The interaction and mixing of high-temperature melt and water is the important technical issue in the safety assessment of water-cooled reactors to achieve ultimate core coolability. For specific advanced light water reactor (ALWR) designs, deliberate mixing of the core-melt and water is being considered as a mitigative measure, to assure ex-vessel core coolability. The goal of this work is to provide the fundamental understanding needed for melt-water interfacial transport phenomena, thus enabling the development of innovative safety technologies for advanced LWRs that will assure ex-vessel core coolability. The work considers the ex-vessel coolability phenomena in two stages. The first stage is the melt quenching process and is being addressed by Argonne National Lab and University of Wisconsin in modified test facilities. Given a quenched melt in the form of solidified debris, the second stage is to characterize the long-term debris cooling process and is being addressed by Korean Maritime University in via test and analyses. We then address the appropriate scaling and design methodologies for reactor applications.

Forty-three countries, including the United States, have signed the Council of Europe’s Convention on Cybercrime of November 2001. The U.S. Senate ratified the Convention on August 3, 2006. The Convention seeks to better combat cybercrime by harmonizing national laws, improving investigative abilities, and boosting international cooperation. Supporters argue that the Convention will enhance deterrence, while critics counter it will have little effect without participation by countries in which cybercriminals operate freely. Others warn it will endanger privacy and civil liberties.

Sandia National Laboratories has been studying Energy Storage Systems since the late 1970s. Sandia started by applying their defense program battery experience to larger stationary systems, eventually joining in the formation of the Utility Battery Group which has since evolved into the Energy Storage Association. Sandia's role, as a Department of Energy funded program is to look ahead at emerging technologies, perform early R and D and identify applications for Energy Storage Systems that offer significant benefit to the nation's electricity providers and users. In order to identify applications of energy storage, a two-phase Opportunities Analysis was conceptualized in FY94. Phase 1 of the project was completed and published in 1995 (SAND94-2605). Phase 2 of the project is an extension of Phase 1 to reexamine the identified applications in the dynamic environment of today. In a preliminary assessment of national benefits, SNL estimated that generation and transmission applications of storage could represent $17.2B in national benefits. In Phase 1 of the Opportunities Analysis, the T and D benefits were found to be significantly higher than previous estimates Phase 2 of the study, which began in late 1998, includes a refinement of the technical and economic understanding of the role of …

A flywheel is an electromechanical storage system in which energy is stored in the kinetic energy of a rotating mass. Flywheel systems under development include those with steel flywheel rotors and resin/glass or resin/carbon-fiber composite rotors. The mechanics of energy storage in a flywheel system are common to both steel- and composite-rotor flywheels. In both systems, the momentum of the rotating rotor stores energy. The rotor contains a motor/generator that converts energy between electrical and mechanical forms. In both types of systems, the rotor operates in a vacuum and spins on bearings to reduce friction and increase efficiency. Steel-rotor systems rely mostly on the mass of the rotor to store energy while composite flywheels rely mostly on speed. During charging, an electric current flows through the motor increasing the speed of the flywheel. During discharge, the generator produces current flow out of the system slowing the wheel down. The basic characteristics of a Flywheel system are shown. Steel flywheel systems are currently being marketed in the US and Germany and can be connected in parallel to provide greater power if required. Sizes range from 40kW to 1.6MW for times of 5--120 seconds. At this time sales are limited but growing. …

Welding plays an important role in the economical reuse and reclamation of used and failed nickel base superalloy blades. Previous research on microstructure development during laser beam welding of a single crystal CMSX4 alloy [Ref. l] showed non-equilibrium y/y{prime} microstructure development. In addition, the y{prime} precipitates were found to be irregular in shape and atom probe field ion microscopy illustrated the presence of diffusional concentration profile within the y phase in the as welded condition. To understand the above microstructure characteristics, y{prime} precipitation from y phase was investigated during continuous cooling from solutionizing temperature.

