Remaining Sites Verification Package for the 182-F Reservoir Waste Site, Waste Site Reclassification Form 2005-025 (open access)

Remaining Sites Verification Package for the 182-F Reservoir Waste Site, Waste Site Reclassification Form 2005-025

The 182-F Reservoir was a rectangular-shaped concrete basin consisting of two sections divided by a concrete wall. The reservoir provided reserve water from the Columbia River for reactor cooling water and raw water for the 100 Area and had a storage capacity of 94.6 million liters (25 million gallons). The 182-F Reservoir was later used as a landfill for decontaminated rubble from buildings that were decommissioned in the 100-F Area. The results of the 182-F Reservoir evaluation showed that residual contaminant concentrations do not preclude any future uses and allow for unrestricted use of shallow zone soils. The results also showed that residual contaminant concentrations are protective of groundwater and the Columbia River.
Date: September 12, 2005
Creator: Carlson, R. A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) Repository Impact Evaluation FY-05 Progress Report (open access)

Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) Repository Impact Evaluation FY-05 Progress Report

An important long-term objective of advanced nuclear fuel cycle (AFC) technologies is to provide improvement in the long-term management of radioactive waste. Compared to a once-thru fuel cycle, it is possible to generate far less waste, and potentially easier waste to manage, with advanced fuel cycles. However, the precise extent and value of these benefits are complex and difficult to quantify. This document presents a status report of efforts within AFCI Systems Analysis to define and quantify the AFC benefits to geologic disposal, development of cooperative efforts with the US repository program, and participation with international evaluations of AFC impacts on waste management. The primary analysis of repository benefits is conducted by ANL. This year repository impact evaluations have included: (1) Continued evaluation of LWR recycle benefits in support of scenario analysis. (2) Extension of repository analyses to consider long-term dose reductions. (3) Developing the opportunity for cooperation with the U.S. repository program. (4) International cooperation with OECD-NEA.
Date: September 12, 2005
Creator: Halsey, W G
System: The UNT Digital Library
Evaluation of Cross-Section Sensitivities in Computing Burnup Credit Fission Product Concentrations (open access)

Evaluation of Cross-Section Sensitivities in Computing Burnup Credit Fission Product Concentrations

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Interim Staff Guidance 8 (ISG-8) for burnup credit covers actinides only, a position based primarily on the lack of definitive critical experiments and adequate radiochemical assay data that can be used to quantify the uncertainty associated with fission product credit. The accuracy of fission product neutron cross sections is paramount to the accuracy of criticality analyses that credit fission products in two respects: (1) the microscopic cross sections determine the reactivity worth of the fission products in spent fuel and (2) the cross sections determine the reaction rates during irradiation and thus influence the accuracy of predicted final concentrations of the fission products in the spent fuel. This report evaluates and quantifies the importance of the fission product cross sections in predicting concentrations of fission products proposed for use in burnup credit. The study includes an assessment of the major fission products in burnup credit and their production precursors. Finally, the cross-section importances, or sensitivities, are combined with the importance of each major fission product to the system eigenvalue (k{sub eff}) to determine the net importance of cross sections to k{sub eff}. The importances established the following fission products, listed in descending order of priority, that …
Date: August 12, 2005
Creator: Gauld, I. C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Office of Science and Technology and International Science and Technology Program Plan September 2005 (open access)

Office of Science and Technology and International Science and Technology Program Plan September 2005

This program plan articulates the five-year goals and objectives for the Science and Technology (S and T) Program within the Department of Energy's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM). The S and T Program is intended to reduce the cost of the proposed Yucca Mountain repository and enhance the understanding of the processes affecting its performance through the application of new scientific understanding and technology. While the design for the proposed repository will provide a safe and effective disposition of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level waste (HLW), it is unreasonable to assume the science and technology supporting the repository today will remain unchanged over the more than 50 years that the repository will be in operation. In fact, continuous improvement in operations and enhanced knowledge of the disposal process is expected to a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) license holder. therefore, it is prudent to support an effort within OCRWM to assure that the proposed repository will be able to use advanced technology that becomes available in the future to reduce cost to the taxpayer and utility ratepayer. As a separate office within OCRWM, the S and T Program supports the proposed Yucca Mountain repository operations and transportation activities; …
Date: September 12, 2005
Creator: United States. Department of Energy.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Final Technical Report (open access)

