90Sr is one of the isotopes most commonly produced by nuclear fission. This medium lived isotope presents serious challenges to radiation workers, the environment, and following a nuclear event, the general public. Methods of identifying this nuclide have been in existence for a number of years (e.g. Horwitz, E.P. [1], Maxwell, S.L.[2], EPA 905.0 [3]) which are time consuming, requiring a month or more for full analysis. This time frame is unacceptable in the present security environment. It is therefore important to have a dependable and rapid method for the determination of Sr. The purposes of this study are to reduce analysis time to less than half a day by utilizing a single method of radiation measurement while continuing to yield precise results. This paper presents findings on three methods that can meet this criteria; (1) stable Sr carrier, (2) 85Sr by gamma spectroscopy, and (3) 85Sr by LSC. Two methods of analyzing and calculating the 85Sr tracer recovery were investigated (gamma spectroscopy and a low energy window-Sr85LEBAB by LSC) as well as the use of two different types of Sr tracer (85Sr and stable Sr carrier). Three separate stock blank urine samples were spiked with various activity levels of …

In December 2009 during its first cold test, LQS01, the first long Nb{sub 3}Sn Quadrupole made by LARP (LHC Accelerator Research Program, a collaboration of BNL, FNAL, LBNL and SLAC), reached its target field gradient of 200 T/m. This target was set in 2005 by the US Department fo Energy, CERN and LARP, as a significant milestone toward the development of Nb{sub 3}Sn quadrupoles for possible use in LHC luminosity upgrades. LQS01 is a 90 mm aperture, 3.7 m long quadrupole using Nb{sub 3}Sn coils. The coil layout is equal to the layout used in the LARP Technological Quadrupoles (TQC and TQS models). Pre-stress and support are provided by a segmented aluminum shell pre-loaded using bladders and keys, similarly to the TQS models. After the first test the magnet was disassembled, reassembled with an optimized pre-stress, and reached 222 T/m at 4.5 K. In this paper we present the results of both tests and the next steps of the Long Quadrupole R&D.

Previous estimates of environmental impacts associated with the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle have focused primarily on energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Results have varied widely. Section 2 of this report provides a summary of historical estimates. This study revises existing empirical correlations and their underlying assumptions to fit to a more complete set of existing data. This study also addresses land transformation, water withdrawals, and occupational and public health impacts associated with the processes of the front end of the once-through nuclear fuel cycle. These processes include uranium mining, milling, refining, conversion, enrichment, and fuel fabrication. Metrics are developed to allow environmental impacts to be summed across the full set of front end processes, including transportation and disposition of the resulting depleted uranium.

Future upgrades of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will require large aperture and high gradient quadrupoles. Nb{sub 3}Sn is the most viable option for this application but is also known for its strain sensitivity. In high field magnets, with magnetic fields above 12 T, the Lorentz forces will generate mechanical stresses that may exceed 200 MPa in the windings. The existing measurements of critical current versus strain of Nb{sub 3}Sn strands or cables are not easily applicable to magnets. In order to investigate the impact of high mechanical stress on the quench performance, a series of tests was carried out within a LBNL/CERN collaboration using the magnet TQS03 (a LHC Accelerator Research Program (LARP) 1-meter long, 90-mm aperture Nb{sub 3}Sn quadrupole). The magnet was tested four times at CERN under various pre-stress conditions. The average mechanical compressive azimuthal pre-stress on the coil at 4.2 K ranged from 120 MPa to 200 MPa. This paper reports on the magnet performance during the four tests focusing on the relation between pre-stress conditions and the training plateau.

The quench behavior of Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub x} (Bi2212) wire is investigated through numerical simulations. This work is part of the U.S. Very High Field Superconducting Magnet Collaboration (VHFSMC). Numerical simulations are carried out using a one-dimensional computational model of thermal transport in Bi2212 composite wires. A quench is simulated by introducing heat in a section of the wire, and the voltage and temperature are monitored as function of time and position. The quench energy, normal zone propagation velocity, and spatial distribution of temperature are calculated for varying transport current and applied magnetic field. The relevance of these simulations in defining criteria for experimental measurements is discussed.

