This paper describes ductile-phase roughening in V-V{sub 3}Si in-situ composites produced by conventional arc melting (AM), cold-crucible induction melting (IM), and cold-crucible directional solidification (DS). Notched three-point bending tests were performed to determine the effects of synthesis method on the room temperature fracture toughness of eutectic compositions, which contain nearly equal volume fractions of V{sub 3}Si and the V(Si) solid solution phase. Fracture toughness values ranged from 10 MPa{radical}m for the AM eutectic to over 20 MPa{radical}4m for the IM and DS eutectic alloys. SEM fractography, surface profiling, and chemical analyses were performed to correlate the toughness values with the microstructures and interstitial concentrations produced by the three synthesis methods.

The Mercury KrF laser facility at Los Alamos is being built with the benefit of lessons learned from the Aurora system. An increased understanding of KrF laser engineering, and the designed implementation of system flexibility, will permit Mercury to serve as a tested for a variety of advanced KrF technology concepts.

Data reported by domestic nuclear utility companies in their responses to the 1991 and 1992 ``Uranium Industry Annual Survey,`` Form EIA-858, Schedule B ``Uranium Marketing Activities,are provided in response to the requirements in the Energy Policy Act 1992. Data on utility uranium purchases and imports are shown on Table 1. Utility enrichment feed deliveries and secondary market acquisitions of uranium equivalent of US DOE separative work units are shown on Table 2. Appendix A contains a listing of firms that sold uranium to US utilities during 1992 under new domestic purchase contracts. Appendix B contains a similar listing of firms that sold uranium to US utilities during 1992 under new import purchase contracts. Appendix C contains an explanation of Form EIA-858 survey methodologies with emphasis on the processing of Schedule B data.

The authors have measured the ion yields for helium and neon ionized by 120 femtosecond, 614 nanometer laser pulses with intensities up to 10{sup 16} watts per square centimeter. They have found that the He II and Ne II data exhibit features incompatible with standard nonresonant sequential ionization. These features reduce the usefulness of optical field ionization for monitoring laser intensity. For the experiment, they expect dynamic resonances to have little effect on the ionization, and they attribute the features to nonsequential ionization based on the simultaneous saturation of the features and the singly ionized charge states.

The technique of laser-induced ablation of thin films from glass slide substrates has been investigated as a candidate vapor target production method for studies of both tunneling-driven x-ray/xuv recombination lasers and relativistic propagation using intense, ultra-short laser pulses. It is shown by simultaneous two-wavelength interferometry that particle densities of order 10{sup 19}/cm{sup 3} are readily achieved and that some intrinsic ionization accompanies the plume formation. Absorption measurements with both 100 picosecond and 125 femtosecond pulses are consistent with observed edge velocities near 10{sup 6} cm/sec. The level of ionization driven by the intense 125 femtosecond laser pulse has been coarsely estimated. Averaged estimates from spectral blue shifting of spectra transmitted through the plume are consistently lower than those obtained from evaluation of saturation intensity thresholds based on the sequential nonresonant optical field ionization (OFI) process.

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has developed a mobile field laboratory for remote measurement of atmospheric processes and observables that are important in global climate change, dispersal of hazardous materials, and atmospheric pollution. Specific observables of interest are water vapor, trace gases, aerosol size and density, wind, and temperature. The goal is to study atmospheric processes continuously for extended periods in remote field locations. This laboratory has just reached field ready status with sensors for aerosol and trace gas measurement based on established techniques. A development program is underway to enhance the sensor suite with several new techniques and instruments that are expected to significantly extend the state of the art in remote trace gas analysis. The new sensors will be incorporated into the lab during the next two years.

This report discusses the following topics: US Nuclear Data Network Meeting; TUNL A=3--20 Data Project Activity Report 1993; INEL Mass-chain Evaluation Project Activity Report for 1993; 1993 Isotopes; Nuclear Data Project Activity Report; The NNDC Activity Report Parts A and B; Minutes of the Formats and Procedures Subcommittee; Evaluation of High-spin Nuclear Data for ENSDF and Table of Superdeformed Nuclear Bands; Proposal for Support of a Experimental High-spin; Data File/Data-Network Coordinator; Radioactive Decay and Applications; A Plan for a Horizontal Evaluation of Decay Data; ENSDF On-line System; The MacNuclide Project Expanding the Scope of the Nuclear Structure Reference File; ENSDAT: Evaluated Nuclear Structure Drawings and Tables; Cross Section Evaluation Working Group (CSEWG) and CSEWG Strategy Session; A Draft Proposal for a USNDN Program Advisory Council; Recommendations of Focus Group 1; Recommendations of Focus Group 2; Recommendations of Focus Group 3; Recommendations of Focus Group 4; The Table of Isotopes; The Isotopes CD-ROM; Electronic Table of Isotopes (ETOI); and Electronic Access to Nuclear Data.

