Analyses of Hot Gas Stream Cleanup (HGSC) ashes and descriptions of filter performance were made to address the problems with filter operation that are apparently linked to the collected ash. This task is designed to generate data base of the key properties of ashes collected from operating advanced particle filters and to relate these ash properties to the operation and performance of these filters. Activities including initial formatting of the data base and entry, modification of the permeability model, and initial design of a high-temperature test device for measuring uncompacted bulk porosity of ash aggregates (indicator of relative cohesivity of the ash, filter cake porosity/permeability). Chemical analyses of hopper and filter cake ashes from Tidd showed that the consolidation degree could not be accounted for by condensation/adsorption from the flue gas; the mechanism is likely physical rearrangement of the ash particles.

Estimating terrestrial net primary production (NPP) using remote- sensing tools and ecosystem models requires adequate ground-based measurements for calibration, parameterization, and validation. These data needs were strongly endorsed at a recent meeting of ecosystem modelers organized by the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme`s (IGBP`s) Data and Information System (DIS) and its Global Analysis, Interpretation, and Modelling (GAIM) Task Force. To meet these needs, a multinational, multiagency project is being coordinated by the IGBP DIS to compile existing NPP data from field sites and to regionalize NPP point estimates to various-sized grid cells. Progress at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) on compiling NPP data for grasslands as part of the IGBP DIS data initiative is described. Site data and associated documentation from diverse field studies are being acquired for selected grasslands and are being reviewed for completeness, consistency, and adequacy of documentation, including a description of sampling methods. Data are being compiled in a database with spatial, temporal, and thematic characteristics relevant to remote sensing and global modeling. NPP data are available from the ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) for biogeochemical dynamics. The ORNL DAAC is part of the Earth Observing System Data and Information System, of the US National Aeronautics and …

These proceedings contain edited versions of the technical presentations of the Workshop on Environmental and Energy Applications of Neural Networks, held on March 30--31, 1995, in Richland, Washington. The purpose of the workshop was to provide a forum for discussing environmental, energy, and biomedical applications of neural networks. Panels were held to discuss various research and development issues relating to real-world applications in each of the three areas. The applications covered in the workshop were: Environmental applications -- modeling and predicting soil, air and water pollution, environmental sensing, spectroscopy, hazardous waste handling and cleanup; Energy applications -- process monitoring and optimization of power systems, modeling and control of power plants, environmental monitoring for power systems, power load forecasting, fault location and diagnosis of power systems; and Biomedical applications -- medical image and signal analysis, medical diagnosis, analysis of environmental health effects, and modeling biological systems. Selected papers are indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.

The primary goal of this project is the engineering development of two advanced physical fine coal cleaning processes, column flotation and selective agglomeration, for premium fuel applications. The project scope includes laboratory research and bench-scale testing on six coals to optimize these processes, followed by design, and construction of a 2-t/hr process development unit (PDU). The PDU will then be operated to generate 200 tons of each of three project coals, by each process. During Quarter 11 (April--June, 1995), work continued on the Subtask 3.2 in-plant testing of the Microcel{trademark} flotation column at the Lady Dunn Preparation Plant with the installation and calibration of a refurbished 30-inch diameter column. The evaluation of toxic trace element data for column flotation samples continued, with preliminary analysis indicating that reasonably good mass balances were achieved for most elements, and that significant reductions in the concentration of many elements were observed from raw coal, to flotation feed, to flotation product samples. Significant progress was made on Subtask 6.5 selective agglomeration bench-scale testing. Data from this work indicates that project ash specifications can be met for all coals evaluated, and that the bulk of the bridging liquid (heptane) can be removed from the product for …

This report presents the results of geologic studies that help define the Quaternary history of selected faults in the region around Yucca Mountain, Nevada. These results are relevant to the seismic-design basis of a potential nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. The relevancy is based, in part, on a need for additional geologic data that became apparent in ongoing studies that resulted in the identification of 51 relevant and potentially relevant individual and compound faults and fault zones in the 100-km-radius region around the Yucca Mountain site. Geologic data used to characterize the regional faults and fault zones as relevant or potentially relevant seismic sources includes age and displacement information, maximum fault lengths, and minimum distances between the fault and the Yucca Mountain site. For many of the regional faults, no paleoseismic field studies have previously been conducted, and age and displacement data are sparse to nonexistent. In November 1994, the Branch of Earthquake and Landslide Hazards entered into two Memoranda of Agreement with the Yucca Mountain Project Branch to conduct field reconnaissance, analysis, and interpretation of six relevant and six potentially relevant regional faults. This report describes the results of study of those faults exclusive of those in the …

The ICF Quarterly Reports is published four times each fiscal year by the Inertial Confinement Fusion Program at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The journal reports selected current research within the ICF Program. Major areas of investigation presented here include fusion target theory and design, target fabrication, target experiments, and laser and optical science and technology.

