The biomass with which this report is concerned includes aquatic plants, which can be converted into liquid fuels and chemicals; organic wastes (crop residues as well as animal and municipal wastes), from which biogas can be produced via anerobic digestion; and organic or inorganic waste streams, from which hydrogen can be produced by photobiological processes. The Biomass Program Office supports research in three areas which, although distinct, all use living organisms to create the desired products. The Aquatic Species Program (ASP) supports research on organisms that are themselves processed into the final products, while the Anaerobic Digestion (ADP) and Photo/Biological Hydrogen Program (P/BHP) deals with organisms that transform waste streams into energy products. The P/BHP is also investigating systems using water as a feedstock and cell-free systems which do not utilize living organisms. This report summarizes the progress and research accomplishments of the SERI Biomass Program during FY 1982.

Coflexip (France) flexible drilling pipe can provide economies in drilling geothermal wells. However, the current liner materials cannot take the high temperatures (approx.250C) and pressures (approx.69 MPa). Development was undertaken to replace the liner with higher temperature materials and, thus increase the temperature capability of the flexible pipe. DuPont Teflon PFA 350, L'Garde EPDM Y267 and L'Garde AFLAS 291 were considered but they all require backing by a closely woven stainless steel fabric to prevent extrusion. A graphite-reinforced EPDM elastomer was developed which has the potential of meeting the pressure-temperature requirements without the metal fabric reinforcement.

Geothermal well operators have expressed concern over the vulnerability of unsupported casing to buckling from thermal elongation. Preliminary numerical and theoretical calculations are presented, which indicate the buckling phenomenon should not be serious in N-80 casing if the string is tension preloaded. Buckling would be detrimental for K-55 casing. The effect of wall contact was found to be beneficial for closely confined pipe strings and of no detriment when hole gaps are large. The weakness of API screw joints in bending appears to be the structural limitation. The analysis assumed stresses above yield constituted failure, that thermal expansion was strain controlled, and that the casing was continuous. Excessive internal pressure instability was ignored. The temperature variation considered was between cementing conditions of 100 to 200/sup 0/F (40 to 95/sup 0/C) and shut-in conditions of 425 to 450/sup 0/F (220 to 230/sup 0/C).

The project description, required research project personnel, an annotated list of reports, and problems and recommendations are included. (MHR)

A drift collection calorimeter having a combined radiator and field-shaping structure made of lead-glass tubing is described. A high-resistance metallic layer is formed by reduction of the lead oxide at the surface of the glass and forms a continuous voltage divider for drift-field shaping. The energy resolution of such a calorimeter is modeled, for several configurations, by the Monte Carlo technique.

On March 28, 1979, an accident occurred at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant Unit No. 2 near Middletown, PA. A Presidential Commission was established to investigate the incident and was given the responsibility to evaluate the actual and potential impact of the events on the health and safety of the workers and the public. A main conclusion of the investigation was that the most serious health effect was severe, short-lived mental stress. This paper describes the study and the findings for four different study groups: (1) the general population of heads of households located within 20 miles of the plant; (2) mothers of preschool children from the same area; (3) teenagers in the 7th, 9th, and 11th grades from the area; and (4) nuclear workers employed at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant. (ACR)

This report is an addendum to the MORSE report, ORNL-4972, originally published in 1975. This addendum contains descriptions of several modifications to the MORSE Monte Carlo Code, replacement pages containing corrections, Part II of the report which was previously unpublished, and a new Table of Contents. The modifications include a Klein Nishina estimator for gamma rays. Use of such an estimator required changing the cross section routines to process pair production and Compton scattering cross sections directly from ENDF tapes and writing a new version of subroutine RELCOL. Another modification is the use of free form input for the SAMBO analysis data. This required changing subroutines SCORIN and adding new subroutine RFRE. References are updated, and errors in the original report have been corrected. (WHK)

Part 5 of the 1982 Annual Report to the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Protection, Safety and Emergency Preparedness presents Pacific Northwest Laboratory's progress on work performed for the Office of Environmental Programs, Office of Operational Safety, and the Office of Nuclear Safety. The report is in three sections, introduced by blue divider pages, corresponding to the program elements: Technology Impacts, Environmental and Safety Engineering, Operational and Environmental Safety. In each section, articles describe progress made during FY 1982 on individual projects, as identified by the Field Task Proposal/Agreement. Authors of these articles represent a broad spectrum of capabilities derived from various segments of the Laboratory, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the work.

