A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO audited the financial statements of the District of Columbia's Highway Trust Fund for fiscal years 1999 and 1998. GAO found that the District did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting related to its Highway Trust Fund as of September 30, 1999. Material weaknesses affected accounting for expenditures and computer system general controls."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This report discusses possible money laundering by U.S. corporations formed by Russian entities. It is easy for foreign entities to hide their identities while forming shell corporations that can be used for money laundering. GAO investigated the following two Delaware corporations that are suspected of money laundering: Euro-American Corporate Services, Inc. and International Business Creations. Suspicious banking activity involved correspondent bank accounts and wire transfers of funds from Eastern European banks through U.S. banks to other Eastern European banks. Two U.S. banks, Citibank of New York and Commercial Bank of San Francisco, violated their customer policies by failing to close the accounts of clients who did not comply with the bank's requirement to appear at the bank in person within 30 days of opening an account. These banks facilitated the transfer of about $1 billion from Eastern Europe, through U.S. banks, and back to Eastern Europe by corporations formed for Russian brokers. It is possible that these transfers were used to launder money. GAO referred the matter to appropriate law enforcement authorities."

The primary objective for vitrifying the LAW samples is to generate glass products for subsequent product testing. The work presented in this report is divided into 6 work elements: 1) Glass Fabrication, 2) Chemical Composition, 3) Radiochemical Composition, 4) Crystalline and Non-crystalline Phase Determination, and 5) Release Rate (Modified PCT). These work elements will help demonstrate the RPP-WTP projects ability to satisfy the product requirements concerning, chemical and radionuclide reporting, waste loading, identification and quantification of crystalline and non-crystalline phases, and waste form leachability. VOA, SVOA, dioxins, furans, PCBs, and total cyanide analyses will be reported in as separate document (WTP-RPT-005).

Consolidated sludge samples described in this report were collected from the Hanford K East Basin fuel storage pool in March and April 1999. Material for the samples was collected from both the basin floor and fuel canisters within the basin. Analyses persented include weight percent solids determination, uranium analysis by kinetic phosphorescence (KPA), plutonium isotope analysis by alpha energy analysis (AEA), gross beta analysis, gamma energy analysis (GEA), and metals analysis by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES).

This report summarizes data on the organic vapors in the single-shell high level radioactive waste tanks at the Hanford site to support a forthcoming toxicological study. All data were obtained from the Tank Characterization Database (PNNL 1999). The TCD contains virtually all the available tank headspace characterization data from 1992 to the present, and includes data for 109 different single-shell waste tanks. Each single-shell tank farm and all major waste types are represented. Descriptions of the sampling and analysis methods have been given elsewhere (Huckaby et al. 1995, Huckaby et al. 1996), and references for specific data are available in the TCD. This is a revision of a report with the same title issued on March 1, 2000 (Stock and Huckaby 2000).

This report describes program goals, activities, processes, benefits for the profession of engineering and for the project participants, coordination, and impact of NHBEP throughout the three years of implementation.

This report summarizes the research that has been performed by Reaction Engineering International (REI) during the last three months on demonstrating and evaluating low NOx control strategies and their possible impact on boiler performance for firing US coals. The focus of our efforts during the last six months have been on: (1) Field Tests for RRI at the Conectiv BL England Station Unit No.1, a 130 MW cyclone fired boiler; (2) Extending our Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) based NOx model to accommodate the chemistry for Rich Reagent Injection (RRI) in cyclone fired boilers; (3) Applying the NOx model to evaluate RRI systems integrated into a boiler with Over Fired Air (OFA) and Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction (SNCR); (4) Field Tests of the REI Corrosion Probe at the Conectiv BL England Station Unit No.1; (5) Commence engineering study of ammonia adsorption mechanisms for Fly Ash; (6) Presentation of current program accomplishments and plans for future work to DoE staff members at NETL-FE (Pittsburgh); and (7) Presentation of preliminary field test results for RRI to EPRI CNCIG.

Two bits were designed. One bit was fabricated and tested at Terra-Tek's Drilling Research Laboratory. Fabrication of the second bit was not completed due to complications in fabrication and meeting scheduled test dates at the test facility. A conical bit was tested in a Carthage Marble (compressive strength 14,500 psi) and Sierra White Granite (compressive strength 28,200 psi). During the testing, Hydraulic Horsepower, Bit Weight, Rotation Rate, were varied for the Conical Bit, a Varel Tricone Bit and Varel PDC bit. The Conical Bi did cut rock at a reasonable rate in both rocks. Beneficial effects from the near and through cutter water nozzles were not evident in the marble due to test conditions and were not conclusive in the granite due to test conditions. At atmospheric drilling, the Conical Bit's penetration rate was as good as the standard PDC bit and better than the Tricone Bit. Torque requirements for the Conical Bit were higher than that required for the Standard Bits. Spudding the conical bit into the rock required some care to avoid overloading the nose cutters. The nose design should be evaluated to improve the bit's spudding characteristics.

