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Development of mixed-conducting ceramics for gas separation applications. (open access)

Development of mixed-conducting ceramics for gas separation applications.

Mixed-conducting oxides are used in many applications, including fuel cells, gas separation membranes, sensors, and electrocatalysis. This paper describes mixed-conducting ceramic membranes that are being developed to selectively remove oxygen and hydrogen from gas streams in a nongalvanic mode of operation (i.e., with no electrodes or external power supply). Because of its high combined electronic/ionic conductivity and significant oxygen permeability, the mixed-conducting Sr-Fe-Co oxide (SFC) has been developed for high-purity oxygen separation and/or partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas, i.e., syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The electronic and ionic conductivities of SFC were found to be comparable in magnitude and are presented as a function of temperature. The oxygen flux through dense SFC tubes during separation of oxygen from air is compared with the oxygen flux during methane conversion. Unlike SFC, in which the ionic and electronic conductivities are nearly equivalent, BaCe{sub 0.80}Y{sub 0.20}O{sub 3} (BCY) exhibits protonic conductivity that is significantly higher than its electronic conductivity. To enhance the electronic conductivity and increase hydrogen permeation, metal powder was combined with the BCY to form a cermet membrane. Nongalvanic permeation of hydrogen through the cermet membrane was demonstrated and characterized as a function of membrane thickness. …
Date: December 2, 1998
Creator: Balachandran, U.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The effect of low dose-rate irradiation on the microstructure of 304 stainless steel. (open access)

The effect of low dose-rate irradiation on the microstructure of 304 stainless steel.

Changes in mechanical and corrosion properties caused by the development of radiation-induced microstructure have relevance to the aging and lifetime extension of light water reactors (LWR's). However, much of the current data related to microstructural development in irradiated metals are generated from studies carried out at much higher dose-rates than encountered in LWR's. An opportunity exists to study the influence of low dose-rate irradiation on microstructural development for a variety of structural and surveillance materials extracted from the experimental breeder reactor EBR-II. In this study, irradiated 304 stainless steel hexagonal ''hex'' duct material is examined in order to compare microstructure in the dose-rate range of 10{sup {minus}7}-10{sup {minus}9} dpakec. The samples, taken from the reflector locations in EBR-II, experienced a total dose between 10 and 12 dpa at a temperature of {approximately}375 C. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results reveal that there is a moderate dose-rate effect on microstructural development for samples irradiated in the range of 2 x 10{sup {minus}8} to 4 x 10{sup {minus}8} dpa/sec, however a substantial dose rate-effect exists between dose-rates of 2 x 10{sup {minus}8} and 1 x 10{sup {minus}9} dpa/sec Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results will detail the development of the microstructure in terms of …
Date: December 2, 1998
Creator: Cole, J. I.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Inductively Coupled Plasma Etching of III-V Semiconductors in BCl(3)-Based Chemistries: Part II: InP, InGaAs, InGaAsP, InAs and AllnAs (open access)

Inductively Coupled Plasma Etching of III-V Semiconductors in BCl(3)-Based Chemistries: Part II: InP, InGaAs, InGaAsP, InAs and AllnAs

A parametric study of etch rates and surface morphologies of In-containing compound semiconductors (InP, InGaAs, InGaAsP, InAs and AlInAs) obtained by BClj-based Inductively Coupled Plasmas is reported. Etch rates in the range 1,500-3,000 &min. are obtained for all the materials at moderate source powers (500 W), with the rates being a strong function of discharge composition, rf chuck power and pressure. Typical root-mean-square surface roughness of-5 nm were obtained for InP, which is worse than the values obtained for Ga-based materials under the same conditions (-1 run). The near surface of etched samples is typically slightly deficient in the group V element, but the depth of this deficiency is small (a few tens of angstroms).
Date: December 2, 1998
Creator: Abernathy, C.R.; Han, J.; Hobson, W.S.; Hong, J.; Lambers, E.S.; Lee, J.W. et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Magneto-optical studies of magnetization processes in high-Tc superconductors structure. (open access)

Magneto-optical studies of magnetization processes in high-Tc superconductors structure.