Radiative corrections to the parameters of the standard electroweak model are considered in case that there is no light Higgs particle.

This report presents field results and raw data from the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration (BWID) Arc Melter Vitrification Project Phase 1 baseline test series conducted by the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM). The baseline test series was conducted using the electric arc melter facility at the USBM Albany Research Center in Albany, Oregon. Five different surrogate waste feed mixtures were tested that simulated thermally-oxidized, buried, TRU-contaminated, mixed wastes and soils present at the INEL. The USBM Arc Furnace Integrated Waste Processing Test Facility includes a continuous feed system, the arc melting furnace, an offgas control system, and utilities. The melter is a sealed, 3-phase alternating current (ac) furnace approximately 2 m high and 1.3 m wide. The furnace has a capacity of 1 metric ton of steel and can process as much as 1,500 lb/h of soil-type waste materials. The surrogate feed materials included five mixtures designed to simulate incinerated TRU-contaminated buried waste materials mixed with INEL soil. Process samples, melter system operations data and offgas composition data were obtained during the baseline tests to evaluate the melter performance and meet test objectives. Samples and data gathered during this program included …

Value Engineering (VE) is a problem solving methodology that has been used in manufacturing and construction industries for fifty years to improve products, systems and projects while reducing unnecessary cost. A Process Waste Assessment (PWA) is a newly developed methodology designed to characterize waste streams and identify opportunities to reduce or eliminate waste generation. The VE and PWA methodologies are compared to show their general similarities and specific differences, and to suggest how VE can be woven into the PWA methodology. Further, the roles of the VE and PWA team leaders and their training are compared; suggestions are made to help enable the PWA team leader to more effectively lead a group-centered creative process. Examples of how VE has been used in hazardous and radioactive waste minimization and pollution prevention projects are presented, also.

A numerical model, TOUGH2, was selected for describing liquid- and gas-phase flow in the unsaturated tuff underlying the TA-73 landfill. The model was selected primarily for its ability to simulate the significant mechanisms that may affect transport of contaminants through the vadose zone at the TA-73 landfill, including non-isothermal flow through fractured media. TOUGH2 is the best documented, verified, and validated model capable of performing the required simulations. The sensitivity analyses that were performed and describes in this report identified the input parameters that the selected numerical model is most sensitive to. The input parameters analyzed were saturated hydraulic conductivity, van Genuchten {alpha} and n, residual and saturated moisture contents, infiltration rate, fracture spacing and permeability, atmospheric pressure, and temperature. The sensitivity analyses were performed using a model grid that was designed to incorporate the regions in the landfill vicinity where contaminant transport is likely to occur and where the physical processes affecting flow and transport are the most dynamic. The sensitivity analyses performed suggest that the model is quite sensitive to a number of input parameters, including saturated hydraulic conductivity, the van Genuchten parameters {alpha} and n (for both the tuff matrix and fractures), fracture density and aperture, and …

Value Engineering (VE) and Computer-Aided Design (CAD) can be used synergistically to reduce costs and improve facilities designs. The cost and schedule impacts of implementing alternative design ideas developed by VE teams can be greatly reduced when the drawings have been produced with interactive CAD systems. To better understand the interrelationship between VE and CAD, the fundamentals of the VE process are explained; and example of a VE proposal is described and the way CAD drawings facilitated its implementation is illustrated.

This paper discusses the physics and chemistry of non-thermal plasma processing for post-combustion NO{sub x} control in internal combustion engines. A comparison of electron beam and electrical discharge processing is made regarding their power consumption, radical production, NO{sub x} removal mechanisms, and by product formation. Can non-thermal deNO{sub x} operate efficiently without additives or catalysts? How much electrical power does it cost to operate? What are the by-products of the process? This paper addresses these fundamental issues based on an analysis of the electron-molecule processes and chemical kinetics.

