Tennessee`s Resource Valley, a regional economic development organization, was asked to facilitate a two-year, $750,000 grant from the Department of Energy. The grant`s purpose is to make the East Tennessee region less dependent on federal funds for its economic well-being and to increase regional awareness of the advantages of proximity to the Department of Energy facilities in Oak Ridge. Tennessee`s Resource Valley`s mission is to market the mid-East Tennessee region`s business location advantages to corporate decision makers and to facilitate regional initiatives that impact the creation of quality job opportunities. Tennessee`s Resource Valley represents the following fifteen (15) counties in East Tennessee: Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Scott, Sevier, and Union.

The following accomplishments were made on task 4. Reproducibility of Catalyst Preparation: (1) Five slurry reactor tests were completed. Three tests were conducted using catalyst C (100 Fe/3 Cu/4 K/16 SiO{sub 2}) from three different batches (runs SB-2695, SB-2145 and SA-2715), and two tests were conducted with catalyst B (100 Fe/5 Cu/6 K/24 SiO{sub 2}) from two different preparation batches (runs SA-2615 and SB-2585). Performance of catalysts from different batches (activity, selectivity and deactivation rates) was similar to that of catalysts from the original batch (synthesized during DOE Contract DE- AC22-89PC89868). Thus, another major objective of the present contract, demonstration of reproducibility of catalyst preparation procedure and performance, has been accomplished. With these tests the work on Task 4 has been successfully completed. Two fixed bed reactor tests of catalysts B and C synthesized using potassium silicate solution as the source of potassium promoter were completed during this period (Task 5. The Effect of Source of Potassium and Basic Oxide Promoter). Activity of catalysts prepared using potassium silicate as the source of potassium promotion was somewhat higher, and their methane selectivities were higher than those of the corresponding catalysts prepared by incipient wetness impregnation using KHCO{sub 3} as the source …

The effective forming of near-net-shape parts from aluminum alloys is of significant interest for automotive and aerospace applications. It has traditionally been thought that the very high tensile ductilities necessary for many near-net-shape forming operations, in excess of 100%, were only available in fine-grain superplastic materials. Tensile ductilities in excess of 300%, however, have been attained in coarse-grain, non-superplastic, binary Al-Mg alloys as a result of a solute-drag-controlled dislocation creep process. Such enhanced ductilities from non-superplastic Al-Mg alloys might offer an inexpensive alternative to superplastic alloys that often require elaborate processing to develop fine grain sizes. In this investigation, tension tests at various temperatures and strain rates were used to characterize the ductility, strain-rate sensitivity, and strain-hardening behavior of two binary alloys: Al-2.8 wt.%Mg and Al-5.5 wt.%Mg. Under the proper conditions, tensile elongations of 300% were achieved. The tensile elongations in these binary alloys were governed not by the onset of tensile instability in the classical sense, but by the rate of neck propagation when failure occurred by necking to a point. Predictions of tensile ductility for the case of failure by necking were made using a simple numerical model, and the results are correlated with data from the two …

In a response to potential risks to public health and safety, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is evaluating the recovery of sealed neutron sources under the Radioactive Source Recovery Program (RSRP). This proposed program would enhance the DOE`s and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission`s (NRC`s) joint capabilities in the safe management of commercially held radioactive source materials. Currently there are no federal or commercial options for the recovery, storage, or disposal of sealed neutron sources. This Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzes the potential environmental impacts that would be expected to occur if the DOE were to implement a program for the receipt and recovery at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, New Mexico, of unwanted and excess plutonium-beryllium ({sup 238}Pu-Be) and americium-beryllium ({sup 241}Am-Be) sealed neutron sources. About 1 kg (2.2 lb) plutonium and 3 kg (6.6 lb) americium would be recovered over a 15-year project. Personnel at LANL would receive neutron sources from companies, universities, source brokers, and government agencies across the country. These neutron sources would be temporarily stored in floor holes at the CMR Hot Cell Facility. Recovery reduces the neutron emissions from the source material and refers to a process by which: (1) the …

The Appalachian Clean Coal Technology Consortium (ACCTC) has been established to help U.S. Coal producers, particularly those in the Appalachian region, increase the production of lower-sulfur coal. The cooperative research conducted as part of the consortium activities will help utilities meet the emissions standards established by the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, enhance the competitiveness of U.S. coals in the world market, create jobs in economically-depressed coal producing regions, and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign energy supplies. In keeping with the recommendations of the Advisory Committee, first-year R&D activities are focused on two areas of research: fine coal dewatering and modeling of spirals. The industry representatives to the Consortium identified fine coal dewatering as the most needed area of technology development. Dewatering studies are being conducted by Virginia Tech`s Center for Coal and Minerals Processing. A spiral model will be developed by West Virginia University. The most promising approach to improving spiral separation efficiency is through extensive computer modeling of fluid and solids flow in the various operating regions of the spiral. Accomplishments for these two tasks are described.

