Most estimates of the time required for safe isolation of radioactive wastes from the biosphere range from 100,000 to 1,000,000 years. For such long time spans, it is necessary to assess the potential effects of geologic processes such as volcanism and tectonic activity on the integrity of geologic repositories. Predictions of geologic phenomena can be based on probabilistic models, which assume a random distribution of events. The necessary historic and geologic records are rarely available to provide an adequate data base for such predictions. The observed distribution of volcanic and tectonic activity is not random, and appears to be controlled by extremely complex deterministic processes. The advent of global plate tectonic theory in the past two decades has been a giant step toward understanding these processes. At each potential repository site, volcanic and tectonic processes should be evaluated to provide the most thorough possible understanding of those deterministic processes. Based on this knowledge, judgements will have to be made as to whether or not the volcanic and tectonic processes pose unacceptable risk to the integrity of the repository. This report describes the potential hazards associated with volcanism and tectonism, and the means for evaluating these processes.

This report is a review of the state-of-the-art for evaluating the potential impact of flooding on a deep radioactive-waste repository, namely, for predicting the future occurrence of catastrophic flooding and for estimating the effect of such flooding on waste containment characteristics. Several detrimental effects are identified: flooding can increase groundwater seepage velocities through a repository within the framework of the existing hydrologic system and thus increase the rate of radioactive-waste leakage to the biosphere; flooding may alter repository hydrology by reversing flow gradients, relocating sources of groundwater recharge and discharge, or shortening seepage paths, thereby producing unpredictable leakage; saturation of a vadose-zone repository during flooding can increase groundwater seepage velocities by several orders of magnitude; and flooding can damage repository-media containment properties by inducing seismic or chemical instability or increasing fracture permeability in relatively shallow repository rock as a result of redistributing in-situ stresses. Short-term flooding frequency and magnitude can be predicted statistically by analyzing historical records of flooding. However, long-term flooding events that could damage a permanent repository cannot be predicted with confidence because the geologic record is neither unique nor sufficienly complete for statistical analysis. It is more important to identify parameters characterizing containment properties (such as permeability, …

Studies of the oxidation and gasification of oil shale char were extended to an investigation of the effects of mineral catalysis. Six shales with differing mineral compositions were studied, including samples from the saline zone in the Western Colorado and from the Antrim shales of Michigan. Oxidation kinetics data, corrected for mass transfer effects, were compared for all six samples. A high assay shale from Utah and a sample from the saline zone were found to have the highest oxidation rates. By examining the data for shales which were water leached and thermally pretreated, it was concluded that both NaO and CaO act as oxidation catalysts. However, as a result of mineral decomposition experiments conducted with a sample from the C-a lease tract, it appears as though the ankeritic dolomite fraction will not decompose as long as there is a minimal CO/sub 2/ over pressure. Rather, low temperature silication reactions appear to take place once the temperature exceeds 925/sup 0/K. An extensive evaluation was also completed for the gasification of an Antrim shale from Michigan. Both the rates of CO/sub 2/ and steam gasification of the char were found to be markedly lower than that observed for a shale sample …

The potential impact of future geologic processes on the integrity of a deep, high-level radioactive-waste repository is evaluated. The following study identifies the potential consequences of surface erosion and deposition on sub-surface repository containment characteristics and assesses the ability to measure and predict quantitatively the rates and corresponding extent of these processes in the long term. Numerous studies of the magnitudes and rates of surficial erosion and deposition that have been used to determine the minimum allowable depth for a geologic repository (300 m - NRC Code of Federal Regulations, Part 60.122, Draft 10) are cited in this report. Measurement and interpretation of potential rates and extent of surficial processes in these studies involved considerable uncertainty, and the implications of this uncertainty on presently proposed repository siting criteria are addressed herein. Important concepts that should be considered when developing siting criteria to protect against deleterious effects arising from future erosion or deposition are highlighted. Erosion agents that could affect deep repositories are distinguished in this report so that their individual and combined impacts may be examined. This approach is recommended when evaluating potential repository sites in diverse environments that are susceptible to different agents of erosion. In contrast, agents of …

Screening criteria and specifications are recommended to aid in the evaluation of sites proposed for nuclear waste disposal in basalt and domed salt. The recommended new criteria proposed in this report are intended to supplement existing repository-related criteria for nuclear waste disposal. The existing criteria are contained in 10 CFR 60 sections which define siting criteria of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and ONWI 33(2) which defines siting criteria of the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI) for the Department of Energy. The specifications are conditions or parameter values that the authors recommend be applied in site acceptance evaluations. The siting concerns covered in this report include repository depth, host rock extent, seismic setting, structural and tectonic conditions, groundwater and rock geochemistry, volcanism, surface and subsurface hydrology, and socioeconomic issues, such as natural resources, land use, and population distribution.

