A microfluidic switch has been demonstrated using an AC Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pumping mechanism in which the Lorentz force is used to pump an electrolytic solution. By integrating two AC MHD pumps into different arms of a Y-shaped fluidic circuit, flow can be switched between the two arms. This type of switch can be used to produce complex fluidic routing, which may have multiple applications in {micro}TAS.

The D-Zero crane rail is analyzed for use as an anchor support for a one person Horizon{trademark} Horizontal Lifeline system that will span the pit area at D-Zero assembly hall. The lifeline will span 75 ft across the pit area, will be located out of the travel of the crane and above the concrete lentil wall. The crane rail is a suitable anchor for a one person Horizon TM Horizontal Lifeline system. The expected stress on the rail is 1,995 psi which has a factor of safety of 5.5 on the allowable stress. The anchor position is located 18 feet away from the concrete lentil wall and out of the travel of the overhead crane.

Bioventing (BV) is a promising, cost-effective technology for the biodegradation of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons. The goal of BV is to stimulate naturally-occurring soil microorganisms to degrade organic contaminants in the soil. In natural systems the rate of biodegradation is eventually limited by the lack of oxygen and other electron acceptors (i.e., a compound that gains electrons during biodegradation) rather than by the lack of nutrients (i.e., electron donors). In conventional bioventing systems, oxygen is delivered by an electric blower to subsurface wells. The airflow rate is usually low in contrast to soil vapor extraction, just enough to provide sufficient oxygen to maintain or enhance microbial activity. In order to design a bioventing system wisely, decision makers should understand the role that design variables may play. Those design variables include locations of injection wells, injection rates, air pressure and moisture at wells, water table control, monitoring well locations, etc. Trade-off between these variables should be made before the implementation of a bioventing system. Obviously, the mathematical model corresponding to the multiphase flow and multi-species reactive transport is essential to describing the relations between design variables and system response. The work phases for the project are: (Phase 1) building biodegradation …

A prototype oligonucleotide ''functional chip'' has been developed to screen novel DNA repair proteins for their ability to bind or alter different forms of DNA. This chip has been developed as a functional genomics screen for analysis of protein-DNA interactions for novel proteins identified from the Human Genome Project The process of novel gene identification that has ensued as a consequence of available sequence information is remarkable. The challenge how lies in determining the function of newly identified gene products in a time-and cost-effective high-throughput manner. The functional chip is generated by the robotic application of DNA spotted in a microarray format onto a glass slide. Individual proteins are then analyzed against the different form of DNA bound to the slide. Several prototype functional chips were designed to contain various DNA fragments tethered to a glass slide for analysis of protein-DNA binding or enzymatic activity of known proteins. The technology has been developed to screen novel, putative DNA repair proteins for their ability to bind various types of DNA alone and in concert with protein partners. An additional scheme has been devised to screen putative repair enzymes for their ability to process different types of DNA molecules. Current methods to …

A statement of record issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board's organizational changes, determining the status of the Board's: (1) organization; (2) operations; and (3) efforts to update and develop plans, policies, and procedures for accomplishing the Board's mission."

This project will examine the chemical speciation of neptunium in spent nuclear fuel. The R&D fields covered by the project include waste host materials and actinide chemistry. Examination of neptunium is chosen since it was identified as a radionuclide of concern by the NERI workshop. Additionally, information on the chemical form of neptunium in spent fuel is lacking. The identification of the neptunium species in spent fuel would allow a greater scientific based understanding of its long-term fate and behavior in waste forms. Research to establish the application and development of X-ray synchrotrons radiation (XSR) techniques to determine the structure of aqueous, adsorbed, and solid actinide species of importance to nuclear considerations is being conducted at Argonne. These studies extend current efforts within the Chemical Technology Division at Argonne National Laboratory to investigate actinide speciation with more conventional spectroscopic and solids characterization (e.g. SEM, TEM, and XRD) methods. Our project will utilize all these techniques for determining neptunium speciation in spent fuel. We intend to determine the chemical species and oxidation state of neptunium in spent fuel and alteration phases. Different types of spent fuel will be examined. Once characterized, the chemical behavior of the identified neptunium species will be …

In August 1999, EnerTech Environmental, LLC (EnerTech) and the Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC) entered into a Cooperative Agreement to develop the first SlurryCarb{trademark} facility for converting Municipal Sewage Sludge (MSS) into a high-density slurry fuel, which could be co-utilized with coal in various industrial applications. Funded primarily by private investors, this program was divided into two major phases, Project Definition (Phase 0) and Design, Construction, and Operation (Phase 1). Project Definition, performed during this reporting period, was designed to define the project from a technical, economic, and scheduling standpoint. Once defined, much of the project risk would be appropriately mitigated thereby providing stakeholders, such as FETC, less risk when investing in the more costly Phase 1, which includes the design, construction, and operation of the first SlurryCarb{trademark} facility. Since May 1999, EnerTech has made significant progress in the tasks required in Phase 0 for bringing this project to Phase 1. These accomplishments have enhanced the probability for success thereby reducing the risk to the United States Department of Energy's (DOE) for its investment in the project. Phase 0 technical accomplishments include: Locating and securing a project site for the 60 dry ton per day (DTPD) SlurryCarb{trademark} facility; Locating and …

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the efforts being undertaken by the Department of Transportation's (DOT) newly established Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to reduce the number of large truck-related fatalities."

