Reactor physics studies in the Engineering Mockup Critical (EMC) assembly of the Fast Test Reactor (FTR) facility are reported. The study included measurements of the neutron spectrum, Doppler effect, sodium-void worth, reaction rates, subassembly worths, material replacement worths, and FTR control, safety and shim rod worths. Each of these physics studies were made in a clean plutonium (low-Pu-240) fuel composition environment and a dirty plutonium (high-Pu-240) fuel composition environment. The fuel studies were in support of determining the attendant effects of operation and safety of utilizing Light Water Reactor (LWR) plutonium fuel in the FTR. Comparison of the measured and calculated results are presented.

The germanium-lithium argon scanning system (GLASS) was installed in EBR-II to monitor and analyze the gamma activity of the reactor cover gas and the reactor building air. GLASS has the capability to identify and measure 20 or more gamma peaks. Applied to the reactor cover gas, this capability has proven useful in identifying the source of fission-gas leakage from fuel elements. The gamma-peak data can clearly distinguish a carbide-fuel source from an oxide-fuel source and can often help distinguish and oxide-fuel source from a metallic-fuel source.

Quarterly report describing the research and management efforts of the program at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) on lithium/metal sulfide batteries during the period April-June 1976. These batteries are being developed for energy storage on utility networks and for electric-vehicle propulsion. The present cells, which operate at 400-4503C, are vertically oriented, prismatic cells with a central positive electrode of FeS or FeS2, two facing negative electrodes of lithium-aluminum alloy, and an electrolyte of molten LiCl-KCl.

THI3D-1 is an improved version of the THI3D computer program for steady-state, single-phase, thermal-hydraulic multichannel analysis. The program accounts for conservation of mass, energy, and momentum subject to pressure-drop boundary conditions, and leads to a nonlinear multipoint boundary-value problem. Turbulent interchange, radial thermal conduction, and forced flow due to wire wraps or grids between channels are explicitly taken into account. Temperature distributions in the coolant, cladding, fuel, and duct wall and the size of the central void of the oxide fuel after thermal restructuring are computed. Also included are program-input description and format, and a sample problem reflecting these improvements.

Significant increases in energy utilization efficiency can be achieved through the recovery of low-temperature rejected heat. This energy conserving possibility provides incentive for the development of heat exchangers which could be employed in applications where conventional units cannot be used. Some unique anticorrosion and nonstick characteristics of plastics make this material very attractive for heat recovery where condensation, especially sulfuric acid, and fouling occur. Some of the unique characteristics of plastics led to the commercial success of DuPont's heat exchangers utilizing polytetrafluoroethylene (trade name Teflon) tubes. Attributes which were exploited in this application were the extreme chemical inertness of the material and its flexibility, which enabled utilization in odd-shaped spaces. The wide variety of polymeric materials available ensures chemical inertness for almost any application. Lower cost, compoundability with fillers to improve thermal/mechanical properties, and versatile fabrication methods are incentives for many uses. Also, since many plastics resist corrosion, they can be employed in lower temperature applications (< 436 K), where condensation can occur and metal units have been unable to function. It is clear that if application and design can be merged to produce a cost-effective alternate to present methods of handling low-temperature rejected heat, then there is significant incentive …

Argonne National Laboratory is decommissioning a facility used to fabricate reactor fuel elements. The equipment is contaminated with alpha emitters. The objective of decontamination is to reduce the TRU concentrations below 10 nCi/g of waste. A portable NDA procedure using Na I (TI ) gamma-spectrometric techniques was selected to measure the residual Pu and 2i 1 Am in the glove boxes. Assays were performed at different stages in the decontamination process to estimate the detection system sensitivity and the effectiveness of the cleaning efforts.

Report of highlights of Argonne program on the development of lithium/metal sulfide batteries. These batteries are being developed for electric-vehicle propulsion and for stationary energy-storage applications.

Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) is engaged in a project to determine the impact of advanced scientific computers on Argonne's computing workload. The CRAY-1 was chosen to begin our investigation because it was the only machine currently available that qualifies as an advanced scientific computer, or Class VI (one capable of executing 20 to 60 million floating point operations per second).

The author proves the mean ergodic theorem for nonlinear non-expansive mappings in Banach spaces, extends it by a different argument, deduces several consequences, and points out open problems.

By perturbing a linear program to a quadratic program, it is possible to solve the latter in its dual variable space by iterative techniques such as successive over-relaxation (SOR) methods. This provides a solution to the original linear program.

