Hanford Works Monthly Report for December 1952 (Deleted)

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HANFORD iJCRKS MONTHLY RFPORT Operated for the Atomic Energy Commission General Electric Company

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Atomic Energy Commission Hanford Operations Office Atomic Energy Commission Hanford Operations Office Atomic Energy Commission

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Internal Audit Section ..................... If-1 and I f - 2 Utilities and General Services Department Community Real Estate and Services Department ............. L-1 and L-2 Commercial Prowrty Unit ............

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DWORD WORKS MONTHLY REPORT I n the Metal Preparation Section, despite t h e continued hampering effect of short rod supply, production represented 103.8 percent of forecast; while a new high record was established by t h e Reactor Sectionuith reactor input production at U1.8 percent of forecast. Reactor output production was l4.9 percent of forecast, A t o t a l of 1,759 tons of classified slugs were produced during 1952; the yearly reactor input production was 111.3 percent of forecast, and the output production was ll2.5 percent of forecast. Slug rupture experience for the month was by far the best i n the entire year, three uranium slug jacket f a i l u r e s during December were Group 8, with two of the three being discharged witl-in the scram recovery time. occurred during t h e year, 68 of which were pushed within scram recovery time. A total of 143 ruptures No process tube leaks occurred during the month, with a total of 34 tube leaks for Installation of the Ball Third Safety device was completed atF Reactor, and operat i o n was resumed on December 28, 1 9 5 2 , I n the Separations Section, 98.5 percent of forecast was attained f o r Redox, and, inthe Canyon Building, 114 percent of forecast. represented 169 percent of forecast, and U03 production w a s 109 percent of forecast. Engineering and Technology The 8.4 inch slug canned i n heavy-walled cans with thick end caps h a s been adopted as a standard production slug on t h e basis of the satisfactory irradiation history Production atthe TBP Plant Blending of Metal Recovery product with Redox material produced three carloads of U03 having a total ionic impurity content of less than 200 parts per million. The Technical Library and Classified Files were moved into the new Library and Files Building i n the Works Laboratory Area on December 1. Design on 1004 Reactor Facilities (Project C A - 5124) adva ced t o 51.l% completion, and progress on design scope for the Purex Facility was advanced t o 93% completion. Personnel and Services The FY 1953 Midyear Budget was reviewed by the Appropriations and Budget Cormittee, and a f t e r minor revisions it was transmitted t o the Atomic Energy Commission on Wage and Salary Stabilization Board approval w a s received f o r the proposed 4.13% general increase effective September 15, 1952. There were 735 housing applications pending. Turnover increased from 1.27% i n November t o 1.u%i n December.

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Assistant t o the General Manager, Technical ........... W. I. Patnode Manager, Community Real Estate and Services ........... L. F. Huck

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The t o t a l production for the month was 156 tons, representing 103.8 percent of 1952, vith 687 tons of four-inch and 1,072 of eight-inch. of this amount were returned from Reactor Section. yield was 73.4 percent f o r four-inch and 82.1 percent for eight-inch material. Yearly averages were 79.4 percent and 80.9 percent, respectively. is still being hampered by insufficient rod receipts. This included 47 tons of four-inch material and 109 tons of eightA total of 1,759 tons of classified elugs was produced during A total of 44 tons The December machining . The canning yield was 79.5 percent for t h e four-inch material azld 70.4 percent increases In Alsi and frost te et rejects. The yearly canning yields were 77.8 percent for four-inch slugs and 70.1 percent f o r eight-inch slugs. An overall decrcese i n canning yield resulted from The melt plant. produced 45 tons of billet6vitha yield of 81.8 percent and a solid yleld of 91.8 percent. 675 tons, 84.1 and 93.7 percent, respectively. yields was caused by excessive crucible and mold breakage. For t h e year 1952, the corresponding figures are The decrease in solid and billet There was one autoclave failure of four-inch material because of a pin hole i n failures of eight-inch material. This represents a frequency of 0-04 per thousand. There were no The t o t a l reactor input production was 111.8 percent of forecast and represents a new high record. This was achieved primarily because of reduced outage time for ruptured slug removal, and higher average operating levels, although the F Reactor continued the outage to install the Ball Third Safety device. The established maximum operating level at the H Reactor was increaaed 45 MW as a result of the the highest level of any reactor t o date (which includes 7 MW of heat generated within enriched material). The maximum operating level at the C Reactor reached 740 MW, Reactor output production was 141.9 percent of forecast because of the higher input production during the past few months and the discharge of the F Reactor during December instead of noveniber. The yearly input production was 111.3 percent of forecast and the output production was 112.5 percent of forecast.

