In a long-term program that began in 1984, limestone and marble briquettes have been exposed to both anthropogenic acid deposition and natural weathering at four field sites in the eastern United States.

The report highlights some of the opportunities and challenges faced by a major federal agency in: 1 ) implementing the Administration’s “National Performance Review and “National Information Infrastructure” programs, and 2) addressing issues raised in OTA’s 1993 report Making Government Work: Electronic Delivery of Federal Services.

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The High-Level Waste Storage Tank Farms/242-A Evaporator Standards/Requirements Identification Document (S/RID) is contained in multiple volumes. This document (Volume 7) presents the standards and requirements for the following sections: Occupational Safety and Health, and Environmental Protection.

We demonstrate epitaxial growth of the bcc transition metals Nb, Mo, Fe, and Cr via sputtering onto single crystal MgO substrates. The epitaxial growth orientations are (011), (112) and (001) when grown onto MgO (111), (011) and (001), respectively. Further we demonstrate that under appropriate growth conditions, superlattices of these materials (e.g., Fe/Cr, Fe/V and Mo/V) can be grown with the same epitaxial order as the films.

Modeling the movement of hazardous waste in groundwater was identified by the US Department of Energy (DOE) as one of the grand challenges in scientific computation. In recognition of this need, DOE has provided support for a group of scientists from several national laboratories and universities to conduct research and development in groundwater flow and contaminant transport modeling. This group is part of a larger consortium of researchers, collectively referred to as the Partnership in Computational Science (PICS), that has been charged with the task of applying high-performance computational tools and techniques to grand challenge areas identified by DOE. One of the goals of the PICS Groundwater Group is to develop a new three-dimensional groundwater flow and transport code that is optimized for massively parallel computers. An existing groundwater flow code, 3DFEMWATER, was parallelized in order to serve as a benchmark for these new models. The application of P-FEM, the parallelized version of 3DFEMWATER, to a real field site is the subject of this report.

The High-Level Waste Storage Tank Farms/242-A Evaporator Standards/Requirements Identification Document (S/RID) is contained in multiple volumes. This document (Volume 5) outlines the standards and requirements for the Fire Protection and Packaging and Transportation sections.

Unipolar, EEPROM-based peak potential sensors and current sensors have been used to characterize the I-V relationship of charging transients which devices normally experience during the course of ion implantation. The results indicate that the charging sources may appear to behave like current-sources or voltage-sources, depending on the impedance of the load. This behavior may be understood in terms of plasma concepts. The ability to empirically characterize the I-V characteristics of charging sources using the CHARM-2 monitor wafers opens the way for prediction of failure rates of oxides subjected to specific processes, if the oxide Q{sub bd} distributions are known.

The High-Level Waste Storage Tank Farms/242-A Evaporator Standards/Requirements Identification Document (S/RID) is contained in multiple volumes. This document (Volume 6) outlines the standards and requirements for the sections on: Environmental Restoration and Waste Management, Research and Development and Experimental Activities, and Nuclear Safety.

This concept endeavors to reduce the volume of air (to be treated) from spray paint booths, thereby increasing efficiency and improving air pollution abatement (VOC emissions especially). Most of the ventilation air is recycled through the booth to maintain laminar flow; the machinery is located on the supply side of the booth rather than on the exhaust side. 60 to 95% reduction in spray booth exhaust rate should result. Although engineering and production prototypes have been made, demand is low.

Radiation protection of personnel and the public is accomplished by establishing a well defined Radiation Protection Organization to ensure that appropriate controls on radioactive materials and radiation sources are implemented and documented. This Requirements Identification Document (RID) applies to the activities, personnel, structures, systems, components, and programs involved in executing the mission of the Tank Farms. The physical boundaries within which the requirements of this RID apply are the Single Shell Tank Farms, Double Shell Tank Farms, 242-A Evaporator-Crystallizer, 242-S, T Evaporators, Liquid Effluent Retention Facility (LERF), Purgewater Storage Facility (PWSF), and all interconnecting piping, valves, instrumentation, and controls. Also included is all piping, valves, instrumentation, and controls up to and including the most remote valve under Tank Farms control at any other Hanford Facility having an interconnection with Tank Farms. The boundary of the structures, systems, components, and programs to which this RID applies, is defined by those that are dedicated to and/or under the control of the Tank Farms Operations Department and are specifically implemented at the Tank Farms.

This report discusses radiation-based nondestructive examination methods which have been used to successfully verify the presence of cadmium in High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) spent-fuel shroud assembly number 22 (SA22). These measurements show, in part, that SA22 is certified to meet the criticality safety specifications for a proposed reconfiguration of the HFIR spent-fuel storage array. Measurement of the unique 558.6-keV gamma-ray from neutron radiative capture on cadmium provided conclusive evidence for the presence of cadmium in the outer shroud of the assembly. Cadmium verification in the center post and outer shroud was performed by measuring the degree of neutron transmission in SA22 relative to two calibration shroud assemblies. Each measurement was performed at a single location on the center post and outer shroud. These measurements do not provide information on the spatial distribution or uniformity of cadmium within an assembly. Separate measurements using analog and digital radiography were performed to (a) globally map the continuity of cadmium internal mass, and (b) locally determine the thickness of cadmium. Radiography results will be reported elsewhere. The measurements reported here should not be used to infer the thickness of cadmium in either the center post or outer shroud of an assembly.

