The objective of this project is to investigate the influence of various promoters, additives, and supports on minimizing the methane selectivity and increasing the water-gas shift (WGS) activity of cobalt (Co) Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) catalysts. The ultimate goal of this investigation is to identify and demonstrate a catalyst preparation procedure that will be scaled up for the reproducible synthesis of commercial quantities of supported Co catalysts with desired activity, selectivity, and lifetime for use in F-T synthesis in three-phase slurry bubble column reactors. Accomplishments for this quarter are: Four new catalysts were formulated and prepared during this period under both subtasks 1.2 and 1.3 and five more catalysts were prepared by Calsicat; The characterization of all the catalysts in order to determine their physical properties (BET surface area, pore volume, pore size diameter, particle size distribution), as well as the cobalt reducibility, extent of reduction, and dispersion) was continued; Seven new catalysts have been tested for their F-T synthesis performance; An investigation of the effect of pre-treatment (i.e. calcination in static air versus flowing air, direct reduction without prior calcination) of a selected number of catalysts upon their performance for F-T synthesis was continued during this period.

We conducted physics experiments: record normalized {Beta} = 4.9 achieved in VH-mode, {Beta} limits of ITER-like configurations evaluated, FWCD commissioning. The tokamak vessel was opened to atmosphere for six weeks and a number of key diagnostics for understanding the divertor were installed. The DIII-D Advisory Committee met in January to review the DIII-D program and plan. They commended us for recent progress and supported the vanadium divertor design. The U.S./Japan DIII-D steering committee met and recommended extending the agreement to the year 2000. The field work proposal for FY 96/97 was presented in Washington on March 29, 1995. A review of the DIII-D plan to install vanadium structural components as part of the new radiative divertor modification was held in Washington 31, 1995 and the panel endorsed the plans. Preliminary plans were developed with PPPL for collaborations in FY96,

The present report is a summary of the activities in February and March 1995. The primary activities during these two months was to monitor the fabricator of the combustor extension in order to assure completion of the work according to the design, to procure the additional components needed to install the combustor-boiler system at the Arsenal test site, and on initial installation of auxiliary components at the site. Welding of the combustor extension major sections began in mid-January. However, the quality of the welds was poor and a number of non-critical flanges were warped during welding. As a result the fabricator replaced the welders and the quality assurance personnel in early February. To assure that the welded sections would properly mate with the existing combustor, Coal Tech personnel regularly visited the fabricator until the end of March. The combustor extension section was completed and delivered to the Arsenal at the end of March. To meet the Philadelphia particulate emission standard of 0.06 lb/MMBtu a baghouse was procured in February. Competitive procurement of the stack ducting from the boiler to the baghouse and to the atmosphere was initiated. Pneumatically controlled valves for the combustor extension section`s air cooling sub-system were ordered …