Over the past decade, hierarchy and scale have been adopted as an ecological paradigm. Beyond this new awareness, however, a number of studies have attempted to test the underlying hierarchy theory and developed new analytical applications. The purpose of the present paper is to review these recent developments. Tests of the theory have focused on the prediction that ecological systems should not be uniformly distributed across scale, but grouped or lumped into discrete levels. The predicted breaks in spatial distribution have been found in vegetation transects. Vertebrate weight distributions are also distinctly aggregated, corresponding to the spatial scale at which each species operates. An important development of hierarchy theory has considered extrapolating information upscale. Simply stated, the dynamics of the higher level cannot be represented by the same functional form as its components. One cannot insert the mean parameter value for the components and predict higher level effects. Analytical methods, derived from hierarchy theory, have been developed deal with the problem.

This paper provides highlights from the 1995 summer meeting of the Low Level radioactive Waste Forum. Topics included: new developments in state and compacts; federal waste management; DOE plans for Greater-Than-Class C waste management; mixed wastes; commercial mixed waste management; international export of rad wastes for disposal; scintillation cocktails; license termination; pending legislation; federal radiation protection standards.

Thirty-eight mature upland forest stands in the Nicolet National Forest were selected to study relationships between abundances of edge-sensitive forest birds within the stands and patterning of vegetation types surrounding the stands. Ten indicator species were examined, and three years of point count data from the Nicolet National Forest Bird Survey formed the basis of the study. Three separate habitat maps were created to quantify landscape structural characteristics in a geographic information system (GIS); the first was compiled from existing vegetation inventory maps maintained by the Nicolet National Forest, the second was based on a Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite image classification, and the third was based on a combination of the first two habitat maps. Abundance of individuals in the indicator species group was related to statistical metrics of landscape pattern and proportions of habitat types surrounding the sites using multiple regression. Best subsets of variables to explain variation in total bird abundance were selected. Relationships between individual species abundances and landscape and site vegetation variables were also examined using univariate tests. The combined habitat mapping method provided the best regression model of songbird abundance, and relationships given by this model were consistent across all species.

Performance assessments of low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal facilities often involve the use of computer codes to describe radionuclide releases from a waste form and the subsequent transport of radionuclides through the environment. The SOURCE1 and SOURCE2 computer codes are used to calculate radionuclide release rates (i.e., source terms) for LLW disposal facilities. These codes have been used to evaluate the source terms for Oak Ridge National Laboratory performance assessments. SOURCE1 is applicable to tumulus-type facilities, while SOURCE2 can be applied to silo, well-in-silo, well, and trench-type facilities. In addition to the calculation of radionuclide release rates, both SOURCE1 and SOURCE2 calculate the degradation of engineered barriers. This paper provides an overview of these codes and a description of recent improvements to the codes. Major improvements include incorporation of a new advective transport model into SOURCE1 and SOURCE2, development of a new model for SOURCE1 that calculates the degradation and failure of the tumulus pad and leachate collection system, improvement of routines for controlling water infiltration inputs, expansion of options for obtaining output summaries, and restructuring of SOURCE1 and SOURCE2 for sensitivity and uncertainty analyses. The status of code verification efforts is also presented.

To model the shock-induced behavior of porous or damaged energetic materials, a nonequilibrium mixture theory has been developed and incorporated into the shock physics code, CTH. Foundation for this multiphase model is based on a continuum mixture formulation given by Baer and Nunziato. In this nonequilibrium approach, multiple thermodynamic and mechanics fields are resolved including the effects of material relative motion, rate-dependent compaction, drag and heat transfer interphase effects and multiple-step combustion. Benchmark calculations are presented which simulate low-velocity piston impact on a propellant porous bed and experimentally-measured wave features are well replicated with this model. This mixture model introduces micromechanical models for the initiation and growth of reactive multicomponent flow which are key features to describe shock initiation and self-accelerated deflagration-to-detonation combustion behavior. To complement one-dimensional simulation, two dimensional numerical simulations are presented which indicate wave curvature effects due to the loss of wall confinement.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the energy conservation potential of a heat pump in an industrial site. The proper placement of the heat pump was based on the principles of Pinch Technology. Chevron`s refinery at Port Arthur, Texas, was selected as the industrial site for this study. Two energy conservation options were identified for this site with a combined total savings of $570,000 per year. This represents over 10% reduction in current thermal energy consumption of the process units, which were part of this study. The details of each option are described. The first option was a passive heat integration scheme. The second option involves a semi-open cycle mechanical vapor recompression heat pump that compresses the steam generated from the reactor exhaust streams of the cyclohexane unit to provide part of the reboiling duty of the benzene column.

