In the space exploration field there is a general consensus that nuclear reactor powered systems will be extremely desirable for future missions to the outer solar system. Solar systems suffer from the decreasing intensity of solar radiation and relatively low power density. Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators are limited to generating a few kilowatts electric (kWe). Chemical systems are short-lived due to prodigious fuel use. A well designed 50-100 kWe nuclear reactor power system would provide sufficient power for a variety of long term missions. This thesis will present basic work done on a 50-100 kWe reactor power system that has a reasonable lifespan and would function in an extraterrestrial environment. The system will use a Gas-Cooled Reactor that is directly coupled to a Closed Brayton Cycle (GCR-CBC) power system. Also included will be some variations on the primary design and their effects on the characteristics of the primary design. This thesis also presents a variety of neutronics related calculations, an examination of the reactor's thermal characteristics, feasibility for use in an extraterrestrial environment, and the reactor's safety characteristics in several accident scenarios. While there has been past work for space reactors, the challenges introduced by thin atmospheres like those on Mars …

This report is a descriptive journey of the Advanced O2 Separation System Integration for Conceptual Design of Supercritical O2-Based PC Boiler

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The Nature Conservancy is participating in a Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to explore the compatibility of carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity. The title of the research project is ''Application and Development of Appropriate Tools and Technologies for Cost-Effective Carbon Sequestration''. The objectives of the project are to: (1) improve carbon offset estimates produced in both the planning and implementation phases of projects; (2) build valid and standardized approaches to estimate project carbon benefits at a reasonable cost; and (3) lay the groundwork for implementing cost-effective projects, providing new testing ground for biodiversity protection and restoration projects that store additional atmospheric carbon. This Technical Progress Report discusses preliminary results of the six specific tasks that The Nature Conservancy is undertaking to answer research needs while facilitating the development of real projects with measurable greenhouse gas reductions. The research described in this report occurred between January 1st and March 31st 2006. The specific tasks discussed include: Task 1: carbon inventory advancements; Task 2: emerging technologies for remote sensing of terrestrial carbon; Task 3: baseline method development; Task 4: third-party technical advisory panel meetings; Task 5: new project feasibility …

The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mobile Facility Surface Meteorology station (MET) uses mainly conventional in situ sensors to obtain 1-min statistics of surface wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, relative humidity (RH), barometric pressure, and rainrate. Additional sensors may be added to or removed from the base set of sensors depending upon the deployment location, climate regime, or programmatic needs. In addition, sensor types may change depending upon the climate regime of the deployment. These changes/additions are noted in Section 3.

Sandia currently lacks a high fidelity method for predicting loads on and subsequent structural response of earth penetrating weapons. This project seeks to test, debug, improve and validate methodologies for modeling earth penetration. Results of this project will allow us to optimize and certify designs for the B61-11, Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP), PEN-X and future nuclear and conventional penetrator systems. Since this is an ASC Advanced Deployment project the primary goal of the work is to test, debug, verify and validate new Sierra (and Nevada) tools. Also, since this project is part of the V&V program within ASC, uncertainty quantification (UQ), optimization using DAKOTA [1] and sensitivity analysis are an integral part of the work. This project evaluates, verifies and validates new constitutive models, penetration methodologies and Sierra/Nevada codes. In FY05 the project focused mostly on PRESTO [2] using the Spherical Cavity Expansion (SCE) [3,4] and PRESTO Lagrangian analysis with a preformed hole (Pen-X) methodologies. Modeling penetration tests using PRESTO with a pilot hole was also attempted to evaluate constitutive models. Future years work would include the Alegra/SHISM [5] and AlegrdEP (Earth Penetration) methodologies when they are ready for validation testing. Constitutive models such as Soil-and-Foam, the Sandia Geomodel …

The effects of a non-uniform antenna beam are sometimes visible in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. This might be due to near-range operation, wide scenes, or inadequate antenna pointing accuracy. The effects can be mitigated in the SAR image by fitting very a simple model to the illumination profile and compensating the pixel brightness accordingly, in an automated fashion. This is accomplished without a detailed antenna pattern calibration, and allows for drift in the antenna beam alignments.

