In experiments at 600°C in the system NaCI-KCI-H₂O, within the analytical uncertainty, stoichiometric quantities of Cl and total alkali metals (Na+K) appear to dissolve in steam coexisting with chloride-rich brine at high pressures in the absence of solid salt. In contrast, at lower pressures, where steam coexists with precipitated salts, significant excess chloride as associated hydrogen chloride (HCI°) dissolves in steam. The HCI° appears to be generated by the reaction of solid NaCl(s) (halite) with steam, producing solid NaOH(s) that diffuses into halite, forming a solid solution. Where HCI° is present highly associated NaOH° as well as associated NaCI° appear to dissolve in steam, and the solubility of each is increased as the mole fraction of NaOH(s) in halite increases. In our quasi-static experiments, compared to dynamic flow-through experiments of others, higher initial ratios of H₂O/NaCI have resulted in higher mole fractions of NaOH(s) in solid solution in halite and, accordingly, higher solubilities of NaCI" and NaOH" dissolved in steam. Addition of quartz to the system NaCI-KCI-H₂O results in the formation of sodium disilicate by reaction of silica with NaOH(s) and an order of magnitude increase in the concentration of HCl° dissolved in steam. In natural hydrothermal systems at lower …

The performance of the 1986 three-dimensional numerical model of the Nesjavellir geothermal field for predicting the deliverabilities and pressure decline of the wells during the period 1987 through 1991 is investigated. The model predicted adequately the flow rate and enthalpy transients of most wells, but overpredicted the pressure decline by 3 to 4 bars.

The use of a wellbore simulator, WELLSIM, to characterise the effects of multi-feed inflow on wellbore pressure-temperature characteristics, and diameter changes to a well on the deliverability curve, is discussed. Matching analyses are performed with the simulator on a well which has a number of two-phase and liquid infeeds, and it is demonstrated that good matches to both pressure and temperature profiles can be achieved. The significance of the reservoir/feed response curve for a steam well is illustrated, and the optimisation of wellbore diameter is shown to be related to whether the discharge is wellbore or reservoir controlled.

Adsorption is potentially an important consideration when calculating reserves at The Geysers. Our investigations of the mineralogical relationships in core samples have shown matrix pore spaces to be largely associated with fractures. Dissolution of calcite from hydrothermal veins increases porosity in the graywacke reservoir. The high relative surface area of secondary alteration phases could promote adsorption. In order to quantify porosity distribution and surface area, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images were analyzed using software developed for the interpretation of satellite imagery, This software classifies the images as either crystal or pore and then accumulates data on pore size, total porosity and surface area of the mineral-pore interface. Review of literature shows that data on thickness of adsorbed water layer does not exist for many of the mineral phases of interest in The Geysers. We have assumed thicknesses of 10, 100, and 5300 Angstroms for the adsorbed layer and calculated the relative proportions of adsorbed water. These calculations show 0.005%, 0.05%, and 2.5% of total water would be adsorbed using the above thicknesses.

Large-scale use of geothermal energy is likely to result in depletion of natural resources that support both biodiversity and other human uses. Most of the problems could be averted with competent planning and adherence to agreed conditions, but they commonly develop because they are not perceived to be directly geothermal in origin and hence are not taken into account adequately. Some of the implications of such issues are discussed below, with particular reference to countries where all or most resources are held under traditional principals of custom ownership.

Data from injection experiments in the southeast Geysers are presented that show strong interference (both negative and positive) with a neighboring production well. Conceptual and numerical models are developed that explain the negative interference (decline of production rate) in terms of heat transfer limitations and water-vapor relative permeability effects. Recovery and overrecovery following injection shut-in are attributed to boiling of injected fluid, with heat of vaporization provided by the reservoir rocks.

