A critical experiment program is carried out in a configuration similar to the BONUS reactor. The results give information concerning: the effects of different boilersuperheater geometries; the reactivity changes associated with superheater voiding or flooding; power regulation between the boiler and superheater regions; epithermal transmission probabilities for B-stainless steel and Cd control rods; the power flattening characteristics; and void simulation properties. The calculational methods used in the study predict the measured reactivity and power distribution to within the limits of experimental accuracy. (T.F.H.)

This paper reports on a laboratory study of erosion-corrosion on aluminum surfaces in high temperature water. It is essentially a continuation of a similar previous study with refinement in testing procedure and the addition of electrochemical measurements to study the phenomenon. The electrochemical procedures are of intrinsic worth, because such measurements have never before been conducted with such an unusual cell geometry as imposed by the erosion-corrosion testing apparatus.

The overall goal of this project is to find biological methods to remove carboxylic functionalities from low-rank coals under ambient conditions and to assess the properties of these modified coals towards coal liquefaction. The main objectives of this quarter were: (1) continuation of microbial consortia development, (2) evaluation of the isolated organisms for decarboxylation, (3) selection of best performing culture (known cultures vs. new isolates), and (4) coal decarboxylation using activated carbon as blanks. The project began on September 12, 1990.

The overall objective of the research carried out under this program is to determine the principles of collisional energy transfer and use them in predictive models and theories. In order to accomplish this goal, energy transfer properties must be determined and then analyzed to discern the underlying principles involved. In this laboratory, the experimental determination of energy transfer parameters is based on techniques that use physical properties to monitor the amount of energy in excited molecules. These techniques differ from chemical methods, based on unimolecular reaction studies, which are susceptible to interferences from complex chemical mechanisms and other complications. The physical methods have their own weaknesses and limitations, however, and much of our effort has been directed toward gaining a better understanding of these deficiencies. Two physical techniques have been proved to be particularly useful: time-resolved infrared fluorescence and time-dependent thermal lensing. As described later, we will shortly begin work using resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization techniques to investigate energy transfer in bulbs and half collisions'' in free jets. We also have been completing some calculational efforts to model formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in stellar atmospheres.

This report summarizes the criteria and designs that were used for the two TMX Thomson-scattering systems. It describes the optical, mechanical, electronic, and computer analysis features of these installations. A brief discussion of general Thomson-scattering principles and sensitivity limits is given. Also included are some plasma electron temperature and density measurements from TMX that were obtained through the use of these systems.

The objective of this program is to evolve and define an accessory drive system that will minimize system power consumption of driven accessories on an internal combustion engine in a passenger automobile. The initial program phases established concept feasibility, determined potential fuel savings, and selected a drive system design for concept mechanization. The present Phase IV carries the program through prototype fabrication and bench, engine, and vehicle tests. The final program objective is a detail drive system design and a demonstrated overall vehicle fuel savings potential. The major technical accomplishments during this reporting period were: hydromechanical and mechanical variable-ratio belt drive fabrications completed; compact vehicle fuel economy analysis completed; initial engine check runs for both drive systems were completed; mechanical drive system development and performance mapping was initiated; hydromechanical drive system development tests and modifications were initiated; the hydromechanical drive system installation into the test vehicle was completed; the engine/dynamometer test rig, including accessory load simulators, was completed; and the basic test vehicle instrumentation was completed. (LCL)

The overall objective of this program is to integrate EER's expertise in boiler reburning performance evaluation into a package of analytical computer tools. Specific objectives of the program are to develop a computational capability with the following features: (1) can be used to predict the impact of gas reburning application on thermal conditions in the boiler radiant furnace, and on overall boiler performance; (2) can estimate gas reburning NO{sub x} reduction effectiveness based on specific reburning configurations and furnace/boiler configurations; (3) can be used as an analytical tool to evaluate the impact of boiler process parameters (e.g., fuel switching and changes in boiler operating conditions) on boiler thermal performance; (4) is adaptable to most boiler designs (tangential and wall fire boilers) and a variety of fuels (solid, liquid, gaseous and slurried fuels); (5) is sufficiently user friendly to be exercisable by engineers with a reasonable knowledge of boilers, and with reasonable computer skills. Here, user friendly'' means that the user will be guided by computer codes during the course of setting up individual input files for the boiler performance model.

