This report documents the technical progress through the first six months of this one-year program under DoE Contract which was effective 1 May 1978.

The office portion of the building is 4900 ft/sup 2/. The active hydronic space heating system uses 1890 ft/sup 2/ of flat plate air-to-water solar collectors and has 2500 gallons of storage capacity. Included here are the acceptance test plan, operation and maintenance, operating mode table, pictures, and system performance data. (MHR)

Research activity on the Torus 1 and Torus 2 projects is summarized. The diagnostic system for Torus 2 is briefly discussed.

The Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) for the LOFT reactor may need to be disabled for modifications or repairs of hardware or instrumentation or for component testing during periods when the reactor system is hot and pressurized, or it may be desirable to enable the ECCS to be disabled without the necessity of cooling down and depressurizing the reactor. A policy involves disabling the automatic-actuation of the LOFT ECCS, but still retaining the manual actuation capability. Disabling of the automatic actuation can be safely utilized, without subjecting the fuel cladding to unacceptable temperatures, when the LOFT power decays to 33 kW; this power level permits a maximum delay of 20 minutes following a LOCA for the manual actuation of ECCS. For the operating power of the L2-2 Experiment, the required decay-periods (with operating periods of 40 and 2000 hours) are about 21 and 389 hours, respectively. With operating periods of 40 and 2000 hours at Core-I full power, the required decay-periods are about 42 and 973 hours, respectively. After these decay periods the automatic actuation of the LOFT ECCS can be disabled assuming a maximum delay of 20 minutes following a LOCA for the manual actuation of ECCS. The automatic …

The hazard matrix is our gross identifier of potential solar collector subsystem hazards. The matrix will be used as a hazard reference in the accomplishment of the preliminary design hazard analysis, and to assist system design engineers in the evaluation of the specific subsystem design.

Progress made in the following studies is reported: low-energy electron scattering; variable-angle photoelectron spectroscopy; laser photochemistry and spectroscopy; and collisions in crossed molecular beams.

It is noted that correction of the coupling resonance, ..nu../sub x/ - ..nu../sub y/ = 0, in intersecting storage accelerators with superconducting magnets requires two families of correcting skew quadrupoles with two independent power supplies. A possible location for the two families is suggested, and results are given for the required strengths of the skew quadrupoles and the required accuracy of the corrections. The results are applied to the ISABELLE storage accelerator.

This report presents field and laboratory results of 508 groundwater samples and 96 stream sediment samples for a reconnaissance geochemical survey of the Houston quadrangle, Texas.

A FORTRAN code to evaluate binary reaction rates (sigmav) for a plasma to a specified accuracy is described. Distribution functions permitted are (1) two Maxwellian species at different temperatures, (2) beam-Maxwellian, (3) cold gas with Maxwellian, and (4) beam-plasma with mirror distribution of the form f(v) varies as f(v) M (cos theta). Several functional forms are permitted for f(v) and M(cos theta). Cross-section subroutines for a number of interactions involving hydrogen, helium, and electrons are included, as is a routine allowing input of numerical data. The code is written as a subroutine to allow ready incorporation into larger plasma codes.

The geothermal resources of California's Imperial Valley have the potential for the production of an estimated 3000 to 5000 MW/yr of electricity for 30 yr, provided that adeuqate cooling water is available for power plants. There are five possible sources of cooling water: irrigation water, waste waters from agriculture, steam condensate, ground water, and water from the Salton Sea. Technical, environmental, and regulatory constraints, however, could limit the availability of the water supplies. Of particular concern are the constraints that could be imposed if different water policies were implemented. To study how future policies could affect geothermal development, six combinations of various policies were defined to represent potential regulatory controls. A range of future water balances in the valley was also specified. The water balances plus the six policy combinations were used to determine whether deficits of cooling water would eventually constrain low, medium, or high levels of geothermal energy production. A companion analysis of changes in the elevation and salinity of the Salton Sea resulting from the use of agricultural waters for cooling was also made.

The International Centre for Powder Diffraction Data has compiled an extensive powder diffraction database available on magnetic tape. The database was evaluated to determine the type and quality of the information it contains, including an analysis of d-I pairs per pattern, symmetry, quality marks, Q values, and intensities for subfiles of known crystal class. In addition, nine functions were evaluated to assess pattern quality for cubic and triclinic data. This document presents a minimum amount of data analysis, but concentrates on the distribution and statistics. It also describes how these data were obtained.

Design and field execution of seismic experiments are described that recorded the characteristics of seismic signals from single and multiple explosions conducted at the Nevada Test Site in Yucca Flat, Nevada. Most of the data were obtained from small-scale underground explosions (total yields ranged from a fraction of a pound to 100 lb of explosives) that were designed to permit characterization of seismic signals as a function of explosive-source configuration. Other data were from explosions conducted in the area by others: two underground nuclear detonations with yields below 40 kt each and several surface explosions whose yields ranged from 700 lb to 100 tons. The project included a comprehensive study of the Yucca lake bed, close-range recording of seismic signals from explosions, and excavation of cavities generated by small-scale high-explosive charges. 60 figures, 14 tables.

