On the basis of extensive aerothermochemistry analyses, laboratory investigations, and combustor tests, significant headway has been made toward improving the understanding of combustion phenomena and scaling of high swirl pulverized coal combustors. A special attempt has been made to address the gap between scientific data available on combustion and hardware design and scaling needs. Both experimental and theoretical investigations were conducted to improve the predictive capability of combustor scaling laws. The scaling laws derived apply to volume and wall burning of pulverized coal in a slagging high-swirl combustor. They incorporate the findings of this investigation as follows: laser pyrolysis of coal at 10/sup 6/ K/sec and 2500K; effect of coal particle shape on aerodynamic drag and combustion; effect of swirl on heat transfer; coal burnout and slag capture for 20 MW/sub T/ combustor tests for fine and coarse coals; burning particle trajectories and slag capture; particle size and aerodynamic size; volatilization extent and burnout fraction; and preheat level. As a result of this work, the following has been gained: an increased understanding of basic burning mechanisms in high-swirl combustors and an improved model for predicting combustor performance which is intended to impact hardware design and scaling in the near term.

In Part I of this report the basis for the optimal development of new business opportunities for minorities in nuclear energy programs is defined within the successful completion of all contract tasks. The basis presented consists of an identification of a set of qualified minority-owned small businesses, a defined reservoir of highly trained minorities with applicable expertise, a policy context for the development of opportunities, and a proposed networking structure for information transfer/professional development. In Part II a contractor-focused analysis of the structure of the nuclear industry, a breakdown of the DOE nuclear program by region and functional area, and a directory of minority-owned small businesses by region are presented.

Hydrodenitrogenation of quinoline and decahydroquinoline has been studied employing several catalysts: Bronsted and Lewis acid catalysts without metal, and silica-alumina, ..gamma..-alumina and magnesia impregnated with molybdenum, tungsten, nickel or cobalt. Our results show that nitrogen removal rate was highest for molybdenum on alumina and tungsten on silica-alumina or alumina catalysts. Nitrogen abstraction using ..gamma..-alumina support is considerably faster than with magnesia support. Several catalysts have been prepared and tested, with the emphasis on understanding the role of acidity in the carbon-nitrogen bond scission reaction. Hydrodenitrogenation of quinoline has been studied by using Ni,Mo/chlorided or fluorided alumina catalysts, with various halide concentrations. Preliminary results from this study indicate that halogenation of ..gamma..-alumina catalysts slightly enhanced the hydrogenolysis activity but showed little effect on the hydrogenation activity. Initial results from phenothiazine hydroprocessing show that carbon-sulfur bonds in the reactant are broken much faster than the carbon-nitrogen bonds. Data relevant to this reaction are being evaluated, utilizing kinetic analysis to give quantitative rates of C-N and C-S bond scission and the extents and rates of hydrogenation. Note: this report contains 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th quarterly reports.

With the issuance of this report, all tasks and primary objectives of the contract have been addressed and completed, with the exception of the final report preparation, which is currently on-going. This study has attempted to examine that which complicates all phases of coal utilization, i.e., the contained minerals within the coal and the effect of coal cleaning on their distribution. Three nationally important and regionally different bituminous coals - the Pittsburgh seam, the Pocahontas No. 3 seam, and the Illinois No. 6 seam - have been studied during the course of the work, and a discussion of the final data acquisition, some of the findings, and data revisions are presented in this document. Primary emphasis was on the mineral distributions and their concurrent actions. To study this, mineral washability diagrams, mineral separabilities and other data graphics were prepared to assist in interpreting the relationships. As part of the finalization of data acquisition, a complete petrographic analysis of macerals and submacerals for the Illinois No. 6 coal was also performed. Methods and data presentation used are similar to that previously employed to allow comparisons of these three sets of coal samples.

