. . I .

5

DPW - 56-7-4

This document consi.sts

of *pages, No. &? of& copies, Series A.

n MONTHLY REPORT - PROCESS SECTION

MANUFACTURING DIVISION

APRIL 1956

E. 1. duPont de Nemours & Co. (Inc.)

Wilmington, Delaware,., .

Explosives Department - Atomic Energy Division

39q12 6 9 - h U.S,.*.r I ,&, '?.'ASH., D, C. CLidSpFIED

UNCLASSIFIED:

DISCLAIMER .

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial^ product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or

. any agency thereof.

DISCLAIMER

Portions of this document may be illegible in electronic image products. Images are produced from the best available original document.

I

UNCLASSIFIED DPW-56-7-4

COPY NO.

1 0 20

3-8 9-13. Q 12 .

19 P

20 P 21 . 229

24 . 23 0

25 26 . 27 0 28 . 29 30

DISTRLBUT I O N

B o H, Mackey - R , M a Evans - €I9 F. Brown R , C , B l a i r - AEC - Aiken Winston Davis - AEC - ASken Jean OgLeary - AEC -- Washington C, W, Ref11y - AEC - Terre Haute J. A, B w a s - Engineering S, I. Wistde - Engineeeing

D. A , Milleja - W e P. Overbeck - SRP

H. Worthington - BED - Wilmington V. R, Thayer - S o A. McNeight - AED - Wilmington I>, F, Babcock - J, C, Woodhouse - AED - Wilmington J, E, Cole - AED - Wilmington J. B. Tinker - AED - Wilmington M. S, Bloomsburg - AED - Wilmington H. W. Bellae - AED - Wilmington R e J. C h r i s t 1 - AED - Wilmington Process Sec t ion F i le - AED - Wilmington Process Sect ion F i l e - AED - Wilmhgton "W" F i l e - AED - Wilmington "SP'' F i l e - BED - Aiken

D. A, M I i l k r - SRP

C , T a g Kfdder - SRP M. Ho WTzhl - SRL

DPW-56-7-4-R 1100 Area SRP)

1, A , D. Duff - Engr.

2. J, ;We Croach - 3RL

DISTRIBUTION - PARTIAL REPORTS

DPW-56-7-4-S m P )

1. E, E. Wilson - Engr.

2. S, W, Morris - SRL

DPW-56-7-4-MET (300 Area SRPF

1, L, M, Smith - Engr,

2, J p W , Croach - SRL

DPW-56-7-4-HW-D (400 Area SRP and

Dana Only)

1. R , P o Kelly - Dana

2. H, 0. Aaron - Engr.

Page 2

UN.CLASSI FIED,

Pages

4-8 100 Area - Reactors . . . . . . . . ,, . . . . . . . . 200 Area - Separat ions P lan t s . . . . . . . . . . . 9-13

300 Area - Reactor Fuels Fabr ica t ion . . . . . . . . . 14-16

17 400 Area - Heavy Water . ,, . . . . . . . . . . . Ut i l i t i e s and General Services . . . . o o . 9 . o p Q . 18-20

SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT

100 AREA - REACTORS

n

1,

2,

30

POWER ASCENSION PROGRAM

._ - --

Hollow Fuel Slugs

The core load of Mask V I 1 s lugs performed successfu l ly i n the R-10 cycle except f o r one s l u g that failed by penet ra t ion of the can a t one end. Thris was a hot-press bonded s lug that had been welded a t the Savannah River P lan t , After ca re fu l examination it was concluded that there was some non-bonded area t o cont r ibu te t o the f a i l u r e but the primary cause vas a cracked end cap which it is bel ieved occurred during manu- f ac tu re . of the flow andtempmture monitoring systems, Additional measurements support previous f ind ings that dimensional changes (diameter, length and warp) of the Sylvania hot-press bonded s lugs have been somewhat greater than for SRP A 1 - S i bonded s lugs , and both types show.somewhat more increase than s o l i d

from assembly area, owing t o s lug warp and/or rough r i b sur faces i n the e a r l y &-fo i l s f o r these s lugs.

The f a i l u r e was detected by normal funet ioning

I n a few cases the Sylvania s lugs have not f a l l e n f r e e l y he q u a t r e f o i l s during the dumping operat ion i n the d is -

R r e a c t o r has returned t o the solid Mark I type of load, and L r e a c t o r now has a core load of Mark VI1 s lugs t o permit test- -

i n g a t higher power l e v e l s w i t h the a i d of the series heat exchanger i n s t a l l a t i o n i n 105-L.

Series Heat Exchangers

The i n s t a l l a t i o n of aGdit ional heat exchangers i n series w i t h e x i s t i n g exchangers w a s completed i n K and L Areas i n April. T e s t r e s u l t s i n K and P Areas show a reduct ion of about 5°C i n moderator temperature. able

Resul ts f o r L Area are not yet a v a i l -

S i x larger impel lers have been i n s t a l l e d i n Bui lding 190-L pumps i n o rde r t o increase cool ing water flows t o Building lo5 t o compensate f o r increased head loss through pairs of heat exchangers i n series. I n s t a l l a t i o n i n o ther areas w i l l follow.

