A number of activities are underway as part of the Spent Nuclear Fuels Project (SNFP) related to the processing and disposing of sludge in the 105-K Basins (K Basins). Efforts to rigorously define data requirements for these activities are being made using the Data Quality Objectives (DQO) process. Summaries of current sludge characterization data are required to both help support this DQO process and to allow continued progress with on-going engineering activities (e.g., evaluations of disposal alternatives). This document provides the status of K Basins sludge characterization data currently available to the Nuclear Fuel Evaluations group. This group is tasked by the SNFP to help develop and maintain the characterization baseline for the K Basins. The specific objectives of this document are to: (1) provide a current summary (and set of references) of sludge characterization data for use by SNFP initiatives, to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort and to support on-going initiatives; (2) submit these data to an open forum for review and comment, and identify additional sources of significant data that may be available; (3) provide a summary of current data to use as part of the basis to develop requirements for additional sludge characterization data through the DQO …

None

The addition of a solenoid magnet and VLPC detectors are two of a number of upgrades which will occur at the D-Zero detector in the near future. Both of these upgrades will require cryogenic services for their operation. The purpose of this engineering note is to document the pipe/tube size choices made for these cryogenic services. This was done by calculating the required flow rates to cool down the magnet and VLPC's over a reasonable length of time and to determine the required piping sizes for a given allowable pressure drop. The pressure drops for steady state conditions also are addressed. The cool down requirements drove the pipe size decision. The raw engineering calculations that were done for this project are included as an appendix to this note. The body of this document discusses the methods and results of the calculations. As a quick summary, Figures 1 and 2 show the size selections. Tables 1 and 2 give a more detailed size and description of each section of Solenoid and VLPC transfer line.

This engineering note documents the calculations that were done to support the valve size selection for the magnet flow control valve, EVMF in the solenoid control dewar. The size selected was a control valve with a Cv = 0.32.

This engineering note documents the thermodynamic operating parameter goals for the steady state operation of the control dewar/solenoid system. Specifically, how the control dewar pressure control valve, PV-3062-H and the magnet flow control valve EVMF are operated to give the lowest possible temperature fluid at the solenoid magnet. The goals are: (1) For PV-3062-H - The process variable is the helium reservoir pressure, minimize the reservoir pressure, provide only enough pressure plus a little margin to ensure leads flow; and (2) For EVMF - The process variable is firstly a manual setpoint of flowrate as read by the flow venturi, FE3253-H, and secondly the reservoir liquid level, minimize the pressure drop thru the solenoid cooling tubes, provide at least enough flow to maintain reservoir level and stable operation of the magnet. The thermodynamic states for the fluid thru the system are shown on the Pressure versus Temperature graph. Lines of constant enthalpy are also shown. State A is shown as two phase liquid entering the inlet of the subcooler. The subcooler subcools the fluid to State B. State B to State C is caused by the pressure drop across EVMF. State C to D is the estimated pressure drop from …

We report the development and on-vehicle testing of an engineering prototype zinc/air battery. The battery is refueled by periodic exchange of spent electrolyte for zinc particles entrained in fresh electrolyte. The technology is intended to provide a capability for nearly continuous vehicle operation, using the fleet s home base for 10 minute refuelings and zinc recycling instead of commercial infrastructure. In the battery, the zinc fuel particles are stored in hoppers, from which they are gravity fed into individual cells and completely consumed during discharge. A six-celled (7V) engineering prototype battery was combined with a 6 V lead/acid battery to form a parallel hybrid unit, which was tested in series with the 216 V battery of an electric shuttle bus over a 75 mile circuit. The battery has an energy density of 140 Wh/kg and a mass density of 1.5 kg/L. Cost, energy efficiency, and alternative hybrid configurations are discussed.

Nitrogen gas has been used in experimental studies related to understanding issues in the extension of multi-phase models to sub-residual saturation conditions during drying. Two different flow rates of 1 SLPM and 0.5 SLPM with a room temperature boundary condition on the aluminum column have been examined. Information about variations of humidity and temperatures is given. It is shown that the situation that exists in the experiments is somewhat different than that found in typical assumptions made by numerical modelers. Work planned for the next quarter is outlined. The apparatus used for the work noted above will be supplemented to allow other temperature conditions than ambient to be evaluated. Temperatures up to 90{degree}C will be used. Other work planned for the next period will involve the use of small-scale simulated repository experiment to determine temperatures and humidities around a horizontal heater within an annulus in a rigid porous medium. The effect of backfill on performance when episodic flows are encountered will be compared to results when backfill is not present (the latter results have been determined earlier).

This document contains the manual for using the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) Visual Editor.

This paper defines a few basic principles that are central to the regulation of natural gas distribution by local distribution companies in Maryland.

