The influence of dissolved oxygen and hydrogen and dilute sulfuric acid in 289/sup 0/C water on the stress-corrosion-cracking susceptibility of lightly and moderately sensitized Type 304 stainless steel was determined in constant-extension-rate tensile (CERT) tests. The CERT parameters and the fracture surface morphologies were correlated with the concentrations of dissolved oxygen and sulfate, and the electrochemical potentials of platinum and Type 304 stainless steel electrodes in simulated boiling-water reactor (BWR) environments. A particularly high susceptibility to intergranular cracking was found for the steel in the lightly sensitized condition at oxygen concentrations between approx. 0.05 and 0.2 ppM under slightly acidic conditions (pH approx. 6.0 at 25/sup 0/C), which may, in part, account for the pervasive nature of intergranular cracking in BWR piping systems. Scanning-transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed significant differences between samples in the lightly and the moderately sensitized condition with respect to the width, but not the depth, of the chromium-depleted region at the grain boundaries. The addition of 0.5 ppM hydrogen to the water had only a small mitigating effect on intergranular cracking in water containing oxygen and sulfuric acid at low concentrations; however, oxygen suppression to less than or equal to 0.05 ppM in the reactor-coolant water, …

The Direct Chlorination Process removes hydrogen sulfide from geothermal off-gases by reacting hydrogen sulfide with chlorine in the gas phase. Hydrogen chloride and elemental sulfur are formed by this reaction. The Direct Chlorination Process has been successfully demonstrated by an on-site operation of a pilot plant at the 3 M We HPG-A geothermal power plant in the Puna District on the island of Hawaii. Over 99.5 percent hydrogen sulfide removal was achieved in a single reaction stage. Chlorine gas did not escape the pilot plant, even when 90 percent excess chlorine gas was used. Because of the higher cost of chemicals and the restricted markets in Hawaii, the economic viability of this process in Hawaii is questionable.

This paper analyzes the geometrically nonlinear bending and collapse behavior of an elastic, simply supported cylindrical shell subjected to an inward-directed point load applied at midlength. The large displacement analysis results for this thin (R/t = 638) poked cylinder were obtained from the STAGSC-1 finite element computer program. STAGSC-1 results are also presented for two other point-loaded shell problems: a pinched cylinder (R/t = 100), and a venetian blind (R/t = 250).

We report on the use of a 5.8 GHz microwave applicator to treat choroidal melanoma (Greene) in rabbits. The physical requirements needed to treat these intraocular tumors are quite different from those encountered elsewhere in the body. From a trans-scleral approach the penetration needed is minimal (5 to 10 mm.). The fibrous sclera is the only structure between the heat source and the tumor. The sclera has a relatively low water content when compared to tumor. This fact in addition to the frequency dependent interactions of tissue and electromagnetic radiation, results in an advantage to the use of the 5.8 GHz microwave device in treating intraocular malignancies.

The W-2 SLSF (Sodium Loop Safety Facility) experiment was an instrumented in-reactor test performed to characterize the failure response of full-length, preconditioned LMFBR prototypic fuel pins to slow transient overpower (TOP) conditions. Although the test results were expected to confirm analytical predictions of upper level failure and fuel expulsion, an axial midplane failure was experienced. Extensive post-test analyses were conducted to understand all of the unexpected behavior in the experiment. (1) The initial post-test effort focused on the temperature oscillations recorded by the 54 thermocouples used in the experiment. In order to synthesize the extensive data records and identify patterns of behavior in the data records, a computer-generated film was used to present the temperature data recorded during the experiment.

The results of a program to provide an experimental data base for estimating the radiological consequences from a hypothetical sabotage attack on a light-water-reactor spent fuel shipping cask in a densely populated area are presented. The results of subscale and full-scale experiments in conjunction with an analytical modeling study are described. The experimental data were used as input to a reactor-safety consequence model to predict radiological health consequences resulting from a hypothetical sabotage attack on a spent-fuel shipping cask in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The results of these calculations are presented.

