Most estimates of the time required for safe isolation of radioactive wastes from the biosphere range from 100,000 to 1,000,000 years. For such long time spans, it is necessary to assess the potential effects of geologic processes such as volcanism and tectonic activity on the integrity of geologic repositories. Predictions of geologic phenomena can be based on probabilistic models, which assume a random distribution of events. The necessary historic and geologic records are rarely available to provide an adequate data base for such predictions. The observed distribution of volcanic and tectonic activity is not random, and appears to be controlled by extremely complex deterministic processes. The advent of global plate tectonic theory in the past two decades has been a giant step toward understanding these processes. At each potential repository site, volcanic and tectonic processes should be evaluated to provide the most thorough possible understanding of those deterministic processes. Based on this knowledge, judgements will have to be made as to whether or not the volcanic and tectonic processes pose unacceptable risk to the integrity of the repository. This report describes the potential hazards associated with volcanism and tectonism, and the means for evaluating these processes.

A process to recover high purity /sup 10/B enriched crystalline boron powder from a polymeric matrix was developed on a laboratory basis and ultimately scaled up to production capacity. The process is based on controlled pyrolysis of boron-filled scrap followed by an acid leach and dry sieving operation to return the powder to the required purity and particle size specifications. Typically, the recovery rate of the crystalline powder is in excess of 98.5 percent, and some of the remaining boron is recovered in the form of boric acid. The minimum purity requirement of the recovered product is 98.6 percent total boron.

This compendium lists the repositories holding geothermal core and well cuttings from US government-sponsored geothermal wells. Also, a partial listing of cores and cutting from these wells is tabulated, along with referenced reports and location maps. These samples are available to the public for research investigations and studies, usually following submission of an appropriate request for use of the samples. The purpose of this compilation is to serve as a possible source of cores and cuttings that might aid in enhancing rock property studies in support of geothermal log interpretation.

This document is the final report of the solar energy heating and hot water system installed at the Kansas City Fire Station, Number 24, 2309 Hardesty Street, Kansas City, Missouri. The solar system was designed to provide 47 percent of the space heating, 8800 square feet area and 75 percent of the domestic hot water (DHW) load. The solar system consists of 2808 square feet of Solaron, model 2001, air, flat plate collector subsystem, a concrete box storage subsystem which contains 1428 cubic feet of 1/2 inch diameter pebbles weighing 71 1/2 tons, a DHW preheat tank, blowers, pumps, heat exchangers, air ducting, controls and associated plumbing. Two 120-gallon electric DHW heaters supply domestic hot water which is preheated by the solar system. Auxiliary space heating is provided by three electric heat pumps with electric resistance heaters and four 30-kilowatt electric unit heaters. There are six modes of system operation. This project is part of the Department of Energy PON-1 Solar Demonstration Program with DOE cost sharing $154,282 of the $174,372 solar system cost. The Final Design Review was held March 1977, the system became operational March 1979 and acceptance test was completed in September 1979.

The EM-60 system, a large-moment frequency-domain electromagnetic loop prospecting system, was operated in the Soda Lakes geothermal area, Nevada. Thirteen stations were occupied at distances ranging from 0.5-3.0 km from two transmitter sites. These yielded four sounding curves--the normalized amplitudes and phases of the vertical and radial magnetic fields as a function of frequency--at each station. In addition, two polarization ellipse parameters, ellipticity and tilt angle, were calculated at each frequency. The data were interpreted by means of a least-squares inversion procedure which fits a layered resistivity model to the data. A three-layer structure is indicated, with a near-surface 20 ohm-m layer of 100-400 m thickness, a middle 2 ohm-m layer of approximately 1 km thickness, and a basement of greater than 10 ohm-m. The models indicate a northwesterly structural strike; the top and middle layers seem to thicken from northeast to southwest. The results agree quite well with previous results of dipole-dipole and magnetotelluric (MT) surveys. The EM-60 survey provided greater depth penetration (1 to 1.5 km) than dipole-dipole, but MT far surpassed both in its depth of exploration. One advantage of EM in this area is its ease and speed of operation. Another advantage, its relative insensitivity to …

This assessment responds to a request by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for an evaluation of the energy potential of various sources of plant and animal matter (biomass). This report complements an earlier OTA report on the Application of Solar Technology to Today's Energy Needs in evaluating the major solar energy resources available to the United States. The findings also will serve as part of the material to be used in an upcoming OTA assessment of synthetic fuels for transportation. This volume presents analyses of prominent biomass issues, summaries of four biomass fuel cycles, a description of biomass' place in two plausible energy futures, and discussions of policy options for promoting energy from biomass. The four fuel cycles - wood, alcohol fuels, grasses and crop residues, and animal wastes - were chosen because of their near- to mid-term energy potential and because of the public interest in them. A second volume presents technical analyses of the resource base, conversion technologies, and end uses that provide a basis for the discussion in this volume. Also included in Volume II are various unconventional approaches to bioenergy production as well as the use of biomass to produce chemicals.

