Regardless of the form of restructuring, deregulatedelectricity industries share one common feature: the absence of anysignificant, rapid demand-side response to the wholesale (or, spotmarket) price. For a variety of reasons, most electricity consumers stillpay an average cost based regulated retail tariff held over from the eraof vertical integration, even as the retailers themselves are oftenforced to purchase electricity at volatile wholesale prices set in openmarkets. This results in considerable price risk for retailers, who aresometimes additionally forbidden by regulators from signing hedgingcontracts. More importantly, because end-users do not perceive real-time(or even hourly or daily) fluctuations in the wholesale price ofelectricity, they have no incentive to adjust their consumptionaccordingly. Consequently, demand for electricity is highly inelastic,which together with the non storability of electricity that requiresmarket clearing over very short time steps spawn many other problemsassociated with electricity markets, such as exercise of market power andprice volatility. Indeed, electricity generation resources can bestretched to the point where system adequacy is threatened. Economictheory suggests that even modest price responsiveness can relieve thestress on generation resources and decrease spot prices. To quantify thiseffect, actual generator bid data from the New York control area is usedto construct supply stacks and intersect them with demand curves …

In this study, various facade designs with overhangs combined with electrochromic window control strategies were modeled with a prototypical commercial office building in a hot and cold climate using the DOE 2.1E building energy simulation program. Annual total energy use (ATE), peak electric demand (PED), average daylight illuminance (DI), and daylight glare index (DGI) were computed and compared to determine which combinations of fagade design and control strategies yielded the greatest energy efficiency, daylight amenity, and visual comfort.

The development of synthetic pathways to yield advanced functional materials is an important aspect of materials science. In particular, the ability to control and manipulate the chemical composition and structure of inorganic nanomaterials is highly desirable. Two synthetic approaches which show great promise for producing the next generation of functional inorganic nanomaterials are (1) templating of supramolecular assemblies and (2) ion exchange within nanostructured inorganic solids to manipulate chemical composition. Templating of supramolecular assemblies of surfactants and amphiphilic polymers has already proven to be a powerful technique in synthesizing various inorganic structures. Namely, numerous examples of mesostructured metal oxides (SiO{sub 2}, TiO{sub 2}, WO{sub 3}, etc.) have been synthesized by templating the liquid crystalline phases of amphiphilic polymers and surfactants (i.e. vesicles, 2D and 3D hexagonal and cubic phases, etc.) with inorganic precursors, resulting in the formation of highly ordered inorganic-organic hybrid materials. Although the templating of supramolecular assemblies has been successful in generating highly ordered mesostructured metal oxides, there are only a few examples of non-oxidic mesostructured inorganic materials. The recent developments of ion exchange within nanoparticles offer a promising approach to generating novel nanostructured inorganic materials with unique chemical compositions. Konenkamp et al. and Alivisatos et al. have …

With increasing concerns about energy independence, job outsourcing, and risks of global climate change, it is important for policy makers to understand all impacts from their decisions about energy resources. This paper assesses one aspect of the impacts: direct economic effects. The paper compares impacts to states from equivalent new electrical generation from wind, natural gas, and coal. Economic impacts include materials and labor for construction, operations, maintenance, fuel extraction, and fuel transport, as well as project financing, property tax, and landowner revenues. We examine spending on plant construction during construction years, in addition to all other operational expenditures over a 20-year span. Initial results indicate that adding new wind power can be more economically effective than adding new gas or coal power, and that a higher percentage of dollars spent on coal and gas will leave the state. For this report, we interviewed industry representatives and energy experts, in addition to consulting government documents, models, and existing literature. The methodology for this research can be adapted to other contexts for determining economic effects of new power generation in other states and regions.

The development of efficient, renewable methods of producing hydrogen are essential for the success of the hydrogen economy. Since the feedstock for electrolysis is water, there are no harmful pollutants emitted during the use of the fuel. Furthermore, it has become evident that concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) systems have a number of unique attributes that could shortcut the development process, and increase the efficiency of hydrogen production to a point where economics will then drive the commercial development to mass scale.

