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Food and energy shortages in many parts of the world in the past two years raise an immediate need for the evaluation of energy input in food production. The present paper investigates systematically (1) the energy requirement for food production, and (2) the provision of controlled thermonuclear fusion energy for major energy intensive sectors of food manufacturing. Among all the items of energy input to the ''food industry,'' fertilizers, water for irrigation, food processing industries, such as beet sugar refinery and dough making and single cell protein manufacturing, have been chosen for study in detail. A controlled thermonuclear power reactor was used to provide electrical and thermal energy for all these processes. Conceptual design of the application of controlled thermonuclear power, water and air for methanol and ammonia synthesis and single cell protein production is presented. Economic analysis shows that these processes can be competitive. (auth)

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Studies are reported on the methylation and accumulation of mercury in fish populations of the pond. Results showed that the majority of the mercury in the fish muscles was in the methyl mercury form. Very low concentrations of mercury were found in the pond sediments. Physiological methylation of the mercury could not be demonstrated by in vivo or in vitro techniques. Organic ligand methylation and reduction of the mercury was shown to be a possible mechanism to account for both the mercury distribution in the pond and the concentrations of methylmercury in the fish. Recommendations are made for remedial treatments to eliminate the mercury problem. (HLW)

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The properties of laser media involving the auroral transition of atomic oxygen and analogous systems are examined. A discussion of the atomic properties, collisional mechanisms, excitation processes, and collisionally induced radiative phenomena is given. Crossing phenomena play a particularly important role in governing the dynamics of the medium. (auth)

Decontamination and decommissioning of the Experimental Breeder Reactor No. 1 (EBR-I) requires processing of the primary coolant, an eutectic solution of sodium and potassium (NaK), remaining in the EBR-I primary and secondary coolant systems. While developing design criteria for the NaK processing system, reasonable justification was provided for the development of a pilot test plant for field testing some of the process concepts and proposed hardware. The objective of this activity was to prove the process concept on a low-cost, small- scale test bed. The pilot test plant criteria provided a general description of the test including: the purpose, location, description of test equipment available, waste disposal requirements, and a flow diagram and conceptual equipment layout. The pilot plant test operations procedure provided a detailed step-by-step procedure for operation of the pilot plant to obtain the desired test data and operational experience. It also spelled out the safety precautions to be used by operating personnel, including the requirement for alkali metals training certification, use of protective clothing, availability of fire protection equipment, and caustic handling procedures. The pilot plant test was performed on May 16, 1974. During the test, 32.5 gallons or 240 lb of NaK was successfully converted to …

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An ion exchange technique separates plutonium from uranium using Dowex-1 resin and a methanol--HCl plutonium elutriant. The method is applicable to both trace uranium determination and uranium isotopic distribution analysis by mass spectrometry. Distribution coefficients for plutonium, and elution curves for uranium and plutonium are shown. For uranium analysis the percent relative standard deviation is 0.8 at 120-2400 micrograms uranium per gram plutonium and 5.0 at 5 micrograms uranium per gram plutonium. (auth)

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Time-differential perturbed angular correlation techniques were applied to a systematic study of insulating antiferromagnets and rare-earth intermetallic alloys doped with either /sup 111m/Cd or $sup 111$In. The internal magnetic fields and electric field gradients at the radioactive nucleus are deduced from the experimentally measured perturbation factors. The analysis of fluoride, chloride, oxide, and sulfide data shows the systematic variation of the observed supertransferred hyperfine fields with the intervening anion covalency and allows extraction of covalency parameters after the adoption of a simple model. A comparison of the transferred hyperfine field data between fluoride perovskites and the corresponding quadratic layer compounds produces a value for the zero- point spin deviation in magnetically two-dimensional antiferromagnets which is in qualitative agreement with existing theoretical estimates. Paramagnetic shifts due to transferred hyperfine field and field-induced spin-flopping have also been observed. By careful temperature regulation the temperature dependence of the sublattice magnetization can be plotted next to a diamagnetic impurity in RbMnF$sub 3$ and MnF$sub 2$. A shift in the transferred hyperfine field at Cd doped into MnS has been measured under the application of moderate pressures up to 22 kbar. Analysis of the electric field gradients at the In and Sn sites in the …

