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Proposals to amend Appendix A of Part 440 of Weatherization Assistance for Low-Income Persons are described. The proposals establish new specifications for the materials purchased for utilization in the weatherization of dwellings which qualify for assistance under Part 440. These proposed regulations prescribe the minimum requirements which must be met or exceeded by each type of material and the Federal standards to which they must conform. In addition, these regulations include installation requirements for each class of material installed at the request of the enduser. (MCW)

This eleventh edition of the Annual Energy Review (AER) presents the Energy Information Administration`s historical energy statistics. For most series, statistics are given for every year from 1949 through 1992. Because coverage spans four decades, the statistics in this report are well-suited to tong-term trend analyses. The AER is comprehensive. It covers all major energy activities, including consumption, production, trade, stocks, and prices, all major energy commodities, including fossil fuels and electricity. The AER also presents statistics on some renewable energy sources. For the most part, fuel-specific data are expressed in physical units such as barrels, cubic feet, and short tons. The integrated summary data in Section 1 are expressed in Btu. The Btu values are calculated using the conversion factors in Appendix A. Statistics expressed in Btu are valuable in that they allow for comparisons among different fuels and for the calculation of in the integrated summary statistics such as US consumption of Energy. The AER emphasizes domestic energy statistics.

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) commitment to assuring the health and safety of its workers includes the conduct of illness and injury surveillance activities that provide an early warning system to detect health problems among workers. The Illness and Injury Surveillance Program monitors illnesses and health conditions that result in an absence, occupational injuries and illnesses, and disabilities and deaths among current workers.

As was reported in our previous work, accurate, nondisturbing near-anode measurements of the plasma density, electron temperature, and plasma potential performed with biased and emissive probes allowed the first experimental identification of both electron-repelling (negative anode fall) and electron-attracting (positive anode fall) anode sheaths in Hall thrusters. An interesting new phenomenon revealed by the probe measurements is that the anode fall changes from positive to negative upon removal of the dielectric coating, which appears on the anode surface during the course of Hall thruster operation. As reported in the present work, energy dispersion spectroscopy analysis of the chemical composition of the anode dielectric coating indicates that the coating layer consists essentially of an oxide of the anode material (stainless steel). However, it is still unclear how oxygen gets into the thruster channel. Most importantly, possible mechanisms of anode fall formation in a Hall thruster with a clean and a coated anodes are analyzed in this work; practical implication of understanding the general structure of the electron-attracting anode sheath in the case of a coated anode is also discussed.

Tidal stream energy is one of the alternative energy sources that are renewable and clean. With the constantly increasing effort in promoting alternative energy, tidal streams have become one of the more promising energy sources due to their continuous, predictable and spatially-concentrated characteristics. However, the present lack of a full spatial-temporal assessment of tidal currents for the U.S. coastline down to the scale of individual devices is a barrier to the comprehensive development of tidal current energy technology. This project created a national database of tidal stream energy potential, as well as a GIS tool usable by industry in order to accelerate the market for tidal energy conversion technology. Tidal currents are numerically modeled with the Regional Ocean Modeling System and calibrated with the available measurements of tidal current speed and water level surface. The performance of the model in predicting the tidal currents and water levels is assessed with an independent validation. The geodatabase is published at a public domain via a spatial database engine and interactive tools to select, query and download the data are provided. Regions with the maximum of the average kinetic power density larger than 500 W/m2 (corresponding to a current speed of ~1 m/s), …

About four-fifths of the energy of the fission process is shared by the two heavy fragments into which the nucleus splits. This energy, of about 80 Mev. per fragment, is transferred to the medium in which the fission takes place in two ways. First, because each fragment is stripped of about half of its electrons during most of its path, it will interact strongly with electrons and thus lose energy through ionizing collisions with other atoms. Secondly, the fragments will lose energy by elastic collisions with atoms as a whole. Each fragment leaves in its wake a cloud of moving electrons and atoms. This cloud will roughly resemble a cylinder whose radius will increase with time on account of the motion of the struck electrons and atoms. They may now investigate two features of the slowing down process. First as it affects the fragment, i.e. we calculate its range, straggling, etc. And secondly they may work out the motion of the cylinder of moving particles, its effect on the medium, etc.