A novel decommissioning project is underway to close the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) “fast” reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Materials and Fuels Complex (MFC) facility near Idaho Falls, ID. The facility was placed in cold shutdown in 1994 and work began on the removal of the metallic sodium coolant. The bulk of the sodium was drained and treated beginning in 2001. The residual sodium heel was chemically passivated to render it less reactive in 2005 using a novel carbon dioxide treatment. Approximately 700 kg of metallic sodium and 3500 kg of sodium bicarbonate remain in the facility. A RCRA Waste Treatment Permit, issued in 2002 by the State of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, requires annual progress toward closure of the facility, and that all regulated materials be removed or deactivated, and the waste products removed by 2022. The baseline sodium removal technology would result in about 100,000 gallons of low-level waste solution requiring treatment along with separate handling of the large components (intermediate heat exchanger, rotating plug, etc) outside of the primary tank.

The magnet system of ERL consists of G5 solenoids, 6Q12 quadrupoles with 0.58 T/m gradient, 3D60 dipoles with 0.4 T central field, 15 and 30 degree Z-bend injection line dipole/quadrupole combined function magnets, and extraction line magnets. More details about the magnets can be found in a report by G. Mahler. Field quality in all the 6Q12 quadrupoles, 3D60 dipoles and the injection line magnets has been measured with either a rotating coil, or a Hall probe mapper. This report presents the results of these magnetic measurements.

After implementing several energy efficiency standards and labels (30 products covered by MEPS, 50 products covered by voluntary labels and 19 products by mandatory labels), the China National Institute of Standardization (CNIS) is now implementing verification and compliance mechanism to ensure that the energy information of labeled products comply with the requirements of their labels. CNIS is doing so by organizing check testing on a random basis for room air-conditioners, refrigerators, motors, heaters, computer displays, ovens, and self -ballasted lamps. The purpose of the check testing is to understand the implementation of the Chinese labeling scheme and help local authorities establishing effective compliance mechanisms. In addition, to ensure robustness and consistency of testing results, CNIS has coordinated a round robin testing for room air conditioners. Eight laboratories (Chinese (6), Australian (1) and Japanese (1)) have been involved in the round robin testing and tests were performed on four sets of samples selected from manufacturer's production line. This paper describes the methodology used in undertaking both check and round robin testing, provides analysis of testing results and reports on the findings. The analysis of both check and round robin testing demonstrated the benefits of a regularized verification and monitoring system for …

In FY2009, PNNL performed scoping studies to qualify two waste form candidates, tellurite (TeO2-based) glasses and halide minerals, for the electrochemical waste stream for further investigation. Both candidates showed promise with acceptable PCT release rates and effective incorporation of the 10% fission product waste stream. Both candidates received reprisal for FY2010 and were further investigated. At the beginning of FY2010, an in-depth literature review kicked off the tellurite glasses study. The review was aimed at ascertaining the state-of-the-art for chemical durability testing and mixed chloride incorporation for tellurite glasses. The literature review led the authors to 4 unique binary and 1 unique ternary systems for further investigation which include TeO2 plus the following: PbO, Al2O3-B2O3, WO3, P2O5, and ZnO. Each system was studied with and without a mixed chloride simulated electrochemical waste stream and the literature review provided the starting points for the baseline compositions as well as starting points for melting temperature, compatible crucible types, etc. The most promising glasses in each system were scaled up in production and were analyzed with the Product Consistency Test, a chemical durability test. Baseline and PCT glasses were analyzed to determine their state, i.e., amorphous, crystalline, phase separated, had undissolved material within …

Bulk samples and thin films were fabricated and characterized to determine their suitability for studying the effect of composition and morphology on strain sensitivity. Heat capacity and resistivity data are used to determine the critical temperature distribution. It is found that all bulk samples contain stoichiometric Nb{sub 3}Sn regardless of their nominal Nb to Sn ratio. Furthermore, in bulk samples with Cu additions, a bi-modal distribution of stoichiometric and off-stoichiometric Nb-Sn is found. Thus the nominally off-stoichiometric bulk samples require additional homogenization steps to yield homogeneous off-stoichiometric samples. A binary magnetron-sputtered thin film has the intended off-stoichiometric Nb-Sn phase with a mid-point critical temperature of 16.3 K. This type of sample is a suitable candidate for investigating the strain sensitivity of A15 Nb{sub 1-{beta}}Sn{sub {beta}}, with 0.18 < {beta} < 0.25. The strain sensitivity of Nb-Sn as a function of composition and morphology is important for an in-depth understanding of the strain sensitivity of composite Nb{sub 3}Sn wires.

