Newsletter of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service discussing topics related to economic aspects of raising dairy cows, dairy production, and managing dairy operations.

The Alkali Metal Thermal to Electric Converter (AMTEC) is a high temperature, high efficiency system for converting thermal to electrical energy, with no moving parts. It is based on the unique properties of {beta}{double_prime}-alumina solid electrolyte (BASE), which is an excellent conductor of sodium ions, but an extremely poor conductor of electrons. When the inside of the BASE is maintained at a higher temperature and pressure, a concentration gradient is created across the BASE. Electrons and sodium atoms cannot pass through the BASE. However, the sodium atoms are ionized, and the sodium ions move through the BASE to the lower potential (temperature) region. The electrons travel externally to the AMTEC cell, providing power. There are a number of potential advantages to a wick-pumped, vapor-fed AMTEC system when compared with other designs. A wick-pumped system uses capillary forces to passively return liquid to the evaporator, and to distribute the liquid in the evaporator. Since the fluid return is self-regulating, multiple BASE tubes can use a single remote condenser, potentially improving efficiency in advanced AMTEC designs. Since the system is vapor-fed, sodium vapor is supplied at a uniform temperature and flux to the BASE tube, even with non-uniform heat fluxes and temperatures …

This report consists of four appendices for the final report. They are: Appendix A: 700 C Vapor-Fed AMTEC Cell Calculations; Appendix B: 700 C Vapor-Fed AMTEC Cell Parts Drawings; Appendix C: 800 C Vapor-Fed AMTEC Cell Calculations; and Appendix D: 800 C Wick-Pumped AMTEC Cell System Design.

This document is one of two reports on the Integrated ISIS protocol. Required by the IAB/IESG in order for an Internet routing protocol to advance to Draft Standard Status. Integrated ISIS is an Interior Gateway Protocol and is designed to carry both IP and ISO CLNP routing information. Integrated ISIS is currently designated as a Proposed Standard. The protocol was first published in RFC 1195. Internet Draft was published subsequently to RFC 1195 and documents the current version of the protocol. This report documents experience with Integrated ISIS. This includes reports on interoperability testing, field experience and the current state of Integrated ISIS implementations. It also presents a summary of the Integrated ISIS Management Information Base (MIB), and a summary of the Integrated ISIS authentication mechanism.

One of the major functions of the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) is to characterize wastes in support of waste management and disposal activities at the Hanford Site. Analytical data from sampling and analysis, along with other available information about a tank, are compiled and maintained in a tank characterization report (TCR). This report and its appendices serve as the TCR for single-shell tank 241-C-109. The objectives of this report are: (1) to use characterization data in response to technical issues associated with tank 241 C-109 waste; and (2) to provide a standard characterization of this waste in terms of a best-basis inventory estimate. The response to technical issues is summarized in Section 2.0, and the best-basis inventory estimate is presented in Section 3.0. Recommendations regarding safety status and additional sampling needs are provided in Section 4.0. Supporting data and information are contained in the appendices.

Nuclear waste has been sluiced and pumped from storage tank 241-AX-104, leaving a contaminated heel volume. These operations did not include measurements of the removed waste volume leaving an unknown heel volume in the tank. A magnetometer transducer will be lowered through tank riser ports to rest on the heel`s surface. The heel thickness will control the distance between the transducer and the tank`s bottom The instrument`s output varies with the distance from a magnetic mass, such as the tank`s steel bottom, thereby enabling a measurement of the heel depth. Measurements at several tank locations will permit an estimate of the tank`s heel volume. The magnetometer`s output is influenced by adjacent magnetic materials, such as the tank walls, air lift circulators or other equipment installed in the tank. An adjacent vertical steel surface produces a voltage offset in the instrument`s output. Measurements near a tank wall or other tank components may be corrected by noting the offset before the instrument`s output is influenced by the tank bottom. An unlevel or uneven heel surface could orient the magnetometer transducer so that it is not vertically level. The magnetometer readings are influenced by these skewed transducer orientations. The magnitude of these errors …

We review pertinent aspects of the history of the space launch capabilities of the United States and survey its present status and near-term outlook. Steps which must be taken, pitfalls which much be avoided, and a core set of National options for re-acquiring in the near term the capability to access the space environment with large payloads are discussed. We devote considerable attention to the prospect of creating an interim heavy-lift space launch vehicle of at least 100,000 pound payload-orbiting capacity to serve National needs during the next dozen years, suggesting that such a capability can be demonstrated within 5 years for less than $1 B. Such capability will apparently be essential for meeting the first-phase goals of the President's Space Exploration Initiative. Some other high-leverage aspects of securing American access to space are also noted briefly, emphasizing unconventional technological approaches of presently high promise.