A detailed three-dimensional numerical model has been developed for the low-temperature hydrothermal system at Botn in Central North Iceland. It is based on a conceptual reservoir model which has evolved during two decades of geothermal research in the area and on the 10 year production history of the system. The model consists of (1) A powerful recharge system at depth, (2) a shallow production reservoir and (3) a cold ground-water system at the surface. About 10 million tons of hot water have been extracted from the production reservoir since late 1981. The presence of the powerful recharge system results in a very slow long-term pressure decline. Flow of water in the production reservoir appears to be controlled by a highly permeable, vertical fracture-zone confined by low-permeability rocks. Cold ground-water flows down into the fracture-zone during production causing some cooling of the extracted water.

A long term interference test was conducted under conditions of multiwell variable flow rate at Takigami for about ten months in 1987. The test data have been analyzed with an on-line analysis method on the basis of the linesource solution. This method employs Kalman filtering to process the data and then provides the best estimates of reservoir transmissivity and storativity when a new pressure data at an observation well becomes available. The pressure changes measured at seven observation wells have been analyzed with the present method using an infinite reservoir model. The data from one observation well have been further analyzed assuming a presence of a linear boundary. Performances of the parameters estimated for different reservoir models are compared. Fairly good estimates of reservoir parameters are obtained on the basis of an infinite reservoir model for two wells using the entire pressure data whereas for other five wells using a part of the pressure data.

A general empirical correlation for estimating the intrinsic dissolution rate of quartz in pure water from 25” to 625°C was presented. Data obtained from five different apparatus in this study correlated favorably to rate measurements reported by seven other research groups using both nominal and BET-determined surface area bases. More than eleven orders of magnitude of variation of dissolution rate occur over a 600°C temperature change exhibiting Arrhenius-like behavior with a global activation energy of about 97 kJ/mol SiO₂. Discrepancies in low temperature (25°C) measurements were resolved by waiting sufficiently long to permit annealing processes to produce a “steady-state” dissolving surface.

A managed injection program implemented by the NCPA in The Southeast Geysers reservoir continues to positively impact reservoir performance. Injection effects are determined by the application of geochemical and geophysical techniques to track the movement of injectate. This information, when integrated with reservoir pressure, flowrate, and thermodynamic data, is used to quantify the overall performance and efficiency of the injection program. Data analysis indicates that injected water is boiling near the injection wells, without deeper migration, and is recovered as superheated steam from nearby production wells. Injection derived steam (IDS) currently accounts for 25 to 35 percent of total production in the NCPA steamfield. Most importantly, 80 to 100% of the injectate is flashing and being recovered as steam. The amount of IDS has increased since 1988 due to both a change in injection strategy and a drying out of the reservoir. However, significant areas of the reservoir still remain relatively unaffected by injection because of the limited amount of injectate presently available. That the reservoir has been positively impacted in the injection areas is evidenced by a decrease in the rate of pressure decline from 1989 through 1992. Correspondingly, there has been a reduction in the rate of steam …

The Geothermal Data Management System (GEOSYS) has been developed to allow storage, retrieval, and analysis of the large volume of data associated with a geothermal reservoir, including well drilling data, well log data, production (chemical and flow) data, and geographical data. The system allows the user to display overlays of well locations, faults, and surface features on maps or topographic images. Subsurface cross-sections can be displayed by selecting any two points on the map. Cross sections show subsurface topography together with the projections of wells along the cross section. The structure ofeach individual well can also be displayed in detail. Downhole well logs can be selected, displayed, and expanded to arbitrary scale. Time histories of production data can be displayed for the field and for each well. Data from the Cerro Prieto geothermal field has been used for development and testing of the system. This type of system has been made possible by recent advances in hardware and software technology, and the dramatic reduction in cost of high speed workstations and disk storage. GEOSYS was developed using the X Window System and the OSF/Motif widget set. The X Window System was designed specifically to provide hardware independence for interactive systems …