TOUGHREACT is a numerical simulation program for chemically reactive non-isothermal flows of multiphase fluids in porous and fractured media, and was developed by introducing reactive chemistry into the multiphase fluid and heat flow simulator TOUGH2 V2. The first version of TOUGHREACT was released to the public through the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Science and Technology Software Center (ESTSC) in August 2004. It is among the most frequently requested of ESTSC's codes. The code has been widely used for studies in CO{sub 2} geological sequestration, nuclear waste isolation, geothermal energy development, environmental remediation, and increasingly for petroleum applications. Over the past several years, many new capabilities have been developed, which were incorporated into Version 2 of TOUGHREACT. Major additions and improvements in Version 2 are discussed here, and two application examples are presented: (1) long-term fate of injected CO{sub 2} in a storage reservoir and (2) biogeochemical cycling of metals in mining-impacted lake sediments.

Proceedings of the Environmental Health Information Partnership (EnHIP) Meeting March 25-26, 2010

Bike sharing is an exciting new model of public-private transportation provision that has quickly emerged in the past five years. Technological advances have overcome hurdles of early systems and cities throughout the globe are adopting this model of transportation service. Electric bikes have simultaneously gained popularity in many regions of the world and some have suggested that shared electric bikes could provide an even higher level of service compared to existing systems. There are several challenges that are unique to shared electric bikes: electric-assisted range, recharging protocol, and bike and battery checkout procedures. This paper outlines system requirements to successfully develop and deploy an electric bike sharing system, focusing on system architecture, operational concepts, and battery management. Although there is little empirical evidence, electric bike sharing could be feasible, depending on demand and battery management, and can potentially improve the utility of existing bike sharing systems. Under most documented bike sharing use scenarios, electric bike battery capacity is insufficient for a full day of operation, depending on recharging protocol. Off-board battery management is a promising solution to address this problem. Off-board battery management can also support solar recharging. Future pilot tests will be important and allow empirical evaluation of electric …

Torrefaction is currently developing as an important preprocessing step to improve the quality of biomass in terms of physical properties, and proximate and ultimate composition. Torrefaction is a slow heating of biomass in an inert or reduced environment to a maximum temperature of 300 C. Torrefaction can also be defined as a group of products resulting from the partially controlled and isothermal pyrolysis of biomass occurring in a temperature range of 200-230 C and 270-280 C. Thus, the process can also be called a mild pyrolysis as it occurs at the lower temperature range of the pyrolysis process. At the end of the torrefaction process, a solid uniform product with lower moisture content and higher energy content than raw biomass is produced. Most of the smoke-producing compounds and other volatiles are removed during torrefaction, producing a final product that will have a lower mass but a higher heating value. An important aspect of research is to establish a degree of torrefaction where gains in heating value offset the loss of mass. There is a lack of literature on torrefaction reactor designs and a design sheet for estimating the dimensions of the torrefier based on capacity. This study includes (a) conducting …

The purpose of the Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico (SNL/NM) Environmental Management System (EMS) is identification of environmental consequences from SNL/NM activities, products, and/or services to develop objectives and measurable targets for mitigation of any potential impacts to the environment. This Source Document discusses the annual EMS process for analysis of environmental aspects and impacts and also provides the fiscal year (FY) 2010 analysis. Further information on the EMS structure, processes, and procedures are described within the programmatic EMS Manual (PG470222).

This dissertation measures the t{bar t} production cross section at the Run II CDF detector using data from early 2001 through March 2007. The Tevatron at Fermilab is a p{bar p} collider with center of mass energy {radical}s = 1.96 TeV. This data composes a sample with a time-integrated luminosity measured at 2.2 {+-} 0.1 fb{sup -1}. A system of learning machines is developed to recognize t{bar t} events in the 'lepton plus jets' decay channel. Support Vector Machines are described, and their ability to cope with a multi-class discrimination problem is provided. The t{bar t} production cross section is then measured in this framework, and found to be {sigma}{sub t{bar t}} = 7.14 {+-} 0.25 (stat){sub -0.86}{sup +0.61}(sys) pb.

This document provides information on the possible human exposure to environmental media potentially contaminated with radiological materials and chemical constituents from operations at Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico (SNL/NM). This report is based on the best available information for Calendar Year (CY) 2008, and was prepared in support of future analyses, including those that may be performed as part of the SNL/NM Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement.

