This report describes the development and application of a dispatch optimization algorithm for integrated energy systems (IES) comprised of on-site cogeneration of heat and electricity, energy storage devices, and demand response opportunities. This work is intended to aid commercial and industrial sites in making use of modern computing power and optimization algorithms to make informed, near-optimal decisions under significant uncertainty and complex objective functions. The optimization algorithm uses a finite set of randomly generated future scenarios to approximate the true, stochastic future; constraints are included that prevent solutions to this approximate problem from deviating from solutions to the actual problem. The algorithm is then expressed as a mixed integer linear program, to which a powerful commercial solver is applied. A case study of United States Postal Service Processing and Distribution Centers (P&DC) in four cities and under three different electricity tariff structures is conducted to (1) determine the added value of optimal control to a cogeneration system over current, heuristic control strategies; (2) determine the value of limited electric load curtailment opportunities, with and without cogeneration; and (3) determine the trade-off between least-cost and least-carbon operations of a cogeneration system. Key results for the P&DC sites studied include (1) in …

Synthesis and incorporation of functionalized materials continues to generate significant research interest in academia and in industry. If chosen correctly, a functional group when incorporated into a polymer can deliver enhanced properties, such as adhesion, water solubility, thermal stability, etc. The utility of these new materials has been demonstrated in drug-delivery systems, coatings, membranes and compatibilizers. Two approaches exist to functionalize a material. The desired moiety can be added to the monomer either before or after polymerization. The polymers used range from low glass transition temperature elastomers to high glass transition temperature, high performance materials. One industrial example of the first approach is the synthesis of Teflon(reg. sign). Poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE or Teflon(reg. sign)) is synthesized from tetrafluoroethylene, a functionalized monomer. The resulting material has significant property differences from the parent, poly(ethylene). Due to the fluorine in the polymer, PTFE has excellent solvent and heat resistance, a low surface energy and a low coefficient of friction. This allows the material to be used in high temperature applications where the surface needs to be nonabrasive and nonstick. This material has a wide spread use in the cooking industry because it allows for ease of cooking and cleaning as a nonstick coating on …

Metal-to-insulator transitions are generally linked to two phenomena: electron-electron correlations and disorder. Although real systems are usually responding to a mixture of both, they can be classified as undergoing a Mott-transition, if the former process dominates, or an Anderson-transition, if the latter dominates. High-T{sub c} superconductors, e.g., are a candidate for the first class. Materials in which disorder drives the metal-to-insulator transition include doped semiconductors and amorphous materials. After briefly reviewing the previous research on transport in disordered materials and the disorder-induced metal-to-insulator transition, a summary of the model and the methods used in subsequent chapters is given.

The consideration of compliant mechanisms as Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) is the focus of this research endeavor. MEMS are micron to millimeter devices that combine electrical, mechanical, and information processing capabilities on the same device. These MEMS need some mechanical motion or parts that move relative to each other. This relative motion, using multiple parts, is not desired because of the assembly requirement and the friction introduced. Compliant devices limits or eliminates friction and the need for multi-component assembly. Compliant devices improve designs by creating single piece mechanisms. The purpose of this research is to validate surface micromachining as a viable fabrication process for compliant MEMS designs. Specifically, this research has sought to fabricate a micro-compliant gripper and a micro-compliant clamp to illustrate the process. While other researchers have created compliant MEMs, most have used comb-drive actuation methods and bulk micromachining processes. This research focused on fully-compliant devices that use device flexibility for motion and actuation. Validation of these compliant MEMS is achieved by structural optimization of device design and functional performance testing. This research contributes to the ongoing research in MEMS by evaluating the potential of using surface micromachining as a process for fabricating compliant micro-mechanisms.