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There were three uranium slug Jacket failures during December; a l l were Group 8. Two of the three were discharged within the scram recovery time. A t o t a l of 143 ruptures occurred during the year w i t h 76 being Group 8; f i v e being Group 9 and the balance Group 7 or others. Sixty-eight were pushed within scram recovery Only 26 hours outage resulted from ruptured pieces t h i s month, which i s the lowest since Msrch, 1951. Total l o s t for the year was 1988 hours. Yearly time operated efficiency was 87.1 percent, including Ball 3X shutdown at F, and 88.9 percent, excluding t h i s outage. No process tube leaks occurred during this month giving a total of 34 tube leaks The installation of the Ball Third Safety device was completed a t the F Reactor and operation was resumed on December 28, 1952. Considerable time and work was expended t o correct gas losses following this installation. A total of 40 runs and one acid wash was started in the Canyon Building, representing 114 percent of forecast. In Redox, 126 runs were started, representing 9 . 5 percent of forecast. An extended outage at Redox was effected during t h i s period for the replacement of the leaking H-4 pot, and t o complete some of the work associated with Phase I capacity increase. After startup, the organic recycle pump failed to keep pace with the newly possible rates and a by-pass of the second uranium cycle was effected. However, inadequate decontamination resulted and It was necessary t o return t o the three cycle operation at a somewhat reduced rate. The TBP plant produced 152 tons of uranium as UIW, representing 169 percent of forecast. The operation of both A and B lines was erratic, both from a waste loss standpoint and the decontamination effected. this condition the Aline operated on 12.5 percent TBP i n the RAX feed, and the B l i n e operated with 30 percent TBP. This, coupled with discussions with Oak Ridge personnel relaxing the beta Specification of the UO product t o 60 percent of natural uranium, resulted i n satisfactory performance af both lines by month In an effort to alleviate A total of 207 tons of uranium as UO was produced for lo9 percent of forecast. The production was obtained with a m?xture of Redox and TBP UNH. difficulties with the equipment and some pot foaming hindered production. There were three pump failures in the waste metal removal areas curtailing feed material t o the TBP plant, two at the 101-C and one a t the 103-U tank, Failure

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of two waste tank series to cascade properly and plugging of two East-West pipe lines seriously handicapped the disposal of the TBP waste to the 200 East Area. Redox - Processed 822 tons of uranium equivalent t o 106.6 percent of forecast. Bismuth Phosphate - Processed 121 tons of uranium equivalent t o 105.4 percent U03 Plant - Processed 846 tons of uranium ( i n UO ) equivalent to 103.4 percent Plant - Shipped 830 tons of uranlum ( i n UO ) Plant - Produced 274 tons of uranium (in & j Total on Roll December 1, 1952 3310 Total on Roll December 31, 1952 3300

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PATENT REPORT SUMMARY All gersons engaged In vo’tk that might reasonably be expected t o result in inventions o r discoveries adviae that,to the best of their knowledge and belief, no inventions or discoveries were made i n the course of their work durlng the period covered by t h i s report except as l i s t e d below. Such persons further advise that, for the period therein covered by t h i s report, notebook records, if any, kept i n the course of their work have been examined for possible inventions o r DECLASS 1 FI ED

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METAL PREPARATION SECTION Responsibility for operation of additional Building 384 steam generators and other minor power facilities under Project CG-433 was assumed a t month end. December November To Date Bare Pieces Whined (4",Tons) 2 Total Pieces Machined (Tons) 143 Bare Pieces Machined (8", Tons) 141 Total Acceptable Pieces Canned(Tons) 156 Net Acceptable Pieces - Reactor

