High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors (HTGRs) utilize graphite-base fuels. Fluidized-bed burners are being employed successfully in the experimental reprocessing of these fuels. The primary fluidized-bed burner is a unit operation in the reprocessing flowsheet in which the graphite moderator is removed. A detailed description of the development status of the 0.20-m (8-in.) diameter primary fluidized-bed burner as of July 1, 1977 is presented. Experimental work to date performed in 0.10; 0.20; and 0.40-m (4, 8, and 16 in.) diameter primary burners has demonstrated the feasibility of the primary burning process and, at the same time, has defined more clearly the areas in which additional experimental work is required. The design and recent operating history of the 0.20-m-diameter burner are discussed, with emphasis placed upon the evolution of the current design and operating philosophy.

Forty kilowatts of solar cell modules was produced in this program. This is equivalent to 4123 modules. The average power output per module was 9.7 watts at 16.5 volts, 60/sup 0/C and 100 mW/cm/sup 2/. The peak production rate was 200 modules per week which is equal to 1.9 kW per week. This rate was sustained for over four and one-half months and is equivalent to 100 kW per year. The solar cell module design, electrical and power performance, module preproduction environmental test results, production and shipping schedule, program summary, and delivery are described. A cost analysis section is written. Particular emphasis on the percentage of labor and material utilized in constructing a solar cell module is presented. Also included are cost reduction recommendations. It was concluded from this program that volume production on the order of hundreds of kilowatts per year per company as a minimum is required to significantly reduce the price per watt for solar cell modules. Sensor Technology more than doubled its solar cell module manufacturing facilities since the completion of the JPL Block II procurement. Plans are being made for large scale expansion of our facilities to meet growing JPL/DOE procurements.

As part of a program to characterize the plant and animal life of the Laboratory site and surrounding areas, two breeding bird census plots were established in 1977 to document the occurrence and abundance of breeding species in two extreme successional stages of Long Island oak-pine forest. A 9.3-hectare plot located near the northeastern corner of the Laboratory site is composed of second growth oak-pine forest in a late successional stage. The second plot measures 9.7 hectares and is located in the scrub oak-pitch pine barrens at Westhampton. Each plot was surveyed with a transit and steel tape and marked with wooden stakes at 100-foot intervals. Quantitative vegetational surveys were made in each plot and all plant species identified. Tree composition was measured as a function of species and size. Shrub density, percent of ground cover and percent of canopy were also measured. The Laboratory plot contained 2100 trees of five species per hectare, 72% ground cover and 84% canopy coverage. The Westhampton plot contained only one tree species, Pitch Pine, at 366 trees per hectare, 92% ground cover and no canopy. Twelve census trips, mostly of two to three hour duration, were made in each plot. Each bird observed …

The author distinguishes between geothermal resource base, accessible geothermal resource base, geothermal resource, and geothermal reserve. Conditions for periodically updating the assessment of geothermal energy resources include: increased data from expanded exploration and drilling; development of improved and new technologies for exploration, evaluation, extraction, and use; rapid evolution of geothermal knowledge; and the increased role of geothermal energy in response to changing economic, social, political, and environmental conditions, particularly an increasing awareness of the limits to petroleum and natural gas resources. Accordingly, the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) plans by the end of 1978 to update its 1975 assessment of the United States’ geothermal resource, with increased emphasis on several items. The USGS’s joint evaluations of geothermal resource-assessment techniques in the last year with the National Electric Agency of Italy (ENEL) under U. S. Energy Research and Development Agency sponsorship identified a number of problems, one of which was how to formulate geothermal recovery factors for systems producing by intergranular vaporization and by intergranular flow. The first formulation is fairly rigorous; the author solicits the reservoir engineering community’s help in improving the estimate of the second. 3 figs., 11 refs.

The Environmental Science Division at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory has in use a system of absolute Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA). Basically, absolute INAA is dependent upon the absolute measurement of the disintegration rates of the nuclides produced by neutron capture. From such disintegration rate data, the amount of the target element present in the irradiated sample is calculated by dividing the observed disintegration rate for each nuclide by the expected value for the disintegration rate per microgram of the target element that produced the nuclide. In absolute INAA, the expected value for disintegration rate per microgram is calculated from nuclear parameters and from measured values of both thermal and epithermal neutron fluxes which were present during irradiation. Absolute INAA does not depend on the concurrent irradiation of elemental standards but does depend on the values for thermal and epithermal neutron capture cross-sections for the target nuclides. A description of the analytical method is presented.

