A microfluidic switch has been demonstrated using an AC Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pumping mechanism in which the Lorentz force is used to pump an electrolytic solution. By integrating two AC MHD pumps into different arms of a Y-shaped fluidic circuit, flow can be switched between the two arms. This type of switch can be used to produce complex fluidic routing, which may have multiple applications in {micro}TAS.

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Adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) computations are complicated by their dynamic nature. The development of solvers for realistic applications is complicated by both the complexity of the AMR and the geometry of realistic problem domains. The additional complexity of distributed memory parallelism within such AMR applications most commonly exceeds the level of complexity that can be reasonable maintained with traditional approaches toward software development. This paper will present the details of our object-oriented work on the simplification of the use of adaptive mesh refinement on applications with complex geometries for both serial and distributed memory parallel computation. We will present an independent set of object-oriented abstractions (C++ libraries) well suited to the development of such seemingly intractable scientific computations. As an example of the use of this object-oriented approach we will present recent results of an application modeling fluid flow in the eye. Within this example, the geometry is too complicated for a single curvilinear coordinate grid and so a set of overlapping curvilinear coordinate grids' are used. Adaptive mesh refinement and the required grid generation work to support the refinement process is coupled together in the solution of essentially elliptic equations within this domain. This paper will focus on the …

The D-Zero crane rail is analyzed for use as an anchor support for a one person Horizon{trademark} Horizontal Lifeline system that will span the pit area at D-Zero assembly hall. The lifeline will span 75 ft across the pit area, will be located out of the travel of the crane and above the concrete lentil wall. The crane rail is a suitable anchor for a one person Horizon TM Horizontal Lifeline system. The expected stress on the rail is 1,995 psi which has a factor of safety of 5.5 on the allowable stress. The anchor position is located 18 feet away from the concrete lentil wall and out of the travel of the overhead crane.

The authors compare the results of computer simulated flow fields around a complex building (B170) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) with field measurements. This is the first stage of a large effort to assess the ability of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models to predict atmospheric dispersion scenarios around building complexes. At this stage, the focus is on accurate simulation of the velocity field. Two types of simulations were performed: predictive and post-experiment. The purpose of the predictive runs was primarily to provide initial guidance for the planning of the experiment. By developing an approximate understanding of the major features of the flow field, they were able to more effectively deploy the sensors. The post-experiment runs were performed for several reason: (1) the largest amount of experimental data was available for slightly different wind directions than the directions used in the initial calculations. The predictive runs simulated three wind directions: 200, 225, and 250 degrees measured from true north. Although, the winds did blow generally from the southwest (typical summer conditions for this site), the most appropriate data available was for 210, 225, and 240 degrees. (2) They wanted to explore the sensitivity of the predictions to various levels of …

Bioventing (BV) is a promising, cost-effective technology for the biodegradation of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons. The goal of BV is to stimulate naturally-occurring soil microorganisms to degrade organic contaminants in the soil. In natural systems the rate of biodegradation is eventually limited by the lack of oxygen and other electron acceptors (i.e., a compound that gains electrons during biodegradation) rather than by the lack of nutrients (i.e., electron donors). In conventional bioventing systems, oxygen is delivered by an electric blower to subsurface wells. The airflow rate is usually low in contrast to soil vapor extraction, just enough to provide sufficient oxygen to maintain or enhance microbial activity. In order to design a bioventing system wisely, decision makers should understand the role that design variables may play. Those design variables include locations of injection wells, injection rates, air pressure and moisture at wells, water table control, monitoring well locations, etc. Trade-off between these variables should be made before the implementation of a bioventing system. Obviously, the mathematical model corresponding to the multiphase flow and multi-species reactive transport is essential to describing the relations between design variables and system response. The work phases for the project are: (Phase 1) building biodegradation …

