This report describes the results of field and laboratory studies of combined NH/sub 3/ and SO/sub 3/ conditioning at the Big Brown Station of Texas Utilities Generating Company. This unusual combination of conditioning agents is used routinely at the Big Brown Station in order to improve the performance of the cold-side electrostatic precipitators. The primary objectives of this field study were to evaluate the performance of one of the Big Brown precipitators, and to obtain data on the concentration, composition, and size distribution of the fly ash, as well as the composition of the flue gas and the overall and fractional collection efficiencies of the precipitator. The laboratory studies of the Big Brown fly ash were intended to further characterize the ash both physically and chemically, and to study the attenuation of the electrical resistivity of the ash associated with the surface film produced by the dual conditioning process and by the use of SO/sub 3/ conditioning alone. 6 references, 22 figures, 9 tables.

Results are presented of a study of various aspects of the single helicity nonlinear development of the resistive interchange mode in the cylindrical spheromak. A formulation of the helically symmetric resistive MHD equations that partially separates the ideal MHD characteristics is developed. Mode saturation can occur due to the quasilinear flattening of the pressure profile in the vicinity of the mode rational surface. However, this saturation process is defeated when the plasma overheats and in regions of the plasma where the shear is low. Finite fluid compression has significant, and optimistic, consequences on the long-term nonlinear behavior of this mode. For a tearing mode stable cylindrical spheromak equilibrium configuration with an axial beta value of 6%, complete overlap of the m = 1 islands occurs in about 3% of the resistive skin time for a magnetic Reynold's number of S = 10/sup 5/. For typical parameters of the S-1 device at Princeton, this time corresponds to nearly one-millisecond.

Thermodynamic properties of strongly coupled (high density) plasmas of mixtures of light elements have been obtained by Monte Carlo simulations. For an assumed uniform charge background the equation of state of ionic mixtures is a simple extension of the one-component plasma EOS. More realistic electron screening effects are treated in linear response theory and with an appropriate electron dielectric function. Results have been obtained for the ionic pair distribution functions, and for the electric microfield distribution.

The synthesis of epsilon-Fe/sub 2.7/N is confirmed by Moessbauer spectroscopy. Carburization of epsilon-iron nitride for 2.5 hours in 3H/sub 2//CO at 523 K starts the formation of a bulk structure similar to that seen during ..gamma..'-iron nitride carburization. Reaction of ..gamma..'-Fe/sub 4/N in 3CO/H/sub 2/ synthesis gas at 523 K shows a better bulk stability than reaction in 3H/sub 2//CO. Kinetic analysis of the product distribution at the higher CO ratio confirms greater activity and selectivity maintainance. The kinetics of denitriding in both He and H/sub 2/ was studied with a mass spectrometer. Extremely rapid nitrogen loss was observed from both ..gamma..'-Fe/sub 4/N and epsilon-Fe/sub 2.7/N catalysts in H/sub 2/ at 523 K. In both cases a initial exposure to H/sub 2/ produced a significant amount of NH/sub 3/ which we ascribe to an active surface species. Hydrogenation of the bulk continued with a slow rise to a maximum about 90 seconds after the introduction of H/sub 2/. The denitriding activity of the epsilon-Fe/sub 2.7/N catalyst was significantly higher than that of the ..gamma..'-Fe/sub 4/N catalyst. In contrast, the denitriding rate of epsilon-Fe/sub 2.7/N in He was significantly slower than that in H/sub 2/ until high temperatures (773K) were reached. …

Burning of asphalt roofing waste as a fuel and incorporating asphalt roofing waste in bituminous paving were identified as the two outstanding resource recovery concepts out of ten studied. Four additional concepts might be worth considering under different market or technical circumstances. Another four concepts were rated as worth no further consideration at this time. This study of the recovery of the resource represented in asphalt roofing waste has identified the sources and quantities of roofing waste. About six million cubic yards of scrap roofing are generated annually in the United States, about 94% from removal of old roofing at the job site and the remainder from roofing material production at factories. Waste disposal is a growing problem for manufacturers and contractors. Nearly all roofing waste is hauled to landfills at a considerable expense to roofing contractors and manufacturers. Recovery of the roofing waste resource should require only a modest economic incentive. The asphalt contained in roofing waste represents an energy resource of more than 7 x 10/sup 13/ Btu/year. Another 1 x 10/sup 13/ Btu/year may be contained in field-applied asphalt on commercial building roofs. The two concepts recommended by this study appear to offer the broadest applicability, the …

The structural components of principal interest in LMFBR cores and cooling circuits include the reactor vessel, primary and secondary piping, intermediate heat exchanger (IHX), and steam generator. Load-bearing components inside the vessel, among these the fuel cladding and duct, are also included. The operating conditions present in a fast-breeder nuclear reactor impose a number of requirements on the mechanical, physical, and neutronic properties of the materials used to construct these components.

