Metallic uranium Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) is currently stored within two water filled pools, 105-KE Basin (KE Basin) and 105-KW Basin (KW Basin), at the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) Hanford Site, in southeastern Washington State. The Spent Nuclear Fuel Project (SNF Project) is responsible to DOE for operation of these fuel storage pools and for the 2100 metric tons of SNF materials that they contain. The SNF Project mission includes safe removal and transportation of all SNF from these storage basins to a new storage facility in the 200 East Area. To accomplish this mission, the SNF Project modifies the existing KE Basin and KW Basin facilities and constructs two new facilities: the 100 K Area Cold Vacuum Drying Facility (CVDF), which drains and dries the SNF; and the 200 East Area Canister Storage Building (CSB), which stores the SNF. The purpose of this document is to describe the design basis feed compositions for materials stored or processed by SNF Project facilities and activities. This document is not intended to replace the Hanford Spent Fuel Inventory Baseline (WHC 1994b), but only to supplement it by providing more detail on the chemical and radiological inventories in the fuel …

An annual review of the 200 West and 200 East Area Performance Assessment (PA) analyses for fiscal year 1998 was completed. Burial ground disposal operations were found to be compliant with performance objectives in DOE Order 5820.2A. Other newly generated information and analyses relevant to PA assumptions and results were summarized. This report was initially submitted to the Department of Energy-Richland Office (DOE-RL) as a letter report in October, 1998.

Electron storage rings generate energetic bremsstrahlung photons through radiative interaction of the particle beam with the residual gas molecules and other components inside the storage ring. At the Advanced Photon Source (APS), where the stored beam energy is 7 GeV, bremsstrahlung generated in the straight sections of the insertion devices comes down through the beamlines. The resulting absorbed dose distributions by, this radiation in a 300 mm x 300 mm x 300 mm tissue substitute phantom were measured with LiF:Mg,Ti (TLD-700) thermoluminescent dosimeters. The average normalized absorbed dose, in a cross sectional area of 100 mm{sup 2} at a depth of 150 mm of the PMMA phantom, was measured as 3.3 x 10{sup 6} mGy h{sup {minus}1}W{sup {minus}1} for a 7-GeV bremsstrahhmg spectrum.

The objectives for the ASP large early release frequency (LERF) model development work is to build a Level 2 containment response model that would capture all of the events necessary to define LERF as outlined in Regulatory Guide 1.174, can be directly interfaced with the existing Level 1 models, is technically correct, can be readily modified to incorporate new information or to represent another plant, and can be executed in SAPHIRE. The ASP LERF models being developed will meet these objectives while providing the NRC with the capability to independently assess the risk impact of plant-specific changes proposed by the utilities that change the nuclear power plants' licensing basis. Together with the ASP Level 1 models, the ASP LERF models provide the NRC with the capability of performing equipment and event assessments to determine their impact on a plant's LERF for internal events during power operation. In addition, the ASP LERF models are capable of being updated to reflect changes in information regarding the system operations and phenomenological events, and of being updated to assess the potential for early fatalities for each LERF sequence. As the ASP Level 1 models evolve to include more analysis capabilities, the LERF models will …

This paper reports progress on implementing a new capability of adaptive mesh refinement into the Eulerian multimaterial shock- physics code CTH. The adaptivity is block-based with refinement and unrefinement occurring in an isotropic 2:1 manner. The code is designed to run on serial, multiprocessor and massive parallel platforms. An approximate factor of three in memory and performance improvements over comparable resolution non-adaptive calculations has-been demonstrated for a number of problems.

Radiation levels, salt concentration, and the oxidizing nature of the waste dictates modifications to the SW-846 methods. Modified methods will be used to meet target EQLs and QC currently in SW-846. Method modifications will be validated per SW-846 and HASQARD and will be documented consistent with WAC 173-303-910. The affect of modifications to holding times and storage conditions will be evaluated using techniques developed by Maskarinec and Bayne (1996). After validating the methods and performing the holding time study on a minimum of two Phase 1 candidate feed source tank wastes, DOE and Ecology will assess: whether different methods are needed, whether holding time/storage conditions should be altered, whether the high priority analyte list should be refined, and which additional tank waste needs to be characterized.

In the quest to derive energy from renewable resources, NREL scientists pursue disciplines ranging from materials science to structural dynamics to condensed matter physics. Physics is at the core of making this transition to a renewable energy world. The role of light/matter interaction in physics will continue to dominate in the 21st century.

The stability assessment examined 269 non-detected regulated compounds, first seeking literature references of the stability of the compounds, then evaluating each compound based upon the presence of functional groups using professional judgment. Compounds that could potentially survive for significant periods in the tanks (>1 year) were designated as stable. Most of the functional groups associated with the regulated organic compounds were considered unstable under tank waste conditions. The general exceptions with respect to functional group stability are some simple substituted aromatic and polycyclic aromatic compounds that resist oxidation and the multiple substituted aliphatic and aromatic halides that hydrolyze or dehydrohalogenate slowly under tank waste conditions. One-hundred and eighty-one (181) regulated, organic compounds were determined as likely unstable in the tank waste environment.

