We report on the evaluation of the performance of two recently developed scintillator materials, LaCl{sub 3}:Ce and LaBr{sub 3}:Ce, at the task of gamma ray spectroscopy. Their performance is compared to a standard scintillator used for gamma ray spectroscopy--a 25 mm diameter 25 mm tall cylinder of NaI:Tl. We measure the pulse height, energy resolution, and full-energy efficiency of production LaBr{sub 3}:Ce and LaCl{sub 3}:Ce scintillation crystals of different sizes and geometries for a variety of gamma-ray energies. Using production rather than specially selected crystals will establish whether immediate large-scale use is feasible. The crystal is excited by gamma rays from one of six isotopic sources ({sup 125}I, {sup 241}Am, {sup 57}Co, {sup 22}Na, {sup 137}Cs, and {sup 60}Co) placed 15 cm away from the scintillator. Our measurements show that both LaCl{sub 3} and LaBr{sub 3} outperform NaI:Tl in almost all cases. They outperform NaI:Tl at all energies for the photopeak fraction and counting rate measurements, and for energy resolution at higher energies (above 200 keV for LaCl{sub 3} and 75 keV for LaBr{sub 3}). The performance of production crystals is excellent and these scintillators should be considered for immediate use in systems where stopping power and energy resolution are …

Coupled modelling of fluid flow and reactive transport ingeothermal systems is challenging because of reservoir conditions such ashigh temperatures, elevated pressures and sometimes high salinities ofthe formation fluids. Thermal hydrological-chemical (THC) codes, such asFRACHEM and TOUGHREACT, have been developed to evaluate the long-termhydrothermal and chemical evolution of exploited reservoirs. In thisstudy, the two codes were applied to model the same geothermal reservoir,to forecast reservoir evolution using respective thermodynamic andkinetic input data. A recent (unreleased) TOUGHREACT version allows theuse of either an extended Debye-Hu?ckel or Pitzer activity model forcalculating activity coefficients, while FRACHEM was designed to use thePitzer formalism. Comparison of models results indicate that differencesin thermodynamic equilibrium constants, activity coefficients andkinetics models can result in significant differences in predictedmineral precipitation behaviour and reservoir-porosity evolution.Differences in the calculation schemes typically produce less differencein model outputs than differences in input thermodynamic and kineticdata, with model results being particularly sensitive to differences inion-interaction parameters for highsalinity systems.

The CH-TRU Waste Content Codes (CH-TRUCON) document describes the inventory of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) CH-TRU waste within the transportation parameters specified by the Contact-Handled Transuranic Waste Authorized Methods for Payload Control (CH-TRAMPAC). The CH-TRAMPAC defines the allowable payload for the Transuranic Package Transporter-II (TRUPACT-II) and HalfPACT packagings. This document is a catalog of TRUPACT-II and HalfPACT authorized contents and a description of the methods utilized to demonstrate compliance with the CH-TRAMPAC. A summary of currently approved content codes by site is presented in Table 1. The CH-TRAMPAC describes "shipping categories" that are assigned to each payload container. Multiple shipping categories may be assigned to a single content code. A summary of approved content codes and corresponding shipping categories is provided in Table 2, which consists of Tables 2A, 2B, and 2C. Table 2A provides a summary of approved content codes and corresponding shipping categories for the "General Case," which reflects the assumption of a 60-day shipping period as described in the CH-TRAMPAC and Appendix 3.4 of the CH-TRU Payload Appendices. For shipments to be completed within an approximately 1,000-mile radius, a shorter shipping period of 20 days is applicable as described in the CH-TRAMPAC and Appendix 3.5 …

On behalf of the Department of Energy's Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies, we are pleased to introduce the Fiscal Year (FY) 2004 Annual Progress Report for the Advanced Combustion Engine R&D Sub-Program. The mission of the FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program is to develop more energy efficient and environmentally friendly highway transportation technologies that enable Americans to use less petroleum for their vehicles. The Advanced Combustion Engine R&D Sub-Program supports this mission by removing the critical technical barriers to commercialization of advanced internal combustion engines for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty highway vehicles that meet future Federal and state emissions regulations. The primary objective of the Advanced Combustion Engine R&D Sub-Program is to improve the brake thermal efficiency of internal combustion engines from 30 to 45 percent for light-duty applications by 2010; and 40 to 55 percent for heavy-duty applications by 2012; while meeting cost, durability, and emissions constraints. R&D activities include work on combustion technologies that increase efficiency and minimize in-cylinder formation of emissions, as well as aftertreatment technologies that further reduce exhaust emissions. Work is also being conducted on ways to reduce parasitic and heat transfer losses through the development and application of thermoelectrics and turbochargers that include …

