The main features and operating characteristics of the primary vacuum system of many of the presently operating tokamak devices are presented. Particular attention is paid to the methods used to condition and clean the vessel walls in situ. For the devices discussed, a combination of a high-temperature bakeout and/or discharge cleaning is employed. In addition, discussions of the vacuum systems and wall conditioning methods anticipated for the next generation of tokamaks are presented. Since this report was written during a limited time period, it should be considered as preliminary and is not intended to be a general review. Much of the information that is presented was obtained by private communication and there is no bibliography. This study was initiated to aid in the design of TFTR. As presently envisioned, the TFTR vacuum system and methods for wall conditioning are consistent with what is presently practiced.

Four one-million-gallon underground tanks will be constructed for safe and reliable containment and storage of high-level radioactive wastes. Transfer facilities and encased, insulated, and heat traced piping will provide transport connections to the existing evaporator-crystallizer and storage tank systems. Flushing facilities and associated utilities will be provided for tank farm operation. The tank, pumping, and ventilation equipment and controls will be provided with instrumentation and alarms. Instrumentation will monitor the waste and facilities to detect high temperatures, waste levels, radiation, and process leakages. Gaseous radioactive containment will be provided by the high efficiency ventilation filtration. The tank farm facilities will provide personnel radiation protection.

A description is given of the FFTF Document Control and Information Retrieval System. The system utilizes a mini-computer along with various microfilm equipment and is designed to accommodate an anticipated 50 million pages of text and 750,000 drawings. The system is simple, uncluttered, eliminates duplication, and provides quick retrievability of documents for all technical and administrative personnel.

An appropriate methodology was developed for conducting the mainline activity of the task--a comprehensive survey of near-term (1976--1985) applications for photovoltaic solar energy conversion--and a start was made on the implementation of the methodology. The main emphasis of the first quarter of effort on the task, however, was placed on a quick, preliminary study aimed at the early identification of several promising near-term applications that would make attractive demonstration projects. Four such applications were identified: (a) impressed current corrosion protection of gas well casings, (b) impressed current corrosion protection of gas and oil pipelines, (c) railroad grade crossing signals, and (d) navigation aid buoys. Estimates were made, in each case, of the size of the associated potential market for photovoltaic arrays and of the break-even array price (the array price at which photovoltaic solar energy conversion would be economically competitive with alternative power sources). The estimated market sizes were as high as 1.1 MW/sub pk//yr (in the case of corrosion protection of deep gas wells) and break-even costs ranged from $2/W/sub pk/ to more than $50/W/sub pk/. A start was made on the examination of central station missions for photovoltaic power plants using very high concentration (concentration ratio approx. 1000). …

A brief review of the small car vs large car fuel economy and emission scenario was conducted to determine whether it is meaningful to implement multi-level emission regulations (different values for small and large cars) to encourage or forces the use of catalytic converters on smaller cars, and by so doing improve the overall fuel economy of the total fleet while at the same time reduce overall emissions. The results of this review showed that: the 1975 to 1976 federal HC standard (1.5 gr/mi) is sufficiently low to effectively force the use of catalysts on larger cars (4000-lb inertia test weight and above) to avoid fuel economy losses, but not sufficiently low to require them on all smaller cars (3500-lb class and below). However, the 1975 to 1976 California HC standard (0.9 gr/mi) is sufficiently low to do so, as evidenced by the fact that essentially all California cars do use catalysts; whether or not small or large cars are equipped with oxidation catalysts, NO/sub x/ standards below the current federal level (3.1 gr/mi) and California level (2 gr/mi) will act to reduce vehicle fuel economy, although small cars are slightly less sensitive in this respect; to meet the projected …

The highlights of the ERDA Solar Thermal Branch Semiannual Review held in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 26-27, 1976, are presented. Status and plans for Total Energy Systems, Distributed Collectors, and Research and Development Projects are reviewed. (WHK)

None

Results obtained in the development of a commercial process for waste fixation, waste form characterization, alternative waste fixation processes, and systems safety evaluation are reported. (JSR)

