A summary ls presented of the off-slte radiological safety actlvities of the U. S. Public Health Service during the Project Gnome operation. Topics dlscussed include: operational procedures; collection of data by aerial monltoring, mobile monitoring, potash mlne surveys, air sampling, milk sampllng, water sampling, soil and vegetation sampllng, and a film badge program; laboratory control, emergency measures; medlcal services; and veterinary activltles. It was concluded that no persons ln the vlclnlty of the Gnome test site recelved harmful amounts of radlation either lnternally or externally. (M.C.G.)

An attempt was made to relate episodes of air pollution at Barrow, Alaska, containing vanadium, to the behavior of planetary waves in middle and high latitudes. A stationarity index for planetary waves is defined as the ratio between amplitudes computed from monthly mean maps and the mean amplitudes computed on a daily basis and averaged over the same month, irrespective of phase angle. Longitude-time sections of 500-mb height anomalies at various latitudes are related to vanadium pollution episodes at Barrow.

Efforts have been primarily directed toward evaluation of the room temperature molten salt electrolyte in terms of its overall performance for photovoltaic cells. Mass transport processes may prove to be the rate-limiting factor for such electrolytes, unless the concentration of the photo-active redox component can be increased and the solvent viscosity reduced. Acid-base surface chemistry of n-GaAs as occurs in aqueous systems, has been found present and its consequences will be further explored. The selection and optimization of PEC electrolytes is a complex task and we believe that a systems approach would facilitate in identifying the basic electrolyte properties needed. A preliminary analysis reveals that although some of the criteria for an electrolyte are definable precisely, others do require empirical experimentation. It can be concluded that relatively few electrolytes in current use are adequate and it would appear that greater efforts to develop electrolytes would be advantageous. The various types of electrolytes that could be used for PEC's have been identified. Good quality MoSe/sub 2/ single crystals can be grown and short circuit currents greater than previously reported have been achieved in an I/sub 2//I/sup -//Pt cell. A novel technique to produce photo-active films by anodization is being investigated, initially …

The Department of Energy (DOE) is preparing a site characterization plan for the candidate site in Deaf Smith County, Texas. The DOE has provided, for information and review, a consultation draft of the plan to the State of Texas and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The site characterization plan is a lengthy document that describes in considerable detail the program that will be conducted to characterize the geologic, hydrologic, and other conditions relevant to the suitability of the site for a repository. The overview presented here consists of brief summaries of important topics covered in the consultation draft of the site characterization plan; it is not a substitute for the site characterization plan. The arrangement of the overview is similar to that of the plan itself, with brief descriptions of the repository system - the site, the repository, and the waste package - preceding the discussion of the characterization program to be carried out at the Deaf Smith County site. It is intended primarily for the management staff of organizations involved in the DOE's repository program or other persons who might wish to understand the general scope of the site-characterization program, the activities to be conducted, and the facilities to …

Maricopa county is the area of Arizona receiving top priority since it contains over half of the state's population. The county is located entirely within the Basin and Range physiographic region in which geothermal resources are known to occur. Several approaches were taken to match potential users to geothermal resources. One approach involved matching some of the largest facilities in the county to nearby geothermal resources. Other approaches involved identifying industrial processes whose heat requirements are less than the average assessed geothermal reservoir temperature of 110/sup 0/C (230/sup 0/F). Since many of the industries are located on or near geothermal resources, geothermal energy potentially could be adapted to many industrial processes.

A total of five hot springs and 25 thermal wells are located within the combined counties. The water discharged from these hot springs and wells may be suitable for applications such as process heat and space heating and cooling. Within Cochise county there are two large firms which are capable of using 70/sup 0/C (158/sup 0/F) geothermal water for their process heat requirements but the potential use of geothermal energy in Santa Cruz county is limited due to the absence of industry within the county. The amount of geothermal energy on line as a function of time under both private and city-owned utility development is also predicted using a computer simulation model.

Pima County is located entirely within the Basin and Range physiographic province in which geothermal resources are known to occur. Continued growth as indicated by such factors as population growth, employment and income will require large amounts of energy. It is believed that geothermal energy could provide some of the energy that will be needed. Potential users of geothermal energy within the county are identified.

