The LOFT Emergency Core Coolant Piping Thermal Analysis was checked to insure that the calculations made would conservatively satisfy the requirements in the LOFT technical specifications. Some of the boundary conditions used have not been shown to be conservative and require review and possible re-analysis. One of the thermal models used could not be clearly related to a specific part of the piping geometry and requires further explanation. The remainder of the models, the use of the SIMIR code and the other boundary conditions appear conservative and reflect normal thermal analysis methodology and practice. However, the use of constant, rather than temperature varying, thermal properties for some materials may introduce a slight error in these analyses.

This LTR discusses radiation levels associated with a LOCE where the blowdown is directed to the pressure suppression tank.

The HGP-A Wellhead Generator Proof-of-Feasibility Project consists of a nominal 3 Megawatt geothermal steam turbine electric power generating facility, the first geothermal power plant in Hawaii. The plant is being constructed as a research and development project to evaluate geothermal steam as a viable resource to be considered for larger commercial electric power generating stations in Hawaii. The project facilities include a turbine building, with a contiguous service area for plant operations and maintenance, visitor center, and the power plant equipment.

Results of a study to determine the limiting temperature conditions in a large reactor system are presented. The study considers a sodium-cooled breeder reactor system having a loop-type primary system configuration. A temperature range of 930 to 1050/sup 0/F in reactor outlet temperature is covered. Significant findings were that the use of the materials for the 930/sup 0/F reference design, i.e., a core material of 20% cold-worked 316 stainless steel, a primary piping material of 316SS, and a steam generator material of unstabilized 2-1/4 Cr - 1 Mo resulted in limiting conditions in component performance at the higher temperatures. Means to circumvent these limits through the use of alternate materials, mitigation of thermal transients, and/or design changes are presented. The economic incentive to make some materials changes is also presented.

The DT fusion neutron irradiation of eleven BNL-LAST superconductor wires, six NRL GeO/sub 2/ crystals, two YAG, two Spinel and two Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ crystals for LASL and four LASL high purity single crystals of MgO, YAG, Spinel and Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ is described. The sample position, beam-on time, and neutron dose record are given. The maximum fluence on any sample was 1.51 x 10/sup 16/ neutrons/cm/sup 2/.

Seismic monitoring of the northern section of the Imperial Valley region in Southern California has been underway since 1973, in order to study in detail the relationship between geothermal areas and earthquakes. A description of the 22-station network and a list of preliminary data on earthquakes recorded by the network from January 1977 through March 1977 are presented.

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Successful predictions for the rate of loss of properties on outdoor exposure were made for plastic films based upon accelerated data. Degradation data for samples exposed beginning in winter, summer, or fall are discussed. The electrical performance of solar cells in Universal Test Specimens exposed outdoors is also reported. (MHR)

Three specific topics of interest to DOE are addressed: to establish the significance and identify the role of high-temperature process heat in the nation's energy economy; to identify the role of solar thermal power in these high-temperature industrial applications in terms of possible markets and economic potential; and to recommend programmatic approaches for these solar thermal high-temperature process heat activities, including proposed content for initial Request for Proposals (RFPs) to accomplish such activities. The scope of the work required to accomplish these three purposes included the following: review of US industrial energy requirements, survey of current DOE low-temperature Agricultural and Industrial Process Heat Program, examination of high-temperature solar thermal electric systems already developed or under development by DOE and industry, and coordination with the high-energy user segments of industry (i.e., cement, chemical and petroleum) to find additional markets for some or all of the systems or components being developed in the DOE solar thermal electric program. Statistical data are presented identifying energy allocations to process heat and defining DOE's involvement. Three current fossil fuel process heat system examples are provided and the corresponding solar potential is identified.

Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECS) commercially available in the United States are described. The terms used to describe these wind systems are defined and their significance discussed. Lists of manufacturers and distributors, subsystem components and suppliers, and references are provided.

An X-Ray Calibration and Standards Laboratory has been established at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory to provide x-ray calibrations of various types of x-ray diagnostic equipment presently being utilized. This Laboratory is the outgrowth of many years of involvement in the development of x-ray generation and calibration equipment. X-ray calibrations in a steady state mode are available from 100 eV to 100 keV. Pulsed response and linearity studies as well as radiation damage studies can also be performed. A crystal fabrication, characterization and calibration facility is an integral part of the Laboratory. A general discussion of various equipment and capabilities within the Laboratory is presented.

