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Method for forming microspheres for encapsulation of nuclear waste. (open access)

Method for forming microspheres for encapsulation of nuclear waste.

Microspheres for nuclear waste storage are formed by gelling droplets containing the waste in a gelation fluid, transferring the gelled droplets to a furnace without the washing step previously used, and heating the unwashed gelled droplets in the furnace under temperature or humidity conditions that result in a substantially linear rate of removal of volatile components therefrom. Fuel particles were also produced using this method.
Date: January 29, 1982
Creator: Angelini, Peter; Caputo, Anthony J.; Hutchens, Richard E.; Lackey, Walter J. & Stinton, David P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Continuous production of ethanol by use of flocculent Zymomonas mobilis (open access)

Continuous production of ethanol by use of flocculent Zymomonas mobilis

Improved means and process for producing ethanol by fermentation are provided. Another object of the invention is to produce ethanol in a continuous-flow process by means of a biological catalyst that can be retained in a continuous-flow reactor vessel without being bonded to or held within a support material. An additional object of the invention is to provide a fermentation reactor vessel wherein disturbance of the desirable plug flow of sugar solution is minimized. These objects are attained by the preferred apparatus and process of the invention which utilize a newly-discovered flocculent strain of Zymomonas mobilis for converting sugar to ethanol in a continuous flow-type reactor vessel. The flow rate of a sugar-containing solution through a column containing the floc-forming strain of Z. mobilis is adjusted so that a sufficient conversion of sugar to ethanol is achieved in the column and the flocculent Z. mobilis is not washed away in effluent from the column. Carbon dioxide gas generated by the fermentation process is vented from a plurality of points spaced along an inclined column in which the process is conducted, thus minimizing disturbance of the plug flow of liquid by this gas.
Date: January 28, 1982
Creator: Arcuri, E. J. & Donaldson, T. L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Electric filter with movable belt electrode (open access)

Electric filter with movable belt electrode

A method and apparatus are disclosed for removing airborne contaminants entrained in a gas or airstream. The apparatus includes an electric filter characterized by a movable endless belt electrode, a grounded electrode, and a filter medium sandwiched therebetween. Inclusion of the movable, endless belt electrode provides the driving force for advancing the filter medium through the filter, and reduces frictional drag on the filter medium, thereby permitting a wide choice of filter medium materials. Additionally, the belt electrode includes a plurality of pleats in order to provide maximum surface area on which to collect airborne contaminants.
Date: February 23, 1982
Creator: Bergman, W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Novel 7-substituted coumarin compounds and an improved method for their synthesis. [Patent application] (open access)

Novel 7-substituted coumarin compounds and an improved method for their synthesis. [Patent application]

Novel substituted coumarin compounds and an improved method for their synthesis are disclosed. The preferred class of compounds are substituted at the 7-position. The method of synthesis comprises reacting a polyhydroxy benzene or a substituted phenol, with a ..beta..-alkoxy acrylic acid or nitrile, in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst. By the inclusion of the catalyst in the reaction mixture, the reaction can be carried out under much milder experimental conditions and in increased yields. The method is also applicable to the preparation of substituted amino phenols.
Date: January 20, 1982
Creator: Bissell, Eugene R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Spark-Gap Device for Precise Switching (open access)

Spark-Gap Device for Precise Switching

An improved spark gap apparatus is provided for precise switching of high currents from charged capacitors, and for protecting circuitry and circuit components, such as an energy storage capacitor, from overvoltage surges. The invention includes a pair of niobium electrodes with a melting point greater than 2000/sup 0/C that forms the spark gap. The electrodes are supported by conductive caps spaced apart from one another by an insulating member all of which form a hermetically sealed chamber filled with an inert, ionizable gas, preferably pure xenon. The spark gap device includes a quantity of solid radioactive stabilizer, carbon-14, placed within the hermetically sealed chamber adjacent to the spark gap. Methods for fabricating the device and its components are described. It is claimed that use of the Nb electrodes forestalls electrode erosion even under severe voltage and discharge conditions, that, by employing pure Xe gas, and solid carbon-14 radiation stabilizer, it is unnecessary to employ radioactive gases or chemically plated radioactive sources to promote ionization, and that, by selection of a suitable spark gap, a spark gap device is obtained which is capable of switching at 1700 V +- 10% for input voltage rates up to 570 V/ms and allowing peak …
Date: January 28, 1982
Creator: Boettcher, Gordon E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bag-out material handling system (open access)