This report will focus on means of pyrite removal from coal using surface-based coal cleaning technologies. The major subjects being addressed in this study are the natural and modulated surface properties of coal and pyrite and how they may best be utilized to facilitate their separation using advanced surface-based coal cleaning technology. Emphasis is based on modified flotation and oil agglomerative processes and the basic principles involved. The four areas being addressed are: (1) Collectorless flotation of pyrite; (2) Modulation of pyrite and coal hydrophobicity; (3) Emulsion processes and principles; (4) Evaluation of coal hydrophobicity.

The Conceptual Decontamination and Decommissioning Plan (D&D) was developed as a concept for progressing from the final actions of the Disposal Phase, through the Decontamination and Decommissioning Phase, and into the initiation of the Long-Term Monitoring Phase. This plan was written in a manner that coincides with many of the requirements specified in DOE Order 5820.2A. Radioactive Waste Management; ASTM El 167 87, Standard Guide for Radiation Protection Program for Decommissioning Operations; and other documents listed in Attachment 3 of the D&D Plan. However, this conceptual plan does not meet all of the requirements necessary for a Decontamination and Decommissioning plan necessary for submission to the U.S. Congress in accordance with the Land Withdrawal Act (P.L. 102-579). A complete D&D plan that will meet the requirements of all of these documents and of the Land Withdrawal Act will be prepared and submitted to Congress by October 1997.

Initial scoping calculations of the unconfined aquifer at the Hanford Site were carried out for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) to investigate the potential impacts on the Hanford unconfined aquifer that would result from leakage from the proposed Black Rock Reservoir to the west. Although impacts on groundwater flow and contaminant transport were quantified based on numerical simulation results, the investigation represented a qualitative assessment of the potential lateral recharge that could result in adverse effects on the aquifer. Because the magnitude of the potential leakage is unknown, hypothetical bounding calculations were performed. When a quantitative analysis of the magnitude of the potential recharge from Black Rock Reservoir is obtained, the hydrologic impacts analysis will be revisited. The analysis presented in this report represents initial bounding calculations. A maximum lateral recharge (i.e., upland flux) was determined in the first part of this study by executing steady-state flow simulations that raised the water table no higher than the elevation attained in the Central Plateau during the Hanford operational period. This metric was selected because it assumed a maximum remobilization of contaminants that existed under previous fully saturated conditions. Three steady-state flow fields were then used to analyze impacts to transient …

The production of energy feedstocks and fuels requires substantial water input. Not only do biofuel feedstocks like corn, switchgrass, and agricultural residues need water for growth and conversion to ethanol, but petroleum feedstocks like crude oil and oil sands also require large volumes of water for drilling, extraction, and conversion into petroleum products. Moreover, in many cases, crude oil production is increasingly water dependent. Competing uses strain available water resources and raise the specter of resource depletion and environmental degradation. Water management has become a key feature of existing projects and a potential issue in new ones. This report examines the growing issue of water use in energy production by characterizing current consumptive water use in liquid fuel production. As used throughout this report, 'consumptive water use' is the sum total of water input less water output that is recycled and reused for the process. The estimate applies to surface and groundwater sources for irrigation but does not include precipitation. Water requirements are evaluated for five fuel pathways: bioethanol from corn, ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks, gasoline from Canadian oil sands, Saudi Arabian crude, and U.S. conventional crude from onshore wells. Regional variations and historic trends are noted, as are opportunities …

The purpose of this report is to provide a concise but comprehensive overview of Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Climate Research Facility instrumentation status. The report is divided into the following four sections: (1) new instrumentation in the process of being acquired and deployed, (2) existing instrumentation and progress on improvements or upgrades, (3) proposed future instrumentation, and (4) Small Business Innovation Research instrument development.

