This paper surveys work recently done at Argonne National Laboratory in an attempt to discover ways to construct numerical software for high-performance computers. The numerical algorithms are taken from several areas of numerical linear algebra. Discussion of certain architectural features of advanced-computer architectures that will affect the design of algorithms. The technique of restructuring algorithms in terms of certain modules is reviewed. This technique has proved successful in obtaining a high level of transportability without severe loss of performance on a wide variety of both vector and parallel computers.

Performance of improved Ni/Fe electric vehicle batteries was measured at ambient temperatures of 0, 25, and 50 C for a range of overcharge levels, open-circuit stand times, and charge and discharge rates. Tests in which charges and discharges were performed at different battery operating temperatures showed that the discharge capacity of a Ni/Fe battery is directly related to its operating temperature, but its charge acceptance is decreased at 0 and 50 C by approx. 6% from that obtained at 25 C. The decline in battery efficiency at high temperatures is the result of increased self-discharge losses. In the first 0.5 h after charge, the Ah self-discharge loss at 50 C is twice (6%) that at 0 and 25 C (approx. 3%), corresponding to an increase in initial self-discharge rate from approx. 8 to 16 A. The increased self-discharge rate apparently occurs during the latter part of charging and, thereby, causes the 6% decline in charge acceptance. A decrease in battery efficiency also resulted at 50 C (6% coulombic and 4% energy efficiency loss) when the charge current was reduced from the 3-h to the 6-h rate. In comparison, low temperatures impact battery internal resistance and IR-free voltage more than high …

This paper describes an alternative library of elementary functions prepared for use with the standard Fortran compiler under 4.2 BSD UNIX on a VAX 11/780. The library, written in C and based on the book ''Software Manual for the Elementary Functions'' by Cody and Waite, offers improved accuracy over the standard system library, as well as additional capabilities. Listings and output from the ELEFUNT suite of test programs are included in the appendix.

Variations in the design of a specific slip joint separating two cantilevered, telescoping tubes conveying water were studied to determine their effect upon the leakage flow-induced vibration self-excitation mechanism known to exist for the original slip joint geometry. The important parameters controlling the self-excitation mechanism were identified, which, along with previous results, allowed the determination of a comprehensive set of design rules to avoid unstable vibrations. This was possible even though a new self-excitation mechanism was found when the engagement of the two tubes was small.

Report on research and development of the lead-acid battery for electric vehicle propulsion, focusing on continuing development on the forced electrolyte flow-through concept with some work on the composite, plastic/lead grid.

Report on the environmental impact of Argonne National Laboratory.

Highlights of the Chemical Technology (CMT) Division's activities during 1985 are presented. In this period, CMT conducted research and development in areas that include advanced batteries--mainly lithium-alloy/metal sulfide and sodium/sulfur, advanced fuel cells with molten carbonate or solid oxide electrolytes, corrosion-protective coatings for high-strength steel, coal utilization, including the heat and seed recovery technology for coal-fired magnetohydrodynamics plants and the technology for fluidized-bed combustion, methodologies for recovery of energy from municipal waste nuclear technology related to waste management, the recovery processes for discharged fuel and the uranium blanket in a sodium-cooled fast reactor, and proof of breeding in a light water breeder reactor, and physical chemistry of selected materials in environments simulating those of fission and fusion energy systems.

Report on technical progress in the various research and assessment activities of Argonne National Laboratory.

Heat transfer in evacuated-tube solar collectors with heat-pipe absorbers is compared with that for similar collectors with flow-through absorbers. In systems that produce hot water or other heated fluids, the heat-pipe absorber suffers a heat transfer penalty compared with the flow-through absorber, but in many cases the penalty can be minimized by proper design at the heat-pipe condenser and system manifold. The heat transfer penalty decreases with decreasing collector heat loss coefficient, suggesting that evacuated tubes with optical concentration are more appropriate for use with heat pipes than evacuated or non-evacuated flat-plate collectors. When the solar collector is used to drive an absorption chiller, the heat-pipe absorber has better heat transfer characteristics than the flow-through absorbers.

This report documents the design considerations and test results of two heat extraction systems for the ANL Research Salt Gradient Solar Pond (RSGSP). Since operation began in November 1980, the RSGSP has been used to study a wide variety of solar pond phenomena, and the behavior of the RSGSP without heat extraction has been well characterized. Heat extraction equipment was installed in the spring of 1984, with heat extraction experiments conducted the following summer and fall and in the fall of 1985. The experiments simulated the use of the solar pond for grain drying. The effects of both heat extraction methods on the stability of the salt gradient are investigated.

An experimental study is reported to investigate the jump phenomenon in critical flow velocities for tube rows with different pitch-to-diameter ratios and the excited and intrinsic instabilities for a tube row with a pitch-to-diameter ratio of 1.75. The experimental data provide additional insights into the instability phenomena of tube arrays in crossflow.

Report of various activities in Argonne National Laboratory Physics Division including medium-energy physics research, research at ATLAS, theoretical nuclear physics, superconducting LINAC development, and accelerator operations.

