This report depicts energy supply and demand conditions in the South in 1975 and highlights differences in production and utilization patterns relative to the United States (some of the consumption data is for 1974). Significant changes during the previous three years are noted to provide continuity with the predecessor report, Energy Conditions in the South: 1972. The most important changes are the substantial increase in nuclear generation of electricity, the absolute and relative decline in oil and gas production, and the increase in per capita energy consumption relative to the nation. Each state within the region is described in detail to ascertain important sub-regional differences in energy conditions. The intent is to provide a description rather than analysis of regional energy patterns, noting variations and emphasizing the comparative advantages of the South. Such a presentation can yield insight into the future role of the region in contributing to the economic growth and welfare of the nation as its natural resource base is depleted and the transition to alternative energy sources is made.

Abstracts of papers published during the previous calendar year, arranged in accordance with the project titles used in the USDOE Schedule 189 Budget Proposals, are presented. The collection of abstracts supplements the listing of papers published in the Schedule 189. The following subject areas are represented: high-energy physics; nuclear physics; basic energy sciences (nuclear science, materials sciences, solid state physics, materials chemistry); molecular, mathematical, and earth sciences (fundamental interactions, processes and techniques, mathematical and computer sciences); environmental research and development; physical and technological studies (characterization, measurement and monitoring); and nuclear research and applications.

We report measurements of the absolute and relative abundances, differential energy spectra, and spectral indices for cosmic-ray nuclei from Li to Fe for 2 to 150 GeV/nucleon. These measurements were made using a balloon-borne superconducting magnetic spectrometer with scintillators and optical spark chambers. The abundances of Li, Be, and B for rigidities below 10 GV/c are consistent with an energy-independent mean interstellar pathlength of 4 1/2 {+-} 1/2 g cm{sup -2} for all propagation models. The abundances of all elements above 10 GV/c are consistent with an interstellar pathlength decreasing with rigidity as R{sup -n} with an index n = 0.6{sub -0.3}{sup +0.4}. All differential source spectra can be fitted by power laws in total energy per nucleon with the same spectral index, which is between 2.5 and 2.6 depending on n. If n is near 0.5 (as for simple diffusion), the source index is 2.54 {+-} 0.03. Relative abundances at the sources are thus energy-independent, and have ratios to solar abundances as a function of first ionization potential which indicate a source temperature between 10{sup 4} and 5 x 10{sup 4} K depending on the equilibrium nature of the injection environment.

This report details a description of program for schools of the Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies.

A field survey of three heating uses: snow melting, jacuzzi pool heating, and swimming pool heating in Mammoth was undertaken. Based on the results, monthly heating capacity factors were calculated and rough designs were prepared for hydronic district heating for each system. Capital cost estimates were prepared for snow melting, jacuzzi pool heating and swimming pool heating systems using LPG and geothermal district heating. It was determined that incorporation of the three additional heating uses in the District Heating System previously defined would require a capacity increase from 52 MWt to 60 MWt to meet peak demands. Energy sales would increase by about 40 percent to 127 million kwh(t) per year. The unit cost for delivered heat at 1977 price levels would decrease from 4.26 cents to 3.22 cents/kwh(t) for an investor owned District Heating System, or from 2.89 cents to 2.24 cents/kwh(t) for public ownership. The total heating costs, including annual costs of customer's heating equipment for a typical building in the Village with district heating, were compared with costs to heat the same building with electricity. The total annual costs for snow melting, jacuzzi heating and swimming pool heating using a 60 MWt District Heating System were compared …

Work has been carried out to develop and improve several promising methods for desulfurizing and recovering fine-size coal. These methods included froth flotation, selective oil agglomeration, pelletization, and a chemical desulfurization process which involves leaching fine coal with a hot dilute solution of sodium carbonate containing dissolved oxygen or air under pressure. This process is an oxydesulfurization process which utilizes an alkaline solution instead of an acidic solution for leaching coal. The results of experiments with a small autoclave showed that more sulfur, both organic and inorganic, was removed from several high-sulfur bituminous coals when a dilute solution of alkali was used than when a dilute acid solution was used for leaching under the same conditions of time, temperature, and oxygen partial pressure. On the other hand, the heating value recovery was somewhat higher when acidic solutions were used. Also it was shown that pure oxygen is more effective than air, even though the oxygen partial pressure was kept the same, for oxydesulfurization of coal in either acidic or alkaline solutions. In addition it was found that the removal of organic sulfur by alkaline solutions increased as the oxygen partial pressure was raised. Although small concentrations of alkali were beneficial, …