Magneto-optical imaging is a powerful tool for nondestructive quality control and scientific research through visualization of magnetic fields around any magnetic flux or current carrying sample. It allows real time observations of domain structures and their transformations in magnetics, static and dynamic field patterns due to inhomogeneous currents in electric circuits and superconductors, and reveals distortions of the fields due to defects. In addition to qualitative pictures showing different details in the intensities of the magneto-optical images, one can obtain quantitative maps of field distributions and retrieve values of the underlying currents or magnetization variations. In this review we discuss the advantages of magneto-optics for studies of superconductors, show its place among other techniques, and report recent results in magneto-optical investigations of high temperature superconductors (HTS).
Date: December 2, 1998
Creator: Vlasko-Vlasox, V. K.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Simulation Intranet Architecture (open access)

The Simulation Intranet Architecture

The Simdarion Infranet (S1) is a term which is being used to dcscribc one element of a multidisciplinary distributed and distance computing initiative known as DisCom2 at Sandia National Laboratory (http ct al. 1998). The Simulation Intranet is an architecture for satisfying Sandia's long term goal of providing an end- to-end set of scrviccs for high fidelity full physics simu- lations in a high performance, distributed, and distance computing environment. The Intranet Architecture group was formed to apply current distributed object technologies to this problcm. For the hardware architec- tures and software models involved with the current simulation process, a CORBA-based architecture is best suited to meet Sandia's needs. This paper presents the initial desi-a and implementation of this Intranct based on a three-tier Network Computing Architecture(NCA). The major parts of the architecture include: the Web Cli- ent, the Business Objects, and Data Persistence.
Date: December 2, 1998
Creator: Holmes, V. P.; Linebarger, J. M.; Miller, D. J. & Vandewart, R. L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Development of integrated mechanistically-based degradation-mode models for performance assessment of high-level waste containers (open access)

Development of integrated mechanistically-based degradation-mode models for performance assessment of high-level waste containers

Alloy 22 [UNS NO60221] is now being considered for construction of high level waste containers to be emplaced at Yucca Mountain and elsewhere. In essence, this alloy is 21% Cr, 13% MO, 4% Fe, 3% W, 2% Co, with the balance being Ni. Variants without tungsten are also being considered. Detailed mechanistic models have been developed to account for the corrosion of Alloy 22 surfaces in crevices that will inevitably form. Such occluded areas experience substantial decreases in pH, with corresponding elevations in chloride concentration. Experimental work has been undertaken to validate the crevice corrosion model, including parallel studies with 304 stainless steel.
Date: November 2, 1998
Creator: Farmer, J. C.; McCright, R. D.; Estill, J. C. & Gordon, S. R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Electromagnetic Properties of Impact-Generated Plasma, Vapor and Debris (open access)

Electromagnetic Properties of Impact-Generated Plasma, Vapor and Debris

Plasma, vapor and debris associated with an impact or explosive event have been demonstrated in the laboratory to produce radiofrequency and optical electromagnetic emissions that can be diagnostic of the event. Such effects could potentially interfere with communications or remote sensing equipment if an impact occurred, for example, on a satellite. More seriously, impact generated plasma could end the life of a satellite by mechanisms that are not well understood and not normally taken into account in satellite design. For example, arc/discharge phenomena resulting from highly conductive plasma acting as a current path across normally shielded circuits may have contributed to the loss of the Olympus experimental communications satellite on August 11, 1993. The possibility of significant storm activity during the Leonid meteor showers of November 1998, 1999 and 2000 (impact velocity, 72 km/s) has heightened awareness of potential vulnerabilities from hypervelocity electromagnetic effects to orbital assets. The concern is justified. The amount of plasma, electrostatic charge and the magnitude of the resulting currents and electric fields scale nearly as the cube of the impact velocity. Even for microscopic Leonid impacts, the amount of plasma approaches levels that could be dangerous to spacecraft electronics. The degree of charge separation that …
Date: November 2, 1998
Creator: Crawford, D. A. & Schultz, P. H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Exploration of GaInT1P and Related T1-Containing III-V Alloys for Photovoltaics (open access)

