Delaware Basin Monitoring Annual Report (open access)

Delaware Basin Monitoring Annual Report

The Delaware Basin Drilling Surveillance Program (DBDSP) is designed to monitor drilling activities in the vicinity of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). This program is based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements. EPA requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to demonstrate the expected performance of the disposal system using a probabilistic risk assessment or performance assessment (PA). This PA must show that the expected repository performance will not release radioactive material above limits set by the EPA's standard and must consider inadvertent drilling into the repository at some future time.
Date: September 28, 2001
Creator: Washington Regulatory and Environmental Services
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Hydrodynamic Modeling of a Multi-Pulse X-Ray Converter Target for DARHT - II (open access)

Hydrodynamic Modeling of a Multi-Pulse X-Ray Converter Target for DARHT - II

In phase two of the Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test facility (DARHT-II), four electron beam pulses of variable pulse length strike an X-ray converter target to produce time-resolved X-ray image. An important requirement for the converter target is to minimize the hydrodynamic expansion of the converter material so that there is enough material to generate the required X-ray dose for all four pulses. Minimizing the hydrodynamic expansion is also important from the standpoint of beam transport. If there is too much expansion of the converter material, the spot-size of the beam will deteriorate due to the charge neutralization of the beam by the target plasma. The beam spot size can also be deteriorated by backstreaming ions. However, this effect can be minimized by placing a barrier foil in front of the target. In this paper, we present a converter target design, based on the simulations using the radiation hydrodynamics code LASNEX and the Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCNP, that can produce the required X-ray dose for all four pulses with tolerable X-ray spot size variation. Our calculations also show that the barrier foil may block the backstreaming ions for all four pulses.
Date: June 28, 2001
Creator: Ho, D. D. M.; Chen, Y. J.; Harte, J. & Young, D.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Workshop of the Physics of Compressible Turbulent Mixing (open access)

International Workshop of the Physics of Compressible Turbulent Mixing

None
Date: November 28, 2001
Creator: Schilling, O
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Technical Review of Retrieval and Closure Plans for the INEEL INTEC Tank Farm Facility (open access)

Technical Review of Retrieval and Closure Plans for the INEEL INTEC Tank Farm Facility

The purpose of this report is to document the conclusions of a technical review of retrieval and closure plans for the Idaho National Energy and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) Tank Farm Facility. In addition to reviewing retrieval and closure plans for these tanks, the review process served as an information exchange mechanism so that staff in the INEEL High Level Waste (HLW) Program could become more familiar with retrieval and closure approaches that have been completed or are planned for underground storage tanks at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Hanford sites. This review focused not only on evaluation of the technical feasibility and appropriateness of the approach selected by INEEL but also on technology gaps that could be addressed through utilization of technologies or performance data available at other DOE sites and in the private sector. The reviewers, Judith Bamberger of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Dr. Barry Burks of The Providence Group Applied Technology, have extensive experience in the development and application of tank waste retrieval technologies for nuclear waste remediation.
Date: September 28, 2001
Creator: Bamberger, Judith A.; Burks, Barry L.; Quigley, Keith D.; Butterworth, S. W. & Falter, Diedre D.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Polymers for Chemical Sensors Using Hydrosilylation Chemistry (open access)

Polymers for Chemical Sensors Using Hydrosilylation Chemistry

Sorbent and functionalized polymers play a key role in a diverse set of fields, including chemical sensors, separation membranes, solid phase extraction techniques, and chromatography. Sorbent polymers are critical to a number of sensor array or "electronic nose" systems. The responses of the sensors in the array give rise to patterns that can be used to distinguish one compound from another, provided that a sufficiently diverse set of sensing materials is present in the array. Figure 1 illustrates the concept of several sensors, each with a different sensor coating, giving rise to variable responses to an analyte that appear as a pattern in bar graph format. Using hydrosilylation as the bond-forming reaction, we have developed a versatile and efficient approach to developing sorbent polymers with diverse interactive properties for sensor applications. Both the chemical and physical properties of these polymers are predictable and tunable by design.
Date: June 28, 2001
Creator: Grate, Jay W.; Kaganove, Steven N. & Nelson, David A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Gas Releases During Saltcake Dissolution for Retrieval of Single-Shell Tank Waste, Rev. 1 (open access)

Gas Releases During Saltcake Dissolution for Retrieval of Single-Shell Tank Waste, Rev. 1