Experimental data on particle motion near the separatrix of the one dimensional (1-D) fourth-integer islands are an-alyzed. When the beam bunch is initially kicked to the separatrix orbit, we observed a strong decoherence in the coherent betatron motion. We find that, through intensive particle tracking simulation analysis, the decoherence has resulted from the beam being split into beamlets in the beta-tron phase space. However, we also observe an unexpected recoherence of coherence signal, which may result form a modulated closed orbit or the homoclinic structure near the separatrix.

An electron photo-injector facility has been constructed at Fermilab for the purpose of providing a 14�18 MeV elec-tron beam with high charge per bunch (8 nC), short bunch length (1 mm RMS), and small transverse emittance [1]. The facility was used to commission a second-generation photo-cathode RF gun for the TeSLA Test Facility (TTF) Linac at DESY [2, 3]; in the future, the Fermilab electron beam will be used for R & D in bunch length compres-sion, beam diagnostics, and new acceleration techniques. Acceleration beyond 4 MeV is provided by a 9-cell super-conducting cavity (see Figure 1). The cavity also provides a longitudinal position-momentum correlation for subse-quent bunch length compression. We report on the RF tests and a first beam test of this cavity.

This issue of Biofuels News contains two articles. The first focuses on the art and science of bioenergy project financing using the example of three companies planning biomass-to-ethanol plants. The second highlights the objectives and activities of the five Regional Biomass Energy Programs (RBEP) within the US DOE.

Our lives are linked to weather and climate, and to energy use. Since the late 1970s, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has invested in research and technology related to global climate change. DOE's Office Fuels Development (OFD) manages the National Biofuels Program and is the lead technical advisor on the development of biofuels technologies in the United States. Together with industry and other stakeholders, the program seeks to establish a major biofuels industry. Its goals are to develop and commercialize technologies for producing sustainable, domestic, environmentally beneficial, and economically viable fuels from dedicated biomass feedstocks.

This is the first edition of the Buildings for the 21st Century newsletter which is designed for the Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy stakeholders with interest in the Building Technology, State and Community Programs (BTS).

A partially-depleted SOI transistor structure has been designed that does not require the use of specially-processed hardened buried oxides for total-dose hardness and maintains the intrinsic SEU and dose rate hardness advantages of SOI technology.

Chip design in submicron processes will present new challenges and problems which were not present in designs with larger dimension processes. One effect in the newer processes is the field oxide thickness variation due to interconnect density variations. This effect becomes much more extreme for the smaller dimension processes. Large density discontinuities can cause lower yield and will also result in capacitor value mismatch over substantial distances from the edges of a large array when using poly/metal capacitors. If good matching in this type of large area capacitor array is required, the only way to achieve this is to guarantee nearly constant metal/ poly density for at least 1500 microns (this distance will likely depend on the process) around the edges of the array. If the array boundary is close to the chip edge, then dummy capacitors should be placed up to the chip edge, and another layout with similar density must be placed as close as possible to the relevant edges of the chip in the reticle. When using a standard MOSIS reticle size, this may entail placing dummy chip layouts around the chips of interest in order to guarantee that identical density exists for the required distance outside …

This report describes results from a seven-day demonstration of the use of 3M Empore(r) membrane filter loaded with ion exchange material potassium cobalt hexacynoferrate (CoHex) for cesium uptake from the R-Disassembly Basin at the Savannah River Site.

A precision diamond saw was characterized and qualified for production using the MCCS Encryption Translator (MET) network. This characterization was performed in three steps. First the equipment was evaluated and characterized, and then a process was developed and characterized to saw cofire networks. Finally, the characterized process was qualified for production using the MET network. During the development of the low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) processes needed to build the MCCS Encryption Translator (MET) network, a problem was uncovered. The laser process planned for scribing and separating was found to weaken the LTCC material by about 30%. A replacement process was needed, and precision diamond sawing was chosen. During the equipment evaluation and characterization, several parameters were investigated. These were cut depth, feed rate, spindle speed, and saw blade thickness. Once these were understood the process was then developed. Initially 24 variables were identified for the process, and eventually 12 of these variables were found to be critical. These variables were then adjusted until a process envelope was found that produced acceptable product. Finally parameters were chosen from the middle of the process envelope for production. With the production process set, the next step was to qualify it for production. Two …

With the advent of multi-spectral thermal imagers such as EOS's ASTER high spatial resolution thermal imagery of the Earth's surface will soon be a reality. Previous high resolution sensors such as Landsat 5 had only one spectral channel in the thermal infrared and its utility to determine absolute sea surface temperatures was limited to 6-8 K for water warmer than 25 deg C. This inaccuracy resulted from insufficient knowledge of the atmospheric temperature and water vapor, inaccurate sensor calibration, and cooling effects of thin high cirrus clouds. The authors will present two studies of algorithms and compare their performance. The first algorithm they call robust since it retrieves sea surface temperatures accurately over a fairly wide range of atmospheric conditions using linear combinations of nadir and off-nadir brightness temperatures. The second they call physics-based because it relies on physics-based models of the atmosphere. It attempts to come up with a unique sea surface temperature which fits one set of atmospheric parameters.