The creep-fatigue life results for five different heats of Type 304 stainless steel at 593 degrees C (1100 degrees F), generated under push-pull conditions in the axial strain-control mode, are presented. The life predictions for the various heats based on the linear-damage rule, strain-range partitioning method, and damage-rate approach are discussed. The appropriate material properties required for computation of fatigue life are also included.

The bilinear cyclic stress-strain parameters for Types 304 and 316 stainless steel are described. The bilinear properties of solution-annealed and aged Type 304 stainless steel (heat 9T2796) and solution-annealed Type 3l6 stainless steel (heat 8092297) under cyclic-loading conditions at a strain rate of 8.6 x 10⁵ s⁻¹, total strain range between 0.2 and 0.8 percent, and temperatures from 22 to 593 degrees C were determined. The dependence of bilinear parameters on maximum strain epsilon and temperature is discussed.

An analysis has been made of the combined motion of fuel and coolant due to fuel-coolant interactions following a massive fuel failure in a high-ramp overpower transient. The motion of fuel and coolant was described using a two-fluid model formulation in which the mixture of sodium liquid and vapor and of fission gas, on the one hand, and the fuel particles, on the other, were treated as two superimposed continua. The method of solution employed a numerical procedure called the ACE method, a modified version of the IMF technique.

The PTA-1 code for computing pressure transients in piping networks includes a computational model to treat the significant effect of plastic deformation of the piping on pulse propagation. Stanford Research Institute has completed an experimental program on the response of piping systems to internal pressure pulses which plastically deform portions of the piping. This report makes extensive comparisons between PTA-1 computations and these experimental results. The excellent agreement obtained for both pressure histories and strain histories for all the experiments indicates that the PTA-1 computational model for pipe plasticity effects is accurate. The computation-experiment comparisons also permit a number of observations and conclusions to be made on other aspects of computational modeling of pressure transients, particularly with respect to pulse propagation around elbows.

Quarterly progress report discussing projects by Argonne National Laboratories and subcontractors related to high-temperature batteries.

First volume of a final report documenting the results of an airborne radiometric and magnetic survey in a portion of Colorado and Utah, including a description of the survey methods, calibration of the systems, data processing and displays, and interpretation methods.

Second volume of a final report documenting the results of an airborne radiometric and magnetic survey, including data displays and interpretation results for the Cortez quadrangle.

From background: The study is an outgrowth of investigations by the Atomic Energy Commission and the Office of Saline Water into the use of nuclear energy to supply heat for desalting seawater and for generating electricity, and of work on the energy center concept conducted at the AEC's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The bases for the study were set forth in a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Commissioner James T. Ramey of the United States Atomic Energy Commission, Under Secretary David S. Black of the United States Department of the Interior, Acting Executive Director Fernando Torrent of the Puerto Rico Water Resources Authority, and Executive Director Orlando Gonzalez of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority.

From introduction: This volume contains information and survey results pertaining specifically to the Hot Springs NTMS 1:250,000 scale Quadrangle, South Dakota, one of a group of 12 such quadrangles in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Washington included in an aerial radiometric and magnetic reconnaissance survey. General information concerning the instrumentation and methods used in data acquisition, processing, and interpretation is presented in Volume 1 of this final report.

From introduction: This volume contains information and survey results pertaining specifically to the Saint Johns NTMS 1:250,000 scale Quadrangle, Arizona and New Mexico, one of a group of 12 such quadrangles in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Washington included in an aerial radiometric and magnetic reconnaissance survey. General information concerning the instrumentation and methods used in data acquisition, processing, and interpretation is presented in Volume 1 of this final report.

From introduction: This volume contains information and survey results pertaining specifically to the Ritzville NTMS 1:250,000 scale Quadrangle, Washington, one of a group of 12 such quadrangles in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Washington included in an aerial radiometric and magnetic reconnaissance survey. General information concerning the instrumentation and methods used in data acquisition, processing, and interpretation is presented in Volume 1 of this final report.

From introduction: The scope of work of the study was to compile and analyze information on the resources and requirements of the southwestern, southeastern, and north-central coastal regions of the Commonwealth, and assess industrial and agricultural activities which in conjunction with the power and desalting plants, might comprise the energy center complex. The study was also to identify the need for any experimental, pilot or demonstration projects which benefit the practical application of the Energy Center concept in Puerto Rico.

From introduction: The scope of work of the study was to compile and analyze information on the resources and requirements of the southwestern, southeastern, and north-central coastal regions of the Commonwealth, and assess industrial and agricultural activities which in conjunction with the power and desalting plants, might comprise the energy center complex. The study was also to identify the need for any experimental, pilot or demonstration projects which benefit the practical application of the Energy Center concept in Puerto Rico.

From introduction: This report concerns nuclear power plant deployment in Puerto Rico.