Core bore samples were obtained from the severely damaged TMI-2 core during July and August, 1986. A description of the TMI-2 core bore drilling unit used to obtain samples; a summary and discussion of the data from the ten core bore segments which were obtained; and the initial results of analysis and evaluation of these data are presented in this report. The impact of the major findings relative to our understanding of the accident scenario is also discussed.

This document establishes the need for an integral fuel oxidation test which can give confidence to the predictions made by the OXIDE computer code for fuel and core damage during water ingress events in the Modular High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (MHTGR). This testing will provide clear engineering evidence to demonstrate that the core of the MHTGR can survive a moisture ingress incident with minimum investment risk and without danger to the reactor personnel or to the public. In particular, these tests will determine the degree of particle debonding and compact stack densification as a function of the fractional compact matrix burnoff. Also included in the document is a description of the proposed tests, and, a test matrix of the planned experiments. 3 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

The chemistry of groundwater at Yucca Mountain and vicinity has been reviewed and compared with the chemistry of water from the Nevada Test Site and surrounding areas such as the Amargosa Desert and Oasis Valley. Sodium is the primary cation and carbonate is the primary anion in water from the saturated zone of the tuffaceous aquifer at Yucca Mountain. Other major cations present are calcium, potassium, and magnesium; other major anions are sulfate and chloride, with lesser quantities of fluoride and nitrate. Aqueous silica is also present. The primary purpose of this review was to survey water-composition data and look for relations among the compositional variables that could provide insight into the processes that control the composition and would ultimately affect radionuclide transport. The following conclusions were inferred from the review. Major cation concentrations are controlled by rock dissolution and mineral precipitation reactions as well as by cation exchange with existing minerals. Aqueous carbonate initially comes from atmospheric and soil-zone carbon dioxide, but there is evidence at Yucca Mountain that carbon dioxide in the gas phase of the unsaturated zone supplies additional carbonate to saturated-zone water in the tuffaceous aquifer as mineral dissolution and precipitation reactions raise the pH of …

This report is a table listing spare parts for the B83-0 type 3C. An explanation for information in each column is given. This issue supersedes Issue F, dated March 22, 1985.

Soil temperature and moisture data have been collected for the past 4 years at the Greater Confinement Disposal Test (GCDT) being conducted at the Nevada Test Site. High-specific-activity radioactive waste with a thermal output of 3.4 kW was buried at a depth of 30 m in tuffaceous alluvium. Prior to waste emplacement the ambient subsurface temperature was about 17{sup 0}C and the volumetric soil moisture content was 10 to 12%. Two years after waste emplacement the soil temperature exceeded 100{sup 0}C and the soil moisture content dropped below 4% at a radius of approximately 3 m from the thermal waste. Drying of the soil has occurred as the high temperature radiating from the thermal sources propels water vapor from the waste zone to a zone where dew-point temperatures are reached. The temperature and moisture data will be used in combination with data from gaseous tracer release tests in predicting and appraising the long-term performance of the GCDT.

The United States will need to be able to convert coal to liquid fuels should current supplies be interrupted. The indirect method for producing fuel liquids is the gasification of the coal to synthesis gas (syngas) followed by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis to convert syngas to hydrocarbons. However, both the gasifier and the FTS processes result in the production of methane and/or light hydrocarbon by-product that negatively affect the economics of the production of liquid fuel from coal. The goal of SRI`s research is thus to develop catalysts that directly convert methane and light hydrocarbons to intermediates that can, as economics dictate, be subsequently converted either to liquid fuels or value-added chemicals. SRI project 2678 is exploring two approaches to achieving the stated goal. The first approach consists of developing advanced catalysts for reforming methane. We will prepare the catalysts by reacting organometallic complexes of transition metals (Fe, Ru, Rh, and Re) with zeolitic and rare earth exchanged zeolitic supports to produce surfaceconfined metal complexes in the zeolite pores. We will then decompose the organometallic complexes to obtain very stable, highly dispersed catalysts. Our second approach entails synthesizing the porphyrin and phthalocyanine complexes of Cr, Mn, Ru, Fe, and/or Co within the …

Microalgae have the potential of producing biomass with a high content of lipids at high productivities using seawater or saline ground water resources. Microalgal lipids are similar to vegetable oils and suitable for processing to liquid fuels. Engineering cost analysis studies have concluded that, at a favorable site, microalgae cultivation for fuel production could be economically viable. The major uncertainties involve the microalgae themselves: biomass and lipid productivity and culture stability.

A seal is needed for the cover of the Nitrogen Test Vessel in order to prevent leakage of the N{sub 2} gas. This seal is to be molded out of RTV 21. In this experiment, the Modulus of Elasticity of the RTV was sought after, and the displacements of the RTV due to various stresses were measured to see if they were large enough to provide a tight seal between the vessel and its cover.