Advanced fuel cell research and development activities in Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) during the period October to December 1977 are described. This work has been aimed at understanding and improving the performance of fuel cells having molten alkali-carbonate mixtures as electrolytes; the fuel cells operate at temperatures near 925/sup 0/K. The largest part of this effort has been directed toward development of methods for fabricating and evaluating electrolyte structures for these cells. Cell performance, life, and cost are the criteria of optimization. During this quarter, the desirable physical characteristics of LiAlO/sub 2/ particles, which act to retain the molten carbonates in the electrolyte structure of the cell, have been more clearly defined; a low temperature synthesis of the stable ..gamma..-allotrope of LiAlO/sub 2/ has been devised; an extensive study of LiAlO/sub 2/ stability has begun; and analytical methods have been refined for separating LiAlO/sub 2/, in unaltered form, from carbonates. Testing of various electrolyte structures and other components in 7-cm-dia round cells has provided a means for evaluating new electrolyte developments and verifying a previously developed method for protecting the wet-seal areas of a cell from corrosion.

The objectives of this program are to evaluate candidate alloys for Very High Temperature Reactor Nuclear Process Heat (NPH) and Direct Cycle Helium Turbine (DCHT) applications, in terms of the affect of simulated reactor primary coolant (helium containing small amounts of various other gases), high temperatures, and long time exposures, on the mechanical properties and structural and surface stability of selected candidate alloys. A second objective is to select and recommend materials for future test facilities and more extensive qualification programs. Work covered includes the activities associated with the procurement of the materials for the screening test program and information from vendor certification for the materials received for the nuclear process heat candidate alloys. The design modifications to the helium purification system and the construction status of the simulated reactor helium supply system, testing equipment, and analysis instrumentation and equipment are discussed. Finally, the status and details of the data management are presented.

Resource assessment and methods of direct utilization for existing and prospective food processing plants have been determined in two geothermal resource areas in Oregon. Ore-Ida Foods, Inc. and Amalgamated Sugar Company in the Snake River Basin; Western Polymer Corporation (potato starch extraction) and three prospective industries--vegetable dehydration, alfalfa drying and greenhouses--in the Klamath Basin have been analyzed for direct utilization of geothermal fluids. Existing geologic knowledge has been integrated to indicate locations, depth, quality, and estimated productivity of the geothermal reservoirs. Energy-economic needs and balances, along with cost and energy savings associated with field development, delivery systems, in-plant applications and fluid disposal have been calculated for interested industrial representatives.

This report contains a collection of quarterly reports prepared by Owens Illinois in the development of an air-liquid solar collector for solar heating. combined heating and cooling, and/or hot water subsystems. These reports have been reformatted, pages renumbered, and cost information removed.

A description is presented of a general algorithm for locating the extremum of a multi-dimensional constrained function. The algorithm employs a series of techniques dominated by random shrinkage, steepest descent, and adaptive creeping. A discussion follows of the algorithm's application to a ''real world'' problem, namely the optimization of the price of electricity, P/sub eh/, from a hybrid fusion-fission reactor. Upon the basis of comparisons with other optimization schemes of a survey nature, the algorithm is concluded to yield a good approximation to the location of a function's optimum.

This report describes circumstances involved in the alleged 91.2 grams of plutonium released to the 216-Z-19 Ditch from the 231-Z facility. The following areas were reviewed: 231-Z liquid waste data collected by Battelle-Northwest and Rockwell Hanford Operations (Rockwell); the sampling methods used by Battelle and Rockwell; and operating conditions in the 231-Z and 234-5Z Buildings at the time of the alleged release.