It is possible to retrieve a large fraction of soluble waste from the Hanford single-shell waste tanks (SSTs) by dissolving it with water. This retrieval method will be demonstrated in Tanks U-107 and S-112 in the next few years. If saltcake dissolution proves practical and effective, many of the saltcake SSTs may be retrieved by this method. Many of the SSTs retain flammable gas that will be released into the tank headspace as the waste dissolves. This report describes the physical processes that control dissolution and gas release. Calculation results are shown and describe how the headspace hydrogen concentration evolves during dissolution. The observed spontaneous and induced gas releases from SSTs are summarized, and the dissolution of the crust layer in SY-101 is discussed as a recent example of full-scale dissolution of saltcake containing a large volume of retained gas. The report concludes that the dissolution rate is self-limiting and that gas release rates are relatively low.
Date: December 28, 2001
Creator: Stewart, Charles W.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Radionuclide Activities in Contaminated Soils: Effects of Sampling Bias on Remediation of Coarse-Grained Soils in Hanford Formation (open access)

Radionuclide Activities in Contaminated Soils: Effects of Sampling Bias on Remediation of Coarse-Grained Soils in Hanford Formation

Only a limited set of particle size-contaminant concentration data is available for soils from the Hanford Site. These data are based on bench-scale tests on single soil samples from one waste site each in operable units 100-BC-1, 100-DR-1, and 100-FR-1, and three samples from the North Pond 300-FF-1 operable unit. The objective of this study was to 1) examine available particle size-contaminant of concern activity and concentration data for 100 and 300 Area soils, 2) assess the effects of sampling bias, 3) suggest sampling protocols, and 4) formulate a method to determine the contaminant of concern activities and concentrations of the whole soil based on the measurements conducted on a finer size fraction of the whole soil.
Date: August 28, 2001
Creator: Mattigod, Shas V. & Martin, Wayne J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Vascular Plants of the Hanford Site (open access)

Vascular Plants of the Hanford Site

This report provides an updated listing of the vascular plants present on and near the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site. This document is an update of a listing of plants prepared by Sackschewdky et al. in 1992. Since that time there has been a significant increase in the botanical knowledge of the Hanford Site. The present listing is based on an examination of herbarium collections held at PNNL, at WSU-Tri Cities, WSU-Pullman, Bringham Young University, and The University of Washington, and on examination of ecological literature derived from the Hanford and Benton county areas over the last 100 years. Based on the most recent analysis, there are approximately 725 different plant species that have been documented on or around the Hanford Site. This represents an approximate 20% increase in the number of species reported within Sackschewsky et al. (1992). This listing directly supports DOE and contractor efforts to assess the potential impacts of Hanford Site operations on the biological environment, including impacts to rare habitats and to species listed as endangered or\ threatened. This document includes a listing of plants currently listed as endangered, threatened, or otherwise of concern to the Washington Natural Heritage Program or the U.S. Fish …
Date: September 28, 2001
Creator: Sackschewsky, Michael R. & Downs, Janelle L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Development of a Remotely Operated NDE System for Inspection of Hanford's Double Shell Waste Tank Knuckle Regions (open access)

Development of a Remotely Operated NDE System for Inspection of Hanford's Double Shell Waste Tank Knuckle Regions

This report documents work performed at the PNNL in FY01 to support development of a Remotely Operated NDE (RONDE) system capable of inspecting the knuckle region of Hanford's DSTs. The development effort utilized commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology wherever possible and provided a transport and scanning device for implementing the SAFT and T-SAFT techniques.
Date: September 28, 2001
Creator: Pardini, Allan F.; Alzheimer, James M.; Crawford, Susan L.; Diaz, Aaron A.; Gervais, Kevin L.; Harris, Robert V. et al.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Femtosecond x-ray detectors via optical gating (open access)

Femtosecond x-ray detectors via optical gating

None
Date: June 28, 2001
Creator: Glover, T.E.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Second and Third Quarter Hanford Seismic Report for Fiscal Year 2001 (open access)

Second and Third Quarter Hanford Seismic Report for Fiscal Year 2001

This report describes the seismic activity on the Hanford Site during the 2nd and 3rd quarters of FY01
Date: September 28, 2001
Creator: Hartshorn, Donald C.; Reidel, Stephen P.; Rohay, Alan C. & Valenta, Michelle M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Chemometric Classification of Unknown Vapors by Conversion of Sensor Array Pattern Vectors to Vapor Descriptors: Extension from Mass-Transducing Sensors To Volume-Transducing Sensors (open access)

