The BEACON process involves the catalytic deposition of a highly reactive form of carbon from a gas stream which contains carbon monoxide. The carbon-depleted gas is combusted with air to produce power, and the carbon is reacted with steam to produce methane or hydrogen. Experiments were continued this quarter with the objective of improving the carbon deposition efficiency using a Paraho retort off-gas mixture. Analysis has shown that the use of the Paraho off-gas to make hydrogen would be attractive if the ratio of the heat content of the feedgas to the heat content of the hydrogen produced is less than 3. Experimental conditions to achieve this ratio have been established. Recent work had shown that the volume of a BEACON supported catalyst bed increased with an increase in carbon loading level. Four series of experiments were performed where sieve analyses were made after one or more BEACON process cycles. These tests showed that the volume expansion is due to an increase in the number and size of the larger catalyst particles. The bench-scale testing of unsupported catalysts concentrated in two areas: (a) the completion of batch testing in the 4-inch reactor, and (b) the construction of the Tandem Reactor …

ICRC has reviewed and updated its List of critical technology. The List comprises all proposed SRC-I Demonstration Plant equipment whose use has been determined to involve some degree of potential safety, performance, or environmental risk. ICRC has subjected equipment on the Critical Technology c to special technical review to ensure the highest possible level of quality and lowest cost commensurate with acceptable overall risks. Equipment or equipment systems still considered to be high risk are the following: Coal Slurry/Hot Oil Heat Exchangers, Coal Slurry Heaters, Second-Stage Feed Heaters, Vacuum Tower Heater, Vacuum Column, SRC/Light SRC Stripper - CSD, Severe Service Valves, Wastewater Reuse System, and the Solid Waste Disposal System. Equipment systems or pieces of equipment that have been downgraded to a lower risk category are the following: Coal Weigh-Feed System, Coal Slurry Dissolvers, Coal Dissolver Effluent Separator, and LC-Fining Reactors. Finally, ICRC has determined that many types of equipment are no longer Critical Technology, and has therefore removed them from the List.

This revised grant application manual describes the kinds of activities eligible for geothermal grants, who may apply, and how to apply. It also describes the criteria and procedures the California Energy Commission will use in selecting proposals for grant awards.

The Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF-B) now under construction at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory represents more than an order-of-magnitude step from earlier magnetic-mirror experiments toward a future mirror fusion reactor. In fact, when the device begins operating in 1986, the Lawson criteria of ntau = 10/sup 14/ cm/sup -3/.s will almost be achieved for D-T equivalent operation, thus signifying scientific breakeven. Major steps have been taken to develop MFTF-B technologies for tandem mirrors. Steady-state, high-field, superconducting magnets at reactor-revelant scales are used in the machine. The 30-s beam pulses, ECRH, and ICRH will also introduce steady-state technologies in those systems.

When a small generator is connected to the distribution system, the voltage at the point of interconnection is determined largely by the system and not the generator. This report examines the effect on the generator, on the load voltage and on the distribution system of a number of different voltage control strategies in the generator. Synchronous generators with three kinds of exciter control are considered, as well as induction generators and dc/ac inverters, with and without capacitor compensation. The effect of varying input power during operation (which may be experienced by generators based on renewable resources) is explored, as well as the effect of connecting and disconnecting the generator at ten percent of its rated power.

Progress is reported on the development of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) systems that will provide synthetic fuels (e.g., methanol), energy-intensive products such as ammonia (for fertilizers and chemicals), and aluminum. The work also includes assessment and design concepts for hybrid plants, such as geothermal-OTEC (GEOTEC) plants. Another effort that began in the spring of 1982 is a technical advisory role to DOE with respect to their management of the conceptual and preliminary design activity of industry teams that are designing a shelf-mounted offshore OTEC pilot plant that could deliver power to Oahu, Hawaii. In addition, a program is underway to evaluate and test the Pneumatic Wave-Energy Conversion System (PWECS), an ocean-energy device consisting of a turbine that is air-driven as a result of wave action in a chamber. This Quarterly Report summarizes the work on the various tasks as of 31 March 1983.

The present paper describes a verification of CONVEC2 for single-zone geometries by comparison with the results of two natural convection experiments performed in small-scale rectangular enclosures. These experiments were selected because of the high Rayleigh numbers obtained and the small heat loss through the insulated surfaces. Comparisons are presented for (1) heat transfer rates, (2) fluid temperature profiles, and (3) surface heat flux distributions.

This monthly report for /sup 238/Pu Fuel Form Activities has two main sections: SRP-PuFF facility and SRL Fuel Form Activities. The program status, budget information, and milestone schedules are discussed in each main section. The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) for this program is shown. Only one monthly report per year is processed for EDB.

