Results are presented of work performed on the Advanced Gas-Cooled Nuclear Reactor Materials Evaluation and Development Program. The objectives of this program are to evaluate candidate alloys for Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) Nuclear Process Heat (NPH) and Direct Cycle Helium Turbine (DCHT) applications, in terms of the effect of simulated reactor primary coolant (helium containing small amounts of various other gases), high temperatures, and long time exposures, on the mechanical properties and structural and surface stability of selected candidate alloys. A second objective is to select and recommend materials for future test facilities and more extensive qualification programs. Included are the activities associated with the status of the simulated reactor helium supply system, testing equipment and gas chemistry analysis instrumentation and equipment. The progress in the screening test program is described, including screening creep results and metallographic analysis for materials thermally exposed or tested at 750, 850, and 950/sup 0/C.

Pulverized coal has been an increasing important source of energy over the past century. Most large utility boilers, all modern coking plants, and many industrial boilers and blast furnaces employ pulverized coal as a major feed stream. In periods of oil shortages, such as during World Wars I and II, the concept of adding powdered coal to oil for use in combustion equipment originally designed for oil has been actively pursued but rarely used. Over this same period of time, there have been attempts to use air suspensions of coal dust in diesel engines in Germany, and in turbines in various countries. The economic advantages to be enjoyed by substitution of powdered coal in oil are not generally realized. Oil costs at $30/bbl represent a fuel value of about $5.00/10/sup 6/ Btu; coal at $25/ton is equivalent to approximately $1.00/10/sup 6/ Btu. Although capital costs for the use of coal are higher than those associated with the use of oil, coal is clearly becoming the least costly fuel. Not only are considerable cost advantages possible, but an improvement in balance of payments and an increase in reliability of fuel supplies are other potential benefits. It is therefore recommended that increased …

A method and apparatus are described for determining the absorption spectra, and other properties, of aerosol particles. A heating beam source provides a beam of electromagnetic energy which is scanned through the region of the spectrum which is of interest. Particles exposed to the heating beam which have absorption bands within the band width of the heating beam absorb energy from the beam. The particles are also illuminated by light of a wave length such that the light is scattered by the particles. The absorption spectra of the particles can thus be determined from an analysis of the scattered light since the absorption of energy by the particles will affect the way the light is scattered. Preferably the heating beam is modulated to simplify the analysis of the scattered light. In one embodiment the heating beam is intensity modulated so that the scattered light will also be intensity modulated when the particles absorb energy. In another embodiment the heating beam passes through an interferometer and the scattered light reflects the Fourier Transform of the absorption spectra.

The goal of this project is to find countermeasures to protect High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, in exit ventilation ducts, from the heat and smoke generated by fire. Initially, methods were developed to cool fire-heated air by fine water spray upstream of the filters. It was recognized that smoke aerosol exposure to HEPA filters could also cause disruption of the containment system. Through testing and analysis, several methods to partially mitigate the smoke exposure to the HEPA filters were identified. A continuous, movable, high-efficiency prefilter using modified commercial equipment was designed. The technique is capable of protecting HEPA filters over the total time duration of the test fires. The reason for success involved the modification of the prefiltration media. Commercially available filter media has particle sorption efficiency that is inversely proportional to media strength. To achieve properties of both efficiency and strength, rolling filter media were laminated with the desired properties. The approach was Edisonian, but truncation in short order to a combination of prefilters was effective. The application of this technique was qualified, since it is of use only to protect HEPA filters from fire-generated smoke aerosols. It is not believed that this technique is cost effective in …

Sodium fluoride (NaF) traps in the PGDP purge cascade presently use NaF pellets to remove residual UF{sub 6} from the gas stream. These pellets are procured from ORGDP which converts sodium bifluoride pellets to NaF by thermal decomposition. Discussions of the possibility of no longer producing pellets at ORGDP, due to oven corrosion problems, led to a pilot plant test at PGDP. This test was designed to examine the feasibility of producing the NaF pellets at PGDP in the event that an alternative source of supply became necessary. Satisfactory pellets were produced without difficulty; however, it was determined that the conversion process could not be readily carried out in the existing NaF traps. Construction of a separate facility with provisions to handle the large quantities of hydrogen fluoride (HF) released during the process would be required to produce pellets at the rate needed. 1 fig., 2 tabs.

