S>Some recent results from the Los Alamos program in which hydraulic fracturing is used for the recovery of geothermal energy are discussed. The location is about 4 kilometers west and south of the ring fault of the enormous Jemez Caldera in the northcentral part of New Mexico. It is shown that geothermal energy may be extracted from hot rock that does not contain circulating hot water or steam and is relatively impermeable. A fluid is pumped at high pressure into an isolated section of a wellbore. If the well is cased the pipe in this pressurized region is perforated as it is in the petroleum industry, so that the pressure may be applied to the rock, cracking it. A second well is drilled a few hundred feet away from the first. Cold water is injected through the first pipe, circulates through the crack, and hot water returns to the surface through the second pipe. Results are described and circumstances are discussed under which artiflcial geothermal reservoirs might be created in the basaltic rock of Hawaii. (MCW)

Division, Dow Chemical U.S.A., for shipping unirradiated fissile material in solid form. Components consist of a 30-gal steel drum, Celotex insulation, and stainless steel containment vessel(s) of 10-in. dia. A simple venting system prevents rtupture of the outer drum in the event of accidental fire. Approved material limits include 5 kg of plutonium or 11 kg of enriched uranium. Thermal decay energy is normally limited to 20 W. Results of extensive tests show the container will function effectively when exposed to all environment and accident conditions as required. The containment vessel temperature rise will not exceed 140 deg F during the thermal test. Internal heating of 20 W will cause an additional temperature rise of 80 deg F. (auth)

The isothermal test series is part of the Semiscale Blowdown and Emergency Core Cooling (ECC) Project conducted by Aerojet Nuclear Company for the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission. The test series consisted of ten blowdown tests and five hot-wall tests with emphasis on emergency core coolant delivery. The blowdown tests were conducted to investigate the effects of lower plenum geometry, heat transfer configuration, ECC injection location, downcomer gap size, and break size.

A program to examine the soil-actinide relationship in sediments from a disposal facility was initiated in March 1973. Initial work has been done using samples from the 216-Z-9 covered trench. Soil mounts were made of soil recovered from a core of an uncontaminated well drilled alongside Z-9 trench. The mounts were made by plastic-impregnating smaller, 1-in. diameter cores taken from the original 4-in. diameter cores. The uncontaminated mounts showed that the less than 30 mesh soil was composed of predominately metamorphic rock fragments of the Belt Series, brought down from northern Washington and Idaho by the ancestral Columbia River. Two 4-in. diameter cores, 2 ft in length. were taken from the floor of Z-9 trench. Smaller contaminated mounts were made from these original cores in the same manner as with the uncontaminated samples. Overlying one of these cores (4-- 11), was a sludge layer of silica, alumina and water. The other core (4-5) had no sludge layer. At least two types of plutonium were found in cores 4- 11 and 4- 5 by autoradiographic and microprobe examination. The plutonium particles (up to 10 mu m in diameter and 60 wt% PuO/sub 2/) were the most conspicuous form. These occurred near …

Progress is reported for a research program on the resuspension in the atmosphere of plutonium fallout deposited on the earth surface. The long-range goal of the resuspension studies is to produce a set of equations which can be used to predict the timedependent average concentration of resuspended material downwind from a source of any geometrical configuration and soil sunface characteristics. The experiments are conducted at the Nevada Test Site where plutonium-high explosive tests were performed during the period from 1954 to early 1958. The investigations have included: monitoring of soil samples for Pu; development of ultra-high volume air samplers, in-situ panticle spectrometers, particle counters, and a micrometeorology field laboratory; determination of Pu redistribution due to the rolling of soil particles pushed by winds (creep), the bouncing of wind-pushed particles (saltation), and transport by dust devils; and measurements of meteorological parameters. Results from these experiments will be used to establish a data bank on radioisotope distribution and meteorological conditions at NTS and to provide information of the relation between the source and the dose to man from existing radioactivity. (LCL)

The design, construction, and testing of a variety of electrical heaters for small-diameter Subterrene penetrators has been pursued. The incompatibility of refractory materials at the required operating temperatures of ~2000 deg K and the large heat-flux requirements posed the most difflcult design problems. Heat fluxes of up to 2.0 MW/m/sup 2/ were obtained from pyrolytic-graphite radiant heattransfer elements and were as high as 2.5 MW/m/sup 2/ when this type of heater was combined with a lithium heat-pipe assembly. Penetrators using radiant heaters produced both vertical and horizontal holes of 50 mm dia up to lengths of 25 m, whereas holes of up to 64 mm dia and 0.5 m long were produced in basalt and other rock samples in the laboratory. (auth)

