Newsletter issued by the Advisory Council for Technical-Vocational Education in Texas discussing news, events, and other relevant information related to technical and vocational education for adults in Texas.

The possibility of low temperature absorption of lead from liquid bismuth is investigated. The effects of time, temperature, and the lead concentration in liquid bismuth on distribution of solute in solvent and adsorbent are studied. The results found can be used to study the feasibility of applying adsorption as a means of purifying liquid metals. (JFP)

The improvement and technical development of promising methods for desulfurizing and recovering fine coal underway includes froth flotation, selective oil agglomeration, pelletization, and a chemical desulfurization process which involves leaching fine coal with a hot dilute solution of sodium carbonate containing dissolved oxygen under pressure. A preliminary assessment of the state of the art and review of the technical literature has been made. Equipment and apparatus have been assembled for small-scale laboratory experiments in froth flotation, oil agglomeration and chemical desulfurization. Preliminary froth flotation tests have been carried out on an Iowa coal to establish baseline data. Quite unexpectedly these tests indicated that aluminum nitrate may be an activator for coal because it served to increase the recovery of coal. Several potential flotation depressants for pyrite have been screened by measurement at the zeta potential and floatability of pyrite or coal in aqueous suspensions containing the potential depressants. The following reagents show some promise as pyrite depressants: ferric chloride, sodium cyanide, ammonium thiocyanate, and the disodium salt of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Preliminary plans have been prepared for a continuous flow bench-scale system to demonstrate the process. This system will include equipment for grinding and pretreating the coal as well as equipment …

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This report is a listing of advisory groups created by the President or Congress from the Eighty-fourth Congress(1955-56) through the Ninety-fourth Congress (19756-76).

The economics of the geopressured geothermal resource along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico is assessed. Geopressured waters are nearly under twice the normal hydrostatic pressure and believed to be saturated with methane. The costs of generating electricity from this resource are estimated based on the description and conceptual development plans provided by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Methane content and selling prices are the most important factors affecting the commercial potential of geopressured resources--so it is important that electrical generation be viewed as a by-product of methane production. On the same incremental cost basis, the cost of electricity generated from the geohydraulic energy is potentially competitive with conventional energy sources. This would require development of a small commercial high pressure, hydraulic turbine to extract geohydraulic energy at the wellhead in plants of about 3 MW capacity. Price/quantity relationships are developed for electricity generation from geopressured resources for each of three development plans proposed by USGS. Studies, based on field constructed plants, indicated an optimum power plant size in the range of 20 to 60 MWe, depending on water temperature. However, if standardized thermal conversion power plants could be factory produced in the 6 MWe range competitively …

A collection of low and high stress level Hugoniot data for a low kerogen content, porous Anvil Points oil shale are analyzed with the P-..cap alpha.. model to give a Hugoniot for kerogen free shale. The P-..cap alpha.. model suggests an ''elastic'' yield stress, P/sub e/, of 0.5 GPa and a solid density complete compaction pressure, P/sub s/, of 10.0 GPa. Knowledge of this behavior permits the calculations of the in situ, ''effective,'' Hugoniot of kerogen from extensive Hugoniot data for various mixtures of shale and kerogen. The Hugoniot of kerogen free shale is U/sub s/ = 4.30 + 1.27 u/sub p/ (km/s); rho/sub o/ = 2.65 Mg/m/sup 3/ and of kerogen is U/sub s/ = 3.09 + 1.16 u/sub p/ (km/s); rho/sub o/ = 1.05 Mg/m/sup 3/, where U/sub s/ is the shock velocity, u/sub p/ the particle velocity and rho/sub o/ the initial density.

In the first part of this paper, energy consumption trends to the year 2000 are estimated for 110 different industrial sectors and for household and government final demand sectors, and these trends are compared with historical 1947-to-1967 trends. For most sectors, energy consumption is expected to increase much less rapidly in the 1967-1985 period than it did in the 1947-1967 period as a result of the recent large energy price increases. Between 1985 and 2000, the rate of growth of energy consumption continues to moderate for most purchasing sectors primarily because of a slackening in output growth rates rather than because of any further decrease in per unit of output energy requirements. These future trends are estimated under the assumption that post-1976 energy price increases will be moderate. In the second part of the paper, alternative strategies for further reducing future energy consumption are considered, and a data base is presented for use in analyzing the effects of implementing the alternative strategies.

