Letter from Clifford Beck to Mr. David Lintz

%MurNBsampling121654; ]> Letter from Clifford Beck to Mr. David Lintz Machine readable transcription Beck, Clifford Creation of machine-readable version: Russell S. Koonts Creation of digital images: Russell S. Koonts Conversion to TEI.2-conformant markup: Russell S. Koonts ca. 9 kilobytes NCSU Libraries Raleigh, NC Modern English, MurNBsampling121654

Available from: NC State University Archives

Publicly-accessible

URL: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/archives/etext/engineering/reactor/murray/

18 November, 2000

Nuclear Reactor Digitization Project

Raymond L. Murray Reactor Project Notebook

Illustrations have been included from the print version. Scanned by Russell Koonts with Photoshop 5.0 software. Letter from Clifford Beck to Mr. David Lintz Clifford Beck

1 p. Manuscript copy consulted UA 105.16

Prepared for the North Carolina State University Science and Technology Electronic Text Center

The lineation of the manuscript has been maintained and all end-of-line hyphens have been preserved.

Keywords in the header are a local Science and Technology Electronic Text Center scheme to aid in establishing analytical groupings.

Library of Congress Subject Headings December 16, 1954 English LCSH manuscript 24-bit color: 400 dpi Letter from Clifford Beck to Mr. David Lintz Typescript 1 p. December 16, 1954 MurNBsampling121654

Murray December 16, 1954 Mr. David Lintz Physics Department Campus Dear David,

Our basic plan of radiation monitoring of water and air effluents from the reactor building and of general radiation level at selected points on the campus consists of two parts : 1) Continuously operating monitors connected to automatic recorders or alarm indicators, and 2) intermittent, independent collection and measurement of samples in the vicinity of the continuous monitors.

To date we have had little necessity of supplementing our continuous monitoring records with spot sampling. No radioactivity (indeed, no off-gas at all) from the reactor is discharged into the stack exhaust by our present method of operation. No hazards of radioactive wastes from the laboratories have been encountered, for the sinks have been only recently installed. Our measurements of cooling water at present levels of operation have shown negligible radioactivity. Nevertheless, though little effort has been devoted to spot checking, our continuously operating monitors have been maintained in steady operation except for times when maintenance and repairs of various instruments have been necessary.

(To date, incidentally, no evidence of above normal backgroung levels of radiation has been found in campus, stock or waste water monitoring).

We have now, however, reached the point where it will soon become advisable to supplement our monitoring system with intermittent grab-sampling. There will shortly be water effluent from the reactor building laboratories. Recheck of the effluent cooling water should be made as we prepare for higher power levels.

It appears that no early releases of fission gases will be necessary for some time in the future, since their rate of accumulation is so low, yet experimental operations now being planned could occasionally result in small discharges into the stack. Hence we should be more alert at all points.

Will you consider this problem, as a member of the reactor team, and give me your preliminary ideas of plans whereby these intermittent samples might be handled on a routine basis, the equipment necessary, the frequency recommended, etc.

Thanks.

Sincerely yours, Clifford Beck Clifford Beck CB:NK cc: Dr. Murray, Dr. Menius