Many safety systems, such as those in nuclear power plants, are systems for which the consequences of failure can be severe or catastrophic. These systems must be developed, implemented, and maintained in ways that provide assurance that catastrophic consequences will be prevented. This paper discusses various aspects of the question of using commercially available software in these systems. Risk, grading, and system assessment are discussed, and relevant standards are summarized. Recommendations for addressing key issues are given.

Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II), an experimental sodium cooled fast breeder reactor located at Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W), was shut down in 1994, and has since been defueled in preparation for final plant closure. Approximately 100,000 gallons of liquid sodium is contained in the primary and secondary cooling systems of the EBR-II plant. The liquid sodium must be drained from the reactor systems during closure of the plant to place the reactor plant in an industrially and radiologically safe condition for long term storage or dismantlement. Because the liquid sodium is a listed waste under the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA), it is not suitable for disposal. It therefore must be transferred to the Sodium Process Facility (SPF), which is located approximately nine hundred feet from the reactor complex, where it will be processed into a non-reactive form, suitable for land disposal in Idaho. To facilitate this transfer, a heated pipeline for carrying liquid sodium metal from EBR-II to the SPF was designed and installed. The SPF was originally designed and built to process primary sodium from the Fermi-1 reactor. The sodium is stored at ANL-W in 55 gallon drums. Design of the SPF did not originally accommodate processing of EBR-II …

High-temperature fracture strength and compressive creep of an electrodischarge-machinable composite, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-30.9 vol.% SiC whiskers-23 vol.% TiC particles have been studied to 1200 C and 1450 C, respectively, in inert atmosphere. Microstructures of fractured and deformed specimens were examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Fast fracture occurred at T {le} 1200 C. Steady-state creep was achieved for T > 1350 C at stresses < 80 MPa, with the rate-controlling mechanism being partially unaccommodated grain-boundary sliding, with a stress exponent of {approx}1 and an activation energy of {approx}470 kJ/mol.

The purpose of the studies conducted at Argonne National Laboratory is to understand the impact mental representational systems have in identifying how user comfort parameters influence how information is to best be presented. By understanding how each individual perceives information based on the three representational systems (visual, auditory and kinesthetic modalities), it has been found that a different approach must be taken in the design of interfaces resulting in an outcome that is much more effective and representative of the users mental model. This paper will present current findings and future theories to be explored.

Process designs and economics were developed to produce LNG and liquid carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) from landfill gas (LFG) using the Acrion CO{sub 2} wash process. The patented Acrion CO{sub 2} wash process uses liquid CO{sub 2} to absorb contaminants from the LFG. The process steps are compression, drying, CO{sub 2} wash contaminant removal and CO{sub 2} recovery, residual CO{sub 2} removal and methane liquefaction. Three flowsheets were developed using different residual CO{sub 2} removal schemes. These included physical solvent absorption (methanol), membranes and molecular sieves. The capital and operating costs of the flowsheets were very similar. The LNG production cost was around ten cents per gallon. In parallel with process flowsheet development, the business aspects of an eventual commercial project have been explored. The process was found to have significant potential commercial application. The business plan effort investigated the economics of LNG transportation, fueling, vehicle conversion, and markets. The commercial value of liquid CO{sub 2} was also investigated. This Phase 1 work, March 1998 through February 1999, was funded under Brookhaven National laboratory contract 725089 under the research program entitled ``Liquefied Natural Gas as a Heavy Vehicle Fuel.'' The Phase 2 effort will develop flowsheets for the following: (1) …

