A study of advancements in power plant designs for use at geothermal resources in the low to moderate (300 to 400F) temperature range is reported. In 3 case studies, the benefits of R and D to achieve these advancements are evaluated in terms of expected increases in installed geothermal generating capacity over the next 2 decades. A parametric sensitivity study is discussed which analyzes differential power development for combinations of power plant efficiency and capitol cost. Affordable tradeoffs between plant performance and capital costs are illustrated. The independent review and analysis of the expected costs of construction, operation and maintenance of the Heber Binary Cycle Geothermal Power Demonstration Plant are described. Included in this assessment is an analysis of each of the major cost components of the project, including (1) construction cost, (2) well field development costs, (3) fluid purchase costs, and (4) well field and power plant operation and maintenance costs. The total cost of power generated from the Heber Plant (in terms of mills per kWh) is then compared to the cost of power from alternative fossil-fueled base load units. Also evaluated are the provisions of both: (a) the Cooperative Agreement between the federal government and San Diego …

The goal of the State Coupled Resource Assessment Program is to identify and evaluate geothermal resources in the state, particularly low-temperature potential. Eight tasks were identified and documented in this report as follows: bottom-hole temperature survey, heat flow and temperature gradient survey, data translation studies, gravity data, substate regions, information dissemination, state geothermal map, and reports. The project had three major products: (1) a map, Geothermal Resources of Nebraska; (2) a significant amount of thermal data collected and documented within the state; and (3) a series of publications, presentations and meetings (documented as an Appendix).

The goal of the State Coupled Resource Assessment Program is to identify and evaluate geothermal resources in the state, particularly low-temperature potential. Eight tasks were identified and documented in this report as follows: (1) Bottom-hole Temperature Survey; (2) Heat Flow and Temperature Gradient Survey; (3) Data Translation studies; (4) Gravity Data; (5) Substate Regions; (6) Information Dissemination; (7) State Geothermal Map; (8) Reports. The project had three major products: (1) a map ''Geothermal Resources of Nebraska''; (2) a significant amount of thermal data collected and documented within the state; and (3) a series of publications, presentations and meetings.

This report examines the changes that have occurred in the past twelve months in the conduct of monetary and credit policies by the federal reserve and in the performance of the interest rates.

As part of Rockwell's effort on the SP-100 Program, preliminary assessment has been completed of current nuclear technology as it relates to candidate reactor/shield subsystems for the SP-100 Program. The scope of the assessment was confined to the nuclear package (to the reactor and shield subsystems). The nine generic reactor subsystems presented in Rockwell's Subsystem Technology Assessment Report, ESG-DOE-13398, were addressed for the assessment.

This report presents cost and schedule estimates of the technology development for reactor and shielding subsystems of a 100-kWe class space reactor electric system. The subsystems technology development (which includes reactor and shield subsystems ground testing) is supported by materials and processes development and component development. For the purpose of the cost estimate, seven generic types of reactor subsystems were used: uranium-zirconium hydride, NaK-cooled thermal reactor; lithium-cooled, refractory-clad fast reactor; Na- or K-cooled fast reactor; in-core thermionic reactor; inert gas-cooled particle fuel reactor; inert gas-cooled metal-clad fast reactor; and heat pipe-cooled fast reactor. Also three levels of technology were included for each of the generic types of reactor subsystem: current, improved, and advanced. The data in this report encompass all these technology levels. The shielding subsystem uses both gamma (heavy-metal) and neutron (hydrogenous material) shields. The shields considered in this report would be used in conjunction with unmanned payloads.

Nova and Novette are large complex experimental laser facilities which require extensive and sophisticated control systems for their successful operation. Often, in major controls projects, certain invisible aspects of the project, such as overall strategy, management, resources and historical constraints, have a more profound effect upon success than any specific hardware/software design. The design and performance of the Nova/Novette laser control system will be presented with special emphasis upon these often controversial aspects.

The role of Kirkpatrick-Baez microscopes as the workhorse of the x-ray imaging devices is discussed. This role is being extended with the development of a 22X magnification Kirkpatrick-Baez x-ray microscope with multilayer x-ray mirrors. These mirrors can operate at large angles, high x-ray energies, and have a narrow, well defined x-ray energy bandpass. This will make them useful for numerous experiments. However, where a large solid angle is needed, the Woelter microscope will still be necessary and the technology needed to build them will be useful for many other types of x-ray optics.