On September 8-9, 2005, representatives of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA), and Argonne National Laboratory met at the KDHE's offices in Topeka to review the status of the CCC/USDA's environmental activities in Kansas. A key CCC/USDA goal for this meeting was to obtain KDHE input on the selection of possible remedial approaches to be examined as part of the Corrective Action Study (CAS) for this site. As a result of the September meeting, the KDHE recommended several additional activities for the Everest site, to further assist in selecting and evaluating remedial alternatives for the CAS. The requested actions included the following: (1) Construction of several additional interpretive cross sections to improve the depiction of the hydrogeologic characteristics affecting groundwater and contaminant movement along the apparent main plume migration pathway to the north-northwest of the former CCC/USDA facility, and in the vicinity of the Nigh property. (2) Identification of potential locations for several additional monitoring wells, to better constrain the apparent western and northwestern margins of the existing groundwater plume. (3) Development of technical recommendations for a stepwise pumping study of the Everest aquifer unit in the …

Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge is proposing to acquire a 706-acre property located in Stevens County, Washington. The new acquisition would be called the Kaniksu Unit. A habitat evaluation was conducted on the property using the Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) methodology (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1980). Evaluation species were black-capped chickadee, mallard, ruffed grouse and white-tailed deer. Life requisites evaluated were food and reproduction for black-capped chickadee, food, cover, and reproduction for mallard, available winter browse for white-tailed deer and fall-to-spring cover for ruffed grouse.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), formerly operated grain storage facilities at two different locations at Everest, Kansas (Figure 1.1). One facility (referred to in this report as the Everest facility) was at the western edge of the city. The second facility (referred to in this report as Everest East) was about 0.5 mi northeast of the town. The CCC/USDA operated these facilities from the early 1950s until the early 1970s, at a time when commercial fumigants containing carbon tetrachloride were in common use by the CCC/USDA and private industry for the preservation of grain in storage. In 1997 the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) sampled several domestic drinking water and non-drinking water wells in the Everest area as part of the CCC/USDA Private Well Sampling Program. All of the sampled wells were outside the Everest city limits. Carbon tetrachloride contamination was identified at a single domestic drinking water well (the Nigh well, DW06; Figure 1.1) approximately 3/8 mi northwest of the former Everest CCC/USDA grain storage facility. Subsequent KDHE investigations suggested that the contamination in DW06 could be linked to the former use of grain fumigants at the CCC/USDA …

Mesaverde Group sandstone units in 13 closely-spaced wells in the central and southern Piceance Basin of Colorado were correlated utilizing wireline log response quantitatively and qualitatively. Based on these correlations, the environmental subdivisions of the Mesaverde Group were characterized as follows: (1) paralic (upper mixed-marine) zone, occurring in the uppermost Mesaverde Group, includes thick sandstone units which are interpreted to be regionally continuous, (2) fluvial zone, containing point-bars 20 to 30+ ft thick, is interpreted to be correlatable to a maximum of 6800 ft, and (3) paludal zone has insufficient data to adequately characterize the sand units. However, 63 percent of the units are correlatable across at least 139 ft. An approximation of the dimensional characteristics of Mesaverde sandstone units has potential applications in designing hydraulic fracturing treatments and estimating gas reserves more accurately. 15 figures, 2 tables.

The polycrystalline nature of thin-film CdTe and CuInSe{sub 2} solar cells continues to be a major factor in several individual losses that limit overall cell efficiency. This report describes progress in the quantitative separation of these losses, including both measurement and analysis procedures. It also applies these techniques to several individual cells to help document the overall progress with CdTe and CuInSe{sub 2} cells. Notably, CdTe cells from Photon Energy have reduced window photocurrent losses to 1 mA/Cm{sup 2}; those from the University of South Florida have achieved a maximum power voltage of 693 mV; and CuInSe{sub 2} cells from International Solar Electric Technology have shown a hole density as high as 7 {times} 10{sup 16} cm{sup {minus}3}, implying a significant reduction in compensation. 9 refs.

