This Volume contains Teledyne's input to the Kilowatt Isotope Power System Phase II Plan. Included is a description of the Flight System Heat Generation System, Flight System Radiator, Thermal Insulation Stability, GDS Heat Generation System and GDS Radiator.

The development of a Kilowatt Isotope Power System (KIPS) was begun in 1975 for the purpose of satisfying the power requirements of satellites in the 1980's. The KIPS is a /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/-fueled organic Rankine cycle turbine power system to provide a design output of 500 to 2000 W. Included in this volume are: launch and flight safety considerations; quality assurance techniques and procedures to be followed through system fabrication, assembly and inspection; and the reliability program made up of reliability prediction analysis, failure mode analysis and criticality analysis. (LCL)

This volume of the Brayton Isotope Power System, Phase II Plan, contains the self-evaluation by AiResearch, GE, and TECO, addressing Section 3 of The Dynamic Systems Evaluation Criteria and Procedures established by the Department of Energy. These evaluation criteria addresses: Component Feasibility; Flight System Design Performance; GDS Test Results; Reliability and Practicality; Safety; Spacecraft Integration; and Cost and Risk. Included in each of these general categories are several attributes, each of which addresses a separate component, feature, or area of interest related to the power system, its development status, degree of preparedness for proceeding into a flight program, and/or the contractors' performance during Phase I. The key elements which indicate the readiness of a radioisotope power system to progress into a flight qualification program are: an advanced state of development of the power conversion system; demonstrated or exhibited potential for space systems standards of reliability; evident capability of meeting system safety requirements; favorable cost/benefit tradeoff considering projected missions and technology advancement potential; and proven feasibility of fabricating and qualifying a flight system and integrating it with a candidate spacecraft and launch vehicle. As a result of considerable government investment in Brayton system component development, the MHW isotope heat source and …

The development of a Kilowatt Isotope Power System (KIPS) was begun in 1975 for the purpose of satisfying the power requirements of satellites in the 1980's. The KIPS is a /sup 238/PuO/sub 2/-fueled organic Rankine cycle turbine power system to provide a design output of 500 to 2000 W. Phase II of the overall 3-phase KIPS program is described. This volume presents a program plan for qualifying the organic Rankine power system for flight test in 1982. The program plan calls for the design and fabrication of the proposed flight power system; conducting a development and a qualification program including both environmental and endurance testing, using an electrical and a radioisotope heat source; planning for flight test and spacecraft integration; and continuing ground demonstration system testing to act as a flight system breadboard and to accumulate life data. (LCL)

Bench-scale pilot plant studies were conducted to evaluate chemical coagulation and ion exchange for decontamination of 2724-W laundry wastewater. Chemical coagulation is accomplished at pH 11 to avoid complexant problems and assure good transuranic radionuclide removals. Clinoptilolite is used to remove cesium and strontium. Results of the pilot plant studies are summarized as follows: Decontamination factors of 70 (strontium) and more than 100 (cesium) were achieved by chemical coagulation and ion exchange. Decontamination factors exceeding 90 were measured for europium by coagulation with a combination of ferric chloride, magnesium chloride, and calcium chloride added to the wastewater at pH 11. Coagulation with these three agents in the wastewater at pH 11 was more effective for turbidity removal than coagulation with lime. Addition of up to 1.7 lb of clinoptilolite fines per 1000 gallons of wastewater during coagulation did not substantially increase strontium and cesium removal. Filtration without chemical coagulation reduced suspended solids by only 25%. About 70% of the suspended solids remaining in the filtered wastewater were removed in the zeolite column causing plugging which could not be easily dislodged by backwashing. Plugging of the ion exchange columns by previously clarified wastewater required short periods of limited backwashing to relieve …

Objectives, rationale, and method of a one-year experiment using a residential photovoltaic/thermal power system are presented. Data will be both archived and processed to investigate: (1) series heat pump system performance, and (2) electric utility impacts. A parallel heat pump system will be investigated in a subsequent experiment.

