The authors present the results of the Integrated Monitoring and Surveillance System (IMSS) demonstration project Phase I efforts. The rationale behind IMSS development is reviewed and progress in each of the 5 basic tasks is detailed. Significant results include decisions to use Echelon LonWorks networking protocol and Microsoft Access for the data system needs, a preliminary design for the plutonium canning system glovebox, identification of facilities and materials available for the demonstration, determination of possibly affected facility documentation, and a preliminary list of available sensor technologies. Recently imposed changes in the overall project schedule and scope are also discussed and budgetary requirements for competition of Phase II presented. The results show that the IMSS demonstration project team has met and in many cases exceeded the commitments made for Phase I deliverables.

MCNP4B was released in early 1997. In this new version, several major changes were made to the underlying theory used to estimate the non-adjoint-weighted removal, fission, capture, and escape prompt-neutron lifetimes. These four lifetimes are now being calculated in accordance to the neutron-balance theory described by Spriggs et al. in which the non-adjoint-weighted lifetime for a particular type of reaction (i.e., fission, capture, escape, removal, etc.) is defined as the total neutron population in the system divided by that reaction rate.

The development of practical technologies for the deep cleaning of coal has been seriously hampered by the problems of carrying out efficient coal/mineral separations at the very fine sizes (often finer than 10 {micro}m) needed to achieve adequate liberation of the mineral matter from the coal matrix. In this investigation a hybrid process--Micro-agglomerate flotation--which is a combination of oil-agglomeration and froth flotation was studied. The basic concept is to use small quantities of oil to promote the formation of dense micro-agglomerates with minimal entrapment of water and mineral particles and to use froth flotation to separate these micro-agglomerates from the water/dispersed-mineral phase. Since the floating units will be relatively large agglomerates (30--50 {micro}m in size) rather than fine coal particles (1--10 {micro}m) the problems of froth overload and water/mineral carryover should be significantly alleviated. There are, however, complications. The process involves at least five phases: two or more solids (coal and mineral), two liquids (oil and water) and one gas (air). It is demonstrated in this study that the process is very sensitive to fluctuations in operating parameters. It is necessary to maintain precise control over the chemistry of the liquid phases as well as the agitation conditions in order …

In FY96 we released CHEETAH 1.40, which made extensive improvements on the stability and user friendliness of the code. CHEETAH now has over 175 users in government, academia, and industry. Efforts have also been focused on adding new advanced features to CHEETAH 2.0, which is scheduled for release in FY97. We have added a new chemical kinetics capability to CHEETAH. In the past, CHEETAH assumed complete thermodynamic equilibrium and independence of time. The addition of a chemical kinetic framework will allow for modeling of time-dependent phenomena, such as partial combustion and detonation in composite explosives with large reaction zones. We have implemented a Wood-Kirkwood detonation framework in CHEETAH, which allows for the treatment of nonideal detonations and explosive failure. A second major effort in the project this year has been linking CHEETAH to hydrodynamic codes to yield an improved HE product equation of state. We have linked CHEETAH to 1- and 2-D hydrodynamic codes, and have compared the code to experimental data. 15 refs., 13 figs., 1 tab.

The objective of this project is to address waterflood problems of the type found in Morrow sandstone reservoirs in southwestern Kansas and in Cherokee Group reservoirs in southeastern Kansas. Two demonstration sites operated by different independent oil operators are involved in this project. The Stewart Field is located in Finney County, Kansas and is operated by PetroSantander, Inc. The Nelson Lease is located in Allen County, Kansas, in the N.E. Savonburg Field and is operated by James E. Russell Petroleum, Inc. General topics to be addressed are (1) reservoir management and performance evaluation, (2) waterflood optimization, and (3) the demonstration of recovery processes involving off-the-shelf technologies which can be used to enhance waterflood recovery, increase reserves, and reduce the abandonment rate of these reservoir types. Progress in the Stewart field project is described for the following tasks: design/construct waterflood plant; design/construct injection system; design/construct battery consolidation and gathering system; waterflood operations and reservoir management; and technology transfer. Progress in the Savonburg field project is described for the following tasks: profile modification treatments; pattern changes and wellbore cleanup; reservoir development (polymer flooding); and technology transfer.

