The continued strength of American's economy depends on the availability of affordable energy, which has long been provided by the Nations rich supplies of fossil fuels. Forecasts indicate that fossil fuels will continue to meet much of the demand for economical electricity and transportation fuels for decades to come. It is projected that natural gas, oil, and coal will supply nearly 90% of US energy in 2020, with coal fueling around 50% of the electricity. It is essential to develop ways to achieve the objectives for a cleaner environment while using these low-cost, high-value fuels. A national commitment to improved technologies--for use in the US and abroad--is the solution. The Coal and Power Systems program is responding to this commitment by offering energy solutions to advance the clean, efficient, and affordable use of the Nations abundant fossil fuel resources. These solutions include: (1) Vision 21--A multi-product, pollution-free energy plant--producing electricity, fuels, and/or industry heat--could extract 80% or more of the energy value of coal and 85% or more of the energy value of natural gas; (2) Central Power Systems--Breakthrough turbines and revolutionary new gasification technologies that burn less coal and gas to obtain energy, while reducing emissions; (3) Distributed Generation--Fuel …

The results of Laboratory and Bench-Scale experiments and supporting technical and economic assessments conducted under DOE Contract No. DE-AC22-91PC91040 are reported for the period October 1, 2000 to December 31, 2000. This work involves the introduction into the basic two-stage liquefaction process several novel concepts, which include dispersed lower-cost catalysts, coal cleaning by oil agglomeration, and distillate hydrotreating and dewaxing. This project has been modified to include an investigation into the production of value added materials from coal using low-severity liquefaction based technologies.

The U.S. Department of Energy and ADA Environmental Solutions has begun a project to develop commercial flue gas conditioning additives. The objective is to develop conditioning agents that can help improve particulate control performance of smaller or under-sized electrostatic precipitators on utility coal-fired boilers. The new chemicals will be used to control both the electrical resistivity and the adhesion or cohesivity of the flyash. There is a need to provide cost-effective and safer alternatives to traditional flue gas conditioning with SO{sub 3} and ammonia. During the third reporting quarter, the electrostatic tensiometer for laboratory determination of flyash cohesivity was completed. Modifications were made to this method to improve repeatability. In addition, a new multi-cell laboratory flyash resistivity furnace was completed. Also during this quarter an agreement was reached for the initial field trial of the new additives at the City of Ames, Iowa Municipal Power Plant.

The activities of the Advanced Gas Turbine Systems Research (AGTSR) program for this reporting period are described in this quarterly report. As this program administers research, we have included all program activity herein within the past quarter dated. More specific research progress reports are provided weekly at the request of the AGTSR COR and are being sent to NETL. As for the administration of this program, items worthy of note are presented in extended bullet format following the appropriate heading.

Engineers at Sandia National Laboratories are combining entertainment industry software with traditional data collection techniques to create an interactive visualization tool. By replacing the usual flight simulator joystick with a telemetry data stream, experimental data is combined with existing three-dimensional (3D) engineering models. Users are immersed in their experiment, allowing interaction with and comprehension of complex data sets. Software tools are currently under development for post flight data visualization, and their usefulness and reusability have been demonstrated on numerous spaced-based programs within Sandia. However, data from remote sensors are subject to transmission errors that yield nonphysical behavior in real-time data visualization applications. We propose to investigate the applicability of real-time processing algorithms and estimation theories, such as Kalman filters, that have been successfully applied in other fields. Results will be integrated into existing postflight visualization tools for Proof-of-Concept validation and for potential integration of real-time applications.

As part of Task 1 in the Advanced Technologies for Stripper Gas Well Enhancement, Schlumberger--Holditch Reservoir Technologies (H-RT) has partnered with two Appalachian Basin producers, Great Lakes Energy (formerly Range Resources) and Belden and Blake Corporation, to develop methodologies for the identification and enhancement of stripper wells with economic upside potential. These industry partners have provided data for over 700 wells in northwestern Pennsylvania. Phase 1 goals of this project are to develop and validate methodologies that can quickly and cost-effectively identify wells with enhancement potential. We are currently in the final stages of developing and testing our new Access/Excel based software and processing this well data to generate a list of potential candidate wells that can be used in Phase 2 to validate these methodologies. Preparation of the Final Technical report has begun.