From abstract: Results of a reconnaissance geochemical survey of the Iron Mountain Quadrangle, Michigan; Wisconsin are reported. Field and laboratory data are presented for 479 groundwater samples, 369 stream sediment samples, and 389 stream water samples. Statistical and areal distributions of uranium and other possible uranium-related variables are displayed. A generalized geologic map of the survey area is provided, and pertinent geologic factors which may be of significance in evaluating the potential for uranium mineralization are briefly discussed.

From abstract: Results of a reconnaissance geochemical survey of the Rice Lake Quadrangle, Wisconsin are reported. Field and laboratory data are presented for 518 groundwater samples, 540 stream sediment samples, and 533 stream water samples.

From abstract: Results of a reconnaissance geochemical survey of the San Antonio Quadrangle , Texas are reported. Field and laboratory data are presented for 781 groundwater samples 541 stream sediment samples, and 331 stream water samples.

Installation of a sulfuric acid corrosion test facility has been completed and is described. The facility is to be used for testing of potential materials for containment and heat exchange of a sulfuric acid vaporizer at temperatures up to 725/sup 0/K and boiling pressures of >20 atm (2 MPa). Materials that are ready for test are Duriron, Durichlor 51, single crystal Si, hot-pressed Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ (Noralide NC-132), and hot-pressed SiC (Crystar HD-435), and tests are expected to get underway in April pending Hazards Control approval.

This report describes the results of a two-year study by Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and General Atomic Co. to develop a conceptual design for the standard (minimum-B) mirror hybrid reactor. The reactor parameters have been chosen to minimize the cost of producing nuclear fuel (/sup 239/Pu) for consumption in fission power reactors (light water reactors). The deuterium-tritium plasma produces approximately 400 MW of fusion power with a plasma Q of 0.64. The fast-fission blanket, which is fueled with depleted uranium and lithium, generates sufficient tritium to run the reactor, has a blanket energy multiplication of M = 10.4, and has a net fissile breeding ratio of Pu/n = 1.51. The reactor has a net electrical output of 600 MWe, a fissile production of 2000 kg of plutonium per year (at a capacity factor of 0.74), and a net plant efficiency of 0.18. The plasma-containment field is generated by a Yin-Yang magnet using NbTi superconductor, and the neutral beam system uses positive-ion acceleration with beam direct conversion. The spherical blanket is based on gas-cooled fast reactor technology. The fusion components, blanket, and primary heat-transfer loop components are all contained within a prestressed-concrete reactor vessel, which provides magnet restraint and supports the primary …

The conversion of geothermal energy into usable electrical power has become increasingly important to the overall national energy needs. A major area of technical interest which has resulted from the initial development of geothermal power plants is the scale formation developed in the facility pipes and related components. This scale formation is due to the concentration of minerals in the geothermal water and steam. The current state-of-technology utilized for descaling consists of a combination of sandblasting, water blasting, acid soaking and scraping. These cleaning methods, used individually or collectively, do not provide an acceptable descaling operation due to excessive facility downtime and cost.

Separate abstracts were prepared for each of the three included sections. (MOW)

The development of a grid-connected Integrated Community Energy System (ICES) is described. This system will supply electric power to the Northern States Power Co. in Minnesota and steam for the University of Minnesota, Augsburg College, two Minneapolis hospitals, and the Dept. of Health building. The fossil-fuel power plant would be located on the University of Minnesota campus. The costs, financing, and legal agreements involved in this project are presented and discussed. (LCL)

Specifications are presented for major components of the dual-purpose power plant to be located on the University of Minnesota campus. This power plant will supply steam and electric power to a proposed grid-connected Integrated Community Energy System. The capital costs and capital budget for the power plant and specifications for auxiliary equipment, such as the interconnecting heat tunnel, are included. (LCL)

Specifications are presented for the electrical equipment, site preparation, building construction and mechanical systems for a dual-purpose power plant to be located on the University of Minnesota campus. This power plant will supply steam and electrical power to a grid-connected Integrated Community Energy System. (LCL)

The preliminary design of a dual-purpose power plant to be located on the University of Minnesota is described. This coal-fired plant will produce steam and electric power for a grid-connected Integrated Community Energy System. (LCL)

A grid-connected Integrated Community Energy System (ICES) with a coal-burning power plant located on the University of Minnesota campus is planned. The cost benefit analysis performed for this ICES, the cost accounting methods used, and a computer simulation of the operation of the power plant are described. (LCL)