The BCD Silicon strip Vertex Detector is constructed of 10 identical central region modules and 18 similar forward region modules. This memo describes a method of assembling these modules from individual silicon wafers. Each wafer is fitted with associated front end electronics and cables and has been tested to insure that only good wafers reach the final assembly stage. 5 figs.

The solar desiccant air conditioner (SODAC) system and its operation are described, including the characteristics of the major components, the performance at design conditions, and the control schemes for optimum operation in various climates. The system uses granular silica gel as a desiccant. It may operate in either a recirculated mode (no air exchange between the outside and the conditioned space) or a ventilated mode (air exchanged between outside and conditioned space). The test data in the ventilated mode at design flow rates are presented. Data include outdoor and indoor inlet wet and dry bulb temperatures, indoor outlet dry and wet bulb temperatures, capacity, coefficient of performance, air flow rates, hot water temperature, and solar heat used. The effects of indoor, outdoor, and hot water temperatures on the capacity and coefficient of performance are shown graphically, and the recirculated and ventilated modes, performances are compared. (LEW)

The Westinghouse Electric Corporation has undertaken to investigate, develop, and characterize laser-assisted processing techniques utilized to produce the fine line, thin metal grid structures that are required to fabricate high-efficiency solar cells. Two basic techniques for metal deposition will be investigated, as follows: (1) photochemical decomposition of liquid or gas phase organometallic compounds utilizing either a focused, CW ultraviolet laser (System 1) or a mask and ultraviolet flood illumination, such as that provided by a repetitively pulsed, defocused excimer laser (System 2), for pattern definition, and (2) thermal deposition of metals from organometallic solutions or vapors utilizing a focused, CW laser beam as a local heat source to draw the metallization pattern. The purpose of this contract is to investigate the various existing laser-assisted film deposition techniques in order to develop a new, cost-effective technology for solar cell metallization. The tasks that will be performed in the conduct of these investigations are detailed. In the first three months of this contract, a comprehensive literature search has been carried out on the various state-of-the-art laser-assisted techniques for metal deposition, including laser chemical vapor deposition and laser photolysis of organometallics, as well as laser-enhanced electroplating. A compact system for the experiments involving …

Work proceeded this quarter mainly under three program tasks. Under Task 1.0, work was started on preparing a description of the reference Steam Injection System. It is planned to lay out the plant in power unit trains rated at a nominal 100 MW(e). Under Task 2.0, work continued on anode, cathode, current collector, and electrolyte tile develoment and stack design and analysis. Corrosion test results of various current collector materials after 3500 hours exposure are reported. Sintering data at 6000 hours were obtained on twelve different material samples tested to evaluate the effects of chromium and ceramic addition to state-of-the-art and in-house fabricated electrodes. The 6000 hour data showed no change in porosity or pore distribution from the 5000 hour data. The electroless-plated ceramic plaques demonstrated good stability and porosities. Two cells containing dual porosity anodes using all metal-plated-ceramic material, were tested. Although testing was terminated due to cracked tiles, the cell results are encouraging for the experimental anodes. Under Task 4.0, work continued on installation and debugging of the atmospheric bench scale single cell test facility, and operation of a cell started on April 20, 1982. Progress is detailed. (WHK)

A test has been performed at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) in connection with studies for the US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency on the possibility of utilizing measurements of the concentrations of the minor uranium isotopes in /sup 235/U enrichment cascade external streams as a safeguards technique (MIST). This is the fourth plant test that has been performed in connection with the MIST studies, the first three having been done at the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP). The main objectives of the test were to measure the isotopic composition and flow rates of the plant external streams over a period of time; to design an appropriate plant model in the manner an IAEA safeguards team might do it and calculate the isotopic compositions of the plant streams; and to compare the calculated isotopic values with the measured ones. The calculated /sup 235/U to /sup 234/U concentration ratios in the product and tails streams did not match the average measured values in the high-power period as well as they did for the low-power period, when the same isotopic composition for natural U was assumed at both power levels - the actual composition of the natural U fed to …

A model was devised for waste dissolution in bedded salt, a hydrologically tight medium. For a typical Spent UnReprocessed Fuel (SURF) emplacement, the dissolution rate wll be diffusion limited and will rise to a steady state value after t/sub eq/ approx. = 250 (1+(1-epsilon/sub 0/) K/sub D//epsilon/sub 0/) (years) epsilon/sub 0/ is the overpack porosity and K/sub d/ is the overpack sorption coefficient. The steady state dissolution rate itself is dominated by the solubility of UO/sub 2/. Steady state rates between 5 x 10/sup -5/ and .5 (g/year) are achievable by SURF emplacements in bedded salt without overpack, and rates between 5 x 10/sup -7/ and 5 x 10/sup -3/ (g/year) with an overpack having porosity of 10/sup -2/.

