This report presents the results of an evaluation of the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) Program. The purpose of this program is to conduct energy, waste, and productivity assessments for small to medium-sized industrial firms. Assessments are conducted by 30 university-based industrial assessment centers. The purpose of this project was to evaluate energy and cost savings attributable to the assessments, the trained alumni, and the Websites sponsored by this program. How IAC assessments, alumni, and Web-based information may influence industrial energy efficiency decision making was also studied. It is concluded that appreciable energy and cost savings may be attributed to the IAC Program and that the IAC Program has resulted in more active and improved energy-efficiency decision making by industrial firms.

Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) was performed at temperatures up to 850K on Cab-O-Sil-M-7D and Hi-Sil-233 silica particles. Physisorbed water molecules on both types of silica had activation energies in the range of 9-14.5 kcal/mol. However, the activation energies of desorption for chemisorbed water varied from {approx} 19 kcal/mol to > 59 kcal/mol for Cab-O-Sil-M-7D, and {approx} 23-37 kcal/mol for Hi-Sil-233. Our results suggest that physisorbed water can be effectively pumped away at room temperature (or preferably at 320 K) in a matter of hours. Chemisorbed water with high activation energies of desorption (>30 kcal/mol) will not escape the silica surfaces in 100 years even at 320 K, while a significant amount of the chemisorbed water with medium activation energies (19-26 kcal/mol) will leave the silica surfaces in that time span. Most of the chemisorbed water with activation energies < 30 kcal/mol can be pumped away in a matter of days in a good vacuum environment at 500 K. We had previously measured about 0.1-0.4 wt. % of water in M9787 polysiloxane formulations containing {approx} 21% Cab-O-Sil-M-7D and {approx} 4% Hi-Sil-233. Comparing present results with these formulations, we conclude that absorbed H{sub 2}O and Si-OH bonds on the silica surfaces are …

Grain boundary network engineering is an emerging field that encompasses the concept that modifications to conventional thermomechanical processing can result in improved properties through the disruption of the random grain boundary network. Various researchers have reported a correlation between the grain boundary character distribution (defined as the fractions of special and random grain boundaries) and dramatic improvements in properties such as corrosion and stress corrosion cracking, creep, etc. While much early work in the field emphasized property improvements, the opportunity now exists to elucidate the underlying materials science of grain boundary network engineering. Recent investigations at LLNL have coupled automated electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to elucidate these fundamental mechanisms. This investigation provides evidence that grain boundary network engineering and the formation of annealing twins disrupt the connectivity of the random grain boundary network and is likely responsible for the experimentally observed improvement in properties. This work illustrates that coupling of automated EBSD with other microstructural probes such as TEM and AFM provides data of greater value than any single technique in isolation. The coupled techniques have been applied to aid in understanding the underlying mechanisms of grain boundary network engineering …

Over the past 25 years more than 20 major studies have examined the technological potential to improve the fuel economy of passenger cars and light trucks in the US. The majority has used technology/cost analysis, a combination of analytical methods from the disciplines of economics and automotive engineering. In this paper they describe the key elements of this methodology, discuss critical issues responsible for the often widely divergent estimates produced by different studies, review the history of its use, and present results from six recent assessments. Whereas early studies tended to confine their scope to the potential of proven technology over a 10-year time period, more recent studies have focused on advanced technologies, raising questions about how best to include the likelihood of technological change. The paper concludes with recommendations for further research.

The authors describe a model independent lattice QCD method for determining the deviation from unity for h{sub A{sub 1}}, the B {r{underscore}arrow} D*{ell}{nu} form factor at zero recoil. They extend the double ratio method previously used to determine the B {r{underscore}arrow} D{ell}{nu} form factor. The bulk of statistical and systematic errors cancel in the double ratios they consider, yielding form factors which promise to reduce present theoretical uncertainties in the determination of {vert{underscore}bar}V{sub cb}{vert{underscore}bar}. They present results from a prototype calculation at a single lattice spacing corresponding to {beta} = 5.7.

