TECHNOLOGY MAIN SODIUM TO AIR HEAT EXCHANGER AUXILIARY SODIUM TO AIR EXCHANGER
AUXILIARY HEAT EXCHANGER
An artist's conception of the sodium-graphite experimental reactor. It will be used for development work towards eventual production of electricity from atomic energy at costs competitive with cost of power from present methods using coal and oil
Route to Economic Nuclear P o w e r AEC and North American Aviation sponsor sodiumgraphite reactor experiment. Aim:—full scale reactor operation by 1957 . . . Project to cost $10 million >~pHE first sodium-graphite reactor -*- in the United States will b e developed and constructed in a project sponsored jointly b y t h e Atomic Energy Commission and North American Aviation. The project, a step toward the development of economic nuclear power, will cost about $10 million. T h e reactor, called the SRE (Sodium Reactor Experiment) will be an experimental model of a full scale power reactor already in the preliminary design state. It will use metallic fuel elements of either slightly enriched uranium or a combination of thorium and U233. Operation is expected to start by mid-1957. Present project will resemble the full scale plant designed b y the company but will generate only about 20,000 kw. of heat. T h e plant will have no electricity-generating equipment. This is because a large amount of technical development is first necessary to reduce the costs of producing electricity from atomic energy. Use of sodium as a reactor coolant stems from the metal's low neutron absorption qualities, good heat transfer 2966
properties, low melting point, and high boiling point. These characteristics permit production of high temperature without high pressure. Reactor, including the core and t h e cooling sodium, will be enclosed in a steel tank. This entire unit is to b e installed underground with five feet of dense concrete between t h e reactor and ground level. Graphite, used to moderate or slow d o w n the neutrons w h i c h cause the U135 to fission, will surround the fuel. Design calls for 10,000 gallons of sodium to flow through the core and absorb the heat of the fission process. Boron-steel control rods will regulate the fission rate of the reactor and are to be moved b y electric motors in and out of the core. Such rods control t h e fission process by absorbing neutrons. Safety elements will serve to stop fission a n d shut down the reactor w h e n required. In operation, heat is transferred to liquid sodium circulating through t h e core of the reactor w h e r e fission takes place. Sodium is heated and then p u m p e d to a primary h e a t exchanger. CHEMICAL
T h e sodium, coming directly from t h e reactor, is radioactive, a n d gives u p its heat through a primary exchanger to another sodium circulation system. The second system takes the heat via uncontaminated sodium to a second heat exchanger where heat is provided without t h e presence of radioactivity. Since reactor is operated on a closed cycle system, no fumes, gases, or other exhaust material are emitted into t h e atmosphere. North American Aviation is assuming u p to $2.5 million of the total cost for development of the sodiumgraphite reactor. Moreover, N o r t h American is supplying the reactor site, at no cost to the Government, near the company's field test laboratory in t h e Santa Susana Mountains, north of Los Angeles. Reactor will b e housed in a building about 100 feet long and 5 0 feet wide, with a 4 5 feet high bay area overhead. Including t h e connecting buildings, which will house machine shop, laboratory and office facilities, a total of about 20,000 square feet of covered floor area will b e used for t h e SRE project. Only three technicians will b e required to operate the reactor. Other engineers and scientists at t h e site will conduct various investigations and studies for t h e industrial power d e velopment program. Construction of the reactor is slated to begin shortly. Shortly after the end of World W a r II, North American b e g a n research a n d development work in t h e atomic energy field. Since 1948, the c o m p a n y has been engaged in reactor design a n d development work, together with associated projects, for t h e Atomic E n ergy Commission. North American is the major contractor to the A E C exploring sodium-graphite power reactor possibilities. In addition to the company's work with p o w e r reactors, North American has also designed and built two research reactors for industrial, scientific, a n d medical work. T h e two reactors n o w operating in California were constructed for the A E C by the company. Both machines are of the solution type, using a water solution of fissionable material in the core. O n e of t h e machines is in operation a t North American's Downey, Calif., plant where it is used in connection with nuclear research studies. T h e other reactor is being used b v A E C for materials research at t h e Livermore Research Laboratory, Livermore, Calif. North American's atomic energy research d e p a r t m e n t is h e a d e d by Chauncey Starr, director, and is staffed with 3 0 0 engineers, scientists, and technicians. AND
ENGINEERING
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Ample Uniform
Supply Quality
...Stable Price
Best Formula for Figuring Raw Material Costs Fluctuations. Up and down. Prices of many raw materials can change overnight; making it difficult for you to plan ahead. Not so with petroleum raw materials. Petrochemicals made by Atlantic remain free from the price uncertainties which are prevalent with other types of raw materials. Also, Atlantic Petrochemicals are produced by modern mass production methods. These factors keep prices stable at a low level—even with today's rapidly growing demand. IVIany companies are profiting from this advantage now. And they are discovering other benefits to be found in Atlantic Petrochemicals: Cutting costs—\n wool scouring, gypsum board, automobile tires. Improving quality — in spar varnish, textile dyeing, rubber base paints. Expanding sales — in new shampoos, washing compounds for laundry, dishes and many industrial uses. Investigate Atlantic Petrochemicals. Complete technical assistance assures you maximum benefits. Write The Atlantic Refining Company, Dept. B-72, Chemical Products Sales, 260 South Broad Street, Philadelphia 1, Pa. VOLUME
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Philadelphia, Providence, Charfotte, Chicago In the West L. H. Butcher Co. In Canada
Naugatuck Chemicals Division
oTOominion Rutjher Company Ltd. In Europe Atlantic Chemicals SAB, Antwerp. Belgium.