Exploration of GaInT1P and Related T1-Containing III-V Alloys for Photovoltaics

This paper discusses the results of an attempt to grow GaInTlP for application as a 1-eV material for the third junction of a GaInP/GaAs/3rd-junction high-efficiency solar cell. Although early indications from the literature were promising, we are unable to produce crystalline homogeneous material, and so we conclude that this material is not a promising candidate for such applications as photovoltaics.
Date: November 2, 1998
Creator: Friedman, D. J.; Kibbler, A. E. & Kurtz, S. R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
In Plant Measurement and Analysis of Mixtures of Uranium and Plutonium TRU-Waste Using a {sup 252}Cf Shuffler Instrument (open access)

In Plant Measurement and Analysis of Mixtures of Uranium and Plutonium TRU-Waste Using a {sup 252}Cf Shuffler Instrument

The active-passive {sup 252}Cf shuffler instrument, installed and certified several years ago in Los Alamos National Laboratory's plutonium facility, has now been calibrated for different matrices to measure Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)-destined transuranic (TRU)-waste. Little or no data currently exist for these types of measurements in plant environments where sudden large changes in the neutron background radiation can significantly distort the results. Measurements and analyses of twenty-two 55-gallon drums, consisting of mixtures of varying quantities of uranium and plutonium in mostly noncombustible matrices, have been recently completed at the plutonium facility. The calibration and measurement techniques, including the method used to separate out the plutonium component, will be presented and discussed. Calculations used to adjust for differences in uranium enrichment from that of the calibration standards will be shown. Methods used to determine various sources of both random and systematic error will be indicated. Particular attention will be directed to those problems identified as arising from the plant environment. The results of studies to quantify the aforementioned distortion effects in the data will be presented. Various solution scenarios will be outlined, along with those adopted here.
Date: November 2, 1998
Creator: Hurd, J. R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Mass Enhancement of Two-Dimensional Electrons in Thin Oxide Si-MOSFETs (open access)

Mass Enhancement of Two-Dimensional Electrons in Thin Oxide Si-MOSFETs

We report in this paper a study of the effective mass in thin oxide Si-MOSFETs, using the temperature dependence of the Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) effect and following the methodology developed by Smith and Stiles.
Date: November 2, 1998
Creator: Draper, B. L.; Pan, W. & Tsui, D. C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
New computational method for non-LTE, the linear response matrix (open access)

New computational method for non-LTE, the linear response matrix

My coauthors have done extensive theoretical and computational calculations that lay the ground work for a linear response matrix method to calculate non-LTE (local thermodynamic equilibrium) opacities. I will give briefly review some of their work and list references. Then I will describe what has been done to utilize this theory to create a computational package to rapidly calculate mild non-LTE emission and absorption opacities suitable for use in hydrodynamic calculations. The opacities are obtained by performing table look-ups on data that has been generated with a non-LTE package. This scheme is currently under development. We can see that it offers a significant computational speed advantage. It is suitable for mild non-LTE, quasi-steady conditions. And it offers a new insertion path for high-quality non-LTE data. Currently, the linear response matrix data file is created using XSN. These data files could be generated by more detailed and rigorous calculations without changing any part of the implementation in the hydro code. The scheme is running in Lasnex and is being tested and developed.
Date: November 2, 1998
Creator: Fournier, K. B.; Grasiani, F. R.; Harte, J. A.; Libby, S. B.; More, R. M. & Zimmerman, G. B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Optical sensors for process control and emissions monitoring in industry (open access)

