A code, CACECO, has been written to assist in the analysis of containment situations peculiar to sodium cooled reactors. Typically, these situations involve relatively slow energy release processes and chemical reaction heat. Two examples are given to illustrate some of the code's features. These particular cases illustrate the potential for hydrogen formation in the containment building, but show that time is available to take corrective action. The code is suitable for other problems involving passive heat absorption in massive structures over long periods of time.

The stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of U--6 wt percent Nb in three different heat-treated conditions was investigated. The three heat treatments were: (a) solution quenched (the nonaged condition); (b) solution quenched and aged 6 hours at 250/sup 0/C (the underaged condition); and (c) solution quenched and aged 80 minutes at 600/sup 0/C (the overaged condition). The SCC tests utilized smooth, dead-weight loaded, static tensile specimens exposed to nitrogen-saturated or oxygen-saturated water containing 50 ppM chloride ions. The alloy in the solution-quenched condition was not susceptible to SCC when loaded to 90 percent of yield strength in either the oxygen or nitrogen-saturated chloride solutions. The underaged material (6 hours at 250/sup 0/C) was susceptible to SCC in oxygen or nitrogen-saturated water containing 50 ppM chloride ions. The underaged material was more susceptible to cracking in the oxygen-saturated solution than in the nitrogen-saturated solutions. The SCC in the underaged material proceeded by a principally intercrystalline fracture mode with the overload condition being principally transgranular. The overaged material also exhibited SCC, but to a lesser extent than the underaged material. Here again, cracking was more pronounced in the oxygen-saturated solution than in the nitrogen-saturated solution. The overaged material fractured by a combined SCC …

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) established a Nonproliferation Assessment Methodology (NPAM) Working Group, comprised of representatives from the Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories and academia, to develop guidelines for the practical application of Nonproliferation Assessment Methodologies (NPAM). The purpose of these methodologies is to address questions and issues related to the proliferation of nuclear weapons and weapons-useable nuclear materials and related technologies, as input to policy analysis. This document presents the guidelines developed by the Working Group.

Materials properties measurements are made for the RDX-based explosive, PBXN-109, and initial ALE3D model predictions are given for the cookoff temperature in a U.S. Navy test. This work is part of an effort in the U.S. Navy and Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories to understand the thermal explosion behavior of this material. Benchmark cookoff experiments are being performed by the U.S. Navy to validate DOE materials models and computer codes. The ALE3D computer code can model the coupled thermal, mechanical, and chemical behavior of heating, ignition, and explosion in cookoff tests. In our application, a standard three-step step model is selected for the chemical kinetics. The strength behavior of the solid constituents is represented by a Steinberg-Guinan model while polynomial and gamma-law expressions are used for the Equation Of State (EOS) for the solid and gas species, respectively. Materials characterization measurements are given for thermal expansion, heat capacity, shear modulus, bulk modulus, and One-Dimensional-Time-to-Explosion (ODTX). These measurements and those of the other project participants are used to determine parameters in the ALE3D chemical, mechanical, and thermal models. Time-dependent, two-dimensional results are given for the temperature and material expansion. The results show predicted cookoff temperatures slightly higher than the measured values.

Shock-induced chemical reactions in {approx}58% dense Mo+2Si powder mixtures were investigated using time-resolved instrumented experiments, employing PVDF-piezoelectric stress gauges placed at the front and rear surfaces of the powders to measure the input and propagated stresses, and wave speed through the powder mixture. Experiments performed on the powders at input stresses less than 4 GPa, showed characteristics of powder densification and dispersed propagated wave stress profiles with rise time > {approx}40 nanoseconds. At input stress between 4-6 GPa, the powder mixtures showed a sharp rise time (<{approx}10 ns) of propagated wave profile and an expanded state of products revealing evidence of shock-induced chemical reaction. At input stresses greater than 6 GPa, the powder mixtures showed a slower propagated-stress-wave rise time and transition to a low-compressibility (melt) state indicating lack of shock-induced reaction. The results illustrate that premature melting of Si, at input stresses less than the crush-strength of the powder mixtures, restricts mixing between reactants and inhibits ''shock-induced'' reaction initiation.

This report contains the results of a preliminary assessment conducted on bounding Hanford Site glass and grout waste forms and their ability to meet selected disposal performance objectives. The study relies solely on previously documented information and engineering judgment, and is not intended to provide definitive information for technology selection or regulatory decisions.

