The Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) on Nuclear Materials Safety held June 8-10, 1998, in St. Petersburg, Russia, was attended by 27 Russian experts from 14 different Russian organizations, seven European experts from six different organizations, and 14 U.S. experts from seven different organizations. The ARW was conducted at the State Education Center (SEC), a former Minatom nuclear training center in St. Petersburg. Thirty-three technical presentations were made using simultaneous translations. These presentations are reprinted in this volume as a formal ARW Proceedings in the NATO Science Series. The representative technical papers contained here cover nuclear material safety topics on the storage and disposition of excess plutonium and high enriched uranium (HEU) fissile materials, including vitrification, mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication, plutonium ceramics, reprocessing, geologic disposal, transportation, and Russian regulatory processes. This ARW completed discussions by experts of the nuclear materials safety topics that were not covered in the previous, companion ARW on Nuclear Materials Safety held in Amarillo, Texas, in March 1997. These two workshops, when viewed together as a set, have addressed most nuclear material aspects of the storage and disposition operations required for excess HEU and plutonium. As a result, specific experts in nuclear materials safety have been …

The Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997, enacted December 2, 1997, authorized appropriations to Amtrak through FY2002. This CRS report summarizes the provisions of the Act and discusses related developments.

This paper explores the geometrical errors that reduce heliostat tracking accuracy at Solar Two. The basic heliostat control architecture is described. Then, the three dominant error sources are described and their effect on heliostat tracking is visually illustrated. The strategy currently used to minimize, but not truly correct, these error sources is also shown. Finally, a novel approach to minimizing error is presented.

This project is designed to develop engineering and modeling tools for a family of NO_x control technologies utilizing biomass as a reburning fuel. The fifth reporting period (October 1 � December 31) included modeling of the Advanced Reburning (AR) process while firing biomass. Modeling of Advanced Biomass Reburning included AR-Lean, AR-Rich, and reburning + SNCR. Fuels under investigation were furniture pellets and willow wood. Modeling shows that reburning efficiency increases when N-agent is injected into reburning or OFA zones, or co-injected with OFA. The kinetic model trends qualitatively agree with experimental data for a wide range of initial conditions and thus can be used for process optimization. No patentable subject matter is disclosed in the report.

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), in cooperation with the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Safe Sites of Colorado (SSOC), developed a recommended flowsheet for the processing of plutonium-bearing incinerator ash stored at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) (Lucy et al. 1998). This flowsheet involves a calcination pretreatment step, the purpose of which is to remove carbonaceous material from the incinerator ash. Removal of this material reduced the probability of process upsets, improved product quality, and increases ash waste loading. As part of the continued development of the recommended flowsheet, PNNL performed a series of tests to characterize the offgas generated during the calcination process.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has one of the largest and most complete collections of information on crude oil composition that is available to the public. The computer program that manages this database of crude oil analyses has recently been rewritten to allow easier access to this information. This report describes how the new system can be accessed and how the information contained in the Crude Oil Analysis Data Bank can be obtained.

This Corrective Action Investigation Plan (CAIP) has been developed in accordance with the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) that was agreed to by the US Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV); the State of Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP); and the US Department of Defense (FFACO, 1996). The CAIP is a document that provides or references all of the specific information for investigation activities associated with Corrective Action Units (CAUs) or Corrective Action Sites (CASs). According to the FFACO (1996), CASs are sites potentially requiring corrective action(s) and may include solid waste management units or individual disposal or release sites. A CAU consists of one or more CASs grouped together based on geography, technical similarity, or agency responsibility for the purpose of determining corrective actions. This CAIP contains the environmental sample collection objectives and the criteria for conducting site investigation activities at the CAU 321 Area 22 Weather Station Fuel Storage, CAS 22-99-05 Fuel Storage Area. For purposes of this discussion, this site will be referred to as either CAU 321 or the Fuel Storage Area. The Fuel Storage Area is located in Area 22 of the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The NTS is approximately 105 …

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO provided information on the potential for shortfalls in the performance of two radomes, one for the F-15 Eagle and one for the F-16 Falcon, focusing on whether replacement radomes, bought for spares and supplied by vendors other than the original manufacturer, met the Air Force's specifications for the original radomes."