The following research areas are highlighted: terrestrial and riverine ecology; marine sciences; radionuclide fate and effects; ecological effects of coal conversion; solid waste: mobilization fate and effects; and statistical and theoretical research. A listing of interagency services agreements provided at the end of this report. (PSB)

The purpose of this study is to develop and optimize the High Energy Gas Fracturing (HEGF) technique to produce multiple fractures around a wellbore in order to stimulate natural-gas production in Devonian shale. The HEGF technique uses a wellbore charge of a propellant tailored to produce pressure loading in the borehole that avoids crushing yet produces multiple fractures radiating from the wellbore. The multiple-fracture regime has been characterized and releated to parameters such as borehole size, pressure risetime, and surface-wave velocity. Pressure risetimes and peak pressures, measured for different propellants in boreholes to specify a propellant for a desired peak pressure and pressure risetime. Semiempirical models, using results from previous experiments, successfully relate stress, acceleration, and fracture radii in surrounding rock to peak pressure and pressure risetime. A finite-element model also has been developed which predicts fracture type and direction of fractures as a function of pressure loading, in situ stress, and material properties. A full-scale HEGF system has been developed for application in gas-well-stimulation experiments in Devonian shale. During this quarter, a proof test of the full-scale HEGF was conducted at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The designed pressure pulse of 0.5 ms risetime was achieved, and the tamp …

Analytical techniques are generally relied upon in making criticality evaluations involving nuclear material outside reactors. For these evaluations to be accepted the calculations must be validated by comparison with experimental data for a known set of conditions having physical and neutronic characteristics similar to those conditions being evaluated analytically. The purpose of this report is to identify those existing experimental data that are suitable for use in verifying criticality calculations on nuclear fuel transportation systems. In addition, near term needs for additional data in this area are identified. Of the considerable amount of criticality data currently existing, that are applicable to non-reactor systems, those particularly suitable for use in support of nuclear material transportation systems have been identified and catalogued into the following groups: (1) critical assemblies of fuel rods in water; (2) critical assemblies of fuel rods in water containing soluble neutron absorbers; (3) critical assemblies containing solid neutron absorber; (4) critical assemblies of fuel rods in water with heavy metal reflectors; and (5) critical assemblies of fuel rods in water with irregular features. A listing of the current near term needs for additional data in each of the groups has been developed for future use in planning criticality …

A series of evaluation tests was performed on Grayloc seals. Helium service and standard seals, size 292, were used. Measurements were made of axial force and motion, diameter, hoop and axial strain, and helium leak rate. Leak rates were in the 10/sup -6/ atm cc/s range for the helium service seals. Pretest analytical calculations agreed reasonably well with measured makeup forces and deflections.

The state of the art of waste heat recovery technology in the glass-making industry is assessed. Fouling and corrosion glass furnace regenerators are reviewed. Heat recovery from the exhaust gases leaving the brick checkers regenerator of a soda lime glass furnace is addressed. Research and development needs that will advance the use of secondary heat recovery in the glass industry are identified. (LEW)

A flow microcalorimeter designed to measure the heat capacity of fluids at temperatures to 573 K and pressures to 1 kbar is described. this instrument is a reconstructionof the device used earlier in this laboratory to measure the Na/sub 2/SO/sub 4/(aq) heat capacity. The new instrument includes several improvements. In addition, a problem associated with the calibration of flow calorimeters for power losses is addressed. A new technique which circumvents this problem is proposed and shown to yield accurate results. Estimates of experimental precision are given.

This study examines the interaction of the electromagnetic pulse from a high altitude nuclear burst with commercial nuclear power plant systems. The potential vulnerability of systems required for safe shutdown of a specific nuclear power plant are explored. EMP signal coupling, induced plant response and component damage thresholds are established using techniques developed over several decades under Defense Nuclear Agency sponsorship. A limited test program was conducted to verify the coupling analysis technique as applied to a nuclear power plant. The results are extended, insofar as possible, to other nuclear plants.

The Prickett and Lonnquist two-dimensional groundwater model has been programmed for the Apple II minicomputer. Both leaky and nonleaky confined aquifers can be simulated. The model was adapted from the FORTRAN version of Prickett and Lonnquist. In the configuration presented here, the program requires 64 K bits of memory. Because of the large number of arrays used in the program, and memory limitations of the Apple II, the maximum grid size that can be used is 20 rows by 20 columns. Input to the program is interactive, with prompting by the computer. Output consists of predicted lead values at the row-column intersections (nodes).

This report described structural analyses of a high-speed impact between a locomotive and a tractor-trailer system carrying a nuclear-spent-fuel shipping cask. The analyses included both mathematical and physical scale-modeling of the system. The report then describes the full-scale test conducted as part of the program. The system response is described in detail, and a comparison is made between the analyses and the actual hardware response as observed in the full-scale test. 34 figures.