A program to determine if non-metallic materials such as polymers, concrete polymer composites, and refractory cements can be utilized as materials of construction in geothermal processes is in progress. To date, several high temperature polymer concrete systems have been formulated, laboratory and field tests performed in brine, flashing brine, and steam at temperatures up to 260/sup 0/C (500/sup 0/F), and economic studies started. Laboratory data for exposure times > 2 years are available. Test results indicate that polymer concrete (PC) containing mixtures of styrene--acrylonitrile--acrylamide or methacrylamide produces composites with the best high temperature and chemical resistance obtained to date. The results show that the use of a 12 wt % concentration of a 55 wt % styrene--35 wt % acrylonitrile--5 wt % acrylamide--5 wt % trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate monomer mixture in conjunction with 88 wt % of a 70 wt % silica sand--30 wt % Portland cement aggregate produces a composite with a compressive strength at 20/sup 0/C (68/sup 0/F) in the range 25,000 to 30,000 psi. The PC is thermally stable to approximately 240/sup 0/C (464/sup 0/F). Results are also available from field exposures of up to 24 months in four geothermal environments. Good durability is indicated. Work at four …

The continuing progress of the Ames Collaborative Study of Cosmic Ray Neutrons is described. Data obtained aboard flights from Hawaii at altitudes of 41,000 and 45,000 feet, and in the range of geomagnetic latitude 17/sup 0/N less than or equal to lambda less than or equal to 21/sup 0/N are reported. Preliminary estimates of neutron spectra were made.

An analysis was performed to evaluate the sensitivity of annual operating costs and capital costs of waste solidification processes to various parameters defined by the requirements of a proposed Federal waste repository. Five process methods and waste forms examined were: salt cake, spray calcine, fluidized bed calcine, borosilicate glass, and supercalcine multibarrier. Differential cost estimates of the annual operating and maintenance costs and the capital costs for the five HLW solidification alternates were developed. (DLC)

A model of combined boiling and evaporation of liquid films on horizontal tubes was developed. Specifically, this work was directed toward developing a heat transfer model applicable to the design of horizontal tube falling film evaportors for OTEC. The heat transfer process is modelled as combined boiling and evaporation of the liquid film. In modelling the behavior of single tubes special account is taken of heat transfer in the initial thermal developing region of the film. Predictions were found to agree favorably with the published experimental data for boiling and evaporation of thin water films on single horizontal tubes. The predicted upper and lower limits of heat transfer for ammonia on a vertical bank of plain horizontal tubes are 5.4 kW/m/sup 2/-K and 3.1 kW/m/sup 2/-K, respectively. The upper limit will be approached when the influence of between-tube evaporation and turbulence created by the liquid falling from one tube to the next are important. For an OTEC evaporator with plain tubes, the upper and lower limits of the overall U are 2.33 kW/m/sup 2/-K and 1.82 kW/m/sup 2/-K, respectively. With ammonia-side boiling enhancement, the overall U can be increased to about 3.8 kW/m/sup 2/-K.

The impact of retrievably storing spent fuel is measurable in terms of the contribution the stored spent fuel makes to implementing the fuel management option selected. For the case of a decision to recycle LWR fuel in LWRs, a useful indicator of impact is the ratio of energy production with varying degrees of spent fuel retrievability to that achievable with total spent fuel retrievability. For a decision made in the year 2000, this ratio varies from 0.81 (10 yr storage in reactor basins) to 0.97 (retrievable storage for 25 years after fuel discharge). An earlier decision to recycle in LWRs results in both of these ratios being nearer to 1.0. If a decision is reached to implement a breeder reactor economy, the chosen comparison is the installed breeder capacity achievable with varying degrees of spent fuel retrievability. If a decision to build breeder reactors is reached in the year 2000, the maximum possible installed breeder capacity in 2040 varies from 490 GWe (10 yr storage in reactor basins) to 660 GWe (all fuel retrievably stored). If all fuel is retrievably stored 25 years, 635 GWe of breeder capacity is achievable by 2040. For an earlier decision date, such as 1985, …