Optical second-harmonic generation (SHG) is sensitive enough to respond to a submonolayer of surface atoms or molecules. It can therefore be used to probe surfaces or interfaces between two centrosymmetric media. The surface-specific nature of this optical method offers some advantages. We have demonstrated in recent experiments that resonant SHG can allow us to obtain spectroscopic data of submonolayers of adsorbed molecules on a surface. The signal was so strong that less than one tenth of a monolayer of dye molecules could be easily detected. The method can be applied to molecules adsorbed at an interface between two dense media such as a liquid/solid interface. Then, using SHG, adsorption isotherms of adsorbates on substrates can be measured. One is often interested in how large the bulk contribution to SHG is in comparison with the surface contribution. Second-order nonlinear optical processes are forbidden in a medium with inversion symmetry only in the electric-dipole approximation. Could SGH from electric-quadrupole and magnetic-dipole contributions in the bulk be so strong as to mask out the electric-dipole contribution from the surface. We have found that the SH signal from a centrosymmetric substrate can be changed appreciably by the adsorption of a monolayer. This clearly indicates …

Lower hybrid current-drive experiments have been carried out on the PLT Tokamak. Steady currents up to 175 kA have been maintained for three seconds and 400 kA for 0.3 sec by the rf power alone. The principal current carrier appears to be a high energy (approx. 100 keV) electron tail, concentrated in the central 20 to 40 cm diameter core of the 80-cm PLT discharge. Effective current drive is observed only for anti n/sub e/ less than or equal to 8 x 10/sup 12/ cm/sup -3/. This limitation may be a wave propagation phenomenon and not a fundamental plasma physics effects.

The requirements to be met by Pockels cell drivers for incorporation into the Novette and Nova Laser systems are presented, and critical aspects of the specification examined. A high-performance pulse generator has been developed to meet these requirements using new thyratron technology from the English Electric Valve Co. Ltd. Two closely related versions have been built; a 10KV output unit with 9 nsec risetime into five parallel 50-ohm loads and a faster 5KV output driver with 3.5 nsec risetime into a single 50-ohm load. The design approach for optimizing performance, using the new tubes in relation to the LLNL specification is described, including the techniques used for control of electromagnetic interference.

A breeding ratio of at least 1.2 was a design goal for CRBRP. The value for the initial core (using plutonium with 11% /sup 240/Pu) calculated with ENDF/B-IV data is 1.27. Engineering mock-up studies for CRBRP were made in ZPPR-11. Analysis of ZPPR-11 using ENDF/B-IV data showed consistent underprediction of K/sub eff/ by about 1.5% and overpredictions of the /sup 238/U capture to /sup 239/Pu fission ratio (C8/F9) between 5% and 8%. These results are typical for all LMFBR critical assemblies at ANL. The following approach was used to determine the breeding ratio: sensitivity analysis of a range of fast reactor benchmarks and a fit to the experimental data by data adjustment; tests of the adjusted data against experiments in ZPPR-11; calculations for CRBRP with ENDF/B-IV data and the adjusted data to predict the breeding ratio bias; and estimates of k/sub eff/ and breeding ratio uncertainties using data sensitivities for CRBRP.

New switching power supplies were designed for the 10 mm laser amplifiers in the Nova Master Oscillator Room. The flashlamp supply must be repratable. Therefore, we designed a constant current, linearly charging power supply. Since it is a capacitor, the load varies throughout the charge cycle. At first the load is great, and di/dt of load current is at a maximum. As the capacitor charges the initial conditions for each cycle change, the power supply in effect sees a smaller capacitance, and di/dt decreases. We need a way of gradually increasing the on-time of the current pulses so that the transistors in the power bridge are turned off when they reach their maximum peak current. The normal current sense response of the control chip is not fast enough to be useful for our application. The deadtime, or the time that all the bridge transistors are turned off, is fixed so that as the pulse width varies so does the period. We end up with a constant peak current, switching power supply whose frequency varies from 50 khz to 20 khz. Finally, an overcurrent latch protects the transistors from bridge or transformer faults. The circuit is described and results are shown.

Increasing effort is being put into engineering designs of reactors and reactor-like magnetic confinement experiments. A central question concerns the methods of heating, fueling, and maintaining the plasmas, functions that primarily are now performed by neutral beams. Planning in the USA does not include the use of neutral beams on tokamaks in the 1990's and beyond. Tandem mirrors, however, will use energetic beams (sloshing ion beams) in the end plugs to produce electrostatic potentials that will confine plasma ions. These systems will be based on the production, acceleration, transport, and neutralization of negative hydrogen-ion (D/sup -/), multiampere beams with energies of 200-to 500-keV. In addition, lower-energy D and T beams may be used. These systems must operate steady state, with high reliability, and be compatible with radiation from a D-T burning plasma.