Final Technical Report

Using current methods, oil and gas in the subsurface cannot be reliably predicted from seismic data. This causes domestic oil and gas fields to go undiscovered and unexploited, thereby increasing the need to import energy. The general objective of this study was to demonstrate a simple and effective methodology for estimating reservoir properties (gas saturation in particular, but also including lithology, net to gross ratios, and porosity) from seismic attenuation and other attributes using P and S-waves. Phase I specific technical objectives: • Develop Empirical or Theoretical Rock Physics Relations for Qp and Qs • Create P-wave and S-wave Synthetic Seismic Modeling Algorithms with Q • Compute P-wave and S-wave Q Attributes from Multi-component Seismic Data All objectives defined in the Phase I proposal were accomplished. During the course of this project, a new class of seismic analysis was developed based on compressional and shear wave inelastic rock properties (attenuation). This method provides a better link between seismic data and the presence of hydrocarbons. The technique employs both P and S-wave data to better discriminate between attenuation due to hydrocarbons versus energy loss due to other factors such as scattering and geometric spreading. It was demonstrated that P and S …
Date: April 12, 2005
Creator: Walls, Joel; Uden, Richard; Singleton, Scott; Shu, Rone & Mavko, Gary
System: The UNT Digital Library
Final Report for the Joint Urban 2003 Atmospheric Dispersion Study in Oklahoma City: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory participation (open access)

Final Report for the Joint Urban 2003 Atmospheric Dispersion Study in Oklahoma City: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory participation

The Joint Urban 2003 (JU2003) field study was designed to collect meteorological and tracer data resolving atmospheric dispersion at scales-of-motion ranging from flows in and around a single city block, in and around several blocks in the downtown Central Business District (CBD), and into the suburban Oklahoma City area a few km from the CBD. Indoor tracer and flow measurements within four downtown study buildings were also made in conjunction with detailed outdoor measurements investigating the outdoor-indoor exchange rates and mechanisms. The movement of tracer within the study buildings was also studied. The data from the field experiment is being used to evaluate models that are being developed for predicting dispersion of contaminants in urban areas. These models may be fast-response models based on semi-empirical algorithms that are used in real-time emergencies, or highly sophisticated computational fluid dynamics models that resolve individual building faces and crevices. The data from the field experiment, together with the models, can then be used to develop other advanced tools that are especially valuable in the efforts to thwart terrorists. These include tools for finding location and characteristics of a contaminant source; tools that can be used for real-time response or for forensic investigation. The …
Date: October 12, 2005
Creator: Leach, M J
System: The UNT Digital Library
Use of Microarray Test Data for Toxicogenomic Prediction-Multi-Intelligent Systems for Toxicogenomic Applications (MISTA) (open access)

Use of Microarray Test Data for Toxicogenomic Prediction-Multi-Intelligent Systems for Toxicogenomic Applications (MISTA)

The YAHSGS LLC and Oak Ridge National Laboratory established a CRADA to develop a computational neural network and wavelets software to facilitate providing national needs for toxicity prediction and overcome the voracious drain of resources (money and time) being directed to the development of pharmaceutical agents. The research project was supported through a STTR Phase I task by NIEHS in 2004. The research deploys state-of-the-art computational neural networks and wavelets to make toxicity prediction on three independent bases: (1) quantitative structure-activity relationships, (2) microarray data, and (3) Massively Parallel Signature Sequencing technology. Upon completion of Phase I, a prototype software Multi-Intelligent System for Toxicogenomic and Applications (MISTA) was developed, the utility's feasibility was demonstrated, and a Phase II proposal was jointly prepared and submitted to NIEHS for funding evaluation. The goals and objectives of the program have been achieved.
Date: September 12, 2005
Creator: Wasson, J. S. & Lu, P. Y.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Comments on an Expanding Universe (open access)