A sample of Sludge Batch 4 (SB4) was pulled from Tank 40 in order to obtain radionuclide inventory analyses necessary for compliance with the Waste Acceptance Product Specifications (WAPS). This sample was also analyzed for elemental and chemical composition including noble metals. These analyses along with the WAPS analyses will help define the composition of the sludge currently in Tank 40 which is currently being fed to DWPF and will become part of Sludge Batch 5 (SB5). At SRNL the 3-L Tank 40 SB4 sample was transferred from the shipping container into a 4-L vessel and solids allowed to settle overnight. Supernate was then siphoned off and circulated through the shipping container to complete the transfer of the sample. Following thorough mixing of the 3-L sample, a 280 g sub-sample was removed. This sub-sample was then utilized for all subsequent analytical samples. Eight separate aliquots of the slurry were digested, four with HNO{sub 3}/HCl in sealed Teflon{reg_sign} vessels and four in Na{sub 2}O{sub 2} using Zr crucibles. Due to the use of Zr crucibles and Na in the peroxide fusions, Na and Zr cannot be determined from this preparation. Three glass standards were digested along with a blank for each …

The Surface and Tower Meteorological Instrumentation at Atqasuk (METTWR2H) uses mainly conventional in situ sensors to measure wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, dew point and humidity mounted on a 10-m tower. It also obtains barometric pressure, visibility, and precipitation data from sensors at or near the base of the tower. In addition, a Chilled Mirror Hygrometer is located at 1 m for comparison purposes. Temperature and relative humidity probes are mounted at 2 m and 5 m on the tower. For more information, see the Surface and Tower Meteorological Instrumentation at Atqasuk Handbook.

This letter serves as the post-closure monitoring letter report for the above Corrective Action Unit (CAU) for the period October 2006-September 2007. Quarterly inspections were conducted on December 20,2006; March 29,2007; June 13,2007; and September 27, 2007, to observe the condition of the gate, use restriction warning signs, monuments, fencing, trenches, soil covers, and monitoring well covers. The first inspection was conducted on December 20,2006. Signs, fencing, riprap, monuments, and monitoring well covers were in excellent condition. No cracking, erosion, or subsidence was observed on the covers. No issues or concerns were identified, and no corrective actions were recommended. The second inspection was conducted on March 29,2007. Signs, fencing, riprap, monuments, and monitoring well covers were in excellent condition. No cracking, erosion, or subsidence was observed on the covers. Vegetation that was observed to be growing in several locations on the cover was the only identified concern, for which removal was recommended. Vegetation was removed on May 24,2007. The third inspection was conducted on June 13,2007. Signs, fencing, riprap, monuments, and monitoring well covers were in excellent condition. No cracking, erosion, or subsidence was observed on the covers. No issues or concerns were identified, and no corrective actions were recommended. …

Understanding of gadolinium behavior, as it relates to potential neutron poisoning applications at the DWPF, has increased over the past several years as process specific data have been generated. Of primary importance are phenomena related to gadolinium solubility and volatility, which introduce the potential for gadolinium to be separated from fissile materials during Chemical Process Cell (CPC) and Melter operations. Existing data indicate that gadolinium solubilities under moderately low pH conditions can vary over several orders of magnitude, depending on the quantities of other constituents that are present. With respect to sludge batching processes, the gadolinium solubility appears to be highly affected by iron. In cases where the mass ratio of Fe:Gd is 300 or more, the gadolinium solubility has been observed to be low, one milligram per liter or less. In contrast, when the ratio of Fe:Gd is 20 or less, the gadolinium solubility has been found to be relatively high, several thousands of milligrams per liter. For gadolinium to serve as an effective neutron poison in CPC operations, the solubility needs to be limited to approximately 100 mg/L. Unfortunately, the Fe:Gd ratio that corresponds to this solubility limit has not been identified. Existing data suggest gadolinium and plutonium …

