State-resolved differential reaction cross sections provide perhaps the most detailed information about the mechanism of chemical reaction, but heretofore they have been extremely difficult to measure. This program explores a new technique for obtaining differential cross sections with product state resolution. The three-dimensional velocity distribution of state-selected reaction products is determined by ionizing the appropriate product, waiting for a delay while it recoils along the trajectory imparted by the reaction, and finally projecting the spatial distribution of ions onto a two dimensional screen using a pulsed electric field. Knowledge of the arrival time allows the ion position to be converted to a velocity, and the density of velocity projections can be inverted mathematically to provide the three-dimensional velocity distribution for the selected product. The main apparatus has been constructed and tested using photodissociations. The proposed research will both develop the new technique and employ it to investigate methyl radical, formyl radical, and hydrogen atom reactions which are important in combustion processes. We intend specifically to characterize the reactions of CH{sub 3} with H{sub 2} and H{sub 2}CO; of HCO with O{sub 2}; and of H with CH{sub 4},CO{sub 2}, and O{sub 2}.

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The general requirements of a breeding blanket for a mirror reactor are described. The following areas are discussed: (1) facility layout and blanket maintenance, (2) heat transfer and thermal conversion system, (3) materials, (4) tritium containment and removal, and (5) nuclear performance.

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Tests were performed to determine the effect cleanliness of a surface exposed to tritium gas had on methane formation. These tests performed on 304 stainless steel vessels, cleaned in various ways, showed that the methane formation was reduced by the use of various cleaning procedures.

Solar One has been instrumented with sensors for weather data system temperatures and pressures, house electrical loads, and photovoltaic system data. An automatic data acquisition and handling system has been designed and installed to gather and then transmit data to a central computer. Programs to summarize these data and tabulate them in convenient forms have been prepared. Initial data have been obtained and analyzed to check the sensor system and to give preliminary performance characteristics of the solar system. (WDM)

Interfacing of a Perkin Elmer model 3920 gas chromatograph to the CEC 21-110B mass spectrometer has been completed and the GC/MS system is operational. Detailed descriptions of the heated probe assembly and the rapid mass-scanning module are given. Initial emphasis has been placed on the utilization of GC/MS in conjunction with field ionization (FI). Satisfactory results have been obtained. The FI source for the CEC 21-110B mass spectrometer is routinely operational. Familiarity with its operation has improved ion-abundance reproducibility. For a mixture containing aromatic hydrocarbons, thiophenes, and furans, the average percent standard deviation in the average percent ionizations is 3.55 percent from three spectra. Application of the technique of FI mass spectrometry to quantitative analysis of coal type mixtures has been explored. The consequences of sensitivity data on the analytical results have been considered. Relative weight and mole sensitivities have been determined for 30 aromatic hydrocarbons, 20 thiophenes, and 7 heteroatom (oxygen and nitrogen) containing compounds with respect to ethylbenzene. Excellent analytical data has been obtained from three known mixtures using these sensitivities. Fifty three coal-liquid samples have been processed. Empirical formulas for 5000 ions have been determined from the high-resolution (70 eV) spectra recorded on photographic plates. FI spectra …

This report describes the use of noise analysis to investigate in-core instrument tube vibrations in BWR-4 reactors. Neutron noise signals from in-core fission chambers and acoustic noise signals from externally mounted accelerometers were used in these studies. The results show that neutron noise can be used to detect vibration and, more importantly, impacting of instrument tubes against adjacent fuel channel boxes. Externally mounted accelerometers detect impacting but not rubbing of instrument tubes against fuel channel boxes. Accelerometers can monitor impacting only on the particular instrument tube where the accelerometer is mounted. Surveillance for instrument tube impacts can be accomplished using standard BWR-4 in-core power range neutron flux detectors at all instrument tube locations containing these detectors. Ex-vessel accelerometers can then be used to monitor instrument tubes that lack power range neutron flux detectors. However, noise on axial flux profiles obtained with movable in-core detectors is not a reliable indicator of impacting, because the recorder used to plot the flux profiles does not respond adequately to the noise frequency generated by impacting.