We have developed a laser system that incoroprates a vector phase conjugate mirror that corrects for both spatial and polarization distortions. The fractional output coupling can be varied mechanically from 0 to 100%.

Several challenges existed in creating a system that would be valuable for training operators: the robustness and accuracy of the process model, the operator interface to the process, and the communication between the operator interface and the process models. Cost and implementation time were also important factors. Two possible implementation plans were examined. The first option was to develop a computer tool through which the operator could operate the process through interaction with the mouse and keyboard. The entire panel board system could be created in computer graphics and a process model attached. The second option was to construct a complete replica of the control room panelboard in a training environment. Operations personnel expressed a strong preference for creating the panel board replica. Concerns were expressed about the comfort level of the operators training on a computer tool, and the value of the operators becoming thoroughly familiar with the physical location of the equipment in the panelboard was believed to be high. It was therefore decided to create a replica of the control room panelboard.

This five year project is intended to ensure the availability of well-characterized, high-quality coal samples for public and private coal research. It continues support of the DOE Coal Sample Bank and Database at The Pennsylvania State University. Thirty coal samples will be collected, processed, packaged, and analyzed, and a resulting database will be maintained. These samples and data, as well as 26 samples collected under previous contracts, will be distributed to DOE contractors and others performing coal research. Samples will be chosen to maintain a sample bank of 56 coals representing the major U.S. coal fields and a variety of coal ranks and compositions. In addition to standard analyses, liquefaction tests and organic geochemical analyses will be performed. The samples will be stored to minimize deterioration, and will be monitored annually by proximate, sulfur forms, and gaseous oxygen analysis to evaluate their condition. These samples will be used for additional research on the influence of changes in surface chemistry on surface properties, the influence of sample deterioration on liquefaction properties, and the mechanisms of coal oxidation. A revised work statement has been submitted to DOE, setting out a reduction in effort following a cut in the level of funding of …

A system is being developed by the Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC) to provide data integration and worldwide management and tracking of surface cargo movements. The Integrated Cargo Database (ICDB) will be a data repository for the WPS terminal-level system, will be a primary source of queries and cargo traffic reports, will receive data from and provide data to other MTMC and non-MTMC systems, will provide capabilities for processing Advance Transportation Control and Movement Documents (ATCMDs), and will process and distribute manifests. This System/Subsystem Specifications for the Worldwide Port System Regional ICDB documents the system/subsystem functions, provides details of the system/subsystem analysis in order to provide a communication link between developers and operational personnel, and identifies interfaces with other systems and subsystems. It must be noted that this report is being produced near the end of the initial development phase of ICDB, while formal software testing is being done. Following the initial implementation of the ICDB system, maintenance contractors will be in charge of making changes and enhancing software modules. Formal testing and user reviews may indicate the need for additional software units or changes to existing ones. This report describes the software units that are components of this ICDB …

Understanding of the long-term dissolution of waste forms in groundwater is required for the safe disposal of high level nuclear waste in a geologic repository, because waste-form radionuclides could be released by dissolution and transported in groundwater. The dissolution of the uranium dioxide (UO{sub 2}) matrix in spent nuclear fuel is considered the rate-limiting step for release of radioactive fission products. The intrinsic UO{sub 2} dissolution rate sets an upper limit on the aqueous radionuclide release rate. Unsaturated spent fuel tests have shown that pH`s of leachates have decreased to a range of 4 to 6, presumably due to air radiolysis that oxidizes nitrogen, producing nitric acid. Dissolution rates under such acidic conditions may be different than those previously reported for alkaline groundwater conditions. No dissolution rate measurements of UO{sub 2} or spent fuel have been reported for acidic conditions possibly relevant to a geologic repository. The purpose of our work has been to measure the intrinsic dissolution rates of uranium dioxide under acidic conditions that are relevant to a repository and allow for modeling. Experiments have been completed at room-temperature and 75 C, pH`s of 4 and 6, and air and oxygen saturated aqueous solutions. These are compared with …