A remote sensing geophysical method is needed to properly characterize the void and chimney characteristics of underground nuclear tests. Various techniques were considered and a seismic reflection survey was selected. This survey was then fitted to the conditions at the test site so as to give optimum results. The data was then reduced via DOS computer and analyzed for content. The planned survey using a 50 ft offset did not show any useful information, however, a second survey with a variable longer offset was also conducted which was capable of determining the depth to the top and the bottom of the chimney with reasonable accuracy. Measurements of the horizontal spread of the structure, though, were inconclusive.

This technical study reviews the methodology for calculating offsite dose estimates as described in the offsite dose calculation manual (ODCM) for Pennsylvania Power and Light - Susquehanna Steam Electric Station (SSES). An evaluation of the SSES ODCM dose assessment methodology indicates that it conforms with methodology accepted by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Using 1993 SSES effluent data, dose estimates are calculated according to SSES ODCM methodology and compared to the dose estimates calculated according to SSES ODCM and the computer model used to produce the reported 1993 dose estimates. The 1993 SSES dose estimates are based on the axioms of Publication 2 of the International Commission of Radiological Protection (ICRP). SSES Dose estimates based on the axioms of ICRP Publication 26 and 30 reveal the total body estimates to be the most affected.

Studies were performed to evaluate the accuracy of open-path Fourier Transform Infrared (OP-FTIR) spectrometers using a 35 foot outdoor exposure chamber in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Results obtained with the OP-FTIR spectrometer were compared to results obtained with a reference method (a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector, GC-FID). Concentration results were evaluated in terms of the mathematical methods and spectral libraries used for quantification. In addition, the research investigated the effect on quantification of using different backgrounds obtained at various times during the day. The chemicals used in this study were toluene, cyclohexane, and methanol; and these were evaluated over the concentration range of 5-30 ppm.

Silicon-containing polymers have been a focus of synthesis and study in Dr. Barton`s group because of their chemistry and properties which are not offered by other systems or materials. For example, the polymer -[-SiMe{sub 2}C{triple_bond}C-]{sub n}-can be easily processed to films or fibers from melt or solution, and thermally converted to a SiC-containing ceramic in high yield at high temperature. In recent years, carbosilane dendritic polymers have been of great interests in many research groups. However, no synthesis of carbosilane dendrimers with functionalties both inside and outside the dendrimer has been reported. Functionality is very important in the synthesis of preceramic polymers. This thesis will be devoted to exploring several new organosilicon polymer systems.

Molecular oxygen in the atmosphere is coupled tightly to the terrestrial carbon cycle by the processes of photosynthesis, respiration, and burning. This dissertation examines different aspects of this coupling in four chapters. Chapter 1 explores the feasibility of using air from sand dunes to reconstruct atmospheric O{sub 2} composition centuries ago. Such a record would reveal changes in the mass of the terrestrial biosphere, after correction for known fossil fuel combustion, and constrain the fate of anthropogenic CO{sub 2}.

Microdosimetry was used to investigate three issues at the neutron therapy facility (NTF) at Fermilab. Firstly, the conversion factor from absorbed dose in A-150 tissue equivalent plastic to absorbed dose in ICRU tissue was determined. For this, the effective neutron kerma factor ratios, i.e. oxygen tissue equivalent plastic and carbon to A-150 tissue equivalent plastic, were measured in the neutron beam. An A-150 tissue equivalent plastic to ICRU tissue absorbed dose conversion factor of 0.92 {+-} 0.04 determined. Secondly, variations in the radiobiological effectiveness (RBE) in the beam were mapped by determining variations in two related quantities, e{sup *} and R, with field size and depth in tissue. Maximal variation in e{sup *} and R of 9% and 15% respectively were determined. Lastly, the feasibility of utilizing the boron neutron capture reaction on boron-10 to selectively enhance the tumor dose in the NTF beam was investigated. In the unmodified beam, a negligible enhancement for a 50 ppm boron loading was measured. To boost the boron dose enhancement to 3% it was necessary to change the primary proton energy from 66 MeV and to filter the beam by 90 mm of tungsten.