Locating System f o r Fuel Ruptures

I n d i r e c t repair orders have been approved f o r construct ion 9f a 6-posit ion labora tory model and a 25-posit ion p l an t proto- type of the proposed cyclone c o l l e c t i o n system f o r loca t ing ruptures of na tu ra l f u e l . mentally i n R r e a c t o r q

The l a t te r i s t o be i n s t a l l e d experi-

Page 4

POWER ASCENSION PROGRAM (Continued) ., '

' 3. Locating System f o r Fuel Ruptures (Continued)

A s a r e s u l t of the SRL tes t program, the remaining design prob- lems have been answered and procurement i s under? way f o r both u p i t s 0

4. Increased Pressure of Blanket Gas

Detailed design and an Order-of-Magnitude estimate are essen- t i a l l y complete for fac i l i t i es t o apply 5 ps ig pressure t o the blanket gas system and thereby raise the l l m i t a t i o n s on moderator temperatures. The major remaining problem is i n the s e a l i n g of the plenum t o the upper tank of the r eac to r .

The preferred des'ign of plenum skirt seal employs a mechanical loading of the e x i s t i n g neoprene compound w i t h a packing f o l - lower. However, o the r designs are under considerat ion, and f i n a l s e l e c t i o n i s contingent upon the outcome of proposed mock-up tests of f a b r i c a t i o n techniques.

Two quotat ions have been received f o r s o l i d zirconium thimbles f o r safety rods. t o t a l f o r f i v e r eac to r s , exclusive of the zirconium c o s t which would add another $ l 5 O , O O O t o $200,000, These thimbles may be considered j u s t i f i e d over the use of aluminum thimbles on the basis of increased tritium production, assuming a completely s a t i s f a c t o r y mechanical design is worked out.

These are i n the range of $100,00Q t o $125,000

5. Shipment of LMF Slugs t o Arc0

The f o u r LMF shipping casks were completed i n Apr i l and the f irst shipment t o Arco has been made. Approximately s ix months w i l l be requi red t o complete the shipment of s lugs now on hand a t SRP.

PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

1. New Fuel Element S tudies

In cont inuing the development of extended sur face f u e l elements, a p a r t i a l charge of approximately 42 Mark V I elements are scheduled t o be mzde by la te August 1956, are that they w i l l be Included i n the K-13 cycle t o permit evalu- a t i o n before s t a r t -up of a f u l l r e a c t o r charge i n C r eac to r .

Present i nd ica t ions

A P a r t I au tho r i za t ion reques t i s being prepared t o cover modi- f i c a t i o n s and equfpment i n a l l r e a c t o r areas f o r processing of the New Fuel Elements. T h i s reques t w i l l cover cons t ruc t ion of minimum fac i l i t i es t o prepare a f irst charge and the design and c o s t estimate of a l l o the r f a c i l i t i e s ,

FRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (Continued)

1. New Fuel Element Studies (Continued)

A s tudy has been made of the r e l a t i v e c o s t of shipping irradiated enriched f u e l (Mark V I ) t o Arco i n f u l l l engths o r i n c u t pieces toge ther w i t h c o s t s of c u t t i n g a t Arc0 or a t SRP, ment of the Arco d i s s o l v e r s r equ i r e s charging shor t lengths . Two cases have been considered: ( a ) a long-term program for shipping a l l f u t u r e f u e l from SRP and ( b ) a short-term case i n which w e would ship t o Arco only u n t i l a Pecovery p l a n t would be completed a t SRP, C r i t i c a l i t y ca l cu la t ions a t SRL, sub jec t t o confirmation by f u t u r e tests, had shown that a t least 16 tubular elements per cask could be safely shipped i n f u l l length, but only 3.6 elements when reduced t o LO-1/2 inch p ieces capable of being dissolved a t Arco.

The arrange-

Under case ( a ) , investment and f re ight c o s t s developed a t SRP and a t Arco were t o t a l e d t o show approximately f i v e mi l l i on dol- lar savings during a f ive-year assumed period by shipping the long tubes t o Arc0 and c u t t i n g there s h o r t l y before d isso lv ing as compared w i t h c u t t i n g a t SRP. I n the short-term case (b) where a recovery p l a n t a t SRP would be started up i n late 1958, the c o s t s were equal f o r the two methods. However, the problems of bas in and cask contamination by corrosion of s t o r e d cut elements as w e l l as the greater c r i t i c a l i t y problem i n every handling of s h o r t elements f avor cu t t ing a t the latest poss ib l e opportuni ty , For these reasons, the shipping from SRP t o Arco i n long form hps been recommended t o SROO, l ead ing t o p lans for i n s t a l l a t i o n of c u t t i n g equipment by Arco and purchase of long casks by SRP.

In o rde r t o provide both SRP and Arco w i t h information p e r t i n e n t bo t he design of contamination con t ro l f a c i l i t i e s , an irradiated Mark I V element, which is similar t o the Mark V I , has been CUD i n t o one f o o t lengths i n the R Area disassembly bas in and s to red i n a covered bucket, Data regarding the release of a c t i v i t y and p a r t i c u l a t e contamination are being co l l ec t ed ,

2. Increased Moderator C i rcu la t ion

P ro jec t ~8-1037 Part I was authorized on A p r i l 6, 1956, covering purchase of major equipment and design of increased moderator c i r c u l a t i o n f ac i l i t i e s f o r R, P, L and K Areas. T h i s au thor i - za t ion parallels the previous au tho r i za t ion of P ro jec t s8-1022 covering similar f ac i l i t i e s i n Building 105-C. I n connection w i t h t h i s ia t ter p ro jec t , welding of the two half cas t ings of the f irst of the large moderator c i r c u l a t i n g pumps has been' started a t Bingham Pump Coo c a s t i n g s has been completed and i s being done on subsequent cas t ings f o r o the r pumps.

