The present invention relates to a method of separating strontium, and, more particularly, to a method of separating strontium from a sample of biomass potentially contaminated with various radionuclides. Radioactive strontium is a radionuclide which represents a hazard to man because of its long half-life and, if ingested, its tendency to be retained in the human body. In the event that radionuclides such as strontium or various actinides are ingested, it is desirable to monitor the discharge or release of these radionuclides from the human body through analysis of fecal matter. In laboratories and other facilities where potential for radionuclide contamination exists, fecal analysis for strontium is routinely conducted for individuals who are terminating from their position or are suspected of having been contaminated with radionuclides. Methods for separating and analyzing radioactive actinides from a biomass sample are well known and have been extensively developed for the US Department of Energy. These methods, described in the Department`s internal procedure, USDOE, RESL/ID, A-16, 1981, as well as in US Patent 5,190,881, involve the use of an iron phosphate precipitation step to separate actinides from a solution, or supernate. However, there are no established procedures for the separation of strontium from a …

It is an object of the present invention to make soldering instruments safer and easier to use. According to one aspect of the present invention, a non-heatsinking, protective shield is provided around the soldering tip of the solder iron. This heat shield covers the iron`s hot tip throughout the soldering process with the exception of the time needed to perform an actual solder connection using the tip. The shield protects the user or nearby personnel from harm when the soldering iron is at elevated temperatures (500{degrees}F to 800{degrees}F).Moreover, the shield is capable of preventing fires which might result if the iron`s tip inadvertently comes into contact with an object that can be easily ignited, e.g. paper. In addition, an air vacuum system is incorporated into the shield to remove the solder smoke.

A `blink` technique, analogous to a person blinking at a flash of bright light, is provided for mitigating the effects of single event current latchup and prompt pulse destructive radiation on a micro-electronic circuit. The system includes event detection means, power dump logic means, and energy limiting measures with autonomous recovery. The event detection means includes ionizing radiation pulse detection means for detecting a pulse of ionizing radiation and for providing at an output terminal thereof a detection signal indicative of the detection of a pulse of ionizing radiation or by ion-induced destructive latchup of a semiconductor device. The current sensing means is coupled to the power bus for determining an occurrence of excess current through the power bus caused by ionizing radiation. The power dump means includes power dump logic means having a first input terminal connected to the output terminal of the ionizing radiation pulse detection means and having a second input terminal connected to the output terminal of the current sensing means. The power dump logic means provides an output signal to the input terminal of the means for opening the power bus and the means for shorting the power bus to a ground potential to remove …

A containment and waste package system for processing and shipping tritium oxide waste received from a process gas includes an outer drum and an inner drum containing a disposable molecular sieve bed (DMSB) seated within outer drum. The DMSB includes an inlet diffuser assembly, an outlet diffuser assembly, and a hydrogen catalytic recombiner. The DMSB adsorbs tritium oxide from the process gas and converts it to a solid form so that the tritium is contained during shipment to a disposal site. The DMSB is filled with type 4A molecular sieve pellets capable of adsorbing up to 1000 curies of tritium. The recombiner contains a sufficient amount of catalyst to cause any hydrogen and oxygen present in the process gas to recombine to form water vapor, which is then adsorbed onto the DMSB.

This invention relates to a sampling means, more particularly to a device to sample hard surfaces at varying depths. Often it is desirable to take samples of a hard surface wherein the samples are of the same diameter but of varying depths. Current practice requires that a full top-to-bottom sample of the material be taken, using a hole saw, and boring a hole from one end of the material to the other. The sample thus taken is removed from the hole saw and the middle of said sample is then subjected to further investigation. This paper describes a variable depth core sampler comprimising a circular hole saw member, having longitudinal sections that collapse to form a point and capture a sample, and a second saw member residing inside the first hole saw member to support the longitudinal sections of the first member and prevent them from collapsing to form a point. The second hole saw member may be raised and lowered inside the the first hole saw member.