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A simple code is described that finds marginally stable (..omega../sup 2/ = 0) ballooning-type MHD modes, localized about a field line in an axisymmetric, open-ended, plasma confinement device. The equations are based on a lower bound for the perturbed energy delta W, derived by W. Newcomb from the ideal MHD energy principle, and are cast in the form of a Ricatti equation for the first derivative of the eigenfunction, with the open boundary conditions that this derivative vanish at the plasma boundary down each field line. The input to the code is the two-dimensional shape of a field line, the field strength B(s), and parameters to define pressure profiles throughout the system. The objective is to find the highest plasma pressures for which the given line is MHD-stable.

Research progress is reported in the following areas: (1) the delineation of the boundary separating elastic-brittle and transient-1 semibrittle behavior of granite and of its volcanic and metamorphic equivalents, rhyolite and granite gneiss; (2) the variation of fracture permeability in Sioux Quartzite, Westerly Granite and a fine-1 grained gabbro as a function of effective pressure and hydrothermal alterations; and (3) determine the mechanical properties of selected rocks at high temperatures and pressures. (ACR)

Progress is reported in this project to evaluate benefits associated with control of the surface energetic properties of materials used in heat exchangers; and to identify preferred ranges of these surface conditions that minimize deposits of biological fouling known to deteriorate heat exchange efficiencies in seawater, brackish water, and freshwater systems. The technical approach uses special diagnostic plates in novel flow cells where fluid flow conditions can be well-controlled, modifying the surface chemistry and surface energy of the plates with very thin coatings and examining the earliest events of biofouling caused by macromolecules and microbial organisms. A preliminary list of test surfaces is given. Initial progress was made for measuring heat exchange coefficients using germanium internal reflection plates. A coastal marine aquarium system was established to simulate real-world biofouling conditions.

Progress in evaluating the technical feasibility of SF/sub 6/-insulated cables and circuit breakers for HVDC systems is reported. During this reporting period a new test setup was completed. An assembly jig was designed and fabricated. Model cable up to 20-ft length can be assembled complete outside the test tank. Components to extend the test tank to accommodate a 20-ft model cable have been obtained. A report was drafted on the effect of material selection as well as processing into insulators on the long-term dielectric performance of the insulator. The vertical leaf expansion joint design was improved by replacing the Alcuplate copper-to-aluminum transition piece with nickel plating on the aluminum parts. The joint was fatigue tested with condition which simulate almost 2 1/2 cycles of temperature excursions each day for the 40 year design life of the line. Electrical tests of the joint are in progress.

Tailored Ceramics offer a potential alternative to glass as an immobilization form for nuclear waste disposal. The form is applicable to the wide variety of existing wastes and may be tailored to suit the diverse environments being considered as disposal sites. Consideration of any waste product form, however, require extensive knowledge of the waste to be incorporated. A varity of waste types are under consideration for incorporation into a Tailored Ceramic form. This report integrates and summarizes chemical and physical characteristics of the candidate wastes. Included here are data on Savannah River Purex Process waste; Hanford bismuth phosphate, uranium recovery, redox, Purex, evaporator and residual liquid wastes; Idaho Falls calcine; Nuclear Fuel Services Purex and Thorex wastes and miscellaneous waste including estimated waste stream compositions produced by possible future commercial fuel reprocessing.

The theoretical propagation of short (150-ps) laser pulses in a one-atmosphere CO/sub 2/ amplifier is investigated using a fully coherent density-matrix computer code. The influence of coherent effects and of the response times of the amplifying medium on the temporal shape of the output pulse is examined. It is found that short pulses, whose width is approximately equal to the T/sub 2/ time of the medium, can be effectively amplified.

Some recent developments in the use of complex basis function techniques to study resonance as well as certain types of non-resonant, scattering phenomena are discussed. Complex scaling techniques and other closely related methods have continued to attract the attention of computational physicists and chemists and have now reached a point of development where meaningful calculations on many-electron atoms and molecules are beginning to appear feasible.