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TECHNOLOGY
Room-Within-a-Room Surrounded by chilled air, a room-within-a-room helps to design and to rate improved Trane convectors. Walls, floors, and ceiling of inner room are chilled o n the inside to 55° to simulate subzero wintry weather on the outside. Inside surface of exposed walls of the average house doesn't get as cold as 55° until the outdoor temperature dips t o 10 or 20° below zero. Chilled air circulates within a two-foot area between inner and outer rooms. Trane convectors are placed against an inner wall of the inside room and hooked up to either steam or hot water pipes
Atomic Energy for Peace Time Heating Principles of how atomic energy can be harnessed to heat a building are shown in this simplified schematic drawing on display at the new research and testing lab. Here's how it works= liquid metal is heated in an atomic reactor, at left. Hot liquidl metal then goes to a boiler, in which it heats water to create steam. Steam goes from the boiler to a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, where it heats water. The hot water from the e x changer then goes to a Trane heating coil. Fans blow air over t h e coil and warmed air then enters the building at far righ*
Tomorrow's Atom-Powered Jet Airplane? How a^ jet airplane can be propelled by atomic power is explained by this drawing on display. Viewing display are Ray E. Lucey, left, vice president i n charge of engineering, and Donald H. Krans, lab director. Here is the principle: an atomic reactor heats liquid metal, which is pumped to a heat exchanger. Compressed air is superheated in the heat exchanger, from where it is used to propel the airplane, replacing conventional fuel jets. Illustration is schematic t o protect security information. Its atomic power for airplanes akin to nuclear power for submarines
Air Tunnels for M a n - m a d e Climates One of laboratory's larger sections houses most of the "House of Weather Magic" air tunnels which help the design of tomorrow's man-made climates by providing pin-point data on ne-w air conditioning, heating, ventilating, and other heat transfer equipment. Here, cooling and heating coils, undergo a wide range of tests to establish their efficiency and to find ways for more improvement. In a single test o n a single 18-in. b y 120-inch coil, technician takes as many as 9 0 different temperature readings; one every few inches across coil surface face
Heat Transfer Magic >-pRANE has constructed a new re-•• search and testing laboratory at La Crosse, Wis., to counteract unfavorable weather conditions. Trane duplicates samples of terrible w e a t h e r in t h e "House of W e a t h e r Magic/* alias the research and testing laboratory. T h e n , Trane proceeds to d e v e l o p the m a 2968
chines to overcome it. Enabling man to pretest e q u i p m e n t d e s i g n e d for use anywhere from Arctic regions to E q u a tor, the laboratory has facilities for duplicating a w i d e variety of temperature, humidity, pressure, and air m o v e ment. Intensive studies alreadv outlined CHEMICAL
range from basic flow studies on varying types of coils t o correlate factors affecting c o n d e n s i n g a n d evaporatiog coefficients of refrigerants, and from coil performance u n d e r severe frosting conditions to their performance at e x tremely high temperatures, and a h o s t of other projects. O n e b i g project is to harness the atom f o r peacetime p o w e r , T h e c o m m o n denominator of all projects—heat transfer equipment. AND
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Intermediate Alkyd Resins for Surface Coatings . . . Ethylene glycol is used in combination with pentaerythritol to produce alkyd resins used in making paints, enamels, and other alkyd based surface coatings. Polyester Resins . . . Low pressure laminates used o n glass fibers, asbestos, cloth, and paper, make use of polyester resins based on maleic anhydride, ethylene glycol, and vinyl type m o n o m e r s .
Humectant Ethylene glycol adds strength, softness, and pliability t o cellophane, paper, glue, leather, a n d textile libers.
