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A study on how nonfuel components of coal will affect the electron and alkali seed chemistry in a high temperature coal combustion system like those envisioned for direct fired MHD generators is described. Three specific problems are being considered. The first problem area is to characterize the formation of negative ions due to electron attachment processes in the combustion flow. While some stable negative ions may be formed from hydrocarbon combustion species (OH, HCO/sup -//sub 3/), the bulk of the stable negative ions are expected to be formed from oxidized inorganic coal slag constituents (CO/sup -//sub 2/, PO/sup -//sub 2/, AlO/sup -//sub 2/, etc). Negative ion formation can reduce the conductivity of the MHD plasma, particularly at the low temperature end of the MHD channel, thus decreasing the efficiency of power generation. This phenomena is expected to be particularly severe in electrode boundary layers, and particular attention will be paid to conditions characteristic of flow along the electrodes. The second problem area involves the role slag condensation may play in determining the electron density through recombination, also adversely affecting conductivity in the core flow. The competitive balance between thermionic emission from slag droplets and electron/ion recombination on the droplet surfaces …

The prinicpal effort during this contract period was directed toward preparing for on-line radiochemical experiments at LAMPF directed toward studying rare processes such as (..pi../sup -/, ..pi../sup +/), (n, ..delta../sup + +/) and (..mu../sup -/, e/sup +/) in /sup 88/Sr. Chemical scavenging techniques to remove interfering products were shown to be effective without significantly affecting the sensitivity of the detection system. Sensitivities of less than 0.1 ..mu..b for the first two processes appear achievable. Detailed statistical analysis of last years' experiments is leading to new limits, about an order of magnitude lower than already reported, on the formation of polyneutrons, reinforcing the conclusion that such species are not particle stable. 100/sup -/GeV ..pi../sup -/ studies of copper spallation are revealing no dramatic differences between spallation with pions and that with protons. Essentially, this report consists of a collection of abstract-like summaries.

Transient processes in radiative transfer have recently become of interest in the modeling of astrophysical phenomena, particularly with regard to the brightness of novae, supernovae, and perhaps even galactic clouds adjacent to quasars. Analytic solutions to a particular class of Marshak wave problems are presented with and without the Marshak (Milne) boundary condition. The choice of boundary condition can have a decisive effect on the coupling of radiative energy to the material energy in the vicinity of a material boundary. The analytic solution obtained can be useful as a tool for calibrating numerical calculation techniques.

Some criteria for identifying dense plasmas are given. The theoretical analysis gives the following: general characteristics of dense plasmas, statistical model for compressed atoms, and ionization equilibrium in dense plasmas. (MOW)

This report is a summary of the SPSA Annual Technical Report. It covers Small Power Systems Applications activities for FY 1978. Studies were conducted to address current small power system technology as applied to power plants up to 10 MWe in size. Markets for small power systems were characterized and cost goals were established for the project. Candidate power plant system design concepts were selected for evaluation and preliminary performance and cost assessments were made. Economic studies were conducted at JPL and under contract to Burns and McDonnell. Breakeven capital costs were determined for leading contenders among the candidate systems. An applications study was made of the potential use of small power systems in providing part of the demand for pumping power by the extensive aqueduct system of California, estimated to be 1000 MWe by 1985. Criteria and methodologies were developed for application to the ranking of candidate power plant system design concepts. Experimental power plants concepts of 1 MWe rating were studied by three contractors as a Phase I effort leading toward the definition of a power plant configuration for subsequent detail design, construction, testing, and evaluation as Engineering Experiment No. 1 (EE No. 1). Site selection criteria and …

The Solar Array Manufacturing Industry Costing Standards (SAMICS) provide standard formats, data, assumptions, and procedures for determining the price a hypothetical solar array manufacturer would have to be able to obtain in the market to realize a specified after-tax rate of return on equity for a specified level of production. This document presents the methodology and its theoretical background. It is contended that the model is sufficiently general to be used in any production-line manufacturing environment. Implementation of this methodology by the Solar Array Manufacturing Industry Simulation computer program (SAMIS III, Release 1) is discussed.

