Two stirred tank slurry reactor tests of catalysts with nominal compositions 100 Fe/3Cu/4 K/2 Ca/16 SiO{sub 2} (run SB-3115) and 100 Fe/5 Cu/6 K/24 SiO{sub 2} (run SA-3155) were completed under task 5, The Effect of Source of Potassium and Basic Oxide Promoter, during the reporting period. Our assessment of the effects of addition of CaO promoter to our baseline catalysts B and C and the use of potassium silicate as the source of potassium promoter is as follows: in general, the addition of CaO promoter did not result in improved performance of the baseline catalysts; the use of CaO promoter may be best suited for operation at higher reaction pressures; the baseline procedure utilizing impregnation of Fe-Cu-SiO{sub 2} precursor with aqueous solution of KHCO{sub 3} as the source of potassium promoter is the preferred method of preparation; and the procedure which utilizes aqueous K{sub 2}SiO{sub 3} solution as the source of potassium also provides satisfactory results, and may be used as an alternative. A slurry reactor test (run SB-3425) was completed during the reporting period, following the catalyst pretreatment with H{sub 2} at 250{degrees}C for 4 h (Task 6. Pretreatment Effect Research). This pretreatment resulted in higher catalyst activity …

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In situ thermal tests, which are to be conducted in the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) in the unsaturated zone (UZ) at Yucca Mountain, are required to test coupled thermal-hydrological-geomechanical-geochemical (T-H-M-C) process models that support total system performance assessment. The ESF thermal tests must provide an understanding of coupled T-H-M-C processes that are relevant to expected repository conditions. Current planning includes the possibility of two large-scale tests: (1) the first ESF (drift-scale) thermal test, which will be conducted under an accelerated heatup and cooldown schedule, and (2) a second ESF (multi-drift) test, which will be larger-scale, longer-duration test, conducted under a less accelerated heatup and cooldown schedule. With the V-TOUGH (vectorized transport of unsaturated groundwater and heat) code, the authors modeled and evaluated a range of heater test sizes, heating rates, and heating durations under a range of plausible hydrological conditions to develop a test design that provides sufficient (and timely) information to determine the following: the dominant mode(s) of heat flow; the major T-H regime(s) and the T-H-M-C processes that determine the magnitude and direction of vapor and condensate flow; and the influence of heterogeneous conditions on the flow of heat, vapor, and condensate. A major purpose of the ESF …

In situ thermal tests, which are to be conducted in the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) at Yucca Mountain, will provide a major portion of the experimental basis supporting the validation of coupled thermal-hydrological-geomechanical-geochemicaI (T-H-M-C) process models required to assess the total system performance at the site. With respect to advective rock dryout, we have identified three major T-H flow regimes: (1) throttled, nonbuoyant, advective rock dryout; (2) unthrottled, nonbuoyant, advective rock dryout; and (3) unthrottled, buoyant, advective rock dryout. With the V-TOUGH code, we modeled a range of heater test sizes, heating rates, and heating durations under a range of plausible hydrological conditions to help optimize an in situ thermal test design that provides sufficient information for determining (a) the dominant mode(s) of heat flow, (b) the major T-H regime(s) and processes (such as vapor diffusion) that govern the magnitude and direction of vapor and condensate flow, and (c) the influence of heterogeneous properties and conditions on the flow of heat, vapor, and condensate. For the plate thermal test, which uniformly heats a disk-shaped area, we evaluated a wide range of test areas, ranging from 50 to 5077 m{sup 2}. We evaluated the single-drift thermal test, which consists of a …

FORTE is a small 193 kg (425 lb) satellite that will be placed in orbit with a Pegusus-XL launch vehicle in late 1996. The primary FORTE Program objective is to detect and record atmospheric bursts of electromagnetic radiation. The satellite structure is fabricated primarily with graphite epoxy. This Paper summarizes the testing/analysis philosophy for the FORTE satellite structure and describes how preliminary engineering module structural tests affected the final design. Several novel design features that were implemented to minimize the shock and vibration environments are also described.

