Figures have and can be generated that indicate a higher charge-discharge rate if required before 105-N will be comparable with existing reactors. Also, these figures show an apparent operating cost incentive to increase the charge-discharge rates proposed for 105-N. Although these figures may be true by themselves, other figures developed from the same information and stated on a basis that affords a true comparison, show that the proposed rates for 105-N are compatible with those in existing reactors. However, the accomplishments of existing reactors should be considered as a guide only and not as Criteria since the design basis has already been established for Project CAI-816. An average charge-discharge rate has been proposed for 105-N that is compatible with the two main ground rules of the Project. Namely, the capital cost limitation and the plant factor. This rate of 8 tubes/hr. is one that appears to be reasonable from the charge-discharge design aspects and there is a good possibility that it can be increased with operational experience.

This Integrity Assessment Report (IAR) is prepared by Fluor Daniel Northwest (FDNW) under contract to Lockheed-Martin Hanford Company (LMHC) for Waste Management Hanford (WMH), the 242-A Evaporator (facility) operations contractor for Fluor Daniel Hanford, and the US Department of Energy, the system owner. The contract specifies that FDNW perform an interim (5 year) integrity assessment of the facility and prepare a written IAR in accordance with Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-303-640. The WAC 173-303 defines a treatment, storage, or disposal (TSD) facility tank system as the ``dangerous waste storage or treatment tank and its ancillary equipment and containment.`` This integrity assessment evaluates the two tank systems at the facility: the evaporator vessel, C-A-1 (also called the vapor-liquid separator), and the condensate collection tank, TK-C-100. This IAR evaluates the 242-A facility tank systems up to, but not including, the last valve or flanged connection inside the facility perimeter. The initial integrity assessment performed on the facility evaluated certain subsystems not directly in contact with dangerous waste, such as the steam condensate and used raw water subsystems, to provide technical information. These subsystems were not evaluated in this IAR. The last major upgrade to the facility was project B-534. The facility modifications, …

This report discusses the National Security Strategy (NSS), a document released by the Obama Administration which states that its purpose is to "set out the principles and priorities to guide the use of American power and influence in the world."

The Analytical Development Section of Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) was requested by the Facilities Disposition Projects (FDP) to determine the holdup of enriched uranium in the 321-M facility as part of an overall deactivation project of the facility. The 321-M facility was used to fabricate enriched uranium fuel assemblies, lithium-aluminum target tubes, neptunium assemblies, and miscellaneous components for the production reactors. The results of the holdup assays are essential for determining compliance with the Waste Acceptance Criteria, Material Control & Accountability, and to meet criticality safety controls. This report covers holdup measurements on two sawbench components that were used for cutting U-Al fuel rods. The benches contained U-Al residue scattered on the bench tops and bagged up in plastic containers. It was very important to obtain an estimate of the HEU content of this residue in order to remove criticality concerns before vacuuming it into a much smaller volume. A portable high purity germanium (HPGe) detection system and a portable sodium iodide (NaI) detection system were used to determine highly enriched uranium (HEU) holdup and to determine holdup Np-237 and Am-241 that were observed in these components. The measured Np-237 and Am-241 contents were especially important in these components …

This report discusses the continued debate amongst congressional policymakers regarding telecommunications reform. A major point of the ongoing discussion is whether action is needed to ensure unfettered access to the Internet.

This report discusses the current debate over "net neutrality". While there is no single accepted definition of "net neutrality," most agree that any such definition should include the general principles that owners of the networks that compose and provide access to the Internet should not control how consumers lawfully use that network, and they should not be able to discriminate against content provider access to that network.

This report discusses the similarities and differences between House and Senate versions of the FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1735).

From Introduction: "The present report is concerned with the characteristics of a body in the two-dimensional flow field of a circular-arc wing of rectangular plan form."

