A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO followed up on its report on the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) fiscal year (FY) 1998 financial statements."

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The purpose of this calculation is to document the WAPDEG version 3.09 (CRWMS M&O 1998b). Software Routine Report for WAPDEG (Version 3.09) simulations used to analyze waste package degradation and failure under the repository exposure conditions characterized by a two-tier thermal loading repository design. Also documented is the post-processing of these results into tables of waste-package-degradation-time histories suitable for use as input into the Integrated Probabilistic Simulator for Environmental Systems (RIP) version 5.19.01 (Golder Associates 1998) computer program. Specifically, the WAPDEG simulations discussed in this calculation correspond to waste package emplacement conditions (repository environment and design) as defined in the Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (CRWMS M&O 1998a). Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (TSPA-VA) Analyses Technical Basis Document--Chapter 5, Waste Package Degradation Modeling And Abstraction, pp. 5-27 to 5-29, with the exception that a two-tier thermal loading design feature as specified in the License Application Design Selection (LADS) study was analyzed. The particular design feature evaluated in this report is a modification of the repository horizon elevation and layout within the Topopah Springs Member of Yucca Mountain. Specifically, the modification consists of adding a second level, 50-m above the base case repository layout. Two options were considered, representing two variations …

In 1997, the US public and private sectors invested $205.7 billion in R&D. Private sector investments in R&D increased 34% between 1990 and 1997; over the same period the federal government decreased its expenditures by 15% in real terms. Projections of outyear federal budgets indicate the federal government will continue to reduce its investments in R&D for the foreseeable future. Defense R&D continues to be the largest area of concentration for federal government's R&D investments, with defense R&D accounting for 54% of all federal R&D outlays in 1998. Defense R&D is funded at a level which is there times higher than health R&D. Health R&D has experienced the largest inflation-adjusted increases of any federal R&D program, up 21% in real terms since 1990. US national (i.e., public and private) investments in energy R&D currently stand at a 23-year low of $4.4 billion in 1996. Federal support for energy R&D has declined 22% in real terms between 1990 and 1996. Federal energy R&D investments are also undergoing changes in priority. Fossil energy R&D programs are at the beginning of a potentially significant change away from ''clean coal'' technology development programs and towards more fundamental research on ways to decarbonize fossil fuels …

In 1997, the public and private sectors in Japan invested $90.3 billion in R and D. Japan is the second largest supporter of R and D after the United States. A very large percentage (79.4%) of all R and D in Japan is supported by the private sector. The prolonged economic recession that has plagued the Japanese economy for most of the 1990s has significantly reduced the scale of the Japanese R and D effort compared to what it would have been had the economy been more robust. The Japanese government has recently attempted to bring the economy out of this recession through the use of economic stimulus packages. These stimulus packages have contained significant new funding for R and D, although it is apparent that much of the funding is going to R and D programs and R and D construction projects with very near tern payoff and not to the support of longer term R and D. In 1998, the Japanese government devoted 13.7% of all public R and D funds to the support of energy R and D. The priority accorded to energy R and D in Japan is significantly higher than in any other industrialized nation. …

The objective of the Fossil Energy Advanced Research and Technology Development (AR and TD) Materials program is to conduct research and development on materials for longer-term fossil energy applications as well as for generic needs of various fossil fuel technologies. These needs have prompted research aimed toward a better understanding of material behavior in fossil energy environments and the development of new materials capable of substantial enhancement of plant operations, reliability, and efficiency.

This report describes the design, construction, and preliminary results of an experiment that studies imbibition displacement in two fracture blocks. Multiphase (oil/water) displacements will be conducted at the same rate on three core configurations. The configurations are a compact core, a two-block system with a 1 mm spacer between the blocks, and a two-block system with no spacer. The blocks are sealed in epoxy so that saturation measurements can be made throughout the displacement experiments using a Computed Tomography (CT) scanner. Preliminary results are presented from a water/air experiment. These results suggest that it is incorrect to assume negligible capillary continuity between matrix blocks as is often done.

The fluid transfer parameters between rock matrix and fracture are not well known. Consequently, simulation of fractured reservoirs uses, in general, very crude and unproven hypotheses such as zero capillary pressure in the fracture and/or relative permeability linear with saturation. In order to improve the understanding of flow in fractured media, an experimental study was conducted and numerical simulations of the experiments were made. A laboratory flow apparatus was built to obtain data on water- air imbibition and oil-water drainage displacements in horizontal single-fractured block systems. For this purpose, two configurations have been used: a two-block system with a 1 mm spacer between the blocks, and a two-block system with no spacer. During the experiments, porosity and saturation measurements along the cores have been made utilizing an X-ray Computerized Tomography (CT) scanner. Saturation images were reconstructed in 3-D to observe matrix-fracture interactions. Differences in fluid saturations and relative permeabilities caused by changes in fracture width have also been analyzed.

Steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) is an effective method of producing heavy oil and bitumen. In a typical SAGD approach, steam is injected into a horizontal well located directly above a horizontal producer. A steam chamber grows around the injection well and helps displace heated oil toward the production well. Single-well (SW) SAGD attempts to create a similar process using only one horizontal well. This may include steam injection from the toe of the horizontal well with production at the heel. Obvious advantages of SW-SAGD include cost savings and utility in relatively thin reservoirs. However, the process is technically challenging. To improve early-time response of SW-SAGD, it is necessary to heat the near-wellbore area to reduce oil viscosity and allow gravity drainage to take place. Ideally heating should occur with minimal circulation or bypassing of stream. Since project economics are sensitive to early production response, we are interested in optimizing the start -up procedure.

The goal of the Stanford University Petroleum Research Institute is to conduct research directed toward increasing the recovery of heavy oils. Present, SUPRI is working in five main directions: (1) Flow Properties Studies - To assess the influence of different reservoir conditions (temperature and pressure) on the absolute and relative permeability to oil and water and on capillary pressure; (2) In-Situ Combustion - To evaluate the effect of different reservoir parameters on the in-situ combustion process. This project includes the study of the kinetics of the reactions; (3) Steam with Additives- To develop and understand the mechanisms of the process using commercially available surfactants for reduction of gravity override and channeling of steam; (4) Formation Evaluation - To develop and improve techniques of formation evaluation such as tracer tests and pressure transient tests; and (5) Field Support Services - To provide technical support for design and monitoring of DOE sponsored or industry initiated field projects.

Revision O was never issued. Finding safe and environmentally sound methods of storage and disposal of 54 million gallons of highly radioactive waste contained in 177 underground tanks is the largest challenge of Hanford cleanup. TWRS was established in 1991 and continues to integrate all aspects of the treatment and management of the high-level radioactive waste tanks. In fiscal Year 1997, program objectives were advanced in a number of areas. RL TWRS refocused the program toward retrieving, treating, and immobilizing the tank wastes, while maintaining safety as first priority. Moving from a mode of storing the wastes to getting the waste out of the tanks will provide the greatest cleanup return on the investment and eliminate costly mortgage continuance. There were a number of safety-related achievements in FY1997. The first high priority safety issue was resolved with the removal of 16 tanks from the ''Wyden Watch List''. The list, brought forward by Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, identified various Hanford safety issues needing attention. One of these issues was ferrocyanide, a chemical present in 24 tanks. Although ferrocyanide can ignite at high temperature, analysis found that the chemical has decomposed into harmless compounds and is no longer a concern.

There is an estimated 10 billion barrels of original oil in place (OOIP) in diatomaceous reservoirs in Kern County, California. These reservoirs have low permeability ranging from 0.1 to 10 mD. Injection pressure controlled steam drive has been found to be an effective way to recover oil from these reservoir. However, steam drive in these reservoirs has its own complications. The rock matrix is primarily silica (SiO2). It is a known fact that silica is soluble in hot water and its solubility varies with temperature and pH. Due to this fact, the rock matrix in diatomite may dissolve into the aqueous phase as the temperature at a location increases or it may precipitate from the aqueous phase onto the rock grains as the temperature decreases. Thus, during steam drive silica redistribution will occur in the reservoir along with oil recovery. This silica redistribution causes the permeability and porosity of the reservoir to change. Understanding and quantifying these silica redistribution effects on the reservoir permeability might prove to be a key aspect of designing a steam drive project in these formations.

This report presents the results of an assessment of a test installation of two similar sulfur lamp, or S-lamp lighting systems, with hollow-light guide distribution. The S-lamp, developed by Fusion Lighting, Inc. with support from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Building Technology, Community and State Programs (BTS), was demonstrated as a prototype for the first time in 1994. The S-lamp embodies a new, microwave-powered, electrodeless technology that offers improved energy efficiency and color rendition compared with most available sources. The purpose of this assessment is to provide important information to all of those involved regarding the effectiveness and future applicability of this technology in a postal sorting setting.

The goal of the Stanford University Petroleum Research Institute is to conduct research directed toward increasing the recovery of heavy oils. Present, SUPRI is working in five main directions: (1) Flow Properties Studies - To assess the influence of different reservoir conditions (temperature and pressure) on the absolute and relative permeability to oil and water and on capillary pressure; (2) In-Situ Combustion - To evaluate the effect of different reservoir parameters on the in-situ combustion process. This project includes the study of the kinetics of the reactions; (3) Steam with Additives- To develop and understand the mechanisms of the process using commercially available surfactants for reduction of gravity override and channeling of steam; (4) Formation Evaluation - To develop and improve techniques of formation evaluation such as tracer tests and pressure transient tests; and (5) Field Support Services - To provide technical support for design and monitoring of DOE sponsored or industry initiated field projects.