The primary research activities under this grant were in E871 (HyperCP) at Fermilab, a search for CP violation in hyperon decays which completed data taking in January, 2000. HyperCP is an experiment designed to perform a sensitive search for direct CP violation in the decays of cascade ({Xi}) and {Lambda} hyperons by looking for an asymmetry between particle and antiparticle decay parameters. The experiment is expected to achieve a sensitivity {approx}10{sup -4} in the decay parameters. Standard model predictions for this CP-violating asymmetry range from 0.3 to 5 x 10{sup -4}. A difference between the decay parameters for particle and antiparticle is direct evidence that CP symmetry is violated. A non-zero asymmetry would be the first evidence for CP violation outside of the K{sup o} system. Recent results from KTeV indicate a direct CP violation in K{sup o} decays, which suggests that CP violation will appear in other decays. In addition, we will look at a number of rare hyperon decays involving muons. These probe important new physics topics such as Majorana neutrinos and lepton number violating processes. The latter are of great current interest because new evidence for neutrino oscillations indicate lepton flavor violation does occur. Our data will …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The number of Tuberculosis (TB) and multidrug-resistant TB cases in the United States has declined steadily since 1992. However, continued vigilance is needed to further reduce TB rates. A resurgence of the disease in the late 1980s and early 1990s was linked to a relaxation of TB control efforts. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization suggest that the presence of TB as a major public health problem in other countries has likely been a key contributor to the number of new cases in the United States. As a result, the United States has undertaken several initiatives to control global TB, including providing funding and technical assistance for TB control programs."

This report discusses particle size and calorimetry analyses performed on single-pull sludge samples collected from the Hanford K East Basin floor and pits. This study was conducted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in support of the baseline sludge management plan, which calls for the sludge to be packaged, shipped and stored at T Plant in the Hanford 200 West Area until final processing as a future date. These analyses were needed to better understand the K Basin sludge inventory and chemical reactivity.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been using vitrification processes to convert high-level radioactive waste forms into a stable glass for disposal in waste repositories. Vitrification facilities at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) are converting liquid high-level waste (HLW) by combining it with a glass-forming media to form a borosilicate glass, which will ensure safe long-term storage. Large, slurry fed melters, which are used for this process, were anticipated to have a finite life (on the order of two to three years) at which time they would have to be replaced using remote methods because of the high radiation fields. In actuality the melters useable life spans have, to date, exceeded original life-span estimates. Initial plans called for the removal of failed melters by placing the melter assembly into a container and storing the assembly in a concrete vault on the vitrification plant site pending size-reduction, segregation, containerization, and shipment to appropriate storage facilities. Separate facilities for the processing of the failed melters currently do not exist. Options for handling these melters include (1) locating a facility to conduct the size-reduction, characterization, and containerization as originally planned; (2) long-term storing or …

The completed research project has made some significant contributions that will help us meet the challenges outlined in the previous section. One of the major novelties of our experimental approach involves the application of video microscopy and digital image analysis to study important transient phenomena (like particle swelling and ignitions) occurring during coal pyrolysis and combustion. Image analysis was also used to analyze the macropore structure of chars, a dominant factor in determining char reactivity and ignition behavior at high temperatures where all the commercial processes operate. By combining advanced experimental techniques with mathematical modeling, we were able to achieve the main objectives of our project. More specifically: (1) We accurately quantified the effect of several important process conditions (like pyrolysis heating rate, particle size, heat treatment temperature and soak time) on the combustion behavior of chars. These measurements shed new light into the fundamental mechanisms of important transient processes like particle swelling and ignitions. (2) We developed and tested theoretical models that can predict the ignition behavior of char particles and their burn-off times at high temperatures where intraparticle diffusional limitations are very important.

None

This report documents the results of work conducted under the Cooperative Research And Development (CRADA) No. 97-F001 between the Foster Wheeler Development Corporation, FWDC, and the National Energy Technology Laboratory, NETL. Under this agreement, FWDC and NETL worked together to further investigate the applicability of the MFIX computer code to FWDC engineering problems. MFIX is a transient, finite difference, FORTRAN code that solves the equations of transport for interacting fluid and granular solid phases. It is designed to model fluidized bed reactors. Under the CRADA, work was divided into three tasks. The first task involved the continued validation of the hydrodynamic and chemistry capabilities of the MFIX code. The second task involved a parametric evaluation of the MFIX code's ability to predict bubble shape. Task 3 was to modify MFIX to make it execute faster and more easily on personal computers. Task 1 was accomplished by both FWDC and NETL while Tasks 2 and 3 were completed primarily by NETL. Non technical details of the CRADA can be found in Appendix A.

