The program for acetic acid production from marine algae has made significant progress in the current quarter. Some of the significant developments during this period are: (1) conversion of the available reducing equivalents in Chondrus crispus to organic acids has been carried to better than 80% completion; (2) thermophilic fermentations produce higher ratios of acetic acid to total acid than is the case for mesophilic fermentations (80% vs. 50%); (3) a membrane extraction process for removing organic acid products has been developed which has potential for commercial use; (4) a large scale fermentation was shown to convert over 50% of the available carbon in five days; (5) a reducing equivalents balance on the large scale fermentation was closed to with 96% of theoretical.

Research is described that led to the discovery of three nuclear-pumped lasers (NPLs) using mixtures of Ne--N/sub 2/, He--Hg, and He or Ne with CO or CO/sub 2/. The Ne--N/sub 2/ NPL was the first laser obtained with modest neutron fluxes from a TRIGA reactor (vs fast burst reactors used elsewhere in such work), the He--Hg NPL was the first visible nuclear-pumped laser, while the Ne--CO and He--CO/sub 2/ lasers are the first to provide energy storage on a millisecond time scale. Important potential applications of NPLs include coupling and power transmission from remote power stations such as nuclear plants in satellites and neutron-feedback operation of inertial confinement fusion plants.

The individual papers were abstracted separately for the data base. (DG)

A number of important recent advances in the processing of steels have resulted from the sophisticated uses of heat treatment to tailor the microstructure of the steels so that desirable properties are established. These new heat treatments often involve the tempering or annealing of the steel to accompish a partial or complete reversion from martensite to austenite. The influence of these reversion heat treatments on the product microstructure and its properties may be systematically discussed in terms of the heat treating temperature in relation to the phase diagram. From this perspective, four characteristic heat treatments are defined: (1) normal tempering, (2) inter-critical tempering, (3) intercritical annealing, and (4) austenite reversion. The reactions occurring during each of these treatments are described and the nature and properties of typical product microstructures discussed, with specific reference to new commercial or laboratory steels having useful and exceptional properties.

Separate abstracts were prepared for the three lectures presented. (JFP)

A new algorithm for solving a linear least-squares problem with linear constraints is presented. The constraints can be equality constraint equations and nonnegativity constraints on selected variables. This problem, while appearing to be quite special, is the core problem arising in the solution of the general linearly constrained linear least-squares problem. The reduction process of the general problem to the core problem can be done in many ways. Three such techniques are discussed. The method employed for solving the core problem is based on combining the equality constraints with differentially weighted least-squares equations to form an augmented least-squares system. This weighted least-squares system is solved with nonnegativity constraints on selected variables. Seven small examples, including a constrained least-squares curve fitting example, are presented. A reference to user instructions for subprograms to compute solutions of constrained least-squares problems is included. 3 figures, 9 tables.

An amplitude analysis of the K/sup -/K/sup +/ system produced in the reactions ..pi../sup -/p ..-->.. K/sup -/K/sup +/n and ..pi../sup +/n ..-->.. K/sup -/K/sup +/p was carried out using data from a high statistics experiment carried out with the Argonne Effective Mass Spectrometer. Combining the results from the two reactions allows the separation of the KantiK production amplitudes into their isospin-zero and one components. An enhancement is deserved in the S-wave amplitude near 1300 MeV which we call the S'. Using various physical arguments, including the t dependence of the amplitudes, six out of eight mathematically-allowed solutions can be eliminated for the magnitudes and phases of the amplitudes and shown that this new S-wave state has isospin zero. Requiring a reasonable behavior for the isospin-one P wave shows that the S' amplitude has a slow phase variation through the peak region.

Federal incentives for the development of solar energy are examined. A Federal incentive is any action that can be taken by the government to expand residential and commercial use of solar energy. The development of solar energy policy could be enhanced by identification, quantification, and analysis of Federal incentives that have been used to simulate the development of other forms of energy. The text of this report identifies, quantifies, and analyzes such incentives and relates them to current thought about solar energy. Four viewpoints used in this discussion come from 4 types of analysis: economic, political, organizational, and legal. The next chapter identifies actions (primarily domestic) that the Federal government has taken concerning energy. This analysis uses the typology of actions described in the previous chapter to identify actions, and the four viewpoints described there to determine whether an action concerns energy. Once identified, the actions are described and then quantified by an estimate of the 1976 cost of accomplishing them. Then incentives, investments, liabilities, regulations, and other factors are analyzed in detail for nuclear energy, hydroelectric power, coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Incentives of all energy sources are then discussed with respect to solar energy policy. (MCW)

The purpose of the program was to analyze and up-date the design of the Madaras Rotor Power Plant concept that had been developed in the 1930's to determine the technical and economic feasibility of this system to be competitive with conventional horizontal axis wind turbines. The Madaras concept uses rotating cylinders, vertically mounted on flat cars, to react with the wind like a sail and propel an endless train of connected cars around a closed track at constant speed. Electricity is generated by alternators on each car that are geared to the wheels. Electrical power is transmitted from each car to the power house by a trolley system. A four-task program consisting of a series of wind tunnel tests, an electro-mechanical analysis, a performance analysis, and a cost analysis was conducted.