Measurements for nuclear data applicactions are described including branching ratio in /sup 7/Be decay, kerma factor for carbon, photoneutron cross sections, neutron differential scattering cross sections, half-life of /sup 77/Kr, stellar neutron capture rates for /sup 86/ /sup 87/ /sup 88/Sr, neutron total cross sections, /sup 142/ /sup 143/ /sup 144/Nd neutron capture nucleo-synthesis, half-life of /sup 163/Ho, thermal neutron fission of /sup 236/Np, revised branching ratios in /sup 237/U and /sup 238/Pu decays, and levels of /sup 244/Cm populated by the beta decay of 10-hour /sup 244/Am and 26-minute /sup 244m/Am. Calculations discussed include systematic test of microscopic optical models for nucleon scattering in the range 7 to 60 MeV, Lanczos method shell-model calculations of GamowTeller strength functions, explosive nucleosynthesis and direct radiative capture rates, and calculation of fission cross sections. Evaluated data libraries are briefly discussed. (WHK)

A helium-jet system and the /sup 24/Mg(/sup 3/He,p4n)/sup 22/Al and /sup 28/Si(/sup 3/He,p4n)/sup 26/P reactions have been used to discover the only known odd-odd, T/sub Z/ = -2 nuclides, /sup 22/Al(t/sub 1/2/ approx. 70ms) and /sup 26/P(t/sub 1/2/ approx. 20 ms). Observations of beta-delayed protons from each isotope (laboratory energies 7.839 +- 0.015 MeV and 8.149 +- 0.021 MeV for /sup 22/Al and 7.269 +- 0.015 MeV and 6.827 +- 0.050 MeV for /sup 26/P) established the existence of these nuclides and provided a measurement of the mass excesses of the lowest T = 2 states in their beta decay daughters, /sup 22/Mg and /sup 26/Si (13.650 +- 0.015 MeV and 5.936 +- 0.015 MeV, respectively). Measurement of these masses confirmed that these T = 2 states were unbound to two-proton emission as had been predicted theoretically.

Mass spectrometry is a useful diagnostic technique for monitoring plasma species and plasma-surface interactions. In order to maximize the sensitivity of measurements of hydrogen-fueled fusion plasmas or hydrogen-based discharge cleaning and etching plasmas, the ion sources of mass spectrometers are operated at or near the high pressure limit of 10/sup -4/ Torr (10/sup -2/ Pa). Such high ambient pressures of hydrogen give rise to high background levels of residual gases such as H/sub 2/O, CO, and CH/sub 4/, due to surface reactions on the ion source electrodes. For a commonly used ion source configuration, the residual gas production is a linear function of the ambient H/sub 2/ pressure. Hydrogen conditioning can reduce the absolute residual gas levels. Steady-state residual gas production is observed in a conditioned ion source, which is related to a balance of diffusion and sorption on the electrode surfaces.

Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of selected neutralizing agents for the treatment of uranium tailings solutions. Highly acidic tailings solutions (pH<2) from the Lucky Mc Mill in Gas Hills, Wyoming and the Exxon Highlands Mill near Casper, Wyoming were neutralized to a pH of 7 or greater using seven neutralizing agents. Reagents used included: Fly Ash from Boardman Coal Plant, Boardman, Oregon; Fly Ash from Wyodak Coal Plant, Gillette, Wyoming; Calcium carbonate (CaCO/sub 3/) reagent grade; Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)/sub 2/) reagent grade; Magnesium oxide (MgO) reagent grade; Sodium carbonate (Na/sub 2/CO/sub 3/) reagent grade; and Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) reagent grade. Evaluation of the effectiveness for the treatment of uranium tailings solutions for the selected neutralizing agents under controlled laboratory conditions was based on three criteria. The criteria are: (1) treated effluent water quality, (2) neutralized sludge handling and hydraulic properties, and (3) reagent costs and acid neutralizing efficiency. On the basis of these limited laboratory results calcium hydroxide or its dehydrated form CaO (lime) appears to be the most effective option for treatment of uranium tailings solutions.

Representative well models have been constructed for eight major geothermal-resource areas. The models define representative times and costs associated with the individual operations that can be expected during drilling and completion of geothermal wells. The models were made for and have been used to evaluate the impacts of potential new technologies. The nature, construction, and validation of the models are presented.

The analysis of pressurized thermal shock (PTS) shows it is necessary for nondestructive evaluation to demonstrate high probability of detecting evaluation to demonstrate high probability of detecting cracks 0.250 inches deep and deeper at the clad/base metal interface. Ultrasonic techniques developed and used in Europe are evaluated in this paper for their applicability to US reactor pressure vessels for detecting cracks of interest for PTS. Flaw detectability experiments were carried out by testing the inspection technique's ability to detect artificial flaws under several types of clad, including some Manual Metal Arc (MMA) clad. Both ground and unground clad surfaces were evaluated. Crack sizing tests of the inspection technique were made using a crack tip diffraction technique.

Various by-products in spent nuclear fuels including strategic metals are uniquely useful and of high intrinsic value. Isotope separation is necessary to achieve the full benefits of fission-product partitioning, increasing the specific activity of radioactive modifications or reducing the intrinsic radiation associated with various elements. The atomic-vapor laser-isotope-separation process, under large-scale development for uranium enrighment, applies to most of the spent-fuel nuclides and offers attractive benefit to costs. 11 figures.