The principal objective of environmental transport research at the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) is to develop, apply, adapt, use, test, and verify models that predict the directions and magnitude of ecosystem processes. Since an ecosystem is understood to be a complex ecological unit composed of physical, chemical, and biotic components interacting in the cycling and transport of matter and the flow of energy, the understanding of ecosystem processes demands integrated study by scientists of differing disciplines. Data are included from studies on factors that affect the atmospheric transport and dispersion of radionuclides and chemical effluents; surface and groundwater transport of various pollutants following release to the soil surface or a flowing stream; the uptake and retention of tritium oxide by pine trees; calculations of the radiation dose commitment for human populations from $sup 14$C released by the nuclear industry; the effects of thermal effluents on aquatic organisms, including plankton productivity, the population dynamics of freshwater snails, and the growth and respiration rates of the sand-burrowing mayfly (Dolania americana). Data are included from a survey of seismic activity in South Carolina. (CH)

The use of the finite element method for solving two-dimensional static neutron diffusion problems in hexagonal reactor configurations is considered. It is investigated as a possible alternative to the low-order finite difference method. Various piecewise polynomial spaces are examined for their use in hexagonal problems. The central questions which arise in the design of these spaces are the degree of incompleteness permissible and the advantages of using a low-order space fine-mesh approach over that of a high-order space coarse-mesh one. There is also the question of the degree of smoothness required. Two schemes for the construction of spaces are described and a number of specific spaces, constructed with the questions outlined above in mind, are presented. They range from a complete non-Lagrangian, non-Hermite quadratic space to an incomplete ninth order space. Results are presented for two-dimensional problems typical of a small high temperature gas-cooled reactor. From the results it is concluded that the space used should at least include the complete linear one. Complete spaces are to be preferred to totally incomplete ones. Once function continuity is imposed any additional degree of smoothness is of secondary importance. For flux shapes typical of the small high temperature gas-cooled reactor the linear …

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In order to evaluate the ability of critical facilities at the Nevada Test Site to withstand the possible damaging effects of extreme winds and tornadoes, parameters for the effects of tornadoes and extreme winds and structural design criteria for the design and evaluation of structures were developed. The meteorological investigations conducted are summarized, and techniques used for developing the combined tornado and extreme wind risk model are discussed. The guidelines for structural design include methods for calculating pressure distributions on walls and roofs of structures and methods for accommodating impact loads from wind-driven missiles. Calculations for determining the design loads for an example structure are included. (LCL)

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One means of raising the degree of protection afforded strategic special nuclear materials against theft and diversion is the installation of Real Time Material Control (RETIMAC) systems. The ability of RETIMAC to detect any covert attempt to steal special nuclear materials in a time frame that is adequate to contain subcritical quantities of special nuclear material within the boundaries of the material protection system and to maintain current knowledge of the quantity and location of all strategic special nuclear material was tested. A commercial-scale mixed oxide fuel fabrication plant was chosen for the study. (LK)

The purpose of this study was to provide information and identify parameters relevant to assessing the consequences to man and his environment of large scale mixed plutonium-uranium oxide fuel fabrication plants which will be needed in the next 10 to 15 years. The report identifies the pertinent parameters, values, factors and methods which may be used in evaluating the environmental consequences of routine plant operation as well as postulated accidents. This study provides a base for the development of siting criteria and safety analyses for mixed oxide fuel fabrication facilities. (auth)

A conceptual design study was made of a fusion-fission reactor for the purpose of producing fissile material and electricity. The fusion component is a D-T plasma confined by a pair of magnetic mirror coils in a Yin-Yang configuration and is sustained by neutral beam injection. The neutrons from the fusion plasma drive the fission assembly which is composed of natural uranium carbide fuel rods clad with stainless steel and helium cooled. It was shown conceptually how the reactor might be built using essentially present-day technology and how the uranium-bearing blanket modules can be routinely changed to allow separation of the bred fissile fuel. (MOW)