Chemometric Classification of Unknown Vapors by Conversion of Sensor Array Pattern Vectors to Vapor Descriptors: Extension from Mass-Transducing Sensors To Volume-Transducing Sensors

A new chemometric method was recently described for classifying unknowns by transforming the vector containing the responses from a multivariate detector to a vector containing descriptors of the detected analyte (Grate et al. 1999). This approach was derived for sensor arrays where each sensor's signal is proportional to the amount of vapor sorbed by a polymer on the sensor surface. In this case, the response is proportional to the partition coefficient, K, and the concentration of the vapor in the gas phase, Cv, where K is the ratio of the concentration of vapor in the sorbent polymer phase, Cs, to Cv.
Date: June 28, 2001
Creator: Grate, Jay W. & Wise, Barry M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Evaluation of Codisposal Viability for TH/U Carbide (Fort Saint Vrain HTGR) DOE-Owned Fuel (open access)

Evaluation of Codisposal Viability for TH/U Carbide (Fort Saint Vrain HTGR) DOE-Owned Fuel

There are more than 250 forms of US Department of Energy (DOE)-owned spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Due to the variety of the spent nuclear fuel, the National Spent Nuclear Fuel Program has designated nine representative fuel groups for disposal criticality analyses based on fuel matrix, primary fissile isotope, and enrichment. The Fort Saint Vrain reactor (FSVR) SNF has been designated as the representative fuel for the Th/U carbide fuel group. The FSVR SNF consists of small particles (spheres of the order of 0.5-mm diameter) of thorium carbide or thorium and high-enriched uranium carbide mixture, coated with multiple, thin layers of pyrolytic carbon and silicon carbide, which serve as miniature pressure vessels to contain fission products and the U/Th carbide matrix. The coated particles are bound in a carbonized matrix, which forms fuel rods or ''compacts'' that are loaded into large hexagonal graphite prisms. The graphite prisms (or blocks) are the physical forms that are handled in reactor loading and unloading operations, and which will be loaded into the DOE standardized SNF canisters. The results of the analyses performed will be used to develop waste acceptance criteria. The items that are important to criticality control are identified based on the analysis …
Date: September 28, 2001
Creator: Radulescu, H.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
International Environmental Technology Identification, Development, Demonstration, Deployment and Exchange (open access)

International Environmental Technology Identification, Development, Demonstration, Deployment and Exchange

Cooperative Agreement (DE-FC21-95EW55101) between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Florida State University's Institute for International Cooperative Environmental Research (IICER) was designed to facilitate a number of joint programmatic goals of both the DOE and the IICER related to international technology identification, development, demonstration and deployment using a variety of mechanisms to accomplish these goals. These mechanisms included: laboratory and field research; technology demonstrations; international training and technical exchanges; data collection, synthesis and evaluation; the conduct of conferences, symposia and high-level meetings; and other appropriate and effective approaches. The DOE utilized the expertise and facilities of the IICER at Florida State University to accomplish its goals related to this cooperative agreement. The IICER has unique and demonstrated capabilities that have been utilized to conduct the tasks for this cooperative agreement. The IICER conducted activities related to technology identification, development, evaluation, demonstration and deployment through its joint centers which link the capabilities at Florida State University with collaborating academic and leading research institutions in the major countries of Central and Eastern Europe (e.g., Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland) and Russia. The activities and accomplishments for this five-year cooperative agreement are summarized in this Final Technical Report.
Date: February 28, 2001
Creator: Herndon, Roy C.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Atomic scale heating in energetic plasma deposition (open access)

Atomic scale heating in energetic plasma deposition

Energetic deposition using filtered cathodic arc plasma is known to lead to well adherent and dense films. Interface mixing, subplantation depth, texture, and stress of the growing film are often studied as a function of the kinetic energy of condensing ions. Ions have also potential energy contributing to atomic scale heating, secondary electron emission and potential sputtering, thereby affecting all film properties. A table is presented showing kinetic and potential energies of ions in cathodic arc plasmas. These energies are greater than the binding energy, surface binding energy, and activation energy of surface diffusion. The role of potential energy on film growth is not limited to the cathodic arc plasma deposition process.
Date: September 28, 2001
Creator: Anders, Andre
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Department of Energy Integrated Manufacturing & Processing Predoctoral Fellowships. 2000-2001 Annual Progress Report. Reporting period - July 1, 2000 - June 30, 2001 (open access)