This LDRD is aimed to place Sandia at the forefront of GaN-based technologies. Two important themes of this LDRD are: (1) The demonstration of novel GaN-based devices which have not yet been much explored and yet are coherent with Sandia's and DOE's mission objectives. UV optoelectronic and piezoelectric devices are just two examples. (2) To demonstrate front-end monolithic integration of GaN with Si-based microelectronics. Key issues pertinent to the successful completion of this LDRD have been identified to be (1) The growth and defect control of AlGaN and GaN, and (2) strain relief during/after the heteroepitaxy of GaN on Si and the separation/transfer of GaN layers to different wafer templates.

This Report discusses PCB hazards present at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.

This report summarizes the analysis of fiber-optic strain gauge data obtained from a surface-effect fast patrol boat being studied by the staff at the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment (NDRE) in Norway and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington D.C. Data from two different structural conditions were provided to the staff at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The problem was then approached from a statistical pattern recognition paradigm. This paradigm can be described as a four-part process: (1) operational evaluation, (2) data acquisition & cleansing, (3) feature extraction and data reduction, and (4) statistical model development for feature discrimination. Given that the first two portions of this paradigm were mostly completed by the NDRE and NRL staff, this study focused on data normalization, feature extraction, and statistical modeling for feature discrimination. The feature extraction process began by looking at relatively simple statistics of the signals and progressed to using the residual errors from auto-regressive (AR) models fit to the measured data as the damage-sensitive features. Data normalization proved to be the most challenging portion of this investigation. A novel approach to data normalization, where the residual errors in the AR model are considered to be an unmeasured input and an auto-regressive …

This is a series of six guides intended to provide a working knowledge of residential heating and cooling duct systems, an understanding of the major issues concerning efficiency, comfort, health, and safety, and practical tips on installation and repair of duct systems. These guides are intended for use by contractors, system designers, advanced technicians, and other HVAC professionals. The first two guides are also intended to be accessible to the general reader.

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This project is to be conducted in two phases. The objective of Phase I is to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of cofiring biomass-based gasification fuel-gas in a power generation boiler. Waste coal fines are to be evaluated as the cofired fuel. The project is based on the use of commercially available technology for feeding and gas cleanup that would be suitable for deployment in municipal, large industrial and utility applications. Define a combustion system for the biomass gasification-based fuel-gas capable of stable, low-NOx combustion over the full range of gaseous fuel mixtures, with low carbon monoxide emissions and turndown capabilities suitable for large-scale power generation applications. The objective for Phase II is to Design, install and demonstrate the combined gasification and combustion system in a large-scale, long-term cofiring operation to promote acceptance and utilization of indirect biomass cofiring technology for large-scale power generation applications.

Four grades of sodium bicarbonate and two grades of trona were characterized in terms of particle size distribution, surface area, pore size distribution, and attrition. Surface area and pore size distribution determinations were conducted after calcination of the materials. The sorbent materials were subjected to thermogravimetric testing to determine comparative rates and extent of calcination (in inert gas) and sorption (in a simulated coal combustion flue gas mixture). Selected materials were exposed to five calcination/sorption cycles and showed no decrease in either sorption capacity or sorption rate. Process simulations were conducted involving different heat recovery schemes. The process is thermodynamically feasible. The sodium-based materials appear to have suitable physical properties for use as regenerable sorbents and, based on thermogravimetric testing, are likely to have sorption and calcination rates that are rapid enough to be of interest in full-scale carbon sequestration processes.

This quarterly technical progress report will summarize work accomplished for Phase 1 Program during the quarter October to December 2000. In task 1 careful modification of the processing conditions of the OTM has improved the properties of the final element. In addition, finite element modeling has been used to predict the mechanical behavior of OTM tubes and to identify strategies for improving OTM robustness. In task 2, composite elements of PSO1d have been prepared and tested for over 800 hours without degradation in oxygen flux. Alternative materials for composite OTM and architectures have been examined with success. In task 3, modification of fabrication routes has resulted in a substantial increase in the yield of PSO1d composite elements. The work in task 4 has demonstrated that composite OTM elements can produce oxygen at atmospheric pressure of greater than 95% purity from a high-pressure air feed gas. The work in task 5 to construct a multi-tube OTM reactor has begun.

