A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on small business bid protests that have been filed in district courts and the United States Court of Federal Claims (COFC) since the Administration Dispute Resolution Act took effect on December 31, 1996, focusing on the: (1) number of bid protest cases filed in the U.S. district courts and COFC between January 1, 1997, and April 30, 1999, that were filed by small businesses, the type of agencies involved, and the amount of the procurement at issue; (2) perceived advantages and disadvantages for small businesses filing bid protest cases in each judicial forum; and (3) characteristics of district court and COFC bid protest cases, particularly those filed by small businesses, that could be used to assess these perceived advantages and disadvantages."

Natural, renewable resources such as vegetable oils and recycled restaurant greases can be chemically transformed into clean-burning biodiesel fuels. As its name implies, biodiesel is like diesel fuel except that it's organically produced. It's also safe for the environment, biodegradable, and produces significantly less air pollution than diesel fuel.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed efforts to reduce the threat of biological weapons proliferation from the former Soviet Union, focusing on: (1) the potential threats that the former Soviet biological weapons institutes could pose to the United States; (2) current and future U.S. efforts to address these threats; and (3) risks associated with the expanded U.S. effort and executive branch plans to mitigate them."

This project is designed to develop engineering and modeling tools for a family of NO{sub x} control technologies utilizing biomass as a reburning fuel. During the tenth reporting period (January 1-March 31, 2000), EER and NETL R and D group continued to work on Tasks 2, 3, 4, and 5. Information regarding these tasks will be included in the next Quarterly Report. This report includes (Appendix 1) a conceptual design study for the introduction of biomass reburning in a working coal-fired utility boiler. This study was conducted under the coordinated SBIR program funded by the U. S. Department of Agriculture.

The US Department of Energy and the Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas (IETU), Katowice, Poland have been cooperating in the development and implementation of innovative environmental remediation technologies since 1995. A major focus of this program has been the demonstration of bioremediation techniques to cleanup the soil and sediment associated with a waste lagoon at the Czechowice Oil Refinery (CZOR) in southern Poland. After an expedited site characterization (ESC), treatability study, and risk assessment study, a remediation system was designed that took advantage of local materials to minimize cost and maximize treatment efficiency. U.S. experts worked in tandem with counterparts from the IETU and CZOR throughout this project to characterize, assess and subsequently, design, implement and monitor a bioremediation system. The CZOR, our industrial partner for this project, was chosen because of their foresight and commitment to the use of new approaches for environmental restoration. This program sets a precedent for Poland in which a portion of the funds necessary to complete the project were provided by the company responsible for the problem. The CZOR was named by PIOS (State Environmental Protection Inspectorate of Poland) as one of the top 80 biggest polluters in Poland. The history of the …

We propose an alternative orthonormalization method that computes the orthonormal basis from the right singular vectors of a matrix. Its advantage are: (a) all operations are matrix-matrix multiplications and thus cache-efficient, (b) only one synchronization point is required in parallel implementations, (c) could be more stable than Gram-Schmidt. In addition, we consider the problem of incremental orthonormalization where a block of vectors is orthonormalized against a previously orthonormal set of vectors and among itself. We solve this problem by alternating iteratively between a phase of Gram-Schmidt and a phase of the new method. We provide error analysis and use it to derive bounds on how accurately the two successive orthonormalization phases should be performed to minimize total work performed. Our experiments confirm the favorable numerical behavior of the new method and its effectiveness on modern parallel computers.

Amorphous carbon films with an s p{sup 3} content up to 25% and a negligible amount of hydrogen have been grown by evaporation of graphite and concurrent Ar{sup +} ion bombardment. The s p{sup 3} content is maximized for Ar{sup +} energies between 200 and 300 eV following a subplantation mechanism. Higher ion energies deteriorate the film due to sputtering and heating processes. The hardness of the films increases in the optimal assisting range from 8 to 18 GPa, and is explained by the crosslinking of graphitic planes through s p {sup 3} connecting site.