The physics of deep inelastic heavy ion collisions is briefly reviewed in the light of the experimental capabilities offered by large Tandem Accelerators. Three aspects are selected for illustration. The first is the problem posed by the angular distributions. The role of quantal fluctuations (diffraction) and of dynamical fluctuations is discussed. The possibility of extracting angular momentum fluctuations from the angular distribution width is pointed out, as well as the way to compare such results with those obtained from gamma-ray multiplicities or angular distributions. The likely sources of angular momentum fluctuations are discussed. The second problem is that of energy dissipation and partition. The experimental evidence from thermal equilibrium is reviewed and experiments to test thermal equilibrium through the measurement of the variance in the energy distribution are suggested. The correlation between energy loss and the mass variance is reviewed in terms of the mass transfer mechanism. Possible ways to determine the mass of the transferred particle are illustrated. The third problem considered is the experimental lack of mass drift in the mass distributions vs Q-value when it is expected on the basis of potential energy considerations. This problem is associated with the fast fragment thermalization and explained in terms …

The tunnel in this model of construction is 3-1/2 feet wide by 5 feet high. It is assumed that the tunnel contains a rail system and guidance system for: (1) An enclosed car used for transport of 2 people and some tools. (2) A magnet mover. This robot could pick up a magnet and transport it at about 10 miles per hour. (3) An alignment robot. The alignment robot would intercept E.M. waves (microwaves, lasers) to determine its position in the tunnel. Then workers could come along inside the tunnel hoop and nail it together and to the floor. The trench would then be back-filled with a 1 foot berm on top. A rail system would be installed and a support stand for the magnet.

Iron dominated magnets are characterized in the limit of infinite permeability by a pole shape that is a magnetic equipotential. Deviations from this ideal because of finite permeability are associated with differences in path length, local saturation, flux concentration in slotted pole if crenellation is used, and sub surface voids. For moderate field levels the variation in flux path length throughout the iron lowers the magnetic potential on the iron surface more for the longer paths. As the excitation increases the permeability is lowered in regions of high flux density. Crenellation in this region offers some degree of control over the permeability by concentrating the flux. To a lesser degree sub surface voids can be used to control the reluctance of a flux path. The net result suggests that the shape of the effective air gap can be adjusted to be a magnetic equipotential sensibly equivalent to the ideal pole shape for infinite permeability.

The systems engineering and analysis (SEA) computer program (code) evaluates complete horizontal-axis SWECS performance. Rotor power output as a function of wind speed and energy production at various wind regions are predicted by the code. Efficiencies of components such as gearbox, electric generators, rectifiers, electronic inverters, and batteries can be included in the evaluation process to reflect the complete system performance. Parametric studies can be carried out for blade design characteristics such as airfoil series, taper rate, twist degrees and pitch setting; and for geometry such as rotor radius, hub radius, number of blades, coning angle, rotor rpm, etc. Design tradeoffs can also be performed to optimize system configurations for constant rpm, constant tip speed ratio and rpm-specific rotors. SWECS energy supply as compared to the load demand for each hour of the day and during each session of the year can be assessed by the code if the diurnal wind and load distributions are known. Also available during each run of the code is blade aerodynamic loading information.

The goal of this project was to construct a low-technology, maintenance-free dc electrical generator suited for use with low-speed rotating machines such as windmills or waterwheels. The generator consists of permanent magnets affixed to the circumference of the rotating device, and stationary coils mounted on a semicircular frame. As the device rotates, the magnets move past the coils and magnetically induce an ac voltage in the coils. This voltage is rectified and stored in a battery. No gears, belts, or brushes are used, so the generator operates quietly and without maintenance. The purpose of mounting the magnets at the circumference of the rotating device is to achieve high relative velocities between magnets and coils even at slow rotations, in the hope of extracting energy from very light winds or slowly flowing water. Such a generator was constructed as part of a ten-foot-diameter windmill to test the concept. The generator easily reaches charging voltages at low speeds, and operates quietly without mechanical wear. But the charging current is very low in comparison to a wind turbine of conventional design. The experiment allows fundamental design problems to be identified.

The project was designed to take 95/sup 0/F water from an existing well and process it through a heat exchanger carrying supply water for our boiler make up and domestic hot water systems. The temperature of this water runs from 55/sup 0/F to 65/sup 0/F. In operation it was possible to raise the temperature of this water an average of approximately 12/sup 0/F. The amount of energy captured was recorded and it was found that one can capture approximately 199 x 10/sup 6/ Btu/Mo. Using current energy costs and a boiler efficiency factor of .8 a potential annual savings of approximately $11,104/year was calculated. The total cost of the project was $31,893.68. Using these figures a simple pay back period of 2.9 years was calculated.

The Utility Task Force report found that there is a wide range of possible alternatives for funding a portion of the CRBRP costs which could reduce Federal outlay requirements and attract significant private sector participation. These alternatives range from off-budget Federal guaranteed project financing, to traditional financing of the market value of the plant. The Task Force report considers the family of concepts that are based on seeking private investment commensurate with the market value of the CRBRP as the most viable alternative funding approach although it may be necessary to augment this concept with others of the discussed alternatives depending on the amount of private funding required.