This document describes the requirements for the components and systems that support the hydrogen production portion of a 600 megawatt thermal (MWt) Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP). These systems, defined as the "balance-of-plant" (BOP), are essential to operate an effective hydrogen production plant. Examples of BOP items are: heat recovery and heat rejection equipment, process material transport systems (pumps, valves, piping, etc.), control systems, safety systems, waste collection and disposal systems, maintenance and repair equipment, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), electrical supply and distribution, and others. The requirements in this document are applicable to the two hydrogen production processes currently under consideration in the DOE Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative. These processes are the sulfur iodide (S-I) process and the high temperature electrolysis (HTE) process. At present, the other two hydrogen production process - the hybrid sulfur-iodide electrolytic process (SE) and the calcium-bromide process (Ca-Br) -are under flow sheet development and not included in this report. While some features of the balance-of-plant requirements are common to all hydrogen production processes, some details will apply only to the specific needs of individual processes.

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This research project is aimed at assessing the soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration potential of reclaimed mine soils (RMS). The experimental sites were characterized by distinct age chronosequences of reclaimed mine soil and were located in Guernsey, Morgan, Noble, and Muskingum Counties of Ohio. These sites are owned and maintained by American Electrical Power. These sites were reclaimed (1) with topsoil application, and (2) without topsoil application, and were under continuous grass or forest cover. This report presents the results from two forest sites reclaimed with topsoil application and reclaimed in 1994 (R94-F) and in 1973 (R73-F), and two forest sites without topsoil application and reclaimed in 1969 (R69-F) and 1962 (R62-F). Results from one site under grass without topsoil application and reclaimed in 1962 (R62-G) are also shown. Three core soil samples were collected from each of the experimental sites and each landscape position (upper, middle and lower) for 0-15 and 15-30 cm depths, and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), volumes of transport (VTP) pores, and available water capacity (AWC) were determined. No significant differences were observed in VTP and AWC in 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm depths among the sites R94-F and R73-F reclaimed with topsoil application and under …

DOE Industrial Technologies Program case study describes the savings possible if Commonwealth Aluminum (now Aleris Rolled Products) makes improvements noted in energy assessments at two aluminum mills.

This Corrective Action Decision Document has been prepared for Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 145, Wells and Storage Holes in Area 3 of the Nevada Test Site, Nevada, in accordance with the ''Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order'' (1996). Corrective Action Unit 145 is comprised of the following corrective action sites (CASs): (1) 03-20-01, Core Storage Holes; (2) 03-20-02, Decon Pad and Sump; (3) 03-20-04, Injection Wells; (4) 03-20-08, Injection Well; (5) 03-25-01, Oil Spills; and (6) 03-99-13, Drain and Injection Well. The purpose of this Corrective Action Decision Document is to identify and provide the rationale for the recommendation of a corrective action alternative for the six CASs within CAU 145. Corrective action investigation activities were performed from August 1, 2005, through November 8, 2005, as set forth in the CAU 145 Corrective Action Investigation Plan and Record of Technical Change No. 1. Analytes detected during the Corrective Action Investigation (CAI) were evaluated against appropriate final action levels to identify the contaminants of concern for each CAS. The results of the CAI identified contaminants of concern at one of the six CASs in CAU 145 and required the evaluation of corrective action alternatives. Assessment of the data generated from investigation …

Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 139 is located in Areas 3, 4, 6, and 9 of the Nevada Test Site, which is 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. Corrective Action Unit 139 is comprised of the seven corrective action sites (CASs) listed below: (1) 03-35-01, Burn Pit; (2) 04-08-02, Waste Disposal Site; (3) 04-99-01, Contaminated Surface Debris; (4) 06-19-02, Waste Disposal Site/Burn Pit; (5) 06-19-03, Waste Disposal Trenches; (6) 09-23-01, Area 9 Gravel Gertie; and (7) 09-34-01, Underground Detection Station. These sites are being investigated because existing information on the nature and extent of potential contamination is insufficient to evaluate and recommend corrective action alternatives with the exception of CASs 09-23-01 and 09-34-01. Regarding these two CASs, CAS 09-23-01 is a gravel gertie where a zero-yield test was conducted with all contamination confined to below ground within the area of the structure, and CAS 09-34-01 is an underground detection station where no contaminants are present. Additional information will be obtained by conducting a corrective action investigation (CAI) before evaluating corrective action alternatives and selecting the appropriate corrective action for the other five CASs where information is insufficient. The results of the field investigation will support a defensible evaluation of viable …

