In this study a novel optical trace gas sensor based on a perforated hollow waveguide (PHW) was proposed. The sensor has been given the acronym ESHOW for Environmental Sensor using Hollow Optical Waveguides. Realizations of the sensor have demonstrated rapid response time (<2s), low minimum detection limits (typically around 3 x 10-5 absorbance). Operation of the PHW technology has been demonstrated in the near-infrared (NIR) and mid0infrared (MIR) regions of the spectrum. Simulation of sensor performance provided in depth understanding of the signals and signal processing required to provide high sensitivity yet retain rapid response to gas changes. A dedicated sensor electronics and software foundation were developed during the course of the Phase II effort. Commercial applications of the sensor are ambient air and continuous emissions monitoring, industrial process control and hazardous waste site monitoring. There are numerous other applications for such a sensor including medical diagnosis and treatment, breath analysis for legal purposes, water quality assessment, combustion diagnostics, and chemical process control. The successful completion of Phase II resulted in additional funding of instrument development by the Nations Institute of Heath through a Phase I SBIR grant and a strategic teaming relationship with a commercial manufacture of medical instrumentation. …

Some policymakers, believing that disparities in broadband access across American society could have adverse economic and social consequences on those left behind, assert that the federal government should play a more active role to avoid a “digital divide” in broadband access. One approach is for the federal government to provide financial assistance to support broadband deployment in underserved areas. Others, however, believe that federal assistance for broadband deployment is not appropriate. Some opponents question the reality of the “digital divide,” and argue that federal intervention in the broadband marketplace would be premature and, in some cases, counterproductive.

Over the last several years most of the sludge and liquid from the Liquid Low-Level Waste (LLLW) tanks at ORNL has been transferred and consolidated in the Melton Valley Storage Tanks (MVST). The contents of the MVST tanks at the time the sludge samples were collected for this report included the original inventory in the MVSTs along with the sludge and liquid from the Bethel Valley Evaporator Service Tanks (BVEST), Old Hydrofracture (OHF) tanks, and the Gunite and Associated Tanks (GAAT). During the summer of 2001 full core samples of sludge were collected from the MVST tanks. The purpose of this sampling campaign was to characterize and validate that the current radiochemical and chemical contents of the MVST sludge, which was needed to meet the contract agreements prior to the transfer of the waste to another DOE contractor for processing. This report only discusses the analytical characterization of the sludge from the MVST waste tanks. The isotopic data presented in this report supports the position that fissile isotopes of uranium ({sup 233}U and {sup 235}U) and plutonium ({sup 239}Pu and {sup 241}Pu) were ''denatured'' as required by the administrative controls stated in the ORNL LLLW waste acceptance criteria (WAC). In …

The objective of the current work is to calculate changes in system multiplication due to perturbations in cross-section temperature. Moreover, the study is intended to investigate cross-section perturbations using ENDF/B-VI data which are the most up-to-date cross-section information currently available in the United States. The purpose of this letter report is to document the work that has been completed during the 2001 fiscal year. In addition, the report provides the current status of the temperature-effects study. During the fiscal year, the majority of effort has focused on the development of a 238-group ENDF/B-VI library using the AMPX cross-section processing system. At this point, 340 ENDF/B-VI evaluations have been processed (i.e., 15 thermal and 325 nonthermal evaluations), and a prototypic 238-group library has been developed. Efforts are currently in progress to test the cross-section library for accuracy. Once the library is determined to be suitable for radiation transport calculations, the library will be used to perform reactivity calculations to assess the impact of cross-section temperature perturbations. Regarding the temperature perturbation studies, a FORTRAN program (CRCREAD) has been developed to read the CRCbenchmark models (i.e., MCNP input files) and search for the 130 different isotopes that have been designated by the YMP …

Industrial consumers of energy now have the opportunity to participate directly in electricity generation. This report seeks to give the reader (1) insights into the various types of generation services that distributed generation (DG) units could provide, (2) a mechanism to evaluate the economics of using DG, (3) an overview of the status of DG deployment in selected states, and (4) a summary of the communication technologies involved with DG and what testing activities are needed to encourage industrial application of DG. Section 1 provides details on electricity markets and the types of services that can be offered. Subsequent sections in the report address the technical requirements for participating in such markets, the economic decision process that an industrial energy user should go through in evaluating distributed generation, the status of current deployment efforts, and the requirements for test-bed or field demonstration projects.

