A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The nation's private defined benefit (DB) pension system, a key contributor to the financial security of millions of Americans, is in long-term decline. Since 1980, the number of active participants in Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) insured single employer DB plans has dropped from 27.3 percent of all national private wage and salary workers in 1980, to about 15 percent in 2002, and more recently the PBGC has assumed billions of dollars in unfunded benefit obligations from bankrupt plan sponsors. Some analysts have identified hybrid DB plans like cash balance (CB) plans as a possible means to revitalize this declining system. However, conversions from traditional DB plans to CB plans have sometimes been controversial because of the effect conversions may have on the benefits of workers of different ages. As House and Senate committees consider comprehensive pension reform legislation that includes efforts to resolve uncertainties about CB plans, GAO was asked to (1) review current research about the implications of CB conversions for employee benefits, (2) describe the prevalence and type of transition provisions used to protect workers' benefits in past CB conversions, and (3) estimate …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Some military commands are raising concerns about price increases for weapon system parts. The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) provides these parts and related services to the military, Department of Defense agencies, and other government entities. GAO found that the majority of DLA's weapon system spare parts experienced a relatively low annual price change--less than 5 percent--from 1989 through 1998. However, the prices for some parts are increasing. Most of the extreme price increases are due to inaccurate price estimates, outdated prices, or changes in quantities purchased. This could affect some military units' ability to buy needed spare parts."

Because of the importance of committee work, Senators consider desirable committee assignments a priority. After general elections are over, one of the first orders of business for Senate leaders is setting the sizes and ratios of committees. This report describes the process of creating Senate committees, including the nomination process and rules and regulations specifically pertaining to said process.

Integral fuel burnable absorgers (IFBA) are added to some rods in the fuel assembly to counteract excessive reactivity. These IFBA elements (usually boron or gadolinium) are presently incorporated in the U)2 pellets either by mixing in the pellets or as coatings on the pellet surface. In either case, the incorporation of ifba into the fuel has to be performed in a nuclear-regulated facility that is physically separated from the main plant. These operations tend to be costly and can add from 20 to 30% to the manufacturing cost of the fuel. The goal of this NEER research project was to develop an alternative approach that involves incorporation of IFBA element boron at the surface of the fuel cladding material.

Halliburton Energy Services and Oak Ridge National Laboratory established a CRADA to conduct applied research to develop a general purpose, High-Temperature, Smart Transducer Interface Node and Telemetry System (HSTINTS) capable of temporally-coherent multiple-channel, high speed, high-resolution data transuction and acquisition while operating in a hostile thermal, chemical, and pressure environment for extended periods of time over a single coaxial cable. This ambitious, high-risk effort required development of custom dielectric isolated integrated circuits, amplified hybrid couplers for telemetry and an audio-frequency based power supply and distribution system using an engineered application of standing waves to compensate voltage drop along a 2 mile long cable. Several goals were achieved but underestimated challenges and a couple of mistakes hampered progress. When it was determined that an additional year of concerted effort would be required to complete the system demonstration, the sponsor withdrew funding and terminated the effort.

sodium battery heat release parameters were determined experimentally

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This report discusses the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) provisions enacted by Congress as part of the Organized Crime Control Act of 1970.

Deposit summary of $25.00 made on November 3, 2009.

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This report describes the results of the work performed by PNNL using feedstock materials provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, KL Energy and Lignol lignocellulosic ethanol pilot plants. Test results with algae feedstocks provided by Genifuel, which provided in-kind cost share to the project, are also included. The work conducted during this project involved developing and demonstrating on the bench-scale process technology at PNNL for catalytic hydrothermal gasification of lignin-rich biorefinery residues and algae. A technoeconomic assessment evaluated the use of the technology for energy recovery in a lignocellulosic ethanol plant.

Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) stacks respond quickly to changes in load and exhibit high part- and full-load efficiencies due to its rapid electrochemistry. However, this is not true for the thermal, mechanical, and chemical balance-of-plant subsystem (BOPS), where load-following time constants are, typically, several orders of magnitude higher. This dichotomy diminishes the reliability and performance of the electrode with increasing demand of load. Because these unwanted phenomena are not well understood, the manufacturers of SOFC use conservative schemes (such as, delayed load-following to compensate for slow BOPS response or expensive inductor filtering) to control stack responses to load variations. This limits the applicability of SOFC systems for load-varying stationary and transportation applications from a cost standpoint. Thus, a need exists for the synthesis of component- and system-level models of SOFC power-conditioning systems and the development of methodologies for investigating the system-interaction issues (which reduce the lifetime and efficiency of a SOFC) and optimizing the responses of each subsystem, leading to optimal designs of power-conditioning electronics and optimal control strategies, which mitigate the electrical-feedback effects. Equally important are ''multiresolution'' finite-element modeling and simulation studies, which can predict the impact of changes in system-level variables (e.g., current ripple and load-transients) on the …

The purpose of this calculation is to determine the thermal response of the 5-defense high level waste (DHLW)/Department of Energy (DOE) codisposal waste package (WP) to the hypothetical fire accident. The objective is to calculate the temperature response of the DHLW glass to the hypothetical short-term fire defined in 10 CFR 71, Section 73(c)(4), Reference 1. The scope of the calculation includes evaluation of the accident with the waste package above ground, at the Yucca Mountain surface facility. The scope is intended to cover a DHLW WP. This WP is loaded with DHLW canisters containing glass from the Savannah River Site (SRS) and a DOE canister containing Training, Research, and Isotope General Atomics (TRIGA) spent nuclear fuel (SNF). The information provided by the sketches attached to this calculation is that for the potential design of the type of WP considered in this calculation. In addition to the nominal design configuration thermal load case, the effects of varying the central DOE canister and DHLW thermal loads are determined. Also, the effects of varying values of the flame and WP outer surface emissivities are evaluated.

