This report identifies discharges of liquid waste streams that require documentation of the best available technology selection process at Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC, operated facilities at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. The best available technology selection process is conducted according to Department of Energy Order 5400.5, Chapter II (3), ''Management and Control of Radioactive Materials in Liquid Discharges and Phaseout of Soil Columns'' and Department of Energy guidance. This report evaluates only those liquid waste streams and facilities where the best available technology selection process was determined to be applicable. In addition, the Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office will submit this report to their field office manager for approval according to DOE Order 5400.5, Chapter II, Section 3.b.(1). According to Department of Energy guidance, ''If the liquid waste stream is below maximum contaminant levels, then the goals of the best available technology selection process are being met and the liquid waste stream is considered 'clean water.' However, it is necessary to document this through the best available technology selection process.'' Because liquid waste streams below drinking water maximum contaminant levels are already considered ''clean water,'' additional treatment technologies are considered unnecessary and unjustifiable on a cost-benefit basis …

An efficient projection scheme is developed for the simulation of reacting flow with detailed kinetics and transport. The scheme is based on a zero-Mach-number formulation of the compressible conservation equations for an ideal gas mixture. It is a modified version of the stiff operator-split scheme developed by Knio, Najm & Wyckoff (1999, J. Comput. Phys. 154, 428). Similar to its predecessor, the new scheme relies on Strang splitting of the discrete evolution equations, where diffusion is integrated in two half steps that are symmetrically distributed around a single stiff step for the reaction source terms. The diffusive half-step is integrated using an explicit single-step, multistage, Runge-Kutta-Chebyshev (RKC) method, which replaces the explicit, multi-step, fractional sub-step approach used in the previous formulation. This modification maintains the overall second-order convergence properties of the scheme and enhances the efficiency of the computations by taking advantage of the extended real-stability region of the RKC scheme. Two additional efficiency-enhancements are also explored, based on an extrapolation procedure for the transport coefficients and on the use of approximate Jacobian data evaluated on a coarse mesh. By including these enhancement schemes, performance tests using 2D computations with a detailed C{sub 1}C{sub 2} methane-air mechanism and a detailed …

This report provides a summary of the three-year LDRD (Laboratory Directed Research and Development) project aimed at developing microchemical sensors for continuous, in-situ monitoring of volatile organic compounds. A chemiresistor sensor array was integrated with a unique, waterproof housing that allows the sensors to be operated in a variety of media including air, soil, and water. Numerous tests were performed to evaluate and improve the sensitivity, stability, and discriminatory capabilities of the chemiresistors. Field tests were conducted in California, Nevada, and New Mexico to further test and develop the sensors in actual environments within integrated monitoring systems. The field tests addressed issues regarding data acquisition, telemetry, power requirements, data processing, and other engineering requirements. Significant advances were made in the areas of polymer optimization, packaging, data analysis, discrimination, design, and information dissemination (e.g., real-time web posting of data; see www.sandia.gov/sensor). This project has stimulated significant interest among commercial and academic institutions. A CRADA (Cooperative Research and Development Agreement) was initiated in FY03 to investigate manufacturing methods, and a Work for Others contract was established between Sandia and Edwards Air Force Base for FY02-FY04. Funding was also obtained from DOE as part of their Advanced Monitoring Systems Initiative program from FY01 …

The world relies on sensors to perform a variety of tasks from the mundane to sophisticated. Currently, processors associated with these sensors are sufficient only to handle rudimentary logic tasks. Though multiple sensors are often present in such devices, there is insufficient processing power for situational understanding. Until recently, no processors that met the electrical power constraints for embedded systems were powerful enough to perform sophisticated computations. Sandia performs many expensive tests using sensor arrays. Improving the efficacy, reliability and information content resulting from these sensor arrays is of critical importance. With the advent of powerful commodity processors for embedded use, a new opportunity to do just that has presented itself. This report describes work completed under Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Project 26514, Task 1. The goal of the project was to demonstrate the feasibility of using embedded processors to increase the amount of useable information derived from sensor arrays while improving the believability of the data. The focus was on a system of importance to Sandia: Joint Test Assemblies for ICBM warheads. Topics discussed include: (1) two electromechanical systems to provide data, (2) sensors used to monitor those systems, (3) the processors that provide decision-making capability and data …

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) has been tasked with developing, designing, constructing, and operating a full-scale prototype of the work package closure system. As a precursor to developing the conceptual design, all commercially available equipment was assessed to identify any existing technology gaps. This report presents the results of that assessment for all major equipment.

