This document summarizes research of reactively deposited metal hydride thin films and their properties. Reactive deposition processes are of interest, because desired stoichiometric phases are created in a one-step process. In general, this allows for better control of film stress compared with two-step processes that react hydrogen with pre-deposited metal films. Films grown by reactive methods potentially have improved mechanical integrity, performance and aging characteristics. The two reactive deposition techniques described in this report are reactive sputter deposition and reactive deposition involving electron-beam evaporation. Erbium hydride thin films are the main focus of this work. ErH{sub x} films are grown by ion beam sputtering erbium in the presence of hydrogen. Substrates include a Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} {l_brace}0001{r_brace}, a Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} {l_brace}1120{r_brace}, Si{l_brace}001{r_brace} having a native oxide, and polycrystalline molybdenum substrates. Scandium dideuteride films are also studied. ScD{sub x} is grown by evaporating scandium in the presence of molecular deuterium. Substrates used for scandium deuteride growth include single crystal sapphire and molybdenum-alumina cermet. Ultra-high vacuum methods are employed in all experiments to ensure the growth of high purity films, because both erbium and scandium have a strong affinity for oxygen. Film microstructure, phase, composition and stress are evaluated using a …

This conference paper describes the electronic properties of ZnO/CdS/Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS)/Mo/SLG polycrystalline thin-film solar cells with compositions ranging from Cu-rich to In-rich were investigated by deep level transient spectroscopy and capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements. This compositional change represents the evolution of the film during growth by the three-stage process. Four thin-film CIGS samples with different Cu content were obtained. The Cu/(In+Ga) ratio ranges from 1.24 (Cu-rich)to 0.88 (In-rich), whereas the Ga/(In+Ga) ratio ranges from 0.19 (Cu-rich)to 0.28 (In-rich).The Cu-rich sample exhibits a shallow majority-carrier trap with an activation energy of 0.12 eV and another deeper trap with an activation energy of 0.28 eV, whereas the In-rich sample has a shallow minority-carrier trap with an activation energy of 0.12 eV. The two samples show evidence of a deeper trap at higher temperature. C-V measurements showed that the average carrier concentration (N values) around the junction of the cell changed as the film transitions from Cu-rich to In-rich. DLTS shows that acceptor-like traps are dominant in samples where CIGS grains did not go through the Cu-rich to In(Ga)-rich transition. While donor-like traps are dominant in the In(Ga)-rich samples.

Sealed {sup 252}Cf sources in the microCurie to milliCurie range are routinely used in industry and research. At present, no reliable analytical method is available for precise determination of the activity. Very strong sources can be analyzed by neutron counting but the error is large. The authors propose to use gamma-ray spectroscopy for such analysis. In particular, high-energy gamma rays (above 1 MeV) of fission fragments in equilibrium with the source are very convenient because they have little absorption in materials surrounding the source. They have measured the gamma/alpha ratio for {sup 252}Cf with an uncertainty of better than 5%. The experiment involved the preparation of several thin {sup 252}Cf sources, alpha pulse height analysis, determination of alpha decay rate, and the measurement of gamma singles spectrum with a well shielded germanium spectrometer. The measured ratio and the gamma ray spectroscopy of unknown samples can provide the activity of {sup 252}Cf in these samples.

This conference paper describes the molybdenum thin films that were deposited on soda lime glass (SLG) substrates using direct-current planar magnetron sputtering, with a sputtering power density of 1.2 W/cm2. The working gas (Ar) pressure was varied from 0.6 to 16 mtorr to induce changes in the Mo films' morphology and microstructure. Thin films of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) were deposited on the Mo-coated glass using the 3-stage co-evaporation process. The morphology of both the Mo-coated SLG and the CIGS thin films grown on it was examined using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. Na was depth profiled in the Mo and CIGS films by secondary ion mass spectrometry. The device performance was evaluated under standard conditions of 1000 W/m2 and 25 C. Optimum device performance is found for an intermediate Mo sputtering pressure.

In one type of duct efficiency retrofit, additional insulation is added to a duct system that is already insulated. For example, a layer of R-4 insulation might be: added to a duct system that already has R-4 installed. It is possible that--either by chance or by design--the add-on layer, while not stopping duct leaks, might cause the leakage air to flow longitudinally for a distance, parallel to the duct, before it finds a way out of the newly added outer layer. This could happen by chance if the outer and inner layers of insulation have seams at different locations. Perhaps more usefully, if such longitudinal displacement of the leakage air turned out to be useful, it might be designed into the makeup of the outer insulation layer intended to be used in the retrofit. It is plausible that this leakage air might serve a useful function in keeping the insulation layer warmer (or, in the air-conditioning mode, cooler) than it would be in the absence of the leakage. By being held close to the ducts for a while, it might establish an artificially warmer (or cooler, in air conditioning) zone around the ducts. To the extent that this effect would …

A new concept has been developed which allows direct-to-RF conversion of digitally synthesized waveforms. The concept named Quadrature Error Corrected Digital Waveform Synthesis (QECDWS) employs quadrature amplitude and phase predistortion to the complex waveform to reduce the undesirable quadrature image. Another undesirable product of QECDWS-based RF conversion is the Local Oscillator (LO) leakage through the quadrature upconverter (mixer). A common technique for reducing this LO leakage is to apply a quadrature bias to the mixer I and Q inputs. This report analyzes this technique through theory, lab measurement, and data analysis for a candidate quadrature mixer for Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) applications.