Research activities spanned multidisciplinary areas: structural and stress analysis of the container including nonlinear yield and damage assessment and structural stability studies of the dynamic behavior of the steel multipurpose container under normal and accidental handling conditions; nuclear fission criticality studies in the canisters; investigation of novel canister design concepts and corrosion studies; heat transfer studies of the waste canisters and in adjacent rock drifts; fluid flow in porous media and radionuclide transport in near field rock; stresses and stability of the rock formations resulting from thermal loading of fuel elements and multi-tunnel concept being analyzed; faulted rock tunnel model; and three link steel robot for remote handling of high level nuclear waste.

The overall objective of the proposed research program is to explore the potential application of a new invention involving a multistage column equipped with vortex-inducing loopflow contactors (hereafter referred to as the multistage flotation column) for flotation process. The research work will identify the design parameters and their effects on the performance of the separation process. The results of this study will provide a basis for further development of this technology. In the last quarter, we completed equipment design and started to construct the new column for hydrodynamic tests. In this quarter, Task 2 (Equipment Design and Construction) was completed, and the experimental work mainly focused on gas holdup measurement.

The relative efficiency of a thermoelectric material is measured in terms of a dimensionless figure of merit, ZT. Though all known thermoelectric materials are believed to have ZT{le}1, recent theoretical results predict that thermoelectric devices fabricated as two-dimensional quantum wells (2D QWs) or one-dimensional (ID) quantum wires could have ZT{ge}3. Multilayers with the dimensions of 2D QWs have been synthesized by alternately sputtering thermoelectric and barrier materials onto a moving single-crystal sapphire substrate from dual magnetrons. These materials have been used to test the thermoelectric quantum well concept and gain insight into relevant transport mechanisms. If successful, research could lead to thermoelectric devices that have efficiencies close to that of an ideal Carnot engine. Ultimately, such devices could be used to replace conventional heat engines and mechanical refrigeration systems.

The scrape-off layer (SOL) and divertor plasma in the DEEI-D tokamak has been modeled using the 2-D fluid code UEDGE. The resulting simulated plasmas are compared in detail with the numerous diagnostics available on the device. Good agreement is obtained between the experimental measurements and the simulations when relatively small values of the assumed anomalous perpendicular transport coefficients are used. We use a purely diffusive model for perpendicular transport, with transport coefficients which are constant in space. The value of each of these transport coefficients is varied in the simulation to match the measured upstream density and temperature profiles. The resulting plasma parameters are then compared with all other diagnostics which measure parameters at various poloidal locations in the SOL.

This report presents the lessons learned from a project that involved modification to the existing burial grounds at the Hanford Reservation. This project has been focused on the development and operation of a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act compliant landfill which will accept low-level radioactive wastes that have been placed in proper containers.

Enacted in 1977, the Department of Energy (DOE) Organization Act established the Energy Information Administration (EIA) as the Department`s independent statistical and analytical agency, with a mandate to collect and publish data and prepare analyses on energy production, consumption, prices, resources, and projections of energy supply and demand. This edition of the EIA Publications Directory contains titles and abstracts of periodicals and one-time reports produced by EIA from January through December 1994. The body of the Directory contains citations and abstracts arranged by broad subject categories: metadata, coal, oil and gas, nuclear, electricity, renewable energy/alternative fuels, multifuel, end-use consumption, models, and forecasts.

The overall objective of the proposed research program is to explore the potential application of a new invention involving a multistage column equipped with vortex-inducing loop-flow contactors (hereafter referred to as the multistage column) for fine coal cleaning process. The research work will identify the design parameters and their effects on the performance of the separation process. The results of this study will provide an engineering basis for further development of this technology in coal cleaning and in the general areas of fluid/particle separation. In the first year of the project, we completed equipment design, construction of the new column for hydrodynamic tests and gas holdup measurements. Also, we have initiated the determination of bubble size as part of the hydrodynamic measurements.

We discuss the upper limit to the baryonic contribution to the closure density. We consider effects of new observational and theoretical uncertainties in the primordial light element abundances, and the effects of fluctuation geometry on the inhomogeneous nucleosynthesis yields. We also consider implications of the possible detection of a high D/H abundance in a Lyman-{alpha} absorption cloud at high redshift and the implied chemical evolution effects of a high deuterium abundance. We show that there exists a region of the parameter space for inhomogeneous models in which a somewhat higher baryonic contribution to the closure density is possible than that allowed in standard homogeneous models. This result is contrary to some other recent studies and is due to both geometry and recently revised uncertainties in primordial light-element abundances, particularly {sup 7}Li. We find that the presently adopted abundance constraints are consistent with a contribution of baryons to the closure density as high as {Omega}{sub b}h{sub 50}{sup 2} {le} 0.11 ({eta} {le} 7 {times} 10{sup {minus}10}). This corresponds to a 20% increase over the limit from standard homogeneous models ({Omega}{sub b}h{sub 50}{sup 2} {le} 0.08, {eta} {le} 5.8 {times} 10{sup {minus}10}). With a high deuterium abundance the upper limits for the …