An apparatus and method are described which improve the performance of charge-coupled devices (CCD) in the presence of ionizing radiation. The invention is a wafer scale charge isolation technique which inhibits or reduces the flow of electrons created by the passage of ionizing radiation in the bulk regions of a silicon CCD. The technique has been tested in a device designed for operating in the infra-red wavelength band. The technique prevents charge from reaching the active charge collection volume of a pixel in a CCD.

A wedge and spring assembly for use in electromagnets or dynamoelectric machines having a housing with an axis therethrough and a plurality of coils supported on salient poles that extend radially inward from the housing toward the housing axis to define a plurality of interpole spaces, respectively between the housing and adjacent coils, the interpole spaces each extending in a direction generally parallel to the housing axis. The wedge and spring assembly includes a nonmagnetic retainer spring and a nonmagnetic wedge. The retainer spring is formed to fit into one of the interpole spaces, and has juxtaposed ends defining between them a slit extending in a direction generally parallel to the housing axis. The wedge for insertion into the slit provides an outwardly directed force on respective portions of the juxtaposed ends defining the slit to expand the slit so that respective portions of the retainer spring engage areas of the coils adjacent thereto, thereby resiliently holding the coils against their respective salient poles. Preferably, the spring retainer and wedge are self-locking wherein wedge is fabricated from a material softer than a material the retainer spring is fabricated from, so that the wedge is securely retained in the slit. The …

A method of depositing metal oxides on substrates which is indifferent to the electrochemical properties of the substrates and which comprises forming ammine complexes containing metal ions and thereafter effecting removal of ammonia from the ammine complexes so as to permit slow precipitation and deposition of metal oxide on the substrates.

This invention is comprised of an apparatus and method of extracting power from energetic ions produced by nuclear fusion in a toroidal plasma to enhance respectively the toroidal plasma current and fusion reactivity. By injecting waves of predetermined frequency and phase traveling substantially in a selected poloidal direction within the plasma, the energetic ions become diffused in energy and space such that the energetic ions lose energy and amplify the waves. The amplified waves are further adapted to travel substantially in a selected toroidal direction to increase preferentially the energy of electrons traveling in one toroidal direction which, in turn, enhances or generates a toroidal plasma current. In an further adaptation, the amplified waves can be made to preferentially increase the energy of fuel ions within the plasma to enhance the fusion reactivity of the fuel ions. The described direct, or in situ, conversion of the energetic ion energy provides an efficient and economical means of delivering power to a fusion reactor.

Disclosed are method and apparatus for depositing durable coatings onto the surface of a substrate without heating the entire substrate to high temperatures by using lasers to heat the substrate and dissociate a deposition gas. The apparatus comprises a deposition chamber for enclosing the substrate upon which a coating is to be deposited, gas delivery means for directing a flow of deposition gas on the substrate, a first laser for heating the substrate, and a second laser for irradiating the deposition gas to dissociate the gas. The method includes placing a substrate within a vacuum deposition chamber and directing a flow of deposition gas on the substrate. Then the substrate is heated with a first laser while the deposition gas is irradiated with a second laser to dissociate the deposition gas.

A method for coating a substrate with boron by sputtering includes lowering the electrical resistance of a boron-containing rod to allow electrical conduction in the rod; placing the boron-containing rod inside a vacuum chamber containing substrate material to be coated; applying an electrical potential between the boron target material and the vacuum chamber; countering a current avalanche that commences when the conduction heating rate exceeds the cooling rate, and until a steady equilibrium heating current is reached and coating the substrate material with boron by sputtering from the boron-containing rod.

End moldings for high-voltage cables are described wherein the dielectric insulator of the cable is heated and molded to conform to a desired shape. As a consequence, high quality substantially bubble- free cable connectors suitable for mating to premanufactured fittings are made. Disclosed are a method for making the cable connectors either in the field or in a factory, molds suitable for use with the method, and the molded cable connectors, themselves.

