Economical dewatering of an ultra-fine clean coal product to a 20% or lower level moisture will be an important step in successful implementation of the advanced fine coal cleaning processes. The main objective of the proposed program is to evaluate a novel surface modification technique, which utilizes the synergistic effect of metal ions-surfactant combination, for dewatering of ultra-fine clean coal on a proof-of-concept (POC) scale of 1 to 2 tph. The novel surface modification technique developed at the UKCAER will be evaluated using vacuum, centrifuge, and hyperbaric filtration equipment. Dewatering tests will be conducted using the fine clean coal froth produced by the column flotation units at the Powell Mountain Coal Company, Mayflower Preparation Plant in St. Charles, Virginia. The POC-scale studies will be conducted on two different types of clean coal, namely, high sulfur and low sulfur clean coal. The Mayflower Plant processes coals from five different seams, thus the dewatering studies results could be generalized for most of the bituminous coals. During this quarter, addition of reagents such as ferric ions and a novel concept of in-situ polymerization (ISP) was studied in the laboratory. Using the ISP approach with vacuum filtration provided 25% moisture filter cake compared to …

This report describes the Conversion and Blending Facility (CBF) which will have two missions: (1) convert surplus HEU materials to pure HEU UF{sub 6} and a (2) blend the pure HEU UF{sub 6} with diluent UF{sub 6} to produce LWR grade LEU-UF{sub 6}. The primary emphasis of this blending be to destroy the weapons capability of large, surplus stockpiles of HEU. The blended LEU product can only be made weapons capable again by the uranium enrichment process. The chemical and isotopic concentrations of the blended LEU product will be held within the specifications required for LWR fuel. The blended LEU product will be offered to the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) to be sold as feed material to the commercial nuclear industry.

The mission of this Conversion and Blending Facility (CBF) will be to blend surplus HEU metal and alloy with depleted uranium metal to produce an LEU product. The primary emphasis of this blending operation will be to destroy the weapons capability of large, surplus stockpiles of HEU. The blended LEU product can only be made weapons capable again by the uranium enrichment process. The blended LEU will be produced as a waste suitable for storage or disposal.

During the time period between February 1994 and September 1995, Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) sampled the waste tank headspace of 43 single-shell tanks for a variety of gaseous and/or volatile and semi-volatile compounds. This report summarizes the results of analyses of those sampling activities with respect to both the Priority 1 Safety Issues and relative to the detection in the headspace of significant concentrations of target analytes relating to worker breathing space considerations as recommended by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) Toxicology Review Panel. The information contained in the data tables was abstracted from the vapor sampling and analysis tank characterization reports. Selected results are tabulated and summarized. Sampling equipment and methods, as well as sample analyses, are briefly described. Vapor sampling of passively ventilated single-shell tanks (tanks C-105, C-106, and SX-106 were sampled and are actively ventilated) has served to highlight or confirm tank headspace conditions associated with both priority 1 safety issues and supports source term analysis associated with protecting worker health and safety from noxious vapors.

An experimental inductoslag apparatus to recycle irradiated vanadium was fabricated and tested. An experimental electroslag apparatus was also used to test possible slags. The testing was carried out with slag materials that were fabricated along with impurity bearing vanadium samples. Results obtained include computer simulated thermochemical calculations and experimentally determined removal efficiencies of the transmutation impurities. Analyses of the samples before and after testing were carried out to determine if the slag did indeed remove the transmutation impurities from the irradiated vanadium.

Experiments designed to measure kinetic rate constants of ignition of pulverized coals showed clearly that, for single particles or dilute suspensions, particle-to-particle variations due to reactivity and/or thermophysical properties are important. There exists ample evidence that the most important factor in interpreting these data is the existence of a variation in chemical reactivity in the sample. It is surprising, therefore, to note that all previous studies presumed that a single (average) activation energy is adequate to describe the ignition process. The equations formulated using this presumption are then correlated to the experimental measurements to infer the kinetic rate constants of ignition. The major objectives are to develop a model of heterogeneous ignition which allows for a distribution of activation energies, and to implement this model to interpret previously published data. It is the authors hypothesis that variations in chemical reactivity account for the experimental trends observed. Another objective of this project is to examine the effects of variations in thermodynamic and physical properties (e.g. specific heat, particle diameter, density) on data interpretation from previous ignition experiments. An attached paper submitted for review to ``Combustion and Flame`` summarizes the Distributed Activation Energy Model of Ignition, which accounts for particle-to-particle variations in …

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the Savannah River Site is required to determine and report the radionuclide inventory of its glass product. For each macro-batch, the DWPF will report both the total amount (in curies) of each reportable radionuclide and the average concentration (in curies/gram of glass) of each reportable radionuclide. The DWPF is to provide the estimated error of these reported values of its radionuclide inventory as well. The objective of this document is to provide a framework for determining the estimated error in DWPF`s reporting of these radionuclide inventories. This report investigates the impact of random errors due to measurement and sampling on the total amount of each reportable radionuclide in a given macro-batch. In addition, the impact of these measurement and sampling errors and process variation are evaluated to determine the uncertainty in the reported average concentrations of radionuclides in DWPF`s filled canister inventory resulting from each macro-batch.