In this project the fundamental processes which occur in low energy collisions of excited states of atomic hydrogen with other atoms and ions are being studied with optical, vacuum ultraviolet and laser spectroscopy. This report covers the period from 1994 to early 1997. We begin here with a brief description of the status of the work at the beginning of this project period, then discuss the goals for this period, our results, and the work in progress now. As the accompanying renewal proposal describes in more detail, the purpose of our work is to understand low energy atom-atom collisions during which light is emitted or absorbed. Because of their fundamental character, such collisions of atomic hydrogen could play a central role if experimental data could be compared with a priori theory. Some interactions involving atomic hydrogen can be calculated very accurately, namely those of H{sub 2}, H{sup +}{sub 2} H{sub 3}, and H{sup +}{sub 3}, and simpler diatomic radicals including OH, CH, and NH. The primary difficulty from the experimental side has been the development of techniques to observe neutral atomic hydrogen interactions at densities high enough for spectral line broadening effects to be observable. This specific research discusses in …

The authors present a tone reproduction operator that preserves visibility in high dynamic range scenes. The method introduces a new histogram adjustment technique, based on the population of local adaptation luminances in a scene. To match subjective viewing experience, the method incorporates models for human contrast sensitivity, glare, spatial acuity and color sensitivity. They compare the results to previous work and present examples the techniques applied to lighting simulation and electronic photography.

The thermal decomposition of methane offers significant potential as a means of producing higher unsaturated and aromatic hydrocarbons when the extent of reaction is limited. Work in the literature previous to this project had shown that cooling the product and reacting gases as the reaction proceeds would significantly reduce or eliminate the formation of solid carbon or heavier (Clo+) materials. This project studied the effect and optimization of the quenching process as a means of increasing the amount of value added products during the pyrolysis of methane. A reactor was designed to rapidly quench the free-radical combustion reaction so as to maximize the yield of aromatics. The use of free-radical generators and catalysts were studied as a means of lowering the reaction temperature. A lower reaction temperature would have the benefits of more rapid quenching as well as a more feasible commercial process due to savings realized in energy and material of construction costs. It was the goal of the project to identify promising routes from methane to higher hydrocarbons based on the pyrolysis of methane.

We have fabricated and tested GMR magnetic flux sensors that operate in the CPP mode. This work is a continuation of the ultra-high density magnetic sensor research introduced at INTERMAG 96. We have made two significant modifications to the process sequence. First, contact to the sensor is made through a metal conduit deposited in situ with the multilayers. This deposition replaces electroplating. This configuration ensures a good electrical interface between the top of multilayer stack and the top contact, and a continuous, conductive current path to the sensor. The consequences of this modification are an increase in yield of operational devices to {ge}90% per wafer and a significant reduction of the device resistance to {le}560 milliohms and of the uniformity of the device resistance to {le}3%. Second, the as-deposited multilayer structure has been changed from [Cu 30 {angstrom}/Co 20 {angstrom}]{sub 18} (third peak) to [Cu 20.5 {angstrom}/Co 12 {angstrom}]{sub 30} (second peak) to increase the CPP and CIP responses. The sheet film second peak CIP GMR response is 18% and the sensitivity is 0.08 %/Oe. The sheet film third peak CIP GMR response is 8% and the sensitivity is 0. 05 %/Oe. The second peak CPP GMR response averaged over …

In high temperature engineering applications, commercially available silicon nitride non-oxide ceramics have retained special attention because of their superior thermal, mechanical, and chemical properties. These properties mainly include a high fracture strength and toughness, a low coefficient of thermal expansion relative to other ceramics, good thermal shock resistance, and good chemical stability. With silicon carbide, silicon nitride was the second material selected for heat exchangers in the High Temperature Advanced Furnace being developed under the DOE Combustion 2000 program. Their potential use in heat exchangers is, however, limited in time since both materials corrode severely in high temperature coal combustion atmospheres containing alkali compounds. Thus, this research will first focus on enhancing the performance of Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} ceramics by coating them with alkali corrosion resistant materials such as CMZP and Mg-doped Al{sub 2}TiO{sub 5} oxide ceramics.

The objectives are to provide resources and capabilities to enable the Railroad Commission to conduct Area of Review (AOR) variance analysis on a statewide level, including: (1) the identification and analysis of areas that may qualify for AOR variances; (2) the correlation of information from various databases and automation systems to conduct AORs in areas that do not qualify for variances; (3) the evaluation of the risk of pollution, during permitting and monitoring, using risk-based data analysis; and (4) the ability to conduct spatial analysis of injection well data in conjunction with other geographically referenced information. The Commission will achieve these objectives through the acquisition and implementation of the following components: (1) a Geographic Information System (GIS); (2) a Client-Server/Scanning System; and , (3) a Local Area Network/Wide-Area Network (LAN/WAN) system encompassing the district offices. The Commission is well on its way toward completing the GIS component of the project. Work is progressing smoothly on the Client Server/Scanner System LAN/WAN components of the project.