This report summarizes the results of the avian surveys conducted at Kunsan Air Base (AB). This on-going survey is conducted to comply with requirements of the Environmental Governing Standards (EGS) for the Republic of Korea, the Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) for Kunsan AB, and the 8th Fighter Wing's Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) Plan. One hundred sixteen bird species representing 34 families were identified and recorded. Seven species are designated as Cultural Property Monuments, and their protection is accorded by the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Six species appear on the Korean Association for Conservation of Nature's(KACN's) list of Reserved Wild Species and are protected by the Korean Ministry of Environment. Combined, only ten different species are Republic of Korea (ROK)-protected because the Eurasian Spoonbill, Peregrine Falcon, and Eurasian Oystercatcher are listed by both agencies. The primary objective of the avian survey at Kunsan AB was to determine what species of birds are present on the airfield and their respective habitat requirements during the critical seasons of the year. This requirement is specified in Annex C.4.a.(1-4) of the 8th Fighter Wing BASH Plan(8FWOPLAN 91-202). The second objective was to initiate surveys to determine what bird species are …

The HVAC systems in cleanrooms may use 50 percent or more of the total cleanroom energy use. Fan energy use accounts for a significant portion (e.g., over 50%) of the HVAC energy use in cleanrooms such as ISO Classes 3, 4, or 5. Three types of air-handling systems for recirculating airflows are commonly used in cleanrooms: (1) fan-tower systems with pressurized plenum, (2) ducted HEPA systems with distributed-fans, and (3) systems with fan-filter units. Because energy efficiency of the recirculation systems could vary significantly from system type to system type, optimizing aerodynamic performance in air recirculation systems appears to be a useful approach to improve energy efficiency in cleanrooms. Providing optimal airflows through careful planning, design and operation, including air change rate, airflow uniformity, and airflow speed, is important for controlling particle contamination in cleanrooms. In practice, the use of fan-filter units (FFUs) in the air-handling system is becoming more and more popular because of this type of system may offer a number of advantages. Often modular and portable than traditional recirculation airflow systems, FFUs are easier to install, and can be easily controlled and monitored to maintain filtration performance. Energy efficiency of air handling systems using fan-filter units can, …

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Ink-jet printing has been demonstrated as an adaptable technology for printing YBCO filaments using a Metal Organic (MO) YBCO precursor. The technology was demonstrated using AMSC's proprietary metal organic TFA-based YBCO precursor and a commercial piezoelectric print-head on RABiTS templates. Filaments with a width of 100 um and spacing of 200 um were successfully printed, decomposed and processed to YBCO. Critical currents of {approx} 200 A/cm-w were achieved in a series of filaments with a 2 mm width. The single nozzle laboratory printer used in the Phase 1 program is capable of printing {approx} 100 um wide single filaments at a rate of 8-10 cm/sec. The electrical stabilization of filaments with a Ag ink was also evaluated using ink-jet printing. The overall objective of the Phase 1 Project was the evaluation and demonstration of inkjet-printing for depositing YBCO filaments on textured templates (RABiTS, IBAD, ISD, etc. substrates) with properties appropriate for low loss ac conductors. Goals of the Phase 1 program included development of an appropriate precursor ink, demonstration of the printing process, processing and characterization of printed YBCO filaments and evaluation of the process for further development.

The DECOVALEX project is an international cooperativeproject initiated by SKI, the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, withparticipation of about 10 international organizations. The general goalof this project is to encourage multidisciplinary interactive andcooperative research on modelling coupledthermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in geologic formationsin support of the performance assessment for underground storage ofradioactive waste. One of the research tasks, initiated in 2004 by theU.S. Department of Energy (DOE), addresses the long-term impact ofgeomechanical and geochemical processes on the flow conditions near wasteemplacement tunnels. Within this task, four international research teamsconduct predictive analysis of the coupled processes in two genericrepositories, using multiple approaches and different computer codes.Below, we give an overview of the research task and report its currentstatus.

