Screening criteria and specifications are recommended to aid in the evaluation of sites proposed for nuclear waste disposal in basalt and domed salt. The recommended new criteria proposed in this report are intended to supplement existing repository-related criteria for nuclear waste disposal. The existing criteria are contained in 10 CFR 60 sections which define siting criteria of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and ONWI 33(2) which defines siting criteria of the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI) for the Department of Energy. The specifications are conditions or parameter values that the authors recommend be applied in site acceptance evaluations. The siting concerns covered in this report include repository depth, host rock extent, seismic setting, structural and tectonic conditions, groundwater and rock geochemistry, volcanism, surface and subsurface hydrology, and socioeconomic issues, such as natural resources, land use, and population distribution.

Information is presented concerning fire risk and protection; transient thermal-hydraulic analysis and experiments; class 9 accidents and containment; diagnostics and in-service inspection; risk and cost comparison of alternative electric energy sources; fuel behavior and experiments on core cooling in LOCAs; reactor event reporting analysis; equipment qualification; post facts analysis of the TMI-2 accident; and computational methods.

A three-dimensional thermal analysis has been performed using finite difference techniques to determine the near-field response of a baseline spent fuel repository in a deep geologic salt medium. A baseline design incorporates previous thermal modeling experience and OWI recommendations for areal thermal loading in specifying the waste form properties, package details, and emplacement configuration. The base case in this thermal analysis considers one 10-year old PWR spent fuel assembly emplaced to yield a 36 kw/acre (8.9 w/m/sup 2/) loading. A unit cell model in an infinite array is used to simplify the problem and provide upper-bound temperatures. Boundary conditions are imposed which allow simulations to 1000 years. Variations studied include a comparison of ventilated and unventilated storage room conditions, emplacement packages with and without air gaps surrounding the canister, and room cool-down scenarios with ventilation following an unventilated state for retrieval purposes. At this low power level ventilating the emplacement room has an immediate cooling influence on the canister and effectively maintains the emplacement room floor near the temperature of the ventilating air. The annular gap separating the canister and sleeve causes the peak temperature of the canister surface to rise by 10/sup 0/F (5.6/sup 0/C) over that from a …

This report describes the research activities of the Department of Statistics, University of Chicago, during the period June 15, 1975 to July 30, 1979. Nine research projects are briefly described on the following subjects: statistical computing and approximation techniques in statistics; numerical computation of first passage distributions; probabilities of large deviations; combining independent tests of significance; small-sample efficiencies of tests and estimates; improved procedures for simultaneous estimation and testing of many correlations; statistical computing and improved regression methods; comparison of several populations; and unbiasedness in multivariate statistics. A description of the statistical consultation activities of the Department that are of interest to DOE, in particular, the scientific interactions between the Department and the scientists at Argonne National Laboratories, is given. A list of publications issued during the term of the contract is included.

The conventional expectation for the decays of D mesons assumes that the charm quark decays in the presence of light, spectator quarks and thus the lifetimes of both charged and uncharged states are equal. In this article, evidence is presented from DELCO (at SPEAR) that the D lifetimes are quite different for neutral and charged mesons, and the results which have also become available from other experiments are reviewed.

A deuterium gas jet target was used in the circulating beam of the Fermilab accelerator to study the M/sup 2//sub x/ and s dependence and the slope parameter for pd ..-->.. Xd in the region 0.025 less than or equal to vertical bar t vertical bar less than or equal to 0.17 (GeV/c)/sup 2/ and 5 less than or equal to M/sup 2//sub x/ less than or equal to 0.068s GeV/sup 2/. A simple parametrization in terms of the variable (1 - x) is found.

The utilization of solid fuels as alternatives to liquid fuels for future transportation engines is reviewed. Alternative liquid fuels will not be addressed nor will petroleum/solid fuel blends except for the case of diesel engines. With respect to diesel engines, coal/oil mixtures will be addressed because of the high interest in this specific application as a result of the large number of diesel engines currently in transportation use. Final assessments refer to solid fuels only for diesel engines. The technical assessments of solid fuels utilization for transportation engines is summarized: solid fuel combustion in transportation engines is in a non-developed state; highway transportation is not amenable to solid fuels utilization due to severe environmental, packaging, control, and disposal problems; diesel and open-cycle gas turbines do not appear worthy of further development, although coal/oil mixtures for slow speed diesels may offer some promise as a transition technology; closed-cycle gas turbines show some promise for solid fuels utilization for limited applications as does the Stirling engine for use of cleaner solid fuels; Rankine cycle engines show good potential for limited applications, such as for locomotives and ships; and any development program will require large resources and sophisticated equipment in order to advance …

A probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) approach is proposed to be used to scrutinize selection of accident sequences. A technique is described in this Licensing Topical Report to identify candidates for Design Basis Accidents (DBAs) utilizing the risk assessment results. As a part of this technique, it is proposed that events with frequencies below a specified limit would not be candidates. The use of the methodology described is supplementary to the traditional, deterministic approach and may result, in some cases, in the selection of multiple failure sequences as DBAs; it may also provide a basis for not considering some traditionally postulated events as being DBAs. A process is then described for selecting a list of DBAs based on the candidates from PRA as supplementary to knowledge and judgments from past licensing practice. These DBAs would be the events considered in Chapter 15 of Safety Analysis Reports of high-temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGRs).

This report provides a five step process for matching alternative renewable energy technologies with energy needs in rural villages of developing countries. Analytic tools are given for each of the five steps as well as information that can be expected. Twelve characterization criteria are developed to assist in the matching process. Three of these criteria, called discrimination criteria, are used for preliminary screening of technology possibilities for each need. The other criteria address site-specific temporal, climatic, social, cultural, and environmental characteristics of the energy need, technology, and cost considerations. To illustrate the matching process, seven basic human needs for energy are matched with seven potential renewable energy technologies. The final portion of the paper discusses the advantages of such a matching process and the resources required to initiate such an effort within a development project. Specific recommendations are given for field-testing this process and actions that could be taken immediately in basic research and development, applied research and technology modification, demonstrations, and commercialization to assist in the future diffusion of renewable energy technologies to rural areas of developing countries.

Preliminary results are presented of a numerical analysis to study the open-cycle mist flow process for ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). Emphasis in the analysis is on the mass transfer and fluid mechanics of the steady-state mist flow. The analysis is based on two one-dimensional models of the mist lift process: a single-group model describes a mist composed of a single size of drops and a multigroup model considers a spectrum of drop sizes. The single-group model predicts that the lift achieved in the mist lift process will be sensitive to the inlet parameters. Under conditions that lead to maximum lift in the model for a single drop size, the multigroup model predicts significantly reduced performance. Because the growth of drops is important, sensitivity of the predicted performance of the mist lift to variations in the collision parameters has been studied.

Recent results on radiative transitions from the psi(3095), charmed meson decay, and the Cabibbo-suppressed decay tau ..-->.. K* ..nu../sub tau/ are reviewed. The results come primarily from the Mark II experiment at SPEAR, but preliminary results from the Crystal Ball experiment on psi radiative transitions are also discussed.

These notes present a brief survey of some of the current diagnostic techniques used in magnetic fusion plasma devices. To give an idea of the range of parameters and geometries encountered the parameters of four representative experiments - PLT, TMX, ZT-40 and EBT-I(S) - are given. The central issue of all experiments is to understand the flow of power which can be summarized by two volume integrated equations for the ions and electrons.

This paper describes the operating characteristics of the primary components that form the PEP Instrumentation and Control System. Descriptions are provided for the computer control system, beam monitors, and other support systems.

Vitrification of solid transuranic contaminated (TRU) wastes alone and with high-level liquid wastes (HLLW) was studied. Homogeneous glasses containing 20 to 30 wt % ash were made by using glass frits previously developed at the Savannah River Plant and Pacific Northwest Laboratories. If the ash is vitrified along with the HLLW, 1.0 wt % as can be added to the waste forms without affecting their quality. This loading of ash is well above the loading required by the relative amounts of HLLW and TRU ash that will be processed at the Savannah River Plant. Vitrification of TRU-contaminated electropolishing sludges and high efficiency particular air filter materials along with HLLW would require an increase in the quantity of glass to be produced. However, if these TRU-contaminated solids were vitrified with the HLLW, the addition of low-level beta-gamma contaminated ash would require no further increase in glass production.

This second annual report under Contract No. 31-109-39-4200 covers the period July 1, 1978 through August 31, 1979. The program demonstrates the feasibility of the nickel-zinc battery for electric vehicle propulsion. The program is divided into seven distinct but highly interactive tasks collectively aimed at the development and commercialization of nickel-zinc technology. These basic technical tasks are separator development, electrode development, product design and analysis, cell/module battery testing, process development, pilot manufacturing, and thermal management. A Quality Assurance Program has also been established. Significant progress has been made in the understanding of separator failure mechanisms, and a generic category of materials has been specified for the 300+ deep discharge (100% DOD) applications. Shape change has been reduced significantly. A methodology has been generated with the resulting hierarchy: cycle life cost, volumetric energy density, peak power at 80% DOD, gravimetric energy density, and sustained power. Generation I design full-sized 400-Ah cells have yielded in excess of 70 W/lb at 80% DOD. Extensive testing of cells, modules, and batteries is done in a minicomputer-based testing facility. The best life attained with electric vehicle-size cell components is 315 cycles at 100% DOD (1.0V cutoff voltage), while four-cell (approx. 6V) module performance has been …