The authors calculate the complete next-to-next-to-leading order QCD correction of the charm quark contribution to the branching ratio for the rare decay K{sup +} {yields} {pi}{sup +}{nu}{bar {nu}} in the standard model. The inclusion of these {Omicron}({alpha}{sub s}) contributions leads to a significant reduction of the theoretical uncertainty from {+-} 10.1% down to {+-} 2.4% in the relevant parameter P{sub c}, implying the left over scale uncertainties in {Beta}(K{sup +} {yields} {pi}{sup +}{nu}{bar {nu}}) and in the determination of |V{sub td}|, sin 2{beta} and {gamma} from the K {yields} {pi}{nu}{bar {nu}} system to be {+-} 1.3%, {+-} 1.0%, {+-} 0.006 and {+-} 1.2{sup o}, respectively. for the charm quark {ovr MS} mass m{sub c}(m{sub c}) = (1.30 {+-} 0.05) GeV and |V{sub us}| = 0.2248 the next-to-leading order value P{sub c} = 0.37 {+-} 0.06 is modified to P{sub c} = 0.37 {+-} 0.04 at the next-to-next-to-leading order level with the latter error fully dominated by the uncertainty in m{sub c}(m{sub c}). Adding the recently calculated long-distance contributions we find {Beta}(K{sup +} {yields} {pi}{sup +}{nu}{bar {nu}}) = (8.0 {+-} 1.1) x 10{sup -11} with the quoted error almost entirely due to the present uncertainties in m{sub c}(m{sub c}) and the …

Using the complete KTeV data set of 5241 candidate K{sub L} {yields} {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}e{sup +}e{sup -} decays (including an estimated background of 204 {+-} 14 events), we have measured the coupling g{sub CR} = 0.163 {+-} 0.014 (stat) {+-} 0.023 (syst) of the CP conserving charge radius process and from it determined a K{sup 0} charge radius of <r{sub K{sup 0}}{sup 2}> = (-0.077 {+-} 0.007(stat) {+-} 0.011(syst))fm{sup 2}. We have also determined a first experimental upper limit of 0.04 (90% CL) for the ratio |g{sub E1}|/|g{sub M1}| of the coupling for the E1 direct photon emission process relative to the coupling for M1 direct photon emission process. We also report the measurement of |g{sub M1}| including its associated vector form factor |{bar g}{sub M1}|1 + a{sub 1}/a{sub 2}/(M{sub p}{sup 2} - M{sub K}{sup 2})+2M{sub K}E{sub {gamma}*} where |{bar g}{sub M1}| = 1.11 {+-} 0.12 (stat) {+-} 0.08 (syst) and a{sub 1}/a{sub 2} = (-0.744 {+-} 0.027 (stat) {+-} 0.032 (syst)) GeV{sup 2}/c{sup 2}. In addition, a measurement of the manifestly CP violating asymmetry of magnitude (13.6 {+-} 1.4 (stat) {+-} 1.5 (syst))% in the CP and T odd angle {phi} between the decay planes of the e{sup +}e{sup …

The Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on LASER DIAGNOSTICS IN COMBUSTION was held at Mount Holyoke College from 7/31/2005 thru 8/5/2005. The Conference was well-attended with 121 participants (attendees list attached). The attendees represented the spectrum of endeavor in this field coming from academia, industry, and government laboratories, both U.S. and foreign scientists, senior researchers, young investigators, and students. In designing the formal speakers program, emphasis was placed on current unpublished research and discussion of the future target areas in this field. There was a conscious effort to stimulate lively discussion about the key issues in the field today. Time for formal presentations was limited in the interest of group discussions. In order that more scientists could communicate their most recent results, poster presentation time was scheduled. Attached is a copy of the formal schedule and speaker program and the poster program. In addition to these formal interactions, ''free time'' was scheduled to allow informal discussions. Such discussions are fostering new collaborations and joint efforts in the field. I want to personally thank you for your support of this Conference. As you know, in the interest of promoting the presentation of unpublished and frontier-breaking research, Gordon Research Conferences does not permit …

This abstract presents a brief overview of key components of a motion control stage for accurate nanometer level positioning for scanning specimens over an area measuring 50 mm x 50 mm. The completed system will utilize a short-range, third generation 6 degree-of-freedom fine motion control platform (4 microns, 160 micro-radians) carried by a long-range, two-axis x-y positioning system (50 mm x 50 mm). Motion of the controlled platform relative to a measurement frame will be measured using a heterodyne laser interferometer and capacitance sensing. The final stage will be mounted onto an isolation table in a vacuum chamber, itself on isolation supports mounted to a granite slab on bed rock and isolated from the main floor of the building. This whole system is housed in a temperature-controlled laboratory. It is envisaged that the current system will provide the ability to ''pick and place'' at nanometer levels and be used for long range scanning of specimens (including biological specimens), micro- /macroassembly, lithography and as a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). Furthermore, the system performance will be compared with other comparable systems at international locations such as, National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the UK, Technical University of Eindhoven (TUE) in the Netherlands, Physikalisch-Technische …

Large-scale scientific endeavors such as the International Linear Collider Project can have a lasting impact on education and outreach to our society. The ILC will provide a discovery platform for frontier physical science and it will also provide a discovery platform for broader impacts and social science. The importance of Broader Impacts of Science in general and the ILC in particular are described. Additionally, a synopsis of education and outreach activities carried out as an integral part of the Snowmass ILC Workshop is provided.