U.S. Department of Energy Integrated Manufacturing & Processing Predoctoral Fellowships. 2000-2001 Annual Progress Report. Reporting period - July 1, 2000 - June 30, 2001

Administration and management of predoctoral fellowship program for the reporting period. The objective of the program was threefold: to create a pool of PhD's trained in the integrated approach to manufacturing and processing, to promote academic interest in the field, and to attract talented professionals to this challenging area of engineering. It was anticipated that the program would result in the creation of new manufacturing methods that would contribute to improved energy efficiency, to better utilization of scarce resources, and to less degradation of the environment. Emphasis in the competition was on integrated systems of manufacturing and the integration of product design with manufacturing processes.
Date: August 28, 2001
Creator: Willis, J.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Electromagnetic Imaging of CO2 Sequestration at an Enhanced Oil Recovery Site (open access)

Electromagnetic Imaging of CO2 Sequestration at an Enhanced Oil Recovery Site

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is currently involved in a long term study using time-lapse multiple frequency electromagnetic (EM) characterization at a waterflood enhanced oil recovery (EOR) site in California operated by Chevron Heavy Oil Division in Lost Hills, California (Figure 1). The petroleum industry's interest and the successful imaging results from this project suggest that this technique be extended to monitor CO{sub 2} sequestration at an EOR site also operated by Chevron. The impetus for this study is to develop the ability to image subsurface injected CO{sub 2} during EOR processes while simultaneously discriminating between pre-existing petroleum and water deposits. The goals of this study are to combine laboratory and field methods to image a pilot CO{sub 2} sequestration EOR site using the cross-borehole EM technique, improve the inversion process in CO{sub 2} studies by coupling results with petrophysical laboratory measurements, and focus on new gas interpretation techniques. In this study we primarily focus on how joint field and laboratory results can provide information on subsurface CO{sub 2} detection, CO{sub 2} migration tracking, and displacement of petroleum and water over time. This study directly addresses national energy issues in two ways: (1) the development of field and laboratory techniques …
Date: February 28, 2001
Creator: Kirkendall, B. & Roberts, J.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
WABASH RIVER IMPPCCT, INTEGRATED METHANOL AND POWER PRODUCTION FROM CLEAN COAL TECHNOLOGIES (open access)

WABASH RIVER IMPPCCT, INTEGRATED METHANOL AND POWER PRODUCTION FROM CLEAN COAL TECHNOLOGIES

In a joint effort with the U.S. Department of Energy, working under a Cooperative Agreement Award from the ''Early Entrance Coproduction Plant'' (EECP) initiative, the Gasification Engineering Corporation and an Industrial Consortium are investigating the application of synthesis gas from the E-GAS{trademark} technology to a coproduction environment to enhance the efficiency and productivity of solid fuel gasification combined cycle power plants. The objectives of this effort are to determine the feasibility of an Early Entrance Coproduction Plant located at a specific site which produces some combination of electric power (or heat), fuels, and/or chemicals from synthesis gas derived from coal, or, coal in combination with some other carbonaceous feedstock. The project's intended result is to provide the necessary technical, financial, and environmental information that will be needed to move the EECP forward to detailed design, construction, and operation by industry. The Wabash River Integrated Methanol and Power Production from Clean Coal Technologies (IMPPCCT) project is evaluating integrated electrical power generation and methanol production through clean coal technologies. The project is conducted by a multi-industry team lead by Gasification Engineering Corporation (GEC), and supported by Air Products and Chemicals Inc., The Dow Chemical Company, Dow Corning Corporation, Methanex Corporation, and Siemens …
Date: September 28, 2001
Creator: Strickland, Doug
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Mission Fuel Kinetics Input and RELAP-like Calculations (open access)

Mission Fuel Kinetics Input and RELAP-like Calculations

In this document issued according to ''Work Release 02. P. 99-4b'' the neutronics parameters intended for use in 1-point kinetics RELAP model are presented. They are obtained for equilibrium 30% MOX fueled core of VVER-1000 containing boron burnable poison rods.
Date: September 28, 2001
Creator: Pavlovichev, A.M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Four-Dimensional Characterization of Paper Web at the Wet End (open access)