Nuclear-explosive prompt diagnostics techniques and equipment are surveyed. These techniques and equipment have been developed to answer nuclear-explosive performance questions. The techniques and equipment must be selective in radiation sensitivity, linear in calibration, fast, insensitive to strong signals, wide in dynamic range, and reliable. Diagnostic techniques and equipment measure neutron, gamma-ray, and x-ray emissions, as well as aid in the determination of the physical location of the production of radiation through imaging. The high cost of nuclear experiments will continue to encourage the development of sophisticated techniques to gain as much information as possible from each experiment.

The Graphite Isotope Ratio Method (GIRM) is a technique used to estimate the total plutonium production in a graphite-moderated reactor. The cumulative plutonium production in that reactor can be accurately determined by measuring neutron irradiation induced isotopic ratio changes in certain impurity elements within the graphite moderator. The method does not require detailed knowledge of a reactor's operating history, although that knowledge can decrease the uncertainty of the production estimate. The basic premise of the Graphite Isotope Ratio Method is that the fluence in non-fuel core components is directly related to the cumulative plutonium production in the nuclear fuel.

Nickel-plated uranium corrosion samples, 1 inch dia. X 0.180 inch thick, press-clad with 30-mil aluminum at both 10 and 15 thousand psi, show improved corrosion resistance over samples press-clad at 6 thousand psi with the same time-temperature conditions. Design of equipment for the internal cladding of uranium tubes is progressing. The basic tools will be applicable to several variations of the proposed method of {open_quotes}inverse die sinking.{close_quotes} Analyses of double and triple melted Horizons` electrolytic thorium show a significant increase of H{sub 2} and O{sub 2}, upon remelting with a corresponding increase in the hardness of the metal.

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In a previous study the trimer of rhenium tetracarbonyl was found to be diamagnetic, suggesting the presence of hydrogen in the compound. This was supported by chemical analysis, which indicated about one hydrogen per rhenium, and the compound was formulated as [Re(C0)4H] 3• Subsequently a proton resonance was observed on a broad line spectrometer. In the original work the infrared spectra were compared for the hydride and deuteride; cyclohexane solutions were used for the CO stretching region and KBr discs were used for the rest of the spectrum. Surprisingly, the spectra of the hydride and deuteride showed only minor differences, insufficient to confirm the presence of hydrogen. No evidence of a hydrogen stretching frequency was found. In the present work, the previously unobserved Raman spectra were measured for the hydride and deuteride . In the solid state ratber striking shifts were observed in the CO stretching region. Also there is some evidence for a metal-hydrogen stretching band at the rather low frequency of 1100 cm-1. In an attempt to support the interpretation of the Raman spectra more detailed infrared studies of the solid in KBr discs were made. The hope was to observe a metal-hydrogen stretching frequency and to explain …

For the bioremediation of explosives, there is the need for RDX uncontaminated by HMX. (In the Bachmann process, RDX always has residual HMX.) There are two methods for synthesizing pure RDX: one involving oxidation of R-salt, the other nitration of hexamine. Absence of HMX in the RDX samples was confirmed by NMR and melting points.