A regional model that can predict groundwater movement through the reference repository location and surrounding area is essential to assessing the site suitability for a nuclear waste repository. During the last two decades, several models have been developed to handle complicated flow patterns through complex geologic materials. The basic problem, however, is obtaining the data base needed to apply these models. The hydrological data needed include the spatial distribution of effective porosity, the hydraulic conductivity tensor and its variation in space, values of specific storage, the hydraulic head distribution, and the fluid properties. In this report, we discuss conventional methods of obtaining vertical hydraulic conductivity and examine their applicability to the BWIP site. 39 references, 12 figures, 4 tables.

Progress is reported in research on: the baseline ecology of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), the effects of disturbance on animal and plant communities, and the behavior of radionuclides in the environment surrounding radioactive waste sites. Separate abstracts have been prepared for individual reports. (ACR)

This report presents a method for evaluating relative environmental impacts of coal transportation modes (e.g., unit trains, trucks). Impacts of each mode are evaluated (rated) for a number of categories of environmental effects (e.g., air pollution, water pollution). The overall environmental impact of each mode is determined for the coal origin (mine-mouth area), the coal or coal-energy product destination (demand point), and the line-haul route. These origin, destination, and en route impact rankings are then combined into a systemwide ranking. Thus the method accounts for the many combinations of transport modes, routes, and energy products that can satisfy a user's energy demand from a particular coal source. Impact ratings and system rankings are not highly detailed (narrowly defined). Instead, environmental impacts are given low, medium, and high ratings that are developed using environmental effects data compiled in a recent Argonne National Laboratory report entitled Data for Intermodal Comparison of Environmental Impacts of Inland Transportation Alternatives for Coal Energy (ANL/EES-TM-206). The ratings and rankings developed for this report are generic. Using the method presented, policy makers can apply these generic data and the analytical framework given to particular cases by adding their own site specific data and making some informed judgements. …

Progress is reported in the following research areas: (1) high resolution, high sensitivity luminescence and other spectroscopic techniques, and (2) advanced methodologies for measurement of toxic effluents from energy processes. (ACR)

We have measured the production cross section and momentum distribution of K/sup -/ produced at 0/sup 0/ in /sup 28/Si + /sup 28/Si collisions at an energy of 2.1 GeV/nucleon. The K/sup -/ spectrum is approximately exponential. The large yield in the subthreshold production of K/sup -/ that we observe corresponds to a production rate of 1K/sup -/ per 50 collisions at impact parameters less than 1f. Productions mechanisms involving collective effects and thermal equilibration are discussed.

The economic future of methanol is reviewed in light of its potential uses as a substitute for traditional hydrocarbon fuels and feedstocks as well as some evolving new uses. Methanol's future market position will depend strongly on its production cost in comparison with competitive products. One promising way to reduce the production cost is by use of an improved catalyst in the process by which methanol is obtained from the feedstock - which can be either natural gas or a similar product such as synthesis gas from coal gasification. To estimate the potential cost savings with an improved catalyst, we have based our analysis on a recent study which assumed use of synthesis gas from underground coal gasification as a feedstock for making methanol. The improved catalyst we studied was an actinide oxide whose features include high tolerance to sulfur and heat, and a yield of about 4 mol% methanol per pass with a 2/1 mixture of H/sub 2//CO. We calculated the effect of this catalyst on methanol production costs in a 12,000-bbl/day plant. The result was a saving of from 1 cent to 2.5 cent per gallon on the total methanol synthesis cost of 23 cents per gallon (i.e., …

Investigation of accelerator breeders at Brookhaven National Laboratory indicate that the AB-LWR fuel cycle is economically competitive with the LMFBR fuel cycle. The same can be said about the accelerator breeder-High Temperature Gas Reactor symbiosis. This system appears to be very competitive with the added real advantage of superior safety and proliferation resistance. This discussion would be incomplete if the real competitor to accelerator breeding was not mentioned, namely Fusion Hybrid Breeding (FHB). Fusion Hybrid Breeding is a nearer option than pure fusion, as the breakeven Q value requirements are much more modest. Fusion Hybrid Breeding, if successful and practical, has the potential for highly efficient fissile fuel breeding, leading to cheaper fuel. The system, however, has yet to be demonstrated scientifically and to be shown commercially feasible. This is in contrast with the AB system which is an extension of proven, state-of-the-art technology with implementation possible within twenty years. 25 references, 4 figures, 5 tables.