Four-Dimensional Characterization of Paper Web at the Wet End

This report presents a detailed description of a vision system whose purpose is to detect and to localize the nonuniformities that appear on the paper slurry (wood fiber and water mixture) at the wet end of a paper machine. Specifically, the system is capable of monitoring the paper slurry upon its exit from the headbox and alerting the operators of any event (e.g., streaks) that disrupts the otherwise homogeneous background. Such events are thought to affect crucial product properties such as formation, which if poor, results in thick and thin spots on the sheet and impacts its strength and printability. This report describes the vision system in terms of its hardware modules, as well as the image processing algorithms that it utilizes to perform its function. Basically, the system acquires both intensity and topographic information from the scene and uses texture-based features for the detection, and facet-based descriptors for the localization of the nonuniformities. In addition to being tested in a laboratory environment, a prototype of this system was constructed and deployed to a paper mill, where its performance was evaluated under realistic conditions. Installed on a fourdrinier paper machine, running at 480 m/min and producing linerboard material, the vision …
Date: February 28, 2001
Creator: Goddard, JS
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Willamette Basin Mitigation Program, Annual Report 1999-2000. (open access)

Willamette Basin Mitigation Program, Annual Report 1999-2000.

None
Date: January 28, 2001
Creator: Sieglitz, Greg
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Waste Package Design Methodology Report (open access)

Waste Package Design Methodology Report

The objective of this report is to describe the analytical methods and processes used by the Waste Package Design Section to establish the integrity of the various waste package designs, the emplacement pallet, and the drip shield. The scope of this report shall be the methodology used in criticality, risk-informed, shielding, source term, structural, and thermal analyses. The basic features and appropriateness of the methods are illustrated, and the processes are defined whereby input values and assumptions flow through the application of those methods to obtain designs that ensure defense-in-depth as well as satisfy requirements on system performance. Such requirements include those imposed by federal regulation, from both the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and those imposed by the Yucca Mountain Project to meet repository performance goals. The report is to be used, in part, to describe the waste package design methods and techniques to be used for producing input to the License Application Report.
Date: September 28, 2001
Creator: Brownson, D.A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
LTA Physics Design: Description of All MOX Pin LTA Design (open access)

LTA Physics Design: Description of All MOX Pin LTA Design

In this document issued according to Work Release 02. P. 99-lb the results of neutronics studies of <<100%Pu>> MOX LTA design are presented. The parametric studies of infinite MOX-UOX grids, MOX-UOX core fragments and of VVER-1000 core with 3 MOX LTAs are performed. The neutronics parameters of MOX fueled core have been performed for the chosen design MOX LTA using the Russian 3D code BIPR-7A and 2D code PERMAK-A with the constants prepared by the cell spectrum code TVS-M.
Date: September 28, 2001
Creator: Pavlovichev, A.M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Characterizing the fabric of the urban environment: A case study of Salt Lake City, Utah (open access)

Characterizing the fabric of the urban environment: A case study of Salt Lake City, Utah

Urban fabric data are needed in order to estimate the impact of light-colored surfaces (roofs and pavements) and urban vegetation (trees, grass, shrubs) on the meteorology and air quality of a city, and to design effective implementation programs. In this report, we discuss the result of a semi-automatic Monte-Carlo statistical approach used to develop data on surface-type distribution and city-fabric makeup (percentage of various surface-types) using aerial color orthophotography. The digital aerial photographs for Salt Lake City covered a total of about 34 km2 (13 mi2). At 0.50-m resolution, there were approximately 1.4 x 108 pixels of data. Four major land-use types were examined: (1) commercial, (2) industrial, (3) educational, and (4) residential. On average, for the areas studied, vegetation covers about 46 percent of the area (ranging 44-51 percent), roofs cover about 21 percent (ranging 15-24 percent), and paved surfaces about 26 percent (ranging 21-28 percent). For the most part, trees shade streets, parking lots, grass, and sidewalks. In most non-residential areas, paved surfaces cover 46-66 percent of the area. In residential areas, on average, paved surfaces cover about 32 percent of the area. Land-use/land-cover (LU/LC) data from the United States Geological Survey were used to extrapolate these results …
Date: February 28, 2001
Creator: Akbari, Hashem & Rose, L. Shea
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library