This report contains a general introduction, the experimental section, general conclusions, and two appendices: using projection operators to construct the basis functions and the magnetic transition of bulk pyrrhotite samples in the low-temperature range. Four chapters have been removed for separate processing. They are: From pyrrhotite to troilite: An application of the Landau theory of phase transitions; Phase transition in near stoichiometric iron sulfide; A ordering, incommensuration and phase transitions in pyrrhotite. Part 1: A TEM study of Fe{sub 7}S{sub 8}; and Part 2: A high-temperature X-ray powder diffraction and thermomagnetic study.

This doctoral dissertation is presented as three self-contained papers. An introductory chapter considers traditional spatio-temporal statistical methods used in the atmospheric sciences from a statistical perspective. Although this section is primarily a review, many of the statistical issues considered have not been considered in the context of these methods and several open questions are posed. The first paper attempts to determine a means of characterizing the semiannual oscillation (SAO) spatial variation in the northern hemisphere extratropical height field. It was discovered that the midlatitude SAO in 500hPa geopotential height could be explained almost entirely as a result of spatial and temporal asymmetries in the annual variation of stationary eddies. It was concluded that the mechanism for the SAO in the northern hemisphere is a result of land-sea contrasts. The second paper examines the seasonal variability of mixed Rossby-gravity waves (MRGW) in lower stratospheric over the equatorial Pacific. Advanced cyclostationary time series techniques were used for analysis. It was found that there are significant twice-yearly peaks in MRGW activity. Analyses also suggested a convergence of horizontal momentum flux associated with these waves. In the third paper, a new spatio-temporal statistical model is proposed that attempts to consider the influence of both …

A review of spectroscopic imaging issues, applications, and technology is presented. Compton cameras based on solid state semiconductor detectors stands out as the best system for the nondestructive assay of special nuclear materials. A camera for this application has been designed based on an efficient specific purpose Monte Carlo code developed for this project. Preliminary experiments have been performed which demonstrate the validity of the Compton camera concept and the accuracy of the code. Based on these results, a portable prototype system is in development. Proposed future work is addressed.

Objectives of this field experiment were: (1) determine whether there was a statistically significant difference between the radon concentrations of samples collected by EPA`s standard method, using a syringe, and an alternative, slow-flow method; (2) determine whether there was a statistically significant difference between the measured radon concentrations of samples mailed vs samples not mailed; and (3) determine whether there was a temporal variation of water radon concentration over a 7-month period. The field experiment was conducted at 9 sites, 5 private wells, and 4 public wells, at various locations in North Carolina. Results showed that a syringe is not necessary for sample collection, there was generally no significant radon loss due to mailing samples, and there was statistically significant evidence of temporal variations in water radon concentrations.

A discussion of the origins and interpretation of various previously proposed models for the terms in the incompressible Reynolds-stress equation is given. It is hoped that the interpretations will provoke thoughts that will help in the future modeling of Reynolds-stress transport equations. Different forms of the closed Reynolds-stress equation have been solved numerically for the given mean velocity field of the wake flow behind a flat plate at a Reynolds number of 1000. A finite-difference/finite-volume collocation scheme was used to approximate the spatial derivatives, which were implemented in a time-marching scheme. The numerical time integration produced values for the six independent Reynolds-stress components, the turbulent kinetic energy decay rate, and the turbulent length scale for each of the models tried. The results of the different cases were compared and some conclusions were drawn on the effects of the various investigated modeled terms.

Two-phase crossflow over heat exchanger tubes induces vibrations which contribute greatly to the wear on the tubes. Of the three mechanisms leading to two-phase flow-induced vibrations which have been identified, fluid-elastic instability has been recognized as that which leads to the vibrations with the largest amplitude. The mass damping parameter is used to predict the onset of fluid-elastic instability, and the mean drag coefficient is used to calculate the mass damping parameter. In this thesis, the drag coefficient measured over single tubes and tubes within array, in single-phase and two-phase flow at various Reynolds numbers, is discussed. The drag coefficient was measured by two methods. For flexibly mounted tubes, strain gages were mounted on cantilever beams which held the tube in place and allowed it to vibrate in the direction parallel to the flow only. For both rigidly and flexibly mounted tubes, pressure distributions were measured around the perimeter of the tube. Forces, and then the drag coefficient, could be calculated from this information. The drag coefficient was not found to depend upon the flexibility of the tube mounting. As the void fraction of the flow increases, the drag coefficient over the tube increases. This effect was found to be …