This document basically represents a comparison between theory and practice of capacity-expansion planning in the electric-utility industry. The purpose of the comparison is to provide avenues for further exploration in utility decision making. The focus of the Phase II study is upon the role of uncertainty in the decision-making process. The Phase I effort was directed at modeling the Averch-Johnson theory of the regulated utility. Part I of this report reviews the Anderson study (D. Anderson, Models for Determining Least-Cost Investments in Electricity Supply). The Anderson paper has become a standard reference for capacity-planning studies in the electric-utility industry. Part II examines uncertainty and the behavior of the firm. Part III reviews 5 models of electric-utility capacity planning under uncertainty, and Part IV is concerned with capacity-planning models in practice.

The principal activities during the last year were related to LAMPF experiments, a newly initiated radiochemical search for Glashow particles, and the writing up of experimental work completed at FERMILAB studying the interaction of 400-MeV protons and 150-MeV pions with complex nuclei. Collaboration is proceeding with Los Alamos on heavy methanes as atmospheric tracers and in proposing a geological search for enhanced solar neutrinos in past geological times.

The intent of the computer code GAMIDEN is to help identify isotopes by their gamma-ray emissions and thus to assist in the nondestructive assay of unknown materials. From both radioactive decays and neutron captures, GAMIDEN searches GAMTOT78, a file of gamma-ray spectra, for matches with observed photon energies. This report describes the search procedure, outlines the use of the code, and gives an example. The code is designed to operate on the CRAY 1 computer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). It is written in standard Fortran (ANSI) for the most part but contains some LRLTRAN instructions to make use of the Livermore time-sharing system (LTSS). The code uses about 545,000 words of memory. Typical problems run in about 45 s. The source program and the data file are available on request.

This interim report summarizes results from the Tandem Mirror Experiment (TMX) during the period January to July 1980 and describes the physics experiments, the machine operation, and the diagnostics that were added to TMX during this period. This operating period followed the initial proof-of-principle TMX experiments and predated the ongoing final experiments preceding TMX shutdown for modification to TMX Upgrade. The results described in this report include measurements of plasma parameters and plasma behavior which confirm the initial TMX results that demonstrated that the tandem mirror configuration can be generated and sustained by neutral beam injection and that the tandem mirror configuration improves confinement of magnetic mirror systems.

Charged-particle transport systems consisting of magnetic quadrupole lenses have been employed in recent years in the study of (n, charged particle) reactions. We have completed a new transport system that is based both on magnetic lenses as well as electrostatic fields. The magnetic focusing of this charged-particle guide is provided by six magnetic quadrupole lenses arranged in a CDCCDC sequence (in the vertical plane). The electrostatic field is produced by a wire at high voltage which stretches the length of the guide and is physically at the center of the magnetic axis. The magnetic lenses are used for charged particles above 5 MeV; the electrostatic guide is used for lower energies. This hybrid system possesses the excellent focusing and background rejection properties of other magnetic systems. For low energy charged-particles, the electrostatic transport avoids the narrow band-passes in charged-particle energy which are a problem with purely magnetic transport systems. This system is installed at the LLNL Cyclograaff facility for the study of (n, charged particle) reactions at neutron energies up to 35 MeV.

Cracking in ASTM A106-B and A106-C feedwater piping was detected near the inlet to the steam generators in a number of pressurized water reactor plants. We received sections with cracks from nine of the plants with the objective of identifying the cracking mechanism and assessing various factors that might contribute to this cracking. Variations were observed in piping surface irregularities, corrosion-product, pit, and crack morphology, surface elmental and crystal structure analyses, and steel microstructures and mechanical properties. However, with but two exceptions, namely, arrest bands and major surface irregularities, we were unable to relate the extent of cracking to any of these factors. Tensile and fracture toughness (J/sub Ic/ and tearing modulus) properties were measured over a range of temperatures and strain rates. No unusual properties or microstructures were observed that could be related to the cracking problem. All crack surfaces contained thick oxide deposits and showed evidence of cyclic events in the form of arrest bands. Transmission electron microscopy revealed fatigue striations on replicas of cleaned crack surfaces from one plant and possibly from three others. Calculations based on the observed striation spacings gave a value of ..delta..sigma = 150 MPa (22 ksi) for one of the major cracks. …

As part of the CAD-CAM development project, this report discusses the mathematics underlying the program QUADRIC, which does computations on objects modeled as Boolean combinations of quadric half-spaces. Topics considered include projective space, quadric surfaces, polars, affine transformations, the construction of solids, shaded image, the inertia tensor, moments, volume, surface integrals, Monte Carlo integration, and stratified sampling. 1 figure.