Soil sampling and storage practices for volatile organic analysis must be designed to minimize loss of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from samples. The En Core{reg_sign} sampler is designed to collect and store soil samples in a manner that minimizes loss of contaminants due to volatilization and/or biodegradation. An American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard practice, D 6418, Standard Practice for Using the Disposable En Core Sampler for Sampling and Storing Soil for Volatile Organic Analysis, describes use of the En Core sampler to collect and store a soil sample of approximately 5 grams or 25 grams for volatile organic analysis. To support the ASTM practice, a study was performed to estimate the precision of the performance of the 5-gram and 25-gram En Core samplers to store soil samples spiked with low concentrations of VOCs. This report discusses revision of ASTM Practice D 6418 to include information on the precision of the En Core devices and to reference an ASTM research report on the precision study. This report also discusses revision of the ASTM practice to list storage at -12 {+-} 2 C for up to 14 days and at 4 {+-} 2 C for up to 48 hours …

Treatment of sodium-bearing waste (SBW) at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) within the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory is mandated by a Settlement Agreement between the Department of Energy and the State of Idaho. One of the requirements of the Settlement Agreement is to complete treatment of SBW by December 31, 2012. To support both design and development studies for the SBW treatment process, detailed feed compositions are needed. This report contains the expected compositions of these feed streams and the sources and methods used in obtaining these compositions.

This experiment safety assurance package (ESAP) is a revision of the last mixed uranium and plutonium oxide (MOX) ESAP issued in June 2002). The purpose of this revision is to provide a basis to continue irradiation up to 52 GWd/MT burnup [as predicted by MCNP (Monte Carlo N-Particle) transport code The last ESAP provided basis for irradiation, at a linear heat generation rate (LHGR) no greater than 9 kW/ft, of the highest burnup capsule assembly to 50 GWd/MT. This ESAP extends the basis for irradiation, at a LHGR no greater than 5 kW/ft, of the highest burnup capsule assembly from 50 to 52 GWd/MT.

The present report is one of a series of three. The series provides an independent technical review of certain aspects of the GOTH-SNF code that is used for accident analysis of the multicanister overpack that is proposed for permanent storage of spent nuclear fuel in the planned repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The work documented in the present report and its two companions was done under the auspices of the National Spent Nuclear Fuel Program. The other two reports in the series are DOE/SNF/REP-0871 and DOE/SNF/REP-089.2

An all-solid-state continuous-wave (cw) laser system for ultraviolet absorption measurements of the nitric oxide (NO) molecule has been developed and demonstrated. For the NO sensor, 250 nW of tunable cw ultraviolet radiation is produced by sum-frequency-mixing of 532-nm radiation from a diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser and tunable 395-nm radiation from an external cavity diode laser (ECDL). The sum-frequency-mixing process occurs in a beta-barium borate crystal. The nitric oxide absorption measurements are performed by tuning the ECDL and scanning the sum-frequency-mixed radiation over strong nitric oxide absorption lines near 226 nm. The nitric oxide sensor has been used for measurements in the exhaust of a coal-fired laboratory combustion facility. The Texas A&M University boiler burner facility is a 30 kW (100,000 Btu/hr) downward-fired furnace with a steel shell encasing ceramic insulation. Measurements of nitric oxide concentration in the exhaust stream were performed after modification of the facility for laser based NOx diagnostics. The diode-laser-based sensor measurements showed good agreement with the results from physical probe sampling of the combustion exhaust. The diode-laser-based ultraviolet absorption measurements were successful even when the beam was severely attenuated by particulate in the exhaust stream and window fouling. Single-laser-sweep measurements were demonstrated with an effective time resolution …

Coilguns have demonstrated their capability to launch projectiles to 1 km/s, and there is interest in their application for long-range precision strike weapons. However, the incorporation of cooling systems for repetitive operation will impact the mechanical design and response of the future coils. To assess the impact of such changes, an evaluation of the ruggedness and reliability of the existing 50 mm bore coil designed in 1993 was made by repeatedly testing at stress levels associated with operation in a coilgun. A two-coil testbed has been built with a static projectile where each coil is energized by its own capacitor bank. Simulation models of the applied forces generated in this testbed have been created with the SLINGSHOT circuit code to obtain loads equivalent to the worst-case anticipated in a 50 mm coilgun that could launch a 236 g projectile to 2 km/s. Bench measurements of the seven remaining coils built in 1993 have been used to evaluate which coils were viable for testing, and only one was found defective. Measurements of the gradient of the effective coil inductance in the presence of the projectile were compared to values from SLINGSHOT, and the agreement is excellent. Repeated testing of the HFC5 …