Research is reported in the following fields: isotope separation (Ar, C, He, Kr, Ne, O, Xe), low-temperature research (H intermolecular potential functions, gas analysis in trennschaukel), separation chemistry (/sup 229/Th, /sup 231/Pa, /sup 230/Th, /sup 234/U), separation research (liquid thermal diffusion, Ca isotope separation, molecular beam scattering, mutual diffusion of noble gas mixtures, lithium chemical exchange with cryptands), and calculations in plutonium chemistry (algorithms, valence in natural water). (DLC)

Activities in a program to develop a Ni/Zn battery for electric vehicle propulsion are reported. Aspects discussed include battery design and development, nickel cathode study, and basic electrochemistry. A number of engineering drawings are supplied. 61 figures, 11 tables. (RWR)

Progress achieved under ANL Contract No. 31-109-38-4248 from 16 August 1978 to 16 August 1979 is reported. The first segment of the overall program, component development, consists of four basic tasks proceeding in parallel: nickel electrode development, zinc electrode development, separator development, and sealed cell development. Each of these tasks is reported herein on a self-contained basis. System engineering is the second major subdivision of the effort. It includes the design and testing of all cells, the investigation of charge control devices and techniques, and the complete analysis of all cells for failure modes. It also encompasses the accelerated testing of 20-Ah cells. To date, large numbers of these cells (incorporating separator variations, active material additives and internal design variations) have been subjected to this type of testing. 48 figures, 47 tables. (RWR)

This proceeding includes the six papers presented at the Public Awareness Symposium plus the WATTEC/Engineers' Week banquet address on nuclear power by Dr. Harold M. Agnew of General Atomic Co.; these presentations on the final day, February 22, concluded the 1980 WATTEC conference. A separate abstract was prepared for each paper and for the banquet address.

Intended as both a position paper and a progress report to industry, this document provides a comprehensive overview of the US Department of Energy's Solar Thermal Program. Cost goals, systems design parameters, applications considerations, and the potential for industry involvement in solar thermal development and commercialization are described in detail. Decentralized management of R and D functions is linked to priorities and strategies of the evolving program.

Progress and activities are reported on component development, pilot plant development, and instrumentation and statistical systems. Specific items studied include processing of pond sludge, transport of radioactive materials and wastes, corrosion, decontamination and cleaning, fluidized-bed incineration, Pu contamination of soils, chemical analysis, radiometric analysis, security. (DLC)

Monitoring data obtained for the calendar year 1979 are described, and general trends are discussed. The following areas are covered: accelerator produced radiation; radionuclide measurements and release (atmospheric, water, and sewer sampling); population dose equivalent resulting from LBL operations; and nonradioactive pollutants. Over the past several years the atmospheric sampling program has, with the exception of occasional known releases, yielded data which are within the range of normal background. The surface water program always yields results within the range of normal background. As no substantial changes in the quantities of radionuclides used are anticipated, no changes are expected in these observations.

The object of the Alternative Nuclear Fuel Cycle Study is to perform comparative assessments of nuclear power systems. There are two important features of this study. First, this evaluation attempts to encompass the complete, integrated fuel cycle from mining of uranium ore to disposal of waste rather than isolated components. Second, it compares several aspects of each cycle - energy use, economics, technological status, proliferation, public safety, and commercial potential - instead of concentrating on one or two assessment areas. This report presents assessment results for three fuel cycles. These are the light-water reactor once-through cycle, the fast breeder reactor on the classical plutonium cycle, and the fast breeder reactor on a symbiotic cycle using plutonium and /sup 233/U as fissile fuels. The report also contains a description of the methodology used in this assessment. Subsequent reports will present results for additional fuel cycles.

The addition of a ZrO/sub 2/ dispersion can significantly enhance the toughness of a ceramic matrix material. The toughness improvement is due to a stress reduction at the tip of a propagating crack which is the result of a preferential martensitic transformation of ZrO/sub 2/ particles in the stress field of the crack. From thermodynamic considerations and experimental observations the toughening effect is show to be strongly dependent on the ZrO/sub 2/ particle size. The effect of variations in temperature, composition and matrix materials are demonstrated, and analyzed in respect to the resultant deviations in the particle size toughening effect.