The effects of varying the input for the CAP88PC Version 2.0 program on the total effective dose equivalents (TEDEs) were determined for hypothetical releases from the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF) located at the Argonne National Laboratory site on the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). Values for site specific meteorological conditions and agricultural production parameters were determined for the 80 km radius surrounding the HFEF. Four nuclides, {sup 3}H, {sup 85}Kr, {sup 129}I, and {sup 137}Cs (with its short lived progeny, {sup 137m}Ba) were selected for this study; these are the radioactive materials most likely to be released from HFEF under normal or abnormal operating conditions. Use of site specific meteorological parameters of annual precipitation, average temperature, and the height of the inversion layer decreased the TEDE from {sup 137}Cs-{sup 137m}Ba up to 36%; reductions for other nuclides were less than 3%. Use of the site specific agricultural parameters reduced TEDE values between 7% and 49%, depending on the nuclide. Reductions are associated with decreased committed effective dose equivalents (CEDEs) from the ingestion pathway. This is not surprising since the HFEF is located well within the INEEL exclusion area, and the surrounding area closest to the release point …

Sandia National Laboratories has developed a computer based model called IVSEM (Integrated Verification System Evaluation Model) to estimate the performance of a nuclear detonation monitoring system. The IVSEM project was initiated in June 1994, by Sandia's Monitoring Systems and Technology Center and has been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nonproliferation and National Security (DOE/NN). IVSEM is a simple, ''top-level,'' modeling tool which estimates the performance of a Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) monitoring system and can help explore the impact of various sensor system concepts and technology advancements on CTBT monitoring. One of IVSEM's unique features is that it integrates results from the various CTBT sensor technologies (seismic, in sound, radionuclide, and hydroacoustic) and allows the user to investigate synergy among the technologies. Specifically, IVSEM estimates the detection effectiveness (probability of detection), location accuracy, and identification capability of the integrated system and of each technology subsystem individually. The model attempts to accurately estimate the monitoring system's performance at medium interfaces (air-land, air-water) and for some evasive testing methods such as seismic decoupling. The original IVSEM report, CTBT Integrated Verification System Evaluation Model, SAND97-25 18, described version 1.2 of IVSEM. This report describes the changes made …

Data package supporting the 2001 Immobilized Low-Activity Waste Performance Analysis. Geology, hydrology, geochemistry, facility, waste form, and dosimetry data based on recent investigation are provided. Verification and benchmarking packages for selected software codes are provided.

Debt Swapping as a Tool for Economic and Social Stablization in Russia's Closed Nuclear Cities

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed its views on the Department of Energy's (DOE) Implementation Plan for the newly created National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)."

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The transportation sector accounts for approximately 65% of US petroleum consumption. Consumption for light-duty vehicles has stabilized in the last 10--15 years; however, consumption in the heavy-duty sector has continued to increase. For various reasons, the US must reduce its dependence on petroleum. One significant way is to substitute alternative fuels (natural gas, propane, alcohols, and others) in place of petroleum fuels in heavy-duty applications. Most alternative fuels have the additional benefit of reduced exhaust emissions relative to petroleum fuels, thus providing a cleaner environment. The best long-term technology for heavy-duty alternative fuel engines is the 4-stroke cycle, direct injected (DI) engine using a single fuel. This DI, single fuel approach maximizes the substitution of alternative fuel for diesel and retains the thermal efficiency and power density of the diesel engine. This report summarizes the results of the first year (Phase 1) of this contract. Phase 1 focused on developing a 4-stroke cycle, DI single fuel, alternative fuel technology that will duplicate or exceed diesel power density and thermal efficiency, while having exhaust emissions equal to or less than the diesel. Although the work is currently on a 3500 Series DING engine, the work is viewed as a basic technology …

This report summarizes the results of Phase 2 of this contract. The authors completed four tasks under this phase of the subcontract. (1) They developed a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of a 3500 direct injected natural gas (DING) engine gas injection/combustion system and used it to identify DING ignition/combustion system improvements. The results were a 20% improvement in efficiency compared to Phase 1 testing. (2) The authors designed and procured the components for a 3126 DING engine (300 hp) and finished assembling it. During preliminary testing, the engine ran successfully at low loads for approximately 2 hours before injector tip and check failures terminated the test. The problems are solvable; however, this phase of the program was terminated. (3) They developed a Decision & Risk Analysis model to compare DING engine technology with various other engine technologies in a number of commercial applications. The model shows the most likely commercial applications for DING technology and can also be used to identify the sensitivity of variables that impact commercial viability. (4) MVE, Inc., completed a preliminary design concept study that examines the major design issues involved in making a reliable and durable 3,000 psi LNG pump. A primary concern is …