The main emphasis of these studies is the development of methods (hardware and software) for the quantitation of body and specific organ burdens of radioactivity. Current work is directed toward the evaluation of radiation dose distributions in human beings from new radioactive tracers and new procedures used in nuclear medicine. Dosimetry and clinical studies will be carried out on patients using new radiopharmaceuticals where dosimetry data are lacking. Future efforts will be directed toward the development of systems that will facilitate the collection of dosimetry data using less specialized facilities. The availability of instrumentation and analytic techniques that provide clinical images as well as dosimetry data should enhance the rate of collection of data on human exposures in medicine and assist in the optimization of diagnostic strategies. In parallel with these efforts, we are developing a new computer assisted technique for diagnostic decision making. The basic aim is to utilize efficiently all the available data to maximize information gain while minimizing cost factors.

Nuclear reactor systems are one method of satisfying space mission power needs. The development of such systems must proceed on a path consistent with mission needs and schedules. This path, or technology roadmap, starts from the power system technology data base available today. Much of this data base was established during the 1960s and early 1970s, when government and industry developed space nuclear reactor systems for steady-state power and propulsion. One of the largest development programs was the Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power (SNAP) Program. By the early 1970s, a technology base had evolved from this program at the system, subsystem, and component levels. There are many implications of this technology base on future reactor power systems. A review of this base highlights the need for performing a power system technology and mission overview study. Such a study is currently being performed by Rockwell's Energy Systems Group for the Department of Energy and will assess power system capabilities versus mission needs, considering development, schedule, and cost implications. The end product of the study will be a technology roadmap to guide reactor power system development.

Brief descriptions of research papers in radiobiology, biochemistry, metabolism, and biophysics published during 1979 are presented. The research was conducted by investigators in the Dept. of Radiation Biology and Biophysics. (ACR)

For each sample, one 30-gallon drum containing approximately 90 lb of coal at {minus}1/4 inch was designated for headspace oxygen analysis and coal quality monitoring at yearly intervals. Headspace oxygen analysis and retrieval of a 5-lb sample for coal analysis have begun. Headspace oxygen contents are shown in Table 1. Preparation and analysis of these samples for the second yearly quality evaluation is in progress. We have initiated a study of different means of storage in preventing sample deterioration and in maintaining an inert headspace atmosphere. The work was performed with support from the Penn State Cooperative Program in Coal Research. A run-of-mine sample of medium-volatile bituminous Lower Kittanning coal was collected as PSOC-1536 and promptly processed. Gieseler fluidity FSI, alkali extraction and preparation of petrographic pellets were accomplished within 32 hours of extraction of the coal from the mine face. Splits of the sample were sealed under argon in several container types.

This basically administrative report describes research in the following areas: ..pi..-neon interactions at 200 GeV; direct ..gamma.. and e/sup +/e/sup -/ pair production; studies of photon production in 16-GeV/c ..pi../sup +/-p interactions; ..gamma..-p interactions at 20 GeV; and computer and hardware development. References are given to published work. An expenditure statement is included. (RWR)

No new field-ionization data was obtained this quarter. For preasphaltenes, elemental analysis data was obtained on Kentucky and Wyodak preasphaltene samples. In conjunction with the preasphaltene work, solubility and thin-layer chromatography experiments were performed. The results indicated that basic alumina would not be useful as a general stationary phase for the separation of preasphaltenes. Several experiments were carried out with Chromasorb T, and the results showed it would be an adequate substitute for Fluoropak. The hydrocarbons in a sample from Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center were separated by the number of double bonds. The optimum mobile phases for the separation of monohydroxyl aromatics and dihydroxyl aromatics by reversed-phase liquid chromatography were obtained. In addition, a means of predicting retention in normal-phase chromatography was considered, and a NO/sub 2/ high-performance chromatographic column showed promise for the separation of compound classes. 6 references, 4 figures, 7 tables.

