An apparatus to study rare-gas fission-product release from nuclear fuel materials during postirradiation heating was developed. Xenon and krypton fission gases escaping from a small specimen during heating at constant temperature are measured using a continuous radioactivity monitor and charcoal adsorption traps. The rhodium-wound furnace is capable of operation at 1600 deg C. Helium carrier gas is purified by activated alumina, copper, and zirconium traps, and the oxygen and moisture contents of the gas are monitored continuously. The operating procedure and data are presented for a typical heating experiment in which fused uranium dioxide was studied. (auth)

This study proposes improvements in the process water piping adjacent to the front and rear faces of these reactors. This report covers the external piping of the reactors from the incoming valve pit to the inlets of the outgoing retention basins.

Fuel element corrosion studies designed to and in selecting and evaluating SM-2 fuel element welding techniques are discussed. Tests on type 347 ss plate type fuel elements welded by the selected tungsten inert gas technique showed good corrosion integrity of specimens under a variety of conditions including a 500-hr test under simulated SM-2 conditions of flow and coolant chemistry. (auth)

The radial temperature around a sodium reactor heater assembly submerged in water is calculated using a model of the heater cross section found by conformal mapping. Thermocouple readings were also analyzed. When the heat flux is 5 x 10/sup 5/ Btu/hr-ft/sup 2/, a radial temperature drop of about 680 deg C across the center of the thermocouple well is calculated and found to be within 6% of the experimental value. Since most of this drop is across the 0.001-in. helium gap between the heater and its sleeve, it is concluded that the thermocouple will have to be bonded to the sleeve for dependable reading of true sleeve temperature. Drawings of the heater assembly and thermocouple are given. (D. L. C.)

This report is an interpretation of data (flow, pressure, temperatures within a process tube during events affecting single tubes) as applied to the most severe (rapid) K-reactor transients which are credible. Analyses indicate that no fuel channel burnout will result from a BPA power loss to the process pumps.

An investigation was made to determine the structural behavior of selected components of the Oak Ridge Research Reactor for increased power level conditions. It was found that a reactor cooling water outlet temperature of 150 deg F will cause severe plastic strain cycling in the aluminum housings for the large test facilities. Increasing the reactor cooling water flow rate of 21,000 gpm will cause plastic deformations in certain reaons of the core box. These latter deformations can be tolerated, but the full implications asscciated with any change in pressure differential must be understood before adopting the above flow rate. (auth)

Approximately 100 ternary and quaternary spongezirconium alloys were screened for structural and cladding applications in a natural-uranium-fueled heavy-watermolerated power reactor. The alloy additions studied included2 to 4 wt.% Sn, 0.5 to 2 wt.% Mo, and 1 to 3 wt.% Nb. The effect of 0.1 wt.% Fe and 0.05 wt.% Ni additions to the experimental alloys was evaluated. All compositions were are melted, rolled at 850 ction prod- C from a helium- atmosphere furnace, vacuum annealed 4 hr at 700 ction prod- C, and furnace cooled. Room- and elevated-temperature hardness measurements were used to estimate the tensile strengths of the alloys, while corrosion resistance was evaluated by 1000-hr exposures to static 300 ction prod- C water. (auth)

A study to improve the elevated-temperature strength of niobium by solloving has resulted not only- in greatly improved strengths at 1200 and 1470 deg F but also in the development of improved fabrication techniques for these alloys. The most important step in the fabric:ition procedure of niobium and niobium-base allows is the initial breakdown of the cast structure. The cast structure of 1.84 wt. 4 chromium, 3.21 wt.% chromium. 4.33 wt. ' zirconium, and 20.5 wt.% titanium-4.28 wt. = chromium allovs and unalloyed niobium was broken known by- forging ingots (protected from oxidation by molybdenum ciins) at 2550 deg F and rolling at 800 deg F. After the initiai breakdown of the cast structure, the alloy-s were coid roiied to a total of 95 per cent reduction with no difficulty .A second fabrication technique was employed for a second set of alloys. Unalloyed niobium and 1.29 wt. % chromium, 2.74 wt. 3 zirconium, 4.5 wt.% molybdenum, and 10 wt. % titanium-3 wt.% chromium alloys were forged and rolled at 1000 deg F to break down the cast structure and then cold rolled to 0.030-in. sheet. the sheet obtained by this technique showed moderate edge cracking. Tensite tests on the coid-worked …

In an investigation of the detailed temperature structure of the seven- element cluster of cylinders surrounded by a sleeve which comprise the fuel assembly for the EGCR, the radiative interchange of heat between the rods and sleeve was evaluated. A procedure advocated by Hottel was used to determine the view factors for gray enclosures taking into account the multiplicity of reflections, absorptions, and secondary radiations. (auth)