The purpose of the OCH module spacers is to keep the given dimension of .224-inch between the 1.83-inch absorber plates. This distance is determined by two liquid argon gaps of .09-inch each and a readout board of .044-inch. The spacer should be made out of a material that would give a minimum thermal contraction movement. Also the dimension of the spacer will be determined dependent upon the load applied to the spacers and the strength of the material chosen. Considering both thermal contraction and yield strength, it is found that Invar-36 would be a suitable material from which to make the spacers for the OCh module, provided that SS304 washers are used in conjunction with the spacers. The spacers would be positioned about 1-inch from the corners of each of the copper plates, and would have a diameter of about 0.85453399-inch. The thickness of the Invar spacer would be 0.15394250-inch and that of the SS304 would be 0.07005750-inch. This combination of materials used for spacing purposes should result in zero displacement due to thermal contraction and no buckling due to overloading. The actual design of the spacer can be found in DWG.

We have measured the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation at wavelengths of 0.33, 3.0, 8.2 and 21.3 cm. These measurements represent a continuation of the work reported by Smoot et al. (1985). The new results have a weighted average of 2.70 {+-} 0.05 K and are consistent with past measurements. They limit the possible distortion of the cosmic microwave background radiation spectrum to less than 6%. The results of all measurements to date are consistent with a Planckian spectrum with temperature 2.74 {+-} 0.02 K spanning a wavelength range of 0.1 to 21 cm.

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The US Department of Energy initiated an investigation at Argonne National Laboratory in 1982 to experimentally determine the thermal stability limits and degradation rates of toluene as a function of maximum cycle temperature. Following the design and construction of a dynamic test loop capable of closely simulating the thermodynamic conditions of typical organic Rankine-cycle (ORC) power systems, four test runs, totaling about 3900 h of test time and covering a temperature range of 600-677(degree)F, were completed. Both liquid and noncondensable-vapor (gaseous) samples were drawn periodically and analyzed using capillary-column gas chromatography, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and mass spectrometry. A computer program that can predict degradation in an ORC engine was developed. Experimental results indicate that, if oxygen can be excluded from the system, toluene is a stable fluid up to the maximum test temperature; the charge of toluene could be used for several years before replacement became necessary. (Additional data provided by Sundstrand Corp. from tests sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration indicate that toluene may be used at temperatures up to 750(degree)F.) Degradation products are benign; the main liquid degradation products are bibenzyls, and the main gaseous degradation products are hydrogen and methane. A cold trap to remove …

The goal of this program is the development of a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) anode which is more tolerant of sulfur contaminants in the fuel than the current state-of-the-art nickel-based anode structures. This program addresses two different but related aspects of the sulfur contamination problem. The primary aspect is concerned with the development of a sulfur tolerant electrocatalyst for the fuel oxidation reaction. A secondary issue is the development of a sulfur tolerant water-gas-shift reaction catalyst and an investigation of potential steam reforming catalysts which also have some sulfur tolerant capabilities. These two aspects are being addressed as two separate tasks.

AMAX Research Development Center (AMAX R D) has been investigating methods for enhancing the reactivity and durability of the zinc ferrite desulfurization sorbent. Zinc ferrite sorbents are intended for use in desulfurization of hot coal gas in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) or molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) applications. For the present program, the reactivity of the sorbent may be defined as its sulfur sorption capacity at the breakthrough point and at saturation in a bench-scale, fixed-bed reactor. Durability may be defined as the ability of the sorbent to maintain important physical characteristics such As size, strength, and specific surface area during 10 cycles of sulfidation and oxidation.

This report documents recent progress on ground-water monitoring projects for four Hanford Site facilities: the 300 Area Process Trenches, the 183-H Solar Evaporation Basins, the 200 Area Low-Level Burial Grounds, and the Nonradioactive Dangerous Waste (NRDW) Landfill. The existing ground-water monitoring projects for the first two facilities named in the paragraph above are currently being expanded by adding new wells to the networks. During the reporting period, sampling of the existing wells continued on a monthly basis, and the analytical results for samples collected from September through November 1986 are included and discussed in this document. 8 refs., 41 figs., 7 tabs.

Three aerial radiological surveys were conducted during the period 16 June through 15 July 1986 over the towns of Pocatello, Soda Springs, and Fort Hall, Idaho and the surrounding areas. The surveys were performed for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by the United States Department of Energy's (DOE) Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL), utilizing the Aerial Measuring System (AMS). This work was completed in cooperation with a study by the EPA to conduct a dose assessment of human radiation exposure for industrial sources in Pocatello and Soda Springs, Idaho. The aerial surveys were performed to document the natural terrestrial radiological environment of the three localities and to map the spatial extent and degree of contamination due to phosphate milling operations. The results of these surveys will be used for planning ground-based measurements in addition to being incorporated into the dose assessment document. 4 refs., 14 figs., 6 tabs.

KLM Technologies has implemented its Department of Energy Phase II Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) demonstration program for a radioactive waste Boric Acid Reclamation System (BARS). Preliminary performance indicates enhanced treatment by the BARS technique over state of the art process methods for selective removal of silica and other impurities from borated water matrices. At optimal system recovery of 96 to 97%, BARS removes nominal levels of boric acid while achieving significant rejection for soluble silica and selective radioisotopes. This is indicative of superior performance compared to existing data governing standard boric acid process treatment in the presence of silica and other contaminants. Conventional technologies have also proven to be relatively expensive, utilizing costly chemically treated disposable resins for primary waste removal. The overall BARS program indicates substantial savings regarding off-site disposal costs based on reduced waste generation. Optimization of the BARS technology could have potential impact on conventional process technologies that are essentially non-selective in removal capacities. 2 figs.