Table 1 summarizes the number of jobs associated with the development and operation of a 50 MW geothermal dual flash power system. The values shown are person years (PY) of employment for the 50 MW system. About 1500 person years (PY) of labor are incorporated in the manufacture and installation of capital components of the system. Of these, about 300 PY are local to the area of the geothermal system, and about 1200 are dispersed elsewhere in the U.S. or other countries. About 71 PY of labor per year are required for the operation of the system. Of those, about 39 PY are local to the plant, and about 32 are dispersed. The total person years of labor over the entire life cycle of such a system, assuming a 30-year operational life, is on the order of 3630 person years. These include jobs during the 5 to 10 years of exploration and construction activities prior to plant start up. Of these jobs, about 1470 PY are local to the system, and about 21 60 are dispersed elsewhere.

This engineering note is a reference for future consideration on the purification of argon. The original concern was for the possibility of argon contamination from components in the cryostats over long-term storage. An argon purification system could also be useful for purifying the contents of the argon dewar. The general conclusion is that most of the systems researched are too expensive at this time, but the recommended choice would be Centorr Furnaces. There were three basic types of purification systems which were to be considered. The first was the molecular sieve. This method would have been the preferred one, because it was claimed that it could purify liquid argon, removing liquid oxygen from the argon. However, none of the commercial companies researched provided this type of purification for use with liquid argon. Most companies said that this type of purification was impossible, and tests at IB-4 confirmed this. The second system contained a copper oxide to remove gaseous oxygen from argon gas. The disadvantage of this system wass that the argon had to be heated to a gas, and then cooled back down to liquid. The third system was similar to the second, except that it used tungsten or another …

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This report considers whether the provisions of the FDA's final rule restricting the advertising of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products violates the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech.

The document is based on a search of pre-1970 Hanford Solid Waste Records. The available data indicates seven out of thirty-one solid waste burial sites used for pre-1970 waste appear to be Transuranic (TRU). A burial site defined to be TRU contains >100 nCi/gm Transuranic nuclides.

The Data Quality Objectives (DQOs) were established for the response of the first group of fuel samples shipped from the K West Basin to the Hanford 327 Building hot cells for examinations to the proposed Path Forward conditioning process. Controlled temperature and atmosphere furnace testing testing will establish performance parameters using the conditioning process (drying, sludge drying, hydride decomposition passivation) proposed by the Independent Technical Assessment (ITA) Team as the baseline.

During the reporting period we completed synthesis of about 100 g of catalyst with nominal composition 100 Fe/3 Cu/4 K/16 SiO{sub 2} (S-3416-2), and of another batch (173 g) of the same catalyst (S-3416-3). Also, we synthesized two additional batches of catalyst with nominal composition 100 Fe/5 Cu/6 K/24 SiO{sub 2}, in the amounts of 240 g (S-5624-3) and 200 g (S-5624-4). These amounts are sufficient for all planned tests with these two catalysts for the entire duration of this contract. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by atomic absorption, and BET surface area and pore size distribution measurements.

Mixed dark matter scenario can reconcile the COBE data and the observed large scale structure. So far the massive neutrino with a mass of a few eV has been the only discussed candidate for the hot dark matter component. We point out that the hadronic axion in the so-called hadronic axion window, f{sub a} {approx} 10{sup 6} GeV, is a perfect candidate as hot dark matter within the mixed dark matter scenario. The current limits on the hadronic axion are summarized. The most promising methods to verify the hadronic axion in this window are the resonant absorption of almost-monochromatic solar axions from M1 transition of the thermally excited {sup 57}Fe in the Sun, and the observation of the ''axion burst'' in water Cerenkov detectors from another supernova.