Bag-out material handling system

A bagging device for transferring material from a first chamber through an opening in a wall to a second chamber includes an outer housing communicating with the opening and having proximal and distal ends relative to the wall. An inner housing having proximal and distal ends corresponding to those of the outer housing is mounted in a concentrically spaced, sealed manner with respect to the distal end of the outer housing. The inner and outer housings and mounting means therebetween define an annular chamber, closed at its distal end and open at its proximal end, in which a pliable tube is slidably positioned in sealed engagement with the housings. The pliable tube includes a sealed end positioned adjacent the proximal end of the inner housing so as to maintain isolation between the first and second chambers. Displacement of the material to be bagged from the first chamber along the inner housing so as to contact the sealed portion of the pliable bag allows the material to be positioned within the pliable bag in the second chamber. The bag is then sealed and severed between where the material is positioned therein and the wall in providing a sealed container for handling …
Date: February 26, 1982
Creator: Brak, S.B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bag-out material-handling system (open access)

Bag-out material-handling system

A bagging device for transferring material from a first chamber through an opening in a wall to a second chamber includes an outer housing communicating with the opening and having proximal and distal ends relative to the wall. An inner housing having proximal and distal ends corresponding to those of the outer housing is mounted in a concentrically spaced, sealed manner with respect to the distal end of the outer housing. The inner and outer housings and mounting means therebetween define an annular chamber, closed at its distal end and open at its proximal end, in which a pliable tube is slidably positioned in sealed engagement with the housings. The pliable tube includes a sealed end positioned adjacent the proximal end of the inner housing so as to maintain isolation between the first and second chambers. Displacement of the material to be bagged from the first chamber along the inner housing so as to contact the sealed portion of the pliable bag allows the material to be positioned within the pliable bag in the second chamber. The bag is then sealed and severed between where the material is positioned therein and the wall in providing a sealed container for handling …
Date: February 26, 1982
Creator: Brak, Stephen B. & Milek, Henry F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Circular free-electron laser (open access)

Circular free-electron laser

A high efficiency, free electron laser is described utilizing a circular relativistic electron beam accelerator and a circular whispering mode optical waveguide for guiding optical energy in a circular path in the circular relativistic electron beam accelerator such that the circular relativistic electron beam and the optical energy are spatially contiguous in a resonant condition for free electron laser operation. Both a betatron and synchrotron are disclosed for use in the present invention. A free electron laser wiggler is disposed around the circular relativistic electron beam accelerator for generating a periodic magnetic field to transform energy from the circular relativistic electron beam to optical energy.
Date: January 26, 1982
Creator: Brau, Charles A.; Kurnit, Norman A. & Cooper, Richard K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Slag capture and removal during laser cutting. [Patent application] (open access)

Slag capture and removal during laser cutting. [Patent application]

Molten metal removed from a workpiece in a laser cutting operation is blown away from the cutting point by a gas jet and collected on an electromagnet. The laser cutting is used to separate the castings of spent fuel rods from the fuel-containing elements therein.
Date: January 28, 1982
Creator: Brown, C.O.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Roundness calibration standard (open access)

Roundness calibration standard

A roundness calibration standard is provided with a first arc constituting the major portion of a circle and a second arc lying between the remainder of the circle and the chord extending between the ends of said first arc.
Date: January 29, 1982
Creator: Burrus, B.M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Explosive double salts and preparation. [Patent application] (open access)

Explosive double salts and preparation. [Patent application]

A new composition of matter has been discovered which is an explosive addition compound of ammonium nitrate (AN) and diethylenetriamine trinitrate (DETN) in a 50:50 molar ratio. the compound is stable over extended periods of time only at temperatures higher than 46/sup 0/C, decomposing to a fine-grained eutectic mixture (which is also believed to be new) of AN and DETN at temperatures lower than 46/sup 0/C. The compound of the invention has an x-ray density of 1.61 g/cm/sup 3/, explodes to form essentially only gaseous products, has higher detonation properties (i.e., detonation velocity and pressure) than those of any mechanical mixture having the same density and composition as the compound of the invention, is a quite insensitive explosive material, can be cast at temperatures attainable by high pressure steam, and is prepared from inexpensive ingredients. Methods of preparing the compound and the fine-grained eutectic composition of the invention are given.
Date: February 3, 1982
Creator: Cady, H. H. & Lee, K. Y.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Phase-multiplication holography (open access)

Phase-multiplication holography

This disclosure relates generally to nondestructive testing for identifying structural characteristics of an object by scanned holographic techniques using a known source of radiation, such as electromagnetic or acoustical radiation. It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method for synthetic aperture expansion in holographic imaging applications to construct fringe patterns capable of holographic reproduction where aperture restrictions in nondestructive testing applications would conventionally make such imaging techniques impossible. The apparatus and method result in the production of a sharply defined frontal image of structural characteristics which could not otherwise be imaged because they occur either near the surface of the object or are confined by geometry restricting aperture dimensions available for scanning purposes. The depth of the structural characteristic below the surface of the object can also be determined by the reconstruction parameters which produce the sharpest focus. Lateral resolution is established by simulated reduction in the radiation wavelength and may easily be an order of magnitude less than the electromagnetic wavelength in the material or 2 times the standard depth of penetration. Since the phase multiplication technique is performed on the detected data, the penetration depth available due to the longer wavelength signals applied …
Date: January 25, 1982
Creator: Collins, H. D.; Prince, J. M. & Davis, T. J.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Clamshell tomograph (open access)