Monthly publication documenting statistics related to economic information in the Mexico-Texas border areas including types of border crossings, employment, customs revenues, and other related data.

The purpose of this task is to update the existing bottom/side lift gantry analysis so that the design is consistent with Enhanced Design Alternative II (EDA II) design constraints listed in the Monitored Geologic Repository Project Description Document (CRWMS M and O 1999a, Section 2.2.1.1, p. 9a). This update is consistent with the requirements of the Technical Guidance Document for License Application Preparation (YMP 1999, Section 6.2.5.1). This update will also take into account the latest available equipment classification and Waste Emplacement/Retrieval System Description Document (SDD) (CRWMS M and O 2000c) requirements. The principal objective of this analysis is to verify that the newly developed bottom/side lift gantry concept continues to be a suitable design concept for the current Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) design. This analysis includes an examination of the waste package (WP) transfer operation at the emplacement drift transfer dock. In addition, this analysis verifies that the gantry is compatible with the WP transporter, which has been redesigned to handle WPs sitting on pallets (CRWMS M and O 2000a). The scope of this work is to examine the existing analysis and to determine what, if any, modifications to the analysis may be required as a result of additional …

Fact sheet written for the Inventions and Innovation Program about a new technology for brazing and spot welding.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on the Postal Service's Breast Cancer Research Stamp, focusing on: (1) how the Service went about identifying and allocating the costs it incurred in developing and marketing the Breast Cancer Research Semipostal (BCRS) and the issues associated with effectiveness; (2) the statutory authorities and constraints associated with the Service's issuance of semipostals, in general, as a means of fund-raising; and (3) the appropriateness of using the BCRS as a means of fund-raising."

This document establishes an As-built Verification Plan (AVP) for implementing requirements in PHMC Engineering Requirements HNF-PRO-1819, Rev. 4, Sections 2.8.3.d and 2.10.8 and Spent Nuclear Fuels (SNF) Project Administrative Procedure EN-6-012-01. This AVP defines and implements approved processes to document the physical configuration of the project scope installed within the facility and identify discrepancies between the associated project engineering drawings and the field configuration, and the component index (CI) database as defined in AP EN 6-005-02. This AVP defines requirements for project activities verifying conformance of structures, systems, and components (SSCs) to project specified requirements.

A briefing report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the personnel management policies and practices of the District of Columbia Courts, focusing on whether: (1) D.C. Courts' applicable policies for six basic personnel activities or functions--performance evaluation, competitive and noncompetitive promotions, corrective actions, training, classification, and equal employment opportunity (EEO) policies--were consistent with commonly accepted personnel management principles; and (2) D.C. Courts generally adhered to its policies when implementing the six personnel activities or functions."

Calculations of the {sup 239}Pu(n,n') cross section and other relevant cross sections for incident neutron energies of up to 5 MeV are presented. Two components of the {sup 239}Pu(n,n') cross section are included. The direct contribution to the {sup 239}Pu(n,n') cross section is computed by the coupled-channel optical model. The compound component is calculated by a Hauser-Feshbach statistical treatment. Fission and {gamma}-cascade processes are considered as competing channels in the compound-decay process. Whenever possible, calculations are compared with experimental data and evaluations.

In PKM Machines, the Cartesian position and orientation of the tool point carried on the platform is obtained from a kinematic model of the particular machine. Accurate positioning of these machines relies on the accurate knowledge of the parameters of the kinematic model unique to the particular machine. The parameters in the kinematic model include the spatial locations of the joint centers on the machine base and moving platform, the initial strut lengths, and the strut displacements. The strut displacements are readily obtained from sensors on the machine. However, the remaining kinematic parameters (joint center locations, and initial strut lengths) are difficult to determine when these machines are in their fully assembled state. The size and complexity of these machines generally makes it difficult and somewhat undesirable to determine the remaining kinematic parameters by direct inspection such as in a coordinate measuring machine. In order for PKMs to be useful for precision positioning applications, techniques must be developed to quickly calibrate the machine by determining the kinematic parameters without disassembly of the machine. A number of authors have reported techniques for calibration of PKMs (Soons, Masory, Zhuang et. al., Ropponen). In two other papers, the authors have reported on work …