In May of 1998, a technical basis and implementation guidelines document for A Technique for Human Event Analysis (ATHEANA) was issued as a draft report for public comment (NUREG-1624). In conjunction with the release of draft NUREG- 1624, a peer review of the new human reliability analysis method its documentation and the results of an initial test of the method was held over a two-day period in June 1998 in Seattle, Washington. Four internationally known and respected experts in HK4 or probabilistic risk assessment were selected to serve as the peer reviewers. In addition, approximately 20 other individuals with an interest in HRA and ATHEANA also attended the peer and were invited to provide comments. The peer review team was asked to comment on any aspect of the method or the report in which improvements could be made and to discuss its strengths and weaknesses. They were asked to focus on two major aspects: Are the basic premises of ATHEANA on solid ground and is the conceptual basis adequate? Is the ATHEANA implementation process adequate given the description of the intended users in the documentation? The four peer reviewers asked questions and provided oral comments during the peer review meeting …

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A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the future role of the power market administrations (PMA) by providing a PMA-by-PMA analysis of the potential rate changes that would likely be experienced by preference customers who buy power from the Southeastern Power Administration, the Southwestern Power Administration, and Western Area Power Administration if the power is sold at market rates."

Exhaust gases from the primary operations in the steel making process are almost exclusively utilized as supplemental fuels within the steel plant. These by-product fuels include blast furnace gas (BFG) and coke oven gas (COG) which contain mixtures of H{sub 2}, CO, CH{sub 4} and trace amounts of some heavier hydrocarbons and the impurities NH{sub 3} and HCN. These fuels are burned alone or in combination with natural gas to fire the coke ovens, blast furnace stoves utility boilers and metal working furnaces. The utilization of these by-product fuels reduces the waste gas emissions at the steel mill and reduces the requirements for outside fuel sources. However, as with primary fuel sources, the combustion of these by-product fuel blends does produce hazardous pollutants, in particular nitrogen oxides, and because these are atypical fuel blends of varying composition, the pollutant formation is not well understood. The objective of this research was to develop an understanding of the mechanisms controlling NO{sub x} formation from the combustion of by-product fuels from the steel industry and investigate control and design options to minimize emissions. The minimization strategies investigated were constrained by limits on CO and hydrocarbon emissions, both of which increased under fuel-rich combustion …

This report describes the groundwater monitoring plan for the 216-A-29 ditch on the Hanford Site. This document presents a groundwater monitoring plan, under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) regulatory requirements found in WAC 173-303-400, and by reference, requirements in 40 CFR 265.93 (d)(6) for the 216-A-29 Ditch (A-29 Ditch) in the Hanford Site's 200 East Area. The objectives of this monitoring plan are to determine whether any hazardous constituents are detectable in the groundwater beneath the ditch. The groundwater monitoring network described in this plan includes 10 RCRA-compliant wells to monitor the aquifer in the immediate vicinity of the A-29 Ditch. Groundwater assessment activities have been conducted at the A-29 Ditch, the result of elevated specific conductivity and total organic halogens (TOX). A groundwater assessment report (Votava 1995) found that no hazardous constituents had impacted groundwater and the site returned to interim-status indicator-parameter/detection monitoring. This plan describes the process and quality objectives for conducting the indicator-parameter program. The site will be sampled semiannually for indicator parameters including pH, specific conductance, TOX, and total organic carbon. Site-specific parameters include tritium and ICP metals. These constituents, as well as anions, alkalinity, and turbidity will be sampled annually. Groundwater elevations …

Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge is proposing to acquire a 706-acre property located in Stevens County, Washington. The new acquisition would be called the Kaniksu Unit. A habitat evaluation was conducted on the property using the Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) methodology (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1980). Evaluation species were black-capped chickadee, mallard, ruffed grouse and white-tailed deer. Life requisites evaluated were food and reproduction for black-capped chickadee, food, cover, and reproduction for mallard, available winter browse for white-tailed deer and fall-to-spring cover for ruffed grouse.

Linearized methods are presented for appraising image resolution and parameter accuracy in images generated with two and three dimensional non-linear electromagnetic inversion schemes. When direct matrix inversion is employed, the model resolution and posterior model covariance matrices can be directly calculated. A method to examine how the horizontal and vertical resolution varies spatially within the electromagnetic property image is developed by examining the columns of the model resolution matrix. Plotting the square root of the diagonal of the model covariance matrix yields an estimate of how errors in the inversion process such as data noise and incorrect a priori assumptions about the imaged model map into parameter error. This type of image is shown to be useful in analyzing spatial variations in the image sensitivity to the data. A method is analyzed for statistically estimating the model covariance matrix when the conjugate gradient method is employed rather than a direct inversion technique (for example in 3D inversion). A method for calculating individual columns of the model resolution matrix using the conjugate gradient method is also developed. Examples of the image analysis techniques are provided on 2D and 3D synthetic cross well EM data sets, as well as a field data …

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The January 1999 issue of Energy Matters (formerly Turning Point) focuses on utility deregulation and restructuring and the implications for industry. An article describes how the Northeast Premium Efficiency Motor Initiative plans to increase the availability of premium efficiency motors. A case study reveals how General Motors achieved energy and cost savings by installing an energy-efficient water booster pumping system as part of a facility renovation.