This ISB in conjunction with the new TSRs, will provide the required basis for interim operation or restrictions on interim operations and administrative controls for the Facility until a SAR is prepared in accordance with the new requirements. It is concluded that the risk associated with the current operational mode of the Facility, uranium closure, clean up, and transition activities required for permanent closure, are within Risk Acceptance Guidelines. The Facility is classified as a Moderate Hazard Facility because of the potential for an unmitigated fire associated with the uranium storage buildings.

This document describes the groundwater monitoring program for the Hanford Site 300 Area Process Trenches (300 APT). The 300 APT are a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) regulated unit. The 300 APT are included in the Dangerous Waste Portion of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Permit for the Treatment, Storage, and Disposal of Dangerous Waste, Permit No. WA890008967, and are subject to final-status requirements for groundwater monitoring. This document describes a compliance monitoring program for groundwater in the uppermost aquifer system at the 300 APT. This plan describes the 300 APT monitoring network, constituent list, sampling schedule, statistical methods, and sampling and analysis protocols that will be employed for the 300 APT. This plan will be used to meet groundwater monitoring requirements from the time the 300 APT becomes part of the Permit and through the postclosure care period until certification of final closure.

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The microscopic surface morphology of GaInAsSb grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE)on GaSb substrates has been studied by atomic force microscopy. The effects of growth temperature, alloy composition, and substrate misorientation on the step structure were investigated. The competition between thermodynamically driven phase separation and kinetically limited surface diffusion is discussed.

This document defines and describes the user-generated application software written to transmit digital and analog signals from the Liquid Effluent Retention Facility (LERF) to the 242-A Evaporator Distributed Control System (DCS). PLCs and modems were installed in the 242-A Evaporator by Project W-105 (LERF) to transmit 6 analog liquid level signals, 6 range alarms based on the analog signals, and 6 leak detection and pump status signals to the 242-A Distributive Control System (DCS) from LERF. Communications between the two facilities are also monitored and alarm on the DCS. Following the Project W-105 completion, the communications and signal mix were modified by Project C-018H (ETF). The current PLC software (including ladder logic and data tables), PLC hardware settings, and modern option settings to transmit the signals and monitor communications are documented and described in this document.

The Quarterly Coal Report (QCR) provides comprehensive information about US coal production, distribution, exports, imports, receipts, prices, consumption, and stocks to a wide audience, including Congress, Federal and State agencies, the coal industry, and the general public. Coke production, consumption, distribution, imports, and exports data are also provided. The data presented in the QCR are collected and published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to fulfill data collection and dissemination responsibilities as specified in the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-275), as amended. This report presents detailed quarterly data for October through December 1994 and aggregated quarterly historical data for 1986 through the third quarter of 1994. Appendix A displays, from 1986 on, detailed quarterly historical coal imports data, as specified in Section 202 of the Energy Policy and Conservation Amendments Act of 1985 (Public Law 99-58). Appendix B gives selected quarterly tables converted to metric tons.

These Interim Operational Safety Requirements (IOSR) for the Fuel Supply Shutdown (FSS) facility define acceptable conditions, safe boundaries, bases thereof, and management or administrative controls to ensure safe operation. The IOSRs apply to the fuel material storage buildings in various modes (operation, storage, surveillance).

Logic of converting EMI measured electrical conductivity to moisture with expected uncertainty. Estimates from present knowledge, assumptions, and measured data. Archie`s Law has been used since the 1940`s to relate electrical conductivity in porous media to liquid volume fraction. Measured electrical conductivity to moisture content uses: Porosity, Interstitial liquid electrical conductivity, Solid particle density,Interstitial liquid density, and interstitial liquid water content. The uncertainty of assumed values is calculated to determine the final moisture wt.% result uncertainty.

This tank characterization report for Tank 241-U-110 was initially released as WHC-EP-0643. This document is now being released as WHC- SD-WM-ER-551 in order to accommodate internet publishing.