The High Average Power Laser (HAPL) program is developing technology for Laser IFE with the goal of producing electricity from the heat generated by the implosion of deuterium-tritium (DT) targets. Alternatively, the Laser IFE device could be coupled to a hydrogen generation system where the heat would be used as input to a water-splitting process to produce hydrogen and oxygen. The production of hydrogen in addition to electricity would allow fusion energy plants to address a much wider segment of energy needs, including transportation. Water-splitting processes involving direct and hybrid thermochemical cycles and high temperature electrolysis are currently being developed as means to produce hydrogen from high temperature nuclear fission reactors and solar central receivers. This paper explores the feasibility of this concept for integration with a Laser IFE plant, and it looks at potential modifications to make this approach more attractive. Of particular interest are: (1) the determination of the advantages of Laser IFE hydrogen production compared to other hydrogen production concepts, and (2) whether a facility of the size of FTF would be suitable for hydrogen production.

The present research program is centered on the experimental and numerical study of two instabilities that develop at the interface between two different fluids when the interface experiences an impulsive or a constant acceleration. The instabilities, called the Richtmyer-Meshkov and Rayleigh-Taylor instability, respectively, adversely affect target implosion in experiments aimed at the achievement of nuclear fusion by inertial confinement by causing the nuclear fuel contained in a target and the shell material to mix, leading to contamination of the fuel, yield reduction or no ignition at all. The laboratory experiments summarized in this report include shock tube experiments to study a shock-accelerated bubble and a shock-accelerated 2-D sinusoidal interface; and experiments based on the use of magnetorheological fluids for the study of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. Computational experiments based on the shock tube experimental conditions are also reported.

Experimental measurements suggest that pentaerythritoltetranitrate (PETN) undergoes changes at the molecular level that cause macroscopic changes in the overall PETN powder characteristics over time. These changes have been attributed to the high molecular mobility of PETN, but the underlying mechanism(s) responsible for this redistribution are still uncertain. Two basic approaches have been implemented in the past year to provide insight into the nature of these underlying mechanisms. The first approach is of an experimental nature, utilizing both AFM and evaporation measurements, which address both surface mobility and evaporation. These data include AFM measurements performed at LLNL and evaporation rate measurements performed at Texas Tech. These results are compared to earlier vapor pressure measurements performed at SNL, and estimates of recrystallization time frames are given. The second approach utilizes first-principle calculations and simulations that will be used to compare directly to those experimental quantities measured. We are developing an accurate intermolecular potential for PETN, which via kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations would mimic real crystallite shapes. Once the basic theory is in place for the growth of single crystallites, we will be in a position to investigate realistic grain coarsening phenomena in multi-crystallite simulations. This will also enable us to study …

The Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area is a 12,718 acre complex located in Douglas County, Washington. Four distinct management units make up the area: Bridgeport, Chester Butte, Dormaier and Sagebrush Flat. The four Units are located across a wide geographic area within Douglas County. The Units are situated roughly along a north/south line from Bridgeport in the north to the Douglas/Grant county line in the south, 60 miles away. The wildlife area was established to conserve and enhance shrubsteppe habitat for the benefit shrubsteppe obligate and dependent wildlife species. In particular, the Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area is managed to promote the recovery of three state-listed species: Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (threatened), greater sage grouse (threatened) and the pygmy rabbit (endangered). The US Fish and Wildlife Service also list the pygmy rabbit as endangered. Wildlife area staff seeded 250 acres of old agricultural fields located on the Sagebrush Flat, Dormaier and Chester Butte units. This has been a three project to reestablish high quality shrubsteppe habitat on fields that had either been abandoned (Dormaier) or were dominated by non-native grasses. A mix of 17 native grasses and forbs, most of which were locally collected and grown, was used. First year maintenance included spot …

The Scotch Creek Wildlife Area is a complex of 6 separate management units located in Okanogan County in North-central Washington State. The project is located within the Columbia Cascade Province (Okanogan sub-basin) and partially addresses adverse impacts caused by the construction of Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee hydroelectric dams. With the acquisition of the Eder unit in 2007, the total size of the wildlife area is now 19,860 acres. The Scotch Creek Wildlife Area was approved as a wildlife mitigation project in 1996 and habitat enhancement efforts to meet mitigation objectives have been underway since the spring of 1997 on Scotch Creek. Continuing efforts to monitor the threatened Sharp-tailed grouse population on the Scotch Creek unit are encouraging. The past two spring seasons were unseasonably cold and wet, a dangerous time for the young of the year. This past spring, Scotch Creek had a cold snap with snow on June 10th, a critical period for young chicks just hatched. Still, adult numbers on the leks have remained stable the past two years. Maintenance of BPA funded enhancements is necessary to protect and enhance shrub-steppe and to recover and sustain populations of Sharp-tailed grouse and other obligate species.

