This report documents the technical progress through the first six months of this one-year program under DoE Contract which was effective 1 May 1978.

The International Centre for Powder Diffraction Data has compiled an extensive powder diffraction database available on magnetic tape. The database was evaluated to determine the type and quality of the information it contains, including an analysis of d-I pairs per pattern, symmetry, quality marks, Q values, and intensities for subfiles of known crystal class. In addition, nine functions were evaluated to assess pattern quality for cubic and triclinic data. This document presents a minimum amount of data analysis, but concentrates on the distribution and statistics. It also describes how these data were obtained.

The office portion of the building is 4900 ft/sup 2/. The active hydronic space heating system uses 1890 ft/sup 2/ of flat plate air-to-water solar collectors and has 2500 gallons of storage capacity. Included here are the acceptance test plan, operation and maintenance, operating mode table, pictures, and system performance data. (MHR)

The Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) for the LOFT reactor may need to be disabled for modifications or repairs of hardware or instrumentation or for component testing during periods when the reactor system is hot and pressurized, or it may be desirable to enable the ECCS to be disabled without the necessity of cooling down and depressurizing the reactor. A policy involves disabling the automatic-actuation of the LOFT ECCS, but still retaining the manual actuation capability. Disabling of the automatic actuation can be safely utilized, without subjecting the fuel cladding to unacceptable temperatures, when the LOFT power decays to 33 kW; this power level permits a maximum delay of 20 minutes following a LOCA for the manual actuation of ECCS. For the operating power of the L2-2 Experiment, the required decay-periods (with operating periods of 40 and 2000 hours) are about 21 and 389 hours, respectively. With operating periods of 40 and 2000 hours at Core-I full power, the required decay-periods are about 42 and 973 hours, respectively. After these decay periods the automatic actuation of the LOFT ECCS can be disabled assuming a maximum delay of 20 minutes following a LOCA for the manual actuation of ECCS. The automatic …

It is noted that correction of the coupling resonance, ..nu../sub x/ - ..nu../sub y/ = 0, in intersecting storage accelerators with superconducting magnets requires two families of correcting skew quadrupoles with two independent power supplies. A possible location for the two families is suggested, and results are given for the required strengths of the skew quadrupoles and the required accuracy of the corrections. The results are applied to the ISABELLE storage accelerator.

Design and field execution of seismic experiments are described that recorded the characteristics of seismic signals from single and multiple explosions conducted at the Nevada Test Site in Yucca Flat, Nevada. Most of the data were obtained from small-scale underground explosions (total yields ranged from a fraction of a pound to 100 lb of explosives) that were designed to permit characterization of seismic signals as a function of explosive-source configuration. Other data were from explosions conducted in the area by others: two underground nuclear detonations with yields below 40 kt each and several surface explosions whose yields ranged from 700 lb to 100 tons. The project included a comprehensive study of the Yucca lake bed, close-range recording of seismic signals from explosions, and excavation of cavities generated by small-scale high-explosive charges. 60 figures, 14 tables.

The development of a grid-connected Integrated Community Energy System (ICES) is described. This system will supply electric power to the Northern States Power Co. in Minnesota and steam for the University of Minnesota, Augsburg College, two Minneapolis hospitals, and the Dept. of Health building. The fossil-fuel power plant would be located on the University of Minnesota campus. The costs, financing, and legal agreements involved in this project are presented and discussed. (LCL)

Specifications are presented for major components of the dual-purpose power plant to be located on the University of Minnesota campus. This power plant will supply steam and electric power to a proposed grid-connected Integrated Community Energy System. The capital costs and capital budget for the power plant and specifications for auxiliary equipment, such as the interconnecting heat tunnel, are included. (LCL)

Specifications are presented for the electrical equipment, site preparation, building construction and mechanical systems for a dual-purpose power plant to be located on the University of Minnesota campus. This power plant will supply steam and electrical power to a grid-connected Integrated Community Energy System. (LCL)

The preliminary design of a dual-purpose power plant to be located on the University of Minnesota is described. This coal-fired plant will produce steam and electric power for a grid-connected Integrated Community Energy System. (LCL)

A grid-connected Integrated Community Energy System (ICES) with a coal-burning power plant located on the University of Minnesota campus is planned. The cost benefit analysis performed for this ICES, the cost accounting methods used, and a computer simulation of the operation of the power plant are described. (LCL)

The Preliminary Design of a Regional, Centralized Solid Waste Management System for the Twin Cities Metropolitan Region in Minnesota is presented. The concept has been developed for the sound environmental and safe disposal of solid waste generated from its health care industry, although some additional waste supplements are included as economic assistance in order to approach a competitive alternative to current health care solid waste disposal costs. The system design focuses on a 132 tons per day high-temperature, slagging pyrolysis system manufactured by Andco Incorporated, Andco-Torrax Division Design criteria are given. A Collection and Transportation System (CTS) has been planned for the movements of solid waste (General and Special) from the generating HHC facilities within a 10-mile waste-shed zone, for municipal solid waste from a local transfer station currently processing municipal solid waste, and for pyrolysis residue to final disposal. Each of these facilities is now considered as service contract operations. Approximately 15 vehicle trips per day are estimated as vehicle traffic delivering the refuse to the pyrolysis facility. Cost estimates for the CTS have been determined in conjunction with current municipal refuse haulers in the TCMR, and valued at the following: HHC General Solid Waste (HHC/GSW) at 6.00 $/T; …