Small Power Systems Applications activities for FY 1978 are reported. Studies were conducted to address current small power system technology as applied to power plants up to 10 MWe in size. Markets for small power systems were characterized and cost goals were established for the project. Candidate power plant system design concepts were selected for evaluation and preliminary performance and cost assessments were made. Economic studies were conducted at JPL and under contract to Burns and McDonnell. Breakeven capital costs were determined for leading contenders among the candidate systems. An applications study was made of the potential use of small power systems in providing part of the demand for pumping power by the extensive aqueduct system of California, estimated to be 1000 MWe by 1985. Criteria and methodologies were developed for application to the ranking of candidate power plant system design concepts. Experimental power plants concepts of 1 MWe rating were studied by three contractors as a Phase I effort leading toward the definition of a power plant configuration for subsequent detail design, construction, testing and evaluation as Engineering Experiment No. 1 (EE No. 1). Site selection criteria and ground rules for the solicitation of EE No. 1 site participation …

The Solar Array Manufacturing Industry Costing Standards (SAMICS) provide standard formats, data, assumptions, and procedures for determining the price a hypothetical solar array manufacturer would have to be able to obtain in the market to realize a specified after-tax rate of return on equity for a specified level of production. This document summarizes the methodology and its theoretical background. It is contended that the model is sufficiently general to be used in any production-line manufacturing environment.

A detailed economic evaluation is presented of several EFG ribbon growth technology scenarios using the ''SAMICS'' interim price estimation guidelines. It is concluded that the growth of 10 ribbons from a double five ribbon furnace of the general type represented by the existing Machine 3A would meet the requirements of producing ribbon at a price below $20/m/sup 2/ the 1986 goal. The technology requirements are that one operator can operate 2 of the 5 ribbon growth stations in which each ribbon grows at a speed of 7.5 cm/min and is also 7.5 cm wide. The machines also would have to achieve a duty cycle of 67% at minimum and yields above 75%. Finally, silicon must be available at $10 to approximately $25/kg, depending on the yield assumed. These conclusions are the final results of the economic analysis. The progress towards the growth of 7.5 cm wide ribbon at 7.5 cm/min is discussed. Also, fluid flow phenomena have been investigated and it is shown that by utilization of such phenomena the impurity distribution in the ribbon may be manipulated to a significant extent. Also, using a somewhat novel ''EBIC'' technique it was demonstrated that the internal grain structure found previously in …

The overall objective of this research is to design, synthesize and evaluate cyclic and polycyclic host organic compounds for their abilities to complex and lipophilize guest metal ions, their complexes and clusters. Host organic compounds consist of strategically placed solvating, coordinating and ion-pairing sites tied together by covalent bonds through hydrocarbon units around cavities shaped to be occupied by guest metal ions, or metal ions plus their ligands. Specificity in complexation is sought by matching the following properties of host and guest: cavity and metal ion sizes; geometric arrangements of binding sites; numbers of binding sites; characters of binding sites; and valences. The specific compounds synthesized and their complexing and lipophilizing properties are reported.

Actinide cross section data at thermonuclear neutron energies are needed for the calculation of ICF pellet center burnup of fission reactor waste, viz. 14 MeV neutron fission of the very long-lived actinides that pose storage problems. A major advantage of pellet center burnup is safety: only milligrams of highly toxic and active material need to be present in the fusion chamber, whereas blanket burnup requires the continued presence of tons of actinides in a small volume. The actinide data tables required for Monte Carlo calculations of the burnup of /sup 241/Am and /sup 243/Am are discussed in connection with typical burnup reactor fusion and fission spectra. 2 figures.

The characterization data obtained during the period October through December 1978 are described. One well in Allegany County, New York, was sampled in September 1978. A total of 412 samples were collected from the Allegany County, New York well (165 for Battelle and 247 for other DOE/MERC contractors). Two other wells, namely in Wetzel County, West Virginia and Johnson County, Kentucky, were cored during the last quarter of 1978. A total of 109 samples were obtained from the Wetzel County, West Virginia well (46 samples for Battelle and 63 samples for other DOE/MERC contractors). The samples were obtained from depths of 6100 to 6635 feet. Characterization data on I-2 (EGSP Ind. No. 2), Clark County, Indiana, and Y-1 (EGSP New York No. 1), Allegany County, New York wells are reported and discussed. Analysis of the hydrocarbon gases in Y-1 samples indicates that the longer chain hydrocarbon gases (ethane, propane, butane) in these shales are significantly higher than in the previous wells studied. The Indiana well (I-2) shows surprisingly high carbon contents compared with the hydrocarbon gas contents. The carbon contents of the Y-1 (Allegany County, New York) well, on the other hand, are somewhat lower than would be predicted from …

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John L. Hill, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Interrelationship of acts regulating landscape architects (Art. 249c, V.T.C.S.) and plumbers (Art. 6341-101, V.T.C.S.)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John L. Hill, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: May a governmental body meet in executive session to discuss matters relating to salaries of governmental employees?

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John L. Hill, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether persons who sell citrus fruits from door to door must be licensed under the Citrus Bonding and Licensing Act.

