Energy security, a major driver of federal energy efficiency programs in the past, came back into play as oil and gas prices rose late in the year 2000. Also, the electricity shortages in California have brought a new emphasis to the role that renewable energy may play in electricity supply.

Bankruptcy reform legislation has been reintroduced in the 107th Congress and appears to be on a fast track for consideration and possible enactment. S. 220 was introduced on January 30, 2001, and H.R. 333, entitled the "Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2001" was introduced on January 31.

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Bioenergy Feedstock Development Program (BFDP) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a mission-oriented program of research and analysis whose goal is to develop and demonstrate cropping systems for producing large quantities of low-cost, high-quality biomass feedstocks for use as liquid biofuels, biomass electric power, and/or bioproducts. The program specifically supports the missions and goals of DOE's Office of Fuels Development and DOE's Office of Power Technologies. ORNL has provided technical leadership and field management for the BFDP since DOE began energy crop research in 1978. The major components of the BFDP include energy crop selection and breeding; crop management research; environmental assessment and monitoring; crop production and supply logistics operational research; integrated resource analysis and assessment; and communications and outreach. Research into feedstock supply logistics has recently been added and will become an integral component of the program.

Absorption of fast Alfven waves by the minority fundamental ion-cyclotron resonance, coupled with finite banana width physics, generates torque distributions and ultimately rotational shear layers in the bulk plasma, even when the toroidal wavenumber k(subscript ''phi'') = n/R of the fast wave vanishes (n=0) and cyclotron absorption introduces no angular momentum nor canonical angular momentum [F.W. Perkins, R.B. White, P.T. Bonoli, and V.S. Chan, Phys. Plasmas 8 (2001) 2181]. The present work extends these results to travelling waves with non-zero n where heating directly introduces angular momentum. Since tokamak fast-wave antennas have approximately one wavelength per toroidal field coil, the toroidal mode number n lies in the range n = 10-20, independent of machine size. A zero-dimensional analysis shows that the rotation rate arising from direct torque is comparable to that of the rotational shear layer and has the same scaling. Nondimensional rotation profiles for n = (-10, 10) show modest changes from the n = 0 case in the expected direction. For a balanced antenna spectrum, the nondimensional rotational profile (averaged over n = -10, 10) lies quite close to the n = 0 profile.

OAK-B135 The goal of the Caltech program is to determine how helicity injection works by investigating the actual dynamics and topological evolution associated with magnetic relaxation. A new coaxial helicity injection source has been constructed and brought into operation. The key feature of this source is that it has maximum geometric simplicity. Besides being important for fusion research, this work also has astrophysical implications. Photos obtained using high-speed cameras show a clear sequence of events in the formation process. In particular, they show initial merging/reconnection processes, jet-like expansion, kinking, and separation of the plasma from the source. Various diagnostics have been developed, including laser induced fluorescence and soft x-ray detection using high speed diodes. Gas valves have been improved and a patent disclosure relating to puffed gas valves has been filed. Presentations on this work have been given in the form of invited talks at several university physics departments that were previously unfamiliar with laboratory plasma experiments.

A 32-stage centrifugal contactor underwent proof-of-concept testing for its potential use in caustic-side solvent extraction for removal of cesium from radioactive waste now stored in underground tanks at the Savannah River Site. This contactor met the performance goals. Maintaining this performance, however, depends on adequate temperature management. Subsequent calculations and measurements determined the effect of several sources of heat on the temperature of the liquid inside the contactor stages: heats of solvation and dilution, heat generated by the rotor in the mixing zone, and heat from the motor used to spin the rotor. The results indicated that over 90% of the heat comes from the motors, generating 12 W of thermal energy per stage. It was concluded that satisfactory temperature management of the contactor should be achievable by cooling the extraction section to remove 12 W of heat per stage.

The readback accuracy on the high-energy toroids is about 0.26 mA. This does not consider, completely, the relative offsets among the toroids, just the accuracy of one reading on one toroid. Similarly, if you remove the way in which the beam moves in the beam pipe and ignore the relative offsets of the BPMs themselves, then the absolute accuracy of the reading on a BPM is 35 microns.

The objectives of this study were to develop a better understanding of four major aspects of the Lisburne: (1) The geometry and kinematics of detachment folds and their truncation by thrust faults, (2) The influence of folding and lithostratigraphy on fracture patterns, (3) Lithostratigraphy and its influence on folding, faulting, fracturing, and reservoir characteristics, and (4) The influence of lithostratigraphy and deformation on fluid flow.