This report summarizes the results of a full-scale demonstration of a high density polyethylene (HDPE) package, manufactured by Arrow Construction, Inc. of Montgomery, Alabama. The HDPE package, called ARROW-PAK, was designed and patented by Arrow as both a method to macroencapsulation of radioactively contaminated lead and as an improved form of waste package for treatment and interim and final storage and/or disposal of drums of mixed waste. Mixed waste is waste that is radioactive, and meets the criteria established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) for a hazardous material. Results from previous testing conducted for the Department of Energy (DOE) at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory in 1994 found that the ARROW-PAK fabrication process produces an HDPE package that passes all helium leak tests and drop tests, and is fabricated with materials impervious to the types of environmental factors encountered during the lifetime of the ARROW-PAK, estimated to be from 100 to 300 years. Arrow Construction, Inc. has successfully completed full-scale demonstration of its ARROW-PAK mixed waste macroencapsulation treatment unit at the DOE Hanford Site. This testing was conducted in accordance with Radiological Work Permit No. T-860, applicable project plans and procedures, and in close consultation with …

Proteins are remarkable molecular machines that are essential for life. They can do many things ranging from the precise control of blood clotting to synthesizing complex organic compounds. Pictures of protein molecules are in high demand in biotechnology because they are important for applications such as drug discovery and for engineering enzymes for commercial use. X-ray crystallography is the most common method for determining the three-dimensional structures of protein molecules. When a crystal of a protein is placed in an X-ray beam, scattering of X-rays off the ordered molecules produces a diffraction pattern that can be measured on a position-sensitive CCD or image-plate detector. Protein crystals typically contain thousands of atoms and the diffraction data are generally measured to relatively low resolution. Consequently the direct methods approaches generally cannot be applied. Instead, if the crystal is modified by adding metal atoms at specific sites or by tuning the wavelength of the X-rays to cross an absorption edge of a metal atom in the crystal, then the information from these additional measurements is sufficient to first identify the /locations of the metal atoms. This information is then used along with the diffraction data to make a three-dimensional picture of electron densities. …

Electron-beam physical vapor deposition (EBPVD) of tooling metal, onto a shaped substrate to produce a replica of the substrate surface, offers the potential for significant cost savings over present methods of injection mold manufacturing. These savings are realized by the high deposition rate and the corresponding short manufacturing times provided by the EBPVD process. However, on route to realizing these gains, there are process technical issues which need to be resolved. Mold surfaces typically contain relatively high aspect ratio details that must be replicated to dimensional tolerances within +/- 2 mils. The deposited mold material must also provide high surface hardness and high fracture toughness. Good quality grain structure can be obtained in deposited Al 10-wt% Cu mold material when the substrate and corresponding deposit are at high process temperature. However, the resulting mold is subject to distortion during cooldown due to differential temperatures and shrinkage rates. Thermally controlled cooldown and the use of crushable substrate materials reduce these distortions, but not to the required levels of tolerance. Deposition of the Al-Cu at lower temperature produces columnar, poorly joined grains which result in a brittle and weakened mold material. When Al 10-wt% Cu metal vapor is deposited across high aspect …

A Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP) was recorded in Rye Patch by LBNL between December 11 and December 13, 1997. Figure 1 shows the location of the Rye Patch Geothermal Field with Well 46-28 located within the marked Rye Patch Anomaly. The VSP in Well 46-28 used a vibroseis source and a single-level, high temperature, hydraulic wall-locking, 3-component seismometer. The vibroseis source was a Mertz P-wave vibrator. The source sweep was 10 Hz to 80 Hz, 10 seconds long, with a 0.2 s cosine taper. The borehole geophone was an SSC model LVHK 6001 using 14 Hz geophones. The recording system was a Geometrics Strataview. Six data channels were recorded: the three geophones, the source pilot, the vibrator reference and the vibrator baseplate accelerometer. The record length was 12,288 samples at a 1 ms sample rate, giving a 2.3 s correlated record length. A 10 Hz low cut filter was used and no high cut filter was used except the anti-alias filter. Results are described.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) examined the waste stream from a water jet cutting operation, to evaluate the possible reuse of waste garnet sand. The sand is a cutting agent used to shape a variety of materials, including metals. Nearly 70,000 pounds of waste sand is generated annually by the cutting operation. The Environmental Protection Department evaluated two potential reuses for the spent garnet sand: backfill in utility trenches; and as a concrete constituent. In both applications, garnet waste would replace the sand formerly purchases by LLNL for these purposes. Findings supported the reuse of waste garnet sand in concrete, but disqualified its proposed application as trench backfill. Waste sand stabilized in ac concrete matrix appeared to present no metals-leaching hazard; however, unconsolidated sand in trenches could potentially leach metals in concentrations high enough to threaten ground water quality. A technical report submitted to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board was reviewed and accepted by that body. Reuse of waste garnet cutting sand as a constituent in concrete poured to form walkways and patios at LLNL was approved.