The so-called radiation-induced ductility (RID) reported in neutron-irradiated 47at%Al alloys is attributed to the formation of effective twin embryos in the presence of interstitial-type Frank loops in {gamma}-TiAl and the subsequent nucleation and growth of microtwins during post-irradiation tensile deformation. The stability of large faulted Frank loops is explained in terms of the repulsive interaction between Shockley and Frank partials. Interaction of only six ordinary slip dislocations with a Frank loop can facilitate a pole mechanism for twin formation to work. The relative ease of heterogeneous twin nucleation is the reason for the RID and the lack of changes in yield strength and work hardening.

This strategic plan is in direct response to the call by a broad array of interested parties, for the Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs (BTS) to reduce fragmentation and increase focus. This plan outlines goals for saving energy, three key strategies to accomplish these goals, and a commitment to improving how they do business.

An innovative technology for recovery of pure phase DNAPL was deployed in the subsurface near the M-Area Settling Basin, continuing the support of the A/M Area Ground Water Corrective Action Program (per Part B requirements). This technology, the Hydrophobic Lance, operates by placing a neutral/hydrophobic surface (Teflon) in contact with the DNAPL. This changes the in situ conditions experienced by the DNAPL, allowing it to selectively drain into a sump from which it can be pumped. Collection of even small amounts of DNAPL can save years of pump-and-treat operation because of the generally low solubility of DNAPL components.

Let me begin with some comments about transparency. We all have some perception or vision about the use of transparency for nuclear technology and nuclear non-proliferation. Although we probably have some common understanding of what it implies, there is no precise definition that is agreed upon. One of the most significant ideas in transparency is that it is considered to be a voluntary or unilateral action. The party, or organization, or nation that wants its activities to be transparent voluntarily provides information to other parties with the expectation of receiving some acceptance or good will in return. The organization giving the information determines what information to provide, how much, how often, and when. This is in contrast to official treaties and monitoring regimes, in which specific verification information and activities are prescribed. This should have the advantage for the transparent organization of being less intrusive and less costly than a treaty monitoring regime. Information related to sensitive nuclear technology, proprietary processes, and physical security is more easily protected. The difficultly for both parties, the transparent organization and the information recipients, is in determining what information is necessary for the desired confidence building. It must be recognized that this state of …

In industry, the need to maximize energy efficiency depends on the availability of suitable advanced materials. Ceramic composites are exemplary materials for many advanced engineering applications because they exhibit good thermal stability, oxidation resistance and enhanced toughness. Presently, ceramic composite fabrication processes are costly, often requiring high temperatures and pressures to achieve reasonable densities. Our research is focused on developing a processing technique, that will allow production of alumina/aluminum composites using relatively low temperatures and without the application of an external force, thus reducing the processing costs. Our composites were formed using Reactive Metal Penetration (RMP), which is a process involving the reaction of molten Al with a dense ceramic preform. The result is a near net shape ceramic/metal composite with interpenetrating phases. The volume fraction of metal in the composites was varied by doping an aluminosilicate ceramic preform with silica. For this study we fabricated composites using pure mullite and mullite doped with 23 and 42 weight percent silica, yielding 18, 25, and 30 volume percent metal in the composites, respectively. Optical and Scanning Electron Microscopy were used to characterize the homogeneity and scale of the microstructure. The scale of the microstructure varied with preform composition, the reaction temperature …

We have constructed a single ring to resonantly double an 18 watt Nd:YLF mode-locked laser and re-double the stored green to produce over 4 watts of power in the ultra-violet (UV). This laser is used to produce a beam of 470 MeV gamma-rays by Compton backscattering the laser beam from 2.8 GeV electrons stored in a synchrotron. Achieving high luminosity of the colliding beams requires very good mode quality and beam stability at the intersection point 22 meters from the laser. The ring consists of six mirrors, with two 25 cm radius of curvature mirrors enclosing each nonlinear crystal. The drive laser is a lamp pumped Nd:YLF with a 50 ps bunch length at 76 MHz. A pointing stabilizer servo has been constructed as part of the infrared (IR) mode matching telescope. The IR to green conversion is accomplished in a 15 mm long non-critically phased matched LB0 crystal located at a 40 micron waist, with an IR conversion efficiency of 70%. A stable, nearly diffraction limited W beam of up to 4.2 watts is generated in a BBO crystal in the green storage ring. The output power is relatively independent of the efficiency of the LB0 and BBO crystals. …

The objective of this short report is to define a set of activities that should lead to a specification for a test that can be used as one of the acceptance criteria and as an indicator of acceptable long-term behavior in contact with water. Since the glass composition is not yet defined and is likely to change as the composition of the waste changes, a strategy for developing criteria for what is acceptable involves a series of tests and modeling activities. The results of these activities lead to a criterion for an acceptable product and the data that are needed to reliably determine the behavior of the glass in the storage environment.