Final report

Final report

During pre-restart testing the safety rod at position X26-YlO bound after being driven approximately two (2) feet out of the reactor. Subsequently, the rod was manually returned to it's seated position. Inspection of the lower latch showed that the latch locking plunger button (screwed on to the bottom of the plunger shaft and retained by a pin through a hole drilled through the button and the plunger shaft) was missing. The shaft failed through the hole drilled for the retaining pin. The button, with the retaining pin intact, was found lodged between the safety rod upper adapter collar and the top of the safety rod thimble top fitting. Analysis of the safety rod latch and accompanying forest guide tube design provided assurance that this type of failure would not cause binding during the scramming'' of the safety rods. Inspection of all of the K'' safety rod lower latches revealed six other latches with missing plunger buttons, and nine with other non-conformances which required latch replacement. A history search conducted by Reactor Engineering Design, Components Handling Group, is included in this report. The history search shows that latch design modifications, as a part of initial development of the latch system and …

It is shown that LEP probes the Big Bang in two significant ways: (1) nucleosynthesis and (2) dark matter constraints. In the first case, LEP verifies the cosmological standard model prediction on the number of neutrino types, thus strengthening the conclusion that the cosmological baryon density is {approximately}6% of the critical value. In the second case, LEP shows that the remaining non-baryonic cosmological matter must be somewhat more massive and/or more weakly interacting that the favorite non-baryonic dark matter candidates of a few years ago. 59 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

This supplement to the NRA Distributed Access User's manual (PNL-7877), November 1991, describes installation and use of Version 1.1 of the software package; this is not a replacement of the previous manual. Version 1.1 of the NRA Distributed Access Package is a maintenance release. It eliminates several bugs, and includes a few new features which are described in this manual. Although the appearance of some menu screens has changed, we are confident that the Version 1.0 User's Manual will provide an adequate introduction to the system. Users who are unfamiliar with Version 1.0 may wish to experiment with that version before moving on to Version 1.1.

This report discusses the recovery from the February 9, 1991 small scale explosion in a custom processing dissolver at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant. Custom processing is a small scale dissolution facility which processes nuclear material in an economical fashion. The material dissolved in this facility was uranium metal, uranium oxides, and uranium/fissium alloy in nitric acid. The paper explained the release of fission material, and the decontamination and recovery of the fuel material. The safety and protection procedures were also discussed. Also described was the chemical analysis which was used to speculate the most probable cause of the explosion. (MB)

This report discusses documentation of sample quality and deterioration. Various tasks covered under this heading include: collection of samples, sampling handling and processing; characterization of coal samples; distribution of samples to users; operation of the DOE coal data base. (VC)

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) provides wholesale electric service to the City of Ashland (the City) by transferring power over Pacific Power Light Company's (PP L) 115-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines and through PP L's Ashland and Oak Knoll Substations. The City distributes power over a 12.5-kV system which is heavily loaded during winter peak periods and which has reached the limit of its ability to serve peak loads in a reliable manner. Peak loads under normal winter conditions have exceeded the ratings of the transformers at both the Ashland and Oak Knoll Substations. In 1989, the City modified its distribution system at the request of PP L to allow transfer of three megawatts (MW's) of electric power from the overloaded Ashland Substation to the Oak Knoll Substation. In cooperation with PP L, BPA installed a temporary 6-8 megavolt-amp (MVA) 115-12.5-kV transformer for this purpose. This additional transformer, however, is only a temporary remedy. BPA needs to provide additional, reliable long-term service to the Ashland area through additional transformation in order to keep similar power failures from occurring during upcoming winters in the Ashland area. The temporary installation of another 20-MVA mobile transformer at the Ashland Substation and additional load curtailment …

We present results from searches for top quark production in p[bar p] collisions at the Tevatron collider based on an integrated luminosity of 7.5 pb[sup [minus]1] obtained during the 1992--1993 ran. The present results are confined to decay modes where both the top and anti-top quarks in the event decay semi-leptonically to the ee and e[mu] channels. A lower limit of 103 (99) GeV/c[sup 2] is obtained at 95% confidence level for the top quark mass from the absence of events consistent with standard model top quark decays with background subtraction (no background subtraction). We do however observe one event in the e[mu] channel which cannot be explained by the known backgrounds. While we make no claim that this event is due to top quark decay, it is not inconsistent with a top quark mass in the range 130--170 GeV/c[sup 2]