The conditions are given for which the more flexible of two cantilevered, telescoping tubes conveying fluid can be self-excited by flow leaking from an un-constricted slip joint. Also, a physical explanation of the excitation mechanism is discussed, and a design rule to avoid the mechanism is presented. In addition, the results for the un-constricted slip joint are shown to be similar to those for slip joints having annulus constrictions at very short engagement lengths.

Results of environmental monitoring program conducted at Palos Park.

This report discusses research activities and operations of the Advanced Computing Research Facility (ACRF) at Argonne National Laboratory from January 1985 through June 1986. During this period, the Mathematics and Computer Science Division (MCS) at Argonne received incremental funding from the Applied Mathematical Sciences program of the DOE Office of Energy Research to operate computers with innovative designs that promise to be useful for advanced scientific research. Over a five-month period, four new commercial multiprocessors (an Encore Multimax, a Sequent Balance 21000, an Aliant FX/8, and an Intel iPSC/d5) were installed in the ACRF, creating a new wave of research projects concerning computer systems with parallel and vector architectures. A list of projects, publications, and users supported by the ACRF is included.

This report reviews the research activities in the Mathematics and Computer Science Division at Argonne National Laboratory for the period April, 1985 through June 30, 1986. The body of the report gives a brief look at the MCS staff and the research facilities, and discusses various projects carried out in four major areas of research: advanced computing, applied analysis, computational mathematics, and software methodology. Information on division staff, visitors, workshops, and seminars is found in the appendixes.

SARA is a rewriting system where the rewrite rules are heads of Horn clauses. Thus an expression is rewritten only when the conjunction of goals in the body of the Horn clause is true. The system has a model of rewriting as construction of a linked graph with expressions annotating nodes and rewritings annotating arcs. Cycles in the graph are recognized and may be specially processed by the user. The default is to use an alternative rewriting rule to break out of this cycle.

Investigation of the volcanic tuff beds of Yucca Mountain Nevada, as a potential site for a high-level waste repository is a function of the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI). A series of tests with SRL 165 type glass was performed to determine whether the NNWSI Unsaturated Test could be used to produce data that would be useful in assessing waste form performance under unsaturated conditions anticipated for the NNWSI repository site.

The influence of gamma irradiation on the reaction of actinide-doped borosilicate glass (SRL 165) in a saturated tuff environment has been studied in a series of tests lasting up to 56 days. The following conclusions were reached. The reaction of, and subsequent actinide release from, the glass depends on the dynamic interaction between radiolysis effects, which cause the solution pH to become more acidic; glass reaction, which drives the pH more basic; and test component interactions that may extract glass components from solution. The use of large gamma irradiation dose rates to accelerate reactions that may occur in an actual repository radiation field may affect this dynamic balance by unduly influencing the mechanism of the glass-water reaction. Comparisons between the present results and data obtained by reacting similar glasses using MCC-1 and NNWSI rock cup procedures indicate that the irradiation conditions used in the present experiments do not dramatically influence the reaction rate of the glass.

The performance of programs executing on vector computers is significantly improved when the number of accesses to memory can be reduced. Unrolling Fortran DO loops, followed by substitutions and eliminations in the unrolled code, can reduce the number of loads and stores. The unrolling transformation and associated transformations of Fortran DO loops are characterized, and a set of software tools to carry out these transformations is described. The tools use the machinery available in Toolpack and have been integrated into that environment. The results of applying these tools to a collection of linear algebra subroutines are included.

Proper charging is essential to achieve maximum performance and life of lead-acid batteries. Excessive overcharging gives rise to increased battery temperature, gassing rates, electrolyte maintenance, and component corrosion, whereas repeated undercharging causes a gradual decrease in battery capacity, which often becomes irreversible. To develop an optimal charge procedure, the relation between battery available capacity, applied overcharge, and the depth-of-discharge (DOD) level prior to charging needed to be established.

Report issued by the U.S. Bureau of Mines discussing mineral development potentials of Central Alaska. Investigations on location, geology, and sampling methods are presented. This report includes maps, tables, illustrations, and photographs.

Report issued by the U.S. Bureau of Mines discussing comparisons between company camps and company towns in Alaska's mineral properties. The cost differences between operating towns, camps, and commuting options are presented. This report includes maps, tables, and illustrations.

"In recent years, the increasing sophistication of transmission electron microscope (TEM) studies of materials has necessitated more exacting methods of specimen preparation. The present report describes improved equipment and techniques for electropolishing and chemically polishing a wide variety of specimens. Many of the specimens used in developing or improving the techniques to be described were irradiated with heavy ions such as nickel or vanadium to study radiation damage. The high cost of these specimens increased the need for reproducible methods of initial preparation postirradiation processing, and final thinning for TEM examination. A technique was also developed to salvage specimens that had previously been thinned but were unusable for various reasons. Jet polishing is, in general, the method of choice for surface polishing, sectioning, and thinning. The older beaker electropolishing method is included in this report because it is inexpensive and simple, and gives some insight into how the more recent methods were developed"--NTIS abstract.