Hanford Works Monthly Report July 1948 (Deleted)

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i13 - Office o f Ifanford Directed OF rst ions Cocument Consists of THIS DOCUMENT H A S BEEN SCANNED AND IS STORED ON THE OPTICAL DISK D R I V E1 2 2 5 2 ' 0 1

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Tranepolctotion a i vision.......... .I ostmo & Division e.. .ee Servi ae Die si ons ......e........... Plant Security cad Servisss Ltvision ........ Project and Related Personnel ..........

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I n accordance with echedul3d arranganents the loo-J Pile was started on reached on July 16, No unusual incidents marked either the start-up or the operation of this unit during the month. Power level mas increased steadily until the 275 MI7 level was 3uring the month evaluation studies indicated the desirability of using semd-bed filters as a mans of correct iq the 200 Area stack gas contamination 2roblen. Therefore, design, procurenent, and c cr struct i cn eff irt s were coacentrated on this possi5le solution. Efficiencies of 99.9-f 5 with essentially no minterihnce or operating tima requirements have been reasonably demonstrated by test size sand-bed filters. Irregularity in electric power service cmtinued, On July 13 a severe' surge originating in the Bonneville Power Administration system scrammed all three piles and caused outages totaling approxizately 25% of d l cut - age tin&(including scheduled outage) for t h e month. Repented discharge of pile tubes as nuw conceived involms periodic dis - charge of 75% of tho tube, leaving tho remaining 25% as a "heel" for reirradiation of ell slugs, decreased the frequency with which thc tubes must bo discharged, cd simplifies tho inauguraticn of segmented discharge. In preparation for segmented discharge the upstream durz slugs are currontly being oxittod from tubes as they are re-loaded. Zvidenco acc unr late s thf corrosion of Van Stomf langcs is re let iv ely independent of tho gcly;.anic action between aluminum and stain loss steel. Alum im inserts bet....ecn tho flnnga and tho nozzle <id not inhibit pitting of the flange and were themselves pitted on the side ndjncent tothe alum ibf k qo rzthcr thnn on the sido ndiacent t o the st n in lds s steel The behcvior of slphrL-&rud.=J, ler.d-diF?t.d slugs in tho piles is similar higher degrec of preferred cmjstcl orient rti on is y-ssent in the ox t rudd 300 Area Plant Assistarno personnel continued t o su9Earvise t h e production rc l ling of uranium rods far Sanford at Ft. Wayno, Indiana, m d Lockport, Stool, Aliquippa, Peazsyirmaio, on July 23. sure cmp leto struct ur - 1tmsf ormation of this motal were ostablished for tho trip Je - dip slug canning process. Indicaticns aro that tho cycle t - h e extension found osso - dial can be relieved ?hen means for more effective slug agitation in the bronzo bath are dovised. It was found thata simple slug fracture test shows the dogroe of structural trnnsfcnnntion as mll as does the nore labor it us laboratory exominntion, and equiwent t o place this frsc ture test ir xu tine plnnt use is baing assenblod. tured in 100-4'p i l e on & c y 30 was concluded. wold of the end-cap which hnd soparnted from t h i s slug, 3nd this hoie communicated with voids in the brazo-line betweon the cup and the can water pen otrs tion into dir oct cor,tact :iit!i the ur anim evidantly had occur rod^ They hlso obsorvcd a succassful trial rolling at Vulcan Crucible Bronze dip conditions t o osA pinhole was found in the Poor wetting also wus vi sib lo between the cap and tho slug. bOceSS

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for the Study of btcls, Chicago) on 234-5 Rojo ct malyses. During t h e mcnth tho "Prc2osGd Cost Control System" for Sanford Vorks ntomic Enarm Commission. effect iw on September 1, 1548. It is expected tkt the system nil1 be mde !luring the latter part cf July, rcpresoctntives cf then ud it in z fir n cf Touche, Yivcn, Eailoy arid Sanrt com?letcd a "Frcposed Accoufiting Systen port dated August 2, 1948. Three lost - tins in juri os cccurrcd during the period July1 through July 20. This incraosed the total number of lost - tim injuries for tire year t o Sickness absenteeism rorchcd n new lcw a t .W,& Unor Injury Frcqucncy iir.te remained tho smc as the previous month. Dwiq the nonth grzund m s Srokon for construction of a c:gw sw-ming pool near Saif t Str sot cad Long Avenue. oponod tothe public after baing closed during the flmd emergemy. The exist i og swimming pol was