None

Tantalum alloys are one of the refractory metals with renewed consideration for high temperatures in fusion reactor applications. Tantalum alloys perform well in protective environments but oxidized readily in gases containing higher oxygen levels. In addition, the radioactive isotope Ta-182 would be produced in tantalum and could be a significant contributor to dose if mobilized. Other isotopes of importance are produced from tungsten and hafnium. Mobilization of activated products during an accident with air ingress is therefore a safety issue. In this study, we measured the extent of oxidation and mobilization from tantalum alloy T-222 oxidized in flowing air between 500 and 1200 C. This alloy nominally contains 10 wt% tungsten, 2.5 wt% hafnium and 0.01 wt% carbon. We found that the mobilization of Ta and Hf was closely linked to the occurrence of oxide spalling. These elements showed no migration from the test chamber. Some W was mobilized by volatilization as evidenced by transport from the chamber. Tungsten volatilization could occur primarily during initial stages of oxidation before an oxide scale forms and impedes the process. The mobilization of Ta and W are presented in terms of the mass flux (g/m 2 -h) as a function of test temperature. …

The TMAP Code was written in the late 1980s as a tool for safety analysis of systems involving tritium. Since then it was upgraded to TMAP4 and used in numerous applications including experiments supporting fusion safety predictions for advanced systems such as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), and estimates involving tritium production technologies. Its further upgrade to TMAP2000 was accomplished in response to several needs. TMAP and TMAP4 had the capacity to deal with only a single trap for diffusing gaseous species in solid structures. TMAP2000 has been revised to include up to three separate traps and to keep track separately of each of up to 10 diffusing species in each of the traps. A difficulty in the original code dealing with heteronuclear molecule formation such as HD and DT has been removed. Under equilibrium boundary conditions such as Sieverts' law, TMAP2000 generates heteronuclear molecular partial pressures when solubilities and partial pressures of the homonuclear molecular species and the equilibrium stoichiometry are provided. A further sophistication is the addition of non-diffusing surface species and surface binding energy dynamics options. Atoms such as oxygen or nitrogen on metal surfaces are sometimes important in molecule formation with diffusing hydrogen isotopes but …

None

The Low-Activity Waste Process Technology Program anticipated that grouting will be used for disposal of low-level and transuranic wastes generated at the Idaho Nuclear Technology Engineering Center (INTEC). During fiscal year 2000, grout formulations were studied for transuranic waste derived from INTEC liquid sodium-bearing waste and for projected newly generated low-level liquid waste. Additional studies were completed using silica gel and other absorbents to solidify sodium-bearing wastes. A feasibility study and conceptual design were completed for the construction of a grout pilot plant for simulated wastes and demonstration facility for actual wastes.

Progress continues in fuel cell technology since the previous edition of the Fuel Cell Handbook was published in November 1998. Uppermost, polymer electrolyte fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells, and solid oxide fuel cells have been demonstrated at commercial size in power plants. The previously demonstrated phosphoric acid fuel cells have entered the marketplace with more than 220 power plants delivered. Highlighting this commercial entry, the phosphoric acid power plant fleet has demonstrated 95+% availability and several units have passed 40,000 hours of operation. One unit has operated over 49,000 hours. Early expectations of very low emissions and relatively high efficiencies have been met in power plants with each type of fuel cell. Fuel flexibility has been demonstrated using natural gas, propane, landfill gas, anaerobic digester gas, military logistic fuels, and coal gas, greatly expanding market opportunities. Transportation markets worldwide have shown remarkable interest in fuel cells; nearly every major vehicle manufacturer in the U.S., Europe, and the Far East is supporting development. This Handbook provides a foundation in fuel cells for persons wanting a better understanding of the technology, its benefits, and the systems issues that influence its application. Trends in technology are discussed, including next-generation concepts that promise …

None

None

This report summarizes data on the organic vapors in the single-shell high level radioactive waste tanks at the Hanford site to support a forthcoming toxicological study. All data were obtained from the Tank Characterization Database (PNNL 1999). The TCD contains virtually all the available tank headspace characterization data from 1992 to the present, and includes data for 109 different single-shell waste tanks. Each single-shell tank farm and all major waste types are represented. Descriptions of the sampling and analysis methods have been given elsewhere (Huckaby et al. 1995, Huckaby et al. 1996), and references for specific data are available in the TCD. This is a revision of a report with the same title issued on March 1, 2000 (Stock and Huckaby 2000).