The US Army established the Army Tactical Command and Control System (ATCCS) Experimentation Site (AES) to provide a place where material and combat developers could experiment with command and control systems. The AES conducts fundamental and applied research involving command and control issues using a number of research methods, ranging from large force-level experiments, to controlled laboratory experiments, to studies and analyses. The work summarized in this paper was done by Pacific Northwest Laboratory under task order from the Army Tactical Command and Control System Experimentation Site. The purpose of the task was to develop the functional requirements for army engineer automation and support software, including MCS-ENG. A client, such as an army engineer, has certain needs and requirements of his or her software; these needs must be presented in ways that are readily understandable to the software developer. A requirements analysis then, such as the one described in this paper, is simply the means of communication between those who would use a piece of software and those who would develop it. The analysis from which this paper was derived attempted to bridge the communications gap'' between army combat engineers and software engineers. It sought to derive and state the …

This report discusses the following research in high energy physics: the properties of the z neutral boson with the SLD detector; the research and development program for the SDC muon detector; the fixed-target k-decay experiments; the Rocky Mountain Consortium for HEP; high energy photoproduction of states containing heavy quarks; and electron-positron physics with the CLEO II and Mark II detectors. (LSP).

Additive models are currently used to predict risks following exposure to multiple agents or complex mixtures. Use of these models is questioned because different methods are used to derive risks for chemical and physical agents depending on the database used. Risks for the induction of cancer from radiation are based on large sets of human data, while standards are set for most chemical carcinogens using information derived from animal studies. However, it is not, from a scientific point of view, appropriate to add risks from physical and chemical agents to derive potential health impact from combined exposures. The range of safety factors built into the estimates, the large differences in the data sets used to evaluate and establish standards, and the differences in the basic philosophy for deriving risks for physical and chemical agents make the additive model unacceptable for estimating risks from combined exposures. To understand the potential health impacts from environmental exposure, it is important (1) to consider how risks were derived and (2) to determine if interactions exist between damage induced by the different agents to ensure that additive assumptions are valid. This presentation discusses a number of these safety factors for specific chemicals.

The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) initiated the Residential Standards Demonstration Program (RSDP) in 1983 to determine the costs and thermal performance improvements associated with increased levels of thermal integrity in new residences, as proposed by the Northwest Power Planning Council in the Model Conservation Standards (MCS). The program resulted in the construction of approximately 430 new residences, built to thermal performance standards, as dictated by the MCS in each of three climate zones in the region. A subset of the residences has been included in the End-Use Load and Consumer Assessment Program (ELCAP) being conducted by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). These structures are metered to record hourly energy consumption for several end-uses. Many of the structures built to the MCS include air-to-air heat exchangers (AAHXs) to provide ventilation for maintenance of indoor air quality and comfort. Of the 71 MCS structures included in the ELCAP sample, 38 included air-to-air heat exchangers and had sufficient data to allow an analysis of both use patterns and thermal performance. This report describes the results of the analysis of the AAHX installations using the data collected as part of ELCAP.

Two Executive Orders (E.O.) issued in 1977, Floodplain Management (E.O. 11988) and Protection of Wetlands (E.O. 11990), require that Federal agencies examine the impacts of proposed actions on floodplains and wetlands. To comply with these Orders, the US Department of Energy (DOE) promulgated 10 CFR 1022, DOE Regulations for Compliance with Floodplain/Wetlands Environmental Review Requirements. DOE's floodplain/wetlands review consists of two procedures: the floodplain/wetlands determination, and the floodplain/wetlands assessment. The floodplain/wetlands determination ascertains the applicability of DOE's floodplain management and wetlands protection requirements for a proposed action. If DOE's requirements apply to a proposed action, DOE shall prepare a floodplain/wetlands assessment. The floodplain/wetlands assessment ascertains an action's impact, any alternatives, and mitigation, if appropriate. The assessment consists of a project description, an analysis of the potential impacts, and a consideration of alternatives to the proposed action. This paper describes the components of the DOE floodplain/wetlands review process.

A leak testing plan for a portion of the Liquid Low-Level Waste (LLLW) system at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is provided in the two volumes that form this document. This plan was prepared in response to the requirements of the Federal Facilities Agreement (FFA) between the US Department of Energy and two other agencies, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The effective date of this agreement was 1 January 1992. The LLLW system is an interconnected complex of tanks and pipelines. The FFA distinguishes four different categories of tank and pipeline systems within this complex: new systems (Category A), doubly contained systems (Category B), singly contained systems (Category C), and inactive systems (Category D). The FFA's specific requirements for leak testing of the Category C systems is addressed in this plan. The plan also addresses leak testing of the Category B portions of the LLLW system. Leak testing of the Category B components was brought into the plan to supplement the secondary containment design demonstration effort that is under way for these components.

An improved method has been developed to concentrate the major alpha-emitting actinide elements neptunium, plutonium, and americium from samples with high salt content such as those resulting from efforts to characterize Hanford storage tank waste. Actinide elements are concentrated by coprecipitation of their hydroxides using iron carrier. The iron is removed by extraction from 8M HCI with 2-heptanone. The actinide elements remain in the aqueous phase free from salts, iron, and long-lived fission products. Recoveries averaged 98 percent.