This report documents the archaeological investigation of Site 7 of the proposed Three Rivers Regional Landfill and Technology Center in Aiken County on the United States Department of Energy`s Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken and Barnwell Counties, South Carolina. Pedestrian and subsurface survey techniques were used to investigate the 1,403-acre project area. Survey resulted in the discovery of 23 previously unrecorded sites and 11 occurrences; six previously recorded sites were also investigated. These sites consist of six prehistoric sites, nine historic sites, and 14 sites with both prehistoric and historic components. Sites locations and project area boundaries are provided on a facsimile of a USGS 7.5 topographic map. The prehistoric components consist of very small, low-density lithic and ceramic scatters; most contain less than 10 artifacts. Six of the prehistoric components are of unknown cultural affiliation, the remaining prehistoric sites were occupied predominately in the Woodland period. The historic sites are dominated by postbellum/modem home places of tenant and yeoman farmers but four historic sites were locations of antebellum house sites (38AK136, 38AK613, 38AK660, and 38AK674). The historic sites also include an African-American school (38AK677).

Various measurement tools of chaos theory were applied to analyze two-phase pressure signals with the objective to identify and interpret flow pattern transitions for two-phase flows in a small, horizontal rectangular channel. These measurement tools included power spectral density function, autocorrelation function, pseudo-phase-plane trajectory, Lyapunov exponents, and fractal dimensions. It was demonstrated that the randomlike pressure fluctuations characteristic of two-phase flow in small rectangular channels are chaotic in nature. As such, they are governed by a high-order deterministic system. The correlation dimension is potentially a new approach for identification of certain two-phase flow patterns and transitions.

Commercial energy use costs businesses around $70 billion annually. Many of these businesses are small and medium sized organizations that do not have the resources to help themselves, or to pay for professional engineering services to help reduce their energy costs and improve their economic competitiveness. Energy cost reduction actions with payback times of around two years could save the commercial sector 15--20%, or $10--$15 billion per year. This project was initially intended to evaluate the feasibility of performing commercial energy audits as an adjunct to the industrial audit program run by the US Department of Energy Industrial Office. This program is housed in 30 universities throughout the United States. Formerly known as Energy Analysis and Diagnostic Centers (EADC`s), the university programs are now called Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC`s) to reflect their expansion from energy use analyses to include waste and productivity analyses. The success of the EADC/IAC program in helping the manufacturing sector provides an excellent model for a similar program in the commercial buildings sector. This project has investigated using the EADC/IAC approach to performing energy audits for the commercial sector, and has determined that such an approach is feasible and cost effective.

This test plan, prepared at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for Westinghouse Hanford Company, provides guidance for performing tube propagation experiments on simulated Hanford tank wastes and on actual tank waste samples. Simulant compositions are defined and an experimental logic tree is provided for Fauske and Associates (FAI) to perform the experiments. From this guidance, methods and equipment for small-scale tube propagation experiments to be performed at the Hanford Site on actual tank samples will be developed. Propagation behavior of wastes will directly support the safety analysis (SARR) for the organic tanks. Tube propagation may be the definitive tool for determining the relative reactivity of the wastes contained in the Hanford tanks. FAI have performed tube propagation studies previously on simple two- and three-component surrogate mixtures. The simulant defined in this test plan more closely represents actual tank composition. Data will be used to support preparation of criteria for determining the relative safety of the organic bearing wastes.