Activities for the year in the areas of advanced methodology, mass and emission spectroscopy, analytical services for reactor projects and environmental and radiochemical analyses, bio-organic analysis, and quality assurance and safety are reviewed. Presentations of research results in publications, reports, and oral presentations are tabulated. (JSR)

A special array of light pipes was constructed and used with a photodetector to measure the angular distribution of light reflected diffusely from small isolated defects on superfinished nickel spheres. Defects in a size range of concern were detected by the system, and angular distributions of the diffuse light generated by the defects correlated with the defect dimensions. At present, a commercial version of the light sensing array used in this study is not available; however, under development is a more desirable optical system for automated surface certification which will use a photodetector array which is available commercially.

The final results of an analytical and experimental study of the application of nonimaging concentrators to solar photovoltaic conversion are presented. Two versions of the Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) were considered, the Dielectric Compound Parabolic Concentrator (DCPC) in which the concentrator is filled with a dielectric material that satisfies requirements for Total Internal Reflection (TIR), and a conventional CPC in which metallic reflection is used for the mirror surfaces. Two working prototype panels were constructed and tested during the course of the program. The first was a 1.22 m by 1.22 m DCPC panel that requires only ten adjustments/year, has a panel utilization factor (packing factor) of 96%, and delivered the equivalent of 138 W (peak) under 1 kW/m/sup 2/ direct insolation. The net energy conversion efficiency was 10.3% over the entire panel area. The second panel was a conventional CPC panel measuring 1.22 m by 1.22 m. This panel requires thirty-six adjustments per year, and delivers the equivalent of 97 W when under 1 kW/m/sup 2/ direct insolation. The results of a cost-effectiveness analysis of the concept of using nonimaging concentrators for photovoltaic conversion are also presented. The concentrator panels showed a decided savings in comparison to the cost …

This paper outlines an approach to valuing visual pollution from electric power plants. The differences between public-good pollution externalities, such as these aesthetic damages, and other market failures are discussed. Approaches generally used to value externalities are briefly described. The approach used relies heavily on an earlier application of bidding games to estimate people's willingness to pay for abatement of emissions from the Four Corners fossil-fuel power plant in northwestern New Mexico. The results of these surveys were used here to estimate the value of visual pollution from electric power plants for residents of and visitors to the Four Corners Air Quality Control Region, as a function of power plant emissions in that region. The approach presented here for the Four Corners region is structured so that replication for other air quality control regions is relatively easy. Preliminary results of this procedure for all of the air quality control regions in the Western Systems Coordinating Council area are presented. Visual pollution damages from electric power plants to residents of and recreational visitors to these western regions are estimated to total more than $100 million annually by 1985. These damages are expected to occur unless additional pollution controls are implemented, even …

The risk analysis model is applied to the assessment of the risk of Pu releases due to transportation accidents and package misclosure and degradation. The transport system and accident environment are described and release sequences postulated. Results are related to the early 1980s, when Pu shipments are expected to be more frequent (18 metric tons Pu shipped by rail per year, average shipment distance of 1530 miles, regulations and shipping systems same as in 1974, PuO/sub 2/ shipped in 6M containers and liquid Pu(NO/sub 3/)/sub 4/ in L-10 containers, with 230 kg in a 90-container 6M shipment and 136 kg in a 68-container L-10 shipment). It is estimated that PuO/sub 2/ shipments will be involved in an accident every 6 years and Pu(NO/sub 3/)/sub 4/ shipments every 3.5 years. Consequences are expressed as risk spectra. Loss of thermal insulation followed by exposure to a fire was found to be the most significant risk contributor for the liquid shipments. Risk in rail shipment of Pu was found to be similar to that in truck shipment, although for the liquid shipments, there is a difference in the importance of factors contributing to the risk. (DLC)

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Presented is an evaluated graphical and tabular compilation of atomic and molecular cross sections of interest to controlled thermonuclear research. The cross sections are tabulated and graphed as a function of energy for collision processes involving heavy particles, electrons, and photons with atoms and ions. Also included are sections on data for particle penetration through macroscopic matter, particle transport properties, particle interactions with surfaces, and pertinent charged particle nuclear cross sections and reaction rates. In most cases estimates have been made of the data accuracy.

Presented is an evaluated graphical and tabular compilation of atomic and molecular cross sections of interest to controlled thermonuclear research. The cross sections are tabulated and graphed as a function of energy for collision processes involving heavy particles, electrons, and photons with atoms and ions. Also included are sections on data for particle penetration through macroscopic matter, particle transport properties, particle interactions with surfaces, and pertinent charged particle nuclear cross sections and reaction rates. In most cases estimates have been made of the data accuracy.