Integral experiments performed at the Institute for Reactor Development at Juelich, West Germany, have raised doubts about the adequacy of current nuclear data and calculational methods in predicting neutron multiplication and leakage from beryllium assemblies bombarded with 14-MeV neutrons. Experimental values of inferred neutron multiplication were reported to be less than calculated values by approx. 25%. We have performed calculations of the experiments using the TART Monte Carlo code. The ratio of measured leakage multiplication to our calculated leakage multiplication is 0.85 for 8-cm-thick beryllium and 0.99 for 12-cm-thick beryllium. However, much uncertainty exists in the procedure leading to the stated experiment values of apparent multiplication. We also performed calculations for a series of experiments done at LLNL from 1955 to 1956. A 14-MeV neutron source was placed in the center of a cylindrical beryllium assembly 8 in. in radius and 24 in. in height. The beryllium assembly was encased in an aluminum can surrounded by a manganese bath. The ratio of experimental to calculated neutron leakage multiplication is 0.88. Much uncertainty exists in both series of experiments.

None

The goals of atmospheric research at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) are to assess, describe and predict the nature and fate of atmospheric contaminants and to study the impacts of contaminants on local, regional and global climates. The contaminants being investigated are those resulting from the development and use of conventional energy resources (coal, gas, oil, and nuclear power) as well as alternative energy resources. The description of atmospheric research at PNL is organized in terms of generic studies including Contaminant Characterizations and Transformation; Boundary Layer Meteorology; and Dispersion, Deposition and Resupension of Atmospheric Contaminants.

The S-1 machine is part of the Magnetic Fusion Program. The goal of the Magnetic Fusion Program is to develop and demonstrate the practical application of fusion. S-1 is an experimental device which will provide an essential link in the research effort aiming at the realization of fusion power.

Argonne's Intense Pulsed Neutron Source, IPNS, was dedicated as a major user-oriented neutron scattering facility two years ago. Most instruments are now equipped to provide for sample environments in the temperature range 1.5 < T < 1300K. A special facility provides T < 1mK, and another provides pressures to 30kbar. Several environmental equipment designs are described that emphasize time-of-flight technique. Methods for achieving time-resolved experiments which take advantage of the IPNS pulsed source characteristics are discussed. 6 references, 7 figures.

An experiment to determine the electron neutrino mass is being performed with the precision of a few electron volts by measuring the tritium beta decay energy distribution near the endpoint. At the few electron volt level, a major consideration in the choice of a tritium source is the effect of excited final atomic or molecular states on the beta decay distribution. It is important to choose a source for which the initial and final states can be accurately calculated. Frozen tritium was chosen as the source since the states of molecular tritium and those of the HeT/sup +/ daughter ion have electronic wavefunctions that can be calculated with high accuracy. The effects of final excited states on the neutrino mass determination and the results of these calculations are described.

MININR is a reduced form of the computer program MINTEQ which calculates equilibrium precipitation/dissolution of solid phases, aqueous speciation, adsorption, and gas phase equilibrium. The user-oriented features in MINTEQ were removed to reduce the size and increase the computational speed. MININR closely resembles the MINEQL computer program developed by Westall (1976). The main differences between MININR and MINEQL involve modifications to accept an initial starting mass of solid and necessary changes for linking with a water flow model. MININR in combination with a simple water flow model which considers only dilution was applied to a laboratory column packed with retorted oil shale and percolated with distilled water. Experimental and preliminary model simulation results are presented for the constituents K/sup +/, Na/sup +/, SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/, Mg/sup 2 +/, Ca/sup 2 +/, CO/sub 3//sup 2 -/ and pH.

This report describes the results of a workshop to develop a research program for Columbia River Basin white surgeon. Invited participants developed a list of white sturgeon research needs and rationale for ranking the relative importance of the research needs. The highest ranked research needs were: define physical habitat requirements (substrate, flow, water quality) for early life history stages; identify genetic stocks; assess population status (e.g., distribution, densities, age-structure, year-class strength, age-specific mortality, disease, parasitism); assess reproductive status (e.g., spawning success, recruitment, age/size-dependent fecundity); develop new sampling techniques and gear for collecting early life history stages; assess gametogenesis (timing of maturation, frequency of spawning), including effects of environmental factors on gonadal development; and define physical habitat requirements (substrate, flow, water quality) for spawning. 2 references, 2 figures, 5 tables.