Oxide catalysis plays a central role in hydrocarbon processing and improvements in catalytic activity or selectivity are of great technological importance because these improvements will translate directly into more efficient utilization of hydrocarbon supplies and lower energy consumption in separation processes. An understanding of the relationships between surface structure and catalytic properties is needed to describe and improve oxide catalysts. The approach has been to prepare supported oxides that have a specific structure and oxidation state and then employ these structures in reaction studies. The current research program is focused on studying the fundamental relationships between structure and reactivity for two important reactions that are present in many oxide-catalyzed processes, partial oxidation and carbon-carbon bond formation. During the course of these studies the author has: (1) developed methods to form and stabilize various Mo and W oxide structures on silica; (2) studied C-H abstraction reactions over the fully oxidized cations; (3) studied C-C bond coupling by metathesis and reductive coupling of aldehydes and ketones over reduced cation structures; and (4) initiated a study of hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis over reduced cation structures.

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 …

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.

A compact filter/mask/window assembly has been designed for undulator beamline commissioning activity at the Advanced Photon Source beamlines. The assembly consists of one 300-{mu}m graphite filter, one 127-{mu}m CVD diamond filter and two 250-{mu}m beryllium windows. A water-cooled Glidcop fixed mask with a 4.5-mm {times} 4.5-mm output optical aperture and a 0.96-mrad {times} 1.6-mrad beam missteering acceptance is a major part in the assembly. The CVD diamond filter which is mounted on the downstream side of the fixed mask is designed to also function as a transmitting x-ray beam position monitor. The sum signal from the latter can be used to monitor the physical condition of the graphite filter and prevent any possible chain reaction damage to the beryllium windows downstream. In this paper, the design concept as well as the detailed structural design of the commissioning window are presented. Further applications of the commissioning window commissioning window components are also discussed.

Automatic control of fine coal cleaning circuits has traditionally been limited by the lack of sensors for on-line ash analysis. Although several nuclear-based analyzers are available, none have seen widespread acceptance. This is largely due to the fact that nuclear sensors are expensive and tend to be influenced by changes in seam type and pyrite content. Recently, researchers at VPI and SU have developed an optical sensor for phosphate analysis. The sensor uses image processing technology to analyze video images of phosphate ore. It is currently being used by Texasgulf for off-line analysis of dry flotation concentrates. The primary advantages of optical sensors over nuclear sensors are that they are significantly cheaper, are not subject to measurement variations due to changes in high atomic number minerals, are inherently safer and require no special radiation permitting. The purpose of this work is to apply the knowledge gained in the development of an optical phosphate analyzer to the development of an on-line ash analyzer for fine coal slurries. During the past quarter, a study was conducted to determine if monochromatic illumination could be used as a means of enhancing the differences observed between coal and mineral matter under reflected light. After extensive …

Closed orbit feedback for the Advanced Photon Source (APS) storage ring employs unified global an local feedback systems for stabilization of particle and photon beams based on digital signal processing (DSP). Hardware and software aspects of the system will be described. In particular, we will discuss global and local orbit feedback algorithms, PID (proportional, integral, and derivative) control algorithm. application of digital signal processing to compensate for vacuum chamber eddy current effects, resolution of the interaction between global and local systems through decoupling, self-correction of the local bump closure error, user interface through the APS control system, and system performance in the frequency and time domains. The system hardware, including the DSPS, is distributed in 20 VNE crates around the ring, and the entire feedback system runs synchronously at 4-kHz sampling frequency in order to achieve a correction bandwidth exceeding 100 Hz. The required data sharing between the global and local feedback systems is facilitated via the use of fiber-optically-networked reflective memories.

Work continued from last quarter related to studies of heat transfer and fluid flow in porous media. One experiment focused on issues of drying in subresidually-saturated systems. The other experiment deals with studies of flows in a repository-like geometry around a heated horizontal annulus. In the subresidual saturation studies, elevated temperature environments were considered during this quarter. A 1 in. {times} 8 ft long heating tape (heating capabilities of 8.6 W/in{sup 2}) with an on-off type temperature controller has been used to maintain a constant temperature on the aluminum test section (the latter has been described in earlier reports). Nitrogen gas with a flow rate of 1 SLPM was flowed through a glass-bead medium with an isothermal (90{degrees}C) boundary condition. The drying characteristics of this system are reported. In a second experiment, that of flow and heat transfer around a simulated drift, a low, constant heat flux boundary condition on the heater has been used. Two different admitted water quantities, 200 ml and 300 ml, have been used as before. The response of temperatures and relative humidity in the porous medium and annulus are very similar to the results of the high constant heat flux on the case of 300 …

We describe the role for the next-generation ``superlasers`` in the study of matter under extremely high energy density conditions, in comparison to previous uses of nuclear explosives for this purpose. As examples, we focus on three important areas of physics that have unresolved issues which must be addressed by experiment: Equations of state, hydrodynamic mixing, and the transport of radiation. We will describe the advantages the large lasers will have in a comprehensive experimental program.