The overall objective of the Direct Conversion Technology task is to develop an experimentally verified technology base for promising direct conversion systems that have potential application for energy conservation in the end-use sectors. This report contains progress of research on the Alkali Metal Thermal-to-Electric Converter (AMTEC) and on the Two-Phase Liquid-Metal MHD Electrical Generator (LMMHD) for the period January 1, 1991 through December 31, 1991. Research on AMTEC and on LMMHD was initiated during October 1987. Reports prepared on previous occasions (Refs. 1--5) contain descriptive and performance discussions of the following direct conversion concepts: thermoelectric, pyroelectric, thermionic, thermophotovoltaic, thermoacoustic, thermomagnetic, thermoelastic (Nitionol heat engine); and also, more complete descriptive discussions of AMTEC and LMMHD systems.

A method for determining the background geothermal gradient values through the analysis of temperature measurements at multiple depths to 3 m and recorded over a time span of several days is presented. The analysis is based on the amplitude decay and phase shift of temperature waves with depth. Diurnal and other high frequency temperature variations are used to compute thermal diffusivities which in turn are used to model and remove the effect of the annual temperature wave. The analysis considers both a homogeneous half space and a two layer medium consisting of an overburden of finite thickness overlying a semi-infinite substratum. The method was tested in three holes in the Crystal Hot Springs geothermal field. Temperatures in each hole were recorded once a minute over a period of three days with a probe containing thermistors at eight different depths. Five of the thermistors were positioned at shallow depths (less than or equal to 0.5 m) to monitor diurnal and other high frequency waves and three at greater depths (greater than or equal to 1 m) to measure lower frequency variations. Since measurements were recorded at only three sites, the accuracy and reliability of the method is not fully evaluated. Potential …

One hot spring and 33 wells drilled in the county discharge water at temperatures sufficient for direct-use geothermal applications such as process heat and space heating and cooling. Currently, one industry within the county has been identified which may be able to use geothermal energy for its process heat requirements. Also, a computer simulation model was used to predict geothermal energy on line as a function of time under both private and city-owned utility development of the resource.

We have obtained a neutron diffraction data set for Os{sub 2}(CO){sub 8}({mu}-C{sub 2}H{sub 4}). While the structure is still being solved, it is already clear that the hybridization at both of the ethylene carbons is sp{sup 3}. Our first interpretation of our liquid crystal NMR results had suggested a very acute H-C-H angle. We have also obtained {sup 13}C liquid crystal data for Os{sub 2}(CO){sub 8}({mu}-C{sub 2}H{sub 4}). Liquid crystal NMR ({sup 13}C as well as {sup 1}H) spectra have been obtained for Os(CO){sub 4}(C{sub 2}H{sub 4}) and its solution structure determined, in order to test our methodology on a molecule with a rigid structure. The normal modes of Os(CO){sub 4}({mu}-C{sub 2}H{sub 4}) and its deuterated and {sup 13}C-labelled isotopomers have been completely assigned. A partial vibrational analysis of Os{sub 2}(CO){sub 8}({mu}-propene), Os{sub 2}(CO){sub 8}(trans-2-butene), and Os{sub 2}(CO){sub 8}(1-butene) has been completed. We have prepared Os(CO){sub 4}({mu}-CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}) and its 3,3-dideuterio analog. In the course of this work the reaction of Na{sub 2}Os(CO){sub 4} with a number of 1,3-propanediol derivatives has been examined. 1,3-Propanediol ditosylate afforded much better yields of the osmacycle than did either the ditriflate or diiodide. 2,2-Dideutero-1,3-propanediol ditosylate was used to prepare the deuterium-labelled osmacyclobutane.

Geothermal potential in Graham and Greenlee counties both of which contain significant quantities of geothermal energy that could be used for industrial, agricultural or residential use, is described. Projections are made of geothermal heat on line under both private and city-owned utility development. Potential users of geothermal energy, however, are limited since this area is sparsely populated and lacks an industrial base. Only a couple of industries were identified which could use geothermal energy for their process heat needs.