Two-phase cross flow over heat exchanger tubes creates vibrations which contribute greatly to the wear on the tubes. Fluidelastic instability is a major mechanism by which tubes can fail. In this work, the fluidelastic instability of a tube placed in an array subjected to two-phase cross flow has been studied. For the determination of fluidelastic instability, a triangular tube array was used. The tubes were made of acrylic and were 2.2 cm or 2.37 cm in diameter and 20 cm in length. Eighteen tubes and 4 half tubes formed 5 rows with a pitch to diameter ratio of 1.4. All of the tubes except the test tube were rigidly supported at the text section wall. The test tube was flexibly supported with two cantilever beams. By installing cantilever beams horizontally and vertically, drag and lift direction tube vibration were studied. Parameters of tube mass, structural stiffness, natural frequency, and pitch to diameter ratio were varied. The drag coefficients on a rigidly held tube in an array subjected to two-phase cross flow were measured. The tube in an array was located at displaced positions as well as at the normal position in order to study the variation of fluid force as …

Flow induced vibrations cause by instability is the subject of this investigation. The bulk of the work performed is theoretical in nature, the comparison with some of existing experimental data is given for each of four models described. First model encompasses the effects of prescribed motion on the cylinder. Such circumstances occur in the case of vortex shedding initiated instability. The reduced velocity within the cylinder array is low and there is no coupling between the adjacent cylinders. Second model assumes certain form of vibration and corresponding behavior of the perturbed velocity field in temporal and one of spatial coordinates thus transforming partial differential equations into ordinary differential equations and takes into account the motion of the neighboring cylinder. This corresponds to fluid elastic controlled instabilities. The resulting equations are solved analytically. The model is used for better understanding of the equations of cylinder motion as well as for quick estimates of threshold of instability. Third model relaxes an assumption about the form of vibration in spatial direction and uses the vorticity formulation of equation of fluid motion to account for fluid-solid interaction. This model analysis is of two phase (air-water mixture) flow. The void fraction distribution is found to …

In this dissertation, a measurement of the partial decay width of the process Z{sup 0} {r_arrow} {tau}{sup +}{tau}{sup {minus}} using data collected during 1993 and 1994 at the OPAL detector at CERN is described. The cross sections of this process at three center-of-mass energies near the Z{sup 0} resonance were determined, and from a fit to those cross sections, the mass of the Z{sup 0}, its total decay width and its partial decay width into {tau}{sup +}{tau}{sup {minus}} final states were determined as M{sub Z} = 91.183 {+-} 0.020 GeV, {Lambda}{sub tot} = 2.514 {+-} 0.018 GeV and {Lambda}{sub {tau}{tau}} = 84.54 {+-} 0.59 MeV. Using published results for M{sub Z}, and {Lambda}{sub tot} with higher accuracy, a value for the partial decay width of {Lambda}{sub {tau}{tau}} = 84.02 {+-} 0.20 MeV was obtained. Further using published results for the decay width of the Z{sup 0} into quark pair final states, the invisible decay width of the Z{sup 0} was determined as {Lambda}{sub inv} = 496.9 {+-} 4.1 MeV, and the number of neutrino generations was determined as N{sub {nu}} = 2.974 {+-} 0.025(exp) {+-} 0.007 (m{sub top}, M{sub Higgs}). All results were found to be in good agreement with …

A composite model of atmospheric, unsaturated and groundwater transport is developed to evaluate the processes determining the distribution of atmospherically derived contaminants in groundwater systems and to test the sensitivity of simulated contaminant concentrations to input parameters and model linkages. One application is to screen specific atmospheric emissions for their potential in determining groundwater age. Temporal changes in atmospheric emissions could provide a recognizable pattern in the groundwater system. The model also provides a way for quantifying the significance of uncertainties in the tracer source term and transport parameters on the contaminant distribution in the groundwater system, an essential step in using the distribution of contaminants from local, point source atmospheric emissions to examine conceptual models of groundwater flow and transport.

