A new test method has been developed at the Savannah River Laboratory for evaluating the iodine retention capabilities of carbon used in the airborne-activity confinement system. Methyl iodide tagged with I-131 is injected into a test gas stream continuously for 5 hours with test conditions of 80/sup 0/C temperature, 95% relative humidity, and 55 feet per minute linear flow velocity. Results show that the CH/sub 3/I retention efficiency is independent of the inlet CH/sub 3/I concentration over the range of at least 0.9 to 200 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/ in the test gas stream. The method was also used to evaluate the effects of paint fumes on in-service carbons and showed that solvent exposure reduced carbon service life by 5 to 7 months. Experimental carbons both before and after service exposure in the SRP carbon test facility were also evaluated.

Resuls of analytical and experimental studies on hydraulic fracturing and on the characterization and modeling of hot dry rock geothermal energy reservoirs are presented. The first four Chapters are concerned with problems of thermal cracking and heat transfer, with fluid flow through large cracks, and with the stable and unstable growth of water-filled cracks under internal pressure and thermal loading. Experiments are reported, which present visually observable hydraulic fractures in transparent materials to demonstrate the interaction between hydraulic fractures and the development of thermal cracks. Seismic detection of hydraulic fractures is discussed, and a method to invert crack-scattering data is presented. Separate abstracts were prepared for each of the six chapters.

The MITRE Corporation conducted a five-month study for the Office of Resource Applications in the Department of Energy on the regulatory requirements of low-Btu coal gasification. During this study, MITRE interviewed representatives of five current low-Btu coal gasification projects and regulatory agencies in five states. From these interviews, MITRE has sought the experience of current low-Btu coal gasification users in order to recommend actions to improve the regulatory process. This report is the third of three volumes. It contains the results of interviews conducted for each of the case studies. Volume 1 of the report contains the analysis of the case studies and recommendations to potential industrial users of low-Btu coal gasification. Volume 2 contains recommendations to regulatory agencies.

The progress of the LLL Laser Fusion Program to achieve high gain thermonuclear micro-explosions is discussed. Many experiments have been successfully performed and diagnosed using the large complex, 10-beam, 30 TW Shiva laser system. A 400 kJ design of the 20-beam Nova laser has been completed. The construction of the first phase of this facility has begun. New diagnostic instruments are described which provide one with new and improved resolution, information on laser absorption and scattering, thermal energy flow, suprathermal electrons and their effects, and final fuel conditions. Measurements were made on the absorption and Brillouin scattering for target irradiations at both 1.064 ..mu..m and 532 nm. These measurements confirm the expected increased absorption and reduced scattering at the shorter wavelength. Implosion experiments have been performed which have produced final fuel densities over the range of 10x to 100x liquid DT density.

An analytic study of stability against high n ballooning modes in highly elongated axisymmetric plasmas is presented and compared with computational results. From the equation for the marginal pressure gradient, it is found that the local shear plays an important role on the stability of elongated and shifted plasma, and that high elongation deteriorates the stability by decreasing the stabilizing effects of field line bending and local shear. The net contribution of the local shear to stability decreases with elongation and shift for strongly ballooning modes (eigenfunctions strongly localized near the outer edge of the toroidal flux surfaces) but increases for interchange modes (eigenfunctions more uniform along the flux surfaces). The computational study of high n ballooning modes in a highly elongated plasma reveals that lowering the aspect ratio and broadening the pressure profile enhance the marginal beta for ..beta../sub p/ less than unity but severely reduce the marginal beta for ..beta../sub p/ larger than unity.

Several all sputter deposited Cu/sub 2/S/CdS cells have been prepared to date with J/sub SC/ approx. = 3 mA/cm/sup 2/ under simulated AM1 illumination. The best AM1 conversion efficiency obtained is 0.6%. This is shown to be typical of sputtered CdS in Cu/sub 2/S/CdS cells investigated to date. The sputtered Cu/sub 2/S appears to be satisfactory for solar cell applications. Presented evidence indicates that the poor conversion efficiency is due to a low-junction electric field intensity on the CdS side of the heterojunction. A multilayer CdS structure has been developed which may allow the tailoring of the junction electric field intensity to a selected high value to obtain high-junction collection efficiency. Other areas of cell development advances included: (1) determination of effect of Cu cones in Cu/sub 2/S on Cu/sub 2/S/CdS cell performance; (2) solution of CdS pinhole problem; and (3) open circuit voltage improvement by heat treatment.