This invention is comprised of a shock velocity and damage location sensor providing a means of measuring shock speed and damage location. The sensor consists of a long series of time-of-arrival `points` constructed with fiber optics. The fiber optic sensor apparatus measures shock velocity as the fiber sensor is progressively crushed as a shock wave proceeds in a direction along the fiber. The light received by a receiving means changes as time-of-arrival points are destroyed as the sensor is disturbed by the shock. The sensor may comprise a transmitting fiber bent into a series of loops and fused to a receiving fiber at various places, time-of-arrival points, along the receiving fibers length. At the `points` of contact, where a portion of the light leaves the transmitting fiber and enters the receiving fiber, the loops would be required to allow the light to travel backwards through the receiving fiber toward a receiving means. The sensor may also comprise a single optical fiber wherein the time-of-arrival points are comprised of reflection planes distributed along the fibers length. In this configuration, as the shock front proceeds along the fiber it destroys one reflector after another. The output received by a receiving means from …

This invention comprises a fluid sampling system which allows sampling of radioactive liquid without spillage. A feed tank is connected to a liquid transfer jet powered by a pumping chamber pressurized by compressed air. The liquid is pumped up into a sampling jet of venturi design having a lumen with an inlet, an outlet, a constricted middle portion, and a port located above the constricted middle portion. The liquid is passed under pressure through the constricted portion causing its velocity to increase and its pressure to decrease, thereby preventing liquid from escaping. A septum sealing the port can be pierced by a two pointed hollow needle leading into a sample bottle also sealed by a pierceable septum affixed to one end. The bottle is evacuated by flow through the sample jet, cyclic variation in the sampler jet pressure periodicially leaves the evacuated bottle with lower pressure than that of the port, thus causing solution to pass into the bottle. The remaining solution in the system is returned to the feed tank via a holding tank.

This invention is comprised of a method of applying diffraction gratings or images directly to the surface of a substrate wherein the gratings or images are capable of withstanding high temperatures, pressures, humidity and other such conditions related to materials testing. The method includes coating the surface of the substrate with an uniform layer of metal which is then overlaid with a layer of photo-resist material. Next, after contacting the photo-resist material with a master image containing regions of opacity and transparency, electromagnetic radiation is directed through the master image to expose the photo-resist material such that a contact print of the master image is produced on the photo-resist material. Then, after removing the master image, the photo-resist material is developed so as to remove unhardened portions thereof and leave corresponding portions of the metal layer uncovered. Finally, after removing or etching the uncovered portions of the metal layer, the remaining photo-resist material is removed to produce a metallic diffraction grating or image of predetermined size and pattern on the surface of the substrate.

An improved electrochemically active system and method including a plurality of electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells and fluid separation devices are disclosed, in which the anode and cathode process-fluid flow chambers are connected in fluid-flow arrangements so that the operating parameters of each of said plurality of electrochemical devices which are dependent upon process-fluid parameters may be individually controlled to provide improved operating efficiency. Improvements in operation include improved power efficiency and improved fuel utilization in fuel cell power generating systems and reduced power consumption in fluid separation devices and the like through interstage process fluid parameter control for series networked electrochemical devices. The improved networking method includes recycling of various process flows to enhance the overall control scheme.

An indirect-heated gas turbine cycle is bottomed with a fuel cell cycle with the heated air discharged from the gas turbine being directly utilized at the cathode of the fuel cell for the electricity-producing electrochemical reaction occurring within the fuel cell. The hot cathode recycle gases provide a substantial portion of the heat required for the indirect heating of the compressed air used in the gas turbine cycle. A separate combustor provides the balance of the heat needed for the indirect heating of the compressed air used in the gas turbine cycle. Hot gases from the fuel cell are used in the combustor to reduce both the fuel requirements of the combustor and the NOx emissions therefrom. Residual heat remaining in the air-heating gases after completing the heating thereof is used in a steam turbine cycle or in an absorption refrigeration cycle. Some of the hot gases from the cathode can be diverted from the air-heating function and used in the absorption refrigeration cycle or in the steam cycle for steam generating purposes.

An interline CCD sensing device for use in a camera system, includes an imaging area sensitive to impinging light, for generating charges corresponding to the intensity of the impinging light. Sixteen independent registers R1 - R16 sequentially receive the interline data from the imaging area, corresponding to the generated charges. Sixteen output amplifiers S1 - S16 and sixteen ports P1 - P16 for sequentially transferring the interline data, one pixel at a time, in order to supply a desired image transfer speed. The imaging area is segmented into sixteen independent imaging segments A1 - A16, each of which corresponds to one register, on output amplifier, and one output port. Each one of the imaging segments A1 - A16 includes an array of rows and columns of pixels. Each pixel includes a photogate area, an interline CCD channel area, and an anti-blooming area. The anti-blooming area is, in turn, divided into an anti-blooming barrier and an anti-blooming drain.