X-ray and repair welding on these

Page 6

PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (Continued)

2. Increased Moderator Ci rcu la t ion (Continued)

Running rests are being conducted on pump bearings, set of shaft seals has been shipped %porn a Chicago vendor and these seals w i l l be placed i n test as soon as received. T h i s w i l l insure t ha t seals and beasafngs w i l l have had prel iminary tes ts completed before f i n a l assembly and t e s t i n g of the first pump is undertaken, "Prt Work Order No, 1 on P ro jec t s8-1022 was authorlaed. t o permit pwchase of long-term-delivery too l - i n g and to start fabpfcat ion of large s t a i n l e s s steel piping, A construct ion cos t estimate has been completed t o permit preparat ion of a P a r t 11 request on t h i s p r o j e c t f o r completion of the pump i n s t e l l a t d o n i n Building 105-C .

The f irst

A cover cas t ing being produced for the f irst of the gear reducers t o d r ive the l a rge pumps was found t o be f a u l t y when machined. This has delayed the e f f i c i ency t e s t i n g of t h i s gear u n t i l about May 14 and w i l l deLsy shipment t o about May 19. Discussions are under way w i t h Bi2gham Pump Co, t o work out f i n a l details of the hydraul ic t e s t i n g of the ppnps. motor from SRP i s a t the vendor 's p l an t and other test f a c i l i t i e s are being prepared, Suction condi t ions a t the P l a n t w i l l be simulated both as t o pressure and physical arrangement.

A 3400 HP dr ive

REACTOR DESIGN STUDY

3 . Building 105 Arrangement

A new bui lding arrangement f o r housing twin r e a c t o r s has been developed t o u t i l i z e two cbarge and discharge machines per r eac to r . Consideration of the operat ing cycles f o r these machines had l e d t o the decis ion not t o attempt eo discharge and charge each r e a c t o r w i t h only one machine without basic changes i n the operat ion of the machines. Such ,changes w i l l be considered i n connection with the more complete redesign of the r eac to r planned f o r the next phase of t h i s study.

2, AssembLy and Disassembly Areas

The assembly area of the twin r e a c t o r bu i ld ing has been designed t o serve both r eac to r s with e s s e n t i a l l y the same type of equip- ment proposed f o r handl ing new f u e l elements i n existing areas. The only major change i s i n the two f i n a l s torage areas for assembled f u e l elemsnts, where the elements w i l l be s tored on racks by a s tacking machine.

The charge ana discharge machines w i l l be designed w i t h dual "A" masts t o handle two elements a t one t i m e whenever possible , and o t h e r mechanical improvemmts w i l l show i n the design,

REACTOR DESIGN STUDY (Continued)

2, Assembly and Disassembly Areas (Continued)

The disassembly are8 is designed t o include a discharge and exit conveyor able t o handle two elements, No "dry cave" has been included, siazce con t ro l rods could be disassembled under water and target tubes could be shipped whole t o the 232 build- ings , Mechanical improvements are incorporated i n t o the various equipment designs.

Page 8

SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT

SEPARATIONS PLANTS - 200 AREA

SEPARATIONS PLANTS'

1, 221-H So1';aent Recove~y - Canyon Fvmpx The first two of 6wwelve pumps ordered for the 221-H con- t inuous solve& washing systems hale been del ivered. Perform- ance tests on the first pump a t the vendor's Ind ica t e s satis- f a c t o r y capac i ty and v ib ra t ion c h z r a c t e r i s t i c s . be i n s t a l l e d a t TNX f o r extensive pump t e s t i n g and f o r test- i n g f low con t ro l systems based upon pump speecl va r i a t ion . Vax?ious means or" pkiiraing the pmrp f o r high suc t ion l if ts w i l l also be evaluated.

One pump w i l l

I n addi t ion , the Dasign Division has been requested t o i n s t a l l one of the extra machinery pumps f o r the so lvent system i n the 221-H 1D mixer-settler feed system us ing a Hanford type canyon rotameter and con t ro l valve f o r flow regula t ion . Such a system e l imina tes the use of the "Hackman H a t " with at tend- a n t s impl i f i ca t ion of the instrument loop and an increase i n f l e g i b i l i t y , d u p t o the increased paximm t o minimum flow range of the rotameter-control valve assembly.

A-Line

Bulk Handling of Oxfde (s8-1021) and Other Oxide Handling Equip- ment Additions ("P" Work Order 6019)

The f o r e c a s t completion date f o r the bulk handling p r o j e c t has been ad jus ted from May 1 t o about the middle of May. job involving an k-Liae shutdown has been completed without causing l o s t t i m e i n the canyons. feed hopper were i n s t a l l e d , i ng w i t h mfnor delays.

The p a r t of the

A new screw conveyor, pu lve r i ze r and The remainder of the work is proceed-

WASTE DISPOSAL

1. 241-H Waste Pumps

Engineering Department tests of the first 241-H waste pump have been completed, and it has been i n s t a l l e d a t TNX f o r extensive running tests. The impel ler diameter has been reduced but t h e pump s t i l l has a capacity i n excess of that required, causing a motor load larger khan the desired 50$ of r a t i n g . impeller may be required but the effect of t h r o t t l i n g o r i f i c e s w i l l be tested first.

