Elbow assemblies and adjacent piping from the loops A and B core spray injection lines of Quad Cities Units 1 and 2 Boiling Water Reactors have been examined in order to determine the nature and causes of coolant leakages and flaw indications detected during hydrostatic tests and subsequent ultrasonic inspections. The elbow assemblies were found to contain multiple intergranular cracks in the weld heat-affected zones. The cracking was predominantly axial in orientation in the forged elbow and wedge components, whereas mixed axial and circumferential cracking was seen in the wrought piping pieces. In at least two instances, axial cracks completely penetrated the circumferential weld joining adjacent components. Based upon the observations made in the present study, the failures were attributed to intergranular stress corrosion cracking caused by the weld-induced sensitized microstructure and residual stresses present; dissolved oxygen in the reactor coolant apparently served as the corrosive species. The predominantly axial orientation of the cracks present in the forged components is believed to be related to the banded microstructure present in these components. The metallographic studies reported are supplemented by x-radiography, chemical analysis and mechanical test results, determinations of the degree of sensitization present, and measurements of weld metal delta ferrite …

In the process of learning how to write code for the Denelcor HEP, we have developed an approach that others may well find useful. We believe that the basic synchronization primitives of the HEP (i.e., asynchronous variables), along with the prototypical patterns for their use given in the HEP FORTRAN 77 User's Guide, form too low-level a conceptual basis for the formulation of multiprocessing algorithms. We advocate the use of monitors, which can be easily implemented using the HEP primitives. Attempts to solve substantial problems without introducing higher-level constructs such as monitors can produce code that is unreliable, unintelligible, and restricted to the specific dialect of FORTRAN currently supported on the HEP. Our experience leads us to believe that solutions which are both clear and efficient can be formulated using monitors.

In a previous paper, the advantages of using monitors when implementing multiprocessing algorithms for the Denelcor HEP were delineated. A detailed presentation is given here of how monitors can be implemented on the HEP using a simple macro processor. The thesis is developed that a small body of general-purpose monitors can be defined to handle most standard synchronization patterns. We include the macro packages required to implement some of the more common synchronization patterns, including the fairly complex logic discussed before. Code produced using these macro packages is portable from one multiprocessing environment to another. Indeed, by recoding the set of basic macros (about 100 lines of code for the Denelcor HEP), most programs that are now being written could be moved to any similar multiprocessing system.

Intergranular stress-corrosion crack (IGSCC) propagation rates were measured in three heats of sensitized Type 304 stainless steel (SS) as a function of sensitization in an environment of high-purity water with 8 ppm oxygen, using a fracture mechanics approach. Specimens were sensitized using controlled furnace heat treatments and the degree of sensitization was measured by the electrochemical potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) method. Active loading tests were performed on standard specimens over a range of intensities. Crack lengths were determined by compilance measurements using in-situ high-temperature clip gage or LVDT methods, optical metallography on the side faces of the specimen, and fractography of the cracked surface after completion of the tests. The optical metallography measurements did not provide useful estimates of crack lengths, because large variations in IGSCC propagation across the thickness of the specimens occurred. The effects of the degree of sensitization on the IGSCC propagation rate are obscured by the data scatter. However, it seems clear that these variables do not lead to order-of-magnitude changes in the crack propagation rate.

Annual report of the Argonne National Laboratory Radiological and Environmental Research Division regarding activities related to molecular physics and chemistry.

ANL/HTP is a computer code for the simulation of heat pipe operation, to predict heat pipe performance and temperature distributions during steady state operation. Source and sink temperatures and heat transfer coefficients can be set as input boundary conditions, and varied for parametric studies. Five code options are included to calculate performance for fixed operating conditions, or to vary any one of the four boundary conditions to determine the heat pipe limited performance. The performance limits included are viscous, sonic, entrainment capillary, and boiling, using the best available theories to model these effects. The code has built-in models for a number of wick configurations - open grooves, screen-covered grooves, screen-wrap, and arteries, with provision for expansion. The current version of the code includes the thermophysical properties of sodium as the working fluid in an expandable subroutine. The code-calculated performance agrees quite well with measured experiment data.

