This report gives a detailed description of work at Los Alamos that will help resolve geochemical issues pertinent to siting a high-level nuclear waste repository in tuff at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. It is necessary to understand the properties and setting of the host tuff because this rock provides the first natural barrier to migration of waste elements from a repository. The geochemistry of tuff is being investigated with particular emphasis on retardation processes. This report addresses the various aspects of sorption by tuff, physical and chemical makeup of tuff, diffusion processes, tuff/groundwater chemistry, waste element chemistry under expected repository conditions, transport processes involved in porous and fracture flow, and geochemical and transport modeling.

A literature review was conducted to identify methodologies that could be used to interpret paleohydrologic environments. Paleohydrology is the study of past hydrologic systems or of the past behavior of an existing hydrologic system. The purpose of the review was to evaluate how well these methodologies could be applied to the siting of low-level radioactive waste facilities. The computer literature search queried five bibliographical data bases containing over five million citations of technical journals, books, conference papers, and reports. Two data-base searches (United States Geological Survey - USGS) and a manual search were also conducted. The methodologies were examined for data requirements and sensitivity limits. Paleohydrologic interpretations are uncertain because of the effects of time on hydrologic and geologic systems and because of the complexity of fluvial systems. Paleoflow determinations appear in many cases to be order-of-magnitude estimates. However, the methodologies identified in this report mitigate this uncertainty when used collectively as well as independently. That is, the data from individual methodologies can be compared or combined to corroborate hydrologic predictions. In this manner, paleohydrologic methodologies are viable tools to assist in evaluating the likely future hydrology of low-level radioactive waste sites.

Annual report of the Argonne National Laboratory Radiological and Environmental Research Division regarding activities related to molecular physics and chemistry. This report discusses areas in the physics and chemistry of atoms and molecules related to their interactions with photons, electrons, and other external agents such as energetic ions.

Highlights of progress for the period June 1980 through July 1982 are summarized. Discussions of projects are presented under the following headings: molecular and cellular sciences; cellular and comparative mutagenesis; mammalian genetics and teratology; toxicology; and carcinogenesis. In addition this report includes an outline of educational activities. Separate abstracts have been prepared for individual technical reports for inclusion in the Energy Data Base. (RJC)

Generalized geologic and other data are tabulated for 24 potential hot dry rock (HDR) sites in the contiguous United States. The data show that HDR resources occur in many geologic and tectonic settings. Potential reservoir rocks at each prospect are described and each system is cateogrized accoridng to inferred heat sources. The Fenton Hill area in New Mexico is discussed in detail because this region may be considered ideal for HDR development. Three other prospectively valuable localities are described: The Geysers-Clear lake region in California, the Roosevelt Hot Springs area in Utah, and the White Mountains region in New Hampshire. These areas are singled out to illustrate the roles of significantly different geology and geophysics, reservoir rocks, and reservoir heat contents in possible HDR developments.

The Topolotron is an axisymmetric, toroidal magnetic fusion concept in which two-dimensional effects are important, as well as all three magnetic field components. The particular MHD model employed is basically the one-fluid, two-temperature model using classical Braginskii transport with viscous effects ignored. The model is augmented by Saha-Boltzmann dissociation and partial ionization physics, a simple radiation loss mechanism, and an additional resistivity due to electron-neutral collisions. While retaining all velocity and magnetic field components, the assumption of axisymmetry is made, and the resulting equations are expanded in cylindrical coordinates. The major approximation technique is then applied: spline collocation, which reduces these equations to a set of ordinary differential equations.

The City of Monroe, Utah undertook a project to demonstrate the economic and technical viability of utilizing a low temperature geothermal resource to provide space and hot water heating to commercial, municipal, and domestic users within the community. During the course of the project, resource development and assessment, including drilling of a production well, was successfully completed. Upon completion of the field development and assessment phase of the program and of a preliminary design of the district heating system, it was determined that the project as proposed was not economically viable. This was due to: (1) a significant increase in estimated capital equipment costs resulting from the general inflation in construction costs, the large area/low population density in Monroe, and a more remote fluid disposal well site than planned, could not balance increased construction costs, (2) a lower temperature resource than predicted, and (3) due to predicted higher pumping and operating costs. After a thorough investigation of alternatives for utilizing the resource, further project activities were cancelled because the project was no longer economical and an alternative application for the resource could not be found within the constraints of the project. The City of Monroe, Utah is still seeking a …

Areas discussed are power system modeling, state estimation, structure decomposition, state forecasting, clustering and security measure development. A detailed dynamic model of a multi-machine power system has been developed. A process state estimator was developed to estimate the long-term dynamic behavior of the power system. The algorithm is identical to the extended Kalman filter but has a modified process noise driving term. A two-stage structure estimation technique was proposed for identifying the power system network configuration. Two approaches to structure decomposition were investigated. A time-scale decomposition of the system equations, based on a singular perturbation approach, was evaluated using a detailed model of a generating system. Spatial decomposition was examined by applying an optimal network decomposition technique to a 39-bus test system. Stochastic approximation based approaches to estimator simplification were examined. Explicit expressions were obtained for the evolution of the first and second moments of the system state. Research into security measures proceeded in three directions. The first area involves viewing the security assessment problem as a hyperplane crossing problem for a stochastic process. The second approach examined the stability of an unforced linear system where the system coefficients are subject to future jumps. The third area of research has …

The Department of Energy, through its Richland Operations Office is evaluating the feasibility, timing, and cost of providing a federal capability for storing the spent fuel, high-level wastes, and transuranic wastes that DOE may be obligated by law to manage until permanent waste disposal facilities are available. Three concepts utilizing a monitored retrievable storage/interim storage (MRS/IS) facility have been developed and analyzed. The first concept, co-location with a reprocessing plant, has been developed by staff of Allied General Nuclear Services. the second concept, a stand-alone facility, has been developed by staff of the General Atomic Company. The third concept, co-location with a deep geologic repository, has been developed by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory with the assistance of the Westinghouse Hanford Company and Kaiser Engineers. The objectives of this study are: to develop preconceptual designs for MRS/IS facilities: to examine various issues such as transportation of wastes, licensing of the facilities, and environmental concerns associated with operation of such facilities; and to estimate the life-cycle costs of the facilities when operated in response to a set of scenarios that define the quantities and types of waste requiring storage in specific time periods, generally spanning the years 1989 to 2037. Three scenarios …