In May 1979, The Institute of Ecology held a workshop to determine the role of organic soils in the global carbon cycle and to ascertain their past, present and future significance in world carbon flux. Wetlands ecologists and soil scientists who participated in the workshop examined such topics as Soils as Sources of Atmospheric CO/sub 2/, Organic Soils, Primary Production and Growth of Wetlands Ecosystems, and Management of Peatlands. The major finding of the workshop is that the organic soils are important in the overall carbon budget. Histosols and Gleysols, the major organic soil deposits of the world, normally sequester organic carbon fixed by plants. They may now be releasing enough carbon to account for nearly 10% of the annual rise in atmospheric content of CO/sub 2/.

The primary consideration for the suitability of a nuclear waste repository site is the overall ability of the repository to safely contain radioactive waste. This report is a discussion of the past, present, and future effects of resource activities on waste containment. Past and present resource activities which provide release pathways (i.e., leaky boreholes, adjacent mines) will receive initial evaluation during the early stages of any repository site study. However, other resource activities which may have subtle effects on containment (e.g., long-term pumping causing increased groundwater gradients, invasion of saline water causing lower retardation) and all potential future resource activities must also be considered during the site evaluation process. Resource activities will affect both the siting and the designing of repositories. Ideally, sites should be located in areas of low resource activity and low potential for future activity, and repository design should seek to eliminate or minimize the adverse effects of any resource activity. Buffer zones should be created to provide areas in which resource activities that might adversely affect containment can be restricted or curtailed. This could mean removing large areas of land from resource development. The impact of these frozen assets should be assessed in terms of their …

The papers included in this progress report summarize some significant developments in understanding the South Atlantic Bight. Some of the results are summarized as follows: Onslow Bay flushing rates can be determined using a model based on an exponential dilution model; eddy induced nitrate flux accounts for most input of new nitrogen into shelf waters; and tarballs in the Gulf Stream are not transported to the nearshore because of an apparent inner shelf density front.

Progress is reported on research conducted from June, 1979 to May, 1980 on various oceanographic aspects of the South Atlantic Bight. Research topics included: (1) A flashing model of Onslow Bay, North Carolina based on intrusion volumes; (2) A description of a bottom intrusion in Onslow Bay, North Carolina; (3) Detailed observations of a Gulf Stream spin-off eddy on the Georgia continental shelf; (4) Pelagic tar of Georgia and Florida; (5) A surface diaton bloom in response to eddy-forced upwelling; and (6) Hydrographic observations off Savannah and Brunswick, Georgia.

Behavioral responses of organisms are often sensitive indicators of changes in the environment over short time frames. The rate of burrowing of Abarenicola pacifica, a lugworm typical of muddy tidal flats, was studied to determine its response to the presence of hydrocarbons in the environment. If a reduction in burrowing rates is reflected in reduced food intake, a decline in nutritional status might be expected. The level of free amino acids in the tissues was examined as a possible indicator of nutritional status. (ACR)

It is becoming increasingly important for industry to prevent releases of potentially toxic material to the environment. The Lawrence Livermore Laboratory has developed a system to monitor its sewage effluent on a continuous basis. A representative fraction of the total waste stream leaving the Plant is passed through a detection assembly consisting of an x-ray fluorescence unit which detects high levels of metals, sodium iodide crystal detectors that scan the sewage for the presence of elevated levels of radiation, and an industrial probe for pH monitoring. With the aid of a microprocessor, the data collected is reduced and analyzed to determine whether levels are approaching established environmental limits. Currently, if preset pH or radiation levels are exceeded, a sample of the suspect sewage is automatically collected for further analysis, and an alarm is sent to a station where personnel can be alerted to respond on a 24-hour basis. In the same manner, spectral data from the x-ray fluorescence unit will be routed through the 24-hour alarm system as soon as evaluation of the unit is complete. The design of the system and operational experience is discussed.