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This document is a compilation of characterization data for the AGR-1 baseline coated particle composite LEU01-46T, a composite of four batches of TRISO-coated 350 {micro}m 19.7% low enrichment uranium oxide/uranium carbide kernels (LEUCO). The AGR-1 TRISO-coated particles consist of a spherical kernel coated with a {approx} 50% dense carbon buffer layer (100 {micro}m nominal thickness) followed by a dense inner pyrocarbonlayer (40 {micro}m nominal thickness) followed by a SiC layer (35 {micro}m nominal thickness) followed by another dense outer pyrocarbon layer (40 {micro}m nominal thickness). The coated particles, were produced by ORNL for the Advanced Gas Reactor Fuel Development and Qualification (AGR) program to be put into compacts for insertion in the first irradiation test capsule, AGR-1. The kernels were obtained from BWXT and identified as composite (G73D-20-69302). The BWXT kernel lot G73D-20-69302 was riffled into sublots for characterization and coating by ORNL and identified as LEU01-?? (where ?? is a series of integers beginning with 01). Additional particle batches were coated with only buffer or buffer plus inner pyrocarbon (IPyC) layers using similar process conditions as used for the full TRISO batches comprising the LEU01-46T composite. These batches were fabricated in order to qualify that the process conditions used …

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Gas Technology Institute (GTI), in collaboration with Nanoscale Materials, Inc. (NanoScale), is developing and evaluating several nanocrystalline sorbents for capture of mercury from coal gasifier (such as IGCC) warm fuel gas. The focus of this study is on the understanding of fundamental mechanism of interaction between mercury and nanocrystalline sorbents over a range of fuel gas conditions. Detailed chemical and structural analysis of the sorbents will be carried out using an array of techniques, such as XPS, SEM, XRD, N{sub 2}-adsorption, to understand the mechanism of interaction between the sorbent and mercury. The proposed nanoscale oxides have significantly higher reactivities as compared to their bulk counterparts, which is a result of high surface area, pore volume, and nanocrystalline structure. These metal oxides/sulfides will be evaluated for their mercury-sorption potential in an experimental setup equipped with state-of-the-art analyzers. Initial screening tests will be carried out in N{sub 2} atmosphere, and two selected sorbents will be evaluated in simulated fuel gas containing H{sub 2}, H{sub 2}S, Hg and other gases. The focus will be on development of sorbents suitable for higher temperature (420-640 K) applications. As part of this Task, several metal oxide (MeO)-based sorbents were evaluated for capture of mercury (Hg) …

Gas Technology Institute (GTI), in collaboration with Nanoscale Materials, Inc. (NanoScale), is developing and evaluating several nanocrystalline sorbents for capture of mercury from coal gasifier (such as IGCC) warm fuel gas. The focus of this study is on the understanding of fundamental mechanism of interaction between mercury and nanocrystalline sorbents over a range of fuel gas conditions. Detailed chemical and structural analysis of the sorbents will be carried out using an array of techniques, such as XPS, SEM, XRD, N{sub 2}-adsorption, to understand the mechanism of interaction between the sorbent and mercury. The proposed nanoscale oxides have significantly higher reactivities as compared to their bulk counterparts, which is a result of high surface area, pore volume, and nanocrystalline structure. These metal oxides/sulfides will be evaluated for their mercury-sorption potential in an experimental setup equipped with state-of-the-art analyzers. Initial screening tests will be carried out in N{sub 2} atmosphere, and two selected sorbents will be evaluated in simulated fuel gas containing H{sub 2}, H{sub 2}S, Hg and other gases. The focus will be on development of sorbents suitable for higher temperature (420-640 K) applications. In this Task, several formulations of binary metal oxide-based sorbents were prepared and evaluated for capture of …

This report provides recommended durability-based design properties and criteria for a quais-isotropic carbon-fiber thermoplastic composite for possible automotive structural applications. The composite consisted of a PolyPhenylene Sulfide (PPS) thermoplastic matrix (Fortron's PPS - Ticona 0214B1 powder) reinforced with 16 plies of carbon-fiber unidirectional tape, [0?/90?/+45?/-45?]2S. The carbon fiber was Hexcel AS-4C and was present in a fiber volume of 53% (60%, by weight). The overall goal of the project, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Freedom Car and Vehicle Technologies and is closely coordinated with the Advanced Composites Consortium, is to develop durability-driven design data and criteria to assure the long-term integrity of carbon-fiber-based composite systems for automotive structural applications. This document is in two parts. Part 1 provides design data and correlations, while Part 2 provides the underlying experimental data and models. The durability issues addressed include the effects of short-time, cyclic, and sustained loadings; temperature; fluid environments; and low-energy impacts (e.g., tool drops and kickups of roadway debris) on deformation, strength, and stiffness. Guidance for design analysis, time-independent and time-dependent allowable stresses, rules for cyclic loadings, and damage-tolerance design guidance are provided.

This study provides a summary assessment of concentrating solar power and its potential economic return, energy supply impact, and environmental benefits for the State of California.