Using the 2-MeV Van de Graaf Accelerator at SUNY Geneseo's Nuclear Structure Laboratory, a {sup 3}He-implanted tantalum target was bombarded by 450-keV deuterons to produce high energy protons via the {sup 3}He(d,p){sup 4}He reaction. A 1500-{micro}m surface barrier detector with a 3/16 inch diameter collimator was placed at 8.75 cm from the target and 135{sup o} from the incident beam. A movable arm was setup so that an array of aluminum filters of varying thicknesses could be rotated in front of the detector. A 6-{micro}m mylar filter was also mounted on the movable arm and was used to calibrate the detector as described in the CR-39 experiment report. Eight aluminum filters with thicknesses ranging from 250pm to 1100{micro}m were in turn rotated in front of the collimator and spectra were taken for each. The results are shown on the attached graphs. The theoretical curve for each graph was generated using TRIM The exact energy distribution of the proton beam incident on the target was not known; because no such spectrum could be taken due to the high count rate for elastically scattered deuterons. Instead, it was assumed that the incident beam had a distribution similar to that measured through the …

FADES-CORE and TOUGHREACT are codes used to model the non-isothermal multiphase flow with multicomponent reactive transport in porous media. Different flow and reactive transport problems were used to compare the FADES-CORE and TOUGHREACT codes. These problems take into account the different cases of multiphase flow with and without heat transport, conservative transport, and reactive transport. Consistent results were obtained from both codes, which use different numerical methods to solve the differential equations resulting from the various physicochemical processes. Here we present the results obtained from both codes for various cases. Some results are slightly different with minor discrepancies, which have been remedied, so that both codes would be able to reproduce the same processes using the same parameters. One of the discrepancies found is related to the different calculation for thermal conductivity in heat transport, which affects the calculation of the temperatures, as well as the pH of the reaction of calcite dissolution problem modeled. Therefore it is possible to affirm that the pH is highly sensitive to temperature. Generally speaking, the comparison was concluded to be highly satisfactory, leading to the complete verification of the FADES-CORE code. However, we must keep in mind that, as there are no analytical …

The major aspects of this project are proceeding toward completion. Prior to this quarter, design criteria, tentative site selection, facility layout, and preliminary facility cost estimates have been completed and issued for review. Processing of bio-solids was completed, providing material for the pilot operations. Pilot facility design, equipment selection, and modification were completed during the fourth quarter. Initial pilot facility shakedown was completed during the fourth quarter. During pilot plant shakedown operations, several production batch test runs were performed. These pilot tests were coupled with laboratory testing to confirm pilot results. In initial batches of operations, cellulose to glucose conversions of 62.5% and 64.8% were observed in laboratory hydrolysis. As part of this testing, lignin dewatering was tested using laboratory and vendor-supplied filtration equipment. Dewatering tests reported moisture contents in the lignin of between 50% and 60%. Dewatering parameters and options will continue to be investigated during lignin production. After some unavoidable delays, a suitable representative supply of MSW feed material was procured. Shredding of the feed material was completed and final drying of the feed is expected to be completed by late January. Once feed drying is completed, pilot facility production will begin to produce lignin for co-fire testing. …

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Research aimed to study the dynamics of the SRS population of Red-Cockaded woodpecker and compare to those of other populations to identify factors limiting population growth; recruitment clusters were evaluated to determine what properties of individual cavity trees, surrounding habitat and the surrounding landscape might limit occupancy through natural dispersal. A spatial simulation model was used to project expected dispersal rates and population growth under current conditions and compare those estimates to observed dispersal and population growth. Red cockaded woodpecker populations at SRS are stable considering size. Research reveals that closer placement of recruitment clusters to active territories would produce higher growth rates while decreasing management intensity.