Ever-stringent environmental constraints dictate that future coal cleaning technologies be compatible with micron-size particles. This research program seeks to develop an advanced coal cleaning technology uniquely suited to micron-size particles, i.e., aqueous biphase extraction. The partitioning behavior of fly ash in the PEG-2000 Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4}/H{sub 2}O system was studied and the solid in each fraction was characterized by CHN analysis (carbon content), X-ray diffraction (XRD; crystal component), and inductively coupled plasma spectrophotometry (ICP; elemental composition in the ash). In the pH range from 2 to 5, the particles separated into two different layers, i.e., the polymer-rich (top) and salt-rich (bottom) layers. However, above pH 5, the particles in the polymer-rich phase split into two zones. The percent carbon content of the solids in the upper zone ({approximately}80 wt%) was higher than that in the parent sample (63.2 wt%), while the lower zone in the polymer-rich phase had the same percent ash content as the original sample. The particles in the salt-rich phase were mainly composed of ash (with < 4 wt% carbon content). However, when the solid concentration in the whole system increased from 1 wt% to 2 wt%, this 3-fraction phenomenon only occurred above pH 10. XRD results …

The purpose of this study was to identify sludge mobilization technologies that can be readily installed in double-shell tanks along with mixer pumps to augment mixer pump operation when mixer pumps do not adequately mobilize waste. The supplementary technologies will mobilize sludge that may accumulate in tank locations out-of-reach of the mixer-pump jet and move the sludge into the mixer-pump range of operation. The identified technologies will be evaluated to determine if their performances and configurations are adequate to meet requirements developed for enhanced sludge removal systems. The study proceeded in three parallel paths to identify technologies that: (1) have been previously deployed or demonstrated in radioactive waste tanks, (2) have been specifically evaluated for their ability to mobilize or dislodge waste simulants with physical and theological properties similar to those anticipated during waste retrieval, and (3) have been used in similar industrial conditions, bu t not specifically evaluated for radioactive waste retrieval.

Pyrolysis of trimethylindium (TMIn) in a hot-wall flow-tube reactor has been investigated at temperatures between 573 and 723 K using a modulated molecular-beam mass-sampling technique and detailed numerical modeling. The TMIn was exposed to various mixtures of carrier gases: He, H{sub 2}, D{sub 2}, and C{sub 2}H{sub 4}, in an effort to elucidate the behavior exhibited by this compound in different chemical environments. The decomposition of TMIn is a heterogeneous, autocatalytic process with an induction period that is carrier-gas dependent and lasts on the order of minutes. After activation of the tube wall, the thermolysis exhibits a steady-state behavior that is surface mediated. This result is contrary to prior literature reports, which state that decomposition occurs in the gas phase via successive loss of the CH{sub 3} ligands. This finding also suggests that the bond dissociation energy for the (CH{sub 3}){sub 2}In-CH{sub 3} bond derived from flow-tube investigations is erroneous and should be reevaluated.

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A prototype oligonucleotide ''functional chip'' has been developed to screen novel DNA repair proteins for their ability to bind or alter different forms of DNA. This chip has been developed as a functional genomics screen for analysis of protein-DNA interactions for novel proteins identified from the Human Genome Project The process of novel gene identification that has ensued as a consequence of available sequence information is remarkable. The challenge how lies in determining the function of newly identified gene products in a time-and cost-effective high-throughput manner. The functional chip is generated by the robotic application of DNA spotted in a microarray format onto a glass slide. Individual proteins are then analyzed against the different form of DNA bound to the slide. Several prototype functional chips were designed to contain various DNA fragments tethered to a glass slide for analysis of protein-DNA binding or enzymatic activity of known proteins. The technology has been developed to screen novel, putative DNA repair proteins for their ability to bind various types of DNA alone and in concert with protein partners. An additional scheme has been devised to screen putative repair enzymes for their ability to process different types of DNA molecules. Current methods to …

Biomass is a proven option for electricity generation. A diverse range of biopower producers includes electric utilities, independent power producers, and the pulp and paper industry. To help expand opportunities for biomass power production, the U.S. Department of Energy established the Biopower Program and is sponsoring efforts to increase the productivity of dedicated energy crops. The Program aims to double biomass conversion efficiencies, thus reducing biomass power generation costs. These efforts will promote industrial and agricultural growth, improve the environment, create jobs, increase U.S. energy security, and provide new export markets.

Biomass is a proven option for electricity generation. A diverse range of biopower producers includes electric utilities, independent power producers, and the pulp and paper industry. To help expand opportunities for biomass power production, the U.S. Department of Energy established the Biopower Program and is sponsoring efforts to increase the productivity of dedicated energy crops. The Program aims to double biomass conversion efficiencies, thus reducing biomass power generation costs. These efforts will promote industrial and agricultural growth, improve the environment, create jobs, increase U.S. energy security, and provide new export markets.