In early 1991, the Security Council of the United Nations tasked the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, with the assistance and cooperation of the United Nations Special Commission, to oversee the destruction, removal or rendering harmless of nuclear weapons material and capabilities in Iraq. The conduct of the nuclear inspections, and the subsequent activities (identification, destruction, removal rendering harmless), have provided a wealth of experience and insight into the inspection and monitoring process as well as into the political realities of such an operation. The early inspections were conducted in an atmosphere of discovery and inexperience on both the part of the Iraqis and the IAEA and UNSCOM. As time went on, the Iraqis became more adept at hiding and obscuring relevant documents and equipment, and the inspection teams became more knowledgeable about inspection and investigative techniques, and the pre-existing Iraqi programs. A continuous monitoring presence in Iraq has now been established and an import/export monitoring regime is being developed. While steps taken to date have proven effective in inhibiting resumption of nuclear weaponization activities, it remains to be seen how effective these measures will be in the future. The external and internal conditions which led the …

The objective of this research is to optimize the design and operation of the bench scale batch reactor for coal liquefaction at short contact times (0.01 to 10 minutes or longer). Additional objectives are to study the kinetics of direct coal liquefaction, particularly at short reaction times, and to investigate the role of the organic oxygen components of coal and their reaction pathways during liquefaction. This quarterly report covers the status of progress toward these objectives. 3 refs., 14 figs., 2 tabs.

Terrain coverage problems are nearly as old as mankind: they were necessary early in our history for basic activities such as finding food and other necessities. As our societies and their associated machineries have grown more complex, we have not outgrown the need for this primitive skill. It is still used on a small scale for cleaning tasks and on a large scale for {open_quotes}search and report{close_quotes} missions of various kinds. The motivation for automating this process may not lie in the novelty of anything we might gain as an end product, but in freedom from something which we as humans find tedious, time-consuming and sometimes dangerous. Here we consider autonomous coverage of a terrain, typically indoor rooms, by a mobile robot that has no a priori model of the terrain. In evaluating its surroundings, the robot employs only inexpensive and commercially available ultrasonic and infrared sensors. The proposed solution is a basic step - a proof of principle - that can contribute to robots capable of autonomously performing tasks such as vacuum cleaning, mopping, radiation scanning, etc. The area of automatic terrain coverage and the closely related problem of terrain model acquisition have been studied both analytically and experimentally. …

This document presents the 300 Area Treated Effluent Disposal Facility (TEDF) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Compliance Monitoring Plan (MP). The MP describes how ongoing monitoring of the TEDF effluent stream for compliance with the NPDES permit will occur. The MP also includes Quality Assurance protocols to be followed.

The objective of this research is to develop a condensation/oxidation route for the synthesis of acrylates/methacrylates from coal-derived synthesis gas. This quarter work continued on the development of catalysts for propionate synthesis.

This publication provides information and statistical data on a variety of crude oils and refined petroleum products. It presents statistics on crude oil costs and refined petroleum products sales for use by industry, government, private sector analysts, educational institutions, and consumers. Data on crude oil include domestic first purchase price, f.o.b. and landed cost of imported crude, and refiners` acquisition cost of crude. Refined petroleum product sales data include motor gasoline, distillates, residuals, aviation fuels, kerosene, and propane.

This report documents the methods and results of a human factors engineering (HFE) review conducted on the Multi-Function Waste Tank Facility (MWTF), Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) Project 236A, to be constructed at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facility at Hanford, Washington. This HFE analysis of the MWTF was initiated by WHC to assess how well the current facility and equipment design satisfies the needs of its operations and maintenance staff and other potential occupants, and to identify areas of the design that could benefit from improving the human interfaces at the facility. Safe and effective operations, including maintenance, is a primary goal for the MWTF. Realization of this goal requires that the MWTF facility, equipment, and operations be designed in a manner that is consistent with the abilities and limitations of its operating personnel. As a consequence, HFE principles should be applied to the MWTF design, construction, its operating procedures, and its training. The HFE review was focused on the 200-West Area facility as the design is further along than that of the 200-East Area. The review captured, to the greatest extent feasible at this stage of design, all aspects of the facility activities and included the major topics …

During 1994, EIA`s main goal was to assure its data and analyses were of the highest quality, relevant to its customers` needs, and easily accessible. Efforts to ensure product relevance and quality consisted of conducting new or modified surveys, issuing new information products, revising existing products to include data and analyses desired by EIA`s customers, and eliminating products that no longer meet customer needs. Efforts to improve access to energy information consisted of several electronic dissemination initiatives, including Internet services, the Energy Information Highway, and the Energy Emergency Notebook. These activities are discussed in detail in the first two sections of this report. In addition to maintaining its traditional energy information base, EIA plays an important role in developing new information resources required by policymakers and legislators around the world. Examples include data on alternative fuels and greenhouse gas emissions.

Froth flotation technique is an effective and efficient process for recovering of ultra-fine (minus 74 {mu}m) clean coal. Economical dewatering of an ultra-fine clean coal product to a 20 percent level moisture will be an important step in successful implementation of the advanced cleaning processes. This project is a step in the Department of Energy`s program to show that ultra-clean coal could be effectively dewatered to 20 percent or lower moisture using either conventional or advanced dewatering techniques. The cost-sharing contract effort is for 36 months beginning September 30, 1994. This report discusses technical progress made during the quarter from January 1 to March 31, 1995.