A new

WASTE DISPOSAL (Continued)

2. 241-F - Additional Low Level Waste Storage (s8-1030)

The P a r t I proJect papers have been approved, f o r s teel tank f a b r i c a t i o n and e rec t ion have been requested and received Since the time l i m i k on the o r i g i n a l quotat ions had elapsed pnafoz, t o project approval, being prspared based on the la tes t ava i l ab le information and a construct ion cos t estimate i s being made,

New quotat ions

A p ro j ec t ana lys i s is

3. 241-F - In-Tank Evaporator for New Low Level Waste Storage

A favorable quotat ion has been received from the Griscom-Russell Company for a package waste evaporator rated a t 405m BTU/hr which is suikable f o r in- tank mounting, T h i s u n i t is a t t r a c t i v e enough that it I s being consideped f o r i n s t a l l a t i o n i n each of the new l o w l e v e l waste tanks. Feed f o r these evaporators would come d i r e c t l y from the ex is t ing t ank farm and cons i s t of either low l e v e l waste o r decayed high l e v e l waste. A prototype u n i t a t Griscom-Russell has s a t i s f a c t o r i l y demonstrated s o l i d s con- cen t r a t ion from 35 t o 7%.

Engineerfng has beer, requested t o determine i f the evaporator could be supported without major design changes t o the domes of the new tanks and, i f feasible, t o evaluate i n s t a l l a t i o n cos ts .

4. 242-F - External Waste Evaporator

Atomic Energy Commission approval of the P a r t I p ro jec t has been received. Design, procurement, and construct ion f o r t h i s p ro jec t are being held, however, f o r the fol lowing reasons:

a. Successful operat ion o f . t h e Griscon-Russell u n i t makes it desirable t o reappraise the subjec t of tank farm evaporation.

b o There is reduced urgency f o r waste evaporat ion t o provide more waste s torage mace because high a c t i v i t y waste ac id recovery hzs reduced u n i t waste volumes and the fore- c a s t canyon processing load has been reduced. T h i s probably w i l l permit p l a n t evaluat ion of the Griscom- Russel l evapopator before it is necessary t o s ta r t con- s t r u c t i o n on a c e n t r a l evaporator f a c l l i t y .

L imi t ed Design personnel makes it desirable t o give p r i o r i t y t o o the r p r o j e c t s ,

e o

Page 10

WASPE DISPOSAL (Con'cinued)

5. 241-F and H - H e a t Load EVEAuatiOn

The Engineering Depaptment has mde a study of the adequacy of t he cool ing system In each waste tank f a r m under predicted f u t u r e conditions of operat ion,

The t e n t a t i v e recornendations ape that a 50% i nc rease i n cool- i ng water flow m y be desirable t o adequately cool a tank par t ia l ly f i l l e d w i t h fresh %astee The i n s t a l l a t i o n of an a d d i t i o n a l pump is ind ica t edo Pipe l i n e sfzes w i l l be reviewed t o determine whether they are adequate f o r the increased flow.

TRITIUM SEPARATION

1.

2.

232-H Rehab i l i t a t ion

Inves t iga t ions have revealed that the development of a booster pump is practical t o increase the pumping speed of the d i f fu - s ion pm-p - Sprengel p ~ ~ m p combination. By l o c a t i n g the second l i n e PY hood i n the basement of the first l i n e , space is being provided t o permit the u l t imate i n s t a l l a t i o n of three booster pumps. One pump w i l l be requi red i n the furnace e x t r a c t i o n pumping system t o a t t a i n the des ign capacity of the l i n e , Space f o r f u t u r e i n s t a l l a t i o n of the o the r two is being provided t o double d i f f u s e r capac i ty when the cwlaent furnace capac i ty "bottleneclr," is elimimted e

Experience i n 232-F has fndica ted the need f o r personnel t o enter the materials handling room a t least once per s h i f t , The o r i g i n a l "H" design provided remote operat ion of' the equipment i n the room w i t h i nd ica t ing l i gh t s giving the p o s i t i o n of the equipment; no v i s i b i l i t y was provided. A window is befng i n s e r t e d i n the w a l l between the operat ing console and the materials handling room, two air-lock walls are being removed and mirrors are being provided t o provide v i s i b i l i t y and increased! sa fe ty . A second manually operated escape door also w i l l be provided.

232-H - Second Line

Plans f o r the second process l i n e i n H are being based upon a capac i ty s u f f i c i e n t t o handle any reasonable s teady-s ta te pro- duct ion on one lEne and the necess i ty f o r u l t imate ly-process ing Mark VI-A t ubu la r targets. P r imary separa t ion by ei ther d i f - f u s e r s OJ" u r a n i w bed sorbers is being inves t iga ted . Extract ion schemes involving melSing either ful l . leragth o r cut targets are being evaluated,

Page 11

TRITIUM SEPARATION

3 Julep

Constructeon of the bui lding was started the week of A p r i l 16, and bui lding design is v i r t u a l l y complete,

F a c f l f t f e s are beirrg provfded a t the Mechanical Development Laboratory f o r t e s t i n g the compressor, valves, l i n e c losures and capsule C ~ O S U T ~ S , These f a c i l i t i e s include a barr icaded area, a hand operated i n i e n s i f i e r to supply gas a t high pres- sure , and a m a i m spectrometer for le& detect ion. Design of the oi l -actuated mercury coEpressor is complete, and the dr ive mechanism has been Fabricated. Fabricat ion of the compressor i s scheduled t o be complete about, y'tlr?e 25. The final s t age of the diaphragm comppessop?, being f a b r i c a t e d by Pressure Products Company, w i l l be ready f o r test about May 21.