We are interested in building structured overlapping grids for geometries defined by computer-aided-design (CAD) packages. Geometric information defining the boundary surfaces of a computation domain is often provided in the form of a collection of possibly hundreds of trimmed patches. The first step in building an overlapping volume grid on such a geometry is to build overlapping surface grids. A surface grid is typically built using hyperbolic grid generation; starting from a curve on the surface, a grid is grown by marching over the surface. A given hyperbolic grid will typically cover many of the underlying CAD surface patches. The fundamental operation needed for building surface grids is that of projecting a point in space onto the closest point on the CAD surface. We describe an fast algorithm for performing this projection, it will make use of a fairly coarse global triangulation of the CAD geometry. We describe how to build this global triangulation by first determining the connectivity of the CAD surface patches. This step is necessary since it often the case that the CAD description will contain no information specifying how a given patch connects to other neighboring patches. Determining the connectivity is difficult since the surface patches …

Geo-BILT (Geothermal Borehole Induction Logging Tool) is an extended induction logging tool designed for 3D resistivity imaging around a single borehole. The tool was developed for deployment in high temperature geothermal wells under a joint program funded by the California Energy Commission, Electromagnetic Instruments (EMI) and the U.S. Department of Energy. EM1 was responsible for tool design and manufacture, and numerical modeling efforts were being addressed at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLNL) and other contractors. The field deployment was done by EM1 and LLNL. The tool operates at frequencies from 2 to 42 kHz, and its design features a series of three-component magnetic sensors offset at 2 and 5 meters from a three-component magnetic source. The combined package makes it possible to do 3D resistivity imaging, deep into the formation, from a single well. The manufacture and testing of the tool was completed in spring of 2001, and the initial deployment of Geo-BILT occurred in May 2001 at the Lost Hills oil field in southern California at leases operated by Chevron USA. This site was chosen for the initial field test because of the favorable geological conditions and the availability of a number of wells suitable for tool deployment. The second …

To most audiences, deterrence has been interconnected with nuclear weapons whose purpose had been to deter a Soviet attack. But, the Soviet Union has been gone for almost a decade. President George W. Bush has stated that Russia is not an enemy of the US and the numbers of nuclear weapons can be dramatically reduced. It is important to note that deterrence has always transcended nuclear weapons. The US' first line of deterrence has been its formidable conventional warfare capability, designed to prevent conflict and win wars if necessary. The role of nuclear weapons has been to deter the,use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction against U.S. interests during the conduct of conventional warfare and to ensure our ability to inflict massive destruction on any who would use nuclear weapons, or other weapons of mass destruction, against us. With regard to the Soviet Union, the threat of the use of nuclear weapons was a critical component of our deterrent to prevent massive Soviet conventional attack against our allies in Europe. However, the events of September 11, 2001 make clear that we have not convinced all who seek to harm us that we will be able to respond …

Building 251 is the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Heavy Elements Facility. Operations that involved heavy elements with uncontained radioisotopes including transuranic elements took place inside of glove boxes and fume hoods. These operations included process and solution chemistry, dissolutions, titrations, centrifuging, etc., and isotope separation. Operations with radioactive material which presently take place outside of glove boxes include storage, assaying, packing and unpacking and inventory verification. Wastes generated inside glove boxes will generally be considered TRU or Greater Than Class C (GTCC). Wastes generated in the RMA, outside glove boxes, is presumed to be low level waste. This process knowledge quantification method may be applied to waste generated anywhere within or around B251. The method is suitable only for quantification of waste which measures below the MDA of the Blue Alpha meter (i.e. only material which measures as Non-Detect with the blue alpha is to be characterized by this method).

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This report presents information on research focused on soliton propagation in optical fibers.

AH dynamical evidence points to the conclusion that the predominant form of matter in the universe is in a non-luminous form. Furthermore, large scale deviations from uniform Hubble flow, and the recent COBE reports of inhomogeneities in the cosmic microwave background strongly suggest that we live in an exactly closed universe. If this is true, then ordinary baryonic matter could only be a minority component (10% at most) of the missing mass, and that what constitutes the majority of the dark matter must involve new physics. The axion is one of very few well motivated candidates which may comprise the dark matter. Additionally it is a `cold` dark-matter candidate which is preferred by the COBE data. We propose to construct and operate an experiment to search for axions which may constitute the dark matter of our own galaxy. As proposed by Sikivie, dark-matter axions may be detected by their stimulated conversion into monochromatic microwave photons in a tunable high-Q cavity inside a strong magnetic field. Our ability to mount an experiment quickly and take data within one year is due to a confluence of three factors. The first is the availability of a compact high field superconducting magnet and a …