This is the fourth quarterly report covering December 5, 1992, to March 4, 1993. The overall goal of this program is to develop a system based on reverse osmosis (RO) membranes that can treat oily water economically. This system will be based on the use of thin-film-composite (TFC) membranes that consist of a selective coating placed on a solvent-resistant hollow-fiber support. For this program, we plan to develop solvent-resistant hollow-fiber supports and coat them with a ``loose RO`` coating. We developed the coating, which is designated TTM, in previous work for the treatment of oily waste waters. During this reporting period, work was focused on (1)fabrication and testing of large-scale hollow-fiber modules, (2)performing preliminary field tests using these modules, and (3)arranging for a demonstration test of this technology. Our results show that the solvent-resistant TTM hollow-fiber modules perform well when operated on oily waters. During the next reporting period, we plan to complete arrangements for the demonstration test of this technology. This field test, preparation of the final report, and technology transfer are the only tasks remaining in this program.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Los Alamos National Laboratory (Los Alamos), and CCS Associates are conducting the Heat Pipe Radiation Cooling (HPRC) for High-Speed Aircraft Propulsion program to determine the advantages and demonstrate the feasibility of using high-temperature heat pipes to cool hypersonic engine components. This innovative approach involves using heat pipes to transport heat away from the combustor, nozzle, or inlet regions, and to reject it to the environment by thermal radiation from adjacent external surfaces. HPRC is viewed as an alternative (or complementary) cooling technique to the use of pumped cryogenic or endothermic fuels to provide regenerative fuel or air cooling of the hot surfaces. The HPRC program has been conducted through two phases, an applications phase and a feasibility phase. The applications program (Phase 1) included concept and assessment analyses using hypersonic engine data obtained from US engine company contacts. The applications phase culminated with planning for experimental verification of the HPRC concept to be pursued in a feasibility program. The feasibility program (Phase 2), recently completed and summarized in this report, involved both analytical and experimental studies.

Hyperbolic partial differential equations encompass an extremely important set of physical phenomena including electromagnetics and acoustics. Small amplitude acoustic interactions behave much the same as electromagnetic interactions for longitudinal acoustic waves because of the similar nature of the governing hyperbolic equations. Differences appear when transverse acoustic waves are considered, nonetheless the strong analogy between the acoustic and electromagnetic phenomena prompted the development of a Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) acoustic analog to the existing electromagnetic FDTD technique. The advantage of an acoustic FDTD (AFDTD) code are as follows: (1) Boundary condition-free treatment of the acoustic scatterer -- only the intrinsic properties of the scatterer`s material are needed, no shell treatment or other set of special equations describing the macroscopic behavior of a sheet of material or a junction, etc. are required; this allows completely general geometries and materials in the model. (2) Advanced outer radiation boundary condition analogs -- in the electromagnetics arena, highly absorbing outer radiation boundary conditions have been developed that can be applied with little modification to the acoustics arena with equal success. (3) A suite of preexisting capabilities related to electromagnetic modeling -- this includes automated model generation and interaction visualization as its most important components …

The approach to laser isotope separation taken in this study is based on isotopically selective, two-step, laser photodissociation of small molecules. A primary goal of this study is the measurement of fundamental molecular processes which control the two-step, photodissociative isotope enrichment process. This objective has led to experimental measurements of uv photodissociation cross sections for vibrationally excited states of several small molecules, including the first cross section reported for any neutral molecule in a specific, excited vibrational state. A second goal of this study has been the laboratory demonstration of isotope enrichment for isotopes of practical interest and for processes with a potential for larger scale production. Where possible, efforts have focussed on the separation of middle isotopes, such as {sup 17}O and {sup 33}S, which are expensive and difficult to separate using other techniques. Considerable success has been achieved in demonstrating the enrichment of isotopes of bromine, carbon, oxygen and a third goal of this study has been the application of computer modeling to the two-step enrichment process. Experimental measurements define as many as possible of the critical photophysical and chemical parameters required by an ab initio computer model of the enrichment process. Progress toward these goals has been …

To evaluate the crudding characteristics of ammonium hydroxide conditioned coolant it is necessary to use a thermocouple element. The present design has accentuated structural integrity, reliability and constant heat flux. A radical departure from past designs was made by selecting a stainless steel cladding and enriched ceramic fuel. Three thermocouples are inserted in the cladding to increase the reliability. By the use of two thermocouple elements it will be possible to obtain important preliminary information on preferential crud deposition while simultaneously evaluating the crudding characteristics of ammonium hydroxide conditioned coolant.