Firm design i s under way on a l l major p ieces of equipment, such as tanks, process hoods and tes t ing f a c i l i t i e s .

INCREASED CAPACITY

1. 221-F and Related F a c i l i t i e s

A l l canyon and 211 Area flow sheets have been brought up t o date and approved by KED. Process piping and instrument diagrams are being received and approved on schedule.

A more extensive s tudy of the canyon jumpers has been made by the Plan t Lfaison Group i n an attempt t o reuse as many as poss ib le of t h e e x i s t i n g jumpers and t o avoid r e loca t ion of gang valves. ApproxfmzteLy f i f t y ex is t ing jumpers, which would otherwise have been replaced, have been saved f o r f u t u r e use by t h i s s tudy, The Design Division i s t o re-survey the remainder of the tank and rack jumpers t o assure tha t as many 8 s p r a c t i c a l be reused without r e s o r t i n g t o unorthodox piping. jumpers have been released f o r construct ion.

About eighty rack

Purchase ord,ers w i l l be issued for a l l new major canyon equip- ment i n the near fu tu re .

Arrangement drawhgs and process p ip ing diagrams have been pre- pared for the new segregated so lvsn t area and cold feed prepa- r a t i o n bui ldings, These areas are being expedited to-make them ava i l ab le before the canyon shutdown, A prel iminary procedure f o r the step-wise remov21 of equipment and operat ions from the exis t ing cold feed prep t o the two new areas has been given the Engineeping Department; a considerable number of details s t i l l r equ i r e r e so lu t ion ,

The p l an t i s invest i ,gat ing poss ib le reuse of connector parts from discarded jumpers. T h i s would r e s u l t i n ' a n appreciable savings i f a n easy method can be developed For r e i n s t a l l i n g them on the new jumpers,

Page 12

INCREASED CAPACITY (Continued)

2. B-Line

Agreements have been reached on the arrangement of the pre- c i p i t a t i o n and mechanical l i n e equipment on the f i f t h l e v e l , The mechanical l i n e design w i l l be based on having mainte- nance access from the v e s t s i d e and operat ing from the east s i d e , with the two sides divided i n t o sepa ra t e rooms. The maintenance side w i 1 3 be f u r t h e r divided i n t o small rooms t o minimize the spread of contamination, Major equipment would be loca ted i n cabine ts branching off the main north-south conveyor cabine t t o the west, or maintenance s i d e . Boats and c ruc fb le s would be moved From the main conveyor cabinet t o the branch cabine ts by 0verhea3 conveyors. Storage areas would be provided i n branch cabine ts east of the main opera t ing cabinet . Mechanisms w i l l be kept simple and w i l l be manually operated wherever poss ib le . The eva lua t ion estimate based on the t r i f l u o r i d e process has been completed, and reflects a11 major changes i n the scope of work,

I'2'5'' RECOVERY PLANT

The Engineering Department is wr i t i ng a detai l scope of work for use i n preparing an eva lua t inn estimate based upon the fol lowing assumptions:

1.

30

The bui ld ing w i l l be loca ted about 400 feet no r theas t of Bui lding 221-H such as t o avoid in t e r f e rence w i t h any f u t u r e canyon expansiono

The c e l l and vent system exhaust a i r w i l l be connected t o the e x i s t i n g s,xhaust a f r Ixmnels a t the no r th end of the 221 Build- i ng , and stack,

T h i s w i l l permft use of the present f a n house, sand f i l t e r

The fol lowing s e r v i c e s for the new bui ld ing w i l l be supplied from the 221 Building:

a. Ref r igera t ion

b, P l an t and Instrument A i r

c. Emergency Electr ic Power

The flow sheet f o r the "25" process has been mod f i e d t o include a "head end" opera t ion t o a s su re the requi red decon~aminat ion, evaporators prev ious ly contemplated have been removed from the process on tkie basis tha t the waste volume reduct ion which they achieved was r e l a t i v e l y l o w , t o t a l waste volumes are low, and the t ank farm evaporator w i l l be able t o provide the equivalent concentrat ion af ter the wastes are cooled s u f f i c i e n t l y .

The waste

Page 13

SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT

REACTOR FUELS FABRICATION - 300 AREA

INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY PROGRAM

1. Extended Surface Emichsd Elements - Mark Tn: Program

A l l du Pont approvals have been obtained on a P a s t I Appro- p r i a t i o n Request f o r $~,OOO,OOO covering design, prel iminary procuremen'c and i n i t i a l construct ion of new f a c i l i t i e s i n the 300-M Area f o r production of Mark V I f u e l and target elements. The p ro jec t is cu r ren t ly await ing AEC au thor iza t ion . AEC has agreed t o commitment of $~OO,OOO f o r s t r u c t u r a l s teel and process equipment i n advance of p ro jec t au thor iza t ion t o permit immediate placement of orders on items most urgent ly needed f o r in te r im production of enriched f u e l and target components.

a. Fuel F a c i l i t y - Bullding 321-M

An advance s t r u c t u r a l steel order , including material f o r Building 321, has been placed w i t h Carolina I ron and Steel, Del ivery of t h i s por t ion of the order has been promised by January 1957.

