The objective of this multiyear effort was the development, fabrication and testing of a zirconia oxygen production module capable of delivering approximately 100 liters/minute (LPM) of oxygen. The work discussed in this report consists of development and improvement of the zirconia cell along with manufacture of cell components, preliminary design of the final plant, additional economic analysis and industrial participation. (VC)

Seismic monitoring of the northern section of the Imperial Valley region in Southern California has been underway since 1973, in order to study in detail the relationship between geothermal areas and earthquakes. A description of the 22-station network and a list of preliminary data on earthquakes recorded by the network from January 1977 through March 1977 are presented.

The objective of this multiyear effort was the development, fabrication and testing of a zirconia oxygen production module capable of delivering approximately 100 liters/minute (LPM) of oxygen. The work discussed in this report consists of development and improvement of the zirconia cell along with manufacture of cell components, preliminary design of the final plant, additional economic analysis and industrial participation. (VC)

The design of a fiber optic communication network for monitoring and control in power systems is discussed. It is shown that by appropriate choice of protocols, a fault-tolerant system can be built that operates in any arbitrary configuration. Since the network is based on fiber optics, it can be made fast enough for substation monitoring and control. In this application, a relatively small number of cables is required to implement a high reliability system. The network can also be used for distribution automation. In this application the network is required to reach all parts of the power system, and the fiber cable itself becomes a significant fraction of the cost of communications. However, since many applications can be supported at once, the cost per function can be reasonable.

A preliminary description is given of Project SAGE, the solar assisted gas energy (SAGE) water heating system currently being tested and evaluated in Southern California. A statement of the goals and objectives of the SAGE water heating program, a general description of the project in addition to system performance data, evaluations and economic analyses of the various pilot studies, and field test installations are presented.

The Low-Cost Silicon Solar Array Project (LSSA) was established to greatly reduce the price of solar arrays by the improvement of manufacturing technology, by adaptation of mass production techniques, and by helping achievement of user acceptance. The Project's approach includes the development of technology, its transfer by industry to commercial practice, the evaluation of the economics involved, and the stimulation of market growth. The activities and progress of the LSSA Project during its first year are described in this document which covers all Project activities, with primary emphasis on the technical plans and accomplishments. The development of manufacturing technology is now and will continue to be performed principally by industries and universities. To date, 24 contractors are working on new silicon-refinement processes, silicon-sheet-growth techniques, encapsulants, and automated-assembly studies. Nine more contractors have been selected to perform additional technology investigations and their contracts are being negotiated. Additional contracts will be issued in the future as promising ideas appear. (WDM)

A tool is presented to quantify the risks of geothermal projects, the Geothermal Probabilistic Cost Model (GPCM). The GPCM model is used to evaluate a geothermal reservoir for a binary-cycle electric plant at Heber, California. Three institutional aspects of the geothermal risk which can shift the risk among different agents are analyzed. The leasing of geothermal land, contracting between the producer and the user of the geothermal heat, and insurance against faulty performance are examined. (MHR)