Optical sensors for process control and emissions monitoring in industry

Sandia National Laboratories has a number of ongoing projects developing optical sensors for industrial environments. Laser-based sensors can be attractive for relatively harsh environments where extractive sampling is difficult, inaccurate, or impractical. Tools developed primarily for laboratory research can often be adapted for the real world and applied to problems far from their original uses. Spectroscopic techniques, appropriately selected, have the potential to impact the bottom of line of a number of industries and industrial processes. In this paper the authors discuss three such applications: a laser-based instrument for process control in steelmaking, a laser-induced breakdown method for hazardous metal detection in process streams, and a laser-based imaging sensor for evaluating surface cleanliness. Each has the potential to provide critical, process-related information in a real-time, continuous manner. These sensor techniques encompass process control applications and emissions monitoring for pollution prevention. They also span the range from a field-tested pre-commercial prototype to laboratory instrumentation. Finally, these sensors employ a wide range of sophistication in both the laser source and associated analytical spectroscopy. In the ultimate applications, however, many attributes of the sensors are in common, such as the need for robust operation and hardening for harsh industrial environments.
Date: November 2, 1998
Creator: Allendorf, S. W.; Ottesen, D. K.; Hahn, D. W.; Kulp, T. J. & Goers, U. B.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Progress Report on the Characterization and Modeling of a Very Flexible Wind Turbine Design (open access)

A Progress Report on the Characterization and Modeling of a Very Flexible Wind Turbine Design

The combination of increasing turbine rotor diameters and the desire to achieve long lifetimes has placed increased emphasis on understanding the response of flexible turbine structures in a turbulent inflow environment. One approach to increase fatigue lifetimes has been to design structures that can either shed or adequately absorb turbulent loads through the use of flexible rotors and support towers, and hubs and nacelles that exhibit multiple degrees of angular freedom. The inevitable result in such designs is a substantial increase in dynamic complexity. In order to develop a sufficient knowledge of such concepts, extensive measurements coupled with detailed analytical simulations of a flexible turbine design are required. The Wind Eagle 300 turbine, with its lightweight flexible rotor and hub, meets these criteria and is currently being investigated. In this paper we discuss a few early results from our recently completed field measurement effort. We found that the turbine rotor response was dominated by a once-per-revolution oscillation that was responsible for large cyclic variations in the output power. The available evidence points to a rotor imbalance related to structural differences in one of the blades and misalignment of the pitch angles. We also compared the variation in mean out-of-plane bending …
Date: November 2, 1998
Creator: Kelley, N. D.; Wright, A. D. & Osgood, R. M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The role of electrical resistance tomography in the U.S. nuclear waste site characterization program (open access)

The role of electrical resistance tomography in the U.S. nuclear waste site characterization program

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Date: November 2, 1998
Creator: Daily, W D & Ramirez, A
System: The UNT Digital Library
Seismic Response of a Deep Underground Geologic Repository for Nuclear Waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico (open access)

Seismic Response of a Deep Underground Geologic Repository for Nuclear Waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a deep underground nuclear waste repository certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ,(EPA) to store transuranic defense-related waste contaminated by small amounts of radioactive materials. Located at a depth of about 655 meters below the surface, the facility is sited in southeastern New Mexico, about 40 Department of Energy underground facilities, waste disposal. kilometers east of the city of Carlsbad, New Mexico. The U.S. (DOE) managed the design and construction of the surface and and remains responsible for operation and closure following The managing and operating contractor for the DOE at the WIPP, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, maintains two rechmiant seismic monitoring systems located at the surface and in the underground. This report discusses two earthquakes detected by the seismic monitoring system, one a duratior magnitude 5.0 (Md) event located approximately 60 km east-southeast of the facility, and another a body-wave magnitude 5.6 (rob) event that occurred approximately 260 kilometers to the south-southeast.
Date: November 2, 1998
Creator: Sanchez, Paul E.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Self-Aligned GaAs JFETs for Low-Power Microwave Amplifiers and RFICs at 2.4 GHz (open access)