In this report, we develop an atom layer stacking model to describe systematically the crystal structures of complex materials. To illustrate the concepts, we consider a sequence of oxide compounds in which the metal cations progress in oxidation state from monovalent (M{sup 1+}) to tetravalent (M{sup 4+}). We use concepts relating to geometric subdivisions of a triangular atom net to describe the layered atom patterns in these compounds (concepts originally proposed by Shuichi Iida). We demonstrate that as a function of increasing oxidation state (from M{sup 1+} to M{sup 4+}), the layer stacking motifs used to generate each successive structure (specifically, motifs along a 3 symmetry axis), progress through the following sequence: MMO, MO, M{sub r}O, MO{sub r/s}O{sub u/v}, MOO (where M and O represent fully dense triangular atom nets and r/s and u/v are fractions used to describe partially filled triangular atom nets). We also develop complete crystallographic descriptions for the compounds in our oxidation sequence using trigonal space group R{bar 3}.

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The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) will be the world's first x-ray free-electron laser (FEL). To ensure the vitality of FEL lasing, a longitudinal feedback system is required together with other diagnostics. In this paper, we study the possibility of using Coherent Synchrotron Radiation (CSR) from the chicane as a diagnostic tool for bunch length feedback. Studies show that CSR is a good candidate, even for a non-Gaussian, double-horn longitudinal charge distribution as in the LCLS. We further check the possibility for detecting possible microbunching.

Organic ligands that exhibit a high degree of metal ion recognition are essential precursors for developing separation processes and sensors for metal ions. Since the beginning of the nuclear era, much research has focused on discovering ligands that target specific radionuclides. Members of the Group 1A and 2A cations (e.g., Cs, Sr, Ra) and the f-block metals (actinides and lanthanides) are of primary concern to DOE. Although there has been some success in identifying ligand architectures that exhibit a degree of metal ion recognition, the ability to control binding affinity and selectivity remains a significant challenge. The traditional approach for discovering such ligands has involved lengthy programs of organic synthesis and testing that, in the absence of reliable methods for screening compounds before synthesis, have resulted in much wasted research effort. This project seeks to enhance and strengthen the traditional approach through computer-aided design of new and improved host molecules. Accurate electronic structure calculations are coupled with experimental data to provide fundamental information about ligand structure and the nature of metal-donor group interactions (design criteria). This fundamental information then is used in a molecular mechanics model (MM) that helps us rapidly screen proposed ligand architectures and select the best members …

Depending upon final design and materials selections, a variety of engineering solutions may need to be considered to avoid chemical degradation of components in a notional space nuclear power plant (SNPP). Coatings are one engineered approach that was considered. A comprehensive review of protective coating technology for various space-reactor structural materials is presented, including refractory metal alloys [molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), rhenium (Re), tantalum (Ta), and niobium (Nb)], nickel (Ni)-base superalloys, and silicon carbide (Sic). A summary description of some common deposition techniques is included. A literature survey identified coatings based on silicides or iridium/rhenium as the primary methods for environmental protection of refractory metal alloys. Modified aluminide coatings have been identified for superalloys and multilayer ceramic coatings for protection of Sic. All reviewed research focused on protecting structural materials from extreme temperatures in highly oxidizing conditions. Thermodynamic analyses indicate that some of these coatings may not be protective in the high-temperature, impure-He environment expected in a Prometheus reactor system. Further research is proposed to determine extensibility of these coating materials to less-oxidizing or neutral environments.

This project has demonstrated a novel nanomaterial design concept and a synthesis method for ''guesthost'' type superionic-conducting nanocomposite membranes. This concept consists of nanophases of oxide electrolyte nanograins (guest) encapsulated inside the nanopore channels of an oxide layer matrix (host), with channels oriented perpendicular to the layer surface. Using ionic conducting YSZ (yttrium stabilized zirconia) as a special case, we have shown that the host-guest design allows orientation of a large number channels, allowing a high density of nanograin boundaries/interfaces to be built into the film to enhance cross-membrane conductivity. This structure allowed conductivity measurements with impedance spectroscopy to be performed for the first time at room temperature. Cross-membrane conductivity values at low temperature ranges of interest are the higher than any reported values. The conductivity-enhancing mechanisms could be attributed to (1) controlled orientation and increased number density of YSZ nanograin-host interfaces and (2) creation and stabilization of YSZ nanocrystalline phases inside nanopore channels (<10 nm dia.). This successful initial demonstration of host-guest nanostructures is expected to have direct impact on fuel cell technologies, and may also have beneficial use in a broad range of applications such as in solar cells, sensors, chemical/gas separations, catalysis, and magnetic memory devices. This …