The Feasibility Study/or the 200-ZP-1 Groundwater Operable Unit (DOE/RL-2007-28) and the Proposed Plan/or Remediation of the 200-ZP-1 Groundwater Operable Unit (DOE/RL-2007-33) describe the use of groundwater pump-and-treat technology for the 200-ZP-1 Groundwater Operable Unit (OU) as part of an expanded groundwater remedy. During fiscal year 2008 (FY08), a groundwater flow and contaminant transport (flow and transport) model was developed to support remedy design decisions at the 200-ZP-1 OU. This model was developed because the size and influence of the proposed 200-ZP-1 groundwater pump-and-treat remedy will have a larger areal extent than the current interim remedy, and modeling is required to provide estimates of influent concentrations and contaminant mass removal rates to support the design of the aboveground treatment train. The 200 West Area Pre-Conceptual Design/or Final Extraction/Injection Well Network: Modeling Analyses (DOE/RL-2008-56) documents the development of the first version of the MODFLOW/MT3DMS model of the Hanford Site's Central Plateau, as well as the initial application of that model to simulate a potential well field for the 200-ZP-1 remedy (considering only the contaminants carbon tetrachloride and technetium-99). This document focuses on the use of the flow and transport model to identify suitable extraction and injection well locations as part of the …

The purpose of the inventory abstraction as directed by the development plan (CRWMS M&O 1999b) is to: (1) Interpret the results of a series of relative dose calculations (CRWMS M&O 1999c, 1999d). (2) Recommend, including a basis thereof, a set of radionuclides that should be modeled in the Total System Performance Assessment in Support of the Site Recommendation (TSPA-SR) and the Total System Performance Assessment in Support of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (TSPA-FEIS). (3) Provide initial radionuclide inventories for the TSPA-SR and TSPA-FEIS models. (4) Answer the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)'s Issue Resolution Status Report ''Key Technical Issue: Container Life and Source Term'' (CLST IRSR) (NRC 1999) key technical issue (KTI): ''The rate at which radionuclides in SNF [Spent Nuclear Fuel] are released from the EBS [Engineered Barrier System] through the oxidation and dissolution of spent fuel'' (Subissue 3). The scope of the radionuclide screening analysis encompasses the period from 100 years to 10,000 years after the potential repository at Yucca Mountain is sealed for scenarios involving the breach of a waste package and subsequent degradation of the waste form as required for the TSPA-SR calculations. By extending the time period considered to one million years after repository …

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A polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membrane containing iron (Fe0) particles was developed and tested as a model barrier for contaminant containment. Carbon tetrachloride, copper (Cu2+), nitrobenzene, 4-nitroacetophenone, and chromate (CrO4 2-) were selected as model contaminants. Compared with a pure PVA membrane, the Fe0/PVA membrane can increase the breakthrough lag time for Cu2+ and carbon tetrachloride by more than 100 fold. The increase in the lag time was smaller for nitrobenzene and 4-nitroacetophenone which stoichiometrically require more iron and for which the PVA membrane has a higher permeability. The effect of Fe0 was even smaller for CrO4 2- because of its slow reaction. Forty-five percent of the iron, based on the content in the dry membrane prior to hydration, was consumed by reaction with Cu2+ and 19% by reaction with carbon tetrachloride. Similarly, 25%, 17%, and 6% of the iron was consumed by nitrobenzene, 4-nitroacetophenone, and CrO4 2-, respectively. These percentages approximately double when the loss of iron during membrane hydration is considered. The permeability of the Fe0/PVA membrane after breakthrough was within a factor of three for that of pure PVA, consistent with theory. These results suggest that polymer membranes with embedded Fe0 have potential as practical contaminant barriers.

During the course of a ventilation survey, both airflow quantity and frictional pressure losses are measured and quantified. The measurement of airflow has been extensively studied as the vast majority of ventilation standards/regulations are tied to airflow quantity or velocity. However, during the conduct of a ventilation survey, measurement of airflow only represents half of the necessary parameters required to directly calculate the airway resistance. The measurement of frictional pressure loss is an often misunderstood and misapplied part of the ventilation survey. This paper compares the two basic methods of frictional pressure drop measurements; the barometer and the gauge and tube. Personal experiences with each method will be detailed along with the authors' opinions regarding the applicability and conditions favoring each method.

The wastes present at DOE long-term storage sites are usually highly alkaline, and because of this, much of the actinides in these wastes are in the sludge phase. Enough actinide materials still remain in the supernatant liquid that they require separation followed by long-term storage in a geological repository. The removal of these metals from the liquid waste stream would permit their disposal as low-level waste and dramatically reduce the volume of high-level wastes.