The U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE), under the auspices of the International Nuclear Safety Program (INSP) is supporting in-depth safety assessments (ISA) of nuclear power plants in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union for the purpose of evaluating the safety and upgrades necessary to the stock of nuclear power plants in Ukraine. For this purpose the Hazards Mitigation Center at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has been asked to assess the seismic hazard and design parameters at the sites of the nuclear power plants in Ukraine. The probabilistic seismic hazard (PSH) estimates were updated using the latest available data and knowledge from LLNL, the U.S. Geological Survey, and other relevant recent studies from several consulting companies. Special attention was given to account for the local seismicity, the deep focused earthquakes of the Vrancea zone, in Romania, the region around Crimea and for the system of potentially active faults associated with the Pripyat Dniepro Donnetts rift. Aleatory (random) uncertainty was estimated from the available data and the epistemic (knowledge) uncertainty was estimated by considering the existing models in the literature and the interpretations of a small group of experts elicited during a workshop conducted in Kiev, Ukraine, on February …

Fermilab, in collaboration with LBNL, is exploring the use of the react and wind technique for a common coil dipole with a Nb{sub 3}Sn Rutherford cable. An R and D program on conductor design and magnet technology was begun aiming at an 11 T, 2 layer, 30 mm aperture design operating at 4.5 K. The goal is to explore the feasibility of the react and wind technique for flat coils with a minimum bending radius of 90 mm. In order to improve the understanding of the I{sub c} degradation caused by bending after reaction this effect will be studied on both strands and cables. In this paper, the authors present two techniques to measure the critical current degradation due to bending, both in wires and cables, using standard test facilities. Together with the description of the program they show the results of the first measurements on strands and the layout of the cables that are being produced.

Intensive ground-based field studies of plumes from two large, natural-draft cooling towers were conducted in support of the MTI modeling effort. Panchromatic imagery, IR imagery, meteorological data, internal tower temperatures and plant power data were collected during the field studies. These data were used to evaluate plume simulations, plume radioactive transfer calculations and plume volume estimation algorithms used for power estimation. Results from six field studies indicate that a 3-D atmospheric model at sufficient spatial resolution can effectively simulate a cooling tower plume if the plume is of sufficient size and the ambient meteorology is known and steady. Small plumes and gusty wind conditions degrade the agreement between the simulated and observed plumes. Thermal radiance calculations based on the simulated plumes produced maximum IR temperatures (near tower exit) which were in good agreement with measured IR temperatures for the larger plumes. For the smaller plumes, the calculated IR temperature was lower than the measured temperature by several degrees. Variations in maximum IR plume temperature with decreasing power (one reactor was undergoing a shutdown process), were clearly observed in the IR imagery and seen in the simulations. These temperature changes agreed with those calculated from an overall tower energy and momentum …

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF), at the Savannah River Site (SRS), is currently processing the second million gallon batch (Macro-Batch 2) of radioactive sludge slurry into a durable borosilicate glass for permanent geological disposal. To meet the reporting requirements as specified in the Department of Energy's Waste Acceptance Product Specifications (WAPS), for the final glass product, the nonradioactive and radioactive compositions must be provided for a Macro-Batch of material. In order to meet this requirement, sludge slurry samples from Macro-Batch 2 were analyzed in the Shielded Cells Facility of the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC). This information is used to complete the necessary Production Records at DWPF so that the final glass product, resulting from Macro Batch 2, may be disposed of at a Federal Repository. This paper describes the results obtained from the analyses of the sludge slurry samples taken from Macro-Batch 2 to meet the reporting requirements of the WAPS. Twenty eight elements were identified for the nonradioactive composition and thirty one for the radioactive composition. The reportable radioisotopes range from C-14 to Cm-246.

This report describes the results of a test conducted by Battelle to assess the effects of inhibited water washing and caustic leaching on the composition of the Hanford tank C-106 high-level waste (HLW) solids. The objective of this work was to determine the composition of the C-106 solids remaining after washing with 0.01M NaOH or leaching with 3M NaOH. Another objective of this test was to determine the solubility of various C-106 components as a function of temperature. The work was conducted according to test plan BNFL-TP-29953-8,Rev. 0, Determination of the Solubility of HLW Sludge Solids. The test went according to plan, with only minor deviations from the test plan. The deviations from the test plan are discussed in the experimental section.

Energy Matters is an Office of Industrial Technologies bimonthly publication on energy efficiency opportunities. This issue's focus is on reliability-centered maintenance along with articles on optimizing industrial process heating and discussion on an international motor systems management tool.