The purpose of the program was to analyze and up-date the design of the Madaras Rotor Power Plant concept that had been developed in the 1930's to determine the technical and economic feasibility of this system to be competitive with conventional horizontal axis wind turbines. A four-task program consisting of a series of wind tunnel tests, an electro-mechanical analysis, a performance analysis, and a cost analysis was conducted.

The Federal Energy Administration (now the US Department of Energy), in cooperation with state public utility commissions and participating utilities, has initiated 16 electric utility rate demonstration projects. The primary purpose of these projects was to evaluate experimentally the effects of time-of-use pricing of electricity for residential customers. The time-of-use rate most frequently employed was a time-of-day (TOD) rate. The method employed by the states to evaluate TOD rates was to select a subset of the residential population, place these people on TOD rates, and with special meters, monitor their temporal use of electricity. As might be expected, with the varying objectives of the states, available resources, and background in load management studies, a variety of approaches were employed, and a variety of data generated by the projects. Also, the received and expected analyses of the data vary considerably among the projects due to the differing interests of the states, available resources, and the composition of the project teams. The three purposes of this Analytical Master Plan (AMP) are: to ensure the data derived from the FEA projects and from related sources are subjected to econometric and statistical analysis that is both rigorous and as highly sophisticated as the state …

Thermally activated processes cause ion-implanted metals to evolve from the initial state toward thermodynamic equilibrium. The degree of equilibration is strongly dependent upon temperature and is considered for three temperature regimes which are distinguished by the varying mobilities of interstitial and substitutional atoms. In addition, perturbations resulting from the irradiation environment are discussed. Examples are given of the use of implanted and annealed alloys in studies of diffusion, phase diagrams, and solute trapping.

The waste compo itions PW-7c and PW-9 were defined and glass development was completed. Major variations in major oxide concentration would not grossly affect the leach rates of the glass. Impact and strength tests on nonradioactive glass showed that the waste glasses produced slightly less fine particulate than commercial glass. Waste glass had 60% of the strength of the soda-lime glass. A water-quench reduced thermal conductivity about 20%, and a 24-h hold at devitrification temperatures did not produce a significant change. Densities of waste glass at process temperature were 6.6 to 9.3% lower than at room temperature. The effects of glass composition on volatility were measured. Leach tests of highly devitrified samples of 72-68 have shown that leach rates of Cs, Sr and U are increased up to 10X and that Zn leach rates are reduced by nearly 200X. In glass 76-68, where devitrification is much slower, elemental differencesbetween as-formed and thermally-treated samples have not been significant. Average Cs leach rates from the 76-68 glass in an IAEA type long-term test have decreased to 3.3 x 10/sup -8/ g/cm/sup 2//day. High temperature (250 and 350/sup 0/C) leach tests showed that glass is comparable to other ceramic materials. In salt brine …

A new methodology is proposed for the identification of environmental events of health significance. Health indices measured on a daily basis at various locations in a single geographical area are collected over time. First, the daily variations are examined to determine whether they reflect purely random variations or whether there are days on which there are extreme variations not plausibly explicable as random events. After such days are identified, the question of whether they occur only at a single location within the larger geographical area at one time, or whether they occur simultaneously at more than one location is investigated. Tests of statistical significance for both temporal and spatial clustering are proposed. The methodology is applied to daily hospital emergency room visits for various respiratory complaints to several New York City hospitals situated in two geographically separated districts which, however, have populations of similar socio-economic and ethnic composition.

Results are presented of an appraisal of the potential for the storage of radioactive wastes by burial in underground repositories and of efforts to define the more significant factors affecting the selection and design of a repository. Those areas in geomechanics, hydrogeology, and geochemistry where further research is needed to provide answers of the quality and certainty needed to resolve these issues are examined. Results of this appraisal suggest that argillaceous and crystalline rocks may provide suitable sites for nuclear waste repositories. The most important factor affecting their suitability appears to be the flux of groundwater through the repository. Although intense fracturing would be advantageous in retarding migration of hazardous materials from a repository in these rocks by sorption, the hydraulic conductivities of these fractures would have to be very small and the hydraulic gradient low.