This report provides a review of the open literature relating to numerical methods for simulating deep penetration events. The objective of this review is to provide recommendations for future development of the ALEGRA shock physics code to support earth penetrating weapon applications. While this report focuses on coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian methods, a number of complementary methods are also discussed which warrant further investigation. Several recommendations are made for development activities within ALEGRA to support earth penetrating weapon applications in the short, intermediate, and long term.

The U.S. Department of Energy and ADA Environmental Solutions are engaged in a project to develop commercial flue gas conditioning additives. The objective is to develop conditioning agents that can help improve particulate control performance of smaller or under-sized electrostatic precipitators on utility coal-fired boilers. The new chemicals will be used to control both the electrical resistivity and the adhesion or cohesivity of the fly ash. There is a need to provide cost-effective and safer alternatives to traditional flue gas conditioning with SO{sub 3} and ammonia. During this reporting quarter, performance testing of flue gas conditioning was underway at the PacifiCorp Jim Bridger Power Plant. The product tested, ADA-43, was a combination resistivity modifier with cohesivity polymers. This represents the first long-term full-scale testing of this class of products. Modifications to the flue gas conditioning system at Jim Bridger, including development of alternate injection lances, was also undertaken to improve chemical spray distribution and to avoid spray deposition to duct interior surfaces. Also in this quarter, a firm commitment was received for another long-term test of the cohesivity additives. This plant fires a bituminous coal and has opacity and particulate emissions performance issues related to fly ash re-entrainment. Ammonia conditioning …

This conference paper describes the high moisture barrier high resistivity coatings on polyethylene terepthalate (PET) have been fabricated and characterized for use in PV module back sheet applications. These thin film barriers exhibit water vapor transmission rates (WVTR) as low as 0.1 g/m2-day at 37.8 C and have shown excellent adhesion (> 10 N/mm) to both ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and PET even after filtered xenon arc lamp UV exposure. The WVTR and adhesion values for this construction are compared to and shown to be superior to candidate polymeric backsheet materials.

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The Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) model of the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI)-an object data model of buildings-is in its seventh year of development. The last three releases of the model (IFC 1.5.1, 2.0 and 2x) have been implemented by a number of ''mission critical'' industry applications. The deployment of such software in real life projects is just starting. The author is exploring lessons from early deployment that are related to end user and general industry readiness for software interoperability, project model population with data and issues with compatibility of project data, built-in limitations in applications and in the data model, exchange file size and the selection of interoperable software for a project, as well as benefits attainable today from the use of interoperable software. He concludes that software interoperability is beginning to work in this industry, although not as smoothly as first expected.

We report on the behavior of silicon P-I-N photodiodes used to perform holdup measurements on plumbing. These detectors differ from traditional scintillation detectors in that no high-voltage is required, no scintillator is used (gamma and X rays are converted directly by the diode), and they are considerably more compact. Although the small size of the diodes means they are not nearly as efficient as scintillation detectors, the diodes' size does mean that a detector module, including one or more diodes, pulse shaping electronics, analog-to-digital converter, embedded microprocessor, and digital interface can be realized in a package (excluding shielding) the size of a pocket calculator. This small size, coupled with only low-voltage power requirement, completely solid-state realization, and internal control functions allows these detectors to be strategically deployed on a permanent basis, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for manual holdup measurements. In this paper, we report on the measurement of gamma and X rays from {sup 235}U and {sup 238}U contained in steel pipe. We describe the features of the spectra, the electronics of the device and show how a network of them may be used to improve estimates of inventory in holdup.

ASHRAE Standard 90.1-1999 was developed in an effort to set minimum requirements for energy efficienty design and construction of new commercial buildings. This report assesses the benefits and costs of adopting this standard as the building energy code in Illinois. Energy and economic impacts are estimated using BLAST combined with a Life-Cycle Cost approach to assess corresponding economic costs and benefits.

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The availability of wind energy certificates in Pennsylvania's retail electricity market has made a critical difference in the economic feasibility of developing 140 MW of new wind energy projects in the region. Certificates offer important benefits to both green power suppliers and buyers by reducing transaction barriers and thus lowering the cost of renewable energy. Buyers also benefit through the increased flexibility offered by certificate products. The experience described in this paper offers important insights for selling green power certificates and achieving new wind energy development in other areas of the country.