Comments on an Expanding Universe

Various results are obtained for a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology. We derive an exact equation that determines Hubble's law, clarify issues concerning the speeds of faraway objects and uncover a 'tail-light angle effect' for distant luminous sources. The latter leads to a small, previously unnoticed correction to the parallax distance formula.
Date: December 12, 2005
Creator: Samuel, Stuart & Samuel, Stuart
System: The UNT Digital Library
Lean Burn Natural Gas Engine R&D (open access)

Lean Burn Natural Gas Engine R&D

The primary objective of this cooperative research is to develop and verify models of internal combustion engine spark ignition devices in order to improve combustion chamber fuel ignition characteristics and to improve spark plug durability. As a direct result of this joint research, a novel spark plug design was improved. A theory of spark arc motion was developed that explains experimentally observed effects not explained by other published theories. The knowledge developed by this research will be used to further improve spark plugs as well as improve the ignition process in a combustion chamber. The predictive models developed here are compared with experimental measurements, including high-speed photographs, of the spark as it translates across the gap. Two different spark plug configurations were investigated: the conventional or J-gap plug, and a novel spark ignition device (the FANG plug) invented by Cummins, Inc., the CRADA partner. A description of the physics of arc dynamic motion in a spark plug gap, including the effects of an imposed transverse magnetic field, appears here in Appendix A as a result of the analytical effort. The theory proposed here does explain experimentally observed effects not completely explained by other research publications appearing in the scientific literature. …
Date: September 12, 2005
Creator: unknown
System: The UNT Digital Library
2005 River Corridor Cleanup Contractor Revegetation Monitoring Report (open access)

2005 River Corridor Cleanup Contractor Revegetation Monitoring Report

This report contains a compilation of the results of vegetation monitoring data that were collected in the spring and summer of 2005 for the Environmental Restoration Contractor's revegetation and mitigation areas on the Hanford Site.
Date: September 12, 2005
Creator: Johnson, A. L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
PERMEABILITY, SOLUBILITY AND DIFFUSIVITY OF HYDROGEN ISOTOPES IN STAINLESS STEELS AT HIGH GAS PRESSURES (open access)

PERMEABILITY, SOLUBILITY AND DIFFUSIVITY OF HYDROGEN ISOTOPES IN STAINLESS STEELS AT HIGH GAS PRESSURES

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) is about to process High Level Waste (HLW) Sludge Batch 4 (SB4). This sludge batch is high in alumina and nepheline can crystallize readily depending on the glass composition. Large concentrations of crystallized nepheline can have an adverse effect on HLW glass durability. Several studies have been performed to study the potential for nepheline formation in SB4. The Phase 3 Nepheline Formation study of SB4 glasses examined sixteen different glasses made with four different frits. Melt rate experiments were performed by the Process Science and Engineering Section (PS&E) of the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) using the four frits from the Phase 3 work, plus additional high B2O3/high Fe2O3 frits. Preliminary results from these tests showed the potential for significant improvements in melt rate for SB4 glasses using a higher B2O3-containing frit, particularly Frit 503. The main objective of this study was to investigate the durability of SB4 glasses produced with a high B2O3 frit likely to be recommended for SB4 processing. In addition, a range of waste loadings (WLs) was selected to continue to assess the effectiveness of a nepheline discriminator in predicting concentrations of nepheline crystallization that would be sufficient to influence …
Date: September 12, 2005
Creator: Subramanian, K & Michael Morgan, M
System: The UNT Digital Library
Naval Waste Package Design Report (open access)

Naval Waste Package Design Report

None
Date: August 12, 2005
Creator: Schmitt, T.
System: The UNT Digital Library
New Cathode Materials for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (open access)

New Cathode Materials for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

None
Date: June 12, 2005
Creator: Jacobson, Allan J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Magnet Fiducialization Problem (open access)

