Volcanic eruptions pose an ever present but poorly constrained hazard to life and property for geothermal installations in volcanic areas. Because eruptions occur sporadically and may limit field access, quantitative and systematic field studies of eruptions are difficult to complete. Circumventing this difficulty, laboratory models and numerical simulations are pivotal in building our understanding of eruptions. For example, the results of fuel-coolant interaction experiments show that magma-water interaction controls many eruption styles. Applying these results, increasing numbers of field studies now document and interpret the role of external water eruptions. Similarly, numerical simulations solve the fundamental physics of high-speed fluid flow and give quantitative predictions that elucidate the complexities of pyroclastic flows and surges. A primary goal of these models is to guide geologists in searching for critical field relationships and making their interpretations. Coupled with field work, modeling is beginning to allow more quantitative and predictive volcanic hazard assessments.

Incineration of chlorobenzene in a small laboratory incinerator was monitored by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) coupled with a heated long-path cell (LPC) to analyze and quantify flue gas emissions in near real time. The effects of operating conditions under stable and decreasing incineration temperatures on the destruction of chlorobenzene were studied. The results from the decreasing temperature experiments were found to be consistent with those from experiments at stable temperatures. This finding demonstrates that the FTIR/LPC, as a continuous emissions monitor, can effectively detect dynamic changes in the incinerator emissions and can contribute significantly to the safety of incinerators.

Assuming that many betatron oscillations occur between crossings so that the betatron phase is uncorrelated from one crossing to the next, we estimate the diffusion rate for the emittance growth due to periodic crossing of coupled nonlinear resonances. It was shown that the diffusion rate is more or less independent of the frequency, but it is inversely proportional to the modulation amplitude.

Preliminary, research-oriented, analytical and experimental studies were completed to assess the feasibility of using high-temperature heat pipes to cool hypersonic engine components. This new approach involves using heat pipes to transport heat away from the combustor, nozzle, or inlet regions, and to reject it to the environment by thermal radiation from an external heat pipe nacelle. For propulsion systems using heat pipe radiation cooling (HPRC), it is possible to continue to use hydrocarbon fuels into the Mach 4 to Mach 6 speed range, thereby enhancing the economic attractiveness of commercial or military hypersonic flight. In the second-phase feasibility program recently completed, we found that heat loads produced by considering both convection and radiation heat transfer from the combustion gas can be handled with HPRC design modifications. The application of thermal insulation to ramburner and nozzle walls was also found to reduce the heat load by about one-half and to reduce peak HPRC system temperatures to below 2700{degrees}F. In addition, the operation of HPRC at cruise conditions of around Mach 4.5 and at an altitude of 90, 000 ft lowers peak hot section temperatures to around 2800{degrees}F. An HPRC heat pipe was successfully fabricated and tested at Mach 5 conditions of …

The effects of aging on Residual Heat Removal systems in Boiling Water Reactors have been studied as part of the Nuclear Plant Aging Research Program. The aging phenomena has been characterized by analyzing operating experience from various national data bases. In addition, actual plant data was obtained to supplement and validate the data base findings.

Tritium is an interesting radionuclide from the perspective of internal dosimetry because of the wide variety of chemical compounds in which it can appear, its unusual routes of entry into the body, and its ability to exchange with stable hydrogen in surrounding material. In this report the internal dosimetry of tritium compounds is reviewed, with emphasis on methods of evaluating bioassay data following chronic and acute intakes. The assumptions and models used in the derivation of Annual Limits on Intake (ALI) and Derived Air Concentrations (DAC) for tritium are also discussed.

The aim of this paper is to provide a description of the multiplicative processes associated with coincidence counting techniques, for example in the NDA of plutonium bearing materials. The model elucidates both the physical processes and the underlying mathematical formalism in a relatively simple but comprehensive way. In particular, it includes the effect of absorption by impurities or poisons, as well as that of neutron leakage on a parallel basis to the treatment of induced fission itself. The work thus parallels and generalizes the methods of Boehnel of Hage and Cifarelli, and more recently of Yanjushkin. This paper introduces the concept of a dual probability generating function to account for both the basic physical multiplication phenomena, as well as the detection phenomena. The underlying approach extends the idea of a simple probability generating function, due to De Moivre. The basic mathematical background may be found, for example, in Feller 1966.

The erosion rates in portions of fusion plasma devices like the ITER tokamak are sufficiently high that nearly real-time information on cumulative removal is needed for control and machine safety. We are developing a digitally--encoded scheme to indicate the depth of erosion at numerous poloidal and toroidal locations around ITER. The scheme uses materials embedded in the walls and divertors, which, when uncovered, present remotely detectable signals. This paper reports laboratory experiments on prototype markers consisting of combinations of up to 5 elements (Au,Pd,Ag,In,Ga) along with Au,Pt, and Ta pure metals. The markers were bonded to 4-D carbon-carbon composite of the type proposed for use in the ITER first wall, and placed in the lower-hybrid-driven plasma of the atomic beam facility at PPL. The paper describes this device Light emission was characterized using a 1 meter Czerny-Turner vacuum ultraviolet monochromator. The samples were characterized both before and after plasma exposure by Auger spectroscopy. We report the time-dependent behavior of the spectra of the visible and ultraviolet light emitted by the plasma when the markers are uncovered by the erosion showing emission lines of the marker elements which are easily distinguished from the background plasma lines. The dependence of the light …