Because groundwater movement can have important effects on buried nuclear wastes, hydrologists need to know if future climatic changes will influence the accuracy of groundwater flow calculations. Groundwater recharge (and therefore groundwater flow) depends on surface water balance. (Surface water balance equals precipitation less losses to evaporation, runoff, and storage.) To develop input data for modeling future climatic effects, we have made the following simplifying assumptions: (1) Climate (and therefore water balance) will behave in the future very much as it has in the past. (2) Groundwater recharge responds linearly to precipitation. (3) Future long-term climatic changes can be classified into groups or regimes that are similar to those of the past. Our current research is aimed at providing input data to the Waste Management Program's site suitability task. 16 figures, 1 table.

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This study was performed to identify transportation related problems and concerns for low-level transuranic (LLT) wastes. Recommended actions for these problems and concerns are included.

This LTR is a report to determine the structural adequacy of the 12-inch austenetic stainless steel blowdown valve in accordance with Article NB-3500, ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III (1971).

For full-power operation, the four major sources of radiation are: neutrons and gamma rays penetrating the sides of the shield tank; nitrogen-16 activity in the primary coolant; radiation leakage up and down the space between the reactor vessel and shield tank and scattering to accessible areas; and gamma rays from inelastic scattering of fast neutrons in the core. These four sources are discussed, and calculated radiation levels in important areas are given.

Tests were conducted in samples of polystyrene to study the effects of detonation delay on explosively induced fracturing. Two explosive charges in separate emplacement holes were fired at several choices of delay. The effect of free surfaces was minimized to make the experiments a study of blast-induced fracturing in a confined mode, i.e., deeply buried. All fractures formed on radial planes with respect to the emplacement holes. Simultaneous firing connected emplacement holes and produced fractures strongly oriented in the plane of the holes. Delayed firings in the second hole tended to suppress fracturing in the general direction of the first shot hole but to enhance fracturing away from the first hole. The effect was most dramatic in the ''medium'' delay firings; i.e., where the delay time was comparable to the dilatational wave transit time between holes. Using total surface area of cracks as a measure of damage, it was found that no choice of delay, including zero delay, could enhance the per-hole damage above that produced by an isolated shot. For medium delays, in fact, the total damage was measurably reduced.

A tissue-equivalent human-torso phantom has been constructed for calibration of the counting systems used for in-vivo measurement of transuranic nuclides. The phantom contains a human male rib cage, removable model organs, and includes tissue-equivalent chest plates that can be placed over the torso to simulate people with a wide range of statures. The organs included are lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, and tracheo-bronchial lymph nodes. Polyurethane with different concentrations of calcium carbonate was used to simulate the linear photon-attenuation properties of various human tissues--lean muscle, adipose-muscle mixtures, and cartilage. Foamed polyurethane with calcium carbonate simulates lung tissue. Transuranic isotopes can be incorporated uniformly in the phantom's lungs and other polyurethane-based organs by dissolution of the nitrate form in acetone with lanthanum nitrate carrier. Organs have now been labelled with highly pure /sup 238/Pu, /sup 239/Pu, and /sup 241/Am for calibration measurements. This phantom is the first of three that will be used in a U.S. Department of Energy program of intercomparisons involving more than ten laboratories. The results of the intercomparison will allow participating laboratories to prepare sets of transmission curves that can be used to predict the performance of their counting systems for a wide range of subject builds …

The DT fusion neutron irradiation of eleven BNL-LASL superconductor wires, six LASL Spinel, Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/, and YAG crystals (two of each), six NRL five 9's crystalline, tetragonal GeO/sub 2/ samples and four LASL-IIT high purity single crystals (MgO, YAG, Spinel and Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/) is described. The sample position, beam-on time and neutron dose record are given. The maximum neutron fluence on any sample was 1.87 x 10/sup 16/ neutrons/cm/sup 2/.

The Lawrence Livermore Laboratory is developing for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission a procedure to assess material control and accounting systems to prevent the possible theft of special nuclear materials (SNM). A computer code is described that evaluates the piping network within a plant and identifies all possible paths for removal of SNM from specified sources. As an example movement of plutonium nitrate solution from storage tanks to various exit points is described and simple approximate fluid-flow calculations are given for each path.

A report on the LOFT advanced densitometer lab testing that was conducted at ARA-3 in preparation for the non-nuclear L1-4 blowdown at LOFT is presented. The densitometer uses a pulse height analysis method for determining PWR coolant fluid chordal average density. The average density of the coolant fluid along the Cs-137 gamma beam path is determined by measuring the uncollided flux count rate in a Cs-137 photopeak and knowing the LOFT primary coolant hot leg piping geometry. This is an application of a gamma densitometer technique which processes discrete pulses and with no pulse pile-up or integration taking place. Time sampling of the piping and fluid attenuated Cs-137 spectrum provides the data which is related to the changing coolant fluid density as a function of time.

A separate abstract was prepared for each of the four articles in this report. (RWR)

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