CO{sub 2}-fertilization affects plant growth, which modifies surface physical properties, altering the surface albedo, and fluxes of sensible and latent heat. We investigate how such CO{sub 2}-fertilization effects on vegetation and surface properties would affect the climate system. Using a global three-dimensional climate-carbon model that simulates vegetation dynamics, we compare two multi-century simulations: a ''Control'' simulation with no emissions, and a ''Physiol-noGHG'' simulation where physiological changes occur as a result of prescribed CO{sub 2} emissions, but where CO{sub 2}-induced greenhouse warming is not included. In our simulations, CO{sub 2}-fertilization produces warming; we obtain an annual- and global-mean warming of about 0.65 K (and land-only warming of 1.4 K) after 430 years. This century-scale warming is mostly due to a decreased surface albedo associated with the expansion of the Northern Hemisphere boreal forests. On decadal time scales, the CO{sub 2} uptake by afforestation should produce a cooling effect that exceeds this albedo-based warming; but if the forests remain in place, the CO{sub 2}-enhanced-greenhouse effect would diminish as the ocean equilibrates with the atmosphere, whereas the albedo effect would persist. Thus, on century time scales, there is the prospect for net warming from CO{sub 2}-fertilization of the land biosphere. Further study is …

This report discusses the legal issues considered by Congress on whether to permit drilling for oil and gas in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.

One of the least controversial provisions of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (P.L. 94-163) established corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards for new passenger cars. This report presents a brief background and analysis regarding the price of crude oil that brought into sharp focus the fuel inefficiency of U.S. automobiles. The report also discusses the previous issues and the most recent developments regarding CAFE.

In this talk I summarize the status of exotic mesons, including both theoretical expectations and experimental candidates. The current experimental candidates are ''spin-parity exotics'', since these are most often considered possible hybrid mesons, the theoretical discussion will be mainly concerned with hybrids. The exotic meson candidates discussed are the surprisingly light {pi}{sub 1} (1400) and {pi}{sub 1} (1600).

This contribution is a brief review of the status of hybrid baryons, which are hypothetical baryons that incorporate a gluonic excitation. We first summarize the status of hybrid mesons, since this closely related topic has seen considerable recent activity with the identification of two exotic candidates. Next we review theoretical expectations for the masses and quantum numbers of hybrid baryons, which have come from studies of the bag model, QCD sum rules and the flux tube model. Finally hybrid baryon experiment is discussed, including suggestions for experimenters at COSY.

This short contribution is a lite MESON2000 conference summary. As appropriate for the 600th anniversary of the Jagellonian University, it begins with a brief summary of the last 600 years of European history and its place in hadron physics. Next a ''physicist chirality'' order parameter PC is introduced. When applied to MESON2000 plenary speakers this order parameter illustrates the separation of hadron physicists into disjoint communities. The individual plenary talks in MESON2000 are next sorted according to the subconference associated with each of the 36 plenary speakers. Finally, I conclude with a previously unreported Feynman story regarding the use of models in hadron physics.

This is the final technical report for the project titled ''Synthesis and optimization of integrated chemical processes''. Progress is reported on novel algorithms for the computation of all heteroazeotropic compositions present in complex liquid mixtures; the design of novel flexible azeotropic separation processes using middle vessel batch distillation columns; and theory and algorithms for sensitivity analysis and numerical optimization of hybrid discrete/continuous dynamic systems.

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This report explains cleanup requirements for the transfer and reuse of base closure properties, discusses the status of property transfer on closed bases, and examines estimates of costs to clean up closed bases to make them safe for civilian reuse.

This document identifies the need to establish the Calcine Disposition Project to determine and implement the final disposition of calcine including characterization, retrieval, treatment (if necessary), packaging, loading, onsite interim storage pending shipment to a repository or interim storage facility, and disposition of related facilities.

Livestock industry groups, animal health officials, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have been working to establish a nationwide identification system capable of quickly tracking animals from birth to slaughter, in order to combat a serious animal disease and/or to satisfy foreign market specifications. Some consumer groups are among those who believe animal identification also would be useful for food safety or retail labeling purposes. Some producers oppose new programs, fearing they will be costly and intrusive. In the 110th Congress as of 2007, one related bill (H.R. 1018) had been introduced; it would prohibit a mandatory program. Lawmakers could be asked to consider this or other measures on the topic, possibly as part of a 2007 farm bill.