Neutrons are produced at the Rotating Target Neutron Source-II (RTNS-II) by deuteron bombardment of a rotating tritium target. Tritium is released from these targets into the accelerator vacuum system. The vacuum system exhaust is first scrubbed and then vented via the facility stack. Tritium emission from the facility in normal operation with vacuum system exhaust flowing through the scrubber is extremely low, <1 mCi/day. Releases from by-passing the tritium scrubber during roughing of the vacuum system and from accelerator maintenance account for nearly all of the annual 10 Ci release from the facility. Routine target changes have been the cause of most tritium uptake by personnel. A target shipping system has been devised for transport of these targets.

For muon-catalyzed fusion to be of practical interest, a very efficient means of producing muons must be found. We describe a scheme for producing muons that may be more energy efficient than any heretofore proposed. There are, in particular, some potential advantages of creating muons from collisions of high energy tritons confined in a magnetic mirror configuration. If one could catalyze 200 fusions per muon and employ a uranium blanket that would multiply the neutron energy by a factor of 10, one might produce electricity with an overall plant efficiency (ratio of electric energy produced to nuclear energy released) approaching 30%. One possible near term application of a muon-producing magnetic-mirror scheme would be to build a high-flux neutron source for radiation damage studies. The careful arrangement of triton orbits will result in many of the ..pi../sup -/'s being produced near the axis of the magnetic mirror. The pions quickly decay into muons, which are transported into a small (few-cm-diameter) reactor chamber producing approximately 1-MW/m/sup 2/ neutron flux on the chamber walls, using a laboratory accelerator and magnetic mirror. The costs of construction and operation of the triton injection accelerator probably introduces most of the uncertainty in the viability of this …

We briefly review the current understanding of supernova. We investigate the implications of rapid rotation corresponding to the frequency of the new pulsar reported in the supernovae remnant SN1987A. It places very stringent conditions on the equation of state if the star is assumed to be bound by gravity alone. We find that the central energy density of the star must be greater than 12 times that of nuclear density to be stable against the most optimistic estimate of general relativistic instabilities. This is too high for the matter to plausibly consist of individual hadrons. We conclude that the newly discovered pulsar, if its half-millisecond signals are attributable to rotation, cannot be a neutron star. We show that it can be a strange quark star, and that the entire family of strange stars can sustain high rotation under appropriate conditions. We discuss the conversion of a neutron star to strange star, the possible existence of a crust of heavy ions held in suspension by centrifugal and electric forces, the cooling and other features. 39 refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.

Central features of a mirror plasma are strong departures from Maxwellian distribution functions, ambipolar potentials and densities which vary along a field line, and losses, and the mirror field itself. To examine these features, mirror theorists have developed analytical and numerical techniques to solve the Fokker-Planck equation, evaluate the potentials consistent with the resulting distribution functions, and assess the microstability of these distributions. Various combinations of mirror-plasma fetures are present and important in toroidal plasmas as well, particularly in the edge region and in plasmas with strong r.f. heating. In this paper we survey problems in toroidal plasmas where mirror theory and computational techniques are applicable, and discuss in more detail three specific examples: calculation of the toroidal generalization of the Spitzer-Haerm distribution function (from which trapped-particle effects on current drive can be calculated), evaluation of the nonuniform potential and density set up by pulsed electron-cyclotron heating, and calculation of steady-state distribution functions in the presence of strong r.f. heating and collisions. 37 refs., 3 figs.