Applicable laws and permits available for the selection and building of petroleum refineries are enclosed. A glossary of pertinent terms is also included. References related to the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Toxic Substance Control Act, and Wetlands and Coastal Zone are included. Permit information is also presented. (DC)

The Final Report of the Solar Hot Water System located at the Red Star Industrial Laundry, 3333 Sabre Avenue, Fresno, California, is presented. The system was designed as an integrated wastewater heat recovery and solar preheating system to supply a part of the hot water requirements. It was estimated that the natural gas demand for hot water heating could be reduced by 56 percent (44 percent heat reclamation and 12 percent solar). The system consists of a 16,500 gallon tube-and-shell wastewater heat recovery subsystem combined with a pass-through 6,528 square foot flat plate Ying Manufacturing Company Model SP4120 solar collector subsystem, a 12,500 gallon fiber glass water storage tank subsystem, pumps, heat exchangers, controls, and associated plumbing. The design output of the solar subsystem is approximately 2.6 x 10/sup 9/ Btu/year. Auxiliary energy is provided by a gas fired low pressure boiler servicing a 4,000 gallon service tank. This project is part of the US Department of Energy's Solar Demonstration Program with DOE sharing $184,841 of the $260,693 construction cost. The system was turned on in July 1977, and acceptance tests completed in September 1977. The demonstration period for this project ends September 2, 1982.

This report is a review of the state-of-the-art for evaluating the potential impact of flooding on a deep radioactive-waste repository, namely, for predicting the future occurrence of catastrophic flooding and for estimating the effect of such flooding on waste containment characteristics. Several detrimental effects are identified: flooding can increase groundwater seepage velocities through a repository within the framework of the existing hydrologic system and thus increase the rate of radioactive-waste leakage to the biosphere; flooding may alter repository hydrology by reversing flow gradients, relocating sources of groundwater recharge and discharge, or shortening seepage paths, thereby producing unpredictable leakage; saturation of a vadose-zone repository during flooding can increase groundwater seepage velocities by several orders of magnitude; and flooding can damage repository-media containment properties by inducing seismic or chemical instability or increasing fracture permeability in relatively shallow repository rock as a result of redistributing in-situ stresses. Short-term flooding frequency and magnitude can be predicted statistically by analyzing historical records of flooding. However, long-term flooding events that could damage a permanent repository cannot be predicted with confidence because the geologic record is neither unique nor sufficienly complete for statistical analysis. It is more important to identify parameters characterizing containment properties (such as permeability, …

This compilation of diverse conservation and renewable energy projects across the United States was prepared through the enthusiastic participation of solar and alternate energy groups from every state and region. Compiled and edited by the Center for Renewable Resources, these projects reflect many levels of innovation and technical expertise. In many cases, a critique analysis is presented of how projects performed and of the institutional conditions associated with their success or failure. Some 2000 projects are included in this compilation; most have worked, some have not. Information about all is presented to aid learning from these experiences. The four volumes in this set are arranged in state sections by geographic region, coinciding with the four Regional Solar Energy Centers. The table of contents is organized by project category so that maximum cross-referencing may be obtained. This volume includes information on the Mid-American Solar Energy Complex Region. (WHK)

The objective of this report is to provide the user of the COBRA-WC (Whole Core) code a basic understanding of the code operation and capabilities. Included in this manual are the equations solved and the assumptions made in their derivations, a general description of the code capabilities, an explanation of the numerical algorithms used to solve the equations, and input instructions for using the code. Also, the auxiliary programs GEOM and SPECSET are described and input instructions for each are given. Input for COBRA-WC sample problems and the corresponding output are given in the appendices. The COBRA-WC code has been developed from the COBRA-IV-I code to analyze liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) assembly transients. It was specifically developed to analyze a core flow coastdown to natural circulation cooling.

