manufacture and storage of hydrogen sulfide gas and the process water treatment facilities are also discussed. (auth)

From summary and conclusions: The purpose of this volume is to present the results of design studies to select the optimum-sized electric power station utilizing an organic cooled nuclear reactor and to evaluate and optimize the various reactor concepts, with special attention to selection of the moderator, consistent with the basic design criteria established by the AEC.

From introduction: This volume presents the results of a conceptual design study for an intermediate size, 75 megawatt power plant utilizing an organic moderated and cooled reactor.

Hydrogen-absorption isotherms were measured over the range 535 to 835 C for zirconium--1 wt.% and--25 wt.% uranium alloys. X-ray-diffraction studies were made over approximately the same temperature range for the zirconium--1, -- 25, and --50 wt.% uranium alloys. In general, the alloys resenable the zirconium- hydrogen system, modified by the presence of uranium. With 1 wt.% uranium, the phase boundaries of the zirconium--hydrogen system are shifted to slightly lower hy-drogen contents. With 25 wt.% uranium, the first - two-phase-' region shifts to a hydrogen content 20 wt.% greater than in the zirconium--hydrogen system, while the second cctwo-phase'' region is unchanged. The eutectoid temperature is increased from 547 to 601 C. Heats of solution of hydrogen in the alloys were found to range from --25.9 to --47.9 kcal per mole for the 1 wt.% alloy, and from --30.7 to --50.6 kcal per mole for the 25 in.% alloy-. The x-ray-diffraction data support the interpretation that, as hydrogen is absorbed, the alloys break down to form uranium and zirconium, and the latter absorbs the hydrogen. The entire ternary isotherms could not be deduced from the data. However, three aspects appear certains (1) the extent of the phase fields along the zirconium-- hydrogen …

This report analyzes a linear, hard-core pinch tube built to examine tubes afflicted by small-scale instabilities evident from many observations.

This report describes a toroidal version of the hard-core pinch and the additional information it can obtain to what the analogous linear pinch can get.

It is well known that a pinch column with internal H/sub Z/ and external conducting shell can be made grossly stable, but that small-scale instabilities persist; especiaily in the tubular region of maximum current density. To investigate further these small-scale instabilities of the stabilized pinch,'' we are using 12-in.-i.d. linear pinch tube with a 3-in.-o.d. insulated center rod. By controlling a current along this rod, as well as a current along external conducting straps, and a third current in an external H/sub z/ coil, it is possible to create many grossly stable pinch configurations. The small-scale stability of the tubular region of maximum current density can thus be studied for a wide range of internal and external magnetic field vectors. The magnetic field distribution in each discharge is obtained by a string of 10 magnetic pick- up loops. The distribution of plasma density is determined by modulating the inner or outer wall current and measuring the radial velocity of the resultant compressional Alfven waves. In one experiment, an initial H/sub z/ is entrapped in plasma by preionization, and then pushed radially outward from the rod by a rising H/sub theta /. The resultant field distribution, in which H/sub theta / …

The toroidal version of the hard-core pinch tube is created by levitating a ring conductor inside a toroidal shell. The magnitude of induced H/ sub theta / necessary for levi-tation is small in terms of field strengths normally desired for energetic pinches. In a 3-in. glass-and-copper toroid of square cross section a 3/4-in. hollow copper ring has been levitated with a 60- cycle current of 3 kiloamperes. A 12-in stainless steel tube of round cross section is being built. The stability of nearvacuum field hard-core configurations is best investigated in toroidal geometry. At high power levels and low plasma densities, the conventional toroidal stabilized pinch'' is subject to an anomalous plasma energy leakage to the wall, which cannot be explained by the observed ultraviolet radiation alone. A critical question is, therefore, whether the relative stability of some hard-core pinches, as reflected by the smoothness and reproducibility of magnetic probe traces, is reflected by an improved containment of the plasma en-ergy leading to high temperature. A toroidal hard-core tube is also useful in studying the nature of the nonhydromagnetic instabilities observed in the linear inverse stabilized pinch.'' The presence and condition of electrodes appear to have a substantial effect on the …

An experiment was designed utilizing a charge-exchange reaction to study the decay and interactions of the neutral K mesons produced. The experiment produced no events that could be interpreted as either the decay or interaction of neutral K mesons. The nature of the experiment and the possible explanations of this unexpected result are presented in this paper.

