The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986 [also known as the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act (SARA), Title III], as modified by Executive Order 12856, requires that all federal facilities evaluate the need to submit an annual Toxic Chemical Release Inventory report as prescribed in Title III, Section 313 of this Act. This annual report is due every July for the preceding calendar year. Owners and operators who manufacture, process, or otherwise use certain toxic chemicals above listed threshold quantities are required to report their toxic chemical releases to all environmental mediums (air, water, soil, etc.). At Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), no EPCRA Section 313 chemicals were used in 1998 above the reportable threshold limits of 10,000 lb or 25,000 lb. Therefore LANL was not required to submit any Toxic Chemical Release Inventory reports (Form Rs) for 1998. This document was prepared to provide a detailed description of the evaluation on chemical usage and EPCRA Section 313 threshold determinations for LANL for 1998.

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The goal of the program was an advanced proton-exchange membrane (PEM) for use as the electrolyte in a liquid feed direct methanol fuel cell which provides reduced methanol crossover while simultaneously providing high conductivity and low membrane water content. The approach was to use a membrane containing precross-linked fluorinated base polymer films and subsequently to graft the base film with selected materials. Over 80 different membranes were prepared. The rate of methanol crossover through the advanced membranes was reduced 90%. A 5-cell stack provided stable performance over a 100-hour life test. Preliminary cost estimates predicted a manufacturing cost at $4 to $9 per kW.

A new concept in particulate control, called an advanced hybrid particulate collector (AHPC), is being developed under funding from the US Department of Energy. The AHPC combines the best features of electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) and baghouses in a manner that has not been done before. The AHPC concept consists of a combination of fabric filtration and electrostatic precipitation in the same housing, providing major synergism between the two collection methods, both in the particulate collection step and in the transfer of dust to the hopper. The AHPC provides ultrahigh collection efficiency, overcoming the problem of excessive fine-particle emission with conventional ESPs, and it solves the problem of reentrainment and collection of dust in conventional baghouses. The AHPC is currently being tested at the 2.7-MW scale at the Big Stone power station.

The overall objective of this project is to demonstrate that a development program based on advanced reservoir management methods can significantly improve oil recovery at the Nash Draw Pool (NDP). The plan includes developing a control area using standard reservoir management techniques and comparing its performance to an area developed using advanced reservoir management methods. Specific goals are (1) to demonstrate that an advanced development drilling and pressure maintenance program can significantly improve oil recovery compared to existing technology applications and (2) to transfer these advanced methodologies to oil and gas producers in the Permian Basin and elsewhere throughout the U.S. oil and gas industry.

The purpose of this report is to document the results of a study designed to enhance the performance of future military generator sets (gen-sets) in the medium power range. The study includes a market survey of the state of the art in several key component areas and recommendations comprising a design philosophy for future military gen-sets. The market survey revealed that the commercial market is in a state of flux, but it is currently or will soon be capable of providing the technologies recommended here in a cost-effective manner. The recommendations, if implemented, should result in future power generation systems that are much more functional than today's gen-sets. The number of differing units necessary (both family sizes and frequency modes) to cover the medium power range would be decreased significantly, while the weight and volume of each unit would decrease, improving the transportability of the power source. Improved fuel economy and overall performance would result from more effective utilization of the prime mover in the generator. The units would allow for more flexibility and control, improved reliability, and more effective power management in the field.

The overall goal of this project was to assess the economic feasibility of CO2 flooding the naturally fractured Spraberry Trend Area in West Texas. This objective was accomplished by conducting research in four areas: (1) extensive characterization of the reservoirs, (2) experimental studies of crude oil/brine/rock (COBR) interaction in the reservoirs, (3) analytical and numerical simulation of Spraberry reservoirs, and, (4) experimental investigations on CO2 gravity drainage in Spraberry whole cores. Additionally, a ten (10) acre field demonstration pilot project is part of this project. This report discusses the activity, during the third calendar quarter (July through September) of 1998 (fourth quarter of the projects fiscal year).

The primary objective of this research is to conduct advanced reservoir characterization and modeling studies in the Antelope Shale reservoir. Characterization studies will be used to determine the technical feasibility of implementing a CO2 enhanced oil recovery project in the Antelope Shale in Buena Vista Hills Field. The Buena Vista Hills pilot CO2 project will demonstrate the economic viability and widespread applicability of CO2 flooding in fractured siliceous shale reservoirs of the San Joaquin Valley. The research consists of four primary work processes: (1) Reservoir Matrix and Fluid Characterization; (2) Fracture characterization; (3) reservoir Modeling and Simulation; and (4) CO2 Pilot Flood and Evaluation. Work done in these areas is subdivided into two phases or budget periods. The first phase of the project will focus on the application of a variety of advanced reservoir characterization techniques to determine the production characteristics of the Antelope Shale reservoir. Reservoir models based on the results of the characterization work will be used to evaluate how the reservoir will respond to secondary recovery and EOR processes. The second phase of the project will include the implementation and evaluation of an advanced enhanced oil recovery (EOR) pilot in the United Anticline (West Dome) of the …