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John L. Hill, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether presentation of a valid driver's license in court is an absolute defense to a charge of operating a motor vehicle without having a driver's license in immediate possession.

To obtain picosecond photographs of nanosecond radiation sources, a six-frame ultra-high speed radiation camera based on hydrated electron absorption phenomena has been developed. A time-dependent opacity pattern is formed in an acidic aqueous cell by a pulsed radiation source. Six time-resolved picosecond images of this changing opacity pattern are transferred to photographic film with the use of a mode-locked dye laser and six electronically gated microchannel plate image intensifiers. Because the lifetime of the hydrated electron absorption centers can be reduced to picoseconds, the opacity patterns represent time-space pulse profile images.

The technology verification phase program plan of the Dynamic Isotope Power System (DIPS) project is presented. DIPS is a project to develop a 0.5 to 2.0 kW power system for spacecraft using an isotope heat source and a closed-cycle Rankine power-system with an organic working fluid. The technology verification phase's purposes are to increase the system efficiency to over 18%, to demonstrate system reliability, and to provide an estimate for flight test scheduling. Progress toward these goals is reported. (LCL)

The technical and economic feasibility of generating electricity from solar energy is being studied. Collector experiments included heliostat tests. Hardware preparation and assembly constituted the steam generator work. The thermal storage subsystem research experiment, which featured thermal energy storage in a sodium nitrite/sodium hydroxide phase-change mixture, was discontinued. Analytical and design work on the electrical generation subsystem and plant integration progressed satisfactorily. (MHR)

The propagation of a crack in porous earth formations following an experimental underground nuclear explosion is analyzed. The three-dimensional analysis includes interaction of gas pressure within the crack, permeation of gas into the porous earth formation, deflection of the crack walls, and crack propagation. Effects of permeability, k, from 10/sup -6/ to 0.1 (..mu..m)/sup 2/ (1(..mu..m)/sup 2/ approximately 1 Darcy), initial crack length and width up to 110 and 170 m, and ratio of maximum earth formation resistive pressure to initial driving pressure, P/sub r//sub max//P/sub 1/, from 0.1 to 0.9 are delineated. Propagation of a crack to the earth's surface following a typical experimental underground nuclear explosion buried at a depth of 500 m occurs only under unlikely conditions, such as when k < 10/sup -4/ (..mu..m)/sup 2/ and P/sub r//sub max//P/sup 1/ < 0.75.

General systems aspects of fusion magnet safety are examined first, followed by specific detailed analyses covering structural, thermal, electrical, and other aspects of fusion magnet safety. The design examples chosen for analysis are illustrative and are not intended to be definitive, since fusion magnet designs are rapidly evolving. Included is a comprehensive collection of design and operating data relating to the safety of existing superconducting magnet systems. The remainder of the overview lists the main conclusions developed from the work to date. These should be regarded as initial steps. Since this study has concentrated on examining potential safety concerns, it may tend to overemphasize the problems of fusion magnets. In fact, many aspects of fusion magnets are well developed and are consistent with good safety practice. A short summary of the findings of this study is given.

Research to find appropriate non-equilibrium storage media that can be efficiently pumped for high energy lasers is described. Four tasks in the research program are described: (1) Measure, as a function of wavelength, the quantum yield of O(/sup 1/S) production from N/sub 2/O photolysis between 1100 and 1500 A. (2) Measure the temperature dependence of O(/sup 1/S) deactivation by N/sub 2/O. (3) Measure the yield of efficient quenching agents for O(/sup 1/S) (such as NO) under the conditions of Task I. (4) Measure, as a function of wavelength, the quantum yield of S(/sup 1/S) production from OCS photolysis between 1400 and 1650 A. (GHT)

Work on the hydrogen compatibility of structural materials for pressure vessels and pipelines is proceeding along several fronts. In support of Brookhaven National Laboratories (BNL), the tensile behavior of a number of carbon and pressure vessel steels in high pressure hydrogen gas and in contact with iron-titanium hydride has been characterized. Slow crack growth studies of pressure vessel steels are nearing completion. Studies addressing the protective value of brush electroplated coatings are being continued. A new silicon coating applied by vapor deposition is also under study. Self-loaded tensile specimens are being prepared for use by BNL in an in-situ accelerated test program. Efforts are underway to modify the hydrogen compatibility of manganese-carbon and high carbon steels by thermomechanical treatment, and to characterize their mechanical properties and microstructures. The effects of chemical segregation on hydrogen cracking are also being studied. Construction of the experimental hydrogen pipeline is proceeding satisfactorily with initial safety tests to be performed soon.