The results of paleomagnetic investigation of a drill core from the Opal Dome at Roosevelt Hot Springs are reported. A log of the core from 1.5 to 16.8 m is given. (MHR)

The beam-plasma instability is analyzed for the ion beams used for neutral beam generation. Both positive and negative ion beams are considered. Stability is predicted when the beam velocity is less than the electron thermal velocity; the only exception occurs when the electron density accompanying a negative ion beam is less than the ion density by nearly the ratio of electron to ion masses. For cases in which the beam velocity is greater than the electron thermal velocity, instability is predicted near the electron plasma frequency.

Preliminary results are reported from a study of the relationship between intrusions of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and particulate matter in the South Atlantic Bight off the coast of Georgia and Northeast Florida. The relationship between temperature, chlorophyll, and particle volume in bottom water from various locations was determined and the data were correlated with data on water mass movements. Samples were collected from a ship following a specified grid pattern.

The Brookhaven National Laboratory Archive and Dissemination System (BNLADS) is designed to deal with the record keeping associated with archiving and disseminating sequential files through a computer network. This data base management system (DBMS) is implemented in a host language that is a subset of PL/I. The stored sequential files that can be dealt with by the BNLADS must be in character mode (ASCII, BCD, EBCDIC). The accessing of fields is specified by a format description which allows for forward processing of fields only. The structure of a case type statement allows for a data field determining a format sequence from a set of format sequences. A data description language (DDL) was devised to describe the accessing sequence of stored sequential files. A data model definition gives the user a view of the content of each stored sequential file. The DDL requires all field type references to contain the field name, so that the BNLADS can access all stored sequential files by logical field name and can write stored sequential files by stating the logical field name without the necessity of referring to formats. The BNLADS is architected in a stratified form in which the application programs are built on …

The results of an analysis of the environmental implications for ERCDC Environmental Analysis Office (EAO) in relation to the development of California's geothermal resources are reported. While focusing primarily on environmental implications, particularly the natural, social, and economic elements, the report includes some ERCDC-wide policy and program considerations. The primary thrusts of the work have been in the development of an understanding of the interagency and intergovernmental environmental data and data-management roles and responsibilities and in the formulation of recommendations related thereto. Five appendices are included, one of which is a tax credit agreement between a power company and Skagit County, Washington. (JGB)

The program activities since the beginning of the program in July of 1975 through September of 1976 are summarized. The primary efforts during the first portion of this period were the preparation of the Pilot Plant Preliminary Design Baseline, and the Conceptual Design of the three subsystem research experiments. The Preliminary Design Baseline for the Pilot Plant was developed from the commercial plant conceptual design that had been defined prior to the start of this program. It definitized each of the basic Pilot Plant Subsystems and provided the basis for development of the conceptual designs of the research experiments. For each of the solar peculiar subsystems, the Collector Subsystem, the Receiver Subsystem and the Thermal Storage Subsystem, a subsystem research experiment was planned. The Conceptual Design of each of these experiments was prepared and reviewed with ERDA and Sandia in order to obtain authorization for the design, build and test of these experiments. In the Collector Subsystem experiment the design was completed, the four experimental heliostats have been fabricated and erected. Initial calorimeter and radiometer data have been obtained and have demonstrated good correlation with the projected performance. The 5 megawatt thermal experiment receiver has been fabricated by Foster Wheeler …

A 5.08-cm id pyrolysis furnace has been used to study pyrolysis following rapid heating of size graded pulverized coal particles as a function of isothermal pyrolysis time (0.018 to 1.025 second), particle size (50 to 181 ..mu..m), and parent coal (three lignites). The following experimental conditions were kept constant: Coal feed rate approximately equal to 0.5 g/min; volumetric flow rate of nitrogen temperature = 808/sup 0/C, and pressure = atmospheric. Under these conditions the heating rate of the coal particles in the pyrolysis furnace was of the order of 8 x 10/sup 3/ /sup 0/C/second. The experimental results show: (i) a monotonic change in the physical properties of chars with increasing pyrolysis time; (ii) some dependence of weight loss (i.e. VM yield) on particle size; (iii) that the three lignites undergo pyrolysis to a comparable extent, presumably because of their similar initial chemical composition; (iv) an appreciable influence of temperature and heating rate on weight loss in the Parr VM crucible; and (v) a significant influence of the mode of pyrolysis (i.e. entrained vs fluid bed) on the nature of the char produced. The results from a theoretical treatment of the problem of gas-solid interactions suggest that, in the pyrolysis …

This report is the first of a series of quarterly progress reports for the Coal-Fired Alkali Metal Power System Design Study. The primary effort during this period was the compilation of physical and thermodynamic properties of potassium and cesium, the analysis of a series of potassium and cesium turbine designs and the determination of the cycle efficiency for both fluids for a variety of operating conditions.