This report describes initial work on the development of solidification systems for sodium nitrate waste and compacted waste. Sodium nitrate waste has been solidified in three types of materials: polyethylene, polyester-styrene (PES), and latex cement. Evaluations of the properties of the waste form, such as the ANS 16.1 leaching test, water immersion test and compressive strength measurements were performed on the waste forms containing various amounts of sodium nitrate. 9 refs., 9 figs., 7 tabs.

Estimated kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) abundance in Lake Pend Oreille was 4.3 million during September 1986. This estimate was similar to 1985 and indicates continued suppression of the kokanee population since initial decline in the late 1960s. Atypically high survival of wild fry resulted in similar fry recruitment in 1986 as 1985, whereas hatchery-reared fry contributed only 8% to total fry recruitment as a result of low post-release survival (3%). Fry released into the Clark Fork River from Cabinet Gorge Hatchery had very low survival during emigration to Lake Pend Oreille, resulting from poor flow conditions and potentially high predation. Fry survival during emigration was twice as high during nighttime flows of 16,000 cfs than 7,800 cfs. Emigration also was faster during higher flows. Several marks were tested to differentially mark fry release groups to help determine impacts of flow and other factors on fry survival. Survival of fry marked with tetracycline and fluorescent dye was high (>99%) during the 10-week study. In contrast, survival of fry marked with fluorescent grit marks ranged from 5 to 93%, depending on application pressure and distance from the fry. Retention was high (>96%) for tetracycline and grit marks during the study, whereas dye marks …

This report reviews the role of ion-cyclotron frequency instability in magnetic mirrors. The modes discussed here are loss-cone or anisotropy driven. The discussion includes quasilinear theory, explosive instabilities of 3-wave interaction and non-linear Landau damping, and saturation due to non-linear orbits. (JDH)

Online computer models of first order beam optics have been developed for the commissioning, control and operation of the entire SLC including Damping Rings, Linac, Positron Return Line and Collider Arcs. A generalized online environment utilizing these models provides the capability for interactive selection of a desired optics configuration and for the study of its properties. Automated procedures have been developed which calculate and load beamline component set-points and which can scale magnet strengths to achieve desired beam properties for any Linac energy profile. Graphic displays facilitate comparison of design, desired and actual optical characteristics of the beamlines. Measured beam properties, such as beam emittance and dispersion, can be incorporated interactively into the models and used for beamline matching and optimization of injection and extraction efficiencies and beam transmission. The online optics modeling facility also serves as the foundation for many model-driven applications such as autosteering, calculation of beam launch parameters, emittance measurement and dispersion correction.

The Eighth Annual DOE (Department of Energy) Low-Level Waste Management Forum was held in September 1986, in Denver, Colorado, to provide a forum for exchange of information on low-level radioactive waste (LLW) management activities, requirements, and plans. The one hundred ninety attendees included representatives from the DOE Nuclear Energy and Defense Low-Level Waste Management Programs, DOE Operations Offices and their contractors; representatives from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Geological Survey, and their contractors; representatives of states and regions responsible for development of new commercial low-level waste disposal facilities; representatives of utilities, private contractors, disposal facility operators, and other parties concerned with low-level waste management issues. Plenary sessions were held at the beginning and conclusion of the meeting, while eight concurrent topical sessions were held during the intervening two days. The meeting was organized by topical areas to allow for information exchange and discussion on current and future low-level radioactive waste management challenges. Session chairmen presented summaries of the discussions and conclusions resulting from their respective sessions. Selected papers in this volume have been processed for inclusion in the Energy Data Base.

The alignment of the Arcs for the Stanford Linear Collider at SLAC has posed problems in accelerator survey and alignment not encountered before. These problems come less from the tight tolerances of 0.1 mm, although reaching such a tight statistically defined accuracy in a controlled manner is difficult enough, but from the absence of a common reference plane for the Arcs. Traditional circular accelerators, including HERA and LEP, have been designed in one plane referenced to local gravity. For the SLC Arcs no such single plane exists. Methods and concepts developed to solve these and other problems, connected with the unique design of SLC, range from the first use of satellites for accelerator alignment, use of electronic laser theodolites for placement of components, computer control of the manual adjustment process, complete automation of the data flow incorporating the most advanced concepts of geodesy, strict separation of survey and alignment, to linear principal component analysis for the final statistical smoothing of the mechanical components.

Construction of the SLAC Linear Collider has posed some new problems in beam diagnostic device design. Typical beam sizes are small when compared with conventional storage rings, orbit tolerances are tighter and the pulsed nature of the machine means that signal to noise enhancement by averaging is not always possible. Thus the diagnostics must have high resolution, high absolute accuracy and must deliver data from a single pulse. In practice the required performance level depends on the function and dynamics of a given region in the collider. This paper reviews the major beam diagnostic systems and then discusses the global data acquisition schemes. Each system is described only in a very cursory fashion.