Recent experimental data suggest that the concentration factor for uptake of /sup 99/Tc by vegetation from soils may be two to three orders of magnitude higher than the 0.25 value currently being used in radiological assessments. Following a survey of the literature, a concentration factor of 50 was applied to evaluate the dose from a 1.0 Ci/year release to the atmosphere by a hypothetical uranium enrichment facility. Doses to the GI tract and thyroid of an adult living 1600 m from the facility were 18 millirems and 80 millirems, respectively. These doses are delivered entirely through transport of /sup 99/Tc through food chain pathways. This assessment indicates a potential for /sup 99/Tc exposures to exceed recently proposed standards of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 40 CFR 190. The previously assumed concentration factor of 0.25 would have produced corresponding doses of 0.13 millirem to the GI tract and 0.57 millirem to the thyroid. The results of this analysis demonstrate the need for additional research on the environmental behavior and dosimetry of /sup 99/Tc. In particular, data are needed to elucidate the retention of /sup 99/Tc in soils and the uptake of /sup 99/Tc by edible vegetation in field studies of …

The primary goal of the study was to provide a proper foundation for decision making by the federal government, industry, and consumer. The report may be used to identify areas where new test methods and standards are needed to establish new programs for improving thermal performance of buildings, and as a basis for setting new or improved standards after the recommended test programs have been completed.

The zonal model experiments with modified surface boundary conditions suggest an initial chain of feedback processes that is largest at the site of the perturbation: deforestation and/or desertification ..-->.. increased surface albedo ..-->.. reduced surface absorption of solar radiation ..-->.. surface cooling and reduced evaporation ..-->.. reduced convective activity ..-->.. reduced precipitation and latent heat release ..-->.. cooling of upper troposphere and increased tropospheric lapse rates ..-->.. general global cooling and reduced precipitation. As indicated above, although the two experiments give similar overall global results, the location of the perturbation plays an important role in determining the response of the global circulation. These two-dimensional model results are also consistent with three-dimensional model experiments. These results have tempted us to consider the possibility that self-induced growth of the subtropical deserts could serve as a possible mechanism to cause the initial global cooling that then initiates a glacial advance thus activating the positive feedback loop involving ice-albedo feedback (also self-perpetuating). Reversal of the cycle sets in when the advancing ice cover forces the wave-cyclone tracks far enough equatorward to quench (revegetate) the subtropical deserts. (Ellsaesser, 1975).

The results of rupture tests on prototypic FFTF B/sub 4/C absorber pins are presented. The test in EBR-2 involved an instrumented reference pin and a sealed pin. The observed behavior was compared with calculations by several computer models.

The results of part of a Rand study on the federal role in resolving environmental issues arising out of the implementation of energy projects are reported. The projects discussed are two geothermal programs in California: the steam resource development at The Geysers (Lake and Sonoma counties) in northern California, and the wet brine development in the Imperial Valley in southern California.

These step-by-step procedures enable an occasional operator to run the Site 300 Meteorological Center. The primary function of the Center is to determine the maximum weight of high explosives that can be fired at Site 300 under any given meteorological conditions. A secondary function is to supply weather data for other programs such as ARAC (Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability). Included in the primary function are radar and theodolite operations for balloon tracking; calculation of temperatures for various altitudes using Oakland weather obtained from a teletype; computer terminal operation to obtain wind directions, wind velocities, temperatures, and pressure at various altitudes; and methods to determine high-explosive weight limits for simple inversions and focus conditions using pressure-versus-altitude information obtained from the computer. General information is included such as names, telephone numbers, and addresses of maintenance personnel, additional sources of weather information, chart suppliers, balloons, spare parts, etc.

This report discusses the background and first year's results of the grouting materials development program for plugging boreholes associated with the Nuclear Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. The grouts are to be pumpable, impermeable, and durable for many thousands of years. The work was done at the Concrete Laboratory of the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station (WES), Vicksburg, Mississippi. The workability, strength, porosity, bonding, expansion, and permeability data are summarized and discussed. The work is continuing at WES.

A simplified model for the Rayleigh-Taylor instability of an accelerated shell is examined, and it is found that the most dangerous wavelength to be about that of the shell thickness. The shell material is assumed to be an inviscid, incompressible fluid. Effects of finite compressibility and of surface tension are found to be negligible, but the effects of viscosity are shown to be very large. The need for better knowledge of viscosity at high pressure is pointed out.

This report is a users' manual for one version of BRENDA (Breeder Reactor Nuclear Dynamic Analysis), which is a digital program for simulating the dynamic behavior of a sodium-cooled fast reactor power plant. This version, which contains 57 differential equations, represents a simplified model of the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project (CRBRP). BRENDA is an input deck for DARE P (Differential Analyzer Replacement, Portable), which is a continuous-system simulation language developed at the University of Arizona. This report contains brief descriptions of DARE P and BRENDA, instructions for using BRENDA in conjunction with DARE P, and some sample output. A list of variable names and a listing for BRENDA are included as appendices.