The Energy Policy Act of 1992 embraces and implements many of the actions recommended by the President in the National Energy Strategy. Independent geothermal power producers may be direct beneficiaries of 1) further deregulation of IPPs through their exemption from the provisions of the Public Utility Holding Company Act and 2) potentially freer access to utility-owned transmission facilities. However, these doors will not be fully opened to geothermal energy until this resource can compete with other fuels in cost considerations. While changes in public policy, such as inclusion of externalities in the price of power or financial penalties on carbon dioxide emissions, will level the playing field somewhat, reductions in cost will be the ultimate marketing tool. This is particularly critical in the economics of power derived from "new," as yet undiscovered reservoirs which will reflect the high costs of today's exploration methods. The Department of Energy's geothermal R&D program, in cooperation with industry, is undertaking, as described in this paper, to achieve the technology cost reductions needed to permit this resource to enjoy a status equal to or better than that of competing fuels at the utility least-cost bargaining table.

Single crystal silicon has been the material of choice for x-ray monochromators for the past several decades. However, the need for suitable monochromators to handle the high heat load of the next generation synchrotron x-ray beams on the one hand and the rapid and on-going advances in synthetic diamond technology on the other make a compelling case for the consideration of a diamond monochromator system. In this paper, we consider various aspects, advantages and disadvantages, and promises and pitfalls of such a system and evaluate the comparative performance of a diamond monochromator subjected to the high heat load of the most powerful x-ray beam that will become available in the next few years. The results of experiments performed to evaluate the diffraction properties of a currently available synthetic single crystal diamond are also presented. Fabrication of a diamond-based monochromator is within present technical means.

Newsletter of the Texas Department of Health discussing the news, activities, and events of the organization and other information related to health in Texas. This issue includes the annual index for 1993.

Weekly newsletter discussing natural resources, parks, hunting and fishing, and other information related to the outdoors in Texas.

By means of analysis of NBS laboratory notebooks for the period of 1976--1982 in conjunction with recent LANL P14 measurements it is shown that the Model 100-1, S/N 1 Debye Coaxial Line is stable. From the date of its inception in July 1977 to the present, at a temperature of 30 C the transition duration of the filter insertion step response has remained a 125.8 ps while the relative dielectric constant has remained at 2.7. Also, capacitance measurements on the NBS--held Model 100-2, S/N 2 have demonstrated that the capacitance has remained at 32.3 pF since 1979.

By means of analysis of NBS laboratory notebooks for the period of 1976--1982 in conjunction with recent LANL P14 measurements it is shown that the Model 100-1, S/N 1 Debye Coaxial Line is stable. From the date of its inception in July 1977 to the present, at a temperature of 30 C the transition duration of the filter insertion step response has reexamined a 125.8 ps while the relative dielectric constant has remained at 2.7. Also, capacitance measurements on the NBS--held Model 100-2, S/N 2 have demonstrated that the capacitance has remained at 32.3 pF since 1979.

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An apparatus and method for oxidizing wastes in a two-stage process. The apparatus includes an oxidation device, a gas-liquid contacting column and an electrocell. In the first stage of the process, wastes are heated in the presence of air to partially oxidize the wastes. The heated wastes produce an off-gas stream containing oxidizable materials. In the second stage, the off-gas stream is cooled and flowed through the contacting column, where the off-gas stream is contacted with an aqueous acid stream containing an oxidizing agent having at least two positive valence states. At least a portion of the oxidizable materials are transferred to the acid stream and destroyed by the oxidizing agent. During oxidation, the valence of the oxidizing agent is decreased from its higher state to its lower state. The acid stream is flowed to the electrocell, where an electric current is applied to the stream to restore the oxidizing agent to its higher valence state. The regenerated acid stream is recycled to the contacting column.