Saturation of the short laser pulse transmission of hot CO/sub 2/ has been studied experimentally and theoretically. Pure CO/sub 2/ at 200 torr and 400 +- 3/sup 0/C was contained in a special temperature-controlled 118 cm absorption cell. The cell's energy transmission was measured as a function of the incident pulse's fluence. The incident pulses' wavelengths were either at the P18 or P20 lines of the 10.6 ..mu..m band, and their temporal shape (FWHM of 1.6 ns) was kept fixed as the fluence was changed. The data showed that the absorption of hot CO/sub 2/ saturated differently at the two wavelengths, with the P20 transition being the harder to saturate.

This report describes x-ray diffraction studies of Pu-U alloys carried on at LLNL in 1972. These studies were part of a larger project to understand the 2-phase, banded microstructures observed in Pu-15 wt% U alloys by Riefenberg and Ellinger. This work has produced relatively high-quality diffraction patterns for both components of the banded structures, but computer indexing of these patterns did not produce acceptable solutions for either the zeta-phase or the second component of the banded structures. The effect of uranium on ..cap alpha..-Pu's lattice parameters is determined, and the data for the effect of uranium on ..beta..-Pu's lattice parameters are extended.

Two engine technologies (Brayton cycle and Stirling cycle) currently being pursued by the US Department of Energy were examined for their potential impacts if they achieved commercial viability. An economic analysis of the expected response of buyers to the attributes of the alternative engines was performed. Hedonic coefficients for vehicle fuel efficiency, performance and size were estimated for domestic cars based upon historical data. The marketplace value of the fuel efficiency enhancement provided by Brayton or Stirling engines was estimated. The effect upon various economic sectors of a large scale change-over from conventional to alternate engines was estimated using an economic input-output analysis. Primary effects were found in fuels refining, non-ferroalloy ores and ferroalloy smelting. Secondary effects were found in mining, transport, and capital financing. Under the assumption of 10 years for plant conversions and 1990 and 1995 as the introduction date for turine and Stirling engines respectively, the comparative fuel savings and present value of the future savings in fuel costs were estimated.

This will be an overview in which some of the general properties of loads are examined: their interface with the energy storage and switching devices; general problems encountered with different types of loads; how load behavior and fault modes can impact on the design of a power conditioning system (PCS).

All basic data acquisition relevant to characterization of the contract samples physically and chemically has been completed. Assessment of this data and inter-relationships with mineralogical characterization data is concurrently on-going, with final petrographic data acquisition for the contract to be affected during the next quarter. This remaining analytical work is the detailed maceral analysis of the Illinois No. 6 samples. Work during this quarter focused on coarse and fine coal heavy-media pilot-scale cleaning operations using a heavy-media drum separation and a heavy-media cyclone. Chemical and mineralogical effects produced by these tests are reported herein, completing Task 4 testing of the effects of laboratory pilot cleaning on mineral composition and distribution. Results for froth flotation, size by gravity, jigging, and tabling for this task have been previously reported. Also completed during the work period was the chemical characterization of the Illinois No. 6 slurry-fines sample. Mineralogical data for this sample were reported in Progress Report Number 9.

That portion of the Hawaiian energy self-sufficiency program which is related to a conceptual use of geothermal heat for industrial and agricultural applications is discussed. It is concluded that a direct heat geothermal industrial park located near Pahoa, Hawaii appears feasible. (MHR)

Progress reports are presented for the following areas of study: spent fuel characterization equipment; spent fuel characterization; and spent fuel/package performance. Some of the highlights are: calorimetry was performed on spent fuel assemblies D15 and D22 which were destined for packaging and emplaced into the Climax-Spent Fuel Test (C-SFT); review and analysis of the destructive examination data on five fuel rods pulled from the C-SFT assemblies is continuing; under the disposal condition loads assumed in the structural analyses. The spent fuel cladding has very high mechanical integrity; a program plan to develop a spent fuel data base and predict the in-respository performance of spent fuel is being prepared; documentation was completed describing the test capsule hardware, specimens, safety analysis, and as-built assembly for the Climax-Materials Interaction Test; gamma dose calculations for 30 spent fuel canister filler materials were completed and documented; in support of the stabilizer material screening effort, all preliminary interaction, cost, and availability evaluations were completed; detailed planning for temperature limit, fill process, and prebreach disposal condition compatibility testing was completed.

