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This report is a compendium of quarterly progress reports for Oak Ridge National Laboratory research and development projects that are carried out in support of the increased utilization of coal as a source of clean energy.

The optimum nuclear radial power peaking factor as a function of radial zoning is investigated for large carbide LMFBRs of the 5000 MW(t) class. Four different fuel volume fractions are considered. The two radial zones are characterized by different plutonium enrichments. The dependence of the optimum power peaking factor on the volume and enrichment ratios of outer to inner core is investigated for static conditions and for burn cycles corresponding to first core loading. A simple phenomenological model is used to determine the functional dependence of the optimum enrichment split on the ratio of inner to outer core volume.

Progress during the first quarter of the contractual effort is described. The work performed relates (a) to ribbon growth by a capillary action shaping technique, (b) to ribbon characterization, and (c) to economic evaluation and computer-aided simulation of ribbon growth. Actual progress includes growth of 12-mm and 25-mm-wide ribbon with individual lengths ranging from 0.12 to 1.06 meters. The growth of silicon tubes of 6-mm diameter, 1-mm wall thickness, and more than 100-cm length was also accomplished. The ''growth rate'' problem of melt-grown ribbon-shaped crystals was addressed. An expression for maximum growth rate of cylindrical (Czochralski geometry) crystals and ribbon-shaped crystals was derived. Some representative values at 7.5-cm diameter or width are 45 cm/hr or 2000 cm/sup 3//hr for a cylindrical Czochralski-grown crystal and 625 cm/hr or 95 cm/sup 3//hr for a 0.02-cm-thick ribbon. (auth)

Results are reported from a hybrid experiment designed to search for backwards produced I = 2 exotic meson resonances by investigating the backward scattering reactions: ..pi../sup +/ + p ..-->.. in (forward) + ..pi../sup +/..pi../sup +/, ..pi../sup +/..pi../sup +/..pi../sup +/..pi../sup -/, ..pi../sup +/..pi../sup +/..pi../sup +/..pi../sup +/..pi../sup -/..pi../sup -/, and p anti p..pi../sup +/..pi../sup +/ at an incident pion momentum of 8.4 GeV/c. The SLAC 15'' rapid cycling bubble chamber, operating at 20 cycles per second, was triggered by detecting fast forward neutrons in an optical spark chamber and scintillation counter array downstream. Following two-component duality arguments, Jacob and Weyers and Rosner have suggested backward scattering processes as a favored mode for exotic meson resonance production. Upper limits of the order of one microbarn are reported for the production of narrow exotic meson resonances with masses less than or equal to 3 GeV and which could decay into even G-parity states: ..pi../sup +/..pi../sup +/, ..pi../sup +/..pi../sup +/..pi../sup +/..pi../sup -/, ..pi../sup +/..pi../sup +/..pi../sup +/..pi../sup +/..pi../sup -/..pi../sup -/, and p anti p..pi../sup +/..pi../sup +/. The mass resolution in the above channels varied from 5 to 30 MeV over the mass range for the most restrictive sample of events. The statistical significance of the …

A method for data communication between PDP-8/L and NOVA 1220 computer-based multichannel analyzer systems is described. The method is implemented by modification of each system's operating program with appropriate I/O subroutines and by installation of a minor amount of hardware logic to a NOVA general purpose interface board. The method provides for high speed transfer of gamma energy analysis data between a Nuclear Data Corporation 50/50 system and a Tracor-Northern Corporation 660 system. (auth)

Two pump and motor units, indentical to those to be used in the primary-coolant system of the LOFT facility, were subjected to a series of tests to determine their suitability for loss-of-coolant experiments. These tests were mainly decompressions intended to simulate the various loadings which will occur in LOFT experiments. Additionally, performance tests, cavitation tests, and tests of the water injection to the motor and bearings were made. Various checks and measurements were made before and after each test to assess the effects on the pump of the environments to which they were exposed. Each of these requalifications indicated a normal condition. A complete disassembly and inspection of both pumps and motors will be made and reported upon later. The report presented contains plots of the pertinent data acquired as well as descriptions of the instrumentation used, system configuration, and test conditions. Such information should enable all interested parties to make independent evaluations of the environments to which the pumps were subjected and the performance of the pumps under those conditions.

Vapor pressure measurements on sodium by the pressure tube method are reported up to 3,267 lbs/sq. in. absolute and 4340 deg Rankine. A picnometer-type apparatus for measuring the isothermal compressibility of liquid sodium has been completed. It was tested with water, giving reasonably good checks of steam table values. This apparatus is expected to be able to also provide P-V-T data on sodium up to some 3000/sup 0/F, and on cesium to the critical region. The program on properties of mercury vapor to high pressures was completed with thermal conductivity measurements to 3000 lbs/sq.in. abs. and 80/sup 0/C of superheat. Preliminary analysis yields data which agree within 7 percent, or 20/sup 0/C, with previous results up to atmospheric pressure. A NaK and sodium loop with capacities of approximately 5 gallons per minute, 40 lbs/sq.in. pressure drop and over 1200/sup 0/F has been reconditioned and installed to be available for LMFBR and similar tests and programs.