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Metal Preparation Section December November To Date Chip Recovery Yield ($) Melt Plant Billet Yield (e) Melt Plant Solid Yield (5) Oxide Burned (Weight Out Tons) Poison Canned (Number Pieces) 305 Routine Tests (Man Hours) 305 Special Tests (Man Hours) Maximum Steam Generated (M lbs/hr) 51 44 Average Stem Generated 36 - 3 32.5 Sanitary Water from 3000 Area 36 36 Total Water Average Rate (gpm) 805 826 Total Steam Generated (M lbs.) 27,000 22,900 A t o t a l of 156 tons of acceptable slugs was canned, of which 6946 attributed largely t o increases i n AlSi and frost test rejects . Due t o procurement difficulties insufficient steel sleeves were available for replacement, causing the increased AlSi rejects. Cause of the frost test difficulties has not yet been determined. A decrease of 1.65 i n the overall yield i s The one autoclave failure of 4-inch leak-dipped slug was caused by a pin hole i n the klde The decrease in solid and billet yields was caused primarily b y excessive crucible and mold breakage. A minor explosion occurred in the "B" vacuum furnace of the melt plant on December 11. t o equipment was minor. A small water leak i n one of the water-cooled induction coils is believed t o have caused the explosion. production time was l o s t i n making repairs and correcting leaks in the No injuries t o personnel resulted and damage

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Metal. Preparation Section HW-26720 One thousand pounds of bronze flux, mixed to Word specifications, was received from an off-site vendor. one bronze itrrnace for four consecutive days. It appeared that the premixed f l u melted more readily than the '%ome-made" type and the B E - 6 carry-over appeared t o be lees than usual. This material xas used i n operation Of -1s of the build-pp rata of tin in the canning bath indicated a rate of approximately 0.01s per 50 slugs throughout until the content reached 0.14s. Above this point the rata increaeed t o about 0.01s per 20 slugs. 'he reason for this acceleration is not yet agparent. madm t o dsureaee the rate of tin build-up by using separate tongs for the An attempt xas This prodwed a very slight reduction in the rate of The C-2 slug canning program was completed, and an overall yield of 93.6$ was attained with 2656 acceptable pieces canned. &qroxi.mstely 1600 slugs aich had passed f i n a l inspection were radiographed at the welded end. Of these, 50 which appeared t o have defects EM indicated by the radiograph were submitted t o Technical f o r destructive test and analysis. All material presently being processed by t h e lead dip method is being tested for transformation by the ultra-sonic device. All eight-inch material formerly processed by the experimental lead dip process has been tested f o r transformation and about 2500 four-inch pieces are yet t o Machining production was 4$ below forecast as a result of insufficient Canning production exceeded forecast by 3.8$, largely as a result of i m - proved yield f o r 4-inch material. Billet production was l7.5$ below forecast because of operating difficult ie and scheduled maintenance work. Approximately 7s of the total production time for slug canning was lost as a result of mechanical failures on the canning lines, these difficulties was failure of furnace elements. Four production days were lost on the salt bath operaticn because of furnace failure.

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Metal Preparation Section FT-313-105-W "Triple Dip Canning and Irradiation of Eight Inch Slugs inoh slug8 were cemned by the t r i p l e dip method under supplement #2, which makes a total of 262,000 produced t o date. ml-313-105-3M '"abrication of Alpha Lead Dip Canning and Irradiation the 20,000 four-inch pieces required, 14,914 have been canned, with a seld of 81.02s. O f the 20,000 eight-inch pieces required, 2,389 were canned r i t h a yield of 80.31$, but these have not completed inspection and consequently are not yet classed as acceptable. PT-313-105-7M "Lrradiation of Alpha Canned Uranium Slugs from Rods S a l t Bath Beta Heat Treated at Fernald" (EW-24829). inch and 5,700 eight-inch slugs have been acceptably canned under provisions of t h i s test. Yield on four-inch was 66.17$ and on eight-inch was 62.225. These low yields are probably due t o excessive frost test of the rods. It is felt that this is not related t o the nature o r origin 2. Process Tests and Revisiona pending the outcame of the present study of t i n buildup i n the canning bath. This test has not been resumed, In an effort t o Improve temperature control of the canning baths t w o temporary instruments were installed, having expanded scales so that the normal operating range of temperature covered approximately 25s of the instrument range. In addition t o being easier to read, this arrangement displays trans i e n t temperature excursions that gass undetected on operating instruments. A study of temperature gradients i n the canning baths was =de to determine the optimum point of location of thermocouples. be less than was expected and t o standardize location of thermocouples, a position f i v e inches from the rim, midway between the …