This invention is comprised of a piezoelectric valve in a gas delivery system which includes a piezoceramic element bonded to a valve seal and disposed over a valve seat, and retained in position by an O-ring and a retainer; and insulating ball normally biased by a preload spring against the piezoceramic element; and inlet gas port positioned such that upon admission of inlet gas into the valve. The piezoceramic element is positively seated. The inelt gas port is located only on the side of the piezoceramic element opposite the seal.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a continuous optimum process for the dissolution of aluminum, without the use of a mercury catalyst. Ile invention generally stated is: a process for dissolution of aluminum comprising: preparing a mixture of nitric acid`and fluoboric acid in a makeup vessel or individual reagents in separate vessels; placing an aluminum element in a dissolver vessel having an overflow; transferring a portion of the mixture of nitric acid and fluoboric acid to the dissolver vessel from the makeup vessel; heating the dissolver vessel and mixture to a boiling temperature and holding that temperature until a desired concentration of dissolved aluminum is achieved; adding a constant flow influent of the mixture of nitric acid and fluoboric acid to the dissolver vessel; and collecting an effluent from the dissolver vessel overflow, said effluent containing a mixture of aluminum nitrate, nitric acid, fluoboric acid, water, and dissolved fuel components. The variables in the above process can be temperature, effluent flow rate, and concentration of the acids as will be discussed later. For corrosion control, it may be necessary to initiate reaction at a decreased HNO{sub 3} concentration and to increase it after a sufficient concentration of …

A radioisotope production target and a method for fabricating a radioisotope production target is provided, wherein the target comprises an inner cylinder, a foil of fissionable material (low enriched U) circumferentially contacting the outer surface of the inner cylinder, and an outer hollow cylinder adapted to receive the substantially foil-covered inner cylinder and compress tightly against the foil to provide good mechanical contact therewith. The method for fabricating a primary target for the production of fission products comprises preparing a first substrate to receive a foil of fissionable material so as to allow for later removal of the foil from the first substrate, preparing a second substrate to receive the foil so as to allow for later removal of the foil from the second substrate; attaching the first substrate to the second substrate such that the foil is sandwiched between the first substrate and second substrate to prevent foil exposure to ambient atmosphere, and compressing the exposed surfaces of the first and second substrate to assure snug mechanical contact between the foil, the first substrate and the second substrate.

Low frequency alternating current sputtering is provided by connecting a low frequency alternating current to a high voltage transformer having outer taps and a center tap for stepping up the voltage of the alternating currentThe center tap of the tmsformer is connected to a vacuum vessel containing argon or helium gas. Target electrodes, in close proximity to each other, and containing material with which the substrates will be coated, are connected to the outer taps of the ftwsformer. With an applied potential, the gas will ionize and sputtering from the target electrodes onto the substrate will then result. The target electrodes can be copper or boron, and the substrate can be stainless steel, aluminum, or titanium. Copper coatings produced are used in place of nickel and/or copper striking.

Disclosed is method for synthesizing hard ceramic materials such as carbides, borides and aluminides, particularly in the form of coatings provided on another material so as to improve the wear and abrasion performance of machine tools, for example. Method involves the sputter deposition of alternating layers of reactive metals with layers of carbon, boron, or aluminum and the subsequent reaction of the multilayered structure to produce a dense crystalline ceramic. The material can be coated on a substrate or formed as a foil which can be coiled as a tape for later use.

This invention is a Dual In-line Package (DIP) test clip for use when troubleshooting circuits containing DIP integrated circuits. This test clip is a significant improvement over existing DIP test clips in that it has retractable pins which will permit troubleshooting without risk of accidentally shorting adjacent pins together when moving probes to different pins on energized circuits or when the probe is accidentally bumped while taking measurements.