Over the last several decades many experiments have been conceived to study the ignition of pulverized coal and other solid fuels. We are constructing a laser-based apparatus which offers several advantages over those currently favor. Sieve-sized particles are dropped batch-wise into a laminar, upward-flow wind tunnel which is constructed with a quartz test section. The gas stream is not preheated. A single pulse from a Nd:YAG laser is focused through the tunnel and ignites several particles. The transparent test section and cool walls allow for application of two-color pyrometry to measure the particles` temperature history during ignition and combustion. Coals ranging in rank from lignites to low-volatile bituminous, and chars derived from these Coals, will be studied in this project. For each fuel type, measurements of the ignition temperature under various experimental conditions (particle size and free-stream oxygen concentration), combined with a detailed analysis of the ignition process, will permit the determination of kinetic rate constants of ignition. This technique offers many advantages over conventional drop-tube furnace experiments. One is the ability to directly measure ignition temperature rather than inferring it from measurements of the minimum gas temperature needed to induce ignition. Another advantage is the high heating rates achievable …

The Light Duty Utility (LDUA) Cold Test Facility, located in the Hanford 400 Area, will be used to support cold testing (pre- operational tests) of LDUA subsystems. Pre-operational testing is composed of subsystem development testing and rework activities, and integrated system qualification testing. Qualification testing will be conducted once development work is complete and documentation is under configuration control. Operational (hot) testing of the LDUA system will follow the testing covered in this plan and will be covered in a separate test plan

This 4th quarter report summarizes activity from July 1, 1995 through October 1, 1995; the report is organized as usual into sections describing background information and work performed under the main WBS categories: The Fuel Processor (WBS 1.0) team activity during this quarter focused on the continued design/development of the full scale fuel processing hardware. The combustor test stand has been completed allowing more detailed testing of the various parts of the combustor subsystem; this subsystem is currently being evaluated using the dual fuel (methanol/hydrogen) option to gain a better understanding of the control issues. The Fuel Cell Stack (WBS 2.0) team activity focused on material analysis and testing to determine the appropriate approach for the first GM stack. Five hundred hours of durability was achieved on a single cell fixture using coated titanium plates (anode and cathode) with no appreciable voltage degradation of the SEL (Stack Engineering Lab) produced MEA. Additionally, the voltage level drop across each of the plates remained low (<5mv) over the full test period; The system integration and control team focused on the initial layout and configuration of the system; and the Reference powertrain and commercialization studies are currently under review.

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 last quarter, we performed image analyses of gas bubble size using photographs obtained from the multistage column. In this quarter, the bubble size measurements in the conventional column was carried out. Also, correlations for results on gas holdup, bubble size and specific interfacial area were developed. In Table 1.1, the project schedule shows work accomplished to data.

The Spent Nuclear Fuel Project (SNFP) has undertaken technology acquisition activities focused on supporting the technical basis for the removal of the N Reactor fuel from the K Basins to an interim storage facility. The purpose of these technology acquisition activities has been to identify technology issues impacting design or safety approval, to establish the strategy for obtaining the necessary information through either existing project activities, or the assignment of new work. A set of specific path options has been identified for each major action proposed for placing the N Reactor fuel into a ``stabilized`` form for interim storage as part of this refined technical basis. This report summarizes the status of technology information acquisition as it relates to key decisions impacting the selection of specific path options. The following specific categories were chosen to characterize and partition the technology information status: hydride issues and ignition, corrosion, hydrogen generation, drying and conditioning, thermal performance, criticality and materials accountability, canister/fuel particulate behavior, and MCO integrity. This report represents a preliminary assessment of the technology information supporting the SNFP. As our understanding of the N Reactor fuel performance develops the technology information supporting the SNFP will be updated and documented in later …

We propose a genetic algorithm that evolves families of rules from a set of examples. Inputs and outputs of the problem are discrete and nominal values which makes it difficult to use alternative learning methods that implicitly regard a metric space. A way how to encode sets of rules is presented together with special variants of genetic operators suitable for this encoding. The solution found by means of this process can be used as a core of a rule-based expert system.