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The objective of this project is to design, construct and field demonstrate a membrane system to recover natural gas liquids (NGLs) and remove water from raw natural gas. To convince industry users of the efficiency and reliability of the process, we plan to conduct an extended field test to demonstrate system performance under real-world conditions. The membrane system has been designed and fabricated by Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (MTR). The MTR membrane system and the compressor are now onsite at BP's Pascagoula, MS plant. The plant is undergoing a very significant expansion and the installation of the membrane unit into the test location is being implemented, albeit at a slower rate than we expected. The startup of the system and conducting of tests will occur in the next six months, depending on the availability of the remaining budget. In the interim, significant commercial progress has been made regarding the introduction of the NGL membrane and systems into the natural gas market.

Delayed coking evolved steadily over the early to mid 1900s to enable refiners to convert high boiling, residual petroleum fractions to light products such as gasoline. Pound for pound, coking is the most energy intensive of any operation in a modern refinery. Large amounts of energy are required to heat the thick, poor-quality petroleum residuum to the 900 to 950 degrees F required to crack the heavy hydrocarbon molecules into lighter, more valuable products. One common misconception of delayed coking is that the product coke is a disadvantage. Although coke is a low valued (near zero economic value) byproduct, compared to transportation fuels, there is a significant worldwide trade and demand for coke as it is an economical fuel. Coke production has increased steadily over the last ten years, with further increases forecast for the foreseeable future. Current domestic production is near 111,000 tons per day. A major driving force behind this increase is the steady decline in crude quality available to refiners. Crude slates are expected to grow heavier with higher sulfur contents while environmental restrictions are expected to significantly reduce the demand for high-sulfur residual fuel oil. Light sweet crudes will continue to be available and in even …

During this year we performed two major projects: I. We developed a detailed theoretical model which complements our experiments on surface DNA electrophoresis. We found that it was possible to enhance the separation of DNA chains by imposing a chemical nanoscale pattern on the surface. This approach utilized the surface interaction effect of the DNA chains with the substrate and is a refinement to our previous method in which DNA chains were separated on homogeneous flat surfaces. By introducing the nano-patterns on the surface, the conformational changes of DNA chains of different lengths can be amplified, which results in the different friction strengths with the substrate surface. Our results also show that, when compared to the DNA electrophoresis performed on homogeneous flat surfaces, nanopatterned surfaces offer a larger window in choosing different surface interactions to achieve separation. II. In collaboration with a large international manufacturer of skin care products we also embarked on a project involving photo toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, which are a key ingredient in sunscreen and cosmetic lotions. The results clearly implicated the nanoparticles in catalyzing damage to chromosomal DNA. We then used this knowledge to develop a polymer/anti-oxidant coating which prevented the photocatalytic reaction on …

The production of metal vapor as a consequence of high intensity laser irradiation is a serious concern in laser welding. Despite the widespread use of lasers in manufacturing, little fundamental understanding of laser/material interaction in the weld pool exists. Laser welding experiments on 304 stainless steel have been completed which have advanced our fundamental understanding of the magnitude and the parameter dependence of metal vaporization in laser spot welding. Calculations using a three-dimensional, transient, numerical model were used to compare with the experimental results. Convection played a very important role in the heat transfer especially towards the end of the laser pulse. The peak temperatures and velocities increased significantly with the laser power density. The liquid flow is mainly driven by the surface tension and to a much less extent, by the buoyancy force. Heat transfer by conduction is important when the liquid velocity is small at the beginning of the pulse and during weld pool solidification. The effective temperature determined from the vapor composition was found to be close to the numerically computed peak temperature at the weld pool surface. At very high power densities, the computed temperatures at the weld pool surface were found to be higher than …

This document summarizes previous descriptions of geochemical system conceptual models for the vadose zone and groundwater zone (aquifer) beneath the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). The primary focus is on groundwater because contaminants derived from wastes disposed at INEEL are present in groundwater, groundwater provides a pathway for potential migration to receptors, and because geochemical characteristics in and processes in the aquifer can substantially affect the movement, attenuation, and toxicity of contaminants. The secondary emphasis is perched water bodies in the vadose zone. Perched water eventually reaches the regional groundwater system, and thus processes that affect contaminants in the perched water bodies are important relative to the migration of contaminants into groundwater. Similarly, processes that affect solutes during transport from nearsurface disposal facilities downward through the vadose zone to the aquifer are relevant. Sediments in the vadose zone can affect both water and solute transport by restricting the downward migration of water sufficiently that a perched water body forms, and by retarding solute migration via ion exchange. Geochemical conceptual models have been prepared by a variety of researchers for different purposes. They have been published in documents prepared by INEEL contractors, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), academic …