The objective for the past quarter included reversing the decline in productivity from the methane fermenters, confirming methane and yeast production from acetate, and making trial runs on kraft mill and semichemical mill effluents. Although methane production remained low (20 cc/hr) addition of 2% methanol doubled production. Progress has been made on identifying possible viruses that might be preventing higher methane production. Confirmation that acetate can be used as a substrate for methane production has been obtained. An initial test on the Decker filtrate from a kraft mill gave 20 cc/hr methane production.

An intense absorption band of /sup 3/MBH/sup 2 +/ at 700nm was characterized in several media and its pK/sub A/ was measured to be 7.17 +- .1 in water. Flash photolysis show that semiethylene blue, MBH/sup +/, formed by quenching /sup 3/MBH/sup 2 +/ with Fe/sub II/(H/sub 2/O)/sub 6//sup 2 +/, decays by disproportionation at a diffusion-controlled rate. Rates of decay of the photostationary state of solutions of MB/sup +/ and Fe/sup II/(H/sub 2/O)/sub 6//sup 2 +/ in acidic media were measured using crossed beams to yield specific rates of oxidation of leucomethylene blue (MBH/sub 3//sup 2 +/) by MB/sup +/ (synproportionation) and by Fe(III). Laser flash-photolysis shows that quenching of MB/sup +/(S/sub 1/) by Fe(H/sub 2/O)/sub 6//sup 2 +/ can result in electron transfer to give MBH/sup +/. Profound differences between processes initiated by quenching triplet methylene blue with Fe(H/sub 2/O)/sub 6//sup 2 +/ and with stable coordination complexes of Fe(II) were found. Quenchers included (Fe/sup II/(CN)/sub 6/)/sup 4 -/, (Fe/sup II/(CN)/sub 4/(bpy)/sub 2/)/sup 2 -/, (Fe/sup II/(CN)/sub 2/(bpy))/sup 0/, and (Fe/sup II/(bpy)/sub 3/)/sup 2 +/. Measurements were made in aqueous and aqueous-alcoholic solutions at pH 2, 4.4, and 8.2. Quenching of /sup 3/MBH/sup 2 +/ or /sup 3/MB/sup …

The status and program plans for the DOE program to design and develop a long-life, safe Brayton isotope power system for space power are described. (WHK)

Thermal or electrical power from the sun's radiated energy through Point-Focusing Distributed Receiver technology is the goal of this Project. The energy thus produced must be economically competitive with other sources. This Project supports the industrial development of technology and hardware for extracting energy from solar power to achieve the stated goal. Present studies are working to concentrate the solar energy through mirrors or lenses, to a working fluid or gas, and through a power converter change it to an energy source useful to man. Rankine-cycle and Brayton-cycle engines are currently being developed as the most promising energy converters for our near future needs. Accomplishments on point-focusing technology in FY 1978 are detailed.

To aid future hydrogen fusion researchers, I have correlated the measured physical and chemical properties of the hydrogens below 30/sup 0/K. I have further estimated these properties for deuterium--deuterium tritide--tritium (D/sub 2/--DT--T/sub 2/) fusion fuel. My resulting synthesis offers a timely view and review of cryogenic hydrogen properties, plus some hydrogen data to room temperature. My general thrust is for workers new to the field, although my discussion of the scientific background of the material would suit specialists.

Studies were conducted to assess the technical and economic merits and limitations of advanced solar-geothermal hybrid electric power plant concepts. Geothermal resource characteristics and technologies were reviewed to determine the best possible ways of combining solar and geothermal technologies into a hybrid operation. Potential hybrid system concepts are defined and their performance, resource usage, and economics are assessed relative to the individual solar and geothermal resource development techniques. Key results are presented.