Foam is used to reduce the high mobility of gas-drive fluids and improve the contact between oil and these injected fluids. We require a better understanding of the effect of surfactant concentration on foam flow in porous media. Besides this, the literature on foam flow and transport in heterogeneous systems is sparse although the field situation is primarily heterogeneous and multidimensional. In this study, foam flow experiments were conducted first in homogeneous sand packs to investigate the effect of surfactant concentration on foam flow and then a heterogeneous experimental setup was prepared to observe heterogeneity and multidimensional flow effects on foam propagation. The homogeneous core experiments were conducted in a cylindrical aluminum core holder that was packed with a uniform Ottawa sand. Sand permeability is about 7.0 Darcy. The experiments were interpreted in terms of evolution of in-situ water saturation as a function of time by the usage of CT scanner, cumulative water, and pressure drop across the core. At very low surfactant concentration, no significant benefit was observed. But when stable foam generation started sweep efficiency (water recovery), breakthrough time, and pressure drop increased as surfactant concentration increased.

At the present time, there are a number of future linear collider designs with a center-of-mass energy of 500 GeV or more with luminosities in excess of 10{sup -34}cm{sup -2}s{sup -1} . Many of these designs are at an advanced state of development. However, to attain the high luminosity, the colliders require very small beam emittances, strong focusing, and very good stability. In this paper, some of the outstanding issues related to producing and maintaining the small beam sizes are discussed. Although the different designs are based on very different rf technologies, many of these problems are common.

Recognizing the lack of operational data on alternative fuel heavy-truck trucks, NREL contracted with the Trucking Research Institute (TRI) in 1994 to obtain a cooperative agreement with Liquid Carbonic. The purpose of this agreement was to (1) purchase and operate liquid natural gas- (LNG-) powered heavy-duty tractor-trailers with prototype Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) Series 60 natural gas (S60G) engines in over-the-road commercial service applications; and (2) collect and provide operational data to DDC to facilitate the on-road prototype development of the engine and to NREL for the Alternative Fuels Data Center. The vehicles operated from August 1994 through April of 1997 and led to a commercially available, emissions-certified S60G in 1998. This report briefly documents the engine development, the operational characteristics of LNG, and the lessons learned during the project.

This report describes work performed by International Solar Electric Technology, Inc. (ISET) during phase I of the R&D partnership subcontract titled ''CIS-Type PV Device Fabrication by Novel Techniques.'' The objective of this program is to bring ISET's novel non-vacuum CIS technology closer to commercialization by concentrating on issues such as device-efficiency improvement, larger-bandgap absorber growth, and module fabrication. Advances made in CIS and related compound solar cell fabrication processes have clearly shown that these materials and device structures can yield power conversion efficiencies in the 15%-20% range. However, many of the laboratory results on CIS-type devices have been obtained using relatively high-cost vacuum-based deposition techniques. The present project was specifically geared toward developing a low-cost, non-vacuum ''particle deposition'' method for CIS-type absorber growth. There are four major processing steps in this technique: (i) preparation of a starting powder containing all or some of the chemical species constituting CIS, (ii) preparation of an ink using the starting powder, (iii) deposition of the ink on a substrate in the form of a thin precursor layer, and (iv) conversion of the precursor layer into a fused photovoltaic absorber through annealing steps. During this Phase I program, ISET worked on tasks that were geared …

This document describes the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's (PNNL's) approach to information technology (IT) benchmarking. The purpose is to engage other organizations in the collaborative process of benchmarking in order to improve the value of IT services provided to customers. This document's intended audience consists of other U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories and their IT staff. Although the individual participants must define the scope of collaborative benchmarking, an outline of IT service areas for possible benchmarking is described.

This report provides a brief overview of the evolution of commemorative legislation. It also summarizes the various laws, rules, and procedures Congress has adopted in establishing criteria for the consideration and enactment of commemorative legislation.

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Pattern geometry plays a major role in determining oil recovery during secondary and enhanced oil recovery operations. Although simulation is an important tool for design and evaluation, the first step often involves rough calculations based upon areal sweep efficiencies of displacements in homogeneous, two-dimensional, scaled, physical models. These results are available as a function of the displacement pattern and the mobility ratio, M. The mobility ratio is simply the mobility of the displacing phase over that of the displaced, or resident, phase. Because it is possible to compute sweep efficiency analytically when the displacing and displaced phase have the same mobility, scaled physical model results have been verified for unit mobility ratios.

A systematic experimental investigation of capillary pressure characteristics and fluid flow in diatomite was begun. Using an X-ray CT scanner and a specially constructed imbibition cell, we study spontaneous water imbibition processes in diatomite and, for reference, Berea sandstone and chalk. The mass of water imbibed as a function of time is also measured. Imbibition is restricted to concurrent flow. Despite a marked difference in rock properties such as permeability and porosity, we find similar trends in saturation profiles and weight gain versus time functions. Imbibition in diatomote is relatively rapid when initial water saturation is low due to large capillary forces. Using a non-linear regression analysis together with the experimental data, the capillary pressure and water relative permeability curves are determined for the diatomite in the water-air system. The results given for displacement profiles by numerical simulation match the experimental results.