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, under contracts with the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, U.S. Maritime Administration, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Department of Commerce, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is engaged in developing energy resources, utilization concepts, and storage methods. This report is divided into four sections. The first, Geothermal Energy Programs, contains reports on various geothermal investigations in the Atlantic Coastal Plain; a Geothermal Energy Market Survey and a development scenario for the Delmarva area of Maryland. The second, Small-Scale Hydroelectric Energy, contains the results of several major studies on dams and on the economic and institutional issues related to their redevelopment. The third section contains progress reports on two major tasks performed for the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Program, Ocean Engineering and Heat Exchangers for OTEC systems. The fourth section, Conservation and Mechanical Storage of Energy, contains reports on flywheels and a JHU-funded heat pump application to the physical plant at APL.

This progress report from the University of Hawaii at Manoa's School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology describes state of the art research in tapping the energy in and around the Hawaiian Islands. Researchers are seeking new ways of generating electricity and producing methanol from sugarcane waste and other biomass. They are finding ways to encourage the expanded use of methanol as a transportation fuel. They are creating innovative and cost-efficient methods of producing and storing hydrogen gas, considered the fuel of the future''. Researchers are also developing the techniques and technologies that will enable us to tap the unlimited mineral resources of the surrounding ocean. they are testing methods of using the oceans to reduce the carbon dioxide being discharged to the atmosphere. And they are mapping the strategies by which the seas can become a major source of food, precious metals, and space for living and for industry. The achievements described in this annual report can be attributed to the experience, creativity, painstaking study, perseverance, and sacrifices of our the dedicated corps of researchers.

Activities included the identification and delineation of geothermal prospects, the comparison of conventional energy use patterns with geothermal sources, the preparation of area development plans and the compilation of detailed economic and energy data for each area. Current emphasis is on commercialization. (MHR)

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory is engaged in the development of energy resources, energy utilization concepts, and energy storage methods. This Quarterly Report, summarizing work completed on the various tasks as of 31 March 1978, contains comments on limited tasks, short descriptions of meetings, trips, presentations, and other limited tasks of note performed in connection with major program tasks and articles that describe these program tasks briefly, summarize the progress made to date, and indicate future efforts to be made. The major tasks fall into the following categories: Geothermal Energy Development Planning, which concentrates on the survey of potential geothermal resources and the development of scenarios for possible exploitation and utilization in DOE/DGE Region 5, which includes all the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, excluding Texas and Louisiana; Applications Study of DOE/DGE Region 5, which concerns a study of geothermal energy applications in DOE-selected areas of the Atlantic Coastal Plain; the Low-Head Hydroelectric Program; the Community Annual Storage Energy System (CASES) and the status of a development and demonstration plan for a low-cost flywheel; and multiple-objective modeling of power plant locations.

Wells drilled in the county provide evidence of geothermal energy sufficient for process heat and space heating and cooling applications. Annual energy consumption was estimated for industries whose process heat requirements are less than 105/sup 0/C (221/sup 0/F). This information was then used to model the introduction of geothermal energy into the process heat market. Also, agriculture and agribusiness industries were identified. Many of these are located on or near a geothermal resource and might be able to utilize geothermal energy in their operations.

Seismic monitoring of the northern section of the Imperial Valley region in southern California has been underway since 1973. A description of the 22-station network and a list of preliminary data on earthquakes recorded by the network from April 1977 through June 1977 are presented. (JGB)

The goal of this project was to provide constraints on the subsurface geometry of the vent, feeder conduit(s), and possible intrusive bodies in the Novarupta Basin, Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes (VTTS), Katmai National Park, Alaska. This research was designed to support the Katmai Drilling Project, a consortium involving the DOE, NSF, other government agencies, and several universities. Our work aimed at providing information to help guide site selection and identify targets for the drilling program. However, our research also has contributed to the understanding of silicic volcanic systems in general. Understanding the subsurface geometry of the vent is essential for accurately modeling the present thermal regime in the vent region and the eruption dynamics. Determining the origin of surficial fractures indicated the effect of compaction and consolidation of tephra and orientation of the depositional surface on fracture formation. Our research plan included (1) completion of a detailed topographic-structural map of surface fractures including spatial distribution and relative displacements; (2) numerical modeling studies that related surface fractures to major subsurface structures; and (3) interpretation of the origin of surface fractures in light of these model studies.