The problems encountered during facility or land cleanup operations will provide challenges both to technology and regulatory agencies. Inevitably, the decisions of the federal agencies regulating cleanup activities have been controversial. The major dilemma facing government and industry is how to accomplish cleanup in a cost-effective manner while minimizing the risks to workers and the public.

In this report we describe results of experiments to detect low energy radiation in superfluid helium. The ultimate aim of this research is to establish the feasibility of this technique for use in detecting neutrinos from the p-p and Be-7 reactions in the sun. In these experiments we have seen the first detection of 5.5 MeV {alpha} particles via evaporation from a bath of superfluid helium. An {alpha} particle excites phonons and rotons in the liquid helium, and these excitations are sufficiently energetic to evaporate helium atoms when they reach the free surface of the liquid. The evaporated atoms are detected calorimetrically by a thin wafer suspended above the liquid. The approximate overall efficiency of this process has been determined and we compare the experimental results with expectations. We have also been able to detect evaporation induced by a flux of gamma rays from a Cs-137 source. Preparations made for new experiments are also discussed.

An Autonomous Expendable Conductivity-Temperature-Depth Profiler (AXCTD) for profiling temperature, conductivity, pressure, and other parameters in remote oceanic regions was developed. The AXCTD is a microcomputer-controlled sensor package that can be deployed by unskilled operators from ships or aircraft. The AXCID records two CID profiles (one during descent and another during ascent) and CTD times series while on the bottom and adrift at the surface. Recorded data are transmitted to an ARGOS satellite with ground-positioning capabilities. Successful sea tests of a prototype AXCI7D, completed in 1989, are reported in this paper. The AXCTD can provide sea truth'' for remote sensing, perform environmental and military surveillance missions, and acquire time-series and synoptic data for computer models.

The magnetic field gradients as well as the harmonics of two 4Ql20 quadrupoles were measured utilizing a rotating coil system at Fermilab's MTF. One magnet was from the 1975 Series, and another from the TeV II Series. For excitation currents where the remnant field is a small fraction of the total, values of the absolute gradient for the latter magnets are typically 2% lower. Among the harmonics, the skew sextupole component has the highest value for both magnets. The harmonic measurements show small differences between the power'' and return'' ends of the magnet.

This paper is concerned with beam-beam effects during the injection process at the proposed asymmetric SLAC/LBL/LLNL B-Factory, PEP-II. It is shown that the parasitic beam-beam interaction can lead to a significant blowup in the vertical size of the injected beam. Simulation results for the horizontal and the vertical injection schemes are presented, and their performances are studied.

The 300-series stainless steels that are commonly specified for the structures of high field superconducting magnets are metastable austenitic alloys that undergo martensitic transformations when deformed at low temperature. The martensitic tranformation is promoted by plastic deformation and by exposure to high magnetic fields. The transformation significantly influences the mechanical properties of the alloy. The mechanisms of this influence are reviewed, with emphasis on fatigue crack growth effects and magnetomechanical phenomena that have only recently been recognized.

SLAC, in collarboration with DESY, LBL, and several other institutions, maintains many databases of interest to the high energy physics community. You do not to have a computer account at SLAC to search through some of these databases, they can be reached via the remote server QSPIRES, set at the BITNET node SLACVM. This text describes, in great detail, how to search in the popular HEP database via QSPIRES, HEP contains bibliographic summaries of more than 200,000 particle physics papers. Other databases available remotely are also reviewed, and the registration procedure for those who would like to use QSPIRES is explained. To utilize QSPIRES, you must have access to a large computer network. It is not necessary that the network be BITNET; it may be a different one. However, a gateway must exist between your network and BITNET. It should be mentioned at BITNET users have some advantages in searching, e.g., the possibility of interactive communication with QSPIRES. Therefore, if you have a choice, let a BITNET machine be your base for QSPIRES searches. You will also need an authorization to use HEP and other databases; and should know the set of relevant commands and rules. The authorization is free, …

A one-step method of manufacturing soluble phthalocyanines and metallophthalocyanines, like zinc phthalocyanine, by converting a phthalocyanine or a metallophthalocyanine to a trialkylsilyl-substituted derivative is disclosed. The phthalocyanine or metallophthalocyanine is converted to a soluble trialkylsilyl-substituted derivative by interacting the phthalocyanine or metallophthalocyanine with an active metal amide, like lithium 2,2,6, 6-tetra-methylpiperidide, and a halotrialkylsilane, like chlorotrimethylsilane, to provide a phthalocyanine compound, like phthalocyanine monomers, dimers or polymers, metalated or unmetalated, that are soluble in organic media.