This project was initially targeted to the making of coke for blast furnaces by using proprietary technology of Calderon in a phased approach, and Phase I was completed. The project was then re-directed to the making of iron units. U.S. Steel teamed up with Calderon for a joint effort which will last 30 months to produce directly reduced iron with the potential of converting it into molten iron (hot metal) consistent with the Roadmap recommendations of 1998 prepared by the Steel Industry in cooperation with the Department of Energy. The work which is labeled as Phase II will take place at two levels; namely, the bench scale level and the process development unit (PDU) level. The bench scale work is being divided into two parts; the construction and operation of Bench Scale No.1 to make hot metal direct as one part and the construction and operation of Bench Scale No.2 to make DRI with its conversion to hot metal as the second part. The work at the PDU consists of getting the PDU which exists ready for advancing the activities from bench scale to PDU level.

Data on ground-water levels, discharges, and withdrawals from a variety of ground-water sources in the study area are reported for calendar year 1998.

Data on ground-water levels, discharges, and withdrawals from a variety of ground-water sources in the study area are reported for calendar year 1999.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) homeownership centers use more than 20 different information systems implemented by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) headquarters, including seven major systems, databases developed by the centers, and various different telephone systems. Some of these technologies were implemented before FHA formed the centers and transferred some responsibilities to lenders and contractors. Others were implemented later, to help FHA staff oversee lenders and contractors and provide customer service. Although homeownership center staff have developed specialized databases to help them better meet their responsibilities, neither FHA's single-family information systems nor its telephone systems adequately support the centers' efforts. To better ensure that FHA's single-family information systems support current center operations, HUD is developing a systems blueprint, or enterprise architecture. HUD's Office of the Chief Information Officer plans to finish defining the current capabilities of FHA's information systems by the fall of 2001 and to have partially defined the desired capabilities of all the Department's information systems by January 2002."

This report examines economic issues relating to across-the-board tax cuts, focusing primarily on distributional issues. The report is divided into four sections. The first section provides a general overview of the tax system. The next discusses recent proposals relating to across-the-board tax cuts. The third section discusses methods of evaluating alternative types of across-the-board tax cuts. The final section briefly discusses issues of efficiency, simplicity, and stabilization policy.

This report discusses the issue of U.S. economic assistance to sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the importance of continued assistance in light of U.S. national security and also various U.S.-led efforts to promote reform amongst African citizens themselves. U.S. assistance finds its way to Africa through a variety of channels, including the USAID-administered DA program, food aid programs, and indirect aid provided through international financial institutions and the United Nations.

The purpose of this catalog is to integrate all available soil physics data and information from vadose zone characterization and performance assessments into one useable, scientifically defensible document.

The purpose of this catalog is to integrate all available soil physics data and information from vadose zone characterization and performance assessments into one usable, scientifically defensible document.

An assessment of long-term performance of Category 3 waste-enclosing cement grouts requires data about the leachability/diffusion of radionuclide species (iodine-129, technetium-99, and uranium) when the waste forms come in contact with groundwater. Leachability data were collected by conducting dynamic (ANS-16.1) and static leach tests on radionuclide-containing cement specimens. The diffusivity of radionuclides in soil and concrete media was collected by conducting soil-soil and concrete-soil half-cell experiments.

An assessment of long-term performance of Category 3 waste-enclosing cement grouts requires data about the leachability/diffusion of radionuclide species (iodine-129, technetium-99, and uranium) when the waste forms come in contact with groundwater. Leachability data were collected by conducting dynamic (ANS-16.1) and static leach tests on radionuclide-containing cement specimens. The diffusivity of radionuclides in soil and concrete media was collected by conducting soil-soil and concrete-soil half-cell experiments.

