A passively cooled, single-axis tracking, polar-axis mounted photovoltaic concentrator system has been designed, fabricated, installed, and tested. System description, design considerations, system performance and a production cost estimate are detailed.

The overall objective of the Westinghouse coal gasification program is to demonstrate the viability of the Westinghouse pressurized, fluidized bed, gasification system for the production of medium-Btu fuel gas for syngas, electrical power generation, chemical feedstocks, or industrial fuels and to obtain performance and scaleup data for the process and hardware. Technical progress summaries and reports are presented for the following tasks: (1) process development unit (PDU) test operations and results (gasifier test TP-033-1 and maintenance and modifications); (2) process analysis (environmental characterization results, coal gas combustion results, and fines elutriation and consumption results); (3) cold flow scaleup (modifications and maintenance, operations, and data analysis); (4) process and component engineering and design (hot fines recycle modifications, and hot recycled fines); (5) laboratory support studies (gas-solids flow modeling and coal/ash behavior). 23 figures, 23 tables.

A number of studies related to improvements and/or greater understanding of alternate-fueled reactors is presented. These studies cover the areas of non-Maxwellian distributions, materials and lifetime analysis, a /sup 3/He-breeding blanket, tritium-rich startup effects, high field magnet support, and reactor operation spanning the range from full D-T operation to operation with no tritium breeding.

Report on an analysis and audit of Bell Northern Research's study of Texas' telecommunications systems.

Design improvements made for downhole thermal protection of systems based on results obtained from the analysis of the electronics, heat sink, and dewar packaged in a steel tubular body are described. Results include heat flux at the tool surface, temperature-time histories of each subsystem and isotherm contour plots during the simulation. The analysis showed that the thermal potential between the electronics and the heat sink was in the wrong direction and also was too small to remove heat entering the electronics section. Also, the conductance of the available heat transfer paths from electronics to heat sink was too small to remove that heat efficiently. Significant improvements in survival at high temperatures were achieved by increasing the available thermal capacity of the heat sink, increasing the thermal potential between the heat sink and electronics, and vastly increasing the conductance of the heat transfer paths.

A method is reported here for the analysis of I-129 in decontaminated defense waste salt solution at concentrations as low as 0.14 pCi/ml. Repeated analyses have been unable to confirm the presence of I-129 in decontaminated samples of Tank 24 supernate.

The Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability (ARAC) project is a Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored real-time emergency response service available for use by both federal and state agencies in case of a potential or actual atmospheric release of nuclear material. The project, initiated in 1972, is currently evolving from the research and development phase to full operation. Plans are underway to expand the existing capability to continuous operation by 1984 and to establish a National ARAC Center (NARAC) by 1988. This report describes the ARAC system, its utilization during the past two years, and plans for its expansion during the next five to six years. An integral part of this expansion is due to a very important and crucial effort sponsored by the Defense Nuclear Agency to extend the ARAC service to approximately 45 Department of Defense (DOD) sites throughout the continental US over the next three years.

Photoelectron spectroscopy combined with tunable synchrotron radiation has been used to study the photoionization process in several atomic systems. The time structure of the synchrotron radiation source at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL) was used to record time-of-flight (TOF) photoelectron spectra of gaseous Cd, Hg, Ne, Ar, Ba, and Mn. The use of two TOF analyzers made possible the measurement of photoelectron angular distributions as well as branching ratios and partial cross sections.

Irradiated nuclear fuel has been handled under dry conditions since the early days of nuclear reactor operation, and use of dry storage facilities for extended management of irradiated fuel began in 1964. Irradiated fuel is currently being stored dry in four types of facilities: dry wells, vaults, silos, and metal casks. Essentially all types of irradiated nuclear fuel are currently stored under dry conditions. Gas-cooled reactor (GCR) and liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) fuels are stored in vaults and dry wells. Certain types of fuel are being stored in licensed dry storage facilities: Magnox fuel in vaults in the United Kingdom; organic-cooled reactor (OCR) fuel (clad with a zirconium alloy) in silos in Canada; and boiling water reactor (BWR) fuel (clad with Zircaloy) in a metal storage cask in Germany. Dry storage demonstrations are under way for Zircaloy-clad fuel from BWRs, pressurized heavy-water reactors (PHWRs), and pressurized water reactors (PWRs) in all four types of dry storage facilities. The demonstrations and related hot cell and laboratory tests are directed toward expanding the data base and establishing a licensing basis for dry storage of water reactor fuel. This report reviews the scope of dry interim storage technology, the performance of …

Coupled electron-photon transport calculations have been carried out to simulate the photon generation when a 5- or 50-MeV electron beam strikes a solid or gas target. Results indicate that a 5-MeV beam striking targets of tungsten wire, air, or air doped with Kr or Xe generates a photon spectrum sharply peaked in the forward direction and with approximately 1/E spectral intensity. At right angles to the beam the photon intensity is predominantly due to characteristic K x-rays. A 50-MeV beam striking the same targets generates substantially higher photon yield in the forward direction, but the yield normal to the beam is similar to that due to the 5-MeV beam. However, positron-electron annihilation radiation constitutes a significant part of the photon radiation normal to the beam, and is more intense than characteristic K x-rays when the target is more than about one-third of the electron range.