Self-Aligned GaAs JFETs for Low-Power Microwave Amplifiers and RFICs at 2.4 GHz

Self-aligned GaAs JFET narrowband amplifiers operating at 2.4 GHz were designed and fabricated with both discrete WETS as a hybrid amplifier and as RFICS. Enhancement-mode JFETs were used in order to be compatible with complementary digital logic. Hybrid amplifiers achieved 8-10 dB of gain at 2.4 GHz and 1 mW DC bias level. The RFIC achieved 10 dB of gain at 24 GHz and 2 mW DC bias level.
Date: November 2, 1998
Creator: Baca, A. G.; Dubbert, D. F.; Greenway, D.; Hietala, V. M.; Shul, R. J.; Sloan, L. R. et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Visualizing Gene Expression In Situ (open access)

Visualizing Gene Expression In Situ

Visualizing bacterial cells and describing their responses to the environment are difficult tasks. Their small size is the chief reason for the difficulty, which means that we must often use many millions of cells in a sample in order to determine what the average response of the bacteria is. However, an average response can sometimes mask important events in bacterial physiology, which means that our understanding of these organisms will suffer. We have used a variety of instruments to visualize bacterial cells, all of which tell us something different about the sample. We use a fluorescence activated cell sorter to sort cells based on the fluorescence provided by bioreporter genes, and these can be used to select for particular genetic mutations. Cells can be visualized by epifluorescent microscopy, and sensitive photodetectors can be added that allow us to find a single bacterial cell that is fluorescent or bioluminescent. We have also used standard photomultipliers to examine cell aggregates as field bioreporter microorganisms. Examples of each of these instruments show how our understanding of bacterial physiology has changed with the technology.
Date: November 2, 1998
Creator: Burlage, R.S.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Seiberg duality and e+e- experiments (open access)

Seiberg duality and e+e- experiments

Seiberg duality in supersymmetric gauge theories is the claim that two different theories describe the same physics in the infrared limit. However, one cannot easily work out physical quantities in strongly coupled theories and hence it has been difficult to compare the physics of the electric and magnetic theories. In order to gain more insight into the equivalence of two theories, we study the ''e{sup +}e{sup -}'' cross sections into ''hadrons'' for both theories in the superconformal window. We describe a technique which allows us to compute the cross sections exactly in the infrared limit. They are indeed equal in the low-energy limit and the equality is guaranteed because of the anomaly matching condition. The ultraviolet behavior of the total ''e{sup +}e{sup -}'' cross section is different for the two theories. We comment on proposed nonsupersymmetric dualities. We also analyze the agreement of the ''{gamma}{gamma}'' and ''WW'' scattering amplitudes in both theories, and in particular try to understand if their equivalence can be explained by the anomaly matching condition.
Date: October 2, 1998
Creator: De Gouvea, Andre; Friedland, Alexander & Murayama, Hitoshi
System: The UNT Digital Library
Solubility of Anthracene in Ternary Propanol + 2,2,4-Trimethylpentane + Cyclohexane and Butanol + 2,2,4-Trimethylpentane + Cyclohexane Solvent Mixtures (open access)

Solubility of Anthracene in Ternary Propanol + 2,2,4-Trimethylpentane + Cyclohexane and Butanol + 2,2,4-Trimethylpentane + Cyclohexane Solvent Mixtures

Article on the solubility of anthracene in ternary propanol + 2,2,4-trimethylpentane + cyclohexane and butanol + 2,2,4-trimethylpentane + cyclohexane solvent mixtures.
Date: October 2, 1998
Creator: Deng, Taihe & Acree, William E. (William Eugene)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Solubility of Anthracene in Ternary Propanol + Butanol + Cyclohexane Solvent Mixtures (open access)

Solubility of Anthracene in Ternary Propanol + Butanol + Cyclohexane Solvent Mixtures

Article on the solubility of anthracene in ternary propanol + butanol + cyclohexane solvent mixtures.
Date: October 2, 1998
Creator: Deng, Taihe & Acree, William E. (William Eugene)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Stand-alone microprobe at Livermore (open access)