In the First Quarter of 1983, the number of signed contracts and committed projects rose from 204 to 224, with a total estimated nominal capacity of these projects of 1,246 MW. Of this nominal capacity, about 259 MW is operational, and the balance is under contract for development. Of the 224 signed contracts and committed projects, 70 were cogeneration and solid waste/biomass projects with a potential of 687 MW. PG and E also had under active discussion 30 cogeneration projects that could generate a total of 744 MW to 821 MW, and 12 solid waste/biomass projects with a potential of 118 MW to 126 MW. Two contracts have been signed with geothermal projects, capable of producing 83 MW. There are 6 solar projects with signed contracts and a potential of 36 MW, as well as another solar project under active discussion for 30 MW. Wind farm projects under contract number 17, with a generating capability of 330 MW. Also, discussions are being conducted with 9 wind farm projects, totaling 184 to 189 MW. There are 89 wind projects of 100 kW or less with signed contracts and a potential of almost 1 MW, as well as 9 other projects under …

Many impurity atoms sputtered from a limiter or divertor plate are ionized in the scrapeoff zone and return to the sputtering surface bacause of friction with incoming plasma ions. The final charge state attained by such impurities has been calculated for a variety of plasma edge conditions. The surface materials considered are tungsten, beryllium, beryllium oxide, and carbon. Estimates of the successive ionization cross sections for tungsten are developed. In all cases examined, returning impurity ions are found to be multiply ionized. This implies a significant energy gain in the sheath region, with important implications for self-sputtering of redeposited surface material.

Results of a study on the geometry of an FED-A Neutral Beam Injector beamline duct shield are presented. Also included is a calculation of dose rates, as a function of time, from an activated NBI. The shielding investigations consisted of varying the parameters of the geometry and transporting particles through it using the MCNP Monte-Carlo code. The dose rates were calculated by the ACDOS3 code using realistic MCNP results. A final-to-incident flux ratio of 6.5 x 10/sup -7/ can be achieved through the use of a 65.5 cm reentry duct. This is for a realistic source and pure water shielding material. The activated NBI produced a dose rate of 15.9 mrem/hr two and a half days after shutdown of the reactor.

Self-consistent thermodynamic data have been tabulated for uranium fluorides between UF/sub 4/ and UF/sub 6/, including UF/sub 4/ (solid and gas), U/sub 4/F/sub 17/ (solid), U/sub 2/F/sub 9/ (solid), UF/sub 5/ (solid and gas), U/sub 2/F/sub 10/ (gas), and UF/sub 6/ (solid, liquid, and gas). Included are thermal function - the heat capacity, enthalpy, and free energy function, heats of formation, and vaporization behavior.

Progress in a two year study of a 1200 MWe commercial tandem mirror reactor (MARS - Mirror Advanced Reactor Study) has reached the point where major reactor system technologies are identified. New design features of the magnets, blankets, plug heating systems and direct converter are described. With the innovation of radial drift pumping to maintain low plug density, reactor recirculating power fraction is reduced to 20%. Dominance of radial ion and impurity losses into the halo permits gridless, circular direct converters to be dramatically reduced in size. Comparisons of MARS with the Starfire tokamak design are made.

The small apertures common in many RFQ linac designs lead to tuning difficulties, primarily because asymmetries in the quadrant fields can arise as a result of small non-uniformities in the vane-to-vane capacitances. Sensitivity to such capacitance or other tuning variation in the quadrants is greatly reduced by the introduction of pairs of vane-coupling rings that provide periodic electrical connections between diametrically opposite vanes. Results of measurements on a cold model RFQ structure with and without vane-coupling rings are presented. The number of rings required for field stabilization and the effect of rings on mode frequencies are discussed.

The Fermilab Energy Saver/Doubler (Tevatron) accelerator contains 216 superconducting quadrupole magnets. Before installation in the Tevatron ring, these magnets plus an additional number of spares were extensively tested at the Fermilab Magnet Test Facility (MTF). Details on the results of the tests are presented here.

We present a finite difference method for the numerical simulation of the axisymmetric countercurrent flow in a gas centrifuge. A time-marching technique is used to relax an arbitrary initial condition to the desired steady-state solution. All boundary layers can be resolved, and nonlinear effects may be included. Numerical examples are presented. We conclude that this technique is capable of predicting accurately the performance of a wide variety of machines under all operating conditions of interest.

This report documents the subsystem technology assessment. For the purpose of this report, five subsystems were defined for a space reactor electric system, and the report is organized around these subsystems: reactor; shielding; primary heat transport; power conversion and processing; and heat rejection. The purpose of the assessment was to determine the current technology status and the technology potentials for different types of the five subsystems. The cost and schedule needed to develop these potentials were estimated, and sets of development-compatible subsystems were identified.