Recent changes in the Nation's tax laws have made Individual Retirement Accounts available to many people previously excluded. This report provides general information on IRAs including material explaining these recent changes and their consequences.

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Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Jim Mattox, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether certain school funds may be deposited in credit unions

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.

The Department of Energy has requested SRL assistance in developing offsite Emergency Planning Zones (EPZs) for the Savannah River Plant, based on projected dose consequences of atmospheric releases of radioactivity from potential credible accidents in the SRP operating areas. This memorandum presents the assessment of the offsite doses via the plume exposure pathway from the 300-Area potential accidents. 8 refs., 3 tabs.

Some flow-cytometric and image analysis procedures under development for quantitative analysis of sperm morphology are reviewed. The results of flow-cytometric DNA-content measurements on sperm from radiation exposed mice are also summarized, the results related to the available cytological information, and their potential dosimetric sensitivity discussed. (ACR)

The long term survivability and usefulness of the melter surface viewing borescopes would be greatly increased if a method of remote lense cleaning was available. The two units to be installed on the DWPF melter will incorporate air cooling and lense purging into their design. At present a single air supply line would serve both needs. Separating the two air services will allow the introduction of water or steam into the purge service. Tests on the prototype borescope at ETF have shown this to be an extremely effective way of cleaning the lense of occasional deposits or splatter. It is recommended that this change be incorporated into the DWPF design.

Soft x-ray streak cameras are used in conjunction with several instruments for the diagnostic of laser irradiated targets. A program was undertaken to develop cameras satisfying the requirements of the laser facility, to improve the reliability and performance of the camera and to reduce the level of effort required to set and operate each diagnostic. The implemented soft x-ray streak cameras can be operated either manually or automatically.

Measurements of the normalized emittance of the beam produced by the Advanced Test Accelerator (ATA) injector yielded values near 0.4 Radian-Centimeters at currents up to 10 kAmps. The instrument was also used to obtain beam-current-density profiles in two dimensions at the entrance mask of the instrument.

The results of a two-dimensional simulation of a high-gain free electron laser (FEL) amplifier is presented. The simulation solves the inhomogeneous paraxial wave equation. The source term is radially resolved and is obtained by tracking the interaction of the laser field with localized macroparticles.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Jim Mattox, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether Pacifica Foundation Radio Station is entitled to ad valorem tax exemption for its personal property

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.

The W-2 SLSF (Sodium Loop Safety Facility) experiment was an instrumented in-reactor test performed to characterize the failure response of full-length, preconditioned LMFBR prototypic fuel pins to slow transient overpower (TOP) conditions. Although the test results were expected to confirm analytical predictions of upper level failure and fuel expulsion, an axial midplane failure was experienced. Extensive post-test analyses were conducted to understand all of the unexpected behavior in the experiment. (1) The initial post-test effort focused on the temperature oscillations recorded by the 54 thermocouples used in the experiment. In order to synthesize the extensive data records and identify patterns of behavior in the data records, a computer-generated film was used to present the temperature data recorded during the experiment.

The economic future of methanol is reviewed in light of its potential uses as a substitute for traditional hydrocarbon fuels and feedstocks as well as some evolving new uses. Methanol's future market position will depend strongly on its production cost in comparison with competitive products. One promising way to reduce the production cost is by use of an improved catalyst in the process by which methanol is obtained from the feedstock - which can be either natural gas or a similar product such as synthesis gas from coal gasification. To estimate the potential cost savings with an improved catalyst, we have based our analysis on a recent study which assumed use of synthesis gas from underground coal gasification as a feedstock for making methanol. The improved catalyst we studied was an actinide oxide whose features include high tolerance to sulfur and heat, and a yield of about 4 mol% methanol per pass with a 2/1 mixture of H/sub 2//CO. We calculated the effect of this catalyst on methanol production costs in a 12,000-bbl/day plant. The result was a saving of from 1 cent to 2.5 cent per gallon on the total methanol synthesis cost of 23 cents per gallon (i.e., …

Fuel aging studies were performed on the fuel form (plutonium-238 dioxide and yttrium) used in the Milliwatt Generator Radioisotopic Heat Source to determine the possibility of fuel degradation and of the resultant generation of respirable fines. In addition to long-term thermal aging of the fuel, evaluations included the effects of thermal ramping of the aged fuel to 1000/sup 0/C and of impacting thermally hot (450/sup 0/C) heat sources at 150 m/sec after thermal aging.