Defects and impurities are generally the key material properties that govern the quality and useful lifetime of optical components. Progress in materials synthesis has advanced so that today, for high power laser applications such as the National Ignition Facility (NIF), laser induced damage is typically initiated at the site of sub-micron defects. For example, in laser glass and non-linear optical crystals such as KDP, bulk damage occurs when sub-micron metal inclusion particles absorb laser energy, leading to local heating and eventually material breakdown. It is clear that continued progress in optical materials synthesis is inextricably connected with the need for a detailed understanding of the morphology and composition of the sub-micron damage nucleation sites and the associated damage mechanisms. In this project, we have developed near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) as a tool to optically characterize materials at a spatial resolution of about one order of magnitude better than conventional optical microscopy. Optical microscopy was the first and thus best understood microscopy, and a large number of contrast and spectroscopy techniques have been developed over the years. NSOM is the logical continuation of optical microscopy to the nanometer scale. NSOM combines scanning probe and optical fiber technologies, and simultaneously provides …

The project represents a landmark assessment of the potential of low-NO{sub x} burners, advanced overtire air, and neural-network control systems to reduce NO{sub x} emissions within the bounds of acceptable dry-bottom, wall-fired boiler performance. Such boilers were targeted under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA). Testing provided valuable input to the Environmental Protection Agency ruling issued in March 1994, which set NO{sub x} emission limits for ''Group 1'' wall-fired boilers at 0.5 lb/10{sup 6} Btu to be met by January 1996. The resultant comprehensive database served to assist utilities in effectively implementing CAAA compliance. The project is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program established to address energy and environmental concerns related to coal use. Five nationally competed solicitations sought cost-shared partnerships with industry to accelerate commercialization of the most advanced coal-based power generation and pollution control technologies. The Program, valued at over $5 billion, has leveraged federal funding twofold through the resultant partnerships encompassing utilities, technology developers, state governments, and research organizations. This project was one of 16 selected in May 1988 from 55 proposals submitted in response to the Program's second solicitation. Southern Company Services, Inc. (SCS) conducted a comprehensive evaluation …

The FIR filters designed for the debuncher stochastic cooling system needed improvement. Its bandwidth was too wide, its magnitude was not flat, its phase ripple was too great, and it was difficult to control the characteristics of the filter. A simple microwave technique was employed to have a short time delay, simple robust layout, and small board size. A significant savings was seen over the FIR technique and these filters were installed in the Antiproton Source Debuncher while the FIR filters were removed from the debuncher stochastic cooling entirely.

During the period October 1, 2000 - December 31, 2000, Allegheny Energy Supply Co., LLC (Allegheny) executed a Cooperative Agreement with the National Energy Technology Laboratory to implement a major cofiring demonstration at the Willow Island Generating Station Boiler No.2. Willow Island Boiler No.2 is a cyclone boiler. Allegheny also will demonstrate separate injection cofiring at the Albright Generating Station Boiler No.3, a tangentially fired boiler. The Allegheny team includes Foster Wheeler as its primary subcontractor. Additional subcontractors are Cofiring Alternatives and N.S. Harding and Associates. This report summarizes the activities associated with the Designer Opportunity Fuel program, and demonstrations at Willow Island and Albright Generating Stations. The second quarter of the project involved completing the designs for each location. Further, geotechnical investigations proceeded at each site. Preparations were made to perform demolition on two small buildings at the Willow Island site. Fuels strategies were initiated for each site. Test planning commenced for each site. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the Willow Island site on October 18, with Governor C. Underwood being the featured speaker.

The shrinkage of concrete that occurs on drying is a complex function of age of concrete, rate of drying, temperature, and composition of concrete. This project investigated the fundamental relationships between microstructure and shrinkage. In order to accomplish this goal a new quantitative image analysis technique was developed to analyze the distribution of strain throughout the microstructure during drying. The technique has been verified at NIST and the results have provided new insights. A major result of this effort has been the redefinition of microstructure of cement paste. Large deformations, both expansive and compressive, occur throughout the microstructure. These large deformations can be best explained by considering the calcium silicate phase to be a colloid. A new model for calcium silicate hydrate was developed.