In 2007, the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) formed the Customer Response Task Force (CRTF) to identify barriers to deploying demand response (DR) resources in wholesale markets and develop policies to overcome these barriers. One of the initiatives of this Task Force was to develop more detailed information on existing retail DR programs and dynamic pricing tariffs, program rules, and utility operating practices. This report describes the results of a comprehensive survey conducted by LBNL in support of the Customer Response Task Force and discusses policy implications for integrating legacy retail DR programs and dynamic pricing tariffs into wholesale markets in the SPP region. LBNL conducted a detailed survey of existing DR programs and dynamic pricing tariffs administered by SPP's member utilities. Survey respondents were asked to provide information on advance notice requirements to customers, operational triggers used to call events (e.g. system emergencies, market conditions, local emergencies), use of these DR resources to meet planning reserves requirements, DR resource availability (e.g. seasonal, annual), participant incentive structures, and monitoring and verification (M&V) protocols. Nearly all of the 30 load-serving entities in SPP responded to the survey. Of this group, fourteen SPP member utilities administer 36 DR programs, five dynamic pricing tariffs, …

Current research projects have focused Environmental Biosciences Program (EBP) talent and resources on providing the scientific basis for risk-based standards, risk-based decision making and the accelerated clean-up of widespread environmental hazards. These hazards include trichloroethylene, low-dose ionizing radiation (gamma and neutron) and alpha radiation from plutonium. Trichloroethylene research has been conducted as a joint collaborative effort with the University of Georgia. Work on the trichloroethylene research projects has been slowed as a result of funding uncertainties. The impact of these funding uncertainties has been discussed with the United States Department of Energy (DOE). Laboratory work has been completed on several trichloroethylene risk assessment projects, and these projects have been brought to a close. Plans for restructuring the performance schedule of the remaining trichloroethylene projects have been submitted to the department. A comprehensive manuscript on the scientific basis of trichloroethylene risk assessment is in preparation. Work on the low-dose radiation risk assessment projects is also progressing at a slowed rate as a result of funding uncertainties. It has been necessary to restructure the proponency and performance schedule of these projects, with the project on Low-Dose Radiation: Epidemiology Risk Models transferred to DOE Office of Science proponency under a separate funding instrument. …

One of the goals of the Saltstone variability study is to identify (and, quantify the impact of) the operational and compositional variables that control or influence the important processing and performance properties of Saltstone mixes. A performance property for Saltstone mixes that is important but not routinely measured is the liquid permeability or saturated hydraulic conductivity of the cured Saltstone mix. The value for the saturated hydraulic conductivity is an input into the Performance Assessment for the SRS Z-Area vaults. Therefore, it is important to have a method available that allows for an accurate and reproducible measurement of permeability quickly and inexpensively. One such method that could potentially meet these requirements for the measurement of saturated hydraulic conductivity is the technique of beam bending, developed by Professor George Scherer at Princeton University. In order to determine the feasibility of this technique for Saltstone mixes, a summer student, David Feliciano, was hired to work at Princeton under the direction of George Scherer. This report details the results of this study which demonstrated the feasibility and applicability of the beam bending method to measurement of permeability of Saltstone samples. This research effort used samples made at Princeton from a Modular Caustic side …

Carbonaceous aerosols affect air quality and climate, but measurements of black (BC) and organic (OC) carbon concentrations are very uncertain. Many variants of the thermal-optical analysis (TOA) method exist, and more than a decade of research has not resolved the differences in their estimates of OC and BC (i.e., the OC/BC split). This is largely due to the lack of a BC standard. Without a BC standard, the accuracy of TOA measurements of OC and BC cannot be determined. The research goal is to develop a method of producing BC standards that can be used to determine the accuracy in TOA measurements of OC and BC. The uncertainty in TOA measurements is due to the presence of both OC and BC in particulate matter. Whereas measuring total carbon (TC) is straightforward, OC pyrolysis and charring and premature evolution of BC render determination of the OC/BC split uncertain (and method dependent) (1,2,3). If a particulate matter sample containing only OC or BC was analyzed by TOA, there would be little uncertainty in the measurement. Our approach to developing a standard for TOA, therefore, is to (1) generate particulate matter composed only of BC and fully characterize the physical and optical properties …

