%A"Smith, C F [Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, University of California, Livermore, CA (United States)]" %D1970 %I; American Nuclear Society, Hinsdale, IL (United States); United States Atomic Energy Commission (United States) %2 %J[] %K42 ENGINEERING, ARGON 37, ARGON 39, CARBON 14, CARBON DIOXIDE, CARBON MONOXIDE, CONCENTRATION RATIO, CONTAMINATION, GASBUGGY EVENT, HYDROGEN, KRYPTON 85, NATURAL GAS, NUCLEAR EXCAVATION, QUALITY CONTROL, TIME DEPENDENCE, TRITIUM %PMedium: ED; Size: page(s) 775-793 %TGas quality analysis and evaluation program for project Gasbuggy %XExperimental results of the gas quality analysis program for Project Gasbuggy through August 1969 are presented graphically, addressing the questions raised by the preshot program goals. The chemical composition and the concentrations of tritium, krypton-85, carbon-14 and argon-37, 39 are presented as a function of time and gas production from the nuclear chimney. Chemically, the presence of CO{sub 2}, CO and H{sub 2} served to dilute the formation gas and caused reactions which significantly altered the gas composition at early times. The radionuclide content of the chimney gas at reentry was some 800 pCi/cm{sup 3} of which about 80% was CH{sub 3}T. Lesser quantities of tritium were observed as HT, C{sub 2}H{sub 5}T and C{sub 3}H{sub 7}T. The other major contaminant was Kr{sup 85} which was present at about one-fifth the level of CH{sub 3}T. Small quantities of carbon-14 and argon-39 were also identified. The only other radionuclides identified in the gas were relatively short-lived rare gases. During the production testing, about two and one-half chimney volumes of gas at formation pressure were removed. This removal, accompanied by dilution, has reduced the radionuclide concentrations to about 7% of their levels at reentry. The production characteristics of the Gasbuggy environment prevented an adequate test of the effectiveness of chimney flushing. However, the rapid drawdown concept is supported by the available data as an effective means of reducing contaminant levels. The changes in composition during production or testing are seen to be consistent with a model involving a non-uniform gas influx rate and flow distribution over the chimney region. Mixing times are estimated to be on the order of a few days, so that increasing concentrations following a sudden gas influx can be explained. (author) %0Conference %NCONF-700101(vol.1); INIS-XA-N-228;TRN: XA04N0864010818 %1 %CIAEA %Rhttps://doi.org/ TRN: XA04N0864010818 INIS %GEnglish