Borosilicate glass was selected as the baseline technology for immobilization of the Cs/Sr/Ba/Rb (Cs), lanthanide (Ln) and transition metal fission product (TM) waste steams as part of a cost benefit analysis study.[1] Vitrification of the combined waste streams have several advantages, minimization of the number of waste forms, a proven technology, and similarity to waste forms currently accepted for repository disposal. A joint study was undertaken by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) to develop acceptable glasses for the combined Cs + Ln + TM waste streams (Option 1) and Cs + Ln combined waste streams (Option 2) generated by the AFCI UREX+ set of processes. This study is aimed to develop baseline glasses for both combined waste stream options and identify key waste components and their impact on waste loading. The elemental compositions of the four-corners study were used along with the available separations data to determine the effect of burnup, decay, and separations variability on estimated waste stream compositions.[2-5] Two different components/scenarios were identified that could limit waste loading of the combined Cs + LN + TM waste streams, where as the combined Cs + LN waste stream has no single component that …

The study of meteorite Murray has been reported in previous Quarterly Reports. This report gives further results with Murray, and information on another meteorite, Orgueil. A sample of Orgueil was sent from the Museum National d Histoire Naturelle, Paris. It fell in several pieces over an area of 2 square miles near Orgueil, France, in 1864. The elemental analysis of this meteorite is shown in Table 1. They extracted a 10.07-g sample of this meteorite with water, using the same procedure as that for Murray. The water extracted 1.32 g, which is at least twice as much material as was water-extracted from Murray. The elemental analysis of the water extract is given in Table II and its uv spectrum is shown in Figure 1. From an x-ray diffraction pattern it was determined that the water extract contained mostly MgSO{sub 4} {center_dot} 6H{sub 2}O with some calcium sulfate. Their spectrum (Figure 2) shows a strong SO{sub 4} band at 1100 cm{sup -1}, = strong H{sub 2}O bands at 1650 cm{sup -1} and 3200-3600 cm{sup -1}, and some unidentified peaks at 2300, 1400, and 980 cm{sup -1}. The approximately 8 g of Orgueil left after the water extraction was then extracted with …

Gauthreaux, Sidney, A., and Steven J. Wagner. 2005. Breeding bird populations and habitat associations within the Savannah River Site (SRS). Final Report. USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, Aiken, SC. 48 pp. Abstract: During the 1970's and 1980's a dramatic decline occurred in the populations of Neotropical migratory birds, species that breed in North America and winter south of the border in Central and South America and in the Caribbean. In 1991 an international initiative was mounted by U. S. governmental land management agencies, nongovernmental conservation agencies, and the academic and lay ornithological communities to understand the decline of Neotropical migratory birds in the Americas. In cooperation with the USDA Forest Service - Savannah River (FS - SR) we began 1992 a project directed to monitoring population densities of breeding birds using the Breeding Bird Census (BBC) methodology in selected habitats within the Savannah River Site SRS. In addition we related point count data on the occurrence of breeding Neotropical migrants and other bird species to the habitat data gathered by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service and data on habitat treatments within forest stands.

This paper describes numerical techniques for calculating the capacitance of an arbitrary two conductor structure. For two dimensional structures the capacitance per unit length can be easily related to the characteristic impedance of a transmission line with the same cross section. Note that this is true for lines operated below their cut off frequency, i.e., TEM mode only. Thus, one can compute the impedance of an arbitrarily shaped line. The method using the ANSYS finite element program is being used to design the high voltage transmission line for the Yale streamer chamber. This line has a transition piece between two different cross sections. It is being modeled by taking several slices throughout the transition region.

This thesis studies Monte Carlo simulations of QCD heavy flavor production processes (p{bar p} {yields} Q({anti Q})X) at hadron colliders. ISAJET bottom quark cross-sections are compared to the O({alpha} {sub s}{sup 3}) perturbative calculation of Nason, Dawson, and Ellis. These Monte Carlo cross-sections are computed from data samples which use different parton distribution functions and physics parameters. Distributions are presented in the heavy quark's transverse momentum and rapidity. Correlations in rapidity and azimuthal angle are computed for the heavy flavor pair. Theory issues which arise are the behavior of the cross-section at low and high values of transverse momentum and the treatment of double counting problems in the flavor excitation samples. An important result is that ISAJET overestimates bottom quark production cross-sections and K factors. These findings are relevant for estimates of rates and backgrounds of heavy floor events.

