This safety analysis was performed for the Manager of Plant Operations at LLL and fulfills the requirements of DOE Order 5481.1. The analysis was based on field inspections, document review, computer calculations, and extensive input from Waste Management personnel. It was concluded that the quantities of materials handled do not pose undue risks on- or off-site, even in postulated severe accidents. Risks from the various hazards at these facilities vary from low to moderate as specified in DOE Order 5481.1. Recommendations are made for additional management and technical support of waste disposal operations.

This report describes a sensitivity study using LISTRA1A, a model for use in the development of a long-range, time-dependent plan for licensing nuclear waste repositories. The objectives of the model are: (1) to provide information concerning the impact of various licensing strategies on the ability to dispose of nuclear waste effectively; and (2) to provide long-range budget forecasts for differing strategies of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Department of Energy (DOE). The model is designed to analyze the interaction between NRC regulatory policy and DOE technical programs. A sensitivity study is reported for a single parameter in a hypothetical review process.

Current magnetic fusion reactor design concepts require that the fatigue behavior of candidate first wall materials be characterized. Fatigue crack growth may, in fact, be the design limiting factor in these cyclic reactor concepts given the inevitable presence of crack-like flaws in fabricated sheet structures. Miniature specimen technology has been developed to provide the large data base necessary to characterize irradiation effects on the fatigue crack growth behavior. An electrical potential method of measuring crack growth rates is employed on miniature center-cracked-tension specimens (1.27 cm x 2.54 cm x 0.061 cm). Results of a baseline study on 20% cold-worked 316 stainless steel, which was tested in an in-cell prototypic fatigue machine, are presented. The miniature fatigue machine is designed for low cost, on-line, real time testing of irradiated fusion candidate alloys. It will enable large scale characterization and development of candidate first wall alloys.

A conceptual design, including process descriptions, heat and material balances, process flow diagrams, utility requirements, schedule, capital and operating cost estimate, and alternative design considerations, is presented for the DOE Coal Gasification Multi-Test Facility (GMTF). The GMTF, an engineering scale facility, is to provide a complete plant into which different types of gasifiers and conversion/synthesis equipment can be readily integrated for testing in an operational environment at relatively low cost. The design allows for operation of several gasifiers simultaneously at a total coal throughput of 2500 tons/day; individual gasifiers operate at up to 1200 tons/day and 600 psig using air or oxygen. Ten different test gasifiers can be in place at the facility, but only three can be operated at one time. The GMTF can produce a spectrum of saleable products, including low Btu, synthesis and pipeline gases, hydrogen (for fuel cells or hydrogasification), methanol, gasoline, diesel and fuel oils, organic chemicals, and electrical power (potentially). In 1979 dollars, the base facility requires a $288 million capital investment for common-use units, $193 million for four gasification units and four synthesis units, and $305 million for six years of operation. Critical reviews of detailed vendor designs are appended for a methanol …

This second progress report for the USNRC/LLL liaison program with the Federal Republic of Germany regarding boiling water reactor containment multivent steam condensation tests being conducted by GKSS addresses program activity during the period of July-August, 1979. During this period, the first digital data, video tapes, and complete report for test VM1 were received, together with various computer software used by GKSS for data reduction. Document handling procedures were finalized in order to protect the proprietary nature of informaion received from GKSS and several translations were obtained.

The Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) is the largest of the mirror program experiments for magnetic fusion energy. It seeks to combine and extend the near-classical plasma confinement achieved in 2XIIB with the most advanced neutral-beam and magnet technologies. The product of ion density and confinement time will be improved more than an order of magnitude, while the superconducting magnet weight will be extrapolated from the 15 tons in Baseball II to 375 tons in MFTF. Recent reactor studies show that the MFTF will traverse much of the distance in magnet technology towards the reactor regime. Design specifics of the magnet are given. (MOW)

The rock mechanics testing performed at the Earth Mechanics Institute of the Colorado School of Mines for Rockwell Hanford Operations under Subcontract SA-917 is summarized. Cores were supplied from drill hole DC-8 on the Hanford Site, characterized geologically, and tested for thermal and physical properties for designing long-term underground storage of radioactive waste materials. This report presents the approved test procedures, results, and data analysis for this test series. Results indicate significantly lower strengths for drill hole DC-8 than determined for drill hole DC-6 or for the drill holes reported on in our fiscal year 1978 (FY 78) tests. Trends, however, were found to be similar between drill holes DC-6 and DC-8, and it is hoped more definitive conclusions can be found following completion of the final series of tests.