The experimental situation with regard to measurements of the pion charge form factor is reviewed. Both existing data and planned experiments are discussed.

The fundamental structure--property relationship of semiconductor quantum dots has been investigated. For deposited germanium nanocrystals strong quantum confinement effects have been determined with synchrotron radiation based x-ray absorption and photoemission techniques. The nanocrystals are condensed out of the gas phase with a narrow size distribution and subsequently deposited in situ onto various substrates. The particles are crystalline in the cubic phase with a structurally disordered surface shell and the resulting film morphology depends strongly on the substrate material and condition. The disordered surface region has an impact on the overall electronic structure of the particles. In a size-dependent study, the conduction and valence band edge of germanium nanocrystals have been measured for the first time and compared to the bulk crystal. The band edges move to higher energies as the particle size is decreased, consistent with quantum confinement theory. To obtain a more accurate analysis of confinement effects in the empty states, a novel analysis method utilizing an effective particle size for the x-ray absorption experiment, which allows a deconvolution of absorption edge broadening effects, has been introduced. Comparison of the present study to earlier studies on silicon reveals that germanium exhibits stronger quantum confinement effects than silicon. Below a …

Foreign-object damage associated with the ingestion ofdebris into aircraft turbine engines can lead to a marked degradation inthe high-cycle fatigue life of turbine components. This degradation isgenerally considered to be associated with the premature initiation offatigue cracks at or near the damage sites; this is suspected to be dueto, at least in part, the impact-induced residual stress state, which canbe strongly tensile in these locations.

The leading particle effect in charm hadroproduction is an enhancement of the cross section for a charmed hadron D in the forward direction of the beam when the beam hadron has a valence parton in common with the D. The large D+/D- asymmetry observed by the E791 experiment is an example of this phenomenon. We show that the heavy-quark recombination mechanism provides an economical explanation for this effect. In particular, the D+/D- asymmetry can be fit reasonably well using a single parameter whose value is consistent with a recent determination from charm photoproduction.

Recent progress in improving our knowledge of the four nucleon form factors G{sup p}{sub M}, G{sup p}{sub E}, G{sup n}{sub M}, G{sup n}{sub E} at high momentum transfer is stimulating a new wave of theoretical efforts to describe these fundamental quantities. Both model calculations and lattice QCD can predict the elastic form factors; a definitive, stringent test of these efforts is to predict all of them simultaneously. However, the limited range and quality of the data for the neutron magnetic form factor G{sup n}{sub M} presently reduce the discriminating power of such a test. The present status of our knowledge of G{sup n}{sub M} is discussed, and prospects for future improvements are presented.

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The United States Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Energy Research Program has begun a new effort to develop wind technology that will allow wind systems to compete in regions of low wind speed. The sites targeted by this effort have annual average wind speeds of 5.8 m/s measured at a 10-meter height. Such sites are abundant in the United States and would increase the land area available for economic development twentyfold. DOE has initiated a three-element approach through a competitive request for proposals. The three elements in the RFP include concept design, component development, and system development. This work will build on previous activities under the WindPACT Program and the Next Generation Turbine Program. The new program is targeting a levelized cost of energy of 3/kWh at low wind speed sites by 2010 and supports the U.S. wind industry's goal of reaching an installed domestic wind capacity of 100 GW by 2020.

A method for evaluating catalytic tar decomposition in real time is presented. The effectiveness of two catalysts are compared. A key technical and economic barrier to commercialization of biomass gasification technologies is the removal of tars that are unavoidably formed in this thermochemical process. Tars contain fuel value; however, they are problematic in gas engines (both reciprocating and turbine) because they condense in the fuel delivery system, forming deposits that negatively affect operation and efficiency. These tars also combust with high luminosity, potentially forming soot particles. The conventional technology for tar removal is wet scrubbing. Although this approach has shown some success, there are significant equipment and operating costs associated with it. In order to prevent the generation of toxic wastewater, the tars must be separated and either disposed as hazardous waste or, preferably, combusted in the gasification plant. A conceptually better approach is catalytic steam reforming of the tars to hydrogen and carbon monoxide (CO), effectively increasing the gasification efficiency and eliminating the problems mentioned above. In FY2000, Battelle Columbus Laboratories attempted to demonstrate integrated gasification-gas turbine operation using catalytic steam reforming of tars. NREL participated in those tests using the transportable molecular-beam mass spectrometer (TMBMS) to monitor the …

The HIF-VNL High Current Experiment (HCX) [1] is exploring transport issues such as dynamic aperture, effects of quadrupole rotation, and the effects on the beam of non-ideal distribution function, mismatch, and electrons, using one driver-scale 0.2 microcoulomb/m, 2-10 microsecond coasting K{sup +} beam. 2D and 3D simulations are being done, using the particle-in-cell (PIC) code WARP to study these phenomena. We present results which predict that the dynamic aperture in the electrostatic focusing transport section will be set by particle loss.