“Rhetoric,” wrote Aristotle, “is the power of determining in a particular case what are the available means of persuasion.” This report reviews some effective means for the rhetoric of persuasive communication in speeches written by congressional staff for Senators and Representatives.

“Rhetoric,” wrote Aristotle, “is the power of determining in a particular case what are the available means of persuasion.” This report reviews some effective means for the rhetoric of persuasive communication in speeches written by congressional staff for Senators and Representatives.

This document summarizes the information on the historical uses, present status, and the sampling and analysis results of waste stored in Tank 241-T-110. This report supports the requirements of the Tri-Party Agreement Milestone M-44-15B. Tank 241-T-110 is listed on the Hydrogen Watch List.

The objectives were to determine the elastic constants of thin films deposited on substrates, to measure residual stress and to detect and characterize defects in thin film substrate configurations. There are many present and potential applications of configurations consisting of a thin film deposited on a substrate. Thin films that are deposited to improve the hardness and/or the thermal properties of surfaces were of principal interest in this work. Thin film technology does, however, also include high {Tc} superconductor films, films for magnetic recording, superlattices and films for band-gap engineering and quantum devices. The studies that were carried out on this project also have relevance to these applications. Both the film and the substrate are generally anisotropic. A line-focus acoustic microscope has been used to measure the speed of surface acoustic waves (SAW) in the thin film/substrate system. This microscope has unique advantages for measurements in anisotropic media. Analytical and numerical techniques have been employed to extract the desired information on the thin film from the measured SAW data. Results include: (1) analytical and numerical techniques for the direct problem and for inverse methods; (2) measurements of homogeneous and superlattice film constants; (3) investigation of the effect of surface roughness …

The Hanford Site, located adjacent to and north of Richland, Washington, is operated by the US Department of Energy, Richland Operations Office (RL). The 324 Building is located in the 300 Area of the Hanford Site. The 324 Building was constructed in the 1960s to support materials and chemical process research and development activities ranging from laboratory/bench-scale studies to full engineering-scale pilot plant demonstrations. In the mid-1990s, it was determined that dangerous waste and waste residues were being stored for greater than 90 days in the 324 Building Radiochemical Engineering Cells (REC) and in the High-Level Vault/Low-Level Vault (HLV/LLV) tanks. [These areas are not Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) permitted portions of the 324 Building.] Through the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) Milestone M-89, agreement was reached to close the nonpermitted RCRA unit in the 324 Building. This closure plan, managed under TPA Milestone M-20-55, addresses the identified building areas targeted by the Tri-Party Agreement and provides commitments to achieve the highest degree of compliance practicable, given the special technical difficulties of managing mixed waste that contains high-activity radioactive materials, and the physical limitations of working remotely in the areas within the subject …

New computational physics methods for estimating constitutive property parameterizations in ground water aquifers were developed and demonstrated in this project. The dynamical and statistical axioms of physics, embodied in partial differential equations (PDES) of kinetic theory, are employed to constrain interpolations of hydraulic head (pressure) and transmissivity (permeability) between sparsely measured datum points. These methods can apparently be applied in numerous approaches to parameter estimation. To demonstrate the basic concepts and techniques developed in this work, examples are considered for steady-state, two-dimensional, heterogeneous, ground water flow models, given (i) discrete borehole observations of hydraulic head and transmissivity and (ii) governing kinetic equations for Darcy flow behavior. Estimations of spatially dependent parameters from sparsely measured data are treated as mathematically ill- posed problems because infinitely many parameter distributions (realizations) that are consistent with the data generally exist. Potential difficulties associated with ill-posedness in mean flow realizations are mitigated by requiring that acceptable realizations respect the observed data, are solutions of forward and inverse PDEs for physical continuity, respect information sampling principles, and are distributed by spatial interpolations that themselves are optimal solutions of the governing PDEs between measured datum points. To accomplish these requisites, adaptive numerical grid Galerkin techniques were applied …