The author presents scaling laws for the behavior of hohlraums that are somewhat more complex than a simple sphere or cylinder. In particular the author considers hohlraums that are in what has become known as a {open_quotes}primary{close_quotes} {open_quotes}secondary{close_quotes} configuration, namely geometries in which the laser is absorbed in a primary region of a hohlraum, and only radiation energy is transported to a secondary part of the hohlraum that is shielded from seeing the laser light directly. Such hohlraums have been in use of late for doing LTE opacity experiments on a sample in the secondary and in recently proposed {open_quotes}shimmed{close_quotes} hohlraums that use gold disks on axis to block a capsule`s view of the cold laser entrance hole. The temperature/drive of the secondary, derived herein, scales somewhat differently than the drive in simple hohlraums.

Prolonged delays in traffic experienced by Laboratory personnel during a recent early dismissal in inclement weather, coupled with reconstruction efforts along NM 502 east of the White Rock Wye for the next 1 to 2 years, has prompted Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to re-evaluate and improve the present transportation plan and its integration with contingency plans maintained in other organizations. Facilities planners and emergency operations staff need to evaluate the transportation system`s capability to inefficiently and safely evacuate LANL under different low-level emergency conditions. A variety of potential procedures governing the release of employees from the different technical areas (TAs) requires evaluation, perhaps with regard to multiple emergency-condition scenarios, with one or more optimal procedures ultimately presented for adoption by Lab Management. The work undertaken in this project will hopefully lay a foundation for an on-going, progressive transportation system analysis capability. It utilizes microscale simulation techniques to affirm, reassess and validate the Laboratory`s Early Dismissal/Closure/Delayed Opening Plan. The Laboratory is required by Federal guidelines, and compelled by prudent practice and conscientious regard for the welfare of employees and nearby residents, to maintain plans and operating procedures for evacuation if the need arises. The tools developed during this process can …

Reported here is the progress on the Development of Biological Coal Gasification for DOE contract No. DE-AC21-90MC27226 MOD A006. Task 1, NEPA Compliance and Updated Test Plan has been completed. Progress toward Task 2, Enhanced Methane Production, is reported in the areas of bacterial strain improvement, addition of co-substrates, and low cost nutrient amendment. Conclusions reached as a result of this work are presented. Plans for future work are briefly outlined.

Several possible high-temperature reactor oils have been identified and are being evaluated. One candidate, Drakeol{reg_sign} 34 mineral oil, appeared to decompose rapidly during testing at 425{degree}C in the stirred autoclave. However, a thermal stability test in laboratory glassware showed that Drakeol{reg_sign} 34 was stable at about 360{degree}C, suggesting that the decomposition observed in the autoclave was not caused simply by high temperature. Another oil, Ethylflo{reg_sign} 180, also showed no signs of decomposition during thermal stability testing in the laboratory, also at a temperature of about 360{degree}C. The first of three methanol synthesis verification runs was conducted in the stirred autoclave, using the commercial BASF Cu/ZnO catalyst. Gas chromatograph failures and apparent catalyst deactivation prevented collection of any meaningful data during the run.

In earlier reports we have describe d our efforts to understand the mechanism of deuterium incorporation during the thermolysis of 1,2-diphenylethane and 2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-3,4-diphenylhexane under D[sub 2] gas in a glass vessel. We have reported that in both of these cases, there is substantial deuterium incorporation. A summary of our conclusions follows: Conclusions previously reported for the 1,2-diphenylethane (DPE) system. 1. Benzyl radicals produced in the thermolysis react mainly with DPE to extract a hydrogen atom and produce undeuterated toluene. 2. The 1,2-diphenylethyl radicals produced are mainly responsible for the reaction with D[sub 2] to give D atoms. 3. D atoms then react with aromatic rings to form adduct radicals which are, at least in part, reconverted to D-substituted aromatics in termination steps. 4.2-Phenylethyl radicals react in a less discriminating manner, 1/3 to 1/2 of the events probably involving direct reaction with D[sub 2]. 5. A reasonable match to major product distribution can be accomplished using a model consisting of the set of ten reactions.