Hydrous metal oxide (HMO) materials are inorganic ion exchangers which have many desirable characteristics for catalyst support applications, including high cation exchange capacity, anion exchange capability, high surface area, ease of adjustment of acidity and basicity, bulk or thin film preparation, and similar chemistry for preparation of various transition metal oxides. Cation exchange capacity is engineered into these materials through the uniform incorporation of alkali cations via manipulation of alkoxide chemistry. Specific examples of the effects of Na stoichiometry and the addition of SiO{sub 2} to hydrous titanium oxide (HTO) on ion exchange behavior will be given. Acid titration and cationic metal precursor complex exchange will be used to characterize the ion exchange behavior of these novel materials.

Corrosion damage to a nuclear power plant containment structure can degrade the pressure capacity of the vessel. For the low-carbon, low- strength steels used in containments, the effect of corrosion on material properties is discussed. Strain-to-failure tests, in uniaxial tension, have been performed on corroded material samples. Results were used to select strain-based failure criteria for corroded steel. Using the ABAQUS finite element analysis code, the capacity of a typical PWR Ice Condenser containment with corrosion damage has been studied. Multiple analyses were performed with the locations of the corrosion the containment, and the amount of corrosion varied in each analysis.

In direct drive ICF, nonuniformities in laser illumination seed ripples at the ablation front in a process called ``imprint``. These nonuniformities grow during the capsule implosion and, if initially large enough, can penetrate the capsule shell, impede ignition, or degrade burn. Imprint has been simulated for recent experiments performed on the Nova laser at LLNL examining a variety of beam smoothing conditions. Most used laser intensities similar to the early part of an ignition capsule pulse shape, 1 {approx_equal} 10{sup 13} W/cm{sup 2} . The simulations matched most of the measurements of imprint modulation. The effect of imprint upon National Ignition Facility (NIF) direct drive ignition capsules has also been simulated. Imprint is predicted to give modulation comparable to an intrinsic surface finish of {approximately}10 nm RMS. Modulation growth was examined using the Haan [Phys. Rev. A {bold 39}, 5812 (1989)] model, with linear growth factors as a function of spherical harmonic mode number obtained from an analytic dispersion relation. Ablation front amplitudes are predicted to become substantially nonlinear, so that saturation corrections are large. Direct numerical simulations of two-dimensional multimode growth were also performed. The capsule shell is predicted to remain intact, which gives a basis for believing that …

Ultrasonic energy has been used to disperse one liquid metallic component in a second immiscible liquid metal, thereby producing a metallic emulsion. Upon lowering the temperature of this emulsion below the mp of the lowest-melting constituent, a metal/metal-matrix composite is formed. This composite consists of sub-micron-to-micron- sized particles of the minor metallic phase that are embedded in a matrix consisting of the major metallic phase. Zinc-bismuth was used as a model system, and ultrasonic dispersion of a minor Bi liquid phase was used to synthesize metal/metal-matrix composites. These materials were characterized using SEM and energy-dispersive x-ray analysis.

Ames Laboratory will develop an integrated sampling and analysis system suitable for on-line monitoring of mercury (Hg) and hydrogen chloride (HCl) in advanced coal-based gasifiers. The objectives of this project are to (1) summarize current technology for monitoring Hg and HCl in gaseous effluents; (2) identify analytical techniques for such determinations in high-temperature, high-pressure gases from coal-based systems for producing electrical power; (3) evaluate promising analytical approaches, and (4) produce reliable on-line monitors which are adaptable to plant-scale diagnostics and process control. For HG, the techniques selected for further consideration were atomic absorption and atomic fluorescence. For HCl, non-dispersive infrared absorption, a dry colorimetric procedure, and ion mobility spectroscopy were selected for testing in the laboratory. Results to date are described.

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors must be specifically designed for each application because many variables directly affect the acoustic wave velocity. In the present work, the authors have designed, fabricated, and tested an SAW sensor for detection of metastable states of He. The sensor consists of two sets of micromachined interdigitated transducers (IDTs) and delay lines fabricated by photolithography on a single Y-cut LiNbO{sub 3} substrate oriented for Z-propagation of the SAWs. One set is used as a reference and the other set employs a delay line coated with a titanium-based thin film sensitive to electrical conductivity changes when exposed to metastable states of He. The reference sensor is used to obtain a true frequency translation in relation to a voltage controlled oscillator. An operating frequency of 109 MHz has been used, and the IDT finger width is 8 {micro}m. Variation in electrical conductivity of the thin film at the delay line due to exposure to He is detected as a frequency shift in the assembly, which is then used as a measure of the amount of metastable He exposed to the sensing film on the SAW delay line. A variation in the He pressure versus frequency shifts indicates the …

Preliminary WINDII nighttime airglow wave-imaging data in the UARS rolldown attitude has been analyzed with the goal to survey gravity waves near the upper boundary of the middle atmosphere. Wave analysis is performed on O[sub 2](0,0) emissions from a selected 1[sup 0] x 1[sup 0] oblique view of the airglow layer at approximately 95 km altitude, which has no direct earth background and only an atmospheric background which is optically thick for the 0[sub 2](0,0) emission. From a small data set, orbital imaging of atmospheric wave structures is demonstrated, with indication of large variations in wave activity across land and sea. Comparison ground-based imagery is discussed with respect to similarity of wave variations across land/sea boundaries and future orbital mosaic image construction.

A global energy/economics/environmental (E{sup 3}) model has been adapted with a nuclear energy/materials model to understand better {open_quotes}top-level{close_quotes}, long-term trade offs between civilian nuclear power, nuclear-weapons proliferation, fossil-fuel burning, and global economic welfare. Using a {open_quotes}business-as-usual{close_quotes} (BAU) point-of-departure case, economic, resource, proliferation-risk implications of plutonium recycle in LAIRs, greenhouse-gas-mitigating carbon taxes, and a range of nuclear energy costs (capital and fuel) considerations have been examined. After describing the essential elements of the analysis approach being developed to support the Los Alamos Nuclear Vision Project, preliminary examples of parametric variations about the BAU base-case scenario are presented. The results described herein represent a sampling from more extensive results collected in a separate report. The primary motivation here is: (a) to compare the BAU basecase with results from other studies; (b) to model on a regionally resolved global basis long-term (to year {approximately}2100) evolution of plutonium accumulation in a variety of forms under a limited range of fuel-cycle scenarios; and (c) to illustrate a preliminary connectivity between risks associated with nuclear proliferation and fossil-fuel burning (e.g., greenhouse-gas accumulations).

This report is a transcript of a practice lecture given in preparation for a review lecture on the operation of thermoacoustic engines and refrigerators. The author begins by a brief review of the thermodynamic principles underlying the operation of thermoacoustic engines and refrigerators. Remember from thermodynamics class that there are two kinds of heat engines, the heat engine or the prime mover which produces work from heat, and the refrigerator or heat pump that uses work to pump heat. The device operates between two thermal reservoirs at temperatures T{sub hot} and T{sub cold}. In the heat engine, heat flows into the device from the reservoir at T{sub hot}, produces work, and delivers waste heat into the reservoir at T{sub cold}. In the refrigerator, work flows into the device, lifting heat Q{sub cold} from reservoir at T{sub cold} and rejecting waste heat into the reservoir at T{sub hot}.