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Aluminisilicate deposit buildup experienced during the tank waste volume-reduction process at the Savannah River Site (SRS) required an evaporator to be shut down in October 1999. The Waste Processing Technology Section (WPTS) of Westinghouse Savannah River Company at SRS is now collaborating with team members from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to verify the steady-state thermodynamic stability of aluminosilicate compounds under waste tank conditions in an attempt to eliminate the deposition and clogging problems. The data obtained at 40 ?C showed that formation and persistence of crystalline phases was dependent on the initial hydroxide concentrations. The formation and persistence of zeolite A occurred only at lower hydroxide concentrations, whereas increasing hydroxide concentrations appeared to promote the formation of sodalite and cancrinite. The data also showed that although zeolite A forms initially, it is a metastable phase that converts to more stable crystalline materials such as sodalite and cancrinite. Additionally, the rate of transformation of zeolite A appeared to increase with increasing hydroxide concentration. The data from tests conducted at 80 ?C revealed relatively rapid formation of sodalite and cancrinite. Although minor amounts of zeolite A were initially detected in some cases, the higher reaction temperatures seemed to promote very rapid …

Slug ruptures characterized by intergranular corrosion failure of the aluminum can (Hot Spot Ruptures) have been a major cause for loss of reactor production, particularly during the past year. Although the cause for these failures is not definitely known, it is suspected that fuel elements when cocked in the process tube will sufficiently distort the neutron flux and the heat transfer characteristics in a localized area that very high local temperatures will exist and the corrosion rate of the aluminum can in these areas will be accelerated. It is the purpose of this test to introduce slugs that are known to be cocked and compare their resistance to rupture with slugs that are known to be uncocked when initially charged.

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The Pennsylvania State University is conducting a superclean coal-water slurry (SCCWS) program for the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with the objective of determining the capability of effectively firing SCCWS in an industrial boiler designed for oil. Penn State has entered into a cooperative agreement with DOE to determine if SCCWS (a fuel containing coal with less than 3.0 wt.% ash and 0.9 wt.% sulfur) can effectively be burned in an oil-designed industrial boiler without adverse impact on boiler rating, maintainability, reliability, and availability. The project will provide information on the design of new systems specifically configured to fire these clean coal-based fuels.

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An EPR technique developed in this lab is being used to determine the pore size and number distribution changes after swelling the coal samples with various solvents. Stable nitroxide radical spin probes of different sizes, shapes and reactivity are dissolved in an appropriate solvent, the coal sample is added to the resulting solution, stirred over night at elevated temperature, filtered, washed with a nonswelling solvent to eliminate any spin probes that are not trapped in the pores and the spin concentration measured. Comparing these spin probe measurements to DRIFT data have shown that the relative number distribution of acidic functionalities can be accurately predicted by the spin probe method. The spin probe method has also been used to predict the increase in elongated voids in Pittsburgh No. 8 (APCS No. 4) upon swelling with pyridine in agreement with independent SANS data. NMR relaxation data show that it is possible to deduce the pore (accessibility) distribution as a function of size (up to 6 nm). It has also been possible by variable temperature and ENDOR measurements to determine the presence of hydrogen bonding as a function of pore shape and size. The advantage of EPR method is that it permits molecules …

In order to move the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) Light Duty Utility Arm (LDUA) trailer into position for testing on the Fuels and Materials Examination Facility (FMEF) 42 ft level mezzanine one of the trailer`s wheels will have to sit on a circular hatch cover fabricated from one-inch thick steel plate. The attached calculations verify that the hatch cover plate is strong enough to support the weight of the INEL LDUA trailer`s wheel.

This document serves as a Notice of Construction (NOC), pursuant to the requirements of Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 246-247-060, and as a request for approval to construct, pursuant to 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 61.96, for the modifications, installation of new equipment, and fuel removal and sludge relocation activities at 105-KW Basin. The purpose of the activities described in this NOC is to enable the eventual retrieval and transport of the fuel for processing. The fuel retrieval and transport will require an integrated water treatment system for which performance specifications have been developed. These specifications are currently in the procurement process. Following procurement (and before installation of this system and the handling of fuel) design details will be provided to Washington State Department of Health (WDOH). The 105-K West Reactor (105-KW) and its associated spent nuclear fuel (SNF) storage basin were constructed in the early 1950s and are located on the Hanford Site in the 100-K Area about 1,400 feet from the Columbia River. The 105-KW Basin contains 964 Metric Tons of SNF stored under water in approximately 3,800 closed canisters. This SNF has been stored for varying periods of time ranging from 8 to 17 years. The 105-KW …

A system and method for monitoring the output of a laser is provided in which the output of a photodiode disposed in the cavity of the laser is used to provide a correlated indication of the laser power. The photodiode is disposed out of the laser beam to view the extraneous light generated in the laser cavity whose intensity has been found to be a direct correlation of the laser beam output power level. Further, the system provides means for monitoring the phase of the laser output beam relative to a modulated control signal through the photodiode monitor.