A study of the temperature dependence of the absorption coefficient in amorphous dielectrics below 10 cm/sup -1/ enabled the identification of energy level configurations from thermal population changes. It was found that the anomalous low frequency modes in glasses are comprised of widely spaced manifolds of energy levels.

The bioenergetics of Simulium spp. and Cheumatopsyche analis from Rattlesnake Springs and Snively Creek, respectively, Benton County, Washington and Tricorthodes minutus from Deep Creek, Oneida County, Idaho were studied using a variety of techniques. Ingestion rates were measured using food sources (diatoms, finely ground watercress, bacteria, and blue-green algae) labelled with /sup 51/Cr and /sup 14/C. Theoretical ingestion rates were calculated from analyses of gut weights and digestion times. Assimilation efficiencies (AE) were determined using the /sup 14/C and dual-label (/sup 51/Cr, /sup 14/C) methods and the ash-ratio technique. The dual-label method provided reliable results when leaching of isotopes from food and feces were not significant. Provided the /sup 51/Cr activity density of food is sufficient, the time required for digestion can also be more accurately determined with /sup 51/Cr than with /sup 14/C. The ash-ratio method provided a wide range of AE values and is not as reliable as the dual-label method because mineral assimilationis unpredictable. Assimilation rates were derived for these animals using the ingestion rate and AE, by several methods employing /sup 14/C uptake curves, and by differences in /sup 51/Cr- and /sup 14/C-derived accumulation values. Methods used to measure other energy budget components are also given. …

The effect of radial zoning on optimization of the nuclear power peaking factor is considered for large LMFBRs of the 5000 MW(t) class. The dependence of the power peaking factor on the ratios of outer-to-inner core volumes and enrichments was investigated for static conditions and burn cycles corresponding to first core loadings and equilibrium cores. Carbide and nitride fuels were considered.

This review of laser implosion research contains discussions on the efficiency of light absorption, processes of absorption, and the energy spectra of heated electrons. Diagrams are given showing the various processes and stages of a laser imploded target. Some calculational results using the LASNEX code are described. (MOW)

Methyl alcohol (methanol) can be made from coal and waste products with reasonable thermal efficiency. Strong interest in blending this liquid fuel with gasoline for automotive use has developed. A research program is described which characterized the behavior of methanol-gasoline blends in spark ignition engines, particularly those used in automobiles. The program included: characterizing octane ratings of methanol-gasoline blends, a single cylinder engine study of the effects of engine parameter variations on emissions and fuel economy of methanol-gasoline blends, and a simulated vehicle program to determine the behavior of the blends for the federal emissions test procedure. Results indicated that no substantial changes in emissions or fuel economy should be expected from operating blends of 10 percent or less in existing vehicles. Performance, vapor lock, phase separation, and corrosion problems are pointed out.

Tertiary sedimentary rocks in the northern portions of the western Okanogan highlands and in the upper Columbia River valley were investigated during a regional study to determine the favorability for potential uranium resources of the Tertiary sedimentary rocks of northeastern Washington. This project involved measurement and sampling of surface sections, collection of samples from isolated outcrops, and chemical and mineralogical analyses of samples. No portion of the project area of this report is rated of high or of medium favorability for potential uranium resources. Low favorability ratings are given to Oroville, Tonasket, and Pine Creek areas of the Okanogan River valley; to the Republic graben; and to the William Lakes, Colville, and Sheep Creek areas of the upper Columbia River valley. All these areas contain some fluvial, poorly sorted feldspathic or arkosic sandstones and conglomerates. These rocks are characterized by very low permeability and a consistently high siliceous matrix suggesting very low initial permeability. There are no known uranium deposits in any of these areas, and low level uranium anomalies are rare.

Instruments were developed for accurately measuring the mechanical power input to the surface of a spherical part being lapped to a superfinish. Slip rings were developed to remove the torque signal from the rotating shaft. Accurate gaging equipment for applied pneumatic pressure and lap machine shaft rotation rate was installed. Torque measurements accurate to +-0.03 in. oz. (+-0.212 mN.m), pressures to +-0.01 psig (+-69 Pa), and rotation rates to +-3 rpm (+-0.3 rad/sec) are continuously measured with the system.