Clamshell tomograph

The invention is a tomograph modified to be in a clamshell configuration so that the ring or rings may be moved to multiple sampling positions. The tomograph includes an array of detectors arranged in successive adjacent relative locations along a closed curve in a first position in a selected plane, and means for securing the detectors in the relative locations in a first sampling position. The securing means is movable in the plane in two sections and pivotable at one point and only one point to enable movement of at least one of the sections to a second sampling position out of the closed curve so that the ends of the section which are opposite the point are moved apart a predetermined space.
Date: January 29, 1982
Creator: Derenzo, S.E. & Budinger, T.F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cutting fluid for machining fissionable materials (open access)

Cutting fluid for machining fissionable materials

The present invention is directed to a cutting fluid for machining fissionable material. The cutting fluid is formed of glycol, water and a boron compound in an adequate concentration for effective neutron attenuation so as to inhibit criticality incidents during machining.
Date: January 28, 1982
Creator: Duerksen, W.K.; Googin, J.M. & Napier, B. Jr.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Ball-mounting fixture for a roundness gage (open access)

Ball-mounting fixture for a roundness gage

A ball mounting fixture for a roundness gage is disclosed. The fixture includes a pair of chuck assemblies oriented substantially transversely with respect to one another and mounted on a common base. Each chuck assembly preferably includes a rotary stage and a wobble plate affixed thereto. A ball chuck affixed to each wobble plate is operable to selectively support a ball to be measured for roundness, with the wobble plate permitting the ball chuck to be tilted to center the ball on the axis of rotation of the rotary stage. In a preferred embodiment, each chuck assembly includes a vacuum chuck operable to selectively support the ball to be measured for roundness. The mounting fixture enables a series of roundness measurements to be taken with a conventional rotating gagehead roundness instrument, which measurements can be utilized to determine the sphericity of the ball.
Date: February 16, 1982
Creator: Gauler, Allen L. & Pasieka, Donald F.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Process for photosynthetically splitting water (open access)

Process for photosynthetically splitting water

In one form of the invention, hydrogen is produced by providing a reactor containing a body of water. The water contains photolytic material, i.e., photoactive material containing a hydrogen-catalyst. The interior of the reactor is isolated from atmosphere and includes a volume for receiving gases evolved from the body of water. The photolytic material is exposed to light to effect photosynthetic splitting of the water into gaseous hydrogen and oxygen. The gas-receiving volume is continuously evacuated by pumping to promote evolution of gaseous hydrogen and oxygen into that volume and to withdraw them therefrom. In another form of the invention, separation of the hydrogen and oxygen is effected by selectively diffusing the hydrogen through a heated semipermeable membrane in a separation zone while maintaining across the zone a magnetic field gradient biasing the oxygen away from the membrane. In a third form of the invention, the withdrawn gas is contacted with a membrane blocking flow of water vapor to the region for effecting recovery of the hydrogen. In a fourth embodiment, the invention comprises a process for selectively recovering hydrogen from a gas mixture comprising hydrogen and oxygen. The process is conducted in a separation zone and comprises contacting the …
Date: January 28, 1982
Creator: Greenbaum, E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Shutdown system for a nuclear reactor (open access)

Shutdown system for a nuclear reactor

An ultimate shutdown system is provided for termination of neutronic activity in a nuclear reactor. The shutdown system includes bead chains comprising spherical containers suspended on a flexible cable. The containers are comprised of mating hemispherical shells which provide a ruggedized enclosure for reactor poison material. The bead chains, normally suspended above the reactor core on storage spools, are released for downward travel upon command from an external reactor monitor. The chains are capable of horizontal movement, so as to flow around obstructions in the reactor during their downward motion.
Date: January 20, 1982
Creator: Groh, E.F.; Olson, A.P.; Wade, D.C. & Robinson, B.W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cyclotron Axial Ion-Beam-Buncher System (open access)