A critical component of the State Water Resource Control Board's Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program is to assess the major threats to groundwater resources that supply drinking water to Californians (Belitz et al., 2004). Nitrate is the most pervasive and intractable contaminant in California groundwater and is the focus of special studies under the GAMA program. This report presents results of a study of nitrate contamination in the aquifer beneath the cities of Morgan Hill and Gilroy, CA, in the Llagas Subbasin of Santa Clara County, where high nitrate levels affect several hundred private domestic wells. The main objectives of the study are: (1) to identify the main source(s) of nitrate that issue a flux to the shallow regional aquifer (2) to determine whether denitrification plays a role in the fate of nitrate in the subbasin and (3) to assess the impact that a nitrate management plan implemented by the local water agency has had on the flux of nitrate to the regional aquifer. Analyses of 56 well water samples for major anions and cations, nitrogen and oxygen isotopes of nitrate, dissolved excess nitrogen, tritium and groundwater age, and trace organic compounds, show that synthetic fertilizer is the …

Catalyzed combustion offers the advantages of increased fuel efficiency, decreased emissions (both NOx and CO), and an expanded operating range. These performance improvements are related to the ability of the catalyst to stabilize a flame at or within the burner media and to combust fuel at much lower temperatures. This technology has a diverse set of applications in industrial and commercial heating, including boilers for the paper, food and chemical industries. However, wide spread adoption of catalyzed combustion has been limited by the high cost of precious metals needed for the catalyst materials. The primary objective of this project was the development of an innovative catalyzed burner media for commercial and small industrial boiler applications that drastically reduce the unit cost of the catalyzed media without sacrificing the benefits associated with catalyzed combustion. The scope of this program was to identify both the optimum substrate material as well as the best performing catalyst construction to meet or exceed industry standards for durability, cost, energy efficiency, and emissions. It was anticipated that commercial implementation of this technology would result in significant energy savings and reduced emissions. Based on demonstrated achievements, there is a potential to reduce NOx emissions by 40,000 TPY …

Final report summarizes technology used, system design and outcomes for US DoE Tribal Energy Program award to deploy Wind Heat Smart Grids in the Chaninik Wind Group communities in southwest Alaska.

The processing of Al fuel, principally of the MTR-ETR type, is reported. Processing rate averaged 90% of flow sheet values for the entire operating period, and a U recovery of 99.85% was achieved. Aqueous Zr fuel processing studles continued with the objective of adapting the HF process to continuous dissolution-complexing in order to increase the capacity of the ICPP process while using as much existing equipment as possible to minimize costs. Good results were indicated in a 190-hr run dissolving 2% U-Zr fuel in a Monel dissolver using 4.8M HF-0.03M HNO/sub 3/ dissolvent at 200 deg F; insoluble material did not accumulate in the dissolver, although a U-containing film was formed, apparently in small, equilibrium quantity. Shorter term continuous laboratory dissolutions indicated that 4.8M acid was preferable to 10M acid for the acid feed rate/fuel surface ratios proposed, resulting in dissolver products of greater stability and higher uranium content. Additional laboratory data are presented on UF/sub 4/ hydrate form and solubility, together with maximum dissolvable U compositions with Zircaloy under various flowsheet condltions. Processing of Al alloys containing high Si was found to present no unusual problems in laboratory studies. Siliceous residues resulting from dissolution of Al-U alloys containing 2% …

This document defines the top level requirements of potential users of a space based nuclear electric power supply. This provides the SP-100 Project and information required to design the modular (10-1000 KWe) space power systems to meet the needs of most potential users.

This cleanup verification package documents completion of removal actions for the 105-H Reactor Ancillary Support Areas, Below-Grade Structures, and Underlying Soils (subsite 118-H-6:2); 105-H Reactor Fuel Storage Basin and Underlying Soils (118-H-6:3); and Fuel Storage Basin Deep Zone Side Slope Soils. This CVP also documents remedial actions for the following seven additional waste sties: French Drain C (100-H-9), French Drain D (100-H-10), Expansion Box French Drain E (100-H-11), Expansion Box French Drain F (100-H-12), French Drain G (100-H-13), Surface Contamination Zone H (100-H-14), and the Polychlorinated Biphenyl Surface Contamination Zone (100-H-31).