This paper describes the use of Fourier techniques to characterize the wavefront of optical components, specifically, the use of the power spectral density, (PSD), function. The PSDs of several precision optical components will be shown. Many of the optical components of interest to us have square, rectangular or irregularly shaped apertures with major dimensions up-to 800 mm. The wavefronts of components with non-circular apertures cannot be analyzed with Zernicke polynomials since these functions are an orthogonal set for circular apertures only. Furthermore, Zernicke analysis is limited to treating low frequency wavefront aberrations; mid-spatial scale and high frequency error are expressed only as ``residuals.`` A more complete and powerful representation of the optical wavefront can be obtained by Fourier analysis in 1 or 2 dimensions. The PSD is obtained from the amplitude of frequency components present in the Fourier spectrum. The PSD corresponds to the scattered intensity as a function of scattering angle in the wavefront and can be used to describe the intensity distribution at focus. The shape of a resultant wavefront or the focal spot of a complex multi-component laser system can be calculated and optimized using the PSDs of individual optical components which comprise it.

This report presents progress made on a technique for {sup 14}C dating pictographs. A low-temperature oxygen plasma is used coupled with high-vacuum technologies to selectively remove C-containing material in the paints without contamination from inorganic carbon from rock substrates or accretions.

The mixing pump, if dropped in the pump pit following its removal from the tank, is incapable of compromising the tank structure either locally or in a structural displacement mode to an extent which might allow dispersion of the contents. A drop from 10 ft above the pit floor (considered the maximum credible height) of a pump which is considered perfectly rigid does not approach the required perforation velocity. The velocity required to perforate requires a drop height which is physically impossible to attain with existing cranes. An analysis of the location of the deposition of the strain energy required to match the pump`s impact kinetic energy, the results of which are shown in Table 2, verifies that there is no credible chance for compromise of the tank roof by such a drop.

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board has directed the DOE to concentrate ear-term sampling and analysis activities on identification and resolution of issues (Conway 1993). The Data Quality Objective (DQO) process was chosen as a tool to be used in the resolution of safety issues. As a result, a revision in the Federal Facilities Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) milestone M-44-00 has been made, which states that ``A Tank Characterization Plan (TCP) will be developed for each double-shell tank (DST) and single-shell tank (SST) using the DQO process; Development of TCPs by the DQO process is intended to allow users (e.g., Hanford Facility user groups, regulators) to ensure their needs will be met and that resources are devoted to gaining only necessary information.`` This document satisfies that requirement for the tank 241-AP-107 (AP-107).

B Plant Process Condensate (BCP) liquid effluent stream is the condensed vapors originating from the operation of the B Plant low-level liquid waste concentration system. In the past, the BCP stream was discharged into the soil column under a compliance plan which expired January 1, 1987. Currently, the BCP stream is inactive, awaiting restart of the E-23-3 Concentrator. B Plant Steam Condensate (BCS) liquid effluent stream is the spent steam condensate used to supply heat to the E-23-3 Concentrator. The tube bundles in the E-23-3 Concentrator discharge to the BCS. In the past, the BCS stream was discharged into the soil column. Currently, the BCS stream is inactive. This project shall provide liquid effluent systems (BCP/BCS/BCE) capable of operating for a minimum of 20 years, which does not include the anticipated decontamination and decommissioning (D and D) period.

The Tokamak Physics Experiment (TPX) is designed to demonstrate features of an economically attractive steady state tokamak reactor. In this paper we present recent results from numerical studies of the proposed TPX divertor design (1), focusing on particle control and on radiative divertor scenarios for reducing the peak divertor heat flux. The configuration is an up/down symmetric double-null with a deep re-entrant slot geometry for the outer divertor legs.

The Department of Energy (Department), Idaho Operations Office (ID) is responsible for ensuring that its management and operating (M&O) contractors subcontract consultant services in a manner most advantageous to the Department. The objectives of the audit were to determine whether consultant subcontracts were competitively and objectively awarded and whether these subcontracts supported the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory`s (INEL) mission. The audit showed that M&O contractors generally did not award consultant subcontracts competitively and objectively. Also, many of the subcontracts were awarded to former INEL employees, increasing the potential for conflicts of interest. These problems occurred because M&O contractors` internal controls did not ensure that sole source procurements were adequately justified and that potential conflicts of interest were avoided. By not competing consultant subcontracts the Department may not have obtained the most economical consultant services. Further, the fundamental fairness upon which such subcontracts were awarded to former employees was questionable. Additionally, one INEL M&O contractor was subcontracting consultant support services directly for Department Headquarters. This occurred because Headquarters elements and the M&O contractor did not follow Department guidance prohibiting subcontractual support from an M&O contractor directly to Headquarters. As a result, the M&O contractor acted as a procurement agent for Headquarters …