Experiments were carried out and chemical aspects of ambient precipitation were determined using a sequential precipitation collector for the period July 1976 through September 1977. A related report provides experimental details. In experiments with plants, experiments were aimed to document: the foliar response of six clones of hybrid poplar to simulated acid rain; effects of buffered solutions and various anions on vegetative and sexual development of gametophytes of the fern (Pteridium aquilinum) and the acid-sensitive steps of symbiotic nitrogen fixation of the garden pea (Pisum sativum). After five 6 min daily exposures to simulated rain of pH 2.7, up to 10 percent of the leaf area of some poplar clones was injured. Lesions developed mostly near stomata and vascular tissue as shown with other plant species. Acidic solutions have a marked effect on sperm motility and fertilization (sexual reproduction) of bracken fern. Since sexual reproduction of ferns is very sensitive to mildly acidic conditions under laboratory conditions, experiments are planned to view the response of sexual stages of other plant species. Nodulation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation in Pisum is very sensitive to nutrient solution acidity. Specific isolates of Rhizobium bacteria are used and the medium pH can be maintained rigidly. …

A method of measuring the aerodynamic diameter of aerosol particles was investigated. The method consists of accelerating particles in a coverging nozzle and measuring their velocities near the exit of th nozzle with a laser--Doppler velocimeter. The experimental studies utilized a test nozzle with a converging angle of approximately 15/sup 0/ and an exit diameter of about .1 cm. The pressure drop across the nozzle was varied from 2.54 to 276 cm of H/sub 2/O, and particle velocity was observed to vary from approximately 0.5 to 1.0 times the gas velocity at the exit of the nozzle. A theoretical analysis utilized boundary layer theory to predict the velocity of the gas in the nozzle, and then the equations of particle motion were integrated to give the theoretical particle velocities. These values agreed with the experimental values to within a few percent. The effects of nozzle geometry, flow rate, particle density, and particle size were studied using the results of calculations made with dimensionless equations. The velocity of a particle in a given nozzle and flow depends upon the aerodynamic diameter of the particle and the particle density. The geometry and flow can be chosen to minimize the effect of particle …

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The human skeleton steadily changes structure and mass during life because of a variety of internal and external factors. Extracellular substance and bone cells get old, characteristic structural remodeling occurs with age and these age-related changes are important in the discrimination between pathological and physiological changes. Perhaps 20 percent of the bone mass is lost between the fourth and the ninth decades, osteoblasts function less efficiently and gradual loss of bone substance is enhanced by delayed mineralization of an increased surface area of thin and relatively less active osteoid seams. After the fifth decade, osteoclasia and the number of Howship's lacunae increase, and with age, the number of large osteolytic osteocytes increases as the number of small osteocytes declines and empty osteocyte lacunae become more common. The result is greater liability to fracture and diminished healing or replacement of injured bone.

The alpha and spontaneous fission half-lives of /sup 242/Pu are measured relative to the alpha half-life of /sup 239/Pu. If the alpha half-life of /sup 239/Pu is 24290 +- 70 y, the /sup 242/Pu alpha half-life is (3.736 +- .029) x 10/sup 5/ y and the spontaneous fission half-life is (6.79 +- .04) x 10/sup 10/ y.

The performance of aluminum alloys as fin material in dry cooling towers is evaluated from data on dry-cooled equipment in Europe and the US and laboratory tests which simulated dry cooling tower conditions. This study concluded that: aluminum alloys can be expected to have lifetimes of 30 years or more at dry cooling tower temperatures in ''clean'' environments; chloride is clearly an aggressive agent on aluminum components; corrosion is most severe at temperatures below the dew point, where moisture can participate in the attack; severe corrosion seldom occurs at dry cooling tower temperatures, unless the plant is subject to considerable downtime; caked coal dust promotes aluminum corrosion, and therefore, the relative siting of the cooling tower and the coal pile is an important consideration; and laboratory studies at dry cooling tower and ambient temperatures caused corrosion similar to corrosion on some plant specimens. (LCL)

This report documents the results of a research and development effort to further develop and improve the design of a regenerated desiccant drying and dehumidification system which has more than twice the energy efficiency of conventional warm air dryers.

A methodology has been developed and implemented to allow silicon samples containing intentionally incorporated impurities to be fabricated into finished solar cells under carefully controlled conditions. The electrical and spectral properties were then measured for each group processed, and this data, along with all the material, (cells and scrap) were delivered to JPL for further analysis. All 33 lots of Group ''C'', 14 lots of Group ''CM'' and 16 lots of Group ''F'' have been fabricated into cells, tested and delivered to JPL.

In the petroleum industry, well logging is a well developed discipline that has matured over a fifty-year period. Compared to this, geothermal well logging is a very new field of activity. The current practice is to use the same logging equipment and the same log interpretation techniques for geothermal wells as had been used for petroleum wells. However, this approach has proven either inadequate or ineffective in most geothermal areas. The problems here are of two types: (1) those associated with logging equipment and operation, and (2) those connected with log interpretation techniques. This paper focuses on the log interpretation aspects only. 6 refs.

The lithium tetraborate fusion method devised by Ingamells (1964) has been modified slightly to produce rapid and precise analysis of sodium and potassium contents in silicate rocks. The analytical method, procedure, and results are described briefly. (MHR)

A dibutyl amide resin is used for the separation of uranium(VI), thorium(IV), and zirconium(IV) from each other and several other metal ions. Uranium(VI) and thorium(IV) are determined in the presence of large excesses of foreign metal ions and anions. A practical application of the amide resin is studied by determining uranium in low grade uranium ores. The amide resin is also used for the selective concentration of gold(III) from sea water.