The Magnet Fiducialization Problem

Magnets in accelerator beamlines have, for the most part, been made with ferromagnetic poles and traditionally these pole surfaces have been used as the references for external alignment aids, tooling balls, CERN sockets and so on. This practice assumes that the magnetic field is well-defined by the poles (which fails in the presence of saturation). It also fails in the case of superconducting magnets, which have no tangible poles. Other difficulties are well-known to those working in the field: the poles of an iron dipole magnet are never perfectly flat, or perfectly parallel. Where, then, is the magnetic mid-plane? The corresponding problem for iron quadrupoles, sextupoles etc, is that there is no unique inscribed circle that is tangent to more than three of these poles. The magnetic axis is then difficult to define. The greater the precision that is sought in the alignment, the more apparent these problems become. The answer, I believe, is to use magnetic field measurements to establish the references. Most magnets undergo some magnetic measurement before use--they certainly should--and so the opportunity is there to combine fiducialization with magnetic field definition. A substantial part of the Final Focus Test Beam program at SLAC will address this …
Date: August 12, 2005
Creator: Harvey, A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Inadvertent Intruder Calculatios for F Tank Farm (open access)

Inadvertent Intruder Calculatios for F Tank Farm

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has been providing radiological performance assessment analysis for Savannah River Site (SRS) solid waste disposal facilities (McDowell-Boyer 2000). The performance assessment considers numerous potential exposure pathways that could occur in the future. One set of exposure scenarios, known as inadvertent intruder analysis, considers the impact on hypothetical individuals who are assumed to inadvertently intrude onto the waste disposal site. An Automated Intruder Analysis application was developed by SRNL (Koffman 2004) that simplifies the inadvertent intruder analysis into a routine, automated calculation. Based on SRNL's experience, personnel from Planning Integration & Technology of Closure Business Unit asked SRNL to assist with inadvertent intruder calculations for F Tank Farm to support the development of the Tank Closure Waste Determination Document. Meetings were held to discuss the scenarios to be calculated and the assumptions to be used in the calculations. As a result of the meetings, SRNL was asked to perform four scenario calculations. Two of the scenarios are the same as those calculated by the Automated Intruder Analysis application and these can be calculated directly by providing appropriate inputs. The other two scenarios involve use of groundwater by the intruder and the Automated Intruder Analysis application was …
Date: September 12, 2005
Creator: Koffman, L
System: The UNT Digital Library
Initial Radionuclide Inventories (open access)

Initial Radionuclide Inventories

The purpose of this analysis is to provide an initial radionuclide inventory (in grams per waste package) and associated uncertainty distributions for use in the Total System Performance Assessment for the License Application (TSPA-LA) in support of the license application for the repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. This document is intended for use in postclosure analysis only. Bounding waste stream information and data were collected that capture probable limits. For commercially generated waste, this analysis considers alternative waste stream projections to bound the characteristics of wastes likely to be encountered using arrival scenarios that potentially impact the commercial spent nuclear fuel (CSNF) waste stream. For TSPA-LA, this radionuclide inventory analysis considers U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) high-level radioactive waste (DHLW) glass and two types of spent nuclear fuel (SNF): CSNF and DOE-owned (DSNF). These wastes are placed in two groups of waste packages: the CSNF waste package and the codisposal waste package (CDSP), which are designated to contain DHLW glass and DSNF, or DHLW glass only. The radionuclide inventory for naval SNF is provided separately in the classified ''Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program Technical Support Document'' for the License Application. As noted previously, the radionuclide inventory data presented here is intended …
Date: July 12, 2005
Creator: Miller, H
System: The UNT Digital Library
Investigation of Rheological Impacts on Sludge Batch 3 as Insoluble Solids and Wash Endpoints are Adjusted (open access)

Investigation of Rheological Impacts on Sludge Batch 3 as Insoluble Solids and Wash Endpoints are Adjusted