A system and a method providing high-efficiency implantation and release of Kr ions in metal foils have been developed. Implantation and release measurements were performed with a static mass spectrometer. Efficient implantation/retention of rare-gas isotopic ions in a target and their subsequent efficient volatilization from the target is the first of two central requirements for developing an ultrasensitive (10 parts per trillion) method to determine the isotopic content of rare gases. In a number of initial Kr ion implantation runs in Cu, with subsequent volatilization of the implanted Kr by heating, implantation/release efficiencies averaging about 52% were observed. This low value was determined to be due to only partial interception of the Kr ion beam by the target. With modifications to the target assembly, mass spectrometer, and target size, the efficiencies for implantation/release of Kr in Cu were raised to essentially 100%. These efficiencies meet the first requirement for developing this method.

A system and a method providing high-efficiency implantation and release of Kr ions in metal foils have been developed. Implantation and release measurements were performed with a static mass spectrometer. Efficient implantation/retention of rare-gas isotopic ions in a target and their subsequent efficient volatilization from the target is the first of two central requirements for developing an ultrasensitive (10 parts per trillion) method to determine the isotopic content of rare gases. In a number of initial Kr ion implantation runs in Cu, with subsequent volatilization of the implanted Kr by heating, implantation/release efficiencies averaging about 52% were observed. This low value was determined to be due to only partial interception of the Kr ion beam by the target. With modifications to the target assembly, mass spectrometer, and target size, the efficiencies for implantation/release of Kr in Cu were raised to essentially 100%. These efficiencies meet the first requirement for developing this method.

The objective and scope of this calculation is to create the appropriate parameter input for MING 1.0 (CSCI 30018 V1.0, CRWMS M&amp;O 1998b) that will allow the testing of the results from the MING software code with both scientific measurements of microbial populations at the site and laboratory and with natural analogs to the site. This set of calculations provides results that will be used in model validation for the ''In-Drift Microbial Communities'' model (CRWMS M&amp;O 2000) which is part of the Engineered Barrier System Department (EBS) process modeling effort that eventually will feed future Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA) models. This calculation is being produced to replace MING model validation output that is effected by the supersession of DTN MO9909SPAMING1.003 using its replacement DTN MO0106SPAIDM01.034 so that the calculations currently found in the ''In-Drift Microbial Communities'' AMR (CRWMS M&amp;O 2000) will be brought up to date. This set of calculations replaces the calculations contained in sections 6.7.2, 6.7.3 and Attachment I of CRWMS M&amp;O (2000) As all of these calculations are created explicitly for model validation, the data qualification status of all inputs can be considered corroborative in accordance with AP-3.15Q. This work activity has been evaluated in accordance …

A concentration correction curve was established for measuring the activity concentration of airborne tritiated water collected with dried silica gel and extracted by the LLNL Environmental Monitoring Radiological Laboratory freeze-dry technique. A tracer study using standard tritiated water with silica gel showed that the concentration of tritium in the extracted water is lower than that in the adsorbed water by a fraction proportional to the amount of adsorbed water. The observed decrease in tritium concentration in the extracted water can be accounted for by dilution due to isotopic exchange with both non-tritiated water and hydroxyl groups within the silica gel matrix. For the range of 8-35% adsorbed water, which is typical of samples collected in LLNL monitoring stations, the derived exchangeable water in the silica gel material under investigation was (5.12 {+-} 0.08)%. The contribution of the H{sub 2}O/HTO vapor pressure effect using published empirical data in the literature was also considered in calculating the degree of isotopic exchange.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The Intergovernmental Personnel Act's (IPA) mobility program authorizes the temporary assignment of employees between federal agencies and state and local governments, universities, Indian tribal governments, and other nonfederal groups. These assignments, which may last up to four years, are intended to increase cooperation between the federal government and the non-federal entity. The National Science Foundation (NSF) temporarily assigned 45 of its employees to nonfederal organizations between 1995 and 2000, making NSF one of the most active users of the IPA program among federal agencies. NSF assigned 29 participants to universities, one to a local government, and 15 to other nonfederal organizations, such as research institutions or professional associations. NSF's implementation of the IPA program conformed to applicable laws and regulations. Although the partnering institutions nearly always made some financial contribution to these assignments, NSF paid about 78 percent of the total costs associated with the 45 assignments that GAO reviewed. The estimated total cost of these assignments to NSF was about $7.2 million for the six-year period GAO covered. NSF's external IPA assignments benefit not only the assignees but also the partnering institutions and NSF, according …