Current regulation of a Bitter type electromagnet powered by a 10 kw. motor-generator set has been achieved by control of the generator exciting field. An error signal, obtained by comparing the voltage drop across a series resistor in the magnet circuit with a reference voltage, is fed back with appropriate amplification to the grids of series tubes in the generator field supply. Magnetic fields from 400 gauss to 10 kilogauss in a fixed gap (1.5 in. width and 3.5 in. diameter) are obtainable with regulation to 3 parts in 104 over the major part of this range.

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The measurement of a alpha-particle energy has been used by many radiochemical laboratories for the identification and analysis of alpha-active radio nuclides. The use of the total-ionization method for alpha-active radio-nuclides. The use of the total-ionization method for alpha energy in ionization chamber in which the alpha particle loses all its energy in ionization of the chamber gas. Collection of the electrons thus formed generates a voltage pulse across the chamber capacity which is proportional to the alpha particle energy. This pulse is then amplified using a suitable linear amplifier and fed to a pulses as to amplitude; the information is then recorded or stored. Since the pulse amplitude is proportional to the alpha energy lost to the chamber gas, the pulse height analysis can be used to estimate the energy of the alpha particles and in the case of several alpha emitters of different energies, the relative abundance of the alpha emitters can be determined. An alpha energy analyzer system using the ion collection method has been fabricated for use in radiochemical laboratories required to perform a large number of alpha energy determinations. This report describes the operation, maintenance, and application of this alpha energy analyzer system.

The rate of uranium sorption by a strong-base anion-exchange resin (Dovex 21K) from a uranyl sulfate solution (U 0.005 M, H2SO4 0.02M, SO4 0.2 M) was studied using a stirred vessel technique and measuring the U235 gamma radiation on each bead. Resin initially in the chloride form and the sulfate for was studied.

A concentration cell electrode was installed in a fritted glass surface and was used to measure the surface KCl concentration while water was being transpired through the surface into a mixed tank of 0.1 M KCl. The results from the first Fluorox run made with crude UF/sub 4/ showed that 85.3% of the theoretical amount of UF/sub 6/ was accounted for, with 17.9% being collected in cold traps and the remainder being consumed in various side reactions. Installation was completed of apparatus to study the electrolytic removal of nickel on an engineering scale from concentrated HRT fuel solution. An extremely low yield stress of 0.02 lb/sq ft was measured for a thoria-urania slurry containing 2.5 wt.% Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ and spherical particles of 1.7 micron mean diameter. Preliminary data on the rate of uranium sorption on Dowex 21K from sulfate solutions were correlated with a simple spherical diffusion model. Laboratory scale studies to determine the effect of reflux time, HNO/sub 3/ concentration, and air sparge on chloride removal from APPR-type Darex dissolver product showed that an air sparge is definitely beneficial in chloride removal. Preliminary cyclic cleaning tests showed that boiling 25% caustic solution was adequate for cleaning type F …

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Sufficient changes in the original projection fuel testing schedule have occurred to make the original schedules confusing. It is the intent of this document to revise an up-date those schedules so as to be a more realistic guide for associated development programs.

Extraction systems involving chelating agents are widely used in radiochemical separations on a control basis due to the economy in time and equipment. In the case of waste streams, the element of interest is, by definition, at a very low concentration in the presence of gross fission product activities. The resultant large sample size necessary for a reliable analytical results creates a marked radiation hazard to laboratory personnel.

This document has been written in part to answer questions concerning the feasibility and advisability of ``quickie`` discharge of ruptures at C Reactor. Justification of full pile operational charge-discharge (OC-D) is based in part on outage savings resulting from improved, rupture removal. Since a portion of the rupture removals might be accomplished within the scram recovery time (quickie) it is necessary to consider recovery time as a function of anticipated future power levels. In addition to answering the questions mentioned above, it was felt worthwhile at this time to discuss equilibrium control problems associated with OC-D which have been apparent during operation of prototype equipment, and on the basis of this information to consider reactor control with full pile OC-D.