The authors report on their work to produce a foam shell target for two possible applications: (1) as liquid-layered cryogenic target on Omega Upgrade, and (2) as a back-up design for the NIF. This target consists of a roughly 1 mm diameter and 100 {mu}m thick spherical low-density foam shell surrounding a central void. The foam will be slightly overfilled with liquid D{sub 2} or DT, the overfilled excess being symmetrically distributed on the inside of the shell and supported by thermal gradient techniques. The outside of the foam is overcoated with full density polymer which must be topologically smooth. The technology for manufacturing this style of foam shell involves microencapsulation techniques and has been developed by the Japanese at ILE. Their goal is to determine whether this technology can be successfully adapted to meet US ICF objectives. To this end a program of foam shell development has been initiated at LLNL in collaboration with both the General Atomics DOE Target Fabrication Contract Corporation and the Target Fabrication Group at LLE.

The N-Reactor Department Research and Development Program for FY 1965, 1966, and later years is structured to achieve the following general goals. (1) Assurance of a high level of nuclear safety; (2) Assurance of achieving full plant life; (3) Reduction in operating costs for a given production rate; (4) Increase in production rate without proportionate increase in operating costs; (5) Savings in capital outlays necessary to achieve stated reductions in operating cost or increases in production; (6) Production of new products of value; (7) Savings in capital outlays or operating costs to achieve a given level of plant safety. The program is divided into three general categories; Reactor, Metallurgy, and Co-Product. The Reactor category is further divided into physics studies, thermal hydraulics studies, zircaloy process tube development, control, instrument and system analyses, chemistry, engineering research and development, gas, atmosphere studies, graphite studies, and nuclear safety research.

The principal objective of this research is to determine the role host petroleum-derived oils (1000{degrees}F+), as well as that of catalytically treated host oils, play when used as liquefaction solvents in coprocessing with coal. The host oils will be extensively characterized and then pretreated in a number of ways which involve catalytic reactions such as hydrogenation, hydrocracking, isomerization, and dehydrogenation. The pretreated oils win then be characterized. The effects of the host oil on coprocessing with coal win be compared to those obtained using catalytically modified heavy oils. When appropriate, model compounds will be used to study specific reactions brought about by the pretreatments. Highly dispersed iron catalysts modified by the addition of small amounts of other metals wig be used to modify the chemical composition of the host oils. Work continued on Task H during this quarter. In the first phase of this task, the test oil, an Amoco resid, is being treated with hydrogenation catalysts such as Mo(CO){sub 6} and Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/SO{sub 4} to determine the conditions necessary to increase the hydrogen content from about 10.2 wt % to about 11.5 wt %. In the second phase, more severe hydrogenation/hydrorefining is being carried out to determine the …

The in-line monitoring instruments installed in the Redox plant in the late 1950s consisted of six gamma monitors, a single channel gamma spectrometer, an alpha monitor, and a neutron counter. A gamma monitor on the steam condensate outlet line and a uranium monitor on the 2DFS stream were to be added at a later date. The first section of this information manual describes the in-line gamma monitors and gives operating instructions for them. The second section covers the alpha monitor, and the third section the neutron counter. Sections on the uranium monitor and the steam header gamma monitor were to be added at a later date.

By Congress in 1977 as an independent entity within the Department of Energy, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) is the principal and authoritative source of comprehensive energy data for the Congress, the Federal Government, the States, and the public. During 1992, EIA provided information and analysis in response to many energy-related issues and events, including Hurricane Andrew. In addition, EIA made substantial strides in a number of critical special projects, most notably development of the National Energy Modeling System, preparation of National Petroleum Council studies on petroleum refining and natural gas, and establishment of oxygenate data program mandated by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. EIA also took advantage of new opportunities for international consultations and energy information exchanges. This report to Congress contains energy-related information on the following: petroleum; natural gas; integrated analysis and forecasting; electricity; coal; energy markets and end use, nuclear, statistical standards, and information services. The appendices include: data collection surveys of the Energy Information Administration; Analytic models of the Energy Information Administration; EIA publication -- EIA products available on diskette; and Major laws affecting EIA, 1974-1992.