Reactor gas costs have increased substantially each year since 1952 when the total cost was $108,000. In 1953, 1954, and 1955 the gross annual cost of reactor gas was $126,000, $348,000 and $606,000 respectively and are reported in Figure 1. These continued increases in reactor gas costs indicate the need for an analysis of gas usage and formulation of a program to reduce gas consumption. To provide basic information for such a program, a critical review has been made of the reaction gas system and gas consumption figures for the past four years.

This test as detailed in this report is one of three parts of the initial testing program to demonstrate enriched usage at HAPO. It proposes to irradiate two twelve-tube blocks of enriched uranium and lithium-aluminum slugs to obtain conversion ratios and preliminary information concerning slug stability.

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It was recommended that the control rods in the septifoils of the reactor be reoriented in order to improve flux shaping; burnout was not mentioned. This memorandum re-examines the problem of orientation of the control rods considering not only flux shaping but also burnout.

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Critical mass, fuel concentration, power, maximum power density, and wall power density were obtained for bare spherical reactors having diameters of 8, 10, 11, and 12 ft, operating at 20, 100, 2OO, and 300 deg C. (L.T.W.)

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Modifications are described in the nuclear instrumentation system of the Shippingport Pressurized Water Reactor designed to monitor neutron flux level from source to 150% of reactor designed full power output, to compute the rate of change of the neutron flux level for indication and control, and to provide level and rate of change of level signals for reactor shutdown to prevent reactor damage. (C.H.)

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The purpose of this report is to present the derivation of equations useful as a guide for prediction of the critical flow point in orifice assemblies.

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This report addresses the analyses for fission-product antimony-125 made on samples of selected Thorex streams. The results are summarized in Table I

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Various methods were investigated to produce a heater tube fuse. Utilizing powder metallurgy techniques, fuel tubes with an I.D. of 0.045 inch, O.D. of 0.075 inch, and length of 11/16 inch, containing various compositions of copper + UO/sub 2/, were fabricated. Fabrication methods consisted of compacting the tubes in quarter-length units, sintering under optimunn conditions, coining on a tinplated inner tube with tin washers between units, and then heat treating to obtain a proper bond. By these techniques, 33 unis containing various compositions of copper + U/sup 235/O/sub 2/ were fabricated and shipped to Atomics International for testing. In addition, work was performed on the brazing facet of the trigger element assembly, joining the copper + UO/sub 2/ fuel tube to a type 347 stainless steel thermal resistance pad and block. (auth)