The CRAC2 computer code is a revision of the Calculation of Reactor Accident Consequences computer code, CRAC, developed for the Reactor Safety Study. The CRAC2 computer code incorporates significant modeling improvements in the areas of weather sequence sampling and emergency response, and refinements to the plume rise, atmospheric dispersion, and wet deposition models. New output capabilities have also been added. This guide is to facilitate the informed and intelligent use of CRAC2. It includes descriptions of the input data, the output results, the file structures, control information, and five sample problems.

This paper discusses and analyzes the major issues evolving from the changes in funding.

Results of an estimate of the waste management costs of the commercial high-level waste from a 3000 metric ton per year reprocessing plant show that the judicious use of the ceramic waste form can save about $2 billion during a 20-year operating campaign relative to the use of the glass waste form. This assumes PWR fuel is processed and the waste is encapsulated in 0.305-m-diam canisters with ultimate emplacement in a BWIP-type horizontal-borehole repository. The estimated total cost (capital and operating) of the management in the ceramic form is $2.0 billion, and that of the glass form is $4.0 billion. Waste loading and waste form density are the driving factors in that the low-waste loading (25%) and relatively low density (3.1 g/cm/sup 3/) characteristic of the glass form require several times as many canisters to handle a given waste throughput than is needed for the ceramic waste form whose waste loading capability exceeds 60% and whose waste density is nominally 5.2 g/cm/sup 3/) characteristic of the glass form requires several times as many canisters to handle a given waste throughput than is needed for the ceramic waste form whose waste loading capability exceeds 60% and whose waste density is nominally …

ASHRAE Standard 94-77, Method of Testing Thermal Storage Devices Based on Thermal Performance, was developed to allow manufacturers of thermal energy storage devices to compare their products in a meaningful way. When Standard 94-77 was used for thermal energy storage products based on latent heat storage, the Standard was found to be inadequate for comparison of these devices. Standard Project Committee SPC 94.1 was established to devise a Standard that would be adequate for comparing latent heat systems. The purpose of this report is to describe several alternatives to Standard 94-77 and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative. The discussion focuses on two proposed replacement standards and includes experimental results for each. The experimental results are from tests conducted on a PCM storage tank that uses sodium thiosulfate as the PCM and water as the heat transfer fluid. The experimental arrangement is discussed in detail.

Pending EPA regulations, establishing revised emission levels for industrial boilers are perceived to have an effect on the relative costs of steam production technologies. To aid in the comparison of competitive boiler technologies, the Steam Cost Code was developed which provides levelized steam costs reflecting the effects of a number of key steam cost parameters. The Steam Cost Code is a user interactive FORTRAN program designed to operate on a VAX computer system. The program requires the user to input a number of variables describing the design characteristics, capital costs, and operating conditions for a specific boiler system. Part of the input to the Steam Cost Code is the capital cost of the steam production system. The capital cost is obtained from a program called INDCEPT, developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory under Department of Energy, Morgantown Energy Technology Center sponsorship.

Mass spectrometry is a useful diagnostic technique for monitoring plasma species and plasma-surface interactions. In order to maximize the sensitivity of measurements of hydrogen-fueled fusion plasmas or hydrogen-based discharge cleaning and etching plasmas, the ion sources of mass spectrometers are operated at or near the high pressure limit of 10/sup -4/ Torr (10/sup -2/ Pa). Such high ambient pressures of hydrogen give rise to high background levels of residual gases such as H/sub 2/O, CO, and CH/sub 4/, due to surface reactions on the ion source electrodes. For a commonly used ion source configuration, the residual gas production is a linear function of the ambient H/sub 2/ pressure. Hydrogen conditioning can reduce the absolute residual gas levels. Steady-state residual gas production is observed in a conditioned ion source, which is related to a balance of diffusion and sorption on the electrode surfaces.

With the improved understanding of plasma physics, progress is being made on several approaches to magnetic confinement for controlled thermonuclear fusion.

A helium-jet system and the /sup 24/Mg(/sup 3/He,p4n)/sup 22/Al and /sup 28/Si(/sup 3/He,p4n)/sup 26/P reactions have been used to discover the only known odd-odd, T/sub Z/ = -2 nuclides, /sup 22/Al(t/sub 1/2/ approx. 70ms) and /sup 26/P(t/sub 1/2/ approx. 20 ms). Observations of beta-delayed protons from each isotope (laboratory energies 7.839 +- 0.015 MeV and 8.149 +- 0.021 MeV for /sup 22/Al and 7.269 +- 0.015 MeV and 6.827 +- 0.050 MeV for /sup 26/P) established the existence of these nuclides and provided a measurement of the mass excesses of the lowest T = 2 states in their beta decay daughters, /sup 22/Mg and /sup 26/Si (13.650 +- 0.015 MeV and 5.936 +- 0.015 MeV, respectively). Measurement of these masses confirmed that these T = 2 states were unbound to two-proton emission as had been predicted theoretically.