A Tank Waste Chemical Characterization Technology Evaluation Workshop was held August 24--26, 1993. The workshop was intended to identify and evaluate technologies appropriate for the in situ and hot cell characterization of the chemical composition of Hanford waste tank materials. The participants were asked to identify technologies that show applicability to the needs and good prospects for deployment in the hot cell or tanks. They were also asked to identify the tasks required to pursue the development of specific technologies to deployment readiness. This report describes the findings of the workshop. Three focus areas were identified for detailed discussion: (1) elemental analysis, (2) molecular analysis, and (3) gas analysis. The technologies were restricted to those which do not require sample preparation. Attachment 1 contains the final workshop agenda and a complete list of attendees. An information package (Attachment 2) was provided to all participants in advance to provide information about the Hanford tank environment, needs, current characterization practices, potential deployment approaches, and the evaluation procedure. The participants also received a summary of potential technologies (Attachment 3). The workshop opened with a plenary session, describing the background and issues in more detail. Copies of these presentations are contained in Attachments 4, …

The overall objective of the work was to seek homogeneous blend ratios of hydrogen:methane that provide ``leverage`` with respect to exhaust emissions or engine performance. The leverage sought was a reduction in exhaust emissions or improved efficiency in proportions greater than the percentage of hydrogen energy in the blended fuel gas mixture. The scope of the study included the range of air/fuel mixtures from the lean limit to slightly richer than stoichiometric. This encompasses two important modes of engine operation for emissions control; lean burn pre-catalyst (some natural gas engines have no catalyst) and post-catalyst; and stoichiometric with three-way catalyst. The report includes a brief discussion of each of these modes.

Liquid low-level waste (LLLW) is generated by various programs and projects throughout Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). These wastes are collected in underground collection tanks, bottles, and trucks; they are then neutralized with sodium hydroxide and treated for volume reduction at the ORNL evaporator facility. This report presents historical and projected data concerning the volume and characterization of LLLW, prior to and after evaporation. Storage space for projected waste generation is also discussed.

Monte Carlo methods, as implemented in the MCNP code, have been used to analyze the neutronics characteristics of benchmarks related to Modular High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors. The benchmarks are idealized versions of the Japanes (VHTRC) and Swiss (PROTEUS) facilities and an actual configurations of the PROTEUS Configuration I experiment. The purpose of the unit cell benchmarks is to compare multiplication constants, critical bucklings, migration lengths, reaction rates and spectral indices. The purpose of the full reactors benchmarks is to compare multiplication constants, reaction rates, spectral indices, neutron balances, reaction rates profiles, temperature coefficients of reactivity and effective delayed neutron fractions. All of these parameters can be calculated by MCNP, which can provide a very detailed model of the geometry of the configurations, from fuel particles to entire fuel assemblies, using at the same time a continuous energy model. These characteristics make MCNP a very useful tool to analyze these MHTGR benchmarks. We have used the MCNP latest version, 4.x, eld = 01/12/93 with an ENDF/B-V cross section library. This library does not yet contain temperature dependent resonance materials, so all calculations correspond to room temperature, T = 300{degree}K. Two separate reports were made -- one for the VHTRC, the other …

As overall US Advisor for ISO/TC-85, SC-5, Dr. Westfall met with (1) Work Group 1, ``Measurement Techniques for the Chemical and Physical Characterization of UF{sub 6}, UO{sub 2}, and Mixed Oxide,`` on Monday, March 21, (2) Work Group 5, ``Standardization of Measurement Methods for the Characterization of Solid and Solidified Waste Forms, and for the Corrosion of their Primary Containers,`` on Tuesday, March 22; and (3) the full Subcommittee-5 on Wednesday, March 23. The status of work by all seven work groups in SC-5 was reported. Those having to do with nuclear fuel transportation (WG-4: UF, Containers, WG-9: Cask Trunnions, and WG-10: Cask Confinement) either have approved standards or drafts at an advanced stage of development. These work group convenors were asked to maintain their membership and establish new work areas in the field of nuclear fuel packaging. Definition of scope for new work is to be done in coordination with the interested staff members of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria. On Thursday, March 24, the Cogema-Marcoule Plant staff hosted the SC-5 members to technical tours of their nuclear fuel reprocessing and waste vitrification and storage facilities.