None

Long-lived isotopes in nuclear waste can have the greatest impact on man and the environment because of the integrated dose over a long time period. Many long-lived radioactive isotopes are present in the waste at Savannah River Plant. Actinide elements make up a significant portion of these isotopes. But when the waste is incorporated into a glass waste form, the actinides are converted to chemically stable oxide species that are released at extremely low and controlled rates, even after the waste form has degraded. Because of their different chemistry, radioactive isotopes of carbon, technetium, and iodine could be released at a significantly higher rate. To establish the potential hazard from these isotopes, their concentration in waste forms for final disposal must be known. The concentrations of C-14 and T{sub c}-99 in SRP waste were previously estimated. Additional analytical data has now been obtained for I-129 in H-Area soluble waste to estimate its concentration in SRP waste. Because of the nature of processes at SRP, most of the I-129 in the waste is in the H-Area waste tanks.

Analyses of sludge and soluble waste samples and the inventory of sludge and soluble waste have been used to estimate the concentration of technetium-99 (Tc-99) in sludge solids and soluble waste. These data were also used to establish if the source term assumptions for Tc-99 in the Defense waste Processing Facility (DWPF) flowsheet are accurate and determine the fraction of the Tc-99 inventory in the waste that is soluble. This analysis was needed to establish if the present basis for decontaminated salt feed to the saltstone process is correct. These results and the projected leach rate for Tc-99 from saltstone can then be used to establish if Tc-99 must be removed from contaminated supernate.

A brief review of international cooperation in the fusion program is given. The author shares his views on the technical prospects and future potential of fusion as a practical energy source. (MOW)

The development of new and advanced energy systems often requires the tailoring of new alloys or alloy combinations to meet the novel and often stringent requirements of those systems. Longer life at higher temperatures and stresses in aggressive environments is the most common goal. Alloy theory helps in achieving this goal by suggesting uses of multiphase systems and intermediate phases, where solid solutions were traditionally used. However, the use of materials under non-equilibrium conditions is now quite common - as with rapidly solidified metals - and the application of alloy theory must be modified accordingly. Under certain conditions, as in a reactor core, the rate of approach to equilibrium will be modified; sometimes a quasi-equilibrium is established. Thus an alloy may exhibit enhanced general diffusion at the same time as precipitate particles are being dispersed and solute atoms are being carried to vacancy sinks. We are approaching an understanding of these processes and can begin to model these complex systems.

New pastes were evaluated that contained additives to aid in the silicon-to-metallization contact. None were completely successful, however, inks containing silver-organic compounds showed promise.

A series of parametric calculations was run with the S-CUBED geopressured-geothermal simulator MUSHRM to assess the effects of important formation, fluid and well parameters on brine and gas recovery from geopressured reservoir systems. The specific parameters considered are formation permeability, pore-fluid salinity, temperature and gas content, well radius and location with respect to reservoir boundaries, desired flow rate, and possible shale recharge. It was found that the total brine and gas recovered (as a fraction of the resource in situ) were most sensitive to formation permeability, pore-fluid gas content, and shale recharge.

This report provides an overview of five research reports that were generated for the Fouling and Corrosion Program. In addition, a listing of research and development opportunities in gas-side fouling is provided. R and D opportunities are designated as technology transfer, basic research, or applied research opportunities.

A comprehensive overview of heat exchanger fouling in the manufacturing industries is provided. Specifically, this overview addresses: the characteristics of industrial fouling problems; the mitigation and accommodation techniques currently used by industry; and the types and magnitude of costs associated with industrial fouling. A detailed review of the fouling problems, costs and mitigation techniques is provided for the food, textile, pulp and paper, chemical, petroleum, cement, glass and primary metals industries.

The work performed during this first period includes equipment modification, development of analytical methods, oxidative pretreatment runs and combustion runs. The coal feeding section of an existing furnace was modified for uninterrupted feeding and better control of residence time. Analytical methods for sulfur and calcium in the coal and ash and for gaseous SO/sub 2/ were standardized. Oxidative pretreatment experiments were conducted in a fluidized bed at temperatures about 200/sup 0/C to evaluate the potential of this method for increasing the ion exchange capacity of coals and determine the accompanying loss of heating value. Combustion experiments were carried out at very high particle temperatures (2000/sup 0/K) at which a large fraction of the calcium additive was vaporized while 50 to 80% of the sulfur evolved as sulfur oxide. Continuing combustion experiments will be conducted at lower particle temperatures.