The results of a conceptual design study on incorporating a pyrolysis unit into an existing total energy plant are presented. The objectives of this study were to examine the institutional, technical and economic factors affecting the incorporation of a 25-ton/day pyrolysis unit into the Indian Creek Total Energy Plant. The Indian Creek total energy plant is described. Results of the conceptual design are presented. A survey of the availability of waste materials and a review of health and safety ordinances are included. The technical aspects of the pyrolysis system are discussed, including the results of the review of facilities requirements for the pyrolysis unit, the analysis of necessary system modification, and an estimate of the useful energy contribution by the pyrolysis unit. Results of the life-cycle cost analysis of the pyrolysis unit are presented. The major conclusions are that: there appears to be no institutional or technical barriers to constructing a waste pyrolysis unit at the Indian Creek Total Energy Plant; pyrolysis gas can be consumed in the engines and the boilers by utilizing venturi mixing devices; the engines can consume only 5% of the output of the 25-ton/day pyrolysis unit; Therefore, consumption of pyrolysis gas will be controlled by …

Separate abstracts were prepared for the 16 papers presented in ERA; 10 are included in EAPA. (WHK)

The energy conservation program undertaken by ARHCO to reduce energy consumption in the operation of the fuels reprocessing and waste management facilities on the Hanford reservation is described. This program includes fuel conservation for transportation equipment at the facilities, minimizing power requirements for lighting and air conditioning buildings, and reducing the energy demands of the processes used. (LCL)

A brief summary of papers published since the last progress report (June 1974) is presented. The research represents contributions to neutron resonance spectroscopy below 100 keV. (SDF)

A feasibility study of the experimental determination of thermal conductivities of salts (NaCl) and a steel casing material using a pulsed laser technique are presented. Optically transparent materials such as salt were effectively coated with an opaque layer of aluminum or silver to satisfy test boundary conditions. Thermal conductivities for the three specimens were obtained from the thermal diffusivity, heat capacity and density relationship. Based on measurements from room temperature to 923/sup 0/K, single crystal halite yielded values ranging from 6.5 to 1.5 W/m-K versus 5.5 to 1.2 W/m-K for Avery Island Bed Salt. AISI 106-Grade B steel gave values of 46 to 29 W/m-K. While these measurements may be no better than +- 10 percent, it is possible with appropriate equipment and technique to generate data of engineering quality, +- 5 percent error, provided adequate test specimens can be fabricated. Attributes of this technique include the generation of data very quickly which is more applicable to testing large numbers of specimens relative to steady-state methods. The use of penny-sized specimens can be a problem from the fabrication requirement, especially for friable and anisotropic geological materials. The quality of the data rests on the adherence of the experimental design to …

A brief outline of existing medical heavy-ion facilities is given. The beam specifications for future dedicated medical ion accelerators are discussed. Machines capable of delivering dose rates of approximately 1 krad/min in volumes of a few liters are shown to represent existing technology. A cost and performance analysis shows the synchrotrons to be the most economical source for the heavier ions while conventional cyclotrons seem optimal for an exclusive proton facility. It is seen that the incorporation of additional capabilities such as neutron generation or radioisotope production can be achieved at modest incremental costs. In addition to the accelerators, feasible layouts of hypothetical facilities are discussed, and three-dimensional beam scanning is shown to allow the irradiation of large volumes without sacrificing the precise dose localization capabilities of heavy-ion beams. Concepts of quality-controlled engineering and modern computer technology are introduced as a means to obtain the desired high degree of reliability and ease of operation and maintenance.

Expressions are derived for the relative ion flux in the fans of a mirror fusion reactor. Numerical values are presented for typical reactor parameters.

A measurement system for transuranic aerosols has been designed that will be able to withstand the corrosive nature of stack effluents and yet have extremely high sensitivity. It will be capable of measuring 1 maximum permissible concentration (MPC) of plutonium or americium in 30 minutes with a fractional standard deviation of less than 0.33. Background resulting from /sup 218/Po is eliminated by alpha energy discrimination and a decay scheme analysis. A microprocessor controls all data acquisition, data reduction, and instrument calibration.

The incentive for high density operation of a tokamak reactor was discussed. It is found that high density permits ignition in a relatively small, moderately elongated plasma with a moderate magnetic field strength. Under these conditions, neutron wall loadings approximately 4 MW/m/sup 2/ must be tolerated. The sensitivity analysis with respect to impurity effects shows that impurity control will most likely be necessary to achieve the desired plasma conditions. The charge exchange sputtered impurities are found to have an important effect so that maintaining a low neutral density in the plasma is critical. If it is assumed that neutral beams will be used to heat the plasma to ignition, high energy injection is required (approximately 250 keV) when heating is accompished at full density. A scenario is outlined where the ignition temperature is established at low density and then the fueling rate is increased to attain ignition. This approach may permit beams with energies being developed for use in TFTR to be successfully used to heat a high density device of the type described here to ignition.