The University of Minnesota Grid-ICES was divided into four identifiable programs in order to study the feasibility of each of the parts of the ICES independently. The total program involves cogeneration, fuel conversion, fuel substitution, and energy conservation by system change. This Phase II report substantiates the theory that the Basic Grid ICES is not only energy-effective, but it will become cost effective as unit operating costs adjust to supply and demand in the 1980's. The Basic Program involves the cogeneration of steam and electricity. The University of Minnesota has been following an orderly process of converting its Central Heating Plant from gas-oil to 100% coal since 1973. The first step in the transition is complete. The University is presently 100% on coal, and will begin the second step, the test burning of low Btu Western coal during the spring, summer, and fall, and high Btu Eastern coal during the high thermal winter period. The final step to 100% Western coal is planned to be completed by 1980. In conjunction with the final step a retired Northern States Power generating plant has been purchased and is in the process of being retrofitted for topping the existing plant steam output during …

The University of Minnesota is studying and planning a grid connected integrated community energy system to include disposal of wastes from health centers and utilizing the heat generated. The University of Minnesota has purchased the so called Southeast Generating Station from the Northern States Power Company. This plant contains two coal-fired boilers that will be retrofitted to burn low-sulfur Montana coal. Building modifications and additions will be made to support the components of the Andco-Torrax system and integrate the system with the rest of the plant. The Andco-Torrax system is a new high-temperature refuse-conversion process known technically as slagging pyrolysis. Although the pyrolysis of solid waste is a relatively new innovation, pyrolysis processes have been used for years by industry. This report covers the preliminary design and operation of the system. (MCW)

The hazard matrix is our gross identifier of potential solar collector subsystem hazards. The matrix will be used as a hazard reference in the accomplishment of the preliminary design hazard analysis, and to assist system design engineers in the evaluation of the specific subsystem design.

In this preliminary report for Phase II of Health Education Authority of Louisiana's (HEAL) ICES program, specific elements of the basic intitutional issues were readdressed, as requested by the U.S. Department of Energy. The draft environmental assessment was reassessed and updated. Thermal energy demand profiles for the major community sectors, i.e., the five institutions comprising the HEAL Complex, were refined on a month-by-month basis and resulted in establishing ICES plant systems design capacities of 121,500 pounds per hour demand and 418,175,000 pounds per year for steam; 10,000 tons demand and 38,885,000 ton-hours per year for cooling. From these values the concept of the plant was developed. The Phase I capital cost estimate was updated. Total capital cost is now indicated as $29,960,500. The Phase I operating cost estimate was updated, with that figure now $8,468,479. The Phase I financial analysis was updated, producing an estimated annual revenue level of $9,907,062.

Research activity on the Torus 1 and Torus 2 projects is summarized. The diagnostic system for Torus 2 is briefly discussed.

Experimental research in high energy physics is summarized. A list of publications is included. (JFP)

Results from recent integral decay-power experiments are presented and compared with summation calculations. The experiments include the decay power following thermal fission of /sup 233/U, /sup 235/U, and /sup 239/Pu. The summation calculations use ENDF/B-IV decay data and yields from Versions IV and V. Limited comparisons of experimental ..beta.. and ..gamma.. spectra with summation calculations using ENDF/B-IV are included. Generalized least-squares methods are applied to the recent /sup 235/U and /sup 239/Pu decay-power experiments and summation calculations to arrive at evaluated values and uncertainties. Results for /sup 235/U imply uncertainties less than 2% (1 sigma) for the ''infinite'' exposure case for all cooling times greater than 10 seconds. The uncertainties for /sup 239/Pu are larger. Accurate analytical representations of the decay power are presented for /sup 235/,/sup 238/U, and /sup 239/Pu for use in light-water reactors and as the nominal values in the new ANS 5.1 Draft Standard (1978). Comparisons of the nominal values with ENDF/B-IV and the 1973 ANS Draft Standard in current use are included. Gas content, important to decay-heat experiments, and absorption effects on decay power are reviewed. 37 figures, 8 tables.

The usage and performance of a program in a symbolic manipulation language that computes adiabatic invariants of certain Hamiltonian systems via the Lie transform are discussed. 1 table.

Separate abstracts were prepared for each of the three included sections. (MOW)

Installation of a sulfuric acid corrosion test facility has been completed and is described. The facility is to be used for testing of potential materials for containment and heat exchange of a sulfuric acid vaporizer at temperatures up to 725/sup 0/K and boiling pressures of >20 atm (2 MPa). Materials that are ready for test are Duriron, Durichlor 51, single crystal Si, hot-pressed Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ (Noralide NC-132), and hot-pressed SiC (Crystar HD-435), and tests are expected to get underway in April pending Hazards Control approval.

A series of ten slicing demonstrations on a multi-wire slurry saw, manufactured by Yasunaga Engineering Company of Japan and distributed by GEOS Corporation of Stamford, Connecticut, was made to evaluate the silicon ingot wafering capabilities. The results revealed that the present sawing capabilities can provide usable wafer area from an ingot 1.05 m/sup 2//kg (e.g., kerf width 0.135 mm and wafer thickness 0.265 mm). Satisfactory surface qualities and excellent yield of silicon wafers were found. One drawback is that the add-on cost of producing wafer from this saw, as presently used, is considerably higher than the systems being developed by Varian and Crystal Systems for the Low-Cost Silicon Solar Array Protect (LSSA), Task II, primarily because the Yasunaga saw uses a large quantity of wire. The add-on cost can be significantly reduced by extending the wire life and/or by reuse of properly plated wire to restore the diameter.

Various plants that might play a role in the energy mix of the future are discussed and illustrated. Included among them are the Euphorbias and Guayule. (JGB)