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) is currently processing and immobilizing radioactive sludge slurry into a durable borosilicate glass. The DWPF has already processed three sludge batches (Sludge Batch 1A, Sludge Batch 1B, and Sludge Batch 2) and is currently processing the fourth sludge batch (Sludge Batch 3). A sludge batch is defined as a single tank of sludge slurry or a combination of sludge slurries from different tanks that has been or will be qualified before being transferred to DWPF. As a part of the Sludge Batch 3 (SB3) qualification task, rheology measurements of the sludge slurry were requested at different insoluble solids loadings. These measurements were requested in order to gain insight into potential processing problems that may occur as the insoluble solids are adjusted up or down (by concentration or dilution) during the process. As a part of this study, a portion of the ''as received'' SB3 sample was washed with inhibited water (0.015 M NaOH and 0.015 M NaNO2) to target 0.5M Na versus a measured 1M Na in the supernate. The purpose of the ''washing'' step was to allow a comparison of the SB3 rheological data to the rheological data collected for Sludge Batch 2 …
Date: July 12, 2005
Creator: Fellinger, T. L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Development of Designer Diamond Anvils for High Pressure-High-Temperature Experiments in Support of the Stockpile Stewardship Program (open access)

Development of Designer Diamond Anvils for High Pressure-High-Temperature Experiments in Support of the Stockpile Stewardship Program

The focus of this program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is to develop the next generation of designer diamond anvils that can perform simultaneous joule heating and temperature profile measurements in a diamond anvil cell. A series of tungsten-rhenium thermocouples will be fabricated onto to the anvil and encapsulated by a chemical vapor deposited diamond layer to allow for a complete temperature profile measurement across the anvil. The tip of the diamond anvil will be engineered to reduce the thermal conductivity so that the tungsten-heating coils can be deposited on top of this layer. Several different approaches will be investigated to engineer the tip of the diamond anvil for reduction in thermal conductivity (a) isotopic mixture of 12C and 13C in the diamond layer, (b) doping of diamond with impurities (nitrogen and/or boron), and (c) growing diamond in a higher concentration of methane in hydrogen plasma. Under this academic alliance with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), PI and his graduate students will use the lithographic and diamond polishing facility at LLNL. This proposed next generation of designer diamond anvils will allow multi-tasking capability with the ability to measure electrical, magnetic, structural and thermal data on actinide materials …
Date: May 12, 2005
Creator: Vohra, Yogesh K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
SOURCE TERMS FOR HLW GLASS CANISTERS (open access)

SOURCE TERMS FOR HLW GLASS CANISTERS

None
Date: August 12, 2005
Creator: Musat, D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Precipitation and Deposition of Aluminum-Containing Phases in Tank Wastes (open access)

Precipitation and Deposition of Aluminum-Containing Phases in Tank Wastes

Aluminum-containing phases compose the bulk of solids precipitating during the processing of radioactive tank wastes. Processes designed to minimize the volume of high-level waste through conversion to glassy phases require transporting waste solutions near-saturated with aluminum-containing species from holding tank to processing center. The uncontrolled precipitation within transfer lines results in clogged pipes and lines and fouled ion exchangers, with the potential to shut down processing operations.
Date: January 12, 2005
Creator: Dabbs, Daniel M. & Aksay, Ilhan A.
System: The UNT Digital Library
PRECLOSURE CONSEQUENCE ANALYSES FOR LICENSE APPLICATION (open access)

PRECLOSURE CONSEQUENCE ANALYSES FOR LICENSE APPLICATION

Radiological consequence analyses are performed for potential releases from normal operations in surface and subsurface facilities and from Category 1 and Category 2 event sequences during the preclosure period. Surface releases from normal repository operations are primarily from radionuclides released from opening a transportation cask during dry transfer operations of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in Dry Transfer Facility 1 (DTF 1), Dry Transfer Facility 2 (DTF 2), the Canister Handling facility (CHF), or the Fuel Handling Facility (FHF). Subsurface releases from normal repository operations are from resuspension of waste package surface contamination and neutron activation of ventilated air and silica dust from host rock in the emplacement drifts. The purpose of this calculation is to demonstrate that the preclosure performance objectives, specified in 10 CFR 63.111(a) and 10 CFR 63.111(b), have been met for the proposed design and operations in the geologic repository operations area. Preclosure performance objectives are discussed in Section 6.2.3 and are summarized in Tables 1 and 2.
Date: January 12, 2005
Creator: Tsai, S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Direct Reservoir Parameter Estimation Using Joint Inversion ofMarine Seismic AVA&CSEM Data (open access)