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Seventy five percent of natural latex rubber gloves used in laboratories at the Savannah River Site are not reused. A cost analysis performed by the SRS Procurement Department determined that a net savings of $1,092,210 could be achieved annually by recycling latex rubber gloves. The Materials Technology Section, at the request of the Procurement Department, examined some mechanical and chemical properties of latex rubber gloves manufactured by Ansell Edmont, which had been purchased by the site specifications for protective clothing. It also examined mechanical properties of re-cycled gloves purchased by specifications and of {open_quotes}off the shelf{close_quotes} gloves manufactured by North Brothers Company. Finally, water vapor transmission studies, simulating tritium permeation, were performed on gloves from both manufacturers. These studies were performed to determine whether latex rubber gloves can be recycled or whether using only new, unwashed gloves is required in areas where tritium exposure is a possibility. The results of these studies indicate that the acceptable glove characteristics, required in the WSRC Manual 5Q1.11, Protective Clothing Specifications, are not adversely affected after washing and drying the gloves manufactured by Ansell Edmont for seven cycles. Results also indicate that natural latex rubber gloves manufactured by North Brothers comply with most of …

This report presents field results and raw data from the Buried Waste Integrated Demonstration (BWID) Arc Melter Vitrification Project Phase 1 baseline test series conducted by the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM). The baseline test series was conducted using the electric arc melter facility at the USBM Albany Research Center in Albany, Oregon. Five different surrogate waste feed mixtures were tested that simulated thermally-oxidized, buried, TRU-contaminated, mixed wastes and soils present at the INEL. The USBM Arc Furnace Integrated Waste Processing Test Facility includes a continuous feed system, the arc melting furnace, an offgas control system, and utilities. The melter is a sealed, 3-phase alternating current (ac) furnace approximately 2 m high and 1.3 m wide. The furnace has a capacity of 1 metric ton of steel and can process as much as 1,500 lb/h of soil-type waste materials. The surrogate feed materials included five mixtures designed to simulate incinerated TRU-contaminated buried waste materials mixed with INEL soil. Process samples, melter system operations data and offgas composition data were obtained during the baseline tests to evaluate the melter performance and meet test objectives. Samples and data gathered during this program included …

This paper addresses a new value engineering approach successfully being used at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) in the design process of major construction projects. Of particular interest is how value engineers are applying the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM), utilizing value engineering techniques. Discussed are the associated problems with how major construction projects were previously planned, designed, value engineered, and then redesigned. Benefits of applying value engineering techniques early-on in the design process, far ahead of the traditional time for VE execution, is examined. The author provides a pro-con analysis of the benefits of early-on value engineering effort, and uses data gathered from several value engineering studies to support the conclusions of this paper.

Fully dense, nanocrystalline ceramic articles were prepared by a new nanofabrication process. The process consists of two steps: synthesis of ceramic nanoparticles and fabrication of dense, nanocrystalline ceramic parts. The synthesis step produced 10-nanometer-diameter crystallites, and is capable of being scaled up to kilogram/hour production rates. The fabrication step produced dense parts at significantly reduced sintering temperatures and times--representing a factor of 10--100 reduction in process energy requirements. Process was demonstrated by producing ultrafine-grained yttria-stabilized ZrO{sub 2}, an important material with a variety of energy-related applications (e.g., solid electrolytes, oxygen sensors, electrode materials, thermal barrier coatings, etc.). Results from this period illustrate capabilities of this energy-efficient and directly commercializable process for producing dense, nanocrystalline, multicomponent oxide ceramics.

Multi-layer laminate metal composites (LMCs) containing equal volume percent of Al 5182 and Al 6090--25 Vol.% SiC{sub p} were made. The laminates were prepared by hot pressing alternate layers to a fourth of initial height at 450C in argon gas atmosphere. Some laminates were warm rolled by repeatedly heating to 450C and rolling. The large plastic deformation ensured good bonding between layers. Tensile properties, fracture toughness, and damping capacity of these deformation-bonded laminates were measured. Surface descaling prior to lamination enhanced the tensile properties and toughness substantially. Post-lamination T6 heat treatment increased tensile yield and flow stress and reduced the ductility. Interfaces and dissimilar properties of the component materials enhanced the damping capacity. Yield and tensile strengths were slightly lower than values calculated from rule-of-averages based on the component materials. Toughness and damping capacity were, on the other hand, far superior to those of component materials. Ductility of the laminates was increased as the layer thickness was reduced.

