Hanford Works Monthly Report for February 1952 (Deleted)

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s document consists of Operated for the Atomic Energy Commission General Electric Company THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN SCANNED AND IS STORED ON THE OPTICAL DISK DRIVE

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Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory Knolls Atodc Power Laboraton Atomic Xnergy Commission Hanford Operations Office Atomic kergy Commission Hanford Operations Office Atomic Energy Cods sion Hanford Operations Office For: B. He Fry, AZC, Washington

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Metal Preparation Section ........................ 22 Separations Technology Unit...................... 88 Technical Sec es Unit ....................... 120 Project section ............................. US Radiological Sciences Department ....................... 177 Manufacturing Accounting Section .................... 228 Engineering Accounting Section ...................... 230 Community Accounting Section ....................... 233 Plant Security and Services Sectian ................... 23b Purchasing and Stores Section ...................... 269 Electrical Distribution and Telephone Section .............. 289 Utilities and General Services Department Statistical and Computing Services Section Employee and Public Relations Department ................... 305 conmnuu‘ty Real Estate and Services Department ................. 332 Community Semices Section ........................ 3% Recreation and Civic Affairs Unit .................. 337 Real Estate Section ............................ 356 Housing and Real Eetate Maintenance U n i t .............. 357 Real Estate agin ee ring Unit.................... 368 Commercial Property Unit ....................... 370 700. 1100. 3000 Area Services Section .................. 374

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All production forecasts for the month were exceeded except those which were dependent upon Redox output for feed. Redox ?lant curtailed its expected output, although 8 8 of forecasted inaterial was started through the plant. Shake-dam difficulties in the Several new records were established i n the reactor plants. of failures of slug jackets decreased for the second consecutive month indicating that steps taken t o improve the quality of the jackets nany months ago are beginning t o be effective. Although t h i s downward trend is expected t o continue, it may not take place owing tothe continued successful efforts t o increase power levels. . Engineering and Technology A new record rate of production of tritium w a s attained during the month. Development and engineerinz work directed toward the design of a new large reactor and an improved new separations plant were intensified. Expansion and Construction Definite plans are under way f o r a major expansion of plant which is currently described as "Program X" and which will be assembled i n t o a Project Proposal. Completion schedules of some construction jobs continue t o be adversely affected by labor disputes and shortages of certain crafts. The overall current construction program is more than SC$~complete. Personnel and Services The plant roll decreased slightly to 9,055 as did the turnover rate, 1.a. Three employees were honored Sy Coffin Awards, General Electric's top distinction f o r outstanding performance. Kadlec Hospital was .approved by the Council on Medical Education and Hospitals of the American Medical Association for interne and residency training in There were 680 applications f o r housing pending.

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Assistant General Manager ................ Assistant to the General Manager, General Administration Assistant to the General Manager, Technical ....... Assistant to the General Manager, Salary Administration . Manager, fInployee and Public Relations Ilfirector, Radiological Sciences .... Manager, Utilities and General Serdces

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Ro. Richland Reaity Elect. Digt. & Tel epb - Plant Sec. & Semicee Statfatical 8 p Computing Services

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METAL PREPBRATION SETION The t o t a l production for the month from Metal Preparation was a3 tons, exceeding the forecast by 3 percent. an increase of b.1 percent due t o improved rod surfaces. This material was rolled in November, Decemberp and January and reflects the vendor's efforts to improve rod quaJity. The canning yield of ,!pinch material was 79.1 percent and of 8-inch material was 66.7 pen en to was attributed to the reduction of maFred surfaces and AlSi rejects as well as improved operator techniques, The Melt Plant produced &9 tons of billets which is the highest productO f the total production, 37 tons The machinvlg yfeld was 80,9 percent, representing The improvement in the 4-inch canning yield The b i l l e t yield was 82.3 percent and the solid yield waa There were four autoclave failures of b-inch material w i t h a failure frequency o f 0.07 per thousand, and one failure of 8-inch material with a failure frequency o f 0.10 per thousand, Total midmum operating levels for any 24-hour period were Us MW over those predously estabushed, pFimarily due t o the redefinition o f Uraitatiorw of boiling considerations. d a i l y production which was 55 WD above the previous high. input production was 106.7 percent of forecast, establishing the highest per diem production t o &to with an increase of 18 units per day over November, 1951, the previous high period. Average p i l e levels uhile operating also reached a new high and exceeded the previous record, This reduction is prjncipally due to the DR reactor where process water leaks and slug failures have been predominant, for this perlod was %,6 percent. A neu record was established in The discharge production was 88.2 percent of forecast. The operating efficiency There wure 17 uranium slug jacket failures during Februarg, of which 9 uere Group 8, requiring 268 hours of outage time f o r removal operations. Seven of the failures uere dlscharged within the scram recoveFg time avow rppro~dmate3y175 hours of potenti d outage the, A t o t a l of 96 runs and 2 acid uashts was started in the Caqon Buildings, representing I l b percent of forecasto Thirty-seven runs uere started