Initial dislocation structure in annealed high-purity Mo single crystals and deformation substructure in a crystal subjected to 1% compression have been examined and studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques in order to investigate dislocation multiplication mechanisms in the early stage of plastic deformation. The initial dislocation density is in a range of 10{sup 6} {approx} 10{sup 7} cm{sup -2}, and the dislocation structure is found to contain many grown-in superjogs along dislocation lines. The dislocation density increases to a range of 10{sup 8} {approx} 10{sup 9} cm{sup -2}, and the average jog height is also found to increase after compressing for a total strain of 1%. It is proposed that the preexisting jogged screw dislocations can act as (multiple) dislocation multiplication sources when deformed under quasi-static conditions. The jog height can increase by stress-induced jog coalescence, which takes place via the lateral migration (drift) of superjogs driven by unbalanced line-tension partials acting on link segments of unequal lengths. The coalescence of superjogs results in an increase of both link length and jog height. Applied shear stress begins to push each link segment to precede dislocation multiplication when link length and jog height are greater than critical lengths. This ''dynamic'' …

Public awareness of rock-fall hazard in Yosemite Valley has heightened after events in 1996 and 1999. Reports of audible blasts prior to rock-fall events suggest that rock cracking may in some instances precede the detachment a block from the cliff face. Seismic methods may be used to detect and locate small, inaudible rock cracking events, resulting in a catalog that outlines active areas and quantifies the level of activity. In order to test the feasibility of monitoring rock-fall activity with seismic methods, the Test Yosemite Rock-Fall Network (TYRN) was operated in the late summer and fall of 1999. The TYRN included five stations in the vicinity of the 1999 rock fall events: 2 stations at the base of the cliff and 3 above. Location of events depends on an estimate of seismic-wave velocity. During the TYRN deployment, a septic tank near Glacier Point was demolished, allowing the velocity of seismic P-waves to be calibrated. P-wave velocity was found to be about 5.68 km/s. Recordings of the explosion also allow assessment of arrival time precision, which controls the precision of seismic locations. Explosion recordings suggest that P-waves can be picked with a precision of about 0.005 seconds, suggesting that a seismic …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Baca Ranch owner's appraisal, the Forest Service's appraisal review report, and the Forest Service's market study."

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed S. 1993, the Government Information Security Act of 1999 and its impact on strengthening the information security practices throughout the federal government, focusing on: (1) potential improvements in federal agency performance in addressing computer security issues; (2) the need for better-defined control standards; and (3) centralized leadership."

Records Managers are continually exploring ways to integrate their services with those offered by Information Technology-related professions to capitalize on the advantages of providing customers a total solution to managing their records and information. In this day and age, where technology abounds, there often exists a fear on the part of records management that this integration will result in a loss of identity and the focus of one's own mission - a fear that records management may become subordinated to the fast-paced technology fields. They need to remember there is strength in numbers and it benefits RM, IT, and the customer when they can bring together the unique offerings each possess to reach synergy for the benefit of all the corporations. Records Managers, need to continually strive to move ''outside the records management box'', network, expand their knowledge, and influence the IT disciplines to incorporate the concept of ''management'' into their customer solutions.

Laboratory facilities have made great strides in producing large sets of reliable data for X-ray astronomy, which include ionization and recombination cross sections needed for charge balance calculations as well as the atomic data needed for interpreting X-ray line formation. We discuss data from the new generation sources and pay special attention to the LLNL electron beam ion trap experiment, which is unique in it's ability to provide direct laboratory access to spectral data under precisely controlled conditions that simulate those found in many astrophysical plasmas. Examples of spectral data obtained in the 1-160 A wavelength range are given illustrating the type of laboratory X-ray data produced in support of such missions as Chandra, XMM, ASCA and EUVE.

The longevity of high gain GaAs photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS) has been extended to over 100 million pulses at 23A, and over 100 pulses at 1kA. This is achieved by improving the ohmic contacts by doping the semi-insulating GaAs underneath the metal, and by achieving a more uniform distribution of contact wear across the entire switch by distributing the trigger light to form multiple filaments. This paper will compare various approaches to doping the contacts, including ion implantation, thermal diffusion, and epitaxial growth. The device characterization also includes examination of the filament behavior using open-shutter, infra-red imaging during high gain switching. These techniques provide information on the filament carrier densities as well as the influence that the different contact structures and trigger light distributions have on the distribution of the current in the devices. This information is guiding the continuing refinement of contact structures and geometries for further improvements in switch longevity.