Under DOE sponsorship, McDermott Technology, Inc. (MTI), Babcock and Wilcox Company (B and W), and Minergy Corporation developed and evaluated a sludge derived fuel (SDF) made from sewage sludge. Our approach is to dry and agglomerate the sludge, combine it with a fluxing agent, if necessary, and co-fire the resulting fuel with coal in a cyclone boiler to recover the energy and to vitrify mineral matter into a non-leachable product. This product can then be used in the construction industry. A literature search showed that there is significant variability of the sludge fuel properties from a given wastewater plant (seasonal and/or day-to-day changes) or from different wastewater plants. A large sewage sludge sample (30 tons) from a municipal wastewater treatment facility was collected, dried, pelletized and successfully co-fired with coal in a cyclone-equipped pilot. Several sludge particle size distributions were tested. Finer sludge particle size distributions, similar to the standard B and W size distribution for sub-bituminous coal, showed the best combustion and slagging performance. Up to 74.6% and 78.9% sludge was successfully co-fired with pulverized coal and with natural gas, respectively. An economic evaluation on a 25-MW power plant showed the viability of co-firing the optimum SDF in a …

Report that discusses John Deere's field development of a heavy-duty natural gas engine. As part of the field development project, Waste Management of Orange County, California refitted four existing trash packers with John Deere's prototype spark ignited 280-hp 8.1 L CNG engines. This report describes the project and also contains information about engine performance, emissions, and driveability.

A pilot-scale test of a moving-bed configuration of a UOP IONSIV? IE-911 ion-exchange column was performed over 17 days at Severn Trent Services facilities. The objectives of the test, in order of priority, were to determine if aluminosilicate precipitation caused clumping of IE-911 particles in the column, to observe the effect on aluminum-hydroxide precipitation of water added to a simulant-filled column, to evaluate the extent of particle attrition, and to measure the expansion of the mass-transfer zone under the influence of column pulsing. The IE-911 moved through the column with no apparent clumping during the test, although analytical results indicate that little if any aluminosilicate precipitated onto the particles. A precipitate of aluminum hydroxide was not produced when water was added to the simulant-filled column, indicating that this upset scenario is probably of little concern. Particle-size distributions remained relatively constant with time and position in the column, indicating that particle attrition was not significant. The expansion of the mass-transfer zone could not be accurately measured because of the slow loading kinetics of the IE-911 and the short duration of the test; however, the information obtained indicates that back-mixing of sorbent is not extensive.

A pilot-scale test of a moving-bed configuration of a UOP IONSIV? IE-911 ion-exchange column was performed over 17 days at Severn Trent Services facilities. The objectives of the test, in order of priority, were to determine if aluminosilicate precipitation caused clumping of IE-911 particles in the column, to observe the effect on aluminum-hydroxide precipitation of water added to a simulant-filled column, to evaluate the extent of particle attrition, and to measure the expansion of the mass-transfer zone under the influence of column pulsing. The IE-911 moved through the column with no apparent clumping during the test, although analytical results indicate that little if any aluminosilicate precipitated onto the particles. A precipitate of aluminum hydroxide was not produced when water was added to the simulant-filled column, indicating that this upset scenario is probably of little concern. Particle-size distributions remained relatively constant with time and position in the column, indicating that particle attrition was not significant. The expansion of the mass-transfer zone could not be accurately measured because of the slow loading kinetics of the IE-911 and the short duration of the test; however, the information obtained indicates that back-mixing of sorbent is not extensive.