The fracture energy, or effective surface energy of hardened cement paste and polymer-impregnated hardened cement paste, was measured by an analytical method. The fracture energy of polymer impregnated hardened cement paste is considerably higher than the unimpregnated paste (7.5 x 10/sup 4/ to 0.91 x 10/sup 4/ ergs/ cm/sup 2/). The increase appears to be entirely due to the polymer contribution. The results predict a factor of 5 improvement in the fracture strength of hardened cement paste upon polymer impregnation. (auth)

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A Monte Carlo calculation is described for the determination of the contribution of multiple scattering to x rays scattered at 90 deg in various thicknesses of beryllium and carbon plates. The plates are inclined at an angle of 45 deg to the incident radiation. The photon energy range considered is 1 keV to 100 keV. Scatterer thicknesses range from 0.0046 g/cm/sup 2/ to 1.204 g/ cm/sup 2/. Two sets of results are given: one from a formulation neglecting the polarization, the other including polarization. Results are presented in the form of an enhancement factor defined as the ratio of the number of scattered photons escaping from the scatterer at 90 deg to the number escaping at 90 deg after scattering only once. Enhancement factors are given in both tabular and graphical form. (auth)

The Chew-Low theory is used to calculate the scattering of a pion by a nucleon inside nuclear matter. Together with the standard relation between refractive index and forward scattering, this yields the wave number of a pion inside nuclear matter. Singularities appearing in earlier theories are avoided. (auth)

From surface effects in controlled thermonuclear fusion devices and reactors meeting; Argonne, Illinois, USA (10 Jan 1974). The sputtering by ftssion fragments of Cu, Al, and Nb doped with 0.1 at.% /sup 235/ and bombarded with thermal neutrons was investigated. This was primarily a search for micron size particles emitted from the surfaces of the doped sources. Kaminsky et al., have observed large particles (several microns in size) emitted from the surface of samples bombarded by 14 MeV neutrons, with a maximum knock-on energy of 600 keV in Nb. The fission energy deposition of 200 MeV should be more than adequate to yield any observable effects that might be present at 600 keV. The concentration of flssion events was 10 times the concentration of knockons in the Kaminsky experiments. With scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive x- ray analyses of sputtering collectors both before and after irradiation, no sputtered particles were found larger than one detection limit of 0.1 mu . (auth)

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An investigation was conducted to determine the effect of a wide operational temperature range on the output of a small photomultiplier tube (PMT). This PMT is similar to the RCA 8571 miniature PMT. A calculator based instrumentation system is described including programming techniques used to reduce and display data. Also described is a Light Instrumentation System with specially designed fiber optic light guides which supplies light to the PMT to allow measurement of the PMT output with respect to temperature. (auth)

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A four-phase study was designed for the evaluation of social, economic and environmental tradeoffs in the analysis of nuclear power plant siting options. The results of the first phase of this work are reported. This phase included: examination of environmental statements and guidelines and intervenors' statements to determine the aignificant criteria to be analyzed; development of a questionnaire with design options for two chosen sites; the answering of the questionnaire by environmentalists, high school students, and businessmen; analysis of the survey results; and an explanation of the mechanics of making the analysis of a given design on a given site. (LCL)

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Standards and procedures for promoting the exchange of reactor physics codes are updated to Version-III status. Standards covering program structure, interface files, file handling subroutines, and card input format are included. The implementation status of the standards in codes and the extension of the standards to new code areas are summarized. (15 references) (auth)

Jet impact erosion tests and high frequency fatigue tests were conducted for 2-1/4 Cr-1 Mo steel. Utilizing the relationship between the velocity of impact and number of impacts to produce visible erosion, the threshold velocities were determined as 220 and 140 fps at 10/sup 7/ and 10/sup 8/ cycles respectively. The relationship between the high frequency fatigue strength and the number of cycles to failure was determined at room temperature up to a maximum of 10/sup 9/ cycles. The high frequency endurance limit at room temperature was determined to be approximately 32,000 psi for 10/sup 8/ cycles. In addition, the ratio of high frequency fatigue strength to water hammer stress for erosion inception was also obtained as 2.75. 5 figures.

During the development phases of heat source programs (the fabrication for design verification, engineering evaluation, etc.), heat sources and test capsules are often required prior to the formalization of specifications and drawings. Furthermore, there are also programs where the quantities and technology are such that a detailed and unique set of documentation is not justified. Consequently, this document is intended to be a general guide to the criteria applicable in evaluating the acceptability of radioisotopic heat sources and test capsules when they are produced under these circunnstances. The guidelines are general in nature, since many applications of heat sources have unique requirements, but typical values are given where practicable. This document is written in the format of a general specification to enhance its usefulness. (auth)

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An x-ray fluorescence technique has been evaluated for measuring the coating thickness of two coating-substrate combinations. A quantitative theory has been developed in conjunction with the experimental data to support the results of the investigation. Results of measurements of zinc coatings on iron and nickel coatings on uranium are given. (auth)