The goal of the Fermilab High Field Magnet (HFM) R and D project is to explore various designs and production technology of a high-field, low-cost Nb{sub 3}Sn accelerator magnet suitable for a future Very Large Hadron Collider (VLHC). The model under fabrication consists of two-layer shell-type coil with 43.5 mm aperture and cold iron yoke. Fermilab concept of magnet design and fabrication technology involves some specific features such as curing of half-coil with ceramic binder/matrix before reaction, and then simultaneous reaction and impregnation of both half-coils to get a coil pipe structure. The coil pipe is mechanically supported by the vertically-split iron yoke locked by two aluminum clamps and a thick stainless steel skin. 2D finite element analysis has been performed to study and optimize the prestress in the coil and in the structural elements at room temperature and at 4.2 K. Model description, material properties and the results of mechanical analysis are reported in this paper.

Windward Engineering has a Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Energy to install two Whisper 900 wind turbines, one at the NREL National Wind Technology Center and one at a test site near Spanish Fork Utah. The authors monitor the turbine in Spanish Fork for approximately three years and report energy production availability, and general operating experience. In addition, they created a computer model to predict the furling behavior of the Whisper 900. They compare the predictions with measurements from the Utah test site. This is the first quarterly report on this project. The report is organized into 6 tasks and the progress is discussed for each task. The tasks are: (1) Install two turbines and repair as needed; (2) Phase 1 testing and analysis; (3) Phase 2 testing and analysis; (4) Phase 3 testing and analysis; (5) Turbine removal and inspection; and (6) Reporting and administration.

The purpose of this study is to determine, as functions of total copper loading and iron REDOX in glass, any dependence of the leaching behavior of borosilicate glass on metallic copper.

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the Savannah River Site is responsible for immobilizing high level radioactive waste (HLW) as glass-filled steel canisters for permanent storage. In the DWPF facility, the HLW sludge undergoes chemical treatment to prepare it for vitrification in a melter. The generation of stable foams is possible during treatment. The current DWPF antifoam is ineffective in preventing and minimizing the formation of foam. The adverse consequences of excess foam can be severe enough to cause foam to exit the evaporator and collect in the condensate. A foamover will contaminate the relatively clean condensate with HLW solids. It can also potentially lead to the production of an unsuitable melter feed that would not make quality glass. Both of these consequences are costly and time consuming to correct. A new antifoam agent was developed by the Illinois Institute of Technology, IIT, for DWPF in an attempt to minimize or eliminate the frequency of these foamovers. This antifoam agent was demonstrated to be superior to the existing DWPF antifoam agent in laboratory scale experiments. However, the DWPF evaporation heat flux was not achievable in the laboratory scale equipment. A 1/240th-scale pilot facility was built to achieve this heat …

We have developed a new process for applying a hydrophobic, low adhesion energy coating to microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices. Monolayer films are synthesized from tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyltrichlorosilane (FOTS) and water vapor in a low-pressure chemical vapor deposition process at room temperature. Film thickness is self-limiting by virtue of the inability of precursors to stick to the fluorocarbon surface of the film once it has formed. We have measured film densities of {approx}3 molecules nm{sup 2} and film thickness of {approx}1 nm. Films are hydrophobic, with a water contact angle >110{sup o}. We have also incorporated an in-situ downstream microwave plasma cleaning process, which provides a clean, reproducible oxide surface prior to film deposition. Adhesion tests on coated and uncoated MEMS test structures demonstrate superior performance of the FOTS coatings. Cleaned, uncoated cantilever beam structures exhibit high adhesion energies in a high humidity environment. An adhesion energy of 100 mJ m{sup -2} is observed after exposure to >90% relative humidity. Fluoroalkylsilane coated beams exhibit negligible adhesion at low humidity and {<=} 20 {micro}J m{sup -2} adhesion energy at >90% relative humidity. No obvious film degradation was observed for films exposed to >90% relative humidity at room temperature for >24 hr.

A significant improvement to the classical least squares (CLS) multivariate analysis method has been developed. The new method, called prediction-augmented classical least squares (PACLS), removes the restriction for CLS that all interfering spectral species must be known and their concentrations included during the calibration. The authors demonstrate that PACLS can correct inadequate CLS models if spectral components left out of the calibration can be identified and if their spectral shapes can be derived and added during a PACLS prediction step. The new PACLS method is demonstrated for a system of dilute aqueous solutions containing urea, creatinine, and NaCl analytes with and without temperature variations. The authors demonstrate that if CLS calibrations are performed using only a single analyte's concentration, then there is little, if any, prediction ability. However, if pure-component spectra of analytes left out of the calibration are independently obtained and added during PACLS prediction, then the CLS prediction ability is corrected and predictions become comparable to that of a CLS calibration that contains all analyte concentrations. It is also demonstrated that constant-temperature CLS models can be used to predict variable-temperature data by employing the PACLS method augmented by the spectral shape of a temperature change of the water …