The Criteria for Speed of Control must be met for all cases being considered in the Expansion Studies. These Criteria are dependent upon the ratio Volume of water/volume of uranium in the process channel, the reactor power level, and the rate at which the vertical rods are released and inserted into the reactor. For those cases wherein the graphite channel is overbored by 0.200 inch., the criteria can generally be met for the power levels under consideration since the ratio of Vw/Vu is maintained adequately small by the use of large diameter fuel elements. If the graphite is not overbored, high pressure drop across the fuel element section must be maintained in order to maintain small values of Vw/Vu, which results in a substantial increase in the front header pressure. A method is developed in this document which ties together and defines the hydraulic and physics characteristics of the fuel-process channel geometry necessary to satisfy the Speed of Control Criteria over a range of feasible operating conditions. This study assumes no graphite overboring and employs throughout a smooth bore zircaloy process tube having an inside diameter of 1.650 inches. The fuel elements are self-supported., and the inner hole size was …

This document details activities of the irradiation processing department during the month of December, 1959. A general summary is included at the start of the report, after which the report is divided into the following sections: Research and Engineering Operations; Production and Reactor Operations; Facilities Engineering Operation; Employee Relations Operation; and Financial Operation.

Use of X-8001 Al alloy as cladding for Hanford reactors was initiated because of superior (laboratory) resistance to intergranular corrosion over that of C-64 alloy. However, since severe pitting attack was observed intermittently, an evaluation was carried out on X-8001 alloy fuel element cladding.

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The objectives of this production test detailed in this report is to evaluate the behavior during irradiation of tubular fuel elements with hot-headed end closures. With natural uranium twenty-inch tube- and-tube elements will be irradiated to a goal of 2500 MWD/T in the KER loops. The inner tubes will be closed by the hot-heading technique and the outer tubes will have normal welded closures.

Experimental data on plutonium yield and U{sup 235} burnout are now available on the E metal portion of three central zone striped E-N columns and one fringe blanket E column. These data and an overall E-N load conversion ratio based on experimental data are now reported.

Report documenting ongoing research and developments at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Gas-Cooled Reactor Project. Design Investigations: The effects on the power distribuestablished. A mathematical model was developed for studying shifting of the coolant stream as it moves along a rod in order to predict the temperatures of the parallel streams as they progress through the reactor. A fuelelement life code developed for computing the internal temperature structure, the amount of fission gas released, the internal pressure, the cladding strain when the internal pressure exceeds the coolant pressure, and the creep damage was used for comparing top-loading and inventedloading fuel programs for the EGCR. A statistical method was developed for estimating the probability that the hot spot on the EGCR fuel element will exceed a given temperature. A method of cooling the EGCR control rods was developed that will minimize diversion of coolant flow through leakage paths between graphite blocks. A preliminary design of a control rod cooled by this method was developed. Means for reducing the thermal stresses in the top head nozzles of the EGCR pressure vessel were studied. The stresses in the graphite sleeves of the EGCR fuel elements were calculated, and the maximum stress was found …

This report presents provisional specifications for the modifications and additions to the Lead Dip Canning Process for Heat Treated Uranium for the production test fabrication of projection fuel elements by resistance spot welding.

On the 0000-0800 shift, October 15, 1959, the delayed neutron monitor on KER Loop 2 gave a high coolant activity signal indicating a possible fuel element failure in this loop. KE reactor was shutdown immediately thereafter. This report is being written to summarize the events pertinent to this KE reactor scram and to discuss the results and significance of data from analyses on coolant and coupon samples taken from KER Loop 2.

Studies on the use of coagulant aids in the lime-soda treatment of large- volume, low-level radioactive liquid waste revealed that a combination of Hagan Aids No. 50 and No. 18 gave fairly good results under most conditions. The effects of feed solution concentrations, mode and point of addition, and water temperature were studied. (C.J.G.)

The proposed increased water capacity for 100-K plants will increase the electrical load to be supplied. The load study showed that the capacity of the existing 13.8 kV system is adequate to carry the increased loads proposed for Project CG-775, while for the 5 kV system, an expanded power system is proposed. Likewise, the voltage regulation on the kV system bus will be excessive, and voltage regulators should be added.

A preliminary analysis conducted on various types of bearings indicated that hydrodynamic type journal and thrust bearings lubricated with a portion of the mercury from the condensate return pump would best suit the SNAP II requirements. Experimental rssults confirmed the bearing design approach. Stable bearing operation was obtained at speeds in excess of the 40,000 rpm design objective with simulated loads of 1 to 10 g in the radial direction, and 0 to 2 g in the axial direction. Total power consumption of the bearing system is approximately 550 watts at the design speed. (auth)

This report presents a technical and economic study of the lead-dip canning process compared to two types of solid state diffusion bonding processes (hot-press die and gas pressure bonding) for Hanford production fuel elements (exclusive of NPR). It is concluded that either bonding process has potential advantages over the lead-dip process. The gas pressure bonding process has advantages over the hot-press die process.

Seven water leaks during the past year because of internal corrosion of second generation process tubes have emphasized the need for additional corrosion information. Numerous out-of-pile and probolog examinations have been made to determine the nature of the corrosion, and mixer fuel elements currently are charged in central zone tubes in order to reduce the corrosion rates. This document presents the data obtained to date as a general description of the tube condition at the time when the mixer elements were adopted and outlines future action necessary to determine when the second generation tubes must be replaced because of internal corrosion.