For several years, Sandia National Laboratories and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have been part of a consortium funded by the Department of Energy to improve fuel efficiency of heavy vehicles such as Class 8 trucks through aerodynamic drag reduction. The objective of this work is to demonstrate the feasibility of using the steady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approach to predict the flow field around heavy vehicles, with special emphasis on the base region of the trailer, and to compute the aerodynamic forces. In particular, Sandia's computational fluid dynamics code, SACCARA, was used to simulate the flow on a simplified model of a tractor-trailer vehicle. The results are presented and compared with NASA Ames experimental data to assess the predictive capability of RANS to model the flow field and predict the aerodynamic forces.

This remedial action work plan identifies the approach and requirements for implementing the medical zone remedial action for Test Area North, Operable Unit 1-07B, at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). This plan details management approach for the construction and operation of the New Pump and Treat Facility. As identified in the remedial design/remedial action scope of work, a separate remedial design/remedial action work plan will be prepared for each remedial component of the Operable Unit 1-07B remedial action. This work plan was originally prepared as an early implementation of the final Phase C remediation. At that time, The Phase C implementation strategy was to use this document as the overall Phase C Work Plan and was to be revised to include the remedial actions for the other remedial zones (hotspot and distal zones). After the completion of Record of Decision Amendment: Technical Support Facility Injection Well (TSF-05) and Surrounding Groundwater Contamination (TSF-23) and Miscellaneous No Action Sites, Final Remedial Action, it was determined that each remedial zone would have it own stand-alone remedial action work plan. Revision 1 of this document converts this document to a stand-alone remedial action plan specific to the implementation of the New …

This report documents the reported contents of the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) canisters. proposed packaging, and degradation scenarios expected in the repository. Most fuels within the U.S. Department of Energy spent nuclear fuel inventory deal with highly enriched uranium, that in most cases require some form of neutronic poisoning inside the fuel canister. The TMI-2 fuel represents a departure from these fuel forms due to its lower enrichment (2.96% max.) values and the disrupted nature of the fuel itself. Criticality analysis of these fuel canisters has been performed over the years to reflect conditions expected during transit from the reactor to the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, water pool storage,1 and transport/dry-pack storage at Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center.2,3 None of these prior analyses reflect the potential disposal conditions for this fuel inside a postclosure repository.

High-resolution finite volume methods for solving systems of conservation laws have been widely embraced in research areas ranging from astrophysics to geophysics and aero-thermodynamics. These methods are typically at least second-order accurate in space and time, deliver non-oscillatory solutions in the presence of near discontinuities, e.g., shocks, and introduce minimal dispersive and diffusive effects. High-resolution methods promise to provide greatly enhanced solution methods for Sandia's mainstream shock hydrodynamics and compressible flow applications, and they admit the possibility of a generalized framework for treating multi-physics problems such as the coupled hydrodynamics, electro-magnetics and radiative transport found in Z pinch physics. In this work, we describe initial efforts to develop a generalized 'black-box' conservation law framework based on modern high-resolution methods and implemented in an object-oriented software framework. The framework is based on the solution of systems of general non-linear hyperbolic conservation laws using Godunov-type central schemes. In our initial efforts, we have focused on central or central-upwind schemes that can be implemented with only a knowledge of the physical flux function and the minimal/maximal eigenvalues of the Jacobian of the flux functions, i.e., they do not rely on extensive Riemann decompositions. Initial experimentation with high-resolution central schemes suggests that contact discontinuities …

Natural language processing-based knowledge management software, traditionally developed for security organizations, is now becoming commercially available. An informal survey was conducted to discover and examine current NLP and related technologies and potential applications for information retrieval, information extraction, summarization, categorization, terminology management, link analysis, and visualization for possible implementation at Sandia National Laboratories. This report documents our current understanding of the technologies, lists software vendors and their products, and identifies potential applications of these technologies.

This document is the final report for the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between UT-Battelle and Prime Photonics, Inc. The purpose of this CRADA was to improve the properties of single crystal sapphire optical fibers for sensor applications. A reactive coating process was developed to form a magnesium aluminate spinel cladding on sapphire optical fibers. The resulting clad fiber had a numerical aperture, NA, of 0.09 as compared with 0.83 for the unclad fiber, dramatically enhancing its usefulness for sensor applications. Because the process allows one to control the diameter of the sapphire core within the fiber, it may be possible using this technology to develop waveguides that approach single-mode transmission character.

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