A study of the free vibrational characteristics and of the response to horizontal ground shaking of a rigid cylindrical tank containing an inviscid liquid with a continuous vertical variation in density is presented. The response quantities examined include the vertical sloshing motions of the liquid at its free-surface, and the impulsive and convective components of the hydrodynamic wall pressures and associated tank forces. The equations of motion for the system are formulated for an arbitrary variation in liquid density but the solutions presented are for a density that increases exponentially from top to bottom. Comprehensive numerical data are included which elucidate the underlying response mechanisms and the effects and relative importance of the various parameters involved. The solution for the continuous density variation considered herein is also compared with a previously reported solution in which the liquid was modeled as a multi-layered, discrete system.

The long-term surveillance plan (LTSP) for the Lowman, Idaho, Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project disposal site describes the surveillance activities for the Lowman disposal site, which will be referred to as the Lowman site throughout this document. The US Department of Energy (DOE) will carry out these activities to ensure that the disposal cell continues to function as designed. The radioactive sands at the Lowman site were stabilized on the site. This final LTSP is being submitted to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as a requirement for issuance of a general license for custody and long-term care for the disposal site. The general license requires that the disposal cell be cared for in accordance with the provisions of this LTSP. The LTSP documents whether the land and interests are owned by the United States or a state, and describes, in detail, how the long-term care of the disposal site will be carried out through the UMTRA Project long-term surveillance program. The Lowman, Idaho, LTSP is based on the DOE`s Guidance for Implementing the UMTRA Project Long-term Surveillance Program, (DOE, 1992).

Progress is reported in these areas: target test by low-energy pp spin correlation, atomic beam source, weak field transition development, and contributions to the HERMES experiment.

This second quarterly report describes the activities and accomplishments of the research team at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, related to the project entitled ``Combustion of Pulverized Coal in Vortex Structures`` during the period January 1, 1994 to March 31, 1994. The construction of the experimental facility for generating two-dimensional shear layers containing vortex structures has been completed. Preliminary shake-down test of the test facility were conducted for debugging and fine-tuning. A smoke generator was constructed for smoke-visualization of shear layers. Direct photographs of smoke flow patterns of the interfacial region of the mixing layers have been taken. Mean velocity profiles in the direction normal to the tunnel stream direction have been measured with a hot-wire anemometer for different ratios of the initial velocities of the mixing streams. In the next quarter, we plan to conduct schlieren flow visualization of the shear layer, fabricate the particulate feeding system, and measure the velocity field as a function of the particulate concentration in one of the streams.

It is relatively straightforward to estimate the total, unsegmented, depth required in SSC experiments. Typically depths in the range of 9--11 absorption lengths were specified by the SDC and GEM experiments. With these depths, the induced missing energy signal due to calorimeter leakage was found to be well below the signals caused by light gluinos, and the exterior muon systems were well protected from punch through backgrounds. In certain applications, where calorimetry is inscribed inside the magnetic field producing coils, that depth of calorimetry becomes exceedingly expensive. Examples are the ZEUS barrel and the proposed CMS barrel calorimeters. The problems can be alleviated by placing a ``tailcatcher`` of active elements outside the coil, but the problem of inert material placed within the active volume of the calorimetry remains. This inert material can potentially induce missing transverse energy signals which are large with respect to real physics signatures. The purpose of this note is to explore schemes to minimize the measured leakage energy.

In response to a condition of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) on April 1, 1986, a Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) was developed for White Oak Creek (WOC) and selected tributaries. BMAP currently consists of six major tasks that address both radiological and nonradiological contaminants in the aquatic and terrestrial environs on-site and the aquatic environs off-site. These tasks are (1) toxicity monitoring, (2) bioaccumulation monitoring of nonradiological contaminants in aquatic biota, (3) biological indicator studies, (4) instream ecological monitoring, (5) assessment of contaminants in the terrestrial environment, and (6) radioecology of WOC and White Oak Lake. The ecological characterization of the WOC watershed will provide baseline data that can be used to document the ecological effects of the water pollution control program and the remedial action program. The long-term nature of BMAP ensures that the effectiveness of remedial measures will be properly evaluated.

Alloy FA-129 undergoes an increase in crack propagation rate and a loss of fracture toughness in moisture-bearing and hydrogen gas environments. A similar effect is seen on ductility of FA-129 in tensile tests. The embrittling effect in air is attributed to oxidation of aluminum in the alloy by water vapor to produce Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and hydrogen gas. Alloy FAP-Y, which is disordered and contains only 16 a%Al is embrittled by hydrogen gas in a manner similar to that of FA-129. However, laboratory air had little effect on the crack growth rates, fracture toughness, or tensile ductility. The lower aluminum content apparently is insufficient to induce the Al-H{sub 2}O reaction. TEM and SEM analyses of microstructure and fracture surfaces were consistent with the change in fracture toughness with order and environment. Testing at elevated temperatures reduces crack growth rates in FA-129, and increases fracture toughness and ductility. This is consistent with the well documented peak in hydrogen embrittlement in structural alloys at or near room temperature. Elevated temperature affects the degree of embrittlement in a complex manner, possibly changing the rates of several of the processes involved.