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vas 82 Dercent o f forecast, A tot,;zl of 108 runs u L d~~ ~ 2 acid washes was processedln the Isolation Building which was 9.4.6 percent due t o start-up difficulties resulting in lower production from the The anticipated delivery of material from Redox uas delayed The average cooUg time was L7 days with a minimum o f LO-day material being usedo The average purity of the completed charges was 99,1 percent. A total of 21,& tons of uranium as UO3 was produced during February, w i t h 13 tons being shipped, The performance of the 200 East Area evaporator had not been satisfactory until the rema of a hard crystalline materid on the sides of the coils acid washes has resulted in satisfactory evaporation rates. Production of UO3 is curtailed awaiting material The removal of this material with a series of nitric and citric Initial efforts t o remove metal waste sludge i n tank 101-U were successful. The slurry was transferred t o the slurry accumulator tank, UR-001, where it will be blended prior to TBP processing. Total on Roll January 3 1 3 1952 3202 Total on Roll February 29, 1952 3192 Does not include intra-department transfers.

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A,Il persons engaged in work that might reasonably be expected to r e s u l t in inventions or discoveries advise that, t o the best of their knowledge and belief, no irwentions o r discomries were made in the course of their work during the ped-od covered by this report except as listed below, Such persons *+der advise that, for the period therein covered by t h i s report, notebook records, Ff any, kept in the course of their work have *been examined for possible inventions or

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METAL PREPARATION SECTION The Instrument Tube Shop facilities vcre moved from the 717-A Building to 3717-8 Building early in the month. t o 37074 Building t o make room for the Tube Shop. made available t o the U tU ties aud General Services Depart~ent~ Instrumant Ebgineers were transferred The 717-4 Building was Acceptable Plecea Canned (Tons,k") 128 Acceptable Pieces Canned (% Bare pieces Machined (Tons, 8.)

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Chip Recmllg Yield (k) Melt Plant Solld Yield ($) Poison Canned (Number pieces) Chem. 68-56 Canned (No. pieces) Poiaon, Chem. 68-56, Cheon. 10-66 305 Special Tests (,W hours) Metal Preparation Section . Feb ru q Year To Date Total Coal Consumed (Tons) a 2 8 1226 Well Water Pumped ( M U m Qal.) 0 6 06 Average Rate Generated (H lb./hr.) 29.8 26.2 Sanitary Water fram 3000 Area Total Water Average Rate ( g p m ) 544 722 All the ukium machined during the mth was from Virgin type material which vas rolled during November, December and Jan-. The increased yield reaulted from lmproveuaexzt in surface qwUty of the December and January rolled rods and is approaching the yields previously obtained from rods considered to be acceptable The increased o v e r 4 canning yield of four-inch and eight-inuh slugs is at-butable mainly to the reduction of mrred surfaces and A , l ; S l rejects, and resulted generally from improved operator techniques and closer supervisory follow-up. The increased production of briquettes and billets dtlrlng t h e manth resulted fran the processing of a portion of the backlog of chips on hand a t tho beginning of the month. The decrease the Melt Plant mud yield is attributable to this caum. The decrease in the billet yield resulted principally from equipment