In the last decade there has been interest and research in the area of designing circuits with genetic algorithms, evolutionary algorithms, and genetic programming. However, the ability to design circuits of the size and complexity required by modern engineering design problems, simply by specifying required outputs for given inputs has as yet eluded researchers. This paper describes current research in the area of designing logic circuits using an evolutionary algorithm. The goal of the research is to improve the effectiveness of this method and make it a practical aid for design engineers. A novel method of implementing the algorithm is introduced, and results are presented for various multiprocessing systems. In addition to evolving standard arithmetic circuits, work in the area of evolving circuits that perform digital signal processing tasks is described.

The goal of this document is to estimate the potential impact of proposed new Diagnostics-While-Drilling technology on the cost of electricity (COE) produced with geothermal energy. A cost model that predicts the COE was developed and exercised over the range of conditions found for geothermal plants in flashed-steam, binary, and enhanced-reservoir (e.g., Hot Dry Rock) applications. The calculations were repeated assuming that DWD technology is available to reduce well costs and improve well productivity. The results indicate that DWD technology would reduce the geothermal COE by 2--31%, depending on well depth, well productivity, and the type of geothermal reservoir. For instance, for a typical 50-MW, flashed-steam geothermal power plant employing 3-MW wells, 6,000-ft deep, the model predicts an electricity cost of 4.9 cents/kwh. With the DWD technology envisioned, the electricity cost could be reduced by nearly 20%, to less than 4 cents/kwh. Such a reduction in the cost of electricity would give geothermal power a competitive edge over other types of power at many locations across the US and around the world. It is thus believed that DWD technology could significantly expand the role of geothermal energy in providing efficient, environment-friendly electric generating capacity.

This report documents the basis for the selection of Savannah River Site areas and existing facilities to be instrumented.

The Geothermal Research Department at Sandia National Laboratories, in collaboration with Drill Cool Systems, Inc., has worked to develop and test insulated drillpipe (IDP). IDP will allow much cooler drilling fluid to reach the bottom of the hole, making possible the use of downhole motors, electronics, and steering tools that are now unusable in high-temperature formations. Other advantages of cooler fluid include reduced degradation of drilling fluid, longer bit life, and reduced corrosion rates. The paper describes the theoretical background, laboratory testing, and field testing of IDP. Structural and thermal laboratory testing procedures and results are described. Results are given for a field test in a geothermal well, in which circulating temperatures in IDP are compared with those in conventional drillpipe (CDP) at different flow rates. A brief description of the software used to model wellbore temperature and to calculate sensitivity to IDP design differences is included, along with a comparison of calculated and measured wellbore temperatures in the field test. Analysis of mixed (IDP and CDP) drill strings and discussion of where IDP should be placed in a mixed string are presented.

During the 1990s an international collaboration has been studying the possibility of constructing and operating a high-energy high-luminosity {mu}{sup +}{mu}{sup {minus}} collider. Such a machine could be the approach of choice to extend the discovery reach beyond that of the LHC. More recently, a growing collaboration is exploring the potential of a stored-muon-beam neutrino factory to elucidate neutrino oscillations. A neutrino factory could be an attractive stepping-stone to a muon collider. Its construction, possibly feasible within the coming decade, could have substantial impact on neutrino physics.

Superconducting quadrupole magnets with 70 mm aperture and nominal field gradient of 215 T/m are being developed by the US-LHC Accelerator Project for the Interaction Regions of the Large Hadron Collider. Due to large beam size and orbit displacement in the final focusing triplet, these magnets are subject to stringent field quality requirements. For this reason, a correction scheme based on magnetic shims was investigated. This paper reports design calculations, fabrication issues and tests results involving magnetic shims.

The upper and lower critical points are investigated in untwinned YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}} single crystals with dilute columnar defects. Dilute columnar defects raise the upper critical point, indicating that the transition near the upper critical point is a vortex entanglement transition. The lower critical point is very sensitive to columnar defect disorder and its position can be described by a Lindemann-like criterion similar to that for melting. Dilute columnar defects induce non-linear behavior in the I-V curves of the vortex liquid state above the lower critical point, which the authors interpret as a vestige of the critical region associated with the Bose glass transition below the lower critical point.