This document is the Software Configuration Management Plan (SCMP) for the Federal Emergency Management Information System (FEMIS) project. FEMIS is an automated decision support system that integrates the planning and analysis, operations and response, and recovery phases of emergency management. It has broad application across the full range of emergency planning and operations. The SCMP will describe the configuration management system to be used for the control and maintenance of the software and associated documentation during development, test, and production of the FEMIS project. This plan provides information on the requirements and procedures necessary for the configuration management activities of FEMIS. It identifies the software configuration management requirements and establishes the methodology for generating configuration identifiers, controlling engineering changes, maintaining status accounting, and performing audits and reviews during the design and development of software configuration items. This plan defines the Software Configuration Management (SCM) activities necessary for maintaining all support software items and associated documentation being developed, procured, tested, sustained and kept in the production environment for FEMIS. It will apply to all phases of the software development life cycle, up to and including the time of delivery to the customer.

The objectives of this project are to study the effect of pretreatment methods on the two-stage liquefaction process. In particular, the effects of dispersed catalysts and carbon monoxide atmospheres on a coal liquefaction process. The project is divided into three technical tasks. Task 1 involves the analyses of the liquefaction products derived from liquefaction experiments using the catalysts Fe(CO){sub 5} and the sulfated iron catalyst, Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}{center_dot}SO{sub 4}. We also analyzed the products derived from treating the recycle vehicle under coal liquefaction conditions with no coal or catalyst present, and found that the toluene and THF fractions had low H/C ratios. No CO or CO{sub 2} gases were detected after reaction, although considerable amount of methane gas was produced, suggesting that during the liquefaction runs the carbon oxides are produced only from the coal, as expected, but that methane gas is produced both from the recycle solvent and the coal. We now have more information about the recycle solvent from Wilsonville, who report that the residue was 63%, composed of 45% resid and 18% insoluble inorganic (CI), and a distilable portion of 37% (1050{degrees}F). During this quarter we compared coal conversions using Fe(CO){sub 5} with CO and H{sub 2}/CO …

The Savannah River Site (SRS) is a Department of Energy (DOE) facility located near Aiken, South Carolina which is currently operated and managed by Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC). The Sanitary Landfill (Sanitary Landfill) at the SRS is located approximately 2,000 feet Northwest of Upper Three Runs Creek (UTRC) on an approximately 70 acre site located south of Road C between the SRS B-Area and UTRC. The Sanitary Landfill has been receiving wastes since 1974 and operates as an unlined trench and fill operation. The original landfill site was 32 acres. This area reached its capacity around 1987 and a Northern Expansion of 16 acres and a Southern Expansion of 22 acres were added in 1987. The Northern Expansion has not been used for waste disposal to date and the Southern Expansion is expected to reach capacity in 1992 or 1993. The waste received at the Sanitary Landfill is predominantly paper, plastics, rubber, wood, metal, cardboard, rags saturated with degreasing solvents, pesticide bags, empty cans, and asbestos in bags. The landfill is not supposed to receive any radioactive wastes. However, tritium has been detected in the groundwater at the site. Gross alpha and gross beta are also evaluated at the …

A goal of chemical reaction dynamics is to control the course of reactions. We are examining the photodissocation of HOD, which is attractive for coherent control studies. A fixed frequency laser at 600 nm and its third harmonic at 200 nm is used to simultaneously and coherently photodissociate the rovibrationally excited parent molecules. Preliminary experiments focussed on confirming individual steps of the complex experiment; results are given of three-photon dissociation of H{sub 2}O, which gives confidence for the HOD three-photon dissociation.

Computer vision and force control provide feedback for robot manipulation during the assembly of objects. Both techniques have weaknesses, but their complementary strengths enable them to work well together, achieving assembly with tight tolerances. For instance, camera resolution limits the accuracy of computer vision, but it can locate approximately where the part should be placed and is an excellent choice for coarse placement of the part. Force control senses the force induced by object contact and if used extensively could damage a delicate part, but when used for fine placement of an object, it compensates for the error in coarse placement. It is our goal to utilize the best features of force sensing and computer vision to reduce the error in placement of an object. The results of placing a peg in a 0.15mm tolerance hole with different camera resolutions will be presented. We have chosen to use computer vision to move the peg as close to its correct placement point as possible and force control to make minor adjustments, achieving the correct positioning of the peg.