This Corrective Action Investigation Plan contains the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Operations Office's approach to collect the data necessary to evaluate corrective action alternatives appropriate for the closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 271 under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order. Corrective Action Unit 271 consists of 15 Corrective Action Sites (CASs) including: thirteen Septic Systems (25-04-01, 25-04-03, 25-04-04, 25-04-08, 25-04-09, 25-04-10, 25-04-11, 26-04-01, 26-04-02, 26-05-03, 26-05-04, 26-05-05, and 27-05-02), one Contaminated Water Reservoir (26-03-01), and one Radioactive Leachfield (26-05-01). The CASs addressed by CAU 271 are located at Guard Station 500, the Reactor Control Point (RCP), Bare Reactor Experiment - Nevada Tower, and Engine Test State-1 (ETS-1) facilities in Area 25; the Port Gaston and Project Pluto facilities in Area 26; and the Baker Site in Area 27 of the Nevada Test Site. Between 1 958 and 1973, the RCP and ETS-1 facilities supported the development and testing of nuclear reactors for space propulsion as part of the Nuclear Rocket Development Station. The Project Pluto facilities supported nuclear reactor testing for use as a ramjet propulsion system between 1961 and 1964, followed by similar use for other projects through the early 1980s. The …

The presence of trichloroethylene in the test pile caused a continual decrease in pile reactivity. A system which removed, purified, and returned 12,000 cfh helium to the pile has held contamination to a negligible level and has permitted normal pile operation.

This study indicates that the chemical purity of the fuel used presently to fabricate fueled clad vent sets will not present any special problems to the performance of the fueled clad vent sets as intended. However, cation impurities in the fuel can have a deleterious effect on the iridium cladding and vents and should be minimized as much as practical.

Document issued according to Work Release KI-WR04RTP. P. 00-1 describes physics tasks that are included in the current version of ''Roadmap.Level 2'' concerning Reactor tasks of Weapon-grade plutonium disposition problem for VVER-1000. On this base the objective is to identify the physical tasks in FY2000 and in future as a part of global activities on weapon-grade MOX fuel introduction into VVER-1000.

This report summaries the computer modeling studies and how the results of these studies were used to estimate contaminant releases to the groundwater. These modeling studies were used to improve saltstone landfill designs and are the basis for the current reference design. With the reference landfill design, EPA Drinking Water Standards can be met for all chemicals and radionuclides contained in Savannah River Plant waste salts.

This paper describes a new algorithm for the computation of two-dimensional resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and two-fluid studies of magnetic reconnection in plasmas. It has been implemented on several parallel platforms and shows good scalability up to 32 CPUs for reasonable problem sizes. A fixed, nonuniform rectangular mesh is used to resolve the different spatial scales in the reconnection problem. The resistive MHD version of the code uses an implicit/explicit hybrid method, while the two-fluid version uses an alternating-direction implicit (ADI) method. The technique has proven useful for comparing several different theories of collisional and collisionless reconnection.

This report discusses two tasks: (1) introduction of the Mark 15-MARCO library within the context of an overview of the methodology of MARCO and (2) assessment of the accuracy of MARCO calculations of the Mark 15 MOC at beginning of cycle.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL's) National Wind Technology Center (NWTC), directed by the Department of Energy (DOE) is pursuing several research projects in variable speed. In the near future the laboratory will be reevaluating its ongoing experiments and plans. The starting point for this reevaluation will be a sound understanding of the current state of the art in design and application of variable-speed technology. This report, which outlines current technologies and historical applications of variable-speed, will provide a baseline in deciding the course of research in the upcoming years.

Technical and transient protection limits are specified on the nominal burnout safety factor, BOSFN, to avoid significant release of fission products caused by local film boiling burnout. The risk of fission product release, BOR, due to film boiling burnout is statistically determined where allowances are made to account for differences between the nominal assembly and the actual assembly. This report describes the calculational model behind BOR and how the specific numerical values were estimated. The data listed in this report enable damage calculations with COBAD to be performed for the Mark 15 assembly.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) embarked on a new initiative to strengthen the technical defensibility of the predictions being made with a site-wide groundwater flow and transport model at the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. In FY 2000, the focus of the initiative was on the characterization of major uncertainties in the current conceptual model that would affect model predictions. The long-term goals of the initiative are the development and implementation of an uncertainty estimation methodology in future assessments and analyses using the site-wide model. This report focuses on the development and implementation of an uncertainty analysis framework.