The millimeter cloud radar (MMCR) systems probe the extent and composition of clouds at millimeter wavelengths. The MMCR is a zenith-pointing radar that operates at a frequency of 35 GHz. The main purpose of this radar is to determine cloud boundaries (e.g., cloud bottoms and tops). This radar will also report radar reflectivity (dBZ) of the atmosphere up to 20 km. The radar possesses a doppler capability that will allow the measurement of cloud constituent vertical velocities.

As part of the program for obtaining data to extend the scope of the systematics of alpha-radioactivity and to obtain more data pertaining to the energy surface in the heavy region of elements, they have made some pertinent new measurements on protactinium isotopes. The heaviest isotope of protactinium hitherto reported is that of mass 234 and hence it would be of interest to know the beta-emission properties of heavier isotopes in order to tie them in with the known radioactive data in this general region. Since low-energy deuteron bombardment of U{sup 238} might be expected to lead to Pa{sup 235} and Pa{sup 236} by (d,{alpha}n) and (d,{alpha}) reactions and proton bombardment to Pa{sup 235} by the (p,{alpha}) reaction, these irradiations were made in the 60-inch cyclotron at energies of 19 and 9.5 Mev, respectively. The protactinium was chemically separated following the bombardment of natural uranium by a procedure which involved a number of manganese dioxide cycles coupled with extractions of protactinium from aqueous into organic solvents. The manganese dioxide cycles consisted of precipitating this compound from the solution of uranium in nitric acid, followed by centrifugation, dissolution of the solid with hydroxylamine solution, dilution, and reprecipitation. The dissolved precipitate from …

This report documents the results of the L-Basin Corrosion Surveillance Program for the fiscal years 2005 and 2006. The water quality and basin conditions for the coupon immersion period are compared to the corrosion evaluation results from detailed metallurgical analysis of the coupons. Test coupons were removed from the basin on two occasions, March 29, 2005 and May 23, 2006, examined and photographed. Selected coupons were metallurgically characterized to evaluate the extent of general corrosion and pitting. Crystallographic and energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis were performed on a typical specimen, as-removed from the basin, to characterize the surface debris. Marked changes were noted in both the 2005 and 2006 specimens compared to previous years corrosion results. A new pitting incidence has occurred on the faces of the aluminum coupons compared to localized pitting at crevice regions only on specimens withdrawn in 2003 and 2004. The pitting incidence is attributed to sand filter fines that entered the basin on July 27, 2004 from an inadvertent backflush of the new sand filter. Pitting rate results show a trend of slowing down over time which is consistent with aluminum pit kinetics. Average pit growth rates were equal to or lower in all 2006 aluminum …

In this project, mathematical models that predict the microstructure in pipeline steel welds were to be developed. These models were to be integrated with thermal models that describe the time-temperature history in the weld as a function of location in order to derive the spatial variation of microstructure in the weld. The microstructure predictions were also to be combined with microstructure-hardness relations, based on the additivity principle, to determine the spatial variation of hardness in the weld. EMC2 also developed microstructural models based on empirical relationships. ORNL was to pursue the development of more fundamental, theoretically based models. ORNL applied a previously developed model for inclusion formation to predict the extent and nature of inclusions that form during weld cooling from the liquid. This inclusion model was directly integrated with computational thermodynamics capability. A convenient user interface was developed for both the inclusion model and the thermodynamic phase-stability calculations. The microstructure model was based on the simultaneous transformation theory analysis as applied to the transformation of austenite to various ferrite constituents during weld cooling. The model available on the Materials Algorithm Project web site was used. Extensive modification of this model was required to correct problems with compilation and calculations …