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Assistant 3 m ~ m llhnagor ................R.S. Ncblott Assistant to the Genarnl I4xnagsr Assistant tothe Genersl Ynnaqcr Assistant to the General Ynnnger and

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North Richland Realty Employee & Corm. Relations ao 78 19 18 Plant Security G Service 1001 1005 114 118 Labor Relations & W a g e Rates 5 5 5 5

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In accordance with scheduled arrangements the 100-B P i l e was started on July i. Paver level was increased steadily until a.275 hlVl level was reached on July 16. No unusual incidents marled either the start up o r the operation of this unit during the month. During the nonth avaluation studies indicated the desirability of using sand-bed filters as amans of correcting the 200 Area stack gas contamination problem. Therefore, design, procureaent, and construction efforts were concentrated an this possible solution, Efficiencies of 99.9 4%with essentia- no maintenance o r operating time requirements have been reasonably demonstrated by test s i z e sand-bed filtsrs. Irregularits in electric poxer service continued. surge, originating i n the Banneville Pmr Administration sgstem, scrammed all three piles and caused outages totaling apprcPrimately 25% af all outage time (including scheduled octage) f o r tb month. Reparations tothe extent of over $5O,OOO are tobe paid t o the General Electric Company, EiichlaRd, as a result of an Interstate Camerce Cam - mission review of freight charges on coal shipnents during the period On Juls 19 a severe

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The 13 and F Pile so pe ~ ste dst 275 M.W, throughout July except for the outages listid under Area Activities in this report. pile waa reactivated on July I, 1948, the level being raised from 0 t o 275 during the perid July 1 t o July 16. The 100 Area discharge rate continued a t 60 tons per month, there being no scheduled autages for =tal discharge atB Pile in July. Ths 300 Area cann hg production amounted t o 97 tons of acc ep able slugs, T h i s rate is lower than scheduled because of the i5ncrease in tha canning cycle time made standard on July 9, 1948. duction rate is bing increased as rapidly as personnel can be -emplayed and trained, The canning operation was placed on a 2-shiPba-day basis un July 26 t o permit a production rate of 130 tans per month. ORGANIZATION AND PERSONNEL the month d commenced a period of training preparatory to assuming supervlsorg duties. A. A. Zanos, Area Sxperpisor, was remciv6d from the pa poll for Incident t o the start up of BPile 4nd the attendant re omz ation of the supervisory staff, the follaning promotions were made effecpr3mcrted t o Assistant Cnief Supembor, B Area. J. A. Haaga, promoted t o Area Sup ed or in charge of B ShFft

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K. T. Perkins, promoted t o Area Supervisor in charge of D Shift H. E. Berg, promoted to Senior Supervisor in charge of Canning H. A. Laybaurn was transferred from B to F Area on July 28 as Day Effective July 19, the jobs f i l l e d by weekly salary personnel were reclassflied; new rates 4 isolation pay were s e t up where applicable. J. E. Wider visited the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory d the G. E. Engineering snd Consulting Laboratorg a t Schecteday, New Pork, on July U. to discuss new pile construction. Date of Outae

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Date of Outam *Poison discharged according to start up schedule. Tho unscheduled outages were caused as follows: Necessity f o r emergency repairs to "D" Riser 7-19-48 system, .Icritical nY" condition waa in effect for appracimately 35 udxnrtos, thus precludirg an immediate start up. Same work scheduled for subsequent shutdowns was done during this period. The level d % b & r&'&% steps to 275 M.R., tbis value being reacb ed an July 16. The start up was accomplished without unusual incident. (For data- of the program followed In reactivating B Pile referonco shauld be d e t o Classified Document No. Hm-lQ232 ated June 18, 19118.) plan mi Im 33ycm=W~aw A number of Special Roquest samples were processed during JW, details of their irradiation nay be found in the Technical Section Or this r0pOI.t. Production Tests having operational significance during tho month a m 105-81-P (Probe Test of Tap Central Tubes) Monthly tests were cmied aut with satisfsctoq results, passed the 1,485 inch probe.