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In this research the microstructure {leftrightarrow} property relations in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC's) are being studied to better understand the mechanisms involved in cell performance. The overall aim is to fabricate SOFC's with controlled, stable, high performance microstructure. Most cathode studies were completed in the last DOE contract; studies during this year focused more on the influence of nonstoichiometry on the electrical performance. Studies indicate that nonstoichiometric La{sub x}Sr{sub 0.20}MnO{sub 3}(x = 0.70, 0.75, and 0.79) cathode compositions exhibit the best properties. A series of studies using these compositions fired on at temperatures of 1100, 1200, 1300 and 1400 C were performed. In all instances, 1200 C was the optimum, with the x = 0.70 composition being the best. It has an overpotential of only 0.04V at 1 A/cm{sup 2}. SEM analyses indicated no second phases or interdiffusion is detectable. Studies on optimization of anode compositions yielded the optimum volume fraction of Ni (45vol%), the best sintering temperature/time (1400 C/2 h), and the best starting materials (glycine-nitrate derived NiO and normal YSZ). In essence these results simply reflect the optimum microstructure. As such, they are being used to guide the development of optimized anodes for lower temperature operation based …

This assessment discusses the PCB hazards present at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) Transuranic Storage Area Retrieval Enclosure (TSA-RE); the various controls; natural, engineered and administrative that are in place to manage these hazards and minimize any potential risks; and the monitoring and surveillance activities that assure the aforementioned actions are indeed protective of the environment and the public and the worked. This assessment covers only the interim storage of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

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PSE is made up of four technical areas, ASCI Simulation Development Environment (ASDE), Data Exploration and Management (DEM), Data Transfer and Storage (DTS), and Distributed Systems (DS). The goal of ASDE is to create a truly scalable simulation development environment across ASCI platforms. Specific objectives are to improve the environment to accelerate application development, to improve reliability of codes, and to enable better scalable performance. DEM's effort is to provide an interactive environment for efficiently and visualizing massive amounts of data. WE are working to help scientists spend more time concentrating on data understanding by providing tools that both enhance interactions and minimize unnecessary manipulations of data. The goal of DTS is to provide multiple gigabytes/sec parallel data transfer, multiple petabytes of archival mass storage, and new architectures for ''end-to-end'' I/O all helping to ensure the highest utilization of ASCI resources. DS consists of secure networking, secure distributed computing, and resource management for ASCI platforms. These three research and development activities are fundamental to the creation of the basic infrastructure for the ASCI computing environment.

Recent technological advances in processes for converting natural gas into liquid fuels, combined with a growing need for cleaner, low-sulfur distillate fuel to mitigate the environmental impacts of diesel engines have raised the possibility of a substantial global gas-to-liquids (G-T-L) industry. This report examines the implications of G-T-L supply for U.S. energy security and the environment. It appears that a G-T-L industry would increase competitiveness in world liquid fuels markets, even if OPEC states are major producers of G-T-L's. Cleaner G-T-L distillates would help reduce air pollution from diesel engines. Implications for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions could be positive or negative, depending on the sources of natural gas, their alternative uses, and the degree of sequestration that can be achieved for CO2 emissions produced during the conversion process.

Recent technological advances in processes for converting natural gas into liquid fuels, combined with a growing need for cleaner, low-sulfur distillate fuel to mitigate the environmental impacts of diesel engines have raised the possibility of a substantial global gas-to-liquids (G-T-L) industry. This report examines the implications of G-T-L supply for U.S. energy security and the environment. It appears that a G-T-L industry would increase competitiveness in world liquid fuels markets, even if OPEC states are major producers of G-T-L's. Cleaner G-T-L distillates would help reduce air pollution from diesel engines. Implications for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions could be positive or negative, depending on the sources of natural gas, their alternative uses, and the degree of sequestration that can be achieved for CO{sub 2} emissions produced during the conversion process.

The reservoir features of importance in the operation of enhanced geothermal systems are described first (Section 2). The report then reviews existing reservoir simulators developed for application to HDR reservoirs (Section 3), hydrothermal systems (Section 4), and nuclear waste isolation (Section 5), highlighting capabilities relevant to the evaluation and assessment of EGS. The report focuses on simulators that include some representation of flow in fractures, only mentioning other simulators, such as general-purpose programs or groundwater models (Section 6). Following these detailed descriptions, the report summarizes and comments on the simulators (Section 7), and recommends a course of action for further development (Section 8). The references are included in Section 9. Appendix A contains contractual information, including a description of the original and revised scope of work for this study. Appendix B presents comments on the draft report from DOE reviewer(s) and the replies of the authors to those comments. [DJE-2005]

To determine if the lack of certain simulation capabilities is hindering the development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), a review of numerical simulators used for Hot Dry Rock (HDR), hydrothermal and nuclear waste isolation applications was made.