The purpose of this report is to recommend a reasonable program of brine chemistry research that will result in the development of methods for predicting and controlling scale deposition, and in guidelines for the selection of corrosion-resistant construction materials. First, background information, which is necessary for the understanding of the problems of scaling and corrosion in the Salton Sea KGRA, is presented through a review of the history of geothermal exploration and development in the Salton Sea. Second, literature relevant to the geochemistry of the Salton Sea field is reviewed and important results are emphasized. Third, current research efforts directed toward actual power plant construction are summarized and evaluated. Fourth, research which has been proposed but is not currently funded is discussed. Fifth, because silica scaling has been the most troublesome problem in the past, the basic chemistry of silica and its relationship to scaling is discussed. Sixth, recommendations for future research are made in which a fundamental engineering approach is emphasized. In this approach, experiments would be conducted on actual process equipment and detailed chemical analyses would be performed on site in well-equipped field laboratories. 88 references.

The proposed Salton Sea Geothermal Power Pilot Plant Program comprises two phases. The objective of Phase 1 is to develop the technology for power generation from high-temperature, high-salinity geothermal brines existing in the Salton Sea known geothermal resources area. Phase 1 work will result in the following: (a) Completion of a preliminary design and cost estimate for a pilot geothermal brine utilization facility. (b) Design and construction of an Area Resource Test Facility (ARTF) in which developmental geothermal utilization concepts can be tested and evaluated. Program efforts will be divided into four sub-programs; Power Generation, Mineral Extraction, Reservoir Production, and the Area Resources Test Facility. The Power Generation Subprogram will include testing of scale and corrosion control methods, and critical power cycle components; power cycle selection based on an optimization of technical, environmental and economic analyses of candidate cycles; preliminary design of a pilot geothermal-electric generating station to be constructed in Phase 2 of this program. The Mineral Extraction Subprogram will involve the following: selection of an optimum mineral recovery process; recommendation of a brine clean-up process for well injection enhancement; engineering, construction and operation of mineral recovery and brine clean-up facilities; analysis of facility operating results from environmental, economical …

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The Accelerator Division was formed as a separate division of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in 1973. Originally called Physics II Division, it acquired its present title when Andrew M. Sessler was designated Director of the Laboratory in November 1973. Under the leadership of Associate Director Edward J. Lofgren the major activities of the Division comprise operation of the Bevalac, for high-energy and heavy-ion physics, and Advanced Accelerator Research and Development. In addition, there is a small amount of research activity with heavy ions by some members of the Division. Heavy ions were first accelerated in the Bevatron in 1971. In the period under review here a large effort was devoted to construction of the Bevalac project, in which the SuperHILAC is used as a source of energetic heavy ions that are transported down the intervening hillside by a focusing transfer line, and injected into the Bevatron for final acceleration to an energy of 2.6 GeV/nucleon. This facility is unique in the world as a source of relativistic heavy ions and has opened up a new and rich field of research that has commanded worldwide interest. Joint studies with the staff of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center on a positron-electron colliding …

This report presents the results of a surface investigation and favorability study of low-grade uranium deposits in the Coso Formation in Owens Valley, California that were explored between 1954 and 1956.