In this work, a series of polyphosphazenes were designed to function as water resistant, yet ionically conductive membranes for application to lithium/seawater batteries. In membranes of this nature, various molecular architectures are possible and representatives from each possible type were chosen. These polymers were synthesized and their performance as solid polymer electrolytes was evaluated in terms of both lithium ion conductivity and water permeability. The impact that this molecular architecture has on total performance of the membranes for seawater batteries is discussed. Further implications of this molecular architecture on the mechanisms of lithium ion transport through polyphosphazenes are also discussed.

The increased amount of decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) being performed throughout the world not only strains nuclear cleanup budgets, but places severe demands on the capacities of nuclear waste disposal sites. Although budgets and waste disposal sites have been able to accommodate the demand thus far, the increasing number of large facilities being decommissioned will cause major impacts to the waste disposal process. It is thus imperative that new and innovative technologies are applied within the D&D industry to reduce costs and waste disposal requirements for the decommissioning of our inventory of large and aging nuclear facilities. One of the most significant problems reactor owner’s deal with is the accurate determination of the types and volumes of wastes that will be generated during decommissioning of their facilities. Waste disposal costs, restrictions, and transportation issues can account for as much as 30% of the total costs to decommission a facility and thus it is very important to have accurate waste volume estimates. The use of simulation technologies to estimate and reduce decommissioning waste volumes provides a new way to manage risks associated with this work. Simulation improves the process by allowing facility owners to obtain accurate estimates of the types and …

Human-robot interaction is a subtle, yet critical aspect of design that must be assessed during the development of both the human-robot interface and robot behaviors if the human-robot team is to effectively meet the complexities of the task environment. Testing not only ensures that the system can successfully achieve the tasks for which it was designed, but more importantly, usability testing allows the designers to understand how humans and robots can, will, and should work together to optimize workload distribution. A lack of human-centered robot interface design, the rigidity of sensor configuration, and the platform-specific nature of research robot development environments are a few factors preventing robotic solutions from reaching functional utility in real word environments. Often the difficult engineering challenge of implementing adroit reactive behavior, reliable communication, trustworthy autonomy that combines with system transparency and usable interfaces is overlooked in favor of other research aims. The result is that many robotic systems never reach a level of functional utility necessary even to evaluate the efficacy of the basic system, much less result in a system that can be used in a critical, real-world environment. Further, because control architectures and interfaces are often platform specific, it is difficult or even …

The manufacture of hydrogen from natural gas is essential for the production of ultra clean transportation fuels. Not only is hydrogen necessary to upgrade low quality crude oils to high-quality, low sulfur ultra clean transportation fuels, hydrogen could eventually replace gasoline and diesel as the ultra clean transportation fuel of the future. Currently, refinery hydrogen is produced through the steam reforming of natural gas. Although efficient, the process is responsible for a significant portion of refinery CO2 emissions. This project is examining the direct catalytic decomposition of methane as an alternative to steam reforming. The energy required to produce one mole of hydrogen is slightly lower and the process does not require water-gas-shift or pressure-swing adsorption units. The decomposition process does not produce CO2 emissions and the product is not contaminated with CO -- a poison for PEM fuel cells. In this work we examined the direct catalytic decomposition of methane over a metal modified zeolite catalyst and the recovery of catalyst activity by calcination. A favorable production of hydrogen was obtained, when compared with previously reported nickel-zeolite supported catalysts. Reaction temperature had a strong influence on catalyst activity and on the type of carbon deposits. The catalyst utilized at …

Tevatron Run 2 results on the inclusive jet cross section (MidPoint and K{sub T} algorithm) and the b-jet and b{bar b}-jet cross section (MidPoint algorithm) are presented and compared with theory. The CDF b-jet {bar b}-jet {Delta}{phi} distribution is compared with theory and with the D0 jet No.1-jet No.2 {Delta}{phi} distribution. The understanding and modeling of the ''underlying event'' in Run 2 at the Tevatron is reviewed and new CDF results are presented.