The National Ignition Facility (NIF), being constructed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), comprises 192 laser beams, Figure 1. The lasing medium is neodymium in phosphate glass with a fundamental frequency (1{omega}) of 1.053 {micro}m. Sum frequency generation in a pair of conversion crystals (KDP/KD*P) produces 1.8 Mj of the third harmonic light (3{omega} or {lambda}=0.35). On NIF the frequency conversion crystals are part of the Final Optics Assembly (FOA), whose two principal functions are to convert the laser light to 3{omega} and focus it on target. In addition, the FOA provides a vacuum window to the target chamber, smoothes the on- target irradiance profile, moves the unconverted light away from the target, and provides signals for alignment and diagnostics. The FOA has four Integrated Optics Modules (IOM), Figure 4, each of which contains two 41 cm square crystals are mounted with the full edge support to micro radian angular and micron flatness tolerances. This paper is intended to be an overview of the important factors that affect frequency conversion on NIF. Chief among these are angular errors arising from crystal growth, finishing, and mounting. The general nature of these errors and how they affect frequency conversion, and finally the …

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For constituents who want to learn more about the topics that interest them, the Congressional Research Service has prepared this guide to locate information in libraries. It includes sources of background information (encyclopedias, almanacs, business directories, statistics, and biographical directories), current information from newspapers and magazines, organizations, foundations, government, politics, legislation, and books and periodicals. It lists a number of Internet search engines. This report will be updated from time to time.

This report discusses the vote on H.R. 2400, the "Building Efficient Surface Transportation and Equity Act of 1997"(BESTEA), an omnibus bill to fund surface transportation into the next century.

This supporting document has been prepared to make the Kaiser Engineers Hanford Company Project W-320 Tank 106-C Waste Retrieval Study Analysis Session Report readily retrievable. This facilitated session was requested by Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) to review the characterization data and select the best alternatives for a double-shell receiver tank and for a sluicing medium for Tank 106-C waste retrieval. The team was composed of WHC and Kaiser Engineers Hanford Company (KEH) personnel knowledgeable about tank farm operations, tank 106-C requirements, tank waste characterization and analysis, and chemical processing. This team was assembled to perform a structured decision analysis evaluation and recommend the best alternative-destination double-shell tank between tanks 101-AY and 102-AY, and the best alternative sluicing medium among dilute complexant (DC), dilute noncomplexant (DNC), and water. The session was facilitated by Richard Harrington and Steve Bork of KEH and was conducted at the Bookwalter Winery in Richland from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. from July 27 through July 29, 1993. Attachment 1 (Scope Statement Sheet) identifies the team members, scope, objectives, and deliverables for the session.

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) supports an applied superconductivity program entitled ''Superconductivity Program for Electric Power Systems.'' Activities within this program contribute to development of the high-temperature superconductor (HTS) technology needed for industry to proceed with the commercial development of electric power applications such as motors, generators, transformers, transmission cables, and current limiters. Research is conducted in three categories: wire development, systems technology development, and Superconductivity Partnership Initiative (SPI). Wire development activities are devoted to improving the critical current density (J{sub c}) of short-length HTS wires, whereas systems technology development focuses on fabrication of long-length wires, coils, and on magnets. The SPI activities are aimed at development of prototype products. Significant progress has been made in the development of (HTSs) for various applications: some applications have already made significant strides in the marketplace, while others are still in the developmental stages. For successful electric power applications, it is very important that the HTS be fabricated into long-length conductors that exhibit desired superconducting and mechanical properties. Several parameters of the PIT technique must be carefully controlled to obtain the desired properties. Long lengths of Bi-2223 tapes with respectable superconducting properties have been fabricated by a carefully designed thermomechanical treatment process. …

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