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The remedial strategy for addressing contaminated environmental media was recently finalized for the US Department of Energy`s (DOE) Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP) following almost 10 years of detailed technical analysis. The FEMP represents one of the first major nuclear facilities to successfully complete the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) phase of the environmental restoration process. A critical element of this success was the establishment of sensible cleanup levels for contaminated soil and groundwater both on and off the FEMP property. These cleanup levels were derived based upon a strict application of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) regulations and guidance, coupled with positive input from the regulatory agencies and the local community regarding projected future land uses for the site. The approach for establishing the cleanup levels was based upon a Feasibility Study (FS) strategy that examined a bounding range of viable future land uses for the site. Within each land use, the cost and technical implications of a range of health-protective cleanup levels for the environmental media were analyzed. Technical considerations in driving these cleanup levels included: direct exposure routes to viable human receptors; cross- media impacts to air, surface water, and groundwater; technical practicality of attaining …

A treatability study has been conducted on liquid low-level and mixed wastes using the stabilization agents Aquaset, Aquaset II, Aquaset II-H, Petroset, Petroset-H, and Petroset and Petroset II. A total of 40 different waste types with activities ranging from 10{sup {minus}14} to 10{sup {minus}4} curies/ml have been stabilized. Reported data for each waste include its chemical and radiological composition and the optimum composition or range of compositions (weight of agent/volume of waste) for each stabilization agent used. All wastes were successfully stabilized with one or more of the stabilization agents and all final waste forms passed the Paint Filter Liquids Test (EPA Method 9095).

The purpose of this project is to determine which of the three color bands--red, green, or blue--to use in providing the best possible correlation and to determine the accuracy with which these color bands correlate in comparison with the correlation of the three color bands with the intensity model. To fulfill this purpose, the correlation technique of template matching is implemented using a correlator. Correlations are implemented with each of the individual color bands and also with the corresponding intensity model. The correlation coefficient resulting from a successful correlation ranges from 0.9 to 1. A coefficient of 1 demonstrates that the feature information varies identically. When analyzing the data collected from the correlations, the following results are obtained. The color band recommended for the most accurate correlation is the green color band. The correlation of the color bands with the intensity model was not as successful in determining the better color band because the correlation coefficients were very low in comparison to the correlation of the individual color bands.

Experimental and detailed chemical kinetic modeling has been performed to investigate aromatic and polyaromatic hydrocarbon formation pathways in a rich, sooting, ethylene-oxygen-argon premixed flame. An atmospheric pressure, laminar flat flame operated at an equivalence ratio of 2.5 was used to acquire experimental data for model validation. Gas composition analysis was conducted by an on-line gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS) technique. Measurements were made in the flame and post-flame zone for a number of low molecular weight species, aliphatics, aromatics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) ranging from two to five-aromatic fused rings. The modeling results show the key reaction sequences leading to aromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon growth involve the combination of resonantly stabilized radicals. In particular, propargyl and 1-methylallenyl combination reactions lead to benzene and methyl substituted benzene formation, while polycyclic aromatics are formed from cyclopentadienyl radicals and fused rings that have a shared C{sub 5} side structure. Naphthalene production through the reaction step of cyclopentadienyl self-combination and phenanthrene formation from indenyl and cyclopentadienyl combination were shown to be important in the flame modeling study. The removal of phenyl by O{sub 2} leading to cyclopentadienyl formation is expected to play a pivotal role in the PAH or soot precursor growth process …

This report relates to fabrication of roll bar support structures and steam surface condenser seal plugs for power plants.

A Preliminary Low-Level Waste Feed Staging Plan was prepared. The plan supports the Phase I privatization effort by providing recommendations that may influence the technical content of the final request for proposal, and the interface control documents for the turnover of two double-shell tanks (DST) to the private contractors for use as feed tanks and the transfer of supernate to these tanks. Additionally, the preliminary schedule of feed staging activities will be useful to both RL and the private bidders during the contract negotiation period. A revised feed staging plan will be issued in August 1996 reflecting anticipated changes in the request for proposal, resolution of issues identified in this report, and completion of additional work scope.

The authors propose a set of technology developments relevant to the design of an optimized Cerenkov detector for the study of neutrino interactions of astrophysical interest. Emphasis is placed on signal processing innovations that enhance significantly the quality of primary data. These technical advances, combined with field experience from a follow-on test deployment, are intended to provide a basis for the engineering design for a kilometer-scale Neutrino Astrophysical Observatory.