Solvent Ethylene glycol is used as a solvent for certain stains, inks, and dyes. It is also a solvent and conducting medium in dry type capacitors. For more information ask for Technical Information S h e e t F-8327 on Ethylene Glycol. Call or write any of 23 sales offices in principal cities. In Canada: Carbide Chemicals Sales Company, Division of Union Carbide Canada Limited, T o r o n t o . VOLUME
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gloss. For complete information on the use of Benthal in alkyd resins, mail the coupon request ing a copy of new bulletin.
WmmmL ^ elieves, valve and seal-off valve, says Richards. Abrasion tests reveal that a 30 It is now being used for high-vacuunn thousandth inch thick sheet of stock applications in work sponsored by trie Atomic Energy Commission at tt*e impregnated by the new technique NBS—AEC Cryogenic Engineering show very little wear after 6000 strokes o>f a wet bristle brush while stock im Laboratory. pregnated by ordinary techniques was The NBS valve provides a perma worn completely through after only 600 nent pumping tap that can be used strokes. many times without soldering or welcling. Principal parts are a valve handle and stem, the valve body and seat, arid a removable bonnet enclosing the seat • Mar-tenet process for the manufac assembly and adjacent end of the stem. ture of homogeneous, granular free The movable seat contains six ports flowing fertilizer has been developed through which the vacuum system as b y Link-Belt, E. Rauh and Sons Fer pumped out. Attached to this end of tilizer, imc3 Simon J. Martenent. Proc the stem is a narrow bar which con ess i s available through Link-Belt. tains two small pins equidistant froam Process permits formulation of all ratios the axis of the stem. When the desired of fertilizers using anhydrous ammonia, vacuum has been obtained, the pirns ammonium nitrate, and other high are made to engage two of the ports g r a d e materials. Particle size can be in the seat, and the handle is turned elosely controlled and a wide range of until the valve is seated. The screws product sizes can be obtained. Prod of the bonnet are then loosened, a o d all the parts except the movable seat uct can b e stored in bags or bulk for assembly are removed as a unit A long periods of time without caking. rubber or plastic cap may be used to protect the remaining parts from diirt. When the static vacuum space requires pumping again, the removable pairts are replaced, the bonnet screws aire *97*
W Turboie* engine speeds and perform ance can probably be improved by îiigh-tcmperature ceramic materials and ceramic-metal combinations for turbine parts, say scientists at Battelle InstiCHEMICAL
tute. Studies show that turbine parts capable of withstanding a temperature of 2500° would permit design for 60% more thrust or jet power from an engine of the present size and air flow capacity. Battelle's president, Clyde Williams, says ceramic materials offer real promise because they have excellent corrosion resistance and a wide variety of them far exceed most metals and metal alloys in their ability to withstand very high temperatures. • A louver-plate redistributes which overcomes channeling in large diameter pulse columns used for experimental liquid-liquid extraction has been designed by Hanford engineers. The distributor consists of a solid horizontal· plate, fitting snug a column and provided with louvers to swirl column contents as they are pulsed. Uranium loss in waste streams is reduced in one case by a factor of 600 or more through use of the redistributor, says F. W. Woodfield, head of the chemical development unit at the GE-operated AEC installation. • A union dyeing procedure which permits piece dyeing of blends of Dynel and wool, and blends of Dynel, wool, and rayon, has been developed by Union Carbide and Carbon. Best union dyeings are achieved when initial pH of the dye bath is raised to slightly above seven. Presence of 2r/r Peregal T W in a slightly alkaline bath retards the dyeing of the wool to a point where the Dynel can be dyed very effectively. Of several compounds tested for controlling the pH, diammonium phosphate produced the brighter or clearer colors. Ammonium carbonate, ammonium sulfate, ammonia also produced good color buildup on the Dynel. • Fiber seat covers that resist water are now being made from a new line of fabrics woven from a special, neoprene treated yarn, according to Du Pont. Neoprene, Du Pont's synthetic rubber, is distributed through the yarn, binding the fibers together and giving the yarn high wet strength. Result is a new fiber fabric that can be washed, one that won't fray or pull apart even if it gets wet. Laboratory tests on two yarns, treated and untreated, show substantially the same tensile strength when dry, 4.6 pounds for untreated and 4.8 pounds for the treated. After immersion in water for 24 hours, untreated yarn retains only 15% of its original strength, while neoprene treated yarn retains 44% of its dry strength. After immersion for 24 hours in synthesized perspiration, both acidic and basic, untreated yarn has no measurable tensile strength while treated yarn still retains 42 to 46% of its dry strength. AND
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