This document represents a progress report and renewal proposal for the contract DEAS 09 79 ER10434 between the USDOE and USC. During the time from 1 July 1979 to 1 March 1980, the large 35% intrinsic Ge detector was purchased and tested, and the new hyperpure Ge detector for positron end-point-energy measurements was designed and fabricated by ORTEC. It was delivered just prior to January 1, 1980. Measurements using this special equipment began in January 1980. During this period, a new effort in the measurement of short nuclear lifetimes was completed, and nuclear structure measurements of /sup 206/Rn nd /sup 208/Rn were completed. The results of these efforts are described in the text. A search for the Post Doctoral Research Associate was started last summer and the position will be filled on or about 1 March 1980. The first experiments to measure positron end-point-energies were proposed to the ORIC scheduling committee, and measurements will begin in March 1980. Theoretical efforts describe accurately the interference of annihilation radiation with positron end-point-energy measurements were begun.

Part 5 of the 1979 Annual Report to the Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for the Environment presents Pacific Northwest Laboratory's progress on work performed for the Office of Technology Impacts, the Office of Environmental Compliance and Overview, and the Office of Health and Environmental Research. The report is in four sections, corresponding to the program elements: technology impacts, environmental control engineering, operational and environmental compliance, and human health studies. In each section, articles describe progress made during FY 1979 on individual projects.

Results of resonance integral calculations for UO/sub 2/ and ThO/sub 2/ isolated rods are discussed. The calculations were performed with ENDF/B-IV cross-section data and the multigroup transport code ANISN. The findings reported demonstrate by comparison with semiempirical relationships (based on experimentally derived results) the suitability of the method used for determining resonance integrals. The calculations were based on a cylindrical rod in an H/sub 2/O moderator of large radius. Multigroup cross sections were obtained by a MINX-SPHINX-AMMPX sequence, and ANISN was used to account for the neutron flux and capture rates. A special approach was used to determine a neutron source distribution such that the flux in the moderator region was forced to behave in an asymptotic way; thus, the ideal resonance integral experiment could be calculated. The UO/sub 2/ resonance integrals calculated were in exceptionally good agreement with experimental values based on isolated rods. The ThO/sub 2/ results were approximately 6% lower than experimental values, and efforts to understand the discrepancy are discussed. 8 figures, 7 tables.

Geochemical studies of the geothermal system at Roosevelt Hot Springs, Utah, have led to development of chemical criteria for recognition of major features of the system and to a three-dimensional model for chemical zoning in the system. Based on this improved level of understanding several new or modified geochemical exploration and assessment techniques have been defined and are probably broadly applicable to evaluation of hot-water geothermal systems. The main purpose of this work was the development or adaptation of solids geochemical exploration techniques for use in the geothermal environment. (MHR)

The objectives of the falloff tests conducted prior to ignition in August and September 1976 and again in February 1977, were to determine the injection wellbore conditions and pattern flow capacities and to determine how or if the burning process affects them. Pulse tests were conducted to determine directional permeabilities within patterns in order to assist in predicting the combustion front movement. The tests were conducted by shutting off injection into the central injector and subsequently monitoring the tubinghead pressure at that injector, as well as the gas production rates at the offset producing wells. Injection was then restarted and the offset wells' gas production monitored until it was near the initial rate. Analysis of the falloff tests indicates that the advance of the firefront results in large increases in the formation flow capacity and average permeability around the injection wells. Pulse tests analysis, on the other hand, is not so simply understood. The dip of the formation is responsible for generally higher gas mobility (low lag times) toward the south. However, notable deviation occurs in certain patterns due to local anomalies in rock character, saturations and even possibly dip. The lag time measurements on each well defines its particular …

The low-temperature, magnetic entropy of certain single-crystal paramagnetic materials, such as DyPO/sub 4/, changes dramatically as the crystal rotates in a magnetic field. A new magnetic refrigerator design based on the anisotropic nature of such materials is presented. The key advantages of the rotational-cooling concept are (1) a single, rotary motion is required, (2) magnetic field shaping is not a problem because the entire working material is in a constant field, and (3) the refrigerator can be smaller than comparable magnetic refrigerators because the working material is entirely inside the magnet at all times. The main disadvantage of the rotational-cooling concept is that small-dimension single crystals are required.