Waste forms of hydrogen-3, iodine-129, carbon-14, and krypton-85 separated from fuel reprocessing streams and procedures for managing them were analyzed regarding compliance with regulations. Transportation of these wastes in certain DOT-specification packagings would be permissible, but some of these packagings may not be acceptable in some disposal situations. Transportation of gaseous krypton-85 in a currently certified cylinder is possible, but a fuel reprocessor may wish to ship larger quantities per package. Disposal of tritium using a package designed by a DOE contractor and shallow land burial, in accord with the regulations of 10 CFR 61, seems practicable. Although 10 CFR 61 permits shallow land burial of iodine-129, the concentration limit requires distribution in a volume that may seem impractical to commercial fuel reprocessors. The concentration limit of 10 CFR 61 for shallow land burial of carbon-14 requires distribution in a lesser, although still large, volume. For both iodine-129 and carbon-14, management as high-level waste offers the advantage of smaller volumes. Similar advantages may be offered by greater confinement or non-near surface concepts for disposal. The concrete waste forms developed for these nuclides may not meet technical criteria being formulated for geologic disposal. The lack of accommodation of krypton-85 at disposal …

The report describes and demonstrates the performance of a modification to an earlier solution algorithm for the calculation of multidimensional fluid flow, heat transfer, and combustion processes. The modification significantly reduces the computer storage required by the earlier algorithm without degrading the rate of convergence. The modification called as telescoping subdomain analysis (TSDA) splits the flow domain into overlapping subregions and solves them in a sequence, with known conditions on the boundaries of the subregions. The procedure has been tested in four different two-dimensional recirculating flows and the convergence rates have been equivalent to the rates with full-domain analysis. The modification offers significant savings of computer storage and cost and permits calculations with larger finite-difference grids.

Three liquid-based solar heating systems employing different types of solar collectors were tested side by side near Chicago, Illinois for one year. The three different types of collectors were: (1) a flat plate collector with a black-chrome coated absorber plate and one low-iron glass cover; (2) an evacuated-tube compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) with a concentration ratio of 1.1, oriented with tubes and troughs along a north-south axis; and (3) an evacuated-tube CPC collector with a concentration ratio of 1.3 and one low-iron glass cover, with tubes and troughs oriented along an east-west axis. Results indicate that the flat plate collector system was the most efficient during warm weather, but the CPC systems were more efficient during cold weather, but the CPC systems were more efficient during cold weather, and the CPC systems operated under conditions too adverse for the flat plate collector. The computer simulation model ANSIM was validated by means of the side-by-side tests. The model uses analytical solutions to the storage energy balance. ANSIM is compared with the general simulation TRNSYS.

The TOEPLITZ package is a collection of Fortran subroutines for the numerical solution of systems of linear equations with coefficient matrices of Toeplitz or circulant form. This report provides a description of the algorithms and software in the package and includes program listings.

Quarterly report discussing fuel cell research and development work at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). This report describes efforts directed toward seeking alternative cathode materials to NiO for molten carbonate fuel cells.

Three series of tests are performed to evaluate the effects of tube to tube-support-plate (TSP) clearance on tube dynamic characteristics and instability phenomena for tube arrays in crossflow. Test results show that, for relatively large clearances, tubes may possess TSP-inactive modes in which the tubes rattle inside some of the tube-support-plate holes, and that the natural frequencies of TSP-inactive modes are lower than those of TSP-active modes, in which the support plates provide knife-edge type support. Tube response characteristics associated with TSP-inactive modes are sensitive to tube-to-TSP clearance, TSP thickness, excitation amplitude, tube alignment, and the fluid inside the clearance. In addition, tube response is intrinsically nonlinear, with the dominance of TSP-inactive or TSP-active modes depending on the magnitudes of different system parameters. In general, such a system is difficult to model; only a full-scale test can provide all the necessary characteristics. A tube array supported by TSPs with relatively large clearances may be subjected to dynamic instability in some of the TSP-inactive modes; tube response characteristics and impact forces on TSPs for a tube row are studied in detail in this report. Tube displacements associated with the instability of a TSP-inactive mode are small; however, impacts of the tube …

This report is concerned with eigenvalue problems of the form Au = lambda Tu, where A is a selfadjoint positive differential operator and T a selfadjoint indefinite multiplicative operator on a Hilbert space H. Three particular cases are discussed in detail. In the first case, A is positive definite and T is unitary; in the second case, A is positive definite and T is bounded, but T⁻¹ is unbounded; in the third case, A is positive, dim ker(A) = 1, and T is bounded, but T⁻¹is unbounded. Emphasis is on the full-range and half-range expansion properties of the eigenfunctions.

This report describes the work done on development of lithium/iron sulfide batteries at Argonne National Laboratory during FY 1982. The work at ANL has been concerned principally with the electrochemical and materials aspects of lithium-alloy negative electrodes and iron sulfide positive electrodes, materials research, cell design studies, and the testing and post-test examinations of cells fabricated by two industrial contractors--Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc. and Gould Inc.

Metallic corrosion is one of the major impediments to using the large amounts of heat available in flue and exhaust gases. Our approach is to develop plastic coatings to eliminate this corrosion problem and make this waste heat available economically. The advantages of plastics and their limitations in this application are discussed. Laboratory testing in an acid-condensing environment has been performed on numerous plastics and has identified several plastics with good potential as corrosion barriers. Polyphenylene sulfide, in particular, has resisted sulfuric acid attack for over 5000 hours and can be used at temperatures up to 300 C.

