One problem faced in the clean-up operation at Hanford is that a number of radioactive waste storage tanks are experiencing a periodic buildup and release of potentially explosive gases. The best known example is Tank 241-SY-101 (commonly referred to as 101-SY) in which hydrogen gas periodically built up within the waste to the point that increased buoyancy caused a roll-over event, in which the gas was suddenly released in potentially explosive concentrations (if an ignition source were present). The sonic probe concept is to generate acoustic vibrations in the 101-SY tank waste at nominally 100 Hz, with sufficient amplitude to cause the controlled release of hydrogen bubbles trapped in the waste. The sonic probe may provide a potentially cost-effective alternative to large mixer pumps now used for hydrogen mitigation purposes. Two important parameters needed to determine sonic probe effectiveness and design are the speed of sound and yield stress of the tank waste. Tests to determine these parameters in a 240 ml sample of 101-SY waste (obtained near the tank bottom) were performed, and the results are reported.

This Progress Report describes the operation of the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF) and the research programs carried out there for the years 1992 and 1993. The accelerator operated for over 100 days in 1992, providing beams of H{sup +}, H{sup {minus}}, and polarized H{sup {minus}} for a rich and varied research program in nuclear physics. The accelerator had only fair beam availability in 1992 (for example, the average H{sup +} beam availability was 72%), caused largely by problems in the 201-MHz rf system. A major effort was expended to address these problems before the 1993 run. These efforts were rewarded by good beam availability in 1993 and few problems with the 201-MHz system. LAMPF operated remarkably smoothly during 1993, in the midst of a period of great uncertainty in the future of the facility and the downsizing of MP Division, which led to the loss of a large number of key people to positions elsewhere in the Laboratory. The H{sup +} intensity had to be held to no more than {approximately} 800{mu}A because of a vacuum leak in the A2 target. Nevertheless, the accelerator operated very.reliably and the summer run in 1993 proved to be extremely productive. This …

The FFTF Plant Operational Data Management (PODM) System provides capabilities for storing, managing and retrieving data recorded by FFTF plant computers [the Plant Data System (PDS), in particular]. The PODM system is currently implemented on SUN{sup TM} Workstations{sup (R)}. This guide contains a description of the PODM System, and instructions for using programs available for retrieving and processing FFTF data stored in the data base. Section 2.0 provides a brief overview and the background of the system. The organization and content of the data base are described in more detail in Sections 3.0 and 4.0. Available computer programs are described in sections 5.0 and 6.0 while subroutines that can be called by a user`s FORTRAN program are described in section 7.0.