The project, 'Development of a New Class of Fe-Cr-W(V) Ferritic Steels for Industrial Process Applications', was a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Nooter Corporation. This project dealt with improving the materials performance and fabrication for the hydrotreating reactor vessels, heat recovery systems, and other components for the petroleum and chemical industries. The petroleum and chemical industries use reactor vessels that can approach the ship weights of approximately 300 tons with vessel wall thicknesses of 3 to 8 in. These vessels are typically fabricated from Fe-Cr-Mo steels with chromium ranging from 1.25 to 12% and molybdenum from 1 to 2%. Steels in this composition have great advantages of high thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion, low cost, and properties obtainable by heat treatment. With all of the advantages of Fe-Cr-Mo steels, several issues are faced in design and fabrication of vessels and related components. These issues include the following: (1) low strength properties of current alloys require thicker sections; (2) increased thickness causes heat-treatment issues related to nonuniformity across the thickness and thus not achieving the optimum properties; (3) fracture toughness (ductile-to-brittle transition ) is a critical safety issue for these vessels, and it …

The primary goal of this project is to increase the fatigue life of a welded-joint by 10 times and to reduce energy use by 25% through product performance and productivity improvements using an integrated modeling approach. The fatigue strength of a welded-joint is currently the bottleneck to design high performance and lightweight welded structures using advanced materials such as high strength steels. In order to achieve high fatigue strength in a welded-joint it is necessary to manage the weld bead shape for lower stress concentration, produce preferable residual stress distribution, and obtain the desired microstructure for improved material toughness and strength. This is a systems challenge that requires the optimization of the welding process, the welding consumable, the base material, as well as the structure design. The concept of virtual welded-joint design has been proposed and established in this project. The goal of virtual welded-joint design is to develop a thorough procedure to predict the relationship of welding process, microstructure, property, residual stress, and the ultimate weld fatigue strength by a systematic modeling approach. The systematic approach combines five sub-models: weld thermal-fluid model, weld microstructure model, weld material property model, weld residual stress model, and weld fatigue model. The systematic …

Arc and glow discharges are defined based on their cathode processes. Arcs are characterized by collective electron emission, which can be stationary with hot cathodes (thermionic arcs), or non-stationary with cold cathodes (cathodic arcs). A brief review on cathodic arc properties serves as the starting point to better understand arcing phenomena in sputtering. Although arcing occurs in both metal and reactive sputtering, it is more of an issue in the reactive case. Arcing occurs if sufficiently high field strength leads to thermal runaway of an electron emission site. The role of insulating layers and surface potential adjustment through current leakage is highlighted. In the situation of magnetron sputtering with ''racetrack'', the need for a model with two spatial dimensions is shown. In many cases, arcing is initiated by breakdown of dielectric layers and inclusions. It is most efficiently prevented if formation and excessive charge-up of dielectric layers and inclusions can be avoided.

The authors have developed a new target platform to study propagation and backscatter of a frequency-doubled (2{omega}) laser beam through large-scale length plasmas at ignition-design densities, intensities and temperatures above 3 keV. The plasma is created by heating a gas filled hohlraum target with 37 heater beams that deliver a total energy of up to 15 kJ in a 1 ns square pulse. They measure a factor of two higher temperatures than in open geometry gasbag targets investigated earlier. This new temperature regime with a measured beam transmission of up to 80% suggests we can expect good laser coupling into ignition hohlraums at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) using 2{omega} light.

The CH-TRU Waste Content Codes (CH-TRUCON) document describes the inventory of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) CH-TRU waste within the transportation parameters specified by the Contact-Handled Transuranic Waste Authorized Methods for Payload Control (CH-TRAMPAC). The CH-TRAMPAC defines the allowable payload for the Transuranic Package Transporter-II (TRUPACT-II) and HalfPACT packagings. This document is a catalog of TRUPACT-II and HalfPACT authorized contents and a description of the methods utilized to demonstrate compliance with the CH-TRAMPAC. A summary of currently approved content codes by site is presented in Table 1. The CH-TRAMPAC describes "shipping categories" that are assigned to each payload container. Multiple shipping categories may be assigned to a single content code. A summary of approved content codes and corresponding shipping categories is provided in Table 2, which consists of Tables 2A, 2B, and 2C. Table 2A provides a summary of approved content codes and corresponding shipping categories for the "General Case," which reflects the assumption of a 60-day shipping period as described in the CH-TRAMPAC and Appendix 3.4 of the CH-TRU Payload Appendices. For shipments to be completed within an approximately 1,000-mile radius, a shorter shipping period of 20 days is applicable as described in the CH-TRAMPAC and Appendix 3.5 …