Tertiary sedimentary rocks in the Pend Oreille River valley were investigated in a regional study to determine the favorability for potential uranium resources of northeastern Washington. This project involved measurement and sampling of surface sections, collection of samples from isolated outcrops, chemical and mineralogical analyses of samples, and examination of available water well logs. The Box Canyon Dam area north of Ione is judged to have very high favorability. Thick-bedded conglomerates interbedded with sandstones and silty sandstones compose the Tiger Formation in this area, and high radioactivity levels are found near the base of the formation. Uranophane is found along fracture surfaces or in veins. Carbonaceous material is present throughout the Tiger Formation in the area. Part of the broad Pend Oreille valley surrounding Cusick, Washington, is an area of high favorability. Potential host rocks in the Tiger Formation, consisting of arkosic sandstones interbedded with radioactive shales, probably extend throughout the subsurface part of this area. Carbonaceous material is present and some samples contain high concentrations of uranium. In addition, several other possible chemical indicators were found. The Tiger-Lost Creek area is rated as having medium favorability. The Tiger Formation contains very hard, poorly sorted granite conglomerate with some beds …

This annual report is a compendium of selected time-series data describing the transportation, production, processing, and consumption of energy. The statistics have been assembled from a wide variety of sources, including the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Interstate Commerce Commission, and the American Petroleum Institute. The report is divided into three main sections. The first, entitled ''Energy Transport,'' contains such items as the revenues and expenses of oil pipeline companies, number and capacities of U.S. tank ships, and the total crude oil transported in the U.S. by method of transportation. The second section, entitled ''Reserves, Production, and Refining,'' reveals the growth over time of the U.S. oil and natural gas reserves, refinery capacity, and yields. Trends in the demand for fuel and power are displayed in the third section, entitled ''Energy Consumption.'' Throughout this part, the transportation sector is emphasized. Included are the gasoline and oil costs of automobiles of different sizes, the consumption of petroleum by type of product, the electrical energy consumed by the local transit industry, and other important statistics describing the supply and demand for energy. (auth)

The study shows that the all-nuclear spacecraft can have a substantial weight advantage over a hybrid (nuclear/solar) or all-solar spacecraft, owing to a further reduction in power requirement, and to the elimination of such equipment as the sensor gimbal and rotating joint assemblies. Because the need for a sun-oriented section is eliminated, the all-nuclear spacecraft can be designed as a monolithic structure, with the sensor and other payload firmly secured in a fixed position on the structure. This enhances attitude stability while minimizing structural weight and eliminating the need for flexible fluid lines. Sensor motion can be produced, varied, and controlled within the limits specified by the study contractors by moving the entire spacecraft in the prescribed pattern. A simple attitude control system using available hardware suffices to meet all requirements.

A control system is being developed that will be capable of operating solar heating and cooling systems covering a wide range of configurations, and using different operating strategies that may be optimal for different climatic regions. To insure widespread applicability of the control system, it is being designed to allow for modification for operating with essentially all practical heating and cooling system configurations and control algorithms simply by interchange of replaceable modules in the circuitry. An experimental heating and cooling system, the main purpose of which is to allow testing and exercise of the controller, was designed so that it could be operated in these various configurations.

This report evaluates mathematical models that may be used to predict the flow and temperature distributions resulting from heated surface discharges from power-plant outfalls. Part One discusses the basic physics of surface-plume dispersion and provides a critical review of 11 of the most popular and promising plume models developed to predict the near- and complete-field plume. Part Two compares predictions from the models to prototype data, laboratory data, or both. Part Two also provides a generic discussion of the issues surrounding near- and complete-field modeling. The principal conclusion of the report is that the available models, in their present stage of development, may be used to give only general estimates of plume characteristics; precise predictions are not currently possible. The Shirazi-Davis and Pritchard (No. 1) models appear superior to the others tested and are capable of correctly predicting general plume characteristics. (The predictions show roughly factor-of-two accuracy in centerline distance to a given isotherm, factor-of-two accuracy in plume width, and factor-of-five accuracy in isotherm areas.) The state of the art can best be improved by pursuing basic laboratory studies of plume dispersion along with further development of numerical-modeling techniques.

A laboratory apparatus has been constructed for testing two HEPA filters in a series configuration. The apparatus consists of an instrumented wind tunnel in which the HEPA filters are mounted, and an auxiliary wind tunnel for obtaining diluted samples of the challenge aerosol upstream of the first filter. Measurements performed with a single particle aerosol spectrometer demonstrate the capability for measuring overall protection factors of greater than 2.5 x 10$sup 8$. The decay of penetration as a function of time in individual HEPA filters indicates no preferential size discrimination in the range of 0.1 $mu$m to 1.0 $mu$m; nor is there a preferential size discrimination of penetration in this same range. A theoretical feasibility study has been performed on the use of an inhomogeneous electric field/induced aerosol electric dipole interaction for potential use as an air cleaning mechanism. Numerical evaluation of a coaxial cylinder geometry indicates that the method is feasible for collection of particles down to 0.1 $mu$m under typical airflow velocity conditions. Small modifications in the geometry may be incorporated to create an instrument capable of measuring particle size. Geometries other than coaxial cylinders are also under investigation. (auth)

This report describes and summarizes the activities of the applied sections of the Health Physics Division, i.e., Radiation Monitoring, Radiation and Safety Surveys, Industrial Safety and Special Projects, and the Environmental Surveillance Department of the Analysis and Assessment of Health Effects Section for calendar year 1974.