SRP has issued sn order t o Ajax f o r one a i r melting f u r - nace, complete w i t h power supply, f o r ca s t ing of enriched b i l l e t s f o r the in te r im production program. The furnace uni t w i l l u l t ima te ly be i n s t a l l e d i n Bui lding 321 when t h i s . f a c i l i t y i s completed,

Preliminary Extrusion Press quotat ions from Lake E r i e , Watson-Stillman and Hydropress have been discussed i n detail by AED and Engineering with each of these vendorsp three were requested t o submit rev ised quotat ions incorpo- r a t i n g minor changeb and add i t iona l a l t e r n a t e s before a f i n a l s e l ec t ion is made. A l l of the rev ised quotat ions are due i n by the end of the f irst week i n May and it is a n t i c i - pated that a f i n a l decis ion w i l l be reached the fol lowing week . Engineesing e f f o r t s m e cur ren t ly being concentrated on review of quotat ions, vendor s e l e c t i o n and DQ sheet prepa- r a t i o n t o enable prompt placement of orders on a l l l i m i t i n g equipment as soon as p ro jec t au thor iza t ion is obtained,

A l l .

> .

Fina l i s sue of 8 review of s e c u r i t y and accoun tab i i l i t y con- cepts embodied i n the design of Bui lding 321-M has been deferred pending c l a r i f i c a % i o n of requirements f o r control- l i n g access t o outs ide s torage arease

Page 14

INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY PROGRAM (Continued) I

1. Extended Surface Enriched Elemen5s - Mark V I Program (Cont'd.)

b o Target Fac i l f ty - Building 320-M-

The advmce sf;metu-sal steel order placed w i t h Carolina I ron and Steel also includes material f o r extension of the vacuum furnace area i n Building 320, An advance order f o r the second vacuum meltlng f u m a c e has been placed w i t h National Research and preliriainary guota$ions from three vendors on vacuum outgassing equipment have been reviewed. The necess i ty for obtaining rev ised quotat ions on the out- gassing equipment has delayed placement of t h i s order; however, the delay does not result i n a de l ive ry date in- compatible with the vacuum furnace a v a i l a b i l i t y .

Engineering has prepared seve ra l equipment arrangement studies of the furnace room extension. These have been reviewed and t e n t a t i v e agreement reached on desired loca- t i o n and o r i e n t a t i o n of new equipment i n t h i s area.

2. Extended Surface Natural Uranium Elements

A t present , the over -a l l program f o r f u e l elements i n d i c a t e s tha t there w i l l no t be a need f o r n a t u r a l uranium extended f u e l elements u n t i l early 195g0 A s a r e s u l t the P a r t I f o r the Mark I11 - step press ing f a c i l i t y w i l l no t be presented a t t h i s time . The Engineering Department has been requested t o expand their study of the Mark I11 f a c i l i t y t o include the following:

a.

b.

C .

A f ac i l i t y f o r extended sur face elements based primarily on the step press process., but possessing s u f f i c i e n t f lexi? b i l i t y t o a l low changeover t o one of the processes now under considerat ion w i t h the minimum t i m e and expense, The a l t e r n a t e processes are ex t rus ion cladding and pneumatic^ press ing f o r both Mark 111 and Mark V f u e l elements.

An optimum f a c i l i t y based on only ex t rus ion cladding of Mark I11 and Mark V.

A review of space requirements f o r handling long elements, I n i t i a l layout of Building 314-M appeared t o have exces- s i v e handling space.

The Technical Divis ion i s proceeding w i t h development of the ex t rus ion cladding process f o r Mark I11 elements. As a part of t h i s program it i s planned t o make minor modifications t o the extPusion press in ,Building 320-M t o handle some exper&- mentai ex t rus ion cladding of plates, T h i s change..wi.ll have no e f f e c t on normal productfon and should be complete i n June 1956.

Page 15

.. .

INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY PROSRAM (qontinued)

The Engineering Department is preparing an Order-of-Nagnitude Estimate t o cover a l t e r a t i o n s to SRL Fabricat ion Laboratory to house an experimental extrusion cladding press and auxili- aries t o i n t e r n a l l y and ex te rna l ly elad Mzrk V elements i n the v e r t i c a l posftior?. T h i s press w i l l a l s o be capable of clad- ding Mark I11 elements, An IndSreet Repair Om3eT, based on an evaluat ion estimate, w i l l be pkepared t o cover t h e purchase and i n s t a l l a t i o n of the press, A p ro j ec t based on an Order-of- Magnitude E s t i m a t e w i l l . be prepared for the 'pent housg bui lding addi t ion required, The goal, date for completion i s August 1,1956,

A review of the latest data on f l u i d bonding i n the in te r im auto- c lave has indica ted that the s t u d i e s of prototype autoclave designs being conducted by the Engineering Department should be continued. The Technical Division w i l l c a r r y out any tests necessary t o evaluate the v a l i d i t y of design assumptions,

GENERAL

1, Vertical Sal t B a t h I n s t a l l a t i o n - Building T-1001

A l l major equipme& is now on hand a t SRP, h o i s t is i n progress and present estimates ind ica t e that Con- s t r u c t i o n w i l l complete the i n s t a l l a t i o n by June 1.