We perform an analytic study of some quantities relevant to the plasma beat-wave accelerator (PBWA) concept. We obtain analytic expressions for the plasma frequency, longitudinal electron velocity, plasma density and longitudinal plasma electric field of a nonlinear longitudinal electron plasma oscillation with amplitude less than the wave-breaking limit and phase velocity approaching the speed of light. We also estimate the luminosity of a single-pass e/sup +/e/sup -/ linear PBWA collider assuming the energy and collision beamstrahlung are fixed parameters.

This report summarizes the scientific research carried out within the Nuclear Science Division between July 1, 1981, and September 30, 1982. Heavy-ion investigations continue to dominate the experimental and theoretical research efforts. Complementary programs in light-ion nuclear science, in nuclear data evaluation, and in the development of advanced instrumentation are also carried out. Results from Bevalac experiments employing a wide variety of heavy ion beams, along with new or upgraded detector facilities (HISS, the Plastic Ball, and the streamer chamber) are contained in this report. These relativistic experiments have shed important light on the degree of equilibration for central collisions, the time evolution of a nuclear collision, the nuclear density and compressional energy of these collisions, and strange particle production. Reaction mechanism work dominates the heavy-ion research at the 88-Inch Cyclotron and the SuperHILAC. Recent experiments have contributed to our understanding of the nature of light-particle emission in deep-inelastic collisions, of peripheral reactions, incomplete fusion, fission, and evaporation. Nuclear structure investigations at these accelerators continue to be directed toward the understanding of the behavior of nuclei at high angular momentum. Research in the area of exotic nuclei has led to the observation at the 88-Inch Cyclotron of the ..beta..-delayed proton …

Our goal was to design and monitor a hybrid solar system/ground loop which automatically assists the standard, thermostatically controlled home heating/cooling system. The input from the homeowner was limited to normal thermostat operations. During the course of the project it was determined that to effectively gather data and control the various component interactions, a micro-computer based control system would also allow the HVAC system to be optimized by simple changes to software. This flexibility in an untested concept helped us to achieve optimum system performance. Control ranged from direct solar heating and direct ground loop cooling modes, to assistance of the heat pump by both solar space and ground loop. Sensors were strategically placed to provide data on response of the Trombe wall (surface, 4 in. deep, 8 in. deep), and the ground loop (inlet, 3/4 length, outlet). Micro-computer hardware and computer programs were developed to make cost effective decisions between the various modes of operation. Although recent advances in micro-computer hardware make similar control systems more readily achievable utilizing standard components, attention to the decision making criteria will always be required.

Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is currently conducting research for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on uranium recovery process wastes for both active and inactive operations. NRC-sponsored uranium recovery research at PNL is focused on NRC regulatory responsibilities for uranium-recovery operations: license active milling and in situ extraction operations; concur on the acceptability of DOE remedial-action plans for inactive sites; and license DOE to maintain inactive sites following remedial actions. PNL's program consists of four coordinated projects comprised of a program management task and nine research tasks that address the critical technical and safety issues for uranium recovery. Specifically, the projects endeavor to find and evaluate methods to: prevent erosion of tailings piles and prevent radon release from tailings piles; evaluate the effectiveness of interim stabilization techniques to prevent wind erosion and transport of dry tailings from active piles; estimate the dewatering and consolidation behavior of slurried tailings to promote early cover placement; design a cover-protection system to prevent erosion of the cover by expected environmental stresses; reduce seepage into ground water and prevent ground-water degradation; control solution movement and reaction with ground water in in-situ extraction operations; evaluate natural and induced restoration of ground water in in-situ extraction operations; …

The Aquatic Species Program (ASP) addresses the utilization of plant biomass that naturally occurs in wetland or submerged areas. Processes are being developed through this program to make use of such aquatic species, capitalizing on their inherent capacity for rapid growth as well as their extraordinary chemical compositions.