Working fluids used in Rankine bottoming cycle systems for heat recovery from long-haul trucks, marine vessels, and railroad locomotives are examined. Rankine bottoming cycle systems improve fuel economy by converting the exhaust heat from the prime mover into useful power. The report assesses fluid property requirements on the basis of previous experience with bottoming cycle systems. Also, the exhaust gas characteristics for the transportation modes of interest are summarized and compared. Candidate working fluids are discussed with respect to their potential for use in Rankine bottoming cycle systems. Analytical techniques are presented for calculating the thermodynamic properties of single-component working fluids. The resulting equations have been incorporated into a computer code for predicting the performance of Rankine bottoming cycle systems. In evaluating candidate working fluids, the code requires the user to input only a minimal amount of fluid property data.

Quarterly report discussing fuel cell research and development work at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). This report describes efforts directed toward (1) evaluating the dissolution of NiO cathodes in molten carbonate fuel cells and (2) seeking alternative cathode materials. Solubility data were taken for NiO in a cathode environment, and previously operated cells were examined for nickel transfer. A literature search was made for prospective alternative cathode materials, and synthesis of new materials was begun. Apparatus was assembled for conductivity measurements on cathode materials.

This report summarizes the information base that was collected and reviewed in preparation for carrying out an analysis of the compatibility with regulations of waste management technologies for disposal of Hydrogen-3, Iodine-129, Carbon-14, and Krypton-85. Based on the review of this literature, summaries are presented here of waste-form characteristics, packaging, transportation, and disposal methods. Also discussed are regulations that might apply to all operations involved in disposal of the four nuclides, including the processing of irradiated fuel in a fuel reprocessing plant, packaging, storage, transport, and final disposal. The compliance assessment derived from this information is reported in a separate document.

A fully coupled solution algorithm for pressure-linked fluid flow equations earlier found to be rapidly convergent in laminar flows has been extended to calculate turbulent flows. The governing mean flow equations are solved in conjunction with a two-equation (k - epsilon) turbulence model. A number of two-dimensional recirculating flows have been computed and it is shown that the calculation procedure is rapidly convergent in all the cases. The calculations have been compared with published experimental data; their agreement is in accord with other published experiences with the (k - epsilon) model in similar flows.

Quarterly report of the Argonne National Laboratory Chemical Engineering Division regarding activities related to properties and handling of radioactive materials, operation of nuclear reactors, and other relevant research.

A robust and efficient numerical scheme has been developed for the solution of the finite-differenced pressure linked fluid flow equations. The algorithm solves the set of nonlinear simultaneous equations by a combination of Newton's method and efficient sparse matrix techniques. In tests on typical recirculating flows the method is rapidly convergent. The method does not require any under-relaxation or other convergence-enhancing techniques employed in iterative schemes. It is currently described for two-dimensional steady state flows but is extendible to three dimensions and mildly time-varying flows. The method is robust to changes in Reynolds number, grid aspect ratio, and mesh size. This paper reports the algorithm and the results of calculations performed.

Several sections of Type 304 stainless steel head spray piping, 6.25 cm (2.5 in.) in diameter, from the Dresden Unit 2 Boiling Water Reactor were examined to determine the nature and causes of coolant leakages detected during hydrostatic tests. Extensive pitting was observed on the outside surface of the piping, and three cracks, all located at a helical stripe apparently rubbed onto the outer surface of the piping, were also noted. Metallographic examination revealed that the cracking had initiated at the outer surface of the pipe, and showed it to be transgranular and highly branched, characteristic of chloride stress corrosion cracking. The surface pitting also appeared to have been caused by chlorides. A scanning electron microprobe x-ray analysis of the corrosion product in the cracks confirmed the presence of chlorides and also indicated the presence of calcium.

Fluid damping plays an important role for structures submerged in fluid, subjected to flow, or conveying fluid. This design guide presents a summary of calculational procedures and design data for fluid damping for circular cylinders vibrating in quiescent fluid, crossflow, and parallel flow.

This report summarizes the work completed on a project concerned with engineering models in dynamic plasticity. The concept of the endochronic theory of viscoplasticity and its subsequent improvement are discussed briefly. Applications and extensions of the theory to various dynamic problems are presented. In particular, the strain-rate effect in the improved endochronic theory and its application to wave propagation problems are discussed. Comparing the numerical results with other calculations and experimental data, it appears that endochronic theory provides a promising representation of realistic material behavior. At the same time endochronic theory is often numerically more efficient than other formulations.