Fabricat ion of the

Page 16

- HEAVY WATER

DANA PLANT

10

2.

GENERAL

1.

Hydrostat ic Test Program

Hydrostat ic t e s t i n g and inspect ion of Unit 204 w a s completed during Apri l . Unit 205, which is c m r e n t l y down9 w i l l be complete durfng the first week fn May and Unit 201 i s sched- uled t o come down fop test during the second week i n I'&iy0

Extract ion Area T r a y Replacements

It is anticipated that a s u f f i c i e n t number of' Type 304 SS bubble cap t r a y assemblies w i l l have been received fron F. W. Glftsch by the end of the first week i n May t o s a t i s f y replacement req-iiilrements for Ugft 201. Caps attached t o the new t r a y assemblies being scpplfed by Gl i t s ch are held i n place w i t h a s ing le hold down nut , A second J a m nut w i l l be added a t Dana before the t r a y s are i n s t a l l e d , of l7l,OOO Type 410 SS m t s on hand which should be adequate t o supply jam nuts f o r k h a t por t ion of the Gl i t s ch order sched- uled f o r de l ivery t h i s year,

Dana c u r r e n t l y has a s tock

It i s an t i c ipa t ed t h a t Glf tsch w i l l complete f a b r i c a t i o n of experimental s ieve tmys f o s one pair of towers, as w e l l as bubble trays f o r the remafning towers, i n t i m e f o r i n s t a l l a t i o n i n U n i t 202 during June,

Heavy Water Container Procurement

To date U, S, Steel has f ab r i ca t ed and ship- t w o , t h i r d s of the cu-rrent order f o r 1500, 55-gallon s t a i n l e s s steel s torage drums, Th remaining 500 drums are scheduled f o r shipment during the second week i n May,

Informa%3bn on approximate p r i c e and de l ive ry of a 15-gallon Type 304 SS drum, s u i t a b l e %OF small lot domestic d i s t r i b u t i o n of heavy water, hzs been obtafned from the Heintz Manufacturing Company, I n lots of 10 and 1000 these drums would cos t i n the order of $28,00 and $26,00 each, respec t ive ly , Per - t inent data Zoncernfng the Heintz "@hem-I-Kegs" have been farv~arded t o Dana aad t o the Savannah Operations Off ice ,

Page 17

SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT

UTILITIES AND GENERAL SERVICES

ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND GENERAL SERVICES

The e rec t ion of the s t r u c t u r a l steel framework has been completed for the Engineering Assistance F a c i l i t y , Building 723-A0 I n addi t ion, the i n s t a l l a t i o n of roof and s i d l n g is near completion, Equipment arrangement drawings have been approved and agreement has been reached w i t h Engineering r e l a t i v e t o the heating, v e n t i l a t i n g and a i r condition- ing schemes and process sewer layout ,

The Order-of-Magnitude E s t l m a t e f o r the High Level Caves addi t ion t o the Technical Laboratory, Building 7734, has been received from the Engi- neer ing Department and is cu r ren t ly under review. Agreement has now been reached on a l l major design detai ls , Arrangement of the Caves' operat ing f a c e and method of v e n t i l a t i o n was approved. A review of breathing a i r requirements for the new and e x i s t i n g caves disclosed an an t i c ipa t ed demand s u f f i c i e n t l y large t o j u s t i f y a separate compressor and design i s proceeding on that basis.

Drafts of the 65,000 KW Power Contract, having an e f f e c t i v e goal date of J u l y 1, 1956 and containing f i n a l modification details suggested by the U t i l i t y and AED,have been sen t to the AEC f o r t he i r concurrence. Signature agreement is necessary by June 1, 1956, t o conform w i t h the U t i l i t y ' s proposal ,

The Engineer ing Department has compfebed their s tudy of the Purchased Power 115 KV e l e c t r i c a l transmission system w i t h i t s r e l a t i o n t o the Savannah River P lan t System and the South Carolin8 E l e c t ~ i c & Gas System. The r e s u l t s of the s tudy demonstrate the need f o r i n s t a l l i n g one new 795,000 C.M. l i n e from Urquhart S t a t i o n t o the Savannah River Plant , the s t rengthening of the present purchased power 397,500 C.M. l i n e t o 795,000 C.MP and the i n s t a l l a t i o n of auto transformers a t the Urquhart S ta t ion . This w i l l provide the proper t ransmission system q u a l i t y for the increased e l e c t r i c a l loads related t o the Product iv i ty Improvement Program.

The following p rb jec t s and work reques ts were approved and/or authorized:

Savannah River P lan t

Pro jec t ~8-1019-2 Instrument Access Platforms, Bldgs. 411, 412 and 413-D, $14,100 reduct ion - t o t a l parts 1-11 28,700

~8-1030-1 Additional Waste Storage Tanks, 200-F Area, 3 960,000 ~8-1.031-1 Ex te rna l Waste Evaporation F a c i l i t i e s , Bldg. 242-F,

~8-1033-2 I n s t a l l Heat Exchangers, Bldgs. 105- R, P, L, and K, $400,000 increase.