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Ten tubs in the F Pile were charged mithaut r e g i front duomry chsrges snd shielded o n l y with a c?ip supported six-inch stainless steel dttmmy. has been observed. No excessive radiation 105-168-P (Replacement of Pile Helium Atmosphere with Carbon Ths percentage of carban dioxide in the gas circulating throughout the month. co ditions was cbsemd. No signif'icant change in operating Tuba No, 2272-D was discharged on July 5 . the slugs indicated that seriaua warp- could be expected from t h i s type of metal when lead dipped, all tubes containing such material were discharged on (Special Irradiation Request No. 52) Five tubes were charged a t F Pile 0x1 July 27 and four tubes were charged a t D Plle on July 30 with no operating effected in sccordance with Doclrment No. W=9797. The loading of' this mates haa resulted in sli # t gaine in Special handling af this material was Aa .repdHW ins mu htkw Wing held in reserve as a dive 9zkof a %3cfouad that the effluent water s ct iv it y approached the tolerance level requiring t h a t both sections of the B Area retention basin be used in d e r t o mintah the activity within operating lbits, Studies are in prop as to deternine the source and reason for these readings. it the end of the month both sides of the basin mere still in use. All vertical and horQamtal rads are i n satisfactoq operating conof vertical rod thimbles mas continued. A progmm of removing deposits of iron rust from the bottcaus The section of the "D" riser themowell, the failure of which necessitated an unscheduled shutdown of D Pile on July 9, was removed from No, l& cross header on July 30. flange assembly reinstalled. T h e thennowelI mas replaced snd the

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Tube No. 2875-F, containing 4" pieces, cauld not be discharged in the normal manner an July 27, The charge was broken loose by means of a hydraulic jack; discharge of the stringer was then completed witbout further difficulty by using the pneumatic charger, The tube was filled with solid ahmnirnrm dummies and p r i l l be borescoped in the near future. Effective July 27 the use of the standard front dummy pattern s ~ 8 9 the front cap is to be used f o r the necessary shielding. €Iereaf%era single stainless steel dummy supported W Work p189 contiwed on the installation of the mvr effluent mter line between the F Pile Building and the Retention Basin. that this work w i l l be completed d the line niu. be placed in service It is now estimated Pile Deve loment AB reported above, the front dummy pattern fur pile process tubes nil1 consist hereafter of a single stainless steel piece supported by tbe front cap. This change w1U a l l o w significant savings in dummy profeasible in-the event thnt partial discharges become standard practice. For the present a stock of 1.U" diameter pieces is Seing used for this purpose .satisfactory for general use, It will also make a program of segmented discharging Experiments are in progress to deternine If this diameter is The sample casing of Cask No. 94 was removed satisfactorily. A scatter p l a t e of two4nch steel was positioned an July 8 in the xadiatim beam st the top far side of D Pile. is be- msde to allow evaluation of a proposed supplementarg shield. conclusj;ve results had been obtained by the en3 of the month. A study of scattering and reflection

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Product i a for the month of July WRS as follows: Billets Prcduced 80 Tons Rods Mschined 198 Tons Acceptable Pieces Canned 97 Tons The casting yields wem as follows: Operation ma conthued atl a threeahift, seven-day week schedule in July, with mixed charges of TXH a d solid scrap being melted. On July 1, the Stokes finishing pump f a i l e d when a valve plate broke. The failure of this pump allowed sane of the oil fran the SB-300 pumps t o be drawn up into the H-16 pumps even though the diffusion pumps were isolated and the heat was turned off immediately. T h i s necessitated chnnep1ll9 the oil in all four diffusion pump in addition t o replacing the valve plate and re@t&4&5&-~praaimately eight hours! dorm time. On July 10, a valve broke in the nofih Stabs -h July 3. T h i s change offers an improved control of turntable movement when positioning molds for pouring. The a i r motors used previously were connected t o the electric drives through a clutch assembly for During July five crucibles cracked while heating in the furnaces, allowing molten metal t o flow down onto the brickwork boneath the ~0119. In each case it was necessazy t o replace the brickwork. On July 28 when preparations were being made t o paur No. 2 crucible i n RAR furnace, a large led developed ard the stopper rod in No. 4 cmcible in which the charge had begun to melt, ~ninrmeaiate attempt mas made t o position molds f o r pauring No. 4 crucible, metal flowing from the crucible rras a t a Ion temperature and build up top of a mold In No. 1 position interfering rsith the movement of

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had dropped onto the turntable. A s m a l l hole mas cut through the turntable, sUaVing metal t o freeze on the supporting ring an the bottcan of' the turntable. When the turntable was moved t o paur No. 2 crucible, seven of the roller supports were bent. After the furnace vas opened it was necessarg t o cut frozen metal fran the turntable, patch the hole, and r e m o v e and straighten the rollers before continuing the operation of the flumace. The merall. consumption of graphite remains high when using mixed cha~ges(4%TXB - 60% UM). The average number of ru~lsin July was …