The Office of Consumer Affairs has the primary responsibility for managing and coordinating the public-participation efforts of the Department of Energy through public meetings, advisory committee participation, and other outreach mechanisms aimed at assuring all citizens an opportunity to participate in the governmental process relating to energy decisions. The Manual outlines the public-participation policy that should be followed by all offices. All offices are directed to observe the guidance in the manual in shaping and conducting public-participation activities, including the public-participation efforts required by DOE Order 2030, Procedures for the Development and Analysis of Regulations, Standards, and Guidelines. Two chapters included are: Determining Public Participation Needs and Public Participation Plan. (MCW)

A summary of three years of field ecological investigation in Imperial Valley Environmental Program is presented. The potential terrestrial habitat impacts of geothermal development are discussed for shorebirds and waterfowl habitat, the endangered clapper rail, powerline corridors, noise effects, animal trace element burdens, and the desert community. Aquatic habitats are discussed in terms of Salton Sea salinity, effects of geothermal brine discharges to the Salton Sea, trace element baselines, and potential toxicity of brine spills in freshwater. Studies of impacts on agriculture involved brine movement in soil, release of trace metals, trace element baselines in soil and plants, water requirements of crops, and H{sub 2}S effects on crop production in the presence of CO{sub 2} and ozone.

A method is described whereby the absolute radiative quantum efficiency of paramagnetic ions in liquids or solids can be determined from photoacoustic measurements. 1 figure.

The LLL Evaluated Nuclear Data Library (ENDL-78) was tested for validity by comparing calculated and experimental values of k/sub eff/ for 67 critical assemblies and emission neutron spectra for 22 spheres that were pulsed with 14-MeV neutrons. 22 figures, 5 tables.

The design, fabrication and testing of a rupture-safe transducer for measuring gas pressures in a manned-area field environment are described. (LCL)

The objective of this program is to develop process and handling technology required to allow large volume, low cost terrestrial solar array production. Emphasis has been placed on module lay-up and interconnect and edge sealing. During this reporting period, progress has been directed toward automated interconnection and lay-up of solar modules using a Unimate model 2000B industrial robot. A study of interconnect bond methods lead to the decision that induction heating would be most applicable to robot operation. The design approach for the interconnect and lay-up station involves a cell preparation sub-station that will unload the cells from cassettes, orient them optically and position an interconnect for bonding to the cell. At that point, the robot arm with a bonding head, will solder the lead, then place the cell into the array configuration, and solder it to the adjacent cell. The robot has been programmed to pick and place 3 inch diameter cells into a 12'' x 16'' array with an average time of 6 seconds per cell. This can be reduced by optimizing the program and a target rate of 6 to 12 seconds per cell was set for placement and interconnection. Edge sealant compatibility studies continue. Hot melt …

The Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) injection system consists of twenty 20 keV start-up, and twenty-four 80 keV sustaining neutral beam source modules. The neutral beam modules are mounted in four clusters equally spaced around the waist of the vacuum vessel which contains the superconducting magnets. A module is defined here as an assembly consisting of a beam source and the interfacing components between that beam source and the vacuum chamber. Six major interfacing components are the subject of this paper. They are the magnetic shield, the neutralizer duct, the isolation valve, mounting gimbals, aiming bellows and actuators.

Both ion dumps and neutral beam dumps have been designed for the Mirror Fusin Test Facility (MFTF) at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Engineering and design has been completed, and fabrication will be contracted to industrial firms in late 1979. This paper presents the performance requirements, heat density, and heat distribution on both dumps. The thermal analysis for determining the dumps' size and methods for cooling them are discussed. Attention is also directed to mechanical design and fabrication as well as to leading-edge design thermal panels.

Attenuation results from geometric spreading and from absorption. The former is almost independent of crustal geology or physiographic region. The latter depends strongly on crustal geology and the state of the earth's upper mantle. Except for very high-frequency waves, absorption does not affect ground motion at distances less than 25 to 50 km. Thus, in the near-field zone, the attenuation in the eastern United States will be similar to that in the western United States. Most of the differences in ground motion can be accounted for by differences in attenuation caused by differences in absorption. The other important factor is that for some Western earthquakes the fault breaks the earth's surface, resulting in larger ground motion. No Eastern earthquakes are known to have broken the earth's surface by faulting. The stress drop of Eastern earthquakes may be higher than for Western earthquakes of the same seismic moment, which would affect the high-frequency spectral content. This factor is believed to be of much less significance than differences in absorption in explaining the differences in ground motion between the East and the West. 6 figures.