~8-1.035-1 Increased River Water Flows 600, 900 and 100 Areas,

$320,000 - OME $740,000

Total P a r t s 1-11 $7OO,OOO

$1,660,000 - om $3,260,000

Page 18

Savannah RivesJ P l a n t (Continued)

p r o j e c t s8-1036 Rehabi l i ta t ion of Bldg. 232-B, $4,800,000 ~8-1037 Increased Noderator Flow, R, P, L, and K Areas,

~8-1040-1. Additional Process F a c i l i t i e s , 200-H Area, $3 3OO,OOO ~8-3020 Sampling System for Seepage Basins, Bldgs. 904-12 and

~9-1038 Mass Spectrometer f o r Bldg. 677-G, $26,000 s9-3525 Replacement of Mowing Equipment, 615-~, $12,800 s9-3530 s9-3531

$6,300,000

13-G, $2'/,100

Replace Well Pmp 905-39F, $7,200 Product Container Degassfng and Cal ibra t ion F a c i l i - t ies , Bldg. 232-F, $5,700

Dana P l a n t - None

Savannah River P l a n t

E .W .R. 25844-111

50020-111

50024-11

50042-11 f

50080-IV

50110-11

50122-11

50124-11

50175

50178 50180

50181 50182 50183

50184 50185

Prototype Autoclave - $14,000 increase.

Evaluate Waste Concentration A l t e r n a t i v e s - $20,000 increase. Tota l P a r t s 1-111 $60,000 I n s t a l l B e t a Phase Heat Treat ing Furnace T-1001 - $24,000 increase . Shielding Warm Canyon Crane 221-H Bldg, - $3,000 increase. Total Parts 1-11 $5,000 Extrusion Design - $10,000 increase ,

Addftional High Level Cave F a c i l i t i e s - $25,000 increase, Tota l Parts 1-11 $'j'5,000 Design Assis-tance t o AED Projec t Department - $25,000 increase. Total Parts 1-11 NFE (LMT) MTg. F a c i l i t i e s - increase, Total P a r t s 1-11 $50j.000 ESD Assistance Bldgs. 211-F, 221-F, 221-F A Line, 222-F - ' $5,000 Bldg. 234-H Specia l Equipment - $lO,OOO Bldg, 234-H 200 Area - HOP. Valves and F i t t i n g s ,

NFE (LM) Castfng F ix tu re - $4.,000 Hydraulic T e s t Prototype of Slug Rupture Location Device - $3,000 NFE (LM") Tooling - 320-M - 5 000 Double Acting Press 320-M - $6:000 Volume Reduction Type I Waste by Evaporator I n s t a l l e d i n t he Storage Tank - $9,000 Extrupion Semi-Works - Bldg. 7'734 - $5,OOO Separators for O f f - G a s Piping 221-F rlA1l Line - $3,000

T o t a l 'Parts 1-111 $30,000

Tota l Parts 1-11 $76,000

Tota l P a r t s I-IV $23,000

I1 I1

$10,000

Page 19

U N CLASS1 Fi ED

100, 600 and 900 AREA UTILITIES

Modification of an abandoned pond ad jacent t o the 1 0 0 - C Area w i l l pro- vide a s ix -ac re ' coo l ing water tes t pond from which data w i l l be obtained r e l a t i v e t o evaporative cool ing performance under var ious condi t ions of operat ion, i n s c a l i n g up predicted performance of the 1400-acre cool ing water pond c u r r e n t l y under considerat ion a s a new source of cool ing water. could supplement the River Water System as-needed to complete the f i v e 100 Area requirements related. t o the Ppoduct ivi ty Improvement Program.

Information obtained from the test pond w i l l be of value

T h i s

Previous e x t e r n a l inspec t ions of the s ix t een 3000 HP motors i n the 681-1~ and 3 G River Pump Houses disc losed loose and irregular lamina- t i o n s of the s t a t o r core. I n t e r n a l inspec t ions have now been made t o eight of the motors, d i sc los ing excessive e c e e n t r i c i t y of the s t a t o r core i n f i v e of the u n i t s , n e c e s s i t a t i n g res tacking of the s t a t o r w i t h new laminations and the i n s t a l l a t i o n of new c o i l s , The o the r three motors w i l l r e q u i r e t i gh ten ing of the s t a t o r only. One of the motors is c u r r e n t l y being repaired a t the vendor's shops and it i s planned t o con- secu t ive ly r e t u r n the remaining f i f t e e n motors t o the vendor for r e p a i r s as cool ing water demands permit. f i v e new motors ordered i n connection w i t h tihe P roduc t iv i ty Improve- ment Program w i l l f ac i l i t a te the repair schedule of the p r e s e n t l y in- stalled motors.

The predicted October de l ive ry of the

The vendor has assumed r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r the repairs and w i l l absorb the expenses w i t h the exception of procurement of new motor c o i l s .

External and i n t e r n a l inspec t ion of the El len ton r a w water header was made Apr i l 24, 1956, by r ep resen ta t ives of AED, the Engineering Depart- ment, and the Lock J o i n t Company, who manufactured the concrete pipe, The inspec t ion was made t o determine the severity of water hammer effect t o t h e header during start-up and prel iminary operat ion of the water supply system.. f o u r plate reducers', The cracking was not considered se r ious but i nd i - ca ted that a t some time during the system water hammer tests the design pressure had been exceeded, Externa l inspec t ion was made t o one of the header's 48-inch c ross connecting l i n e s which are considered the f o c a l po in t s of high pressure surges , The inspee t ion revealed no evidence of cracking confirming that no damage had been caused t o the header.

Small l ong i tud ina l cracks were found i n t e r n a l l y a t the

Pgge 20