The radiation-induced swelling of simple Fe-Cr-Ni austenitic alloys is sensitive to solute additions. It is shown in this paper that three of the most common solute elements (P,Si,Mo) exert a very complex and often non-monotonic influence on swelling with increasing solute level. The complexity of this influence and its dependence on other variables appears to be the result of a closely balanced competition between two or more roles played by each solute in its interaction with both vacancies and interstitials. This competition yields a variety of different swelling behaviors in response to changes in solute or solvent composition, displacement rate, and irradiation temperature.

Solid plutonium contaminated wastes are often highly heterogeneous, span a wide range of chemical compositions and matrix types, and are packaged in a variety of container sizes. NDA analysis of this waste depends on operator knowledge of these parameters so that proper segregation, instrument selection, quality assurance, and uncertainty estimation can take place. This report describes current waste measurement practices and uncertainty estimates at a US plutonium scrap recovery facility and presents a program for determining reproducibility and bias in NDA measurements. Following this, an operator`s perspective on desirable NDA upgrades is offered.

Vacuum fluctuations are an essential feature of quantum field theory. Yet, the smallness of the scalar curvature of our universe suggests that the zero-point energy associated with these fluctuations does not curve spacetime. A possible way out of this paradox is suggested by the fact that microscopic fluctuations are generally accompanied by dissipative behavior in macroscopic systems. The intimate relation between the two is expressed by a fluctuation-dissipation theorem which extends to general relativity. The connection between quantum fluctuations and dissipation suggests a mechanism for the conversion of coherent stresses in the curvature of space into ordinary matter or radiation, thereby relaxing the effective cosmological ``constant`` to zero over time. The expansion of the universe may be the effect of this time-asymmetric relaxation process.

The objective of this program is to tool-harden and make commercially available an existing wireless MWD tool to reliably operate in an air, air-mist, or air-foam environment during Appalachian Basin oil and gas directional drilling operations in conjunction with downhole motors and/or (other) bottom-hole assemblies. The application of this technology is required for drilling high angle (holes) and horizontal well drilling in low-pressure, water sensitive, tight gas formations that require air, air-mist, and foam drilling fluids. The basic approach to accomplishing this objective was to modify GEC`s existing electromagnetic (e-m) ``CABLELESS``{trademark} MWD tool to improve its reliability in air drilling by increasing its tolerance to higher vibration and shock levels (hardening). Another important aim of the program is to provide for continuing availability of the resultant tool for use on DOE-sponsored, and other, air-drilling programs.

This research was conducted to evaluate in situ retort stabilization methods. The objective of the bench-scale simulations was to evaluate possible post-retorting operating procedures for the optimum cleaning of spent retorts. After simulating conditions of modified in situ (MIS) retorts at the time retorting had ended, procedures to accelerate retort cleanup without using large volumes of water were investigated. Samples from various levels of the retort were used to determine the amount of water-soluble constituents in the spent shale and the rehydration characteristics of the spent shale.

Dynamic evacuation modeling was used as an aid in emergency response planning by Tooele County, Utah, location of the United States` largest stockpile of unitary chemical weapons. The use of traffic modeling was affected both by the characteristics of the hazard and the unique topography of the area. To address these constraints Argonne National Laboratory, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Tooele County created a set of evacuation modeling scenarios to be stored in the county`s emergency management information system. For use in planning, the scenarios enable the county to map out effective traffic management strategies. For us in exercises or emergency response the scenarios enable the county to quickly access data to make and implement evacuation decisions.

An aging assessment of battery chargers and inverters was conducted under the auspices of the NRC`s Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) Program. The intentions of this program are to resolve issues related to the aging and service wear of equipment and systems at operating reactor facilities and to assess their impact on safety. Inverters and battery chargers are used in nuclear power plants to perform significant functions related to plant safety and availability. The specific impact of a battery charger or inverter failure varies with plant configuration. Operating experience data have demonstrated that reactor trips, safety injection system actuations, and inoperable emergency core cooling systems have resulted from inverter failures; and dc bus degradation leading to diesel generator inoperability or loss of control room annunication and indication have resulted from battery and battery charger failures. For the battery charger and inverter, the aging and service wear of subcomponents have contributed significantly to equipment failures. This paper summarizes the data and then describes methods that can be used to detect battery charger and inverter degradation prior to failure, as well as methods to minimize the failure effects. In both cases, the managing of battery charger and inverter aging is emphasized. 5 …

This paper is the second published report on the continuing successful elaboration and embodiment of an entirely new patented machine concept for the continuous movement and accurately delivery of all sorts of particulate solids, wet or dry, into environments of ambient or differential fluid or mechanical pressure. It includes the first disclosure of the successful continuous, direct delivery of US power plant coal into 26 psi of gas pressure, which is itself an important milestone in a project for the continuing development of the system for very high pressure metered injection of solids. We call the device a ``Rock Pump.`` More finally, it is the Firth Solids Pump System, after the inventor.

