In order to develop an initial estimate of the potential competitiveness of low temperature (45 degrees C to 100 degrees C) geothermal resources on the Eastern Coastal Plain, the Center for Metropolitant Planning and Research of The Johns Hopkins University reviewed and compared available energy price projections. Series of projections covering the post-1985 period have been made by the Energy Information Administration, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and by private research firms. Since low temperature geothermal energy will compete primarily for the space and process heating markets currently held by petroleum, natural gas, and electricity, projected trends in the real prices for these fuels were examined. The spread in the current and in projected future prices for these fuels, which often serve identical end uses, underscores the influence of specific attributes for each type of fuel, such as cleanliness, security of supply, and governmental regulation. Geothermal energy possesses several important attributes in common with electricity (e.g., ease of maintenance and perceived security of supply), and thus the price of electric space heating is likely to be an upper bound on a competitive price for geothermal energy. Competitiveness would, of course, be increased if geothermal heat could be delivered for prices closer to …

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This report deals with the development of methods and techniques for measuring the amounts of radioisotope on the stack wall, in ash, stack gas and atmosphere during and after incineration in the conventional refuse-type destructor.

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This report describes the main features of the results obtained in the course of this project. A new approach to the systematic development of closure relations for the averaged equations of disperse multiphase flow is outlined. The focus of the project is on spatially non-uniform systems and several aspects in which such systems differ from uniform ones are described. Then, the procedure used in deriving the closure relations is given and some explicit results shown. The report also contains a list of publications supported by this grant and a list of the persons involved in the work.

A new technique for removal of elemental mercury from emissions of coal-fired utilities was investigated. The key idea is to selectively photo ionize the mercury atoms. A strong electric field gradient then drags them to the negative plate where they can be collected and removed.

The technical report outlines the results of nine years of research on how ions cross the inner envelope membrane of chloroplasts. The ions include protons, nitrite, calcium and ferrous iron. Bicarbonate transport was also studied.

This report summarizes the research of the Principal Investigator, his postdoctoral research associates, and his students during the period of the award. The majority of the work concerns the behavior of hadrons containing strange, charm, bottom and top quarks, with a particular focus on the extraction of Cabibbo--Kobayashi--Maskawa matrix elements from experiments performed on such systems.

This proposed research addresses one of the long outstanding fundamental problems in materials science, the mechanisms of deformation in amorphous metals. Due to the lack of long-range translational order, details of structural defects and their behaviors in metallic glasses have not been accessible in experiments. In addition, the small dimensions of the amorphous alloys made early by rapid quenching impose severe limit on many standard mechanical and microscopy testing. As a result, the microscopic mechanism of deformation in the amorphous materials has not been established. The recent success in synthesis of bulk metallic glass overcomes the difficulty in standard testing; but the barrier for understanding the defect process and microscopic mechanisms of deformation still remains. Amorphous metals deform in a unique way by shear banding. As a result, there is no work hardening, little macroscopic plasticity, and catastrophic failure. To retain and improve the inherent high strength, large elastic strain, and high toughness in amorphous metals, a variety of synthesis activities are currently underway including making metallic glass matrix composites. These new explorations call for a quantitative understanding of deformation mechanisms in both the monolithic metallic glasses as well as their composites. The knowledge is expected to give insight and …

This report describes results on six years of research on how bacteria store nickel and then mobilize it into the active center of enzymes.

This research grant supported the creation and initial development of a new kind of chemical detector; one that can detect species at part per trillion levels because it does not rely on the direct measurement of a species presence; rather, it uses an indirect measurement of the effect of the trace species on the condensation nucleation of a supersaturated vapor. Since this nucleation process is extremely sensitive to the concentrations of certain types of impurities, this nucleation-based detection can be made more sensitive than any current spectroscopic detector.

Experimental shock-tube data for the aerodynamic heating at the stagnation point on spherical bodies at superorbital and suborbital flight velocities (U/sub/0) have been compiled from a number of sources and compared to theoretical predictions. It was found that the empirical correlation given by Detra, Kemp and Riddell is remarkably close to a least-squares fit of the data. It is therefore recommended that their correlation be used for continuum flow theoretical predictions of the laminar hypersonic convective stagnation-point heating rate to spherical bodies in the region U/sub/0 - 6000 to 58,000 ft/sec.

The probability of accidents to tractor semitrailers is developed through analysis of accident frequency data in relation to season; geographical factors; road type, traffic and populatlon density; and type of carrier business. Maximum likelihood rates are developed for the potential carriers of radioactivity. Impact characteristics of accidents are studied through the analysis of mass, speed, and energy relations and the effect of these on vehicle and cargo damages is explored. (auth)

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K-capture to positron branching ratios were measured in the decay of Na/ sup 22/, Co/sup 58/, and Ga/sup 68/ -- all pure Gamow-Teller emitters, using coincidence scintillation spectrometer techniques. The measured values are 0.105 plus or minus 0.004 for Na/sup 22/, 5.08 plus or minus 0.17 for Co/sup 58/, and 1.28 plus or minus 0.12 and 0.10 plus or minus 0.02 for Ga/sup 58/. From these the Fierz interference terra is computed to be b =--0.004 plus or minus 0.012, -0.004 plus or minus 0.14, --0-03 plus or minus 0.02, and +0.03 plus or minus 0.01, respectively. These results indicate that the Fierz interference in Gamow-Teller interaction is very small. The decay of 270 day Ge/sup 68/ was investigated in equilibrium with Ga/sup 68/ to look for a possible low-lying 0+ level in Ga/sup 68/ using x-ray--x-ray and x-ray- gamma -ray coincidences. The result was negative. Besides the 9 kev K x ray, the 1.07 Mev gamma ray in the decay of Ga/sup 68/ and annihilation radiation, no other gamma rays were detected (<8% of 1.07 Mev gamma ray). The number of positrons per 1.07 Mev gamma - quantum was determined as 19.47 plus or minus 2.10. The ratio of …

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Nineteen papers presented at the Conference on the Transport of Radionuclides in Fresh Water Systems are given. Separate abstracts were prepared for 18 papers; one was previously abstracted for NSA. (M.C.G.)

This quarterly report summarizes work on the following tasks as of September 30, 1982: (1) OTEC pilot plant conceptual design review; (2) OTEC methanol; (3) financial and legal considerations in OTEC implementation; (4) GEOTEC resource exploration at Adak, Alaska, and Lualualei, Hawaii; (5) preliminary GEOTEC plant cost estimates; and (6) supervision of testing of pneumatic wave energy conversion system.

This progress report describes gains made in three projects entitled (1) 3-Dimensional nuclear topography of genes and chromosomes in interphase nuclei, (2) Sequence specific identification and perturbation of the genomic DNA in living cells by nonionic oligonucleotide analogs (Matagen), and Resolution and isolation of specific DNA restriction fragments.(DT)