Energy conservation education must reach millions of Americans in order to see any real and immediate decrease in energy consumption. Since our society gets much of its information from the media, this seems like a most effective vehicle for disseminating energy conservation information to the American Public. Radio is listened to by the vast majority of Americans each day of their lives. Radio as a communications medium is an extremely cost effective method of mass communication and education, and is perceived as a personal medium which has great potential to affect a change in the daily energy consumption habits of the public. Call-in radio programs centering around energy conservation are an effective method of presenting informative, energy education programming that provide instantaneous access for listener/consumer participation. The linking of available telephone and radio technology (via call-in radio shows) allows people all over the US, including remote rural areas, access to the latest energy conservation information and renewable energy technolgy.

An Asdex-type local divertor is proposed for ITER consisting of a copper poloidal field coil adjacent to the plasma. Estimates indicate that the power consumption is acceptable. Advantages would be a much reduced heat load not very sensitive to magnetic perturbations. A disadvantage is the finite lifetime under neutron bombardment that would require periodic replacement of the divertor coils in a reactor, but probably not in ITER because of its limited fluence. Another disadvantage would be poorer blanket coverage unless the divertor coil itself incorporates breeding material. 3 figs.

This work is part of a study conducted by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to improve the performance of brine injection wells at Gulf Coast Strategic Petroleum Reserve Sites. Our involvement established that granular media filtration, when used with proper chemical pretreatments, provides an effective and economical method for removing particulates from hypersaline brines. This treatment allows for the injection of 200,000 B/D with significantly increased well half-lives of 30 years.

Soudan 2 is an 1100-ton tracking calorimeter which is being constructed to search for nucleon decay. The detector consists of finely segmented iron instrumented with drift tubes, and records three spatial coordinates and dE/dx for every gas crossing. Excellent event-reconstruction capability, particle identification, and muon sign and direction determination give superior rejection of the neutrino background to nucleon decay in many modes. The first 275 tons of Soudan 2 is operating and a charged-particle test beam calibration is under way. Construction is scheduled for completion in 1992. 4 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.

The SSC Collider Ring represents the dominating cost element of the SSC project. The number of variables involved in optimizing the facility is very large so it is helpful to try to parameterize them in a way that allows a straightforward comparison of primary options. Cost information has been drawn from the Reference Designs Study supplemented by data from studies carried out by the Harza Engineering Company in Illinois. Various studies indicate that a 9' to 10' tunnel seems optimal from a construction and operation viewpoint and is adequate for installation. According to both studies cited a tunnel of this size in reasonable geology will cost approximately $800 per linear foot. For the purposes of this analysis this is adopted as the standard tunnel.

The purpose of this study is to provide an evaluation of possible international and domestic uses for the Barnwell Nuclear Fuel Plant, located in South Carolina, at the conclusion of the International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation. Four generic categories of use options for the Barnwell plant have been considered: storage of spent LWR fuel; reprocessing of LWR spent fuel; safeguards development and training; and non-use. Chapters are devoted to institutional options and integrated institutional-use options.

The new radiation dose estimates for Hiroshima and Nagasaki are radiobiologically examined for compatability with other human and experimental data. The new doses show certain improvements over the original T65 doses. However, they suggest for chronic granulocytic leukemia, total malignancies, and chromosome aberrations, at neutron doses of 1 rad, RBEs in excess of 100, higher than expected from other findings. This and other indications suggest that either there are unrecognized systematic problems with the various radiobiological data, or the new doses are deficient in neutrons for Hiroshima, by a factor of about five. If in fact there were actually some 5-fold more dose from neutrons at Hiroshima than estimated by the new calculations, the RBEs would agree well with laboratory results, and other inconsistencies would largely disappear. Cancer risks are estimated for neutrons from the new doses and are compared with those estimated from radiobiologically reconciled doses (the new doses adjusted by adding approximately 5-fold more neutrons). The latter appear more reasonable. For low-LET radiation, cancer risk estimates are changed very little by the new dose estimates for Nagasaki.

The final report of DBS Corporation on the model simplification project is presented. The purpose of the project is to develop computer-assisted model simplification. The contributions of DBS to this project where an initial overall project assessment, contributions to design principles and testing procedures, specific experimental designs, and initial test results. The main contributions of DBS to this project were in the area of LP matrix scaling, and particularly in the potential usefulness of shadow price information for model simplification. An algorithm for obtaining approximate shadow price information was developed and subjected to initial small-scale testing with promising results.