set emer UNCLASSIFIED Teer mT REACTOR DEVELOPMENT me oe an extension of this phase of the contract. NDA is to continue the development and preliminary design of the 10,000-electrical-kilowatt plant for Chugach and, under a contract amendment, Js to perform conceptual design for a large-scale, natural uranium, sodium-cooled, heavy-water- moderated reactor in sufficient detall to permit evaluation as to whether the Chugach facility would be suitable as a pilot plant for such a large-scale reactor, The Joint Committee was informed on May 13 of the decision of the Commission to discontinue any further action on the 10,000-electrical-kilowatt project proposed by the Wolverine Electric Cooperative. Analysis indicated that there is little economic promise for an aqueous homogeneous reactor of such small size. Third invitation. Research and engineering work continued to establish a reference design for the boiling water reactor of the “Pathfinder Plant” proposed by the Northern States Power — Company on the Big Sioux River, about 6 miles northeast of Sloux Falis, South Dakota. Land purchase was substantially completed, and test boring and meteorological investigations at the site were in progress, The Joint Committee waived the 45-day waiting period for the proposal of Carolinas- Virginia Nuclear Power Associates, Inc., to construct a pressurized heavy water reactor at Parr Shoals, South Carolina. The proposer was reviewing a contract drafted by the AEC. Special authorization previously requested for the East Central Nuclear Group-Florida West Coast Nuclear Group project was included in the proposed legislation authorizing appropriations for the AEC for fiscal year 1959. Research and development work by the proposer on the gas-cooled, heavy-water-moderated reactor was initiated during the quarter. Special authorization for an aqueous homogeneous reactor plant proposed by the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company and Westinghouse Electric Corporation was requested in legislation authorizing appropriations for the AEC for fiscal year 1959. Contract negotiations are to begin when the proposedlegislation is enacted. As a preliminary step to a cooperative arrangement proposal, the Water Resources Authority of Puerto Rico submitted to the Commission for evaluation a preliminary design of an advanced boiling water reactor developed by the General Nuclear Engineering Corporation. GENERAL ENGINEERING AND DEVELOPMENT Reactor Physics Engineering Test Reactor (ETR). The ETR operated at its full power of 175,600 kilowatts for the first time on April 19. Operations at full power were successful with separate loadings of two different types of fuel elements, designed to overcome the lack of structural strength which characterized the previous fuel elements. The first capsule irradiations were performed in May, The instalation of loop experiments was awaiting further hazards evaluation at the end of June. Materials Testing Reactor (MTR). Efforts continued at Hanford to fabricate acceptable plutonium fuel and shim elements for a single plutonium loading in the MTR. Several acceptable shim and fuel elements were completed, and the target date for completing a full loading was set for August 1. Efforts will be made to operate the MTR with a plutonium core before the Geneva Conference. UNCLASSIFIED DOE ARCHIVES besinct BOR