Significant progress toward the development of a solar energy storage system based on the norbornadiene-quadricyclene interconversion has been achieved during the past year. New sensitizers and catalysts have been discovered and conditions found where single cycles of the photosensitization step and the catalytic reversion step appear to be quantitative. Both sensitizers and catalysts have been successfully incorporated onto insoluble polymeric supports. The long term stability of these components is currently being tested using a recently constructed prototype device designed for multiple recycling experiments. Investigations are also underway on design modifications which will allow incorporation of the norbornadiene-quadricyclene system into currently available state-of-the-art solar collectors.

The emphasis of work during this past quarter has been on improvement of the performance of immobilized photosensitizers. Prolonged use of Polymer N in the recycling prototype has resulted in gradual deterioration of the behavior of this photosensitizer. Furthermore the opacity of the beads results in an inherent 20% loss in efficiency apparently through light reflection. In an attempt to improve the characteristics with respect to these points considerable effort was devoted in the synthetic grafting of sensitizer chromophores to glass surfaces. Some success has already been achieved, and the first successful silica-grafted photosensitizer is reported. Experience with the polystyrene grafted sensitizers, such as polymer N, has shown that details concerning the synthetic pathway (such as percent loading, types of site-site interactions, particle size and synthetic sequence) markedly influence the performance. Clearly, enhanced characteristics can be expected with systematic refinements. Preliminary results on both organic and inorganic systems are described.

This report describes circumstances involved in the alleged 91.2 grams of plutonium released to the 216-Z-19 Ditch from the 231-Z facility. The following areas were reviewed: 231-Z liquid waste data collected by Battelle-Northwest and Rockwell Hanford Operations (Rockwell); the sampling methods used by Battelle and Rockwell; and operating conditions in the 231-Z and 234-5Z Buildings at the time of the alleged release.

The one-dimensional computer calculations described in this report were performed to simulate stress-wave propagation and kinetic energy transfer associated with subsurface cratering detonations in soils. A hypothetical 20-ton-yield nuclear explosive was assumed as the energy source, surrounded by a single soil material. Various soil descriptions were selected in order to systematically study the range of soil response to the nuclear detonation. The soils were representative of the layered mixtures of sand and clay found at the ESSEX high-explosive cratering sites near Ft. Polk, Louisiana. Soil properties analyzed in this study include water saturation, bulk density, failure envelope, and low-pressure bulk modulus.

Results of a study undertaken to define the requirements for a reference vacuum test facility, as well as some operating procedures for the Phase I Brayton Isotope Power System (BIPS) Ground Demonstration System (GDS) are reported. The vacuum system is required to simulate the space environment in which the BIPS flight system will function. The BIPS GDS will require a high vacuum environment during performance and endurance testing to enable the multi-foil insulation to be effective and to protect GDS refractory alloys from contaminant attack. Assuming that proper techniques of manufacturing, storage, application and final argon back-flushing and bake-out are used on the multi-foil insulation, adequate containment protection will be assured. The available test data indicate that the maximum pressure at which the multi-foil insulation is effective is on the order of 1 x 10/sup -4/ torr. Protection of the refractory materials requires that the partial pressures of oxidizing and reducing elements be limited to the number of exposures and time-dependent levels (yet to be defined) when the refractory materials are above 450/sup 0/F.

The configuration control document (CCD) defines the BIPS-GDS configuration. The GDS configuration is similar to a conceptual flight system design, referred to as the BIPS-FS, which is discussed in App. I. The BIPS is being developed by ERDA as a 500 to 2000 W(e), 7-y life, space power system utilizing a closed Brayton cycle gas turbine engine to convert thermal energy (from an isotope heat source) to electrical energy at a net efficiency exceeding 25 percent. The CCD relates to Phase I of an ERDA Program to qualify a dynamic system for launch in the early 1980's. Phase I is a 35-month effort to provide an FS conceptual design and GDS design, fabrication, and test. The baseline is a 7-year life, 450-pound, 4800 W(t), 1300 W(e) system which will use two multihundred watt (MHW) isotope heat sources being developed.