OXIDE-3 is an evolving code developed to analyze the transient response of certain state variables of a High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGR) during an accident involving the inleakage of steam and/or air into the helium primary coolant system. Primary tasks of the code are to calculate the primary coolant constituents as a function of time, their resultant chemical interaction with the graphite fuel elements, and their possible egress into the containment building. The report takes a critical look at certain aspects of the problem solving methods implemented in OXIDE-3 and gives estimates of the expected accuracy. Attendant to the latter finding, some of the calculated output may require careful interpretation since programmatical warnings are not given when an accuracy limitation is exceeded. The code has been used at BNL in an investigation to calculate the full power steady state impurity concentrations in the primary coolant system as a function of steam leak rate, steam graphite reaction rate, and the effective diffusion constant of steam in graphite. The results are in reasonable agreement with those obtained from the steady state oxidation code GOPTWO.

In an effort to analyze the causes of changes in motor gasoline marketing, various economic data were collected and are presented. These data include; (1) gasoline sales by refiners; (2) sales through salaried retail outlets; (3) the number of gasoline retail outlets; and (4) the number of branded independent retail outlets. (PMA)

Failure of hydrogen compressor valve springs at the Wilsonville, Alabama, Solvent Refined Coal Plant caused a total plant shutdown. Type 304 stainless steel springs had been substituted for two of three alloy X750 springs. Mainly because of their geometry, the type 304 stainless steel springs operated at a higher stress than the proper springs, and it is not surprising that they failed. The only as-fractured surface was on the alloy X750 spring. Edge damage caused by rubbing of the springs against neighboring parts may have played an important role in reducing the life of the springs.

An analytic model has been developed for describing the nonlinear interaction of tearing modes of different pitch in cylindrical geometry for equilibria characterized by flat safety factor profiles. The analysis shows that the m = 2/n = 1 tearing mode can destabilize odd m modes, particularly the 3/2 mode. The model compares well with our three-dimensional (3-D) code with respect to the time evolution of the 0/0, 1/1, 2/1, 3/2, and 5/3 modes. Scaling rules are obtained for the position and location in time of the maximum or peak in the 3/2 growth rate. The characteristic time of destabilization of the odd m modes predicted by the model correlates well with the observed time scale for the major disruption in tokamaks.

Young adult male and female mice of inbred strains, A, BALB/c, C57BL/6, and C57L, and B6CF/sub 1/ and F/sub 2/ hybrids were exposed to daily duration-of-life external /sup 60/Co ..gamma.. irradiation. Age at death was recorded, and most decedents were necropsied to ascertain occurrence of major types of tumors. Age- and cause-specific mortality or incidence rates were derived, and their regressions on age were fitted with polynomial equations by least-squares procedures. Age-specific and age-adjusted integrated lifetime risk in excess of the control population was expressed as the mortality ratio (irradiated/control). Linear and nonlinear functions and widely different life expectancies can be accommodated by this technique. These basic actuarial statistics provide a means for comparative analysis of dose-response functions, sex and genetic variables, relative vs. absolute risk, protraction or dose-rate factors, and major contributing causes of excess risk. They also provide a basis for extrapolation to man. As examples, life shortening in days per rad (4 days/100 rads accumulated) is generally independent of sex, genotype, and daily dose rate. The integrated average lifetime risk of death related to all tumors (0.025%/rad) is largely independent of sex, genotype and dose-rates <12 rads/day, despite the fact that tumor incidence varies by a factor …

This comprehensive guide to the analytical capabilities of Lawrence Livermore Laboratory's General Chemistry Division describes each analytical method in terms of its principle, field of application, and qualitative and quantitative uses. Also described are the state and quantity of sample required for analysis, processing time, available instrumentation, and responsible personnel.

Activities for the year are summarized in sections on analytical methodology, mass and mass emission spectrometry, analytical services, bio-organic analysis, nuclear and radiochemical analysis, and quality assurance and safety. Presentations of research results in publications and reports are tabulated. (JRD)