With the strength of steel, but at half the weight, titanium has the potential to offer significant benefits in the weight reduction of heavy vehicle components while possibly improving performance. However, the cost of conventional titanium fabrication is a major barrier in implementation. New reduction technologies are now available that have the potential to create a paradigm shift in the way the United States uses titanium, and the economics associated with fabrication of titanium components. This CRADA project evaluated the potential to develop a heavy vehicle component from titanium powders. The project included alloy design, development of manufacturing practices, and modeling the economics associated with the new component. New Beta alloys were designed for this project to provide the required mechanical specifications while utilizing the benefits of the new fabrication approach. Manufacturing procedures were developed specific to the heavy vehicle component. Ageing and thermal treatment optimization was performed to provide the desired microstructures. The CRADA partner established fabrication practices and targeted capital investment required for fabricating the component out of titanium. Though initial results were promising, the full project was not executed due to termination of the effort by the CRADA partner and economic trends observed in the heavy vehicle …

This report describes results of an investigation to determine whether plutonium nitrates and lanthanum compounds were being entrained on the filter aid and filter block of the Nutsche Filters in Cell 2 of Bldg. 231. Leach samples were analyzed for La, Pu, phosphate, fluoride, Pu{sup 240}, and Am. From the data the authors concluded that the holdup on the Nutsche Filter is due to insoluble plutonium compounds either filtered from solution, or more likely, formed on the filter. These compounds would have a relatively low solubility in 25% nitric acid and would dissolve slowly, thus permitting a gradual buildup of material on the filter which was not detected until leaching with 60% nitric acid was instituted.

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OAK-B135 Annual report Rockwell International Hot Laboratory decommissioning GFY 1992

HW-70780, {open_quotes}An Operational Reactivity Accounting System Based on One-Group Diffusion Theory{close_quotes} describes a reactivity accounting system which is an improvement over the present {open_quotes}flux-squared weighting{close_quotes} system. Several changes and additions have been made which will simplify and increase the accuracy of the system described in the parent document. The changes occur primarily in the application of the system and are compatible with diffusion theory and the parent document. Each change will be described briefly and to illustrate their application an example reactivity balance, using the reactivity accounting system, will be performed.

Tritium ({sup 3}H, a heavy isotope of hydrogen) is produced by low energy neutron-induced reactions on various elements. One such reaction is n+{sup 3}He {yields}>{sup 3}H+{sup 1}H in which {sup 3}He is transmuted to tritium. Another reaction, which has been used in reactor production of tritium, is the n+{sup 6}Li {yields}> {sup 3}H+{sup 4}He reaction. Accelerator Production of Tritium relies on a high-energy proton beam to produce these neutrons using the spallation reaction, in which high-energy proton beam to produce these neutrons using the spallation reaction, in which high-energy protons reacting with a heavy nucleus produce a shower of low-energy neutrons and a lower-mass residual nucleus. It is important to quantify the residual radionuclides produced in the spallation target for two reasons. From an engineering point of view, one must understand short-lived isotopes that may contribute to decay heat. From a safety viewpoint, one must understand what nuclei and decay gammas are produced in order to design adequate shielding, to estimate ultimate waste disposal problems, and to predict possible effects due to accidental dispersion during operation. The authors have performed an experiment to measure the production of radioisotopes in stopping-length W and Pb targets irradiated by a 800 MeV proton …

This report reviews Argentina's financial crisis, the bond exchanges of 2005 and 2010, ongoing litigation, prospects for a final solution, related U.S. legislation, and broader policy issues. These include lessons on the effectiveness and cost of Argentina's default strategy, the ability to force sovereigns to meet their debt obligations, and ways to avoid future defaults like Argentina's.

Although it has been a high priority Army program, a number of factors have complicated the RAH-66 Comanche program. Since its inception, the program has been restructured several times–postponing the initial operational capability (IOC) and increasing overall program costs. Presently, there is debate within the Army regarding whether the program should be reduced significantly to make funds available to pursue other modernization priorities.

The objective of this research was the development of an autonomous, automated electrical geophysical monitoring system which allows for near real-time assessment of Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB) health and aging and which provides this assessment through a web-based interface to site operators, owners and regulatory agencies. Field studies were performed at four existing PRB sites; (1) a uranium tailing site near Monticello, Utah, (2) the DOE complex at Kansas City, Missouri, (3) the Denver Federal Center in Denver, Colorado and (4) the Asarco Smelter site in East Helena, Montana. Preliminary surface data over the PRB sites were collected (in December, 2005). After the initial round of data collection, the plan was modified to include studies inside the barriers in order to better understand barrier aging processes. In September 2006 an autonomous data collection system was designed and installed at the EPA PRB and the electrode setups in the barrier were revised and three new vertical electrode arrays were placed in dedicated boreholes which were in direct contact with the PRB material. Final data were collected at the Kansas City, Denver and Monticello, Utah PRB sites in the fall of 2007. At the Asarco Smelter site in East Helena, Montana, nearly …