Progress reports are presented for the following areas of investigation: spent fuel characterization equipment; spent fuel characterization; and spent fuel/package performance. The following are some of the accomplishments. The Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) compilation of calorimetry design and operational information was reviewed by HEDL and returned to PNL for revision incorporating comments. Analysis of data and preparation of final documentation on the destructive examination of spent fuel rods from assemblies used in the Climax - Spent Fuel Test continued. A final loading basis representing seismic and transportation events was established for input to the structural models. The resultant stress histories were applied to cladding fatigue-fracture models. Results show high cladding integrity under the applied loading. The study, A Perspective on Fission Gas Release From Spent Fuel Rods During Geologic Disposal, was completed. Verification documentation was completed for the STAFF-5 heat transfer-fluid flow-stress model of a spent LWR fuel assembly for storage/disposal configurations. Nondestructive examination of the rods removed from whole rod Test No. 1 at 510/sup 0/C and Test No. 2b at 571/sup 0/C was completed. The program plan for testing spent fuel degradation mechanisms was completed. the initial work scope for the alternate Waste Form Assessment was formulated. In …

A simple differential calorimeter was designed and operated for an investigation of the thermodynamic properties of polarized target materials. The calibration and use of the calorimeter are discussed, after a brief exposition of our motivation for this work. The results of a preliminary study of target materials is presented with emphasis on the relevance of the glass state to dynamic polarization in chemically-doped targets.

This report presents overall requirements on underground mining systems suitable for coal seams exploitable in the year 2000, with particular relevance to the resources of Central Appalachia. These requirements may be summarized as follows: (1) Production Cost: demonstrate a return on incremental investment of 1.5 to 2.5 times the value required by a low-risk capital project. (2) Miner Safety: achieve at least a 50% reduction in deaths and disabling injuries per million man-hours. (3) Miner Health: meet the intent of all applicable regulations, with particular attention to coal dust, carcinogens, and mutagens; and with continued emphasis on acceptable levels of noise and vibration, lighting, humidity and temperature, and adequate work space. (4) Environmental Impact: maintain the value of mined and adjacent lands at the pre-mining value following reclamation; mitigation of off-site impacts should not cost more than the procedures used in contemporary mining. (5) Coal Conservation: the recovery of coal from the seam being mined should be at least as good as the best available contemporary technology operating in comparable conditions. No significant trade-offs between production cost and other performance indices were found.

During this reporting period preliminary data were taken for the kinetic models necessary for a peat biogasification process. A limited number of batch experiments were conducted to obtain rate data for the solubilization kinetic model. The analysis of the pretreatment batch tests was slowed down this quarter because the High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) solvent system was altered. This was done because a mass balance around the HPLC with the solvent system (85% H/sub 2/O/15% acetonitrile) was incomplete. The preliminary data indicate that the new solvent system developed seems to be acceptable. Pretreated peat, both oxidized and unoxidized, has been fermented to fuel gas with conversions up to 20%. The fermentation experiments show that oxidation temperature has little effect on anaerobic digestion. Continuous digesters were set up to obtain rate data for the fermentation model. Preliminary process models were developed for the three phases of peat biogasification, namely, solubilization, oxidation, and fermentation. Rate data for the solubilization phase were taken, but more is needed to develop the model further.

Picosecond x-ray measurements relevant to the Livermore Laser Fusion Program are reviewed. Resolved to 15 picoseconds, streak camera detection capabilities extend from 100 eV to higher than 30 keV, with synchronous capabilities in the visible, near infrared, and ultraviolet. Capabilities include automated data retrieval using charge coupled devices (CCD's), absolute x-ray intensity levels, novel cathodes, x-ray mirror/reflector combinations, and a variety of x-ray imaging devices.