The study of high-harmonic fast-wave (HHFW) heating and current drive is being conducted on the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) device to determine the physics of applying radio-frequency (rf) waves at high harmonics (approximately 10-20) of the ion cyclotron frequency in this high-beta plasma regime and to extend the performance of the NSTX plasma. The magnetic field of this low aspect ratio device is lower (less than or equal to 0.35 T for this work) than that for the typical moderate aspect ratio tokamak regime by about an order of magnitude and the plasma densities achieved are typically in the mid 10(superscript ''19'') m(superscript ''-3'') range. Thus, the dielectric constant of the plasma, epsilon always equals omega (subscript ''pe'')(superscript ''2'') divided by omega (subscript ''ce'')(superscript ''2''), is of order approximately 50-100 resulting in wave physics properties which favor electron heating by TTMP and Landau damping. Radio-frequency power is applied on NSTX at 3 0 MHz using an antenna array with 12 current straps aligned in the poloidal direction. The antenna can be phased to launch waves with toroidal wave numbers, k(subscript ''T'') between 2 m(superscript ''-1'') and 14 m(superscript ''-1'') and can be phased for current drive with peak toroidal …

The civil construction for the MiniBooNE project includes a 50-m decay path and beam absorbers. The decay path is a six-foot diameter corrugated metal pipe (CMP). To prevent activation of the groundwater, the CMP and beam absorbers are surrounded by crushed aggregate, and enclosed in a double-walled geotextile membrane, referred to as the liner. The minimum distance from the beam centerline to the liner is 10 feet. The double-wall construction of the liner forms three regions, the containment volume, the interstitial volume, and the exterior. Each of these volumes is connected to monitoring wells at both the upstream and downstream ends of the decay volume, i.e. a total of six monitoring pipes extend to the surface. To confirm the integrity of the liner system following its placement, the firm Earth Tech was contracted to perform tests. Michael Williams was the primary contact with Earth Tech. The following is the report from Earth Tech, with minor changes in the interest of clarity. A sketch of the decay region is shown; only one of the layers of the liner is shown, and only one monitoring port. At the time of these tests, the excavation in general, but particularly in the vicinity of …

Over 130 soil samples were collected from three soil borings in support of the VZFTS. The first boring was sampled just prior to the first injection test. The other two borings were sampled after completion of the injection tests. These soil samples were collected using a 7.6 cm (3 in) ID splitspoon sampler, with internal 15 cm (6 in.) long Lexan? liners. The samples ranged in depth from 4 to 17 m (13.5 to 56.5 ft), and were submitted to various laboratories for hydraulic property characterization and/or geochemical/tracer analyses. Preliminary results indicate that the major concentration front of the bromide tracer reached a relative depth of 5 m (below the injection point) 8 days after the final water injection and had migrated to a relative depth of about 7 m, 4 days later.

The objective of this calculation is to determine the structural response of the Naval SNF (spent nuclear fuel) Waste Package (WP) and the emplacement pallet (EP) subjected to the rock fall DBE (design basis event) dynamic loads. The scope of this calculation is limited to reporting the calculation results in terms of stress intensities and residual stresses in the WP, and stress intensities and maximum permanent downward displacements of the EP-lifting surface. The information provided by the sketches (Attachment I) is that of the potential design of the type of WP and EP considered in this calculation, and all obtained results are valid for those designs only. This calculation is associated with the waste package design and is performed by the Waste Package Design Section in accordance with Reference 24. AP-3.124, ''Calculations'', is used to perform the calculation and develop the document.

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This study evaluates the nuclear safety of {sup 238}Pu and PuO{sub 2} under a variety of conditions for shipping and storage and is applicable to mixtures of {sup 238}Pu-{sup 239}Pu oxides. Evaluations were made for a three-container shipping package (Plutonium Finishing Shipping Cask) for compliance with AECM Chapter 0529 Shipping Regulations. Some calculations were also made for the two inner containers as a storage unit to extend the usefulness to cover B-Line storage. This safety analysis was developed with {sup 239}Pu and {sup 238}Pu cross sections using KENO, a multigroup Monte Carlo criticality program. Conservative allowances were made so that the results are valid for all mixtures of {sup 238}Pu-{sup 239}Pu. For storage conditions a planar array one unit tall of two or three container packages is shown to be safe regardless of water moderation provided the spacing is 2.375'' center-to-center or greater.