This report presents the results of work aimed at understanding the hydrodynamic behavior of the H-Coal reactor. A summary of the literature search related to the fluid dynamic behavior of gas/liquid/solid systems has been presented. Design details of a cold flow unit were discussed. The process design of this cold flow model followed practices established by HRI in their process development unit. The cold fow unit has been used to conduct experiments with nitrogen, kerosene, or kerosene/coal char slurries, and HDS catalyst, which at room temperature have properties similar to those existing in the H-Coal reactor. Mineral oil, a high-viscosity liquid, was also used. The volume fractions occupied by gas/liquid slurries and catalyst particles were determined by several experimental techniques. The use of a mini-computer for data collection and calculation has greatly accelerated the analysis and reporting of data. Data on nitrogen/kerosene/HDS catalyst and coal char fines are presented in this paper. Correlations identified in the literature search were utilized to analyze the data. From this analysis it became evident that the Richardson-Zaki correlation describes the effect of slurry flow rate on catalyst expansion. Three-phase fluidization data were analyzed with two models.

These notes present the experimental basis and status for laser fusion as developed at LLL. Two other chapters, one authored by K.A. Brueckner and the other by C. Max, present the theoretical implosion physics and laser plasma interaction physics. The notes consist of six sections. The first is an introductory section which provides some of the history of inertial fusion and a simple explanation of the concepts involved. The second section presents an extensive discussion of diagnostic instrumentation used in the LLL Laser Fusion Program. The third section is a presentation of laser facilities and capabilities at LLL. The purpose here is to define capability, not to derive how it was obtained. The fourth and fifth sections present the experimental data on laser-plasma interaction and implosion physics. The last chapter is a short projection of the future.

Test planning and test preparation for LLTR Series II Test A-5 are continuing at GE and ETEC. The main objective for this test is to obtain data on the type and magnitude of steam tube blowout failures resulting from worst case leak conditions under the superheater hot standby condition (i.e., the plant condition considered most susceptible to steam tube blowout failures from wastage/overheating). A corollary objective is to add large quantities of steam (i.e. approx. 330 lbs) to simulate the amount that could be added in a plant system (such as CRBRP) before pressure would build up in the intermediate Heat Transport System to blow the expansion tank rupture disc. This report recommends the preferred method for operating the LLTR primary/secondary steam systems for Test A-5. i.e., Option 5 - Common Supply Tanks for Primary and Secondary Systems.

The simultaneous production of helium from (n,..cap alpha..) reactions and atomic displacement damage by energetic neutrons in reactor structural alloys is expected to have a strong influence on their irradiation response for first wall and structural applications in fusion power reactors. Charged particle bombardment offers the possibility of assessing the phenomenology and mechanisms of microstructural evolution in a wide range of materials exposed to simultaneous helium injection and creation of atomic displacement damage by a second ion beam. In this program two ion accelerators have been used to simultaneously focus a beam of helium ions and a second ion beam on targets of selected reactor structural alloys. The resulting microstructural changes have been studied for systematic variations in damage rate, irradiation temperature, fluence and appm helium/dpa ratio and compared and correlated with results from companion fission reactor and high energy neutron irradiation studies conducted elsewhere in the DOE program.

This summary report outlines the results of an independent assessment of the need, feasibility, and siting of the proposed Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) facility. The detailed reports of this assessment are included as appendices to the summary report. The Department of Energy (DOE) has concluded that the MRS is not absolutely necessary, but preferred, in order to manage and move spent fuel from reactors to a repository. The team has attemped to assess need'' by comparing to advantages and disadvantages of various systems, with and without the MRS. Feasibility has been assessed by comparing the technical and economic advantages and disadvantages. The team was not asked to recommend a preferred system. That choice will depend on the importance that are used to compare alternatives. The five key criteria selected by the team for comparing alternate systems were: economic cost, radiological risk, non-radiological transportation impacts, the likelihood of successful implementation and operation of the system, and the likelihood of meeting the schedule in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. The team compared twelve different systems and modeled the transportation impacts and risks with three repository sites and two MRS sites.

This project developed wetlands proximity maps and provided wetlands information by means of a Geographic Environmental Data Base (GEDB) for each of 11 interaction zones identified in DPST-84-684. It includes an analysis of 86 hazardous waste sites at the Savannah River Plant (SRP). The map of each interaction zone is intended to indicate major wetland and land cover types, with emphasis on locations of hazardous waste sites with wetland areas identified within a 1000 meter radius. Statistics of aerial extent for wetland and land cover for each interaction zone are provided. 80 figs., 93 tabs.

It has been decided, at least tentatively, to mount the arc magnets on pedestals, the motivation being to provide the most rigid support possible. In the same spirit the pedestals should be as short as possible. It has been proposed to shorten the pedestals by about 10 inches by either raising the floor of the tunnels or lowering the beams. A relatively simple means for lowering the beams is considered here.