This report details the information related to Country-of-Origin labeling for foods.

This report provides an overview of the 2002 farm bill and an update status of the farm bill.

This report discusses the International Space Station (ISS) and efforts to improve shuttles and space exploration after the Columbia failure in 2003. Efforts include new policy from President Bush and funding for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Updated April 26, 2007.

This report discusses the high prices of Gasoline and issues for the 110th Congress.

Recent progress in simulation methodologies and high-performance parallel computers have made it is possible to perform detailed simulations of multidimensional reacting flow phenomena using comprehensive kinetics mechanisms. As simulations become larger and more complex, it becomes increasingly difficult to extract useful information from the numerical solution, particularly regarding the interactions of the chemical reaction and diffusion processes. In this paper we present a new diagnostic tool for analysis of numerical simulations of reacting flow. Our approach is based on recasting an Eulerian flow solution in a Lagrangian frame. Unlike a conventional Lagrangian view point that follows the evolution of a volume of the fluid, we instead follow specific chemical elements, e.g., carbon, nitrogen, etc., as they move through the system . From this perspective an ''atom'' is part of some molecule of a species that is transported through the domain by advection and diffusion. Reactions cause the atom to shift from one chemical host species to another and the subsequent transport of the atom is given by the movement of the new species. We represent these processes using a stochastic particle formulation that treats advection deterministically and models diffusion and chemistry as stochastic processes. In this paper, we discuss the …

This document was prepared to support the primary goals of the Department of Energy, Office of Heavy Vehicle Technologies. These were recently stated as follows: ''Develop by 2004 the enabling technologies for a class 7-8 truck with a fuel efficiency of 10 mpg (at 65 mph) which will meet prevailing emission standards. For Class 3-6 trucks operating on an urban driving cycle, develop by 2004 commercially viable vehicles that achieve at least double the fuel economy of comparable current vehicles (1999), and as a research goal, reduce criteria pollutants to 30% below EPA standards. Develop by 2004 the diesel engine enabling technologies to support large-scale industry dieselization of Class 1 and 2 trucks, achieving a 35 % fuel efficiency improvement over comparable gasoline-fueled trucks, while meeting applicable emissions standards.'' The enabling technologies for improving the fuel efficiency of trucks, include not only engine technologies but also technologies involved with lowering the rolling resistance of tires, reducing vehicle aerodynamic drag, improving thermal management, and reducing parasitic frictional losses in drive train components. Opportunities also exist for making better use of the energy that might ordinarily be dissipated during vehicle braking. Braking systems must be included in this evaluation since safety in …

This document summarizes progress on Cooperative Agreement DE-FC26-01NT41185, Pilot Testing of Mercury Oxidation Catalysts for Upstream of Wet FGD Systems, during the time period January 1, 2002 through March 31, 2002. The objective of this project is to demonstrate at pilot scale the use of solid honeycomb catalysts to promote the oxidation of elemental mercury in the flue gas from coal combustion. The project is being funded by the U.S. DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory under Cooperative Agreement DE-FC26-01NT41185. EPRI, Great River Energy (GRE) and City Public Service (CPS) of San Antonio are project co-funders. URS Group is the prime contractor. The mercury catalytic oxidation process under development uses catalyst materials applied to honeycomb substrates to promote the oxidation of elemental mercury in the flue gas from coal-fired power plants that have wet lime or limestone flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems. Oxidized mercury is removed in the wet FGD absorbers and co-precipitates in a stable form with the byproducts from the FGD system. The co-precipitated mercury does not appear to adversely affect the disposal or reuse properties of the FGD byproduct. The current project will test previously identified, effective catalyst materials at a larger, pilot scale and in a commercial …

Once primarily a European phenomenon, community wind power development--defined here as one or more locally owned, utility-scale wind turbines interconnected on either the customer or utility side of the meter--is gaining a foothold in an increasing number of states throughout the United States. This article describes the various policies and incentives that Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Massachusetts are using to support community wind power development, and how state and federal support influences the types of projects and ownership structures that are being developed. Experience in these states demonstrates that, with an array of incentives and creative financing schemes targeted at community-scale projects, there are opportunities to make community wind work in the United States.