Interviews were held with representatives of major plants and equipment manufacturers to obtain current information on operating experience with dry cooling towers in Europe. The report documents the objectives, background, and organizational details of the study, and presents an itemized account of contacts made to obtain information. Plant selection was based on a merit index involving thermal capacity and length of service. A questionnaire was used to organize operational data, when available, into nine major categories of experience. Information was also solicited concerning the use of codes and standards to ensure the achievement of cooling tower performance. Several plant operators provided finned-tube samples for metallographic analysis. Additionally, information on both operating experience and developing technology was supplied by European technical societies and research establishments. Information obtained from these contacts provides an updated and representative sample of European experience with dry cooling towers, which supplements some of the detailed reviews already available in the literature. In addition, the study presents categorized operating experience with installations which have not been reviewed so extensively, but nevertheless, have significant operational histories when ranked by the merit index. The contacts and interviews reported in the survey occurred between late March and October 1975. The study …

In the Tritiated Liquid Waste Decontamination (Molecular Excitation) program, it was found that a 1/4'' Nd:YAG amplifier and a Faraday rotator isolator must be added to the oscillator to obtain the required power for the laser excitation experiments. The isotopic selectivity of the two-photon dissociation process was examined in more detail. The selectivity or ratio of HTO to H/sub 2/O molecules that are photodissociated was found to be on the order of 25, which is inadequate for application to large-scale detritiation projects, e.g., nuclear fuel reprocessing plant waste. The selectivity is such that most of the laser energy is wasted in photodissociation of H/sub 2/O. This obstacle may be overcome by pumping more vibrational energy into the HTO molecules. Various schemes towards this end are being considered. Extensive ab initio calculations on the potential surface for the hydrogen atom-water exchange reaction have been carried out. The energy barrier is calculated to be 38 1/2 kcal/mole, which implies that the exchange reaction T + H/sub 2/O ..-->.. HTO + H is at least 10/sup 9/ times slower than the exchange reaction T + H/sub 2/ ..-->.. HT + H. Calculations were also performed on the analogous hydrogen atom-hydrogen fluoride exchange reaction. …

The stability of a periodic magnetic island structure was studied using the ideal MHD equations. An instability is found which describes the tendency toward coalescence of parallel currents in the neighboring islands. It is expected that this instability will proceed at a fast MHD rate as long as the forces driving the instability can overcome the stabilizing forces due to the compression of the magnetic field between the islands. Beyond that phase, resistivity is expected to dominate the tendency toward island coalescence. Island coalescence of this kind can explain why in the observation of tearing mode instabilities in tokamaks, only the modes with minimum values of m and n are seen.

A two-arm ..pi../sub ..mu../sub 2///beam monitor telescope provides one possible means of monitoring pion (P/sub ..pi../ less than 400 MeV/c) beam fluxes to better than 1 percent.

A device for semiautomatically deburring the ends of lengths of MDF (mild detonating fuse) was developed by the Automation Development group at Mound Laboratory. The device performs the deburring function by cutting a 0.002 in. x 0.002 in. chamfer on the MDF with small rotating blades. This air-operated, semiautomatic device provides improvement over the manual method of removing burrs by reduction in time and operator strain. A time study is underway to determine the time saved which is expected to be about 75 percent.

This handbook brings together the most current data on thermodynamic, transport, and mechanical properties of reactor materials (fuel, coolant, structural material) for reactor safety analysis. NSMH (Nuclear Systems Materials Handbook) property code numbers and formats were used. The materials covered are UO/sub 2/, (U, Pu)O/sub 2/, Na, and Types 304 and 316 stainless steels. (DLC)

This project is directed toward development of numerical methods suitable for the computer solution of problems in reactor dynamics and safety. Specific areas of research include methods of integration of the time-dependent diffusion equations by finite difference and finite element methods; representation of reactor properties by various homogenization procedures; application of synthesis methods; and development of response matrix techniques.

Progress is summarized in studies related to thermal analysis for the Vrain reactor, HEXEREI code development, and FLODIS results from the Vrain design basis depressurization accident.

Data from eruption movies are used to construct a budget among various modes of energy transport for the volcano Stromboli. In its normal steady state eruption mode, Stromboli delivers approximately 1.1 MW of power to the surface by energy transport mechanisms other than conduction; conducted heat probably is of the order of 6 mW (for the part of the volcano above sea level). Of this 1.1 mW, approximately 60 percent of the eruption energy is carried in the thermal energy of ejected gas; approximately 20 percent by the thermal energy of ejected lava, and 20 percent by radiative heat transfer from the open vent. Energy transported in kinetic energy of the gas seismic energy and jet noise of acoustical energy is trivial. The probable thermal reserve of Stromboli could be quite large, perhaps sufficient to produce power in the 100- to 1000-MW range provided engineering capability existed to exploit it. The abundance of gas in the eruption medium implies that Stromboli is probably open to sea water. A simple model accounting for the observations and apparent flux of water into the magma yields an average apparent permeability of the volcano in the submicrodarcy range, very low values. These model values …