Electrofuels Project: LBNL is improving the natural ability of a common soil bacteria called Ralstonia eutropha to use hydrogen and carbon dioxide for biofuel production. First, LBNL is genetically modifying the bacteria to produce biofuel at higher concentrations. Then, LBNL is using renewable electricity obtained from solar, wind, or wave power to produce high amounts of hydrogen in the presence of the bacteria—increasing the organism’s access to its energy source and improving the efficiency of the biofuel-creation process. Finally, LBNL is tethering electrocatalysts to the bacteria’s surface which will further accelerate the rate at which the organism creates biofuel. LBNL is also developing a chemical method to transform the biofuel that the bacteria produce into ready-to-use jet fuel.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) uses the computer codes FRAPCON-3 and FRAPTRAN to model steady state and transient fuel behavior, respectively, in regulatory analysis. In order to effectively model fuel behavior, material property correlations must be used for a wide range of operating conditions (e.g. temperature and burnup). In this sense, a 'material property' is a physical characteristic of the material whose quantitative value is necessary in the analysis process. Further, the property may be used to compare the benefits of one material versus another. Generally speaking, the material properties of interest in regulatory analysis of nuclear fuel behavior are mechanical or thermodynamic in nature. The issue of what is and is not a 'material property' will never be universally resolved. In this report, properties such as thermal conductivity are included. Other characteristics of the material (e.g. fission gas release) are considered 'models' rather than properties, and are discussed elsewhere. Still others (e.g., neutron absorption cross-section) are simply not required in this specific analysis. The material property correlations for the FRAPCON-3 and FRAPTRAN computer codes were documented in NUREG/CR-6534 and NUREG/CR-6739, respectively. Some of these have been modified or updated since the original code documentation was published. The primary …

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory was contracted by CHPRC to evaluate the release of 99Tc from spent resin used to treat water from well 299-W15-765 and stored for several years. The key questions to be answered are: 1) does 99Tc readily release from the spent ion exchange resin after being in storage for several years; 2) if hot water stripping is used to remove the co-contaminant carbon tetrachloride, will 99Tc that has been sequestered by the resin be released; and 3) can spent resin be encapsulated into a cementitious waste form; if so, how much 99Tc would be released from the weathering of the monolith waste form? The results from the long term stability leach test results confirm that the resin is not releasing a significant amount of the sequestered 99Tc, evident by the less than 0.02% of the total 99Tc loaded being identified in the solution. Furthermore, it is possible that the measured 99Tc concentration is the result of 99Tc contained in the pore spaces of the resin. In addition to these results, analyses conducted to examine the impact of hot water on the release of 99Tc suggest that only a small percentage of the total is being released. This …

There are many applications that need a meso-scale rotational actuator. These applications have been left by the wayside because of the lack of actuation at this scale. Sandia National Laboratories has many unique fabrication technologies that could be used to create an electromagnetic actuator at this scale. There are also many designs to be explored. In this internship exploration of the designs and fabrications technologies to find an inexpensive design that can be used for prototyping the electromagnetic rotational actuator.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is conducting research and development to support the resurgence of nuclear power in the United States for both electrical power generation and production of process heat required for industrial processes such as the manufacture of hydrogen for use as a fuel in automobiles. The project is called the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project, which is based on a Generation IV reactor concept called the very high temperature reactor (VHTR). The VHTR will be of the prismatic or pebble bed type; the former is considered herein. The VHTR will use helium as the coolant at temperatures ranging from 250°C to perhaps 1000°C. While computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has not previously been used for the safety analysis of nuclear reactors in the United States, it is being considered for existing and future reactors. It is fully recognized that CFD simulation codes will have to be validated for flow physics reasonably close to actual fluid dynamic conditions expected in normal operational and accident situations. The “Standard Problem” is an experimental data set that represents an important physical phenomenon or phenomena, whose selection is based on a phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT) for the reactor in …

Fact sheet describing NREL CSP Program capabilities in the area of advanced reflector and absorber materials: evaluating performance, determining degradation rates and lifetime, and developing new coatings.

We present a measurement of the WW + WZ production cross section observed in a final state consisting of an identified electron or muon, two jets, and missing transverse energy. The measurement is carried out in a data sample corresponding to up to 4.6 fb{sup -1} of integrated luminosity at {radical}s = 1.96 TeV collected by the CDF II detector. Matrix element calculations are used to separate the diboson signal from the large backgrounds. The WW + WZ cross section is measured to be 17.4 {+-} 3.3 pb, in agreement with standard model predictions. A fit to the dijet invariant mass spectrum yields a compatible cross section measurement.