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These conditions were maintained for
300 hours. The tubes were then
sectioned and examined for crystal
deposits of ZrF,. Correlation of
crystal deposits on the inside tube
walls with the various tube-wall
temperatures during the test indicates
that the ZrF vapor given off by the
fuel at 15O$F w i l l condense on any
surface Lhat is at a temperature of
1250°F or lower. When the tube-wall
temperature is maintained at a temper-
ature greater than 1250°F, no deposits
of ZrFI crystals w i l l be formed.
These data check reasonably well with
available vapor-pressure data for
ZrF, and for the fluoride mixture
NaF-ZrF,-UF4 (46-50-4 mole %I.
PROJECT FACILITIES( In)
Helium Distribution. High-purity
helium is now delivered to distribution
systems in the experimental engineering
laboratories, Building 9201-3, and
the Fuels Production Pilot Plant,
Building 9928, by pipe line from tank
cars through a p r essu re-reducing
station located at a considerable
distance from the building. The
installation cost for the several
thousand feet of pipe line has been
offset completely by the saving already
accrued from complete elimination
of the labor formerly required to
carry out the time-consuming process
of filling empty cylinders with helium
at the tank car, transporting the
cylinders to intermediate storage,
performing individual purity tests
spectrographically on each cy1 inder,
distributing the cylinders to work
locations, and finally returning the
empty cylinders to the tank car for
refilling.
Fabrication Shop. The shop facili -
ties of the Experimental Engineering
(13)The fuel production and purification
facilities are described in section 11, “Chemlstry
of High-Temperature Liquids.”
PERIOD EIYDING DECEMBER 10, 1952
Department, Building 9201-3, have been
relocated and consolidated to permit
expansion of the machine shop and
relocation of every fabrication work
area to new locations adjacent to the
mechanical stores crib. With the new
arrangement, the production of component
parts is expedited through the various
steps of fabrication, handling is
reduced, better housekeeping i s
achieved, and a more workable ar-
rangement for the shops is obtained.
The use of oxygen and acetylene
cylinders has been eliminated by
installation of piped supplies of
these gases to the work benches in
the fabricat ion area from outdoor
cy 1 ind er -man i f o 1 d sy s t ems. The
ventilation system has been expanded
to relieve the new shops of smoke,
fumes, and the excessive heat generated
during fabrication procedures.
Instrument Shop Facility. A new
facility in Building 9201-3 has
recently been completed to provide a
sui table environment for conducting
under constant and most rigid external
conditions the design, development,
adjustment, and calibration of sensitive
electronic instruments and equipment.
Th e n onma gn e ti c 1 a bora t or y ben che s
are supplied with electric outlets,
grounding busses, and piped supplies
of helium, natural gas, oxygen, and
acetylene. The i 1 lumina tion installed
in the area is adequate. Installation
of an air-conditioningsystem designed
to maintain this laboratory at constant
temperature and constant humidity will
start in the near future.
Gas-Fired Furnace Facility. A
battery of six gas- fired furnaces ,
each rated at 68,000 Btu/hr, is being
installed on the main track floor of
the experirnen tal engineering labo-
ratories, Building 9201-3. The
furnaces w i l l serve as heat sources
for the various experimen tal p rograrns
under way at the present time.
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