In the interval from February of 1972 through December of 1977, studies were conducted relating to the anatomical feasibility of implanting a total artificial heart system. These studies included both the calf as an experimental animal as well as the ultimate human recipient of the artificial heart system. Studies with the calf included definition of the thoracic anatomy relative to the size, shape, and vascular connections for implanting the blood pump. To test the animal's tolerance to an implanted engine system, mockups of the thermal converter were implanted chronically in various locations within the calf. No problems developed in retroperitoneal or intraperitoneal implants ranging from 8 to 15 months. A study to determine accelerations experienced by an abdominally implanted thermal converter was performed in calves. Under the most severe conditions, accelerations of a maximum of 34 Gs were experienced. The largest effort was devoted to defining the human anatomy relative to implanting an artificial heart in the thorax. From a number of data sources, including cadavers as well as living patients, a quantitative, statistical analysis of the size and shape of the male thorax was obtained. Finally, an in vivo study of a functional intrathoracic compliance bag in a calf …

Brief summaries are presented of some 35 individual programs covering a wide range of activities in the atmospheric, oceanographic, and terrestrial ecology areas. In general, these programs are involved with the study of pollutants resulting from the production of energy and their effects or potential effects on the environment. Programs include meteorology and plume dispersion, with emphasis on tracing plumes from the tall stacks of fossil-fuel burning power plants, and implementation of MAP3S (the Multistate Atmospheric Power Production Pollution Study), including both field and modeling studies related to atmospheric pollutants in the Northeastern United States, the meteorology of the coastal land-sea interface, the development of long-distance tracer systems for following movements of air masses, the measurement of a series of pollutants at ambient levels in real time, and laboratory and field studies on the collection and behavior of aerosol particulates, including work on the speciation and quantification of sulfate particulates. The objective of programs in oceanographic sciences is to assess the potential impact of energy-related activities (reactor releases, oil spills, etc.) on the Northeast coastal zone and its biota. A capability for the study of environmental virology has been established. Another major program is the study of the effects of …

This report presents an overview of the programs in the energy technology area during 1977. The objective, scope, significent accomplishments in 1977, principal activities planned for 1978, and publications are presented for each program. The Energy Storage and Conversion Division programs are in two broad areas: electrolysis-based hydrogen energy storage systems and related technologies and conservation in buildings and community systems. The Engineering Division programs include work in solar energy, fossil energy, and combustion technology areas. The Conservation Program Management Group has responsibilities of national scope involving R and D projects carried out in coordination with industry and universities. (MCW)

The National Center for Analysis of Energy Systems at Brookhaven has been in operation since January 1976. This annual highlights report outlines the scope of activities of the Center involving the integrated analyses of technological, economic, environmental, and social aspects of energy at the regional, national, and international levels. The objectives of the Center and major accomplishments of 1977 are described along with a list of active projects and publications. The energy data bases and analytical models used in the course of policy analyses are also described. The major ongoing activities of the Center include: long-range forecasting on energy-economic relationships; regional energy and environmental policy; comparative health effects of alternative energy systems; technology assessment and energy R and D priorities; development of energy-economic-environmental models and data bases; R and D strategies for the International Energy Agency; and energy technologies for developing countries.

This is the final Annual Report of the general operation of the Williams Laboratory of Nuclear Physics of the University of Minnesota. Because the report prepared in 1976 was not widely circulated, this report contains summaries of research conducted during the period from the fall of 1975 through the summer of 1977. This report begins with a brief history of the Williams Laboratory and a synopsis of the various lines of research carried on in the laboratory since the MP Tandem Van de Graaff machine was placed in operation in 1966. The major portion of the report describes the results of research programs completed or in progress during the past two years. Information is presented about modifications to the Van de Graaff machine and the on-line computer, which resulted in improved performance, and there are brief descriptions of a source for producing a triton beam and a heavy-ion counter for the magnetic spectrometer. An appendix contains a list of laboratory personnel during the time covered by this report, a list of advanced degrees granted to graduate students, and a list of recent reports and publications. (RWR)

This report presents an inventory and brief overview of the research programs carried out in the Energy Sciences area of the BNL Department of Energy and Environment. More complete and extensive descriptions of these programs exist in other documents, including the various publications cited herein. Each program description includes a statement of activities planned for the coming year. Thus, some sense of direction is indicated for each program. (RWR)

The use of charged particles for radiographic applications has been considered for some time, but progress has been impeded by the cost and availability of suitable accelerators. However, recent developments in technology could overcome these problems. A review is presented of the physical principles leading to an improvement in mass resolution per unit of absorbed dose for charged particle radiography relative to x-ray radiography. The quantitative comparisons between x-ray and proton radiographs presented here confirm this advantage. The implications of proton radiography on cancer detection, as well as future plans for developing a proton tomographic system, are discussed.

A simple and powerful method is presented for calculating all areas of intersection that occur when a plane region of arbitrary shape and connectivity overlaps the cells of a rectangular mesh. This procedure has been successfully used in an algorithm for a digital computer, and details are given for a unique procedure which effectively sidesteps floating point problems associated with machine noise. A simplifying procedure is also outlined for areal mapping of a collection of complex planar configurations onto a rectangular Eulerian mesh.