The Hanford Reservation contains about 2100 wells constructed from pre-Hanford Works to the present. As of Jan. 1976, about 1800 wells still exist, 850 of which were drilled to the groundwater table; 700 still contain water. This report provides the most complete documentation of these wells and supersedes all previous compilations, including BNWL-1739. (DLC)

In initial operation of a new flowsheet for recovery of highly irradiated enriched uranium by solvent extraction with 7.5 vol percent tri-n-butyl phosphate, valence adjustment of plutonium and neptunium with ferrous sulfamate was ineffective; plutonium was not rejected as desired, and neptunium was partially lost to waste. Laboratory studies demonstrated that ferrous sulfamate, added to both the aqueous feed solution and the aqueous scrub stream in the first stage (IAS), was largely destroyed during the relatively long time between preparation and use of these solutions. Radiolysis destroyed the ferrous ion in the feed in a few hours, and nitric acid oxidized much of the ferrous ion in the scrub solution. To achieve the desired neptunium-plutonium separation in plant operation, the process flowsheet was modified as follows: ferrous sulfamate is added to the IAS stream immediately before it enters the mixer-settler, and ferrous fulfamate is not added to the feed solution where it would be destroyed by radiolysis.

The Data Acquisition and Visual Display System (DAVDS) at the Loss-of-Fluid Test Facility (LOFT) has 742 data channel recording capability of which 576 are recorded digitally. The purpose of this computer program is to graphically present the data acquired and/or processed by the LOFT DAVDS. This program takes specially created plot data buffers of up to 1024 words and generates time history plots on the system electrostatic printer-plotter. The data can be extracted from two system input devices: Magnetic disk or digital magnetic tape. Versatility has been designed in the program by providing the user three methods of scaling plots: Automatic, control record, and manual. Time required to produce a plot on the system electrostatic printer-plotter varies from 30 to 90 seconds depending on the options selected. The basic computer and program details are described.

In 1975 the National Neutron Cross Section Center (NNCSC) at BNL was asked to carry out a study of the nuclear structure and charged-particle reaction data compilation and evaluation efforts in the U. S. with a view toward establishing at NNCSC responsibility for a fully coordinated effort involving measurers, compilers, evaluators, and users whose activities would result in the creation and maintenance of a master file for nuclear structure and charged-particle reaction data. A critique of this study was made by the Ad Hoc Panel on Basic Nuclear Data Compilations; this critique is presented here. The Panel recommended the establishment of a standing panel to monitor and advise on the implementation of the proposed new organizational arrangement for carrying out basic data compilations. (RWR)

The basic materials science objectives of the program have been met, and the theory built up over the past years on the properties of rocks and on the design of composite photothermal conversion surfaces has been tested. The major topics have been: (1) Theory of structural phase transitions; (2) Theory of interatomic interactions, with application to defect structures and surface complexes; and (3) Application of the theory of disordered (heterogeneous) materials to the elastic properties of rocks, commercial graphite, and composite solar energy absorbing materials. (WDM)

A review is given of electron-correlation satellites in ion and atom emission spectra. The topics developed are the early history using Mn/sup 2 +/ as an example, shake-up satellites and initial-state-configuration interaction (ISCI), direct observation of ISCI by photoemission: the ns/sup 2/ case, and autoionization in Ba and other np/sup 6/ (n + 1)s/sup 2/ cases. (JFP)

The effects of radiation and convection on the equilibrium body temperatures of alligators have been determined. Gaping has been shown to be an effective thermoregulatory device for retarding heat gain in the heads of these animals. Initial time dependent experiments have been completed and ketamine hydrochloride has been shown to be an effective anesthetic for alligators. Evaporative water loss rates have been measured as a function of size, temperature and wind speed for the turtle Chrysemys scripta. Convection coefficients have been determined and climate spaces are being formulated. Field studies are under way at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. Convection coefficients for largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides change as a function of temperature and water speed. Steady state heat energy budgets have been computed for this fish. The effects of arsenic and temperature on the temperature tolerance of larval muskellunge, Esox masquinongy, have been determined. The thermal tolerances of several species of minnows have also been measured. The role of the skin in the control of evaporation from amphibians and reptiles has been assessed. During the past year one article has been published, two are in press, one is in review, and eight are in preparation. Five masters theses will be …