The final report for a Laboratory Directed Research and Development project entitled, ``Capturing Recrystallization of Metals in a Multiscale Materials Model'' is presented. In this project, deformation and recrystallization processes have been followed experimentally and theoretically in order to incorporate essential mechanisms from the defect (dislocation) and grain size length scales. A nonlinear rotational gradient theory has been developed which enables the incorporation of microstructural parameters. The evolution of these parameters during deformation and recrystallization has been characterized qualitatively and quantitatively, applying various electron optic techniques ranging over several length scales. The theoretical and experimental framework developed is general. It has been exemplified by an application to recrystallization in single crystals and bicrystals of aluminum. The recrystallization process has been modeled using a 3-D model for the changes in key structural parameters during recrystallization.

This paper describes an approach that was developed to produce structured models that graphically reflect the requirements contained within a text document. The document used in this research is a draft policy document governing business in a research and development environment. In this paper, the authors present a basic understanding of why this approach is needed, the techniques developed, lessons learned during modeling and analysis, and recommendations for future investigation. The modeling method applied on the policy document was developed as an extension to entity relationship (ER) diagrams, which built in some structural information typically associated with object-oriented techniques. This approach afforded some structure as an analysis tool, while remaining flexible enough to be used with the text document. It provided a visual representation that allowed further analysis and layering of the model to be done.

This progress report on the Department of Energy project DE-FG-97FT97263 entitled, ''Catalytic Gasification of Coal Using Eutectic Salt Mixtures'', covers the period April-September 1998. The specific aims of the project for this period were to identify appropriate eutectic salt mixture catalysts for the gasification of Illinois No.6 coal, evaluate various impregnation or catalyst addition methods to improve catalyst dispersion, and evaluate gasification performance in a bench-scale fixed bed reactor. The project is being conducted jointly by Clark Atlanta University (CAU), the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI) and the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) with CAU as the prime contractor. Several single salt catalysts and binary and ternary eutectic catalysts were investigated at Clark Atlanta University. Physical mixing and incipient wetness methods were investigated as catalyst addition techniques. Gasification was carried out using TGA at CAU and UTSI and with a fixed-bed reactor at UTSI. The results showed better gasification activity in the presence of the catalysts tested. The eutectic salt studies showed clear agreement between the melting points of the prepared eutectics and reported literature values. The order of catalytic activity observed was ternary > binary > single salt. With the soluble single salt catalysts, the incipient wetness …

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is a toxic chlorinated aromatic molecule widely used as fungicide, a bactericide and a wood preservation, and thus ubiquitous in the environment. The authors report photo-oxidation of PCP using a variety of nanosize semiconductor metal oxides and sulfides in both aqueous and polar organic solvents and compare the photo-oxidation kinetics of these nanoclusters to widely studied bulk powders like Degussa P-25 TiO{sub 2} and CdS. They study both the light intensity dependence of PCP photooxidation for nanosize SnO{sub 2} and the size dependence of PCP photooxidation for both nanosize SnO{sub 2} and MoS{sub 2}. They find an extremely strong size dependence for the latter which they attribute to its size-dependent band gap and the associated change in redox potentials due to quantum confinement of the hole-electron pair. The authors show that nanosize MoS{sub 2} with a diameter of d=3.0 nm and an absorbance edge of {approximately}450 nm is a very effective photooxidation catalyst for complete PCP mineralization, even when using only visible light irradiation.