This report addresses the compilation of regulated organic consituents not associated with the Hanford Site, Richland, Washington.

Past disposal operations at the Toxic Burn Pits (TBP) area of J-Field, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, have resulted in volatile organic compound (VOC) contamination of groundwater. Although the contaminant concentration is highest in the surficial aquifer, VOCs are also present in the confined aquifer, which is approximately 30 m (100 ft) deep at the TBP area. This study focuses on the confined aquifer, a sandy valley-fill Pleistocene unit in a paleochannel cut into Cretaceous sands and clays. This report documents the locations of the region's pumping wells, which are over 6 km (4 mi) away from the TBP. The distances to the pumping wells and the complex stratigraphy limit the likelihood of any contamination reaching a receptor well. Nonetheless, a worst-case scenario was evaluated with a model designed to simulate the transport of trichloroethylene (TCE), the main chemical of concern, from the confined aquifer beneath the TBP along a hypothetical, direct flowpath to a receptor well. The model was designed to be highly conservative (i.e., based on assumptions that promote the transport of contaminants). In addition to the direct flowpath assumption, the model uses the lowest literature value for the biodegradation rate of TCE, a low degree of sorption, a …

During the Cold War the handling of Soviet military nuclear wastes was a classified topic--kept secret to hide the status and readiness of Soviet military forces. Following the end of the Cold War information about the handling of nuclear wastes by agencies of the Former Soviet Union (FSU) became available. The US Government response to the disclosure of disposal of radioactive wastes into the Arctic Ocean and into rivers that drain into the Arctic Ocean was the finding of the Arctic Nuclear Waste Assessment Program (ANWAP) in the Office of Naval Research (ONR). Projects were aided by ANWAP to study the behavior, transport, and fate of radionuclides in the Arctic Ocean. One of the research teams, the Risk Assessment Integration Group (RAIG) assessed the potential risks to humans and to the environment, particularly in the US Alaskan Arctic.

The Boeing Company (Boeing) contracted with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to develop criteria for evaluating the efficacy of its parts cleaning processes. In particular, LLNL and Boeing are attempting to identify levels of contamination that lead to parts failures. Sufficient contamination to cause impairment of anodizing, alodining, painting, or welding operations is considered a �part failure.� In the �Phase 0� part of the project that was recently completed, preliminary analyses of aluminum substrates were performed as a first step in determining suitable cleanliness criteria for actual Boeing parts made from this material. A wide spread of contamination levels was specified for the Phase 0 test coupons, in the hopes of finding a range in which an appropriate cleanliness specification might lie. It was planned that, based on the results of the Phase 0 testing, further more detailed analyses (�Phase 1 testing�) would be performed in order to more accurately identify the most appropriate criteria. For the Phase 0 testing, Boeing supplied LLNL with 3� x 6� and 3� x 10� aluminum test panels which LLNL contaminated with measured amounts of typical hydrocarbon substances encountered in Boeing� s fabrication operations. The panels were then subjected by Boeing to normal cleaning …

A criticality safety evaluation is made of the disposal of K Basin sludge in double-shell tank (DST) AW-105 located in the 200 east area of Hanford Site. The technical basis is provided for limits and controls to be used in the development of a criticality prevention specification (CPS). A model of K Basin sludge is developed to account for fuel burnup. The iron/uranium mass ration required to ensure an acceptable magrin of subcriticality is determined.

Intramolecular cyclizations during acid-catalyzed, sol-gel polymerizations of ct,co- bis(tietioxysilyl)aWmes substintidly lengtien gelties formonomers witietiylene- (l), propylene- (2), and butylene-(3)-bridging groups. These cyclizations reactions were found, using mass spectrometry and %i NMR spectroscopy, to lead preferentially to monomeric and dimeric products based on six and seven membered disilsesquioxane rings. 1,2- Bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (1) reacts under acidic conditions to give a bicyclic drier (5) that is composed of two annelated seven membered rings. Under the same conditions, 1,3- bis(triethoxysilyl)propane (2), 1,4-bis(triethoxysilyl)butane (3), and z-1,4- bis(triethoxysilyl)but-2-ene (10) undergo an intramolecular condensation reaction to give the six membemd and seven membered cyclic disilsesquioxanes 6, 7, and 11. Subsequently, these cyclic monomers slowly react to form the tricyclic dirners 8,9 and 12. With NaOH as polymerization catalyst these cyclic silsesquioxanes readily ~aeted to afford gels that were shown by CP MAS z%i NMR and infr=d spectroscopes to retain some cyclic structures. Comparison of the porosity and microstructwe of xerogels prepared from the cyclic monomers 6 and 7 with gels prepared directly from their acyclic precursors 2 and 3, indicate that the final pore structure of the xerogels is markedly dependent on the nature of the precursor. In addition, despite the fact that the monomeric cyclic disilsesquioxane …