We have measured the energy deposited in two types of composite targets by a number of charged-particle beams: targets made of /sup 238/U, Lucite, and polyethylene were exposed to 0.26-GeV protons and 0.33-GeV deuterons, and aluminum-Lucite composites were exposed to 0.5-GeV electrons. In addition, we measured neutrons and gamma rays emitted from solid targets of various materials (including /sup 238/U and iron) exposed to 0.26-GeV protons and 0.33-GeV deuterons. We used passive detectors (thermoluminescence dosimeters, Lexan fission track recorders, and photographic emulsions) to measure the nonfission dose and the fission-fragment dose from the primary beam and its shower of products. Measurements were made at various depths and radial positions in the targets. Plots and numerical values of the measured doses are presented. The emission of neutrons and gamma rays was measured with a liquid-deuterated-benzene detector. In general, the dose profile with depth is similar for 0.26-GeV protons and 0.33-GeV deuterons. The ratio of return neutrons to gamma rays increases with increasing target mass number. Deuterons, however, produce from 1.7 to 5.8 times as many neutrons and gamma rays per particle as do protons.

This report discusses the structure and use of the program DYNAVAC, a new transient-vacuum-network analysis code implemented on the NMFECC CDC-7600 computer. DYNAVAC solves for the transient pressures in a network of up to twenty lumped volumes, interconnected in any configuration by specified conductances. Each volume can have an internal gas source, a pumping speed, and any initial pressure. The gas-source rates can vary with time in any piecewise-linear manner, and up to twenty different time variations can be included in a single problem. In addition, the pumping speed in each volume can vary with the total gas pumped in the volume, thus simulating the saturation of surface pumping. This report is intended to be both a general description and a user's manual for DYNAVAC.

The successive collision method for calculating resonance absorption solves numerically the neutron slowing down problem in reactor lattices. A discrete energy mesh is used with cross sections taken from a Monte Carlo library. The major physical approximations used are isotropic scattering in both the laboratory and center-of-mass systems. This procedure is intended for day-to-day analysis calculations and has been incorporated into the current version of MUFT. The calculational model used for the analysis of the nuclear performance of LWBR includes this resonance absorption procedure. Test comparisons of results with RCPO1 give very good agreement.

Surface sediment samples were collected at 1444 sites, at a target sampling density of one site per 13 square kilometers. Ground water samples were collected at 137 sites. Neutron activation analysis results are given for uranium and 16 other elements in sediments, and for uranium and 9 other elements in ground water. Mass spectrometry results are given for helium in ground water. Field measurements and observations are reported for each site. Analytical data and field measurements are presented. Data from ground water sites include (1) water chemistry measurements (pH, conductivity, and alkalinity), (2) physical measurements where applicable (water temperature, well description, and scintillometer reading), and (3) elemental analyses (U, Al, Br, Cl, Dy, F, He, Mg, Mn, Na, and V). Data from sediment sites include (1) stream water chemistry measurements from sites where water was available, and (2) elemental analyses for sediment samples (U, Th, Hf, Al, Ce, Dy, Eu, Fe, La, Lu, Mn, Sc, Sm, Na, Ti, V, and Yb). Areal distribution maps, histograms, and cumulative frequency plots for most elements; U/Th, U/Hf, U/(Th + Hf), and U/La ratios; and scintillometer readings at sediment sample sites are included. Uranium concentrations in sediments of the Price quadrangle are relatively low, …

This document updates the 1978 report on the status of thermal imaging technology as applied to energy conservation in buildings. Thermal imaging technology is discussed in terms of airborne surveys, ground survey programs, and application needs such as standards development and lower cost equipment. Information on the various thermal imaging devices was obtained from manufacturer's standard product literature. Listings are provided of infrared projects of the DOE building diagnostics program, of aerial thermographic firms, and of aerial survey programs. (LCL)

Results of the Marysvale detailed geochemical survey are reported. Field and laboratory data are presented for 397 stream sediment samples and 160 radiometric readings. Statistical and areal distributions of uranium and possible uranium-related variables are displayed. A generalized geologic map of the area is provided, and pertinent geologic factors which may be of significance in evaluating the potential for uranium mineralization are briefly discussed. Stream sediments containing significant amounts of soluble uranium (greater than or equal to 16.93 ppM) occur in numerous areas, the most prevalent being in the western portion of the survey area, within and surrounding the Mount Belknap Caldera. Thorium, beryllium, cerium, manganese, molybdenum, niobium, potassium, yttrium, zinc, and zirconium occur in concentrations greater than or equal to 84th percentile in many sediment samples taken from within and surrounding the Mount Belknap Caldera. The uranium and related variables are associated with highly silicic intrusions and extrusions of the Mount Belknap Volcanics, as well as hydrothermal activity which has occurred in the Marysvale volcanic field.