An energy conservation and management plan for the Livermore site of the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory is presented. The plan defines the energy-conservation goals for the next 10 years and proposes the ways and means of attaining them. The main features contained in this plan are as follows: development of the criteria and underlying assumptions required for long range planning, including energy growth rates and the case for using the concept of the technical-fix energy growth rate, LLL energy outlook and fuel cost projections, and life-cycle-cost criteria; targets of the long-range plan include between 1975 and 1985, an annual energy usage growth equal to 5.8 percent of the 1975 energy consumption, 1985 and thereafter, zero energy growth, a change from the current dependence on natural gas to the use of other fuels for heating, and a doubling of the 30-day strategic oil storage capacity; and cost schedule for the next 10 years.

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Work on an existing multiple growth furnace has begun with the aim of achieving growth of 5, 2'' wide ribbons simultaneously at a rate of 3 in./min. The equipment and the initial experiments carried out are described. Also starting is a task aiming to bring the 5 ribbons under automatic control, equally using pre-existing equipment and designs. Furthermore, the effort to characterize the EFG (edge-defined film-fed growth) materials produced is increased and particular emphasis is placed on measuring and analyzing their solar cell performance. Data are presented on defect densities in various EFG grown ribbons. It is demonstrated that the diffusion length is larger under AM1 than under ''dark'' conditions, and results are shown on electrical inhomogeneities in the ribbon cells. Many of these results are interpreted in terms of defect-impurity interactions which are believed to be the main impediment to better solar cell performance at the present time. However, data are reported on an EFG solar cell of 12% AM1 efficiency, and on several 1'' x 4'' EFG cells of efficiencies between 9 and 11%. In the single ribbon resistance heated crystal growth station, a major effort is made to identify the sources of impurities introduced during growth by …

Research on polymer organic sensitizers and polymer inorganic sensitizers for the conversion of norbornadiene to quadricyclene for thermochemical storage of solar heat is described. Also, research on the catalysis of the conversion of quadricyclane to norbornadiene is described. Polymer-anchored cobalt(II) porphyrin catalysts, polymer-anchored palladium(II) phosphine catalysts, and triphenylcyclopropenyl nickel complexes as catalysts were studied, and results are discussed. (WHK)

X-ray powder diffraction analyses of bulk uranium tritides, as a function of time, have been accomplished. The analyses were run during an overall time span of two years. This study was undertaken to determine whether any observable effects of the /sup 3/He buildup could be detected by means of lattice parameter measurements. Four tritiated uranium samples were investigated. The data obtained from three of these samples show expansion of their lattices to be as anticipated. The fourth sample yielded an unexpected growth rate for 10 months, after which the scatter of data points becomes anomalous. Review of the tabulated and plotted data shows that line broadening occurs in each sample at about 10 months. The line broadening, as detected by x-ray diffraction, is indicative of the sample's crystallites becoming smaller in size, viz., less than one micron. The measurement of this line broadening might prove beneficial by revealing the actual crystallite size of the material during storage. The x-ray study of the samples has shown that diffraction analyses, including lattice parameter measurements, do not directly reveal the mechanisms of /sup 3/He release. (auth)

A method was developed for inference of core barrel motion from the following statistical descriptors: cross-power spectral density, autopower spectral density, and amplitude probability density. To quantify the core barrel motion in a typical pressurized water reactor (PWR), a scale factor was calculated in both one- and two-dimensional geometries using forward, variational, and perturbation methods of discrete ordinates neutron transport. A procedure for selection of the proper frequency band limits for the statistical descriptors was developed. It was found that although perturbation theory is adequate for the calculation of the scale factor, two-dimensional geometric effects are important enough to rule out the use of a one-dimensional approximation for all but the crudest calculations. It was also found that contributions of gamma rays can be ignored and that the results are relatively insensitive to the cross-section set employed. The proper frequency band for the statistical descriptors is conveniently determined from the coherence and phase information from two ex-core power range neutron monitors positioned diametrically across the reactor vessel. Core barrel motion can then be quantified from the integral of the band-limited cross-power spectral density of two diametrically opposed ex-core monitors or, if the coherence between the pair is greater than or …