Management of the High Level Waste Program Office at the Idaho National Environmental and Engineering Laboratory has projected oscillating future employment levels. A simple computer model was created to help convince management that qualitative modeling of ''soft'' variables can provide appreciable insight into the consequences and performance of alternative staffing policies. Advocacy of the model underlying the simulation or a particular strategy did not motivate the study, but rather a desire to instill enthusiasm and elicit new and improved conceptual models from management. Six qualitative and three quantitative generic insights to managing staffing levels are gained from the simulations. These insights in their generic form should be familiar to those knowledgeable of system dynamics or computer/instrument process control. Their potential usefulness to developing staffing strategies is stressed. The two primary overarching assertions that flow from the simulation results are: (1) the presence of multiple feedbacks, time delays, and continuous flows introduce instability into a personnel system that complicates the management of staffing levels. Many times ''soft'' variables, such as morale, productivity, and efficiency are the sources of such influences; and (2) such influences can be successfully modeled. In the case of the simple model used in these simulations, for example, …

The Biotelemetry System for Epilepsy Seizure Control Project developed and tested an automated telemetry system for use in an epileptic seizure prevention device that precisely controls localized brain temperature. This project was a result of a Department of Energy (DOE) Global Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention (GIPP) grant to the Kansas City Plant (KCP), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to partner with Flint Hills Scientific, LLC, Lawrence, KS and Biophysical Laboratory Ltd (BIOFIL), Sarov, Russia to develop a method to help control epileptic seizures.

Reconciliation is a procedure under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 by which Congress implements budget resolution policies affecting mainly permanent spending and revenue programs. The principal focus in the reconciliation process has been deficit reduction, but in recent years reconciliation has encompassed revenue reduction generally and spending increases in selected program areas. This report discusses the Byrd rule, which provides six definitions of what constitutes extraneous matter for purposes of the rule (and several exceptions thereto), but the term is generally described as covering provisions unrelated to achieving the goals of the reconciliation instructions.

The Linux kernel version 2.2.19 lacks UNIX-style raw disk support, and its SCSI layer is optimized for small transfer sizes. This report describes kernel patches to add raw disk support and enhance performance in the SCSI layer and QLA2x00 Fibre Channel device driver for large transfer sizes. Benchmarks demonstrate raw disk performance of 191 megabytes/second write, 176 megabytes/second read for one megabyte random I/O on a Compaq ES40 computer system with two QLogic QLA2200F Fibre Channel host bus adapters, each connected to two Ciprico RF7010 arrays on arbitrated loop.

This report provides the Los Alamos National Laboratory`s (LANL) proposed input to the calc-note for the K-reactor common cause event analysis. This input describes the development of common cause parameters from expert opinion.

This report provides an overview of Arctic-related issues for Congress and refers readers to more in-depth CRS reports on specific relevant topics.

This document presents work conducted in support of technical needs expressed, in part, by the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Contractor for the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF). The Department of Energy (DOE) requested that Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) analyze and characterize supernate waste from seven selected High Level Waste (HLW) tanks to allow classification of feed to be sent to the SWPF, verification that SWPF processes will be able to meet Saltstone Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC), and updating of the Waste Characterization System (WCS) database. This document provides characterization data of samples obtained from Tanks 13H, 30H, 37H, 39H, 45F, 46F, and 49H and discusses results.Characterization of the waste tank samples involved several treatments and analysis at various stages of sample processing. These analytical stages included as-received liquid, post-dilution to 6.44 M sodium (target), post-acid digestion, post-filtration (at 3 filtration pore sizes), and after cesium removal using ammonium molybdophosphate (AMP). Results and observations obtained from testing include the following. All tanks will require cesium removal as well as treatment with Monosodium Titanate (MST) for 90Sr (Strontium) decontamination. A small filtration effect for 90Sr was observed for five of the seven tank wastes. No filtration effects were observed for Pu …