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Metal Prep. Section None of the slugs tested for penetration during the month were found t o be penetrated t o within .01Ott of the outer surface of the Of four autoclaw failures of four-inch slugs which occurred durfng the month, tu0 were believed attributable t o operating techniques and two t o defective canse The one failure of an eight-inch slug was attributed to P defective can. Banination of canned slugs immediately prior to shipment t o the 100 Areas indicates that small pit so not evident prior t o autoclaving, appear on the sideualls of approximately 1% of the cans during storage. 'supplded by all vendors and on cans of different purity aluminum. Pr8l.iminarg microscopic examination of a t e a t group of slugs in storage indicates unprotected slugs are continuing to corrode while those covered with corrosion inhibiting material did not show any apparent evidence of corrosion. carefully inspected until corrective measures can be taken. This condition has been noted on cans A l l shipments are being of Eight Inch Uranium Slugs Fabricated in Heavy Walled Aluminum App roe t ely 8500 additional pieces were canned in accordance with this test during February. frost test reJect rates continue t o be high, however, recent pieces frost tested appear t o show some reduction in reject A t month end non-seating and Production Test 313-105-3H - Vabrication of Alpha Lead Dip Canning and Irradiation od Salt Bath Heat Treated Alpha-Rolled App ~ d ~ natel y850 slugs heat treated in agitated salt bath showed that me slug in each 20 destructively tested appears t o be -1-8 lead dip canned are reported to have poor can t o slug bond. This poor bond condition is not revealed by the f r o s t test, Further work has been postponed pending additional analysis. The remaining slugs, however, that Camring and machining production was 201% and s.%, respectively, abme forecasts, attributable mainly to the increased yieldse

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Metal Prap. Section There w e r e no element failures in the bronze furnaces during the month as compared t o six failures in January. may be attributable t o installation of ventilating ducts for removal of chloride fumes and t o improved operating technique in avoiding A condu6tivity cell equipped with a warning light was in s ded at the methanol rinse taak t o inmediately indicate out of process amounts of water and acidity content. w i l l assure more effective use of the methanol and improve the wetting of cans and caps. This instal h tion Inventions and Discoveries Personnel in the Metdl Reparation Section engaged in work which might be expected to result in inventions or discoveries have reported no inventions o r discoveries were made during the period covered by this report. D. Plant Development and Expansion - 300 Area Sewage Msposal System - ExcavatLon I s the septic tanks and sludge bed, and the excavation of the leaching tmch is partially completie. Pro ect C 4 3 3 - Expansion of 300 Area Power House and Pumping preparations are being made for construction. - ap pro ably 76% complete, Ehgineering studies were cmducted on the follaring items: a. Investigation of a practical means of controlling and reducing b. Deter!ninat;ion of the fe as i bill ty of using a bar cut-off saw for slug finishing, C. Evaluation of' the recently increased feed rates on the roller-turner machining lathes, with respect t o tool W e

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Wtal Prep, Section d. Evaluate the feasibility of spinning rather than crimping aluminum cans in the canning operation. e, Work space layout in 37174 Building. f. Operation of salt bath slug transformation and installation of production facilities. A. org anizational Changes Begw of month Monthly Weekly -T otal C. Safety Expe rfence There were no major or sub-major injuries during the month. near-serious accident was formally investigated. One A machining operator received exposures of 340 m p and 360 mrep during the month as determined by his weekly badge film. A s this individual has exceeded the operating l i m i t of 300 mrep three times in three months, it was decided t h a t his work habits a t machlnbg operation, Accordingly he was transferred to the canning

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Assigned responsibilities of the Reactor Section were not changed during Responsibility f o r investigation of Reactor Section major and sub-major injuries and near-serious accidents was formallzed during the month. Major injuries investigations will be held by t h e Section Manager. A committee was established t o investigate sub-majar injuries and nearserious accidents. Membership on this comnittee will generally be of The reactor input production was 106.7% of forecast but was 0.8% less than that for Jamuzp d w to the shorter work month. The per diem production was t h e highest yet achieved, exceeding that of November, 1951, by 18 units per day. IIR Reactor resulting from reduced input production in January and Februa;ry because of a process tube water leak and high incidence of slug The reactor output production was 88,2% of foreThe deficiency was due principally t o the reduced output from An increase of 80 MW mer preofously established mayimUm operating levels w a s achieved during the month, resulting principally from a redefinition o f limStatiow due t o boiling considerations, as outlined in document There were 17 uranium slug jacket failures during Februarg, seven of which were discharged within the scram recovery time limitation, permitting immediate resumption of operation. charges made it possible t o avoid approximately 175 hours of potential It is estimated that these "fast" dis-

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could be discharged within the scram recovery time. quired a total of 132.1 hours outage time for removal, only one ruptured slug of six encountered a t DR Reactor The six slugs reReactor Time Operated Reactor Outage Time (Hrs,) Water Pumped (MM gals.) The first instance of successful emergency utilization of a discharge area tool doUy occurred at,DR Reactor during the outage of February 1S0 The dolly was used in …