For the four coals employed in this work, it was not possible to effectively grind the minus 50 mesh feed even at the lowest solids concentration range tried. The reason for this is the low feed rate which makes it impossible to obtain a uniform flow as the coarse particles in the feed tend to settle down and form sediment in either the tubing system or the grinding chamber. Besides, only moderate levels of solids concentration could be employed as high solids concentration are also fraught with sedimentation problem. Attempts to increase the flow rate resulted in the grinding media being taken out of the mill together with the slurry. As a result of these limitations posed by the instrument, further tests were restricted to using minus 100 mesh feed size and moderate levels of feed rate and Pulp density. Some of the results obtained are given in Tables I - 4 for the different coals used. It can be seen from the tables that the softest coal (Pocahontas No. 3 in this case) requires about 2 or 3 passes in order to obtain very fine product while the harder coals would require 4 or more passes. The number of …

An investigation of the fundamental physical processes that govern the structures of fume particles that are produced from the vapor phase in a wide range of high temperature systems has been conducted. The key objective of this study has been to develop models of the evolution of fine particles of refractory materials that are produced from the vapor phase, with particular emphasis on those processes that govern the evolution of ash fumes produced from volatilized mineral matter during coal combustion. To accomplish this goal, the study has included investigations of a number of fundamental aspects of pyrogenous fumes: Structural characterization of agglomerate particles in terms of fractal structure parameters; the relationship between the structures of agglomerate particles and the aerodynamic drag forces they experience; coagulation kinetics of fractal-like particles; sintering of aerosol agglomerates past the early stage of neck formation and incorporating the simultaneous influences of several transport mechanisms.

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A commercial ready fuel cell charger has been further developed, demonstrated, and field tested during the three phases of this project. The work performed and demonstrated has shown the commercialization readiness of this future product and underlying technology. The tasks in phase 1 of the project focused on component cost reduction, redesign for manufacturability, performance & reliability testing, and system integration. The end of phase 1 was completed on time and was signified by passing the Go/No-Go checkpoint. As shown in the report all technical metrics have been met or exceeded and the Go/No-Go checkpoint was passed in November of 2009. The tasks in phase 2 focused on tool fabrication and tooled component prove-out in working systems. The end of Phase 2 was the accomplishment of building working systems made almost completely of tooled components. The tasks in phase 3 of the project were preparing for and executing a 75 unit field test of the DMFC charger product developed in Phase 1 and phase 2. This field test demonstrated the functionality of the DMFC in the hands of real users while also providing feedback for potential design improvements. This was the first time a significant number of MTI units were …

Outstanding progress toward reaching NREL/DOE goals was achieved during this subcontract: (1) Siemens Solar Industries (SSI) introduced two new CIS products to the SSI ST family of products, including an approximately 1-ft {times} 4-ft, 40-Wp module. (2) Process data for the production of circuit plates for the CIS family of products demonstrates improved efficiency and exhibits generally good control for extended periods. (3) The first subcontract milestone and the deliverables for this subcontract phase were met by delivering product samples that are larger and of higher efficiency than originally promised for this subcontract phase. (4) Capacity has been increased while also increasing the average efficiency of 1-ft {times} 4-ft circuit plates from 10.8% to 11.2%. (5) Yield improvements have been made by implementing improvements in processes and manufacturing protocols. (6) FM and UL approval was obtained for the ST series of products. (7) Long-term outdoor stability has been demonstrated at NREL, where 30-cm {times} 30-cm and 30-cm {times} 120-cm modules have undergone testing for more than 11 years. (8) SSI is addressing near-term and longer-term R&D topics through SSI's participation in NREL CIS National Team activities. (9) NREL confirmed a world-record 12.1% conversion efficiency large-area (3651 cm{sup 2}) CIS module. …

An important applied technology is a tunable mono-energetic photon source [1]. These sources are made of relativistic electron accelerators coupled to low-energy lasers, which produce high-energy, mono-energetic-rays. One challenge associated with systems such as this is a continuum of bremsstrahlung background created when an electron beam passes through an aperture of some sort and the electron bunch or its halo impinges on the aperture pictured in figure 1. For instance, in the current T-REX [1] design for the interaction point between the laser- and electron-beam, the electron-beam passes through the center of a mirror used to reflect the laser. There is a potential with this design that bremsstrahlung radiation may be produced at the edges of the mirror openings and contaminate the mono-energetic photon beam. Certain applications [2] may be sensitive to this contamination. To reduce the bremsstrahlung contaminate a collimator (thickness {approx}24in. (calculated from XCOM database [3]) to attenuate by a factor of 10{sup -3} the 112MeV photons expected in the T-REX demonstration [1]) is situated between the aperture and target. To maximize the brightness of the photon-beam, the collimator opening must be no less than the size of the photon-beam spot size expected to be about 1mm. This …