Representatives from the United States and the United Kingdom discussed areas where collaboration on the shutdown of the BN-350 Reactor in Aktau, Kazakhstan would benefit not only Kazakhstan, but would also help to assure the successful shutdown of the reactor. A fundamental understanding of the basis for collaboration has been for each side to ‘add value’ to each of the project areas, rather than simply substitute for each other’s experience. This approach has brought distinct technical and management benefits to the decommissioning activities in Kazakhstan.

This report describes Characterization of an Electroactive Polymer for OverchargeProtection in Secondary Lithium Batteries.

During the past ten years, gamma-ray Bursts (GRB) have been extensively studied in the keV-MeV energy range but the higher energy emission still remains mysterious. Ground based observatories have the possibility to investigate energy range around one GeV using the ''single particle technique''. The aim of the present study is to investigate the capability of the Pierre Auger Observatory to detect the high energy emission of GRBs with such a technique. According to the detector response to photon showers around one GeV, and making reasonable assumptions about the high energy emission of GRBs, we show that the Pierre Auger Observatory is a competitive instrument for this technique, and that water tanks are very promising detectors for the single particle technique.

The thin intergranular phase in a silicon nitride (Si3N4)ceramic, which has been regarded for decades as having an entirely amorphous morphology, is shown to have a semi-crystalline structure. Using two different but complementary high-resolution electron microscopy methods, the intergranular atomic structure was directly imaged at the atomic level. These high-resolution images show that the atomic arrangement of the dopand element cerium takes very periodic positions not only along the interface between the intergranular phase and the Si3N4 matrix grains, but it arranges in a semi-crystalline structure that spans the entire width of the intergranular phase between two adjacent matrix grains, in principle connecting the two separate matrix grains. The result will have implications on the approach of understanding the materials properties of ceramics, most significantly on the mechanical properties and the associated computational modeling of the atomic structure of the thin intergranular phase in Si3N4 ceramics.

The SEM is an invaluable tool in the evaluation of advanced refractories and their failure. A reaction vessel?s refractory liner, at minimum, must protect the reaction vessel from elevated temperatures, corrosive slag and thermal cycling. To understand the failure mechanisms ARC staff had first to determine how an advanced chrome rich refractory was attacked by various components that make up a slag. Refractory cups were made from the refractory of interest and various compounds that can be found in a slag such as CaO, SiO2, Fe2O3, NaCl were placed into the test cups and fired for 24 hours at the required temperature with the desired atmosphere. The cups are prepared for examination by embedding in epoxy and cross sectioning. SEM examination revealed how various slag compositions attacked and penetrated the refractory. The slag could corrode, free refractory grains or react with the refractory and from a new compound. It was found that the only way to measure slag component penetration was with multiple elemental X-ray maps. SiO2 penetrated deeply and in many instances moved through the cup. The knowledge of slag refractory interactions gather during cup testing was applied to actual spent refractory from reaction vessels. Obtaining samples from the …

Winter storms resulting in substantial ice accumulation occur with periodic frequency in the southeastern United States and they have potential to severely damage softwood plantations. Loblolly pine is one of the most important crop tree species in this region and a combined understanding of initial damage and subsequent growth and recovery may allow for more productive utilization of these stands following severe ice storms. In January 2004 a severe ice storm deposited approximately 2 cm of ice on an intensively managed four-year old loblolly pine plantation in South Carolina . The existing treatments within this plantation presented an opportunity to examine the effects of irrigation and fertilization on ice damage and recovery.

Using an ultracapacitor in conjunction with a battery in a hybrid vehicle combines the power performance of the former with the greater energy storage capability of the latter.

Measurements of ellipticities of background galaxies are sensitive to the reduced shear, the cosmic shear divided by (1-{kappa}) where {kappa} is the projected density field. They compute the difference between shear and reduced shear both analytically and with simulations. The difference becomes more important an smaller scales, and will impact cosmological parameter estimation from upcoming experiments. A simple recipe is presented to carry out the required correction.

By the end of 2003, the total installed wind farm capacity in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) system was approximately 1 gigawatt (GW) and the total in the United States was about 5 GW. As the number of wind turbines installed throughout the United States increases, there is a greater need for dynamic wind turbine generator models that can properly model entire power systems for different types of analysis. This paper describes the ERCOT dynamic models and simulations of a simple network with different types of wind turbine models currently available.