UNCLASSIFIED _ —_ EEE REACTOR DEVELOPMENT Maritime gas-cooled propulsionsystem, The joint AEC-MA contract with the General Dynamics Corporation was executed on June 26. On the basis of earlier authority, General Dynamics began the study of conceptual design of reference reactor systems, and materials problems associated with gas-metal and graphite-metal reactions, * , Uae Bolling water reactor system. The scope of work under the AEC contract with General Electric Company for the design of a boiling water reactor system for use in a T-5 tanker hull 2 ae “ae *. was revised to reflect the possibility of using a larger tanker hull. Preliminary design work was to be completed about August 1. . CIVILIAN POWER REACTORS S Wt 63 AEC Experimental Power Reactor Projects sas wots ESF ay: Atomic Power Plant were performed during the April-June quarter, These were on xenon 2 aos Pressurized-water type, Various tests involving nuclear operation of the Shippingport burnout, the calibration and intercomparison of control rods, and plant responses to variations in load and to complete loss of load. These testa were conducted at various power levels up to full power, using three and four loops. Reactor startup tests took place in Jate June, At the end of June the plant had completed 682 equivalent full power hours of operation and supplied 37,890,000 kilowatt-hours to the Duquesne Light Company system. Boiling-water type. The Experimental Boiling Water Reactor (EBWR) at the Argonne National Laboratory was operated with a defective fuel element in a test beginning on April 24. The purpose of the test was to measure the radioactive carryover from the reactor to the : . : s. : - - turbine. During the test a turbine blade failed and the reactor was shut down. Although the EBWR had been operating a week with the defective fuel element, the radiation level at the turbine was sufficiently low to permit the use of standard power plant operating procedures in removing the turbine rotor. After the repaired rotor was reinstalled, the reactor was put back in operation. Operation at 20,000 kilowatts was routine and’no unexpected buildup of radioactivity had occurred. During the routine operation of BORAX IV at the National Reactor Testing Station (NRTS) in February there were indications that one or more of the fuel elements had failed. Since the TRL] program of experiments planned for the reactor included operation with a defective fuel ele- at yey 3 or ment, BORAX IV was not shut down. In spite of the presence of defective fuel elements, no excessive radioactive contamination of the surrounding area occurred. After shutdown, investigations revealed that of the 69 fuel elements in the reactor, 22 of the original 59 elements showed signs of cladding failure. On May 16 the Joint Committee was informed of the reasons for the suggested rescission of authority for the Argonne Boiling Reactor (ARBOR) facility in the proposed fiscal year 1959 authorization legislation. Homogeneous type. Shortly after reaching designed power on April 4 the Homogeneous Reactor Experiment No. 2 (HRE-2) at Ozk Ridge was shut down because of a leak through which fuel from the reactor core transferred to the heavy water blenket region. Flow measurements indicated a probable leakage area of about one square inch, but efforts to visually locate the leak were unsuccessful. Operation was resumed on June 4 to test a procedure for maintaining the fuel concentration in the blanket region at less than one-third that in the core vessel, despite the interchange of solution permitted by the leak. Operation at lower fuel concentration Ae ; . _. DOE ARCHIVES cast~ UNCLASSIFIED — zl