The purpose of this study is to find aluminum alloys that are effective for use as wire vacuum seals in the 800MeV particle accelerator located at the Louis Anderson Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF) in Los Alamos, NM. Three alloys, Al 1100, Al 3003, and Al 6061, are investigated under uniaxial compression to determine stresses for a given height reduction from 0 to 70 percent, and to find plastic flow and surface interaction effects. Right-circular cylindrical specimens are compressed on-end (cylindrically) and radially (for modeling as compressed wire). Aluminum 1100 and 3003 alloys are compared for length to diameter ratios of 1 and 2 for both compression types, and are then compared to results of radial compression of annealed small diameter Al 1100 wire currently used at LAMPE. The specimens are also compressed between three different platen surfaces, polished steel, etched steel, and aluminum 6061-T6, to determine effects of friction. The Al 3003 alloy exhibits 20 to 25% lower stresses at all height reductions than Al 1100 for both cylindrical and radial compression.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for radon-222 in public drinking water supplies of 300 pCi/L. Proposed monitoring requirements include collecting quarterly grab samples for the first year, then annual samples for the remainder of the compliance cycle provided first year quarterly samples average below the MCL. The focus of this research was to study the temporal variation of groundwater radon concentrations to investigate how reliably one can predict an annual average radon concentration based on the results of grab samples. Using a {open_quotes}slow-flow{close_quotes} collection method and liquid scintillation analysis, biweekly water samples were taken from ten public water supply wells in North Carolina (6 month - 11 month sampling periods). Based on study results, temporal variations exist in groundwater radon concentrations. Statistical analysis performed on the data indicates that grab samples taken from each of the ten wells during the study period would exhibit groundwater radon concentrations within 30% of their average radon concentration.

The yearly environmental dose equivalent likely to result at the closest site boundary from the Advanced Light Source was determined by generating multiple linear regressions. The independent variables comprised quantified accelerator operating parameters and measurements from synchronized, in-close (outside shielding prior to significant atmospheric scattering), state-of-the-art neutron remmeters and photon G-M tubes. Neutron regression models were more successful than photon models due to lower relative background radiation and redundant detectors at the site boundary. As expected, Storage Ring Beam Fill and Beam Crashes produced radiation at a higher rate than gradual Beam Decay; however, only the latter did not include zero in its 95% confidence interval. By summing for all three accelerator operating modes, a combined yearly DE of 4.3 mRem/yr with a 90% CI of (0.04-8.63) was obtained. These results fall below the DOE reporting level of 10 mRem/yr and suggest repeating the study with improved experimental conditions.

A `user tracer gas test` was performed on laboratory hoods, with a human subject standing in front of the hood, to assess hood containment ability. The relationship of face velocity and cross draft variables to hood containment ability is investigated. The ability of these variables and other tests, such as smoke challenges or tracer gas tests performed with a manikin at the hood, to predict the results of the user tracer gas test is evaluated. All of the laboratory hoods tested in this study were identical bench top bypass hoods with horizontally sliding sashes. A face velocity traverse, cross draft measurements, a pitot traverse to measure exhaust flow, a smoke test, a manikin tracer gas test, and a user tracer gas test were performed on each hood in several different sash positions. Based on the data collected, face velocity, its distribution and variability, and the magnitude of cross drafts relative to face velocity are important variables in determining hood leakage. `Unblocked` vortices, formed such that no physical barrier exists between the vortex and room air or a person in front of the hood, are identified as important sites of leakage. For the hoods evaluated in this study, unblocked vortices were …