We propose a set of technology developments relevant to the design of an optimized Cerenkov detector for the study of neutrino interactions of astrophysical interest. Emphasis is placed on signal processing innovations that enhance significantly the quality of primary data. These technical advances, combined with field experience from a follow-on test deployment, are intended to provide a basis for the engineering design for a kilometer-scale Neutrino Astrophysical Observatory.

This procedure provides rheology measurements that are more reliable and accurate than those described in the technical procedure PNL-(WTC-006-4). Methods are provided to measure the sweep rheogram and steady shear viscosity with concentric cylinders, to measure the yield stress directly with a shear vane, and to measure the sweep rheogram with parallel plates.

A computer model was developed to predict eddy currents and fluid flows in molten steel. The model was verified by comparing predictions with experimental results of liquid-metal containment and fluid flow in electromagnetic (EM) edge dams (EMDs) designed at Inland Steel for twin-roll casting. The model can optimize the EMD design so it is suitable for application, and minimize expensive, time-consuming full-scale testing. Numerical simulation was performed by coupling a three-dimensional (3-D) finite-element EM code (ELEKTRA) and a 3-D finite-difference fluids code (CaPS-EM) to solve heat transfer, fluid flow, and turbulence transport in a casting process that involves EM fields. ELEKTRA is able to predict the eddy- current distribution and the electromagnetic forces in complex geometries. CaPS-EM is capable of modeling fluid flows with free surfaces. Results of the numerical simulation compared well with measurements obtained from a static test.

This subgroup discussed several technical issues facing the BTCF (Beijing tau-charm factory). Most of these are R and D issues to be performed before a construction start. The two uncertainties facing the B-factories and the BTCF alike, namely the transient ion instability and the photo-electron instability are much weaker in the BTCF. Another uncertainty concerns the monochromator scheme, for which a round of parameters optimization is called for. The R and D issues can be collected into a long list. These discussions are by no means exhaustive, but are listed below as a summary of this report: (1) impedance policing is to be established; (2) single bunch instability is marginally acceptable; (3) beam-beam effects is to be considered together with microwave instability to optimize the overall design; (4) microwave power is a new issue which needs attention; (5) trapped modes need attention; (6) aluminum antechamber vacuum chamber design is recommended; (7) electrostatic separators need to be designed to minimize the microwave power generation; (8) dust particles need attention.

Tolerance design presented in this paper minimizes the expected quality loss due to system performance variations from the target value and the cost for controlling the tolerances of components and subsystems. The method is based on loss function, variation transfer function (VTF) and design of experiments methodology. The VTF developed in this paper makes it possible to access the variance of system performances for any tolerance levels setting of the components or subsystems based on the data from only one tolerance levels setting with on more experiments or simulations to be conducted. The VTF transfers the variations in the parameters of the components or the subsystems to the variations in the quality characteristic of the system. An optimization model is presented for tolerance design and a method is given to find the coefficients for the VTF. An example is given to demonstrate the method.

Reciprocal connections, in essence, are the dynamic wiring (connections) of the neural network circuitry. Given the high complexity of the neural circuitry in the human brain, it is quite a challenge to study the dynamic wiring of highly parallel and widely distributed neural networks. The measurements of stimulus evoked coherent oscillations provide indirect evidence of dynamic wiring. In this study, in addition to the coherent oscillation measurements, two more techniques are discussed for testing possible dynamic wiring: measurements of spatio-temporal interactions beyond the classical receptive fields, and neural structural testing using nonlinear systems analysis.

In order to utilize reduced enrichment fuel, the three-element-core design has been proposed. The proposed core configuration consists of inner, middle, and outer elements, with the middle element offset axially beneath the inner and outer elements, which are axially aligned. The three-element-core RELAP5 model assumes that the reactor hardware is changed only within the core region, so that the loop piping, heat exchangers, and pumps remain as assumed for the two-element-core configuration. However, the total flow rate through the core is greater and the pressure drop across the core is less so that the primary coolant pumps and heat exchangers are operating at a different point in their performance curves. This report describes the new RELAP5 input for the core components.