Cyclotron Axial Ion-Beam-Buncher System

Adiabatic ion bunching is achieved in a cyclotron axial ion injection system through the incorporation of a radio frequency quadrupole system, which receives ions from an external ion source via an accelerate-decelerate system and a focusing einzel lens system, and which adiabatically bunches and then injects the ions into the median plane of a cyclotron via an electrostatic quadrupole system and an inflection mirror.
Date: February 11, 1982
Creator: Hamm, Robert W.; Swenson, Donald A. & Wangler, Thomas P.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Silicon tetrafluoride generation. [Patent application; from hexafluorosilicic acid] (open access)

Silicon tetrafluoride generation. [Patent application; from hexafluorosilicic acid]

This invention is directed to a process of generating silicon tetrafluoride (SiF/sub 4/) from aqueous solutions of hexafluorosilicic acid (H/sub 2/SiF/sub 6/), comprising reacting an aqueous solution of H/sub 2/SiF/sub 6/ with a concentrated aqueous salt solution to produce a precipitate, separating and drying the precipitate, and heating the precipitate in an inert atmosphere to decompose the precipitate producing SiF/sub 4/.
Date: January 3, 1982
Creator: Hansen, K. C. & Yaws, C. L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Method of sputter etching a surface (open access)

Method of sputter etching a surface

A surface is textured by co-sputter etching with a target and a seed material with the surface at a pre-selected temperature. By pre-selecting the temperature of the surface while sputter etching, it is possible to predetermine the reflectance properties of the etched surface. The surface may be textured to absorb sunlight efficiently and have minimal emittance in the infrared region so as to be well-suited for use as a solar absorber for photothermal energy conversion.
Date: February 26, 1982
Creator: Henager, C.H. Jr.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Process for recovering rhenium from an alloy thereof (open access)

Process for recovering rhenium from an alloy thereof

Rhenium is recovered from an alloy containing that metal and either one or both of the metals molybdenum and tungsten by the following steps: (1) heating the alloy in the presence of O/sub 2/ to remove the Re from the alloy as gaseous Re/sub 2/O/sub 7/; (2) condensing the gaseous Re/sub 2/O/sub 7/; (3) dissolving the obtained solid Re/sub 2/O/sub 7/ in H/sub 2/O; (4) treating the solution of Re/sub 2/O/sub 7/ and H/sub 2/O with KCl to form KReO/sub 4/; and (5) heating the KReO/sub 4/ in the presence of H/sub 2/ to form Re.
Date: February 3, 1982
Creator: Heshmatpour, Bahman & McDonald, Robert E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fuel-rod-retention device for a nuclear reactor. [Patent application] (open access)

Fuel-rod-retention device for a nuclear reactor. [Patent application]

A device is described for supporting a nuclear fuel rod in a fuel rod assembly which allows the rod to be removed without disturbing other rods in the assembly. A fuel rod cap connects the rod to a bolt which is supported in the assembly end fitting by means of a locking assembly. The device is designed so that the bolt is held securely during normal reactor operation yet may be easily disengaged and the fuel rod removed when desired.
Date: January 29, 1982
Creator: Hylton, C.L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Stabilizing windings for tilting and shifting modes (open access)

Stabilizing windings for tilting and shifting modes

This invention provides simple, inexpensive, independent and passive, conducting loops for stabilizing a plasma ring having externally produced equilibrium fields on opposite sides of the plasma ring and internal plasma currents that interact to tilt and/or shift the plasma ring relative to the externally produced equilibrium field so as to produce unstable tilting and/or shifting modes in the plasma ring. More particularly this invention provides first and second passive conducting loops for containing first and second induced currents in first and second directions corresponding to the amplitude and directions of the unstable tilting and/or shifting modes in the plasma ring. To this end, the induced currents provide additional magnetic fields for producing restoring forces and/or restoring torques for counteracting the tilting and/or shifting modes when the conducting loops are held fixed in stationary positions relative to the externally produced equilibrium fields on opposite sides of the plasma ring.
Date: February 26, 1982
Creator: Jardin, S. C. & Christensen, U. R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Laser-beam-alignment system (open access)

Laser-beam-alignment system

A plurality of pivotal reflectors direct a high-power laser beam onto a workpiece, and a rotatable reflector is movable to a position wherein it intercepts the beam and deflects a major portion thereof away from its normal path, the remainder of the beam passing to the pivotal reflectors through an aperture in the rotating reflector. A plurality of targets are movable to positions intercepting the path of light traveling to the pivotal reflectors, and a preliminary adjustment of the latter is made by use of a low-power laser beam reflected from the rotating reflector, after which the same targets are used to make a final adjustment of the pivotal reflectors with the portion of the high-power laser beam passed through the rotating reflector. The system was developed to cut the casings of spent nuclear fuel elements into segments as the initial step in recovering usable fuel. (WHK)
Date: February 26, 1982
Creator: Kasner, W. H.; Racki, D. J. & Swenson, C. E.
System: The UNT Digital Library