The regulatory aspects of a wide range of potential projects and sequences within the projects are covered, such as: exploration, demonstration, construction, commercialization, and operation. Such topics as environmental studies, water rights, district heating, taxation archaeological clearances, and construction permits are addressed. Other general information is provided which may assist a prospective geothermal developer in understanding which state and local agencies have review responsibilities, their review procedures, and the appropriate time frame necessary to complete their review process. (MHR)

The advantages and disadvantages of four new high-resolution difference schemes, namely the von Neumann-Richtmyer, Godunovs, MUSCL and Glimms, for mathematically representing physical conditions in compressible gas flows are compared. (LCL)

Large systems of interacting particles are often treated by assuming that the effect on any one particle of the remaining N-1 may be approximated by an average potential. This approach reduces the problem to that of finding the bound-state solutions for a particle in a potential; statistical mechanics is then used to obtain the properties of the many-body system. In some physical systems this approach may not be acceptable, because the two-body force component cannot be treated in this one-body limit. A technique for incorporating two-body forces in such calculations in a more realistic fashion is described. 1 figure.

The potential impact of future geologic processes on the integrity of a deep, high-level radioactive-waste repository is evaluated. The following study identifies the potential consequences of surface erosion and deposition on sub-surface repository containment characteristics and assesses the ability to measure and predict quantitatively the rates and corresponding extent of these processes in the long term. Numerous studies of the magnitudes and rates of surficial erosion and deposition that have been used to determine the minimum allowable depth for a geologic repository (300 m - NRC Code of Federal Regulations, Part 60.122, Draft 10) are cited in this report. Measurement and interpretation of potential rates and extent of surficial processes in these studies involved considerable uncertainty, and the implications of this uncertainty on presently proposed repository siting criteria are addressed herein. Important concepts that should be considered when developing siting criteria to protect against deleterious effects arising from future erosion or deposition are highlighted. Erosion agents that could affect deep repositories are distinguished in this report so that their individual and combined impacts may be examined. This approach is recommended when evaluating potential repository sites in diverse environments that are susceptible to different agents of erosion. In contrast, agents of …

Energy extraction experiments are reported for the Phoenix I amplifier driven by a discharge-initiated oscillator-preamplifier system operating on mixtures of either SF/sub 6/-HI or SF/sub 6/-C/sub 2/H/sub 6/ and an electron-beam-initiated intermediate amplifer (lambda-3) fueled with H/sub 2/ and F/sub 2/ mixtures. When the oscillator-preamplifier system operated with mixtures of SF/sub 6/-HI the input spectrum to the Phoenix I amplifier contained approx. 28 P-branch vibrational-rotational lines which were almost identical to the input spectrum from the H/sub 2/-F/sub 2/ fueled oscillator. In this case the energy extraction measurements were essentially the same as the results obtained with the spectrum produced using H/sub 2/ and F/sub 2/ mixtures. For an input intensity of 10/sup 7/ W/cm/sup 2/, 170 J were extracted from the amplifier. With the SF/sub 6/-C/sub 2/H/sub 6/ spectrum, extraction was only obtained from the first three excited vibrational levels. This result indicates that most of the energy in the amplifier could be extracted on the first three excited vibrational levels. It is shown that the extraction results can be fit with a simple two level model. The radius of curvature of the beam was estimated using a lateral shearing interferometer. It was found that the Phoenix I amplifier …

A theoretical and experimental investigation was conducted which clearly showed the effects of flow curvature to be significant determinants of Darrieus turbine blade aerodynamics; qualitatively, these results apply equally to straight or curved bladed machines. Unusually large boundary layer radial pressure gradients and virtually altered camber and incidence are the phenomena of primary importance. Conformal mapping techniques were developed which transform the geometric turbine airfoils in curved flow to their virtual equivalents in rectilinear flow, thereby permitting the more accurate selection of airfoil aerodynamic coefficients from published sectional data. It is demonstrated that once the flow idiosyncracies are fully understood, they may be used to advantage to improve the wind energy extraction efficiency of these machines.

A simple numerical model of previously released bipole-dipole resistivity data shows the margin of the graben to be anomalously conductive below the Malpais. The conductive area has been delineated with data from a dipole-dipole resistivity survey run in April 1980 for this study. Detailed numerical models of these data define a 1250 m wide body with resistivities less than 20 ohm-m that appear to connect The Geysers and the graben boundary. The minimum depth to the conductor is interpreted to be 375 m; its depth extent is undetermined. The electrical data do not resolve whether the anomaly below the Malpais may be the product of a defunct hydrothermal system or the signature of an active system. If thermal gradient data detect an enhanced heat flow anomaly in the same area, the Malpais may be a viable geothermal exploration target within the Beowawe KGRA.