This paper presents a new numerical method, the Laplace Transform MultiQuadrics (LTMQ) method, developed for the solution of the diffusion-type parabolic Partial Differential Equation (PDE) of fluid flow through porous media. LTMQ combines a MultiQuadrics (MQ) approximation scheme with a Laplace transform formulation. The use of MQ in the spatial approximations allows the accurate description of problems in complex porous media with a very limited number of nodes. The Laplace transform formulation eliminates the need for time discretization, thus allowing an unlimited time step size without any loss of accuracy. LTMQ is tested against results from three test problems of groundwater flow obtained from a standard Finite Difference (FD) model, as well as from analytical solutions. An excellent agreement between the LTMQ and the analytical and FD solutions is observed, while significant reductions in computer execution times may be achieved.

The Appalachian Oil and Natural Gas Research Consortium (AONGRC or the Consortium) through a cooperative agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE), will develop an atlas of major Appalachian gas plays and a machine readable database containing information about these plays. The specific objectives are to: define major gas plays in the basin by age and formation/group and then further by subdividing these units by reservoir rock trap type and depositional environments; determine and map all pools that are in each play; determine data to be collected and published for each pool; conduct a literature search for published and unpublished reservoir data, maps, cross sections, decline curves, and seismic profiles; utilize databases residing of state surveys to produce maps for key fields not available in literature; analyze cores and logs for key fields where these data are not available; redraft available maps and cross sections, compile tables of field data, and layout the atlas pages, including text; arrange the publication of the atlas; and deliver a machine readable database to the Department of Energy.

This project requires generation of producible tight gas sand reserve estimates for three western basins. The requirement is to perform such reserve estimates using industry accepted practices so that results will have high credibility and acceptance by the oil and gas industry. The ultimate goal of the project is to encourage development of the tight gas formation by industry through reduction of the technical and economic risks of locating, drilling and completing commercial gas wells. The three geological basins selected for study are the Greater Green River Basin, Uinta Basin and Piceance Basin, located in the Colorado, Utah and Wyoming Rocky Mountain region.

We have employed the Gavrila-Kaminski formulation for the conversion of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation to a set of coupled differential equations that describe the interaction of an electron with a proton in the presence of an intense linearly-polarized radiation field in the Kramers-Henneberger gauge. The differential equations are solved numerically by a linear algebraic prescription effectively applied to electron-molecule collisions. We studied both electron-proton collisions assisted by the laser field and multiphoton ionization of H. In the former, we observed the capture-escape resonances while in the latter, we found evidence of the stabilization mechanism as the intensity reaches 10{sup 18} W/cm{sup 2}.

The NSLS-FEL is designed as a single pass FEL to generate radiation 1 mJ per pulse (10 psec) in 10{sup {minus}4} bandwidth, with continuously tunable wavelength in the range 100--300 nm. A superconducting, recirculating linac provides electron beams of energy 20 MeV to 260 MeV at 4{pi} mm mrad normalized rms emittance with less than 0.1% momentum spread and 2 mm rms bunch length. The optics in this machine is seriously restricted by the requirement to not degrade the electron beam quality. We present a lattice design for the transport lines to be used in beam injection, linac focussing and recirculations. These beam lines are tuned to be linearly achromatic and isochronous, to avoid beam breakup in the cavities, and to minimize second order distortions of the emittance. Special transport lines are designed that allow rapid switching of the electron beam to drive two different FEL wigglers. This provides the capability for up to four simultaneous, high power, independently energy tuned laser beam.

The Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) has been designed and constructed to immobilize Savannah River Site high level liquid waste within a durable borosilicate glass matrix for permanent storage. The DWPF will be operated to produce a glass product which must meet a number of product property constraints which are dependent upon the final product composition. During actual operations, the DWPF will control the properties of the glass product by the controlled blending of the waste streams with a glass-forming frit to produce the final melter feed slurry. The DWPF will verify control of the glass product through analysis of vitrified samples of slurry material. In order to demonstrate the DWPF process control and product verification strategy, a pilot-scale vitrification research facility was operated in three discrete batches using simulated DWPF waste streams. All of the DWPF process control methodologies were followed and the glass produce from each experiment was leached according to the Product Consistency Test. Results of the campaign are summarized.

This paper presents an analysis of the patterns of minority and non-minority energy consumption with and without weatherization measures. The behavior of the household in response to a weatherization-induced income gain is modeled using ANL`s Minority Economic Assessment Model (MEAM). Weatherization is then examined from a programmatic perspective in light of the MEAM findings. This work is the first part of a larger analysis to assess the economic impact of weatherization on minority households and to examine the reallocation of LIHEAP funds to weatherization. Several limitations of this analysis are discussed.

This is a collection of abstracts from papers presented at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Photovoltaic (PV) research and development review meeting held May 1992. Subject areas covered include solar cell and solar module manufacturing and development, materials, polycrystalline thin films, applications, amorphous silicon, solar cell performance and testing, crystalline silicon and other photovoltaic and safety perspectives. (GHH)