The simulation if presented for the 800-MW(e) two-loop GT-HTGR plant design with the REALY2 transient analysis computer code, and the modeling of control strategies called for by the inherently unique operational requirements of a multiple loop GT-HTGR is described. Plant control of the GT-HTGR is constrained by the nature of its power conversion loops (PCLs) in which the core cooling flow and the turbine flow are directly related and thus changes in flow affect core cooling as well as turbine power. Additionally, the high thermal inertia of the reactor core precludes rapid changes in the temperature of the turbine inlet flow.

Two fast running computer codes have been developed to calculate and verify the predictions of phenomenological models of beam emittance growth and radial oscillation damping. This report describes the codes - a point model, EMY, and a particle simulation, DESTIN. Comparison of model predictions and simulation results is made for the cases of a beam launched near self-pinch equilibrium and for a cold beam launched in near ballistic condition.

A prototype voice verification system has been installed which provides the required positive identification at the main site access control point. This system compares an individual's file voice print with a sample voice print obtained from the individual when an attempt is made to enter the site. The voice system transmits the individual's identity to a central processor. The central processor associates that individual's authorization file with a card-key obtained at the access point. The system generates a record of personnel movement, provides a personnel inventory on a real-time basis, and it can retrieve a record of all prior events. The system installed at the Barnwell Nuclear Fuel Plant is described.

A set of novel first stage graphite salts of general formula C{sub 8}{sup +}MF{sub 6}{sup -} has been prepared (M = Os, Ir, As). Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies indicate that these salts are hexagonal with a {approx} 4.9 and c {approx} 8.1 {angstrom}. The unit cell volume indicates that the anions are closely packed in the galleries. Platinum hexafluoride, which is the most powerful oxidizer of the third transition series, forms a first stage compound, which analytical, structural, and magnetic studies establish as C{sub 12}{sup 2+}PtF{sub 6}{sup 2-}. In this salt the anions are not close packed, but the electron withdrawal from the graphite planes is greater than for the C{sub 8}{sup +}MF{sub 6}{sup -} series. The variation in the electrical conductivity (in the a-b plane), as a function of composition, has been investigated with the OsF{sub 6}, IrF{sub 6}, PtF{sub 6} and AsF{sub 5} intercalates. For OsF{sub 6} and IrF{sub 6}, the conductance per plane of graphite is found to be a maximum at approximately C{sub 24}MF{sub 6} (second stage); the conductivity being an order of magnitude greater than that of the parent material. Intercalation beyond C{sub 24}MF{sub 6} leads to a marked decrease in conductivity. C{sub 8}MF{sub …

An assembly of an electrolytic oxygen meter and a diffusion type hydrogen meter was designed to fit into the Multipurpose Sampler hardware already installed and operating on the four FFTF sodium systems. One of the key elements in this assembly is a ceramic-metal sealed oxygen sensor which allows use of a metal tube to extend the 51 cm (20 in.) between the sampler top and the flowing sodium region.

Those phosphate related and food processing industries in Southeastern Idaho are identified which require large energy inputs and the potential for direct application of geothermal energy is assessed. The total energy demand is given along with that fractional demand that can be satisfied by a geothermal source of known temperature. The potential for geothermal resource development is analyzed by examining the location of known thermal springs and wells, the location of state and federal geothermal exploration leases, and the location of federal and state oil and gas leasing activity in Southeast Idaho. Information is also presented regarding the location of geothermal, oil, and gas exploration wells in Southeast Idaho. The location of state and federal phosphate mining leases is also presented. This information is presented in table and map formats to show the proximity of exploration and development activities to current food and phosphate processing facilities and phosphate mining activities. (MHR)