Since the 14th Conference in Amsterdam in 1991, progress in plant hormone research and developmental plant biology has been truly astonishing. The five ``classical`` plant hormones, auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, ethylene, and abscisic acid, have been joined by a number of new signal molecules, e.g., systemin, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, whose biosynthesis and functions are being understood in ever greater detail. Molecular genetics has opened new vistas in an understanding of transduction pathways that regulate developmental processes in response to hormonal and environmental signals. The program of the 15th Conference includes accounts of this progress and brings together scientists whose work focuses on physiological, biochemical, and chemical aspects of plant growth regulation. This volume contains the abstracts of papers presented at this conference.

The Liquid Phase Methanol (LPMEOH{trademark}) demonstration project at Kingsport, Tennessee is a $213.7 million cooperative agreement between the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Air Products Liquid Phase Conversion Company, L.P. (the Partnership). A facility producing 260 TPD of methanol will be designed and constructed at a site located at the Eastman Chemical complex in Kingsport, Tennessee. The Partnership will own and operate the facility for the four-year demonstration facility operational period. This project is sponsored under the DOE`s Clean Coal Technology Program, and its primary objective is to ``demonstrate the production of methanol using the LPMEOH{trademark} process in conjunction with an integrated coal gasification facility.`` The project will also demonstrate the suitability of the methanol produced for use as a chemical feedstock or as a low sulfur dioxide, low nitrogen oxides alternative fuel in stationary and transportation applications. The project may also demonstrate the production of dimethyl ether (DME) as a mixed coproduct with methanol, if laboratory- and pilot-scale research shows promising results. If implemented, the DME would be produced during the last six months of the operations phase. During the period 1 October 1994 to 31 March 1995, the project team completed essentially all the activities necessary to …

This tutorial was one of eight tutorials selected to be presented at the Third International Conference on Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology which was held in the United Kingdom from July 16 to 19, 1995. In this paper, one objective is to identify properties of DNA sequences that determine their function, by computer-aided statistical analysis and to accurately predict its function, given a new sequence. A related problem is to predict protein structure and function from the sequence.

In this work, the author applied a systematic calibration, validation and application procedure based on the methodology of mathematical modeling to international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) ignition studies. The multi-mode plasma transport model used here includes a linear combination of drift wave branch and ballooning branch instabilities with two a priori uncertain constants to account for anomalous plasma transport in tokamaks. A Bayesian parameter estimation method is used including experimental calibration error/model offsets and error bar rescaling factors to determine the two uncertain constants in the transport model with quantitative confidence level estimates for the calibrated parameters, which gives two saturation levels of instabilities. This method is first tested using a gyroBohm multi-mode transport model with a pair of DIII-D discharge experimental data, and then applied to calibrating a nominal multi-mode transport model against a broad database using twelve discharges from seven different tokamaks. The calibrated transport model is then validated on five discharges from JT-60 with no adjustable constants. The results are in a good agreement with experimental data. Finally, the resulting class of multi-mode tokamak plasma transport models is applied to the transport analysis of the ignition probability in a next generation machine, ITER. A reference simulation of …

This conference was held November 12--16, 1995 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The purpose of this conference was to provide a multidisciplinary forum for exchange of state-of-the-art information on genetic mapping in mice. This report contains abstracts of presentations, focusing on the following areas: mutation identification; comparative mapping; informatics and complex traits; mutagenesis; gene identification and new technology; and genetic and physical mapping.

This report summarizes the data provided by companies authorized to import or export natural gas. Data includes volume and price for long term and short term, and gas exported to Canada and Mexico on a short term or spot market basis.

Selected papers have been processed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology database. Also included are four 3.5` discs that are to accompany the report.