The objective of this program is to conduct a technology development program to advance the state-of-the-art in ceramic Oxygen Transport Membranes (OTM) to the level required to produce step change improvements in process economics, efficiency, and environmental benefits for commercial IGCC systems and other applications. The IGCC program is focused on addressing key issues in materials, processing, manufacturing, engineering and system development that will make the OTM a commercial reality. The objective of the OTM materials development task is to identify a suitable material that can be formed into a thin film to produce the target oxygen flux. This requires that the material have an adequate permeation rate, and thermo-mechanical and thermo-chemical properties such that the material is able to be supported on the desired substrate and sufficient mechanical strength to survive the stresses involved in operation. The objective of the composite OTM development task is to develop the architecture and fabrication techniques necessary to construct stable, high performance, thin film OTMs supported on suitable porous, load bearing substrates. The objective of the process development task of this program to demonstrate the program objectives on a single OTM tube under test conditions simulating those of the optimum process cycle for …

The objective of this program is to conduct a technology development program to advance the state-of-the-art in ceramic Oxygen Transport Membranes (OTM) to the level required to produce step change improvements in process economics, efficiency, and environmental benefits for commercial IGCC systems and other applications. The IGCC program is focused on addressing key issues in materials, processing, manufacturing, engineering and system development that will make the OTM a commercial reality. The objective of the OTM materials development task is to identify a suitable material that can be formed into a thin film to produce the target oxygen flux. This requires that the material have an adequate permeation rate, and thermo-mechanical and thermo-chemical properties such that the material is able to be supported on the desired substrate and sufficient mechanical strength to survive the stresses involved in operation. The objective of the composite OTM development task is to develop the architecture and fabrication techniques necessary to construct stable, high performance, thin film OTMs supported on suitable porous, load bearing substrates. The objective of the process development task of this program to demonstrate the program objectives on a single OTM tube under test conditions simulating those of the optimum process cycle for …

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the issues the two have in relation to the Shad-Johnson Jurisdictional Accord, focusing on: (1) the extent to which U.S. securities, foreign futures, and over-the-counter (OTC) markets trade stock-based derivatives that are economically similar to the futures prohibited from trading by the accord; (2) the potential effect of the accord trading prohibitions on derivatives market participants; (3) concerns about calls to repeal the accord trading prohibitions; and (4) jurisdictional and other approaches to addressing these concerns."

DWPF Engineering requested that the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) provide a demonstration of the DWPF flowsheet on sludge from Tank 42H in the Shielded Cell facility. A 5 liter sample of the Tank 42H sludge (ESP-200), obtained with the tank contents fully mixed, arrived at SRTC on January 20, 1998. This report details receipt of the 5 liter sample at SRTC, the decant of the sample, and the characterization of the pre- and post-decant Tank 42H sludge. Evaluation of the measured composition of the supernate indicates Sample ESP-200 became diluted approximately 20 percent by volume prior to receipt. This dilution complicates the relationship of the characterization of Post-Decant ESP-200 to the current contents of Tank 42H. For the purposes of modeling the current tank contents of Tank 42H, this report provides an estimated composition based on analytical data of recent samples from Tank 42H.

Current plans call for an alkaline scrub of actinide-bearing sludges in the Hanford Waste tanks prior to their incorporation in glass waste forms. Though it is assumed that actinides will remain in the sludge phase during this procedure, this assumption is based on insufficient supporting thermodynamic and kinetic data. In this project the authors will investigate the fundamental chemistry of actinides in strongly alkaline solution and solid phases to strengthen the foundation and identify potential limitations of this approach. They will focus on the characterization of the leaching of actinides from simulated BiPO{sub 4}, REDOX, and PUREX sludges, the identification of actinide mineral phases in the sludge simulants, and the possible solubilization of actinides by complexation and radiolysis effects. This program will provide new fundamental information on the chemical behavior and speciation of uranium, neptunium, plutonium, and americium in simulated alkaline tank waste sludges and alkaline scrub liquors. Sludge simulants will be prepared from the appropriate matrix components using published data for guidance. Actinide ions will be introduced in the oxidation states pertinent to process conditions. The authors will characterize the speciation of the actinides in the sludges using a variety of techniques. In parallel studies, they will address the …