The CH-TRU Waste Content Codes (CH-TRUCON) document describes the inventory of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) CH-TRU waste within the transportation parameters specified by the Contact-Handled Transuranic Waste Authorized Methods for Payload Control (CH-TRAMPAC). The CH-TRAMPAC defines the allowable payload for the Transuranic Package Transporter-II (TRUPACT-II) and HalfPACT packagings. This document is a catalog of TRUPACT-II and HalfPACT authorized contents and a description of the methods utilized to demonstrate compliance with the CH-TRAMPAC. A summary of currently approved content codes by site is presented in Table 1. The CH-TRAMPAC describes "shipping categories" that are assigned to each payload container. Multiple shipping categories may be assigned to a single content code. A summary of approved content codes and corresponding shipping categories is provided in Table 2, which consists of Tables 2A, 2B, and 2C. Table 2A provides a summary of approved content codes and corresponding shipping categories for the "General Case," which reflects the assumption of a 60-day shipping period as described in the CH-TRAMPAC and Appendix 3.4 of the CH-TRU Payload Appendices. For shipments to be completed within an approximately 1,000-mile radius, a shorter shipping period of 20 days is applicable as described in the CH-TRAMPAC and Appendix 3.5 …

The CH-TRU Waste Content Codes (CH-TRUCON) document describes the inventory of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) CH-TRU waste within the transportation parameters specified by the Contact-Handled Transuranic Waste Authorized Methods for Payload Control (CH-TRAMPAC). The CH-TRAMPAC defines the allowable payload for the Transuranic Package Transporter-II (TRUPACT-II) and HalfPACT packagings. This document is a catalog of TRUPACT-II and HalfPACT authorized contents and a description of the methods utilized to demonstrate compliance with the CH-TRAMPAC. A summary of currently approved content codes by site is presented in Table 1. The CH-TRAMPAC describes "shipping categories" that are assigned to each payload container. Multiple shipping categories may be assigned to a single content code. A summary of approved content codes and corresponding shipping categories is provided in Table 2, which consists of Tables 2A, 2B, and 2C. Table 2A provides a summary of approved content codes and corresponding shipping categories for the "General Case," which reflects the assumption of a 60-day shipping period as described in the CH-TRAMPAC and Appendix 3.4 of the CH-TRU Payload Appendices. For shipments to be completed within an approximately 1,000-mile radius, a shorter shipping period of 20 days is applicable as described in the CH-TRAMPAC and Appendix 3.5 …

Cleanroom air-recirculation systems typically account for a significant portion of the HVAC energy use in cleanrooms. High electric power density is normally required for fans to deliver large volume of airflows that were designed, supplied, recirculated, and exhausted within a given time. With the increasing demand for specific contamination control, it is important to optimize design of clean spaces. Best practice in cleanroom air system design includes right-sizing the systems in cleanrooms and adopting minienvironments. Implementing and integrating minienvironments in cleanrooms can improve contamination control and save significant energy. A minienvironment is a localized environment created by an enclosure to isolate a product or process from the surrounding environment. The advantages in using minienvironments include the following: (1) Minienvironments may create better contamination control and process integration. (2) Minienvironments may maintain better contamination control by better control of pressure difference or through use of unidirectional airflows, e.g., cleanliness-class upgrade required for certain process. (3) Minienvironments may potentially reduce energy costs. The use of fan-filter units (FFU) in minienvironments is common. The energy efficiency of such air-delivery systems can vary significantly because of the difference in energy performance, airflow paths, and operating conditions. Simply adding minienvironments with fan-filter units in an …

The CH-TRU Waste Content Codes (CH-TRUCON) document describes the inventory of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) CH-TRU waste within the transportation parameters specified by the Contact-Handled Transuranic Waste Authorized Methods for Payload Control (CH-TRAMPAC). The CH-TRAMPAC defines the allowable payload for the Transuranic Package Transporter-II (TRUPACT-II) and HalfPACT packagings. This document is a catalog of TRUPACT-II and HalfPACT authorized contents and a description of the methods utilized to demonstrate compliance with the CH-TRAMPAC. A summary of currently approved content codes by site is presented in Table 1. The CH-TRAMPAC describes "shipping categories" that are assigned to each payload container. Multiple shipping categories may be assigned to a single content code. A summary of approved content codes and corresponding shipping categories is provided in Table 2, which consists of Tables 2A, 2B, and 2C. Table 2A provides a summary of approved content codes and corresponding shipping categories for the "General Case," which reflects the assumption of a 60-day shipping period as described in the CH-TRAMPAC and Appendix 3.4 of the CH-TRU Payload Appendices. For shipments to be completed within an approximately 1,000-mile radius, a shorter shipping period of 20 days is applicable as described in the CH-TRAMPAC and Appendix 3.5 …