Applications of x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) to the study of actinide materials are reviewed. Examples discussed here include the band structures of thorium and uranium metal, the multiplet structure associated with the 5f electron states in oxides of the transuranium elements, the test for temporal configurations in NpO/sub 2/, crystal field splitting of the U 6p/sub /sup 3///sub 2// level in a series of uranyl compounds, mixed oxidation states in Cf/sub 7/O/sub 12/, and a test for the participation of 5f electrons in bonding in a series of uranium compounds.

The evolution of this particular blanket concept is described. The geometry of the mirror reactor blanket and the replacement methods that are employed are described. The sub-module design and its thermal-hydraulic considerations, the nuclear model geometry and compositions, and the nuclear calculational method are described. A brief reference is made to calculational vs. experimental results.

A brief description of the construction and operation of the semiautomatic dosimeter loader for TLD badges now in use at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory is given.

Classical electrodynamics is reconstructed in discrete space-time, then combined with Regge's discrete version of general relativity. Quantization using path integrals is considered briefly.

Included is a paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Plasma Physics Division of the American Physical Society in San Francisco on November 19, 1976. The paper discusses some theoretical problems of laser target irradiation and compression investigated at the laboratory of quantum radiophysics of Lebedev Physical Institute. Of significant interest was the absorption and reflection of laser radiation in the corona plasma of a laser target. (MOW)

The three-volume report describes a dual-mode nuclear space power and propulsion system concept that employs an advanced solid-core nuclear fission reactor coupled via heat pipes to one of several electric power conversion systems. The NUROC3A systems analysis code was designed to provide the user with performance characteristics of the dual-mode system. Volume 3 describes utilization of the NUROC3A code to produce a detailed parameter study of the system.

The electromagnetic field configuration generated if there is no wall surrounding the channel is investigated. An azimuthally symmetric channel of given uniform, finite, conductivity and radius is treated. It is shown that if Q is the total charge in the pulse, then the total charge that passes through any plane z > 0 is exactly equal to Q and that as the pulse moves through the channel and the distance from the ground plane to the pulse approaches infinity, the electromagnetic field configuration approaches that which results from the steady state with the same pulse moving in a channel of infinite length in the absence of a ground state. (JFP)

Rock chips from depths of 1380 to 1478 m from the State of California Well No. 1 in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field were examined using conventional petrographic, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy techniques. Mineral composition, pore configuration and the nature of the fine-grained matrix materials were determined.

The Kulite dual-element, semiconductor strain gage, weldable model M(6)-EP-120-500W, was evaluated in laboratory tests under simulated Nevada Test Site conditions. Two gages were installed on P-110 line-of-sight pipe material. Tension was applied to the test samples to 50 percent of yield (about 2000 microstrain). Immediately following, compression was applied to 100 percent of yield (about 6000 microstrain). The Kulite gages were powered by a dual constant current signal conditioner. Measurements obtained with metal foil strain gages served as reference standards for the Kulite strain gage measurements. The output voltages of the Kulite gages were relatively linear from zero to +2000 microstrain and in the subsequent compression to -2500 microstrain. Below -2500 microstrain, the output voltages from the Kulite gages became decidedly nonlinear and also differed significantly from each other. We feel that the gage spotwelds were failing at strains below -2500 microstrain and consequently that data obtained below this level are not reliable enough to calculate pipe forces. The stated gage factor (Kulite factory) of 220 is about 33 percent higher in tension than the measured gage factor and about 15 percent higher in compression. Adhesive-bonded, metal foil strain gages are recommended for reliable pipe force measurements on future Nevada …

The purpose of this test plan is to provide an overall outline of all testing to be accomplished on the GDS. Included in this test plan are administrative requirements, instrumentation accuracies, instrumentation, equipment definitions, system test setup, and facility installation. The test program will enable collection of sufficient data to establish material, component, and system design integrity. The data will also be used to establish and evaluate component and system performance and reliability characteristics, verification of proper system component integration prior to initiation of Phase II, and flight system (FS) development.

Fuel cycle problems of fusion reactors evolve around the breeding, recovery, containment, and recycling of tritium. These processes are described, and their implications and alternatives are discussed. Technically, fuel cycle problems are solvable; economically, their feasibility is not yet known. (auth)