Magnetotelluric (MT) measurements in southwestern Utah have yielded a model of resistivity structure in this area to a depth of about 100 km. The MT observations are strongly affected by Great Basin graben sedimentary fill, which constitutes conductive upper-crustal lateral inhomogeneity and requires simulation using two- and three-dimensional modeling algorithms before deeper portions of the resistivity section can be resolved. Included in the model is a layer of low resistivity (20 ..cap omega..-m) residing from 35 to 65 km depth. Sensitivity tests of the data to the structure weigh strongly against the top of this layer being as shallow as 25 km and against the conductivity and thickness of the layer being highly correlated. No intra-crustal low-resistivity layer is indicated by the MT data.

An evaluation was made of the design and hydromechanical performance characteristics for three basic turbine types: axial flow (Jonval), inward radial flow (Francis) and crossflow (Banki). A single commercially available turbine representative of each type and within the appropriate power range (<5hp) was obtained for evaluation. Specific turbine selections were based on price, availability and suitability for operation at heads of 50 feet or less and flows under 2 cubic feet per second. In general, the peak operating efficiencies of each unit tended to be lower than anticipated, falling in the range of 40 to 50%. With sufficient flow, however, significant useful power outputs up to 3 hp were obtained. While the radial flow turbine (a centrifugal pump operated as a turbine) had the lowest initial unit cost, the axial and cross flow designs exhibited more stable operation, particularly under transient loadings. The crossflow turbine had the added advantage that it was essentially self-cleaning. With further developmental effort and appropriate design modifications it should be possible to bring each of these microhydro designs to their full performance potential.

Processes for vitrifying simulated high-level radioactive waste have been developed at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) over the last several years. Paralleling this effort, several feed systems used to deliver the simulated waste slurry to the melter have been tested. Because there had been little industrial experience in delivering abrasive slurries at feed rates of less than 10 L/min, early experience helped direct the design of more-dependable systems. Also, as feed delivery requirements changed, the feed system was modified to meet these new requirements. The various feed systems discussed in this document are part of this evolutionary process, so they have not been ranked against each other. The four slurry feed systems discussed are: (1) vertical-cantilevered centrifugal pump system; (2) airlift feed systems; (3) pressurized-loop systems; and (4) positive-displacement pump system. 20 figures, 11 tables.

The analysis of pressurized thermal shock (PTS) shows it is necessary for nondestructive evaluation to demonstrate high probability of detecting evaluation to demonstrate high probability of detecting cracks 0.250 inches deep and deeper at the clad/base metal interface. Ultrasonic techniques developed and used in Europe are evaluated in this paper for their applicability to US reactor pressure vessels for detecting cracks of interest for PTS. Flaw detectability experiments were carried out by testing the inspection technique's ability to detect artificial flaws under several types of clad, including some Manual Metal Arc (MMA) clad. Both ground and unground clad surfaces were evaluated. Crack sizing tests of the inspection technique were made using a crack tip diffraction technique.

This report summarizes work done to demonstrate the applicability of a stabilized zirconia pH sensor to high temperature measurements on brines containing as much as 20 weight percent NaCl and 100 ppM hydrogen sulfide. Throughout the program stable operation was achieved, and measured pH values were in good agreement with calculated values. Differences were generally less than 0.5 pH unit at 285/sup 0/C, and it is not yet certain whether the discrepancies are associated with the measured or calculated values of the pH. While some sensors failed through cracking or because of uperfected seals, no signs of chemical degradation of the ceramic were detected during tests at 285/sup 0/C covering a range of pH between 3 and 9. Two sensors were operated at 285/sup 0/C for periods of 11 days, and one was employed in successive tests for a total of 37 days. At the end of this period the sensor was still satisfactory, and it was forwarded to the sponsoring laboratory, PNL, for further tests. Although most of the work was performed at 285/sup 0/C a limited amount of testing was done at lower temperatures: 95, 150, and 225/sup 0/C. Sensors prepared from in-house tubes and from tubes obtained …

Coflexip (France) flexible drilling pipe can provide economies in drilling geothermal wells. However, the current liner materials cannot take the high temperatures (approx.250C) and pressures (approx.69 MPa). Development was undertaken to replace the liner with higher temperature materials and, thus increase the temperature capability of the flexible pipe. DuPont Teflon PFA 350, L'Garde EPDM Y267 and L'Garde AFLAS 291 were considered but they all require backing by a closely woven stainless steel fabric to prevent extrusion. A graphite-reinforced EPDM elastomer was developed which has the potential of meeting the pressure-temperature requirements without the metal fabric reinforcement.