Biomass is a proven option for electricity generation. A diverse range of biopower producers includes electric utilities, independent power producers, and the pulp and paper industry. To help expand opportunities for biomass power production, the U.S. Department of Energy established the Biopower Program and is sponsoring efforts to increase the productivity of dedicated energy crops. The Program aims to double biomass conversion efficiencies, thus reducing biomass power generation costs. These efforts will promote industrial and agricultural growth, improve the environment, create jobs, increase U.S. energy security, and provide new export markets.

Biomass is a proven option for electricity generation. A diverse range of biopower producers includes electric utilities, independent power producers, and the pulp and paper industry. To help expand opportunities for biomass power production, the U.S. Department of Energy established the Biopower Program and is sponsoring efforts to increase the productivity of dedicated energy crops. The Program aims to double biomass conversion efficiencies, thus reducing biomass power generation costs. These efforts will promote industrial and agricultural growth, improve the environment, create jobs, increase U.S. energy security, and provide new export markets.

This is a quarterly newsletter relating to DOE building programs and technology.

Florida legislation enacted in 1976 directed the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) to develop standards for solar energy systems manufactured or sold in the state, establish criteria for testing the performance of solar energy systems, and provide a means to display compliance with approved performance tests for these systems. This mandate has been effectively implemented for both solar domestic water heating and solar pool heating systems. With growing interest and markets for photovoltaic systems, plans are presently being developed to expand the scope of the mandate to include photovoltaic technology. This paper discusses four complementary facets of a photovoltaic (PV) system certification program. They include PV module performance characterization and rating; PV system design review and approval; examination and authorization of photovoltaic system installers; and inspection and acceptance testing of PV system installation. The suggested photovoltaic system process builds on lessons learned from over 20 years of testing, certifying and labeling of solar thermal collectors, and the certification of solar thermal systems.

This project will examine the chemical speciation of neptunium in spent nuclear fuel. The R&D fields covered by the project include waste host materials and actinide chemistry. Examination of neptunium is chosen since it was identified as a radionuclide of concern by the NERI workshop. Additionally, information on the chemical form of neptunium in spent fuel is lacking. The identification of the neptunium species in spent fuel would allow a greater scientific based understanding of its long-term fate and behavior in waste forms. Research to establish the application and development of X-ray synchrotrons radiation (XSR) techniques to determine the structure of aqueous, adsorbed, and solid actinide species of importance to nuclear considerations is being conducted at Argonne. These studies extend current efforts within the Chemical Technology Division at Argonne National Laboratory to investigate actinide speciation with more conventional spectroscopic and solids characterization (e.g. SEM, TEM, and XRD) methods. Our project will utilize all these techniques for determining neptunium speciation in spent fuel. We intend to determine the chemical species and oxidation state of neptunium in spent fuel and alteration phases. Different types of spent fuel will be examined. Once characterized, the chemical behavior of the identified neptunium species will be …

The purpose of this analysis is to document the Quality Assurance (QA) classification of the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) waste handling building ventilation system structures, systems and components (SSCs) performed by the MGR Preclosure Safety and Systems Engineering Section. This analysis also provides the basis for revision of YMP/90-55Q, Q-List (YMP 2000). The Q-List identifies those MGR SSCs subject to the requirements of DOE/RW-0333P, ''Quality Assurance Requirements and Description'' (QARD) (DOE 2000). This QA classification incorporates the current MGR design and the results of the ''Design Basis Event Frequency and Dose Calculation for Site Recommendation'' (CRWMS M&O 2000a) and ''Bounding Individual Category 1 Design Basis Event Dose Calculation to Support Quality Assurance Classification'' (Gwyn 2000).

The purpose of this analysis is to document the Quality Assurance (QA) classification of the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) waste package remediation system structures, systems, and components (SSCs) performed by the MGR Preclosure Safety and Systems Engineering Section. This analysis also provides the basis for revision of YMP/90-55Q, Q-List (YMP 2000). The Q-List identifies those MGR SSCs subject to the requirements of DOE/RW-0333P7 ''Quality Assurance Requirements and Description'' (QARD) (DOE 2000).

This fact sheet summarizes the activities of the Clean Cities International Program.

This fact sheet summarizes the accomplishments of the programs of the Clean Cities that won National Partner awards for 1999.