The 234-5 Building ventilation exhaust is continuously sampled for the purpose of estimating the amount of radioactive (alpha emitting) material discharged to the atmosphere. Although a record is kept of the gross amount of radioactive material discharged, few data are available concerning the size and kind of active particles in the exhaust air. Knowledge of the particle size permits: (1) an estimate of the validity of samples drawn through the sampling system, (2) a better knowledge of what the active particle ground deposition pattern might be, and (3) may provide information relating to filter performance. The kind of radioactive material discharged is important in determining relative health hazards. The object of this work was to determine the size and kind of radioactive particles in the 234-5 Building ventilation exhaust. A secondary objective was to review present routine sampling of the stream with particular regard to the particulates to be sampled.

Slug ruptures at C Reactor are costing a considerable amount of production and are limiting reactor power levels. A large portion of this production is lost because the ``quickie`` procedure cannot be used with unstruck ruptures. Currently there are two reasons for this condition: Insufficient reactivity is available to recover after a rupture is removed with the ``quickie`` equipment, and if the ``quickie`` method were attempted, there would be many failures due to stuck rear caps and improperly functioning equipment. With the current emphasis being placed on improving the ``quickie`` equipment and procedures, it is reasonable to assume that in the near future nearly all unstruck ruptures can be removed with this ``quickie`` procedure. However, the C Reactor does not possess sufficient excess reactivity to recover from a ``quickie`` rupture discharge following a shutdown from equilibrium conditions. This study outlines a procedure for extending the scram recovery time at C Reactor and an economic justification for buying the added reactivity necessary to carry out the procedure.

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High heat flux electrical cartridge heaters were tested with direct air cooling under simulated ORR Loop conditions. The cartridges and the heater design were found to be satisfactory. A gas cooler of concentric pipe design utilizing air, water, and air-water mixtures as the coolant was also evaluated and found to be satisfactory. Heat transfer calculations are compared with the experimental data and found to correlate within 10%. (auth)

The work on the hydraulic collapse or instability of flat plates was extended by considering flow redistribution and the effect of unequal friction drops in the deflected region of the channels. A general formula for the pressure distribution over a plate as a function of the plate deflection is derived. From this general formula, linearized formulas for small deflections are derived for the pressure distribution and the critical velocity. Graphs of pressure distribution for various assumed deflection curves are presented. Formulas and curves are given for the magnification of initial deflections as a function of approach to the critical velocity. (auth)

The abundances of the elements in nature, meteorites, and the Universe are reviewed. (DLC)

The Redox ruthenium contamination problem has two distinct phases; the environs contamination as a result of stack emissions, and the in-canyon contamination which controls time and cost factors for plant maintenance. On stack emissions, the probability of serious environs contamination exists so long as the batch-type, permanganate headend ruthenium volatilization process is used. Knowledge of the characteristics of volatilized ruthenium is not adequate today to give complete assurance that the off-gas treatment facilities will satisfactorily remove the particulate and gaseous forms of ruthenium on every headend batch. Until the required knowledge of ruthenium reaction rates is developed, the filtering and scrubbing efficiencies are determined, and the requirements to guarantee 100 percent reliability of equipment operation are solved, the prediction of frequency and amounts of ruthenium emission must be based on the experience factor gained in actual plant operation.

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