N Reactor fuel elements stored in the Hanford K Basins were subjected to high temperatures and vacuum conditions to remove water. Results of the first series of whole element furnace tests i.e., Runs 1 through 8 were collected in this summary report. The report focuses on the six tests with breached fuel from the K West Basin which ranged from a simple fracture at the approximate mid-point to severe damage with cladding breaches at the top and bottom ends with axial breaches and fuel loss. Results of the tests are summarized and compared for moisture released during cold vacuum drying, moisture remaining after drying, effects of drying on the fuel element condition, and hydrogen and fission product release.

This test report documents the successful inspection and testing to certify two NuPac PAS-1 casks in accordance with US Department of Energy Certificate of Compliance (CoC) USA/9184/B(U). The primary and secondary containment vessels of each cask met the acceptance criteria defined in the CoC and the test plan.

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.

While many issues in the area of virtual reality (VR) research have been addressed in recent years, the constant leaps forward in technology continue to push the field forward. VR research no longer is focused only on computer graphics, but instead has become even more interdisciplinary, combining the fields of networking, distributed computing, and even artificial intelligence. In this article we discuss some of the issues associated with distributed, collaborative virtual reality, as well as lessons learned during the development of two distributed virtual reality applications.

The fundamental purpose of this project was to research and develop a process that would reduce the cost and improve the environmental efficiency of the present dry-cleaning industry. This second phase of research (see report KCP-94-1006 for information gathered during the first phase) was intended to allow the optimal integration of all factors of ultrasonic fabric cleaning. For this phase, Garment Care performed an extensive literature search and gathered data from other researchers worldwide. The Garment Care-AlliedSignal team developed the requirements for a prototype cleaning tank for studies and acquired that tank and the additional equipment required to use it properly. Garment Care and AlliedSignal acquired the transducers and generators from Surftran Martin-Walter in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Amway's Kelly Haley developed the test protocol, supplied hundreds of test swatches, gathered the data on the swatches before and after the tests, assisted with the cleaning tests, and prepared the final analysis of the results. AlliedSignal personnel, in conjunction with Amway and Garment Care staff, performed all the tests. Additional planning is under way for future testing by outside research facilities. The final results indicated repeatable performance and good results for single layered fabric swatches. Swatches that were cleaned as a ''sandwich,'' …

Only one well remains in production in the Port Neches CO2 project; Kuhn #14. Production from this project is approaching economic limit and the project is nearing termination at this point. The work over to return Kuhn #38 to production failed and the well is currently shut in. All produced CO2 is currently being reinjected in the reservoir. The CO2 recycled volume is 2 MMCFD.

The power produced by photovoltaic devices changes with temperature, ranging from 0.1% to nearly 1% per degrees Celsius depending on the structure. The temperature across the surface of TPV cells will vary depending on the amount of absorbed power. Thus the temperature over a region of a wafer where there is no cell will be different from a region of the wafer containing a cell with an antireflection coating and back surface reflector. Vacuum hold-downs or back surface probes may result in local hot spots. Bonding a cell to a heat sink may not be practical in a research environment, and a temperature gradient between the heat sink and space-charge region will still exist. Procedures for determining the current versus voltage (I-V) characteristics at a given temperature are discussed. For continuous illumination measurement systems, the temperature of the heat sink or backside of the device can be directly measured. The temperature can also be inferred by placing the sample at a known temperature in the dark, and monitoring the open-circuit voltage (Voc) as a high-speed shutter is opened. The maximum Voc from this method corresponds to the temperature in the dark and the plate temperature can then be lowered until …

Every detector has limitations in terms of solid angle, particular technologies chosen, cracks due to mechanical structure, etc. If all of the presently planned parts of STAR [Solenoidal Tracker At RHIC] were in place, these factors would not seriously limit our ability to exploit the spin physics possible in RHIC. What is of greater concern at the moment is the construction schedule for components such as the Electromagnetic Calorimeters, and the limited funding for various levels of triggers.

In anticipation of processing irradiated EBR-II depleted uranium blanket subassemblies in the Fuel Conditioning Facility (FCF) at ANL-West, it has been possible to obtain a limited set of destructive chemical analyses of samples from a single EBR-II blanket subassembly. Comparison of calculated values with these measurements is being used to validate a depletion methodology based on a limited number of generic models of EBR-II to simulate the irradiation history of these subassemblies. Initial comparisons indicate these methods are adequate to meet the operations and material control and accountancy (MC and A) requirements for the FCF, but also indicate several shortcomings which may be corrected or improved.

Switched-capacitor analog memories are well-suited to a number of applications where a continuous digitization of analog signals is not needed. In data acquisition systems based on the use of an analog memory, the input waveforms are sampled and stored at a high rate for a limited period of time, and the analog samples are then retrieved at a lower rate and digitized with a slow ADC before new waveforms are acquired. The advantages of using an analog memory are lower overall power dissipation and cost, higher density and reliability, and potentially superior performance. The analog memory essentially exploits the fact that the sampling and storage of samples in a bank of analog memory cells can be accomplished at a higher rate and with a greater precision than direct digital conversion. This dissertation examines the important components of an analog memory in detail and investigates their use in a number of architectures. The research has led to the design of an analog memory that can acquire analog waveforms at sampling rates of several hundred MHz with a dynamic range and linearity of more than 12 bits, without the need for elaborate calibration and correction procedures. This is accomplished by means of …

Experimental results from the pilot scale electrorefiner (Mark-IV ER) treating spent nuclear fuel are reported in this article. The electrorefining processes were carried out in a LiCl-KCl-UCl{sub 3} electrolyte. It has been noted that spool of molten cadmium below the electrolyte plays an important role in the electrorefining operations. In addition, formations of electrical shorting path between anode baskets and the electrorefiner vessel were observed, which lessened the uranium dissolution process from anode baskets, however appeared to improve the morphology of cathode deposit. The FIDAP simulation code was used to calculate the electrical potential field distributions and the potential gradient near the cathode. The effect of the electrical shorting between anode baskets and electrorefiner vessel on the morphology of cathode products is discussed.