Stand-alone microprobe at Livermore

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Sandia National Laboratories/California have jointly constructed a new stand-alone microprobe facility. Although the facility was built to develop a method to rapidly locate and determine elemental concentrations of micron scale particulates on various media using PIXE, the facility has found numerous applications in biology and materials science. The facility is located at LLNL and uses a General Ionex Corporation Model 358 duoplasmatron negative ion source, a National Electrostatics Corporation 5SDH-2 tandem accelerator, and an Oxford triplet lens. Features of the system include complete computer control of the beam transport using LabVIEW<sup>TM</sup> for Macintosh, computer controlled beam collimating and divergence limiting slits, automated sample positioning to micron resolution, and video optics for beam positioning and sample observation. Data collection is accomplished with the simultaneous use of as many as four EG&G Ortec IGLET-X<sup>TM</sup> X-Ray detectors, digital amplifiers made by X-Ray Instruments and Associates (XIA), and LabVIEW<sup>TM</sup> for Macintosh acquisition software.
Date: October 2, 1998
Creator: Antolak, A. J.; Bench, G. S.; Brown, T. A.; Frantz, B. R.; Grant, P. G.; Morse, D. H. et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
World-wide redistribution of 129Iodine from nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities:results from meteoric, river, and seawater tracer studies (open access)

World-wide redistribution of 129Iodine from nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities:results from meteoric, river, and seawater tracer studies

Releases of the long-lived radioisotope of iodine, <sup>129</sup>I from commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities in England and France have surpassed natural, and even bomb test inventories. <sup>129</sup>I/<sup>127</sup>I ratios measured in a variety of environmental matrices from Europe, North America and the southern hemisphere show the influence of fuel reprocessing-derived <sup>129</sup>I, which is transported globally via the atmosphere. Transport and cycling of I and <sup>129</sup>I in the hydrosphere and in soils are described based on a spatial survey of <sup>129</sup>I in freshwater.
Date: October 2, 1998
Creator: Fehn, U.; Moran, J. E.; Oktay, S.; Santschi, P. H.; Schink, D. R. & Snyder, G.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Copper-tin anodes for rechargeable lithium batteries : an example of the matrix effect in an intermetallic system. (open access)

Copper-tin anodes for rechargeable lithium batteries : an example of the matrix effect in an intermetallic system.

Lithium batteries are typically constructed from a lithium cobalt oxide cathode and a carbon anode. We have investigated intermetallic anode materials based on tin, which can provide a high capacity at a slightly higher voltage (400 mV) than metallic lithium and thus reduce the safety concerns associated with the carbon anode. In particular, we have investigated the copper-tin system at around the composition Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} and have determined the effect on cycling and capacity of electrodes with various ratios of copper to tin. Anode compositions that are slightly copper rich (Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 4}) were found to exhibit greater utilization of the tin than those with the stoichiometric bronze ratio (Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5}) or those having a slight excess of tin (Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 6}). The differences in electrochemical behavior are explained in terms of an inert matrix model.
Date: September 2, 1998
Creator: Kepler, K. D.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Development of a high-power lithium-ion battery. (open access)

Development of a high-power lithium-ion battery.

Safety is a key concern for a high-power energy storage system such as will be required in a hybrid vehicle. Present lithium-ion technology, which uses a carbon/graphite negative electrode, lacks inherent safety for two main reasons: (1) carbon/graphite intercalates lithium at near lithium potential, and (2) there is no end-of-charge indicator in the voltage profile that can signal the onset of catastrophic oxygen evolution from the cathode (LiCoO{sub 2}). Our approach to solving these safety/life problems is to replace the graphite/carbon negative electrode with an electrode that exhibits stronger two-phase behavior further away from lithium potential, such as Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12}. Cycle-life and pulse-power capability data are presented in accordance with the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) test procedures, as well as a full-scale design based on a spreadsheet model.
Date: September 2, 1998
Creator: Jansen, A. N.
System: The UNT Digital Library