Direct Reservoir Parameter Estimation Using Joint Inversion ofMarine Seismic AVA&CSEM Data

A new joint inversion algorithm to directly estimate reservoir parameters is described. This algorithm combines seismic amplitude versus angle (AVA) and marine controlled source electromagnetic (CSEM) data. The rock-properties model needed to link the geophysical parameters to the reservoir parameters is described. Errors in the rock-properties model parameters, measured in percent, introduce errors of comparable size in the joint inversion reservoir parameter estimates. Tests of the concept on synthetic one-dimensional models demonstrate improved fluid saturation and porosity estimates for joint AVA-CSEM data inversion (compared to AVA or CSEM inversion alone). Comparing inversions of AVA, CSEM, and joint AVA-CSEM data over the North Sea Troll field, at a location with well control, shows that the joint inversion produces estimated gas saturation, oil saturation and porosity that is closest (as measured by the RMS difference, L1 norm of the difference, and net over the interval) to the logged values whereas CSEM inversion provides the closest estimates of water saturation.
Date: January 12, 2005
Creator: Hoversten, G. Michael; Cassassuce, Florence; Gasperikova, Erika; Newman, Gregory A.; Rubin, Yoram; Zhangshuan, Hou et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Sensor Development for PEM Fuel Cell Systems (open access)

Sensor Development for PEM Fuel Cell Systems

This document reports on the work done by Honeywell Sensing and Control to investigate the feasibility of modifying low cost Commercial Sensors for use inside a PEM Fuel Cell environment. Both stationary and automotive systems were considered. The target environment is hotter (100 C) than the typical commercial sensor maximum of 70 C. It is also far more humid (100% RH condensing) than the more typical 95% RH non-condensing at 40 C (4% RH maximum at 100 C). The work focused on four types of sensors, Temperature, Pressure, Air Flow and Relative Humidity. Initial design goals were established using a market research technique called Market Driven Product Definition (MDPD). A series of interviews were conducted with various users and system designers in their facilities. The interviewing team was trained in data taking and analysis per the MDPD process. The final result was a prioritized and weighted list of both requirements and desires for each sensor. Work proceeded on concept development for the 4 types of sensors. At the same time, users were developing the actual fuel cell systems and gaining knowledge and experience in the use of sensors and controls systems. This resulted in changes to requirements and desires that …
Date: July 12, 2005
Creator: Magee, Steve & Gehman, Richard
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Proposed Yucca Mountain Repository From A Corrosion Perspective (open access)

The Proposed Yucca Mountain Repository From A Corrosion Perspective

Corrosion is a primary determinant of waste package performance at the proposed Yucca Mountain Repository and will control the delay time for radionuclide transport from the waste package. Corrosion is the most probable and most likely degradation process that will determine when packages will be penetrated and the shape, size, and distribution of those penetrations. The general issues in corrosion science, materials science and electrochemistry are well defined, and the knowledge base is substantial for understanding corrosion processes. In this paper, the Yucca Mountain Repository is viewed from a corrosion perspective. A major component of the long-term strategy for safe disposal of nuclear waste at the Yucca Mountain Repository is first to completely isolate the radionuclides in the waste packages for long times and to greatly retard the egress and transport of radionuclides from penetrated packages. Therefore, long-lived waste packages are important. The corrosion resistance of the waste package outer canister is reviewed, and a framework for the analysis of localized corrosion processes is presented. An overview is presented of the Materials Performance targeted thrust of the U.S. Department of Energy/Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management's Office of Science and Technology and International. The thrust program strives for increased scientific …
Date: April 12, 2005
Creator: Payer, J.H.
System: The UNT Digital Library