We are interested in the stability of three-dimensional fluid flows to small dkturbances. One computational approach is to solve a sequence of large sparse generalized eigenvalue problems for the leading modes that arise from discretizating the differential equations modeling the flow. The modes of interest are the eigenvalues of largest real part and their associated eigenvectors. We discuss our work to develop an effi- cient and reliable eigensolver for use by the massively parallel simulation code MPSalsa. MPSalsa allows simulation of complex 3D fluid flow, heat transfer, and mass transfer with detailed bulk fluid and surface chemical reaction kinetics.

Within the last year it has been realized that the remarkable properties of superconducting thin films containing a periodic array of defects (such as sub-micron sized holes) offer a new route for developing a novel superconducting materials based on precise control of microstructure by modern photolithography. A superconductor is a material which, when cooled below a certain temperature, loses all resistance to electricity. This means that superconducting materials can carry large electrical currents without any energy loss--but there are limits to how much current can flow before superconductivity is destroyed. The current at which superconductivity breaks down is called the critical current. The value of the critical current is determined by the balance of Lorentz forces and pinning forces acting on the flux lines in the superconductor. Lorentz forces proportional to the current flow tend to drive the flux lines into motion, which dissipates energy and destroys zero resistance. Pinning forces created by isolated defects in the microstructure oppose flux line motion and increase the critical current. Many kinds of artificial pinning centers have been proposed and developed to increase critical current performance, ranging from dispersal of small non-superconducting second phases to creation of defects by proton, neutron or heavy …

The microelectronics industry requires alumina substrates with exceptionally smooth surfaces and few surface defects to allow successful deposition of metallic films for reliable electronic performance. Irradiation by a 248-nm wavelength excimer laser beam (KrF) at a fluence of 125 mJ/mm{sup 2} and at various angles of incidence is shown to significantly reduce the surface roughness of alumina substrates. However, irradiation also creates a fine particulate deposit of alumina that only partially adheres to the substrate and impedes deposition of metal films. Annealing in air between 1350 C and 1450 C was found to remove the particles by sintering. As-received material showed surface roughness average (R{sub a}) mean values of 457 nm, which was reduced to 60 nm (mean) following irradiation and 71 nm (mean) following irradiation and annealing at 1350 C. Irradiation also produced a decrease in the number and severity of surface defects. The flexural strength and Weibull modulus were both increased by laser irradiation and thermal treatment. Flexural strength went from an as-received value of 450 MPa to 560 MPa following irradiation/sintering, measured at 10% probability of failure. The Weibull modulus was increased from the as-received value of about 9, to about 13 following irradiation/sintering. It was concluded …

Lithium metazirconate (Li{sub 2}ZrO{sub 3}) is a promising tritium breeder material for fusion reactors because of its excellent tritium release characteristics. In particular, for water-cooled breeding blankets (e.g., ITER), Li{sub 2}ZrO{sub 3} is appealing from a design perspective because of its good tritium release at low operating temperatures. The steady-state and transient tritium release/retention database for Li{sub 2}ZrO{sub 3} is reviewed, along with conventional diffusion and first-order surface resorption models which have been used to match the database. A first-order surface resorption model is recommended in the current work both for best-estimate and conservative (i.e., inventory upper-bound) predictions. Model parameters we determined and validated for both types of predictions, although emphasis is placed on conservative design predictions. The effects on tritium retention of ceramic microstructure, protium partial pressure in the purge gas and purge gas flow rate are discussed, along with other mechanisms for tritium retention which may not be dominant in the experiments, but may be important in blanket design analyses. The proposed tritium retention/release model can be incorporated into a transient thermal performance code to enable whole-blanket predictions of tritium retention/release during cyclic reactor operation. Parameters for the ITER driver breeding blanket are used to generate a numerical …

The author argues that the d{sub x{sup 2}{minus}y{sup 2}}-wave superconductor is marginally stable in the presence of external perturbations. Subjected to the external perturbations by magnetic impurities, it develops a secondary component of the gap, complex d{sub xy}, to maximize the coupling to impurities and lower the total energy. The secondary d{sub xy} component exists at high temperatures and produces the full gap {approximately} 20K in the single particle spectrum around each impurity, apart from impurity induced broadening. At low temperatures the phase ordering transition into global d{sub x{sup 2}{minus}y{sup 2}} + id{sub xy} state occurs.

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.

This report discusses the U.S. policy on Taiwan, which is governed by the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), the 3 U.S. joint communiqués with China, and the so-called "Six Assurances" on Taiwan.

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This report provides information about the Possible Missile Technology Transfers from U.S. Satellite Export Policy of China. this report discusses security concern,policy changes, and a chronology of major developments since 1988.

With enactment of P.L. 105-178 (H.R. 2400), the Transportation Equity Act for the 21 Century (TEA-21), Congress limited authority of the Department of Veterans st Affairs (VA) to grant service-connected compensation to veterans who, after the enactment date, claim that their smoking-related illnesses are traceable to tobacco use that began during their military service. P.L. 105-178's prohibition on most smokingrelated VA claims is the resolution of an issue with potentially explosive federal costs. Subsequent technical amendments included in P.L. 105-205, the Internal Revenue Service reform legislation, removed the implication that smoking may have been misconduct, and made other minor clarifications.

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