As a result of major experiment success in the LLL mirror program on start-up and stabilization of plasmas in minimum-B magnetic geometry, a Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) is under construction. Completion is scheduled for September, 1981. MFTF will be used to bridge the gap between present day small mirror experiments and future fusion-reactor activity based on magnetic mirrors. The focal point of the Mirror Fusion Test Facility is the 35 foot diameter by 60 foot long vacuum vessel which encloses the superconducting magnets. High vacuum conditions in the vessel are required to establish and maintain a plasma, and to create and deliver energetic neutral atoms to heat the plasma at the central region.

This report summarizes an investigation of the relative utility and performance of nine major household consumer products covered by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. The objective of the investigation was to define the terms utility and performance, to recommend methods for quantifying these two concepts, and to recommend an approach for dealing with utility and performance issues in the energy-efficiency-standards program. Performance of a consumer product is the objective measure of how well, with the expected level of consumer input, the product does its intended job; and utility of a consumer product is a subjective measure, based on the consumer's perception, of the capability of the product to satisfy human needs. Quantification is based on test procedures and consumer-survey methods already largely in use by industry. Utility and performance issues are important in product classification for prescribing energy-efficiency standards. The recommended approach to classification is: prior to setting standards, evaluate utility and performance issues in the most-quantitative way allowed by resources and schedules in order to develop classification guidelines. This approach to utility and performance issues and classification requires no changes in existing Department of Energy test procedures.

The data, observations, and conclusions from a number of experiments on high-reflector (HR) coating damage which were done in FY 1979 are summarized. Damage threshold measurements for the experiments described are presented.

It is shown that the conflicting requirements of high implosion efficiency (low corona temperature) and adequate energy transport (high corona temperature) can, together with other effects, limit useful infrared light intensities to values on the order of 100 Tw/cm/sup 2/. Increased interest in ultraviolet lasers, for which this intensity constraint is expected to be less severe, and the entry of charged-particle drivers in the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) competition are consequences of this limitation. Analytical results based on a simple model are presented which show how the gain of an ICF target is modified by the existence of an arbitrary intensity constraint.

It has been demonstrated that a plasma arc can be accelerated along two current carrying parallel rails and used to accelerate a projectile. We have performed an extensive analysis and found the task of using a railgun to accelerate an impactor plate to velocities of 10 to 40 km/s to be feasible with contemporary technology. This range of impact velocities would enable shock pressures of 1 to 10 TPa to be generated for EOS research.

Results of a reconnaissance geochemical survey of the Manhattan Quadrangle, Kansas, are reported. Field and laboratory data are presented for 674 groundwater and 718 stream sediment samples. Statistical and areal distributions of uranium and possible uranium-related variables are displayed. A generalized geologic map of the survey area is provided, and pertinent geologic factors which may be of significance in evaluating the potential for uranium mineralization are briefly discussed. The groundwater data indicate that the most promising area for potential uranium mineralization occurs in the western-northwestern part of the quadrangle where waters are produced from the Quaternary loess deposits, and the Cretaceous Greenhorn-Graneros and Dakota Formations. Associated elements in the quadrangle include arsenic, potassium, manganese, vanadium, and selenium. The stream sediment data indicate that the highest average uranium concentrations in sediments from the Manhattan Quadrangle are obtained from the Pennsylvanian Wabaunsee Group followed by the Cretaceous Carlile Shale, Greenhorn-Graneros and Dakota Formations. In the northwestern corner of the quadrangle, high concentrations of uranium are associated with high concentrations of barium, niobium, strontium, titanium, vanadium, yttrium, and zirconium. In southeast Cloud County and extending to the northeast, high values of total uranium are associated with high values of titanium, yttrium, zirconium, and …

Estimates of the steady-state performance of the Raft River 5 MW(e) Pilot Geothermal Power Plant have been made using an existing digital computer simulation which has been updated to reflect the individual performance of the actual components in the plant. The plant output (gross and net) has been obtained as a function of geothermal fluid inlet temperature and flow rate and isobutane preheater bypass (boiler inlet subcooling). The plant performance has been determined for two ambient conditions (summer and winter extremes), and different conditions of heat exchanger fouling. These results along with transient simulations, which will be made in the near future, are needed to establish operating procedures and set point, check out control system, determine control gains, and set alarm points. Appendix A contains a brief description of the executive code (TAF), the mathmatical model of the plant, and the input-output requirements to obtain steady-state and transient solutions.

The Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL) is planning a major extension to the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) now under construction at Livermore, CA. This extension brings MFTF to a full tandem mirror configuration, incorporating new ideas for improved plasma confinement. The tandem MFTF is tentatively called MFTF-B. As with most magnetic fusion devices, the confinement coils dominate the overall configuration. This paper concentrates on the MFTF-B magnet configuration, especially field shaping and structural considerations. (MOW)