The lack of control rod capacity in the reactors with nine rods is causing significant production losses. The present control system, which functioned satisfactorily at a 300 MW equilibrium power level, is unable to counteract the larger startup reactivity transient effects at the current high power levels. This lack of strength causes the power level to be restricted during startup. The control system is also not flexible enough to prevent outages for the discharge of temporary poison. (1) A method of obtaining the required supplementary control strength and flexibility has been conceived. (2) and equipment developed for this purpose. The purpose of this test. (3) was to demonstrate the operational feasibility of the special front and rear face equipment which was designed to permit the routine charging and discharging of poison slugs at selected process tubes during periods of reactor operation. This report presents the data, results and conclusions obtained from the trial use of this equipment.

This document presents a summary of work and progress at the Hanford Engineer Works for August 1952. The report is divided into sections by department. A plant wide general summary is included at the beginning of the report, after which the departmental summaries begin. The Manufacturing Department reports plant statistics, and summaries for the Metal Preparation, Reactor and Separation sections. The Engineering Department` section summaries work for the Technical, Design, and Project Sections. Costs for the various departments are presented in the Financial Department`s summary. The Medical,Radiological Sciences, Utilities and General Services, Employee and Public Relations, and Community Real Estate and Services departments have sections presenting their monthly statistics, work, progress, and summaries.

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This test project is being carried on for the purpose of testing certain machines which are designed to charge and discharge reactor units with process metal while the unit is in operation. Satisfactory charging of process pieces while the reactor now required for charging operations. These presently required shutdowns are costly in terms of production time, and may cause undesirable thermal stresses in the unit as it changes power level. If charging can be accomplished during operation, reactor shutdowns would only be necessary for maintenance or emergency purposes. During the testing of these metal handling machines, problems have arisen involving the behavior of the process pieces as they are charged. Because these problems directly affect the charging operations, they are being closely investigated also. the machines covered by this report are designated as pressurized machines since they contain the same water pressure as the end of the process tube on ;which they are located. In most of the test work covered by this report, the full scale pressurized charging machine was replaced with a small charging cylinder. The charging operation was simplified by this change.

Temperature variations in a slug create problems in stresses, corrosion, and design. As an acid in solving these problems for present and higher power levels, the temperature distribution and anticipated maximum temperatures have been calculated and are presented here. They are based upon theoretical investigations of heat flow in a four inch standard slug. The results of these investigations are presented in this document.