To evaluate the postclosure performance of a potential monitored geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, a Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA) will be conducted. Nine Process Model Reports (PMRs), including this document, are being developed to summarize the technical basis for each of the process models supporting the TSPA model. These reports cover the following areas: (1) Integrated Site Model; (2) Unsaturated Zone Flow and Transport; (3) Near Field Environment; (4) Engineered Barrier System Degradation, Flow, and Transport; (5) Waste Package Degradation; (6) Waste Form Degradation; (7) Saturated Zone Flow and Transport; (8) Biosphere; and (9) Disruptive Events. Analysis/Model Reports (AMRs) contain the more detailed technical information used to support TSPA and the PMRs. The AMRs consists of data, analyses, models, software, and supporting documentation that will be used to defend the applicability of each process model for evaluating the postclosure performance of the potential Yucca Mountain repository system. This documentation will ensure the traceability of information from its source through its ultimate use in the TSPA-Site Recommendation (SR) and in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis processes. The objective of the Biosphere PMR is to summarize (1) the development of the biosphere model, and (2) the Biosphere Dose Conversion …

This document identifies critical characteristics of components to be dedicated for use in Safety Class (SC) or Safety Significant (SS) Systems, Structures, or Components (SSCs). This document identifies the requirements for the components of the common radiation area monitor alarm in the WESF pool cell. These are procured as Commercial Grade Items (CGI), with the qualification testing and formal dedication to be performed at the Waste Encapsulation Storage Facility (WESF), in safety class, safety significant systems. System modifications are to be performed in accordance with the instructions provided on ECN 658230. Components for this change are commercially available and interchangeable with the existing alarm configuration This document focuses on the operational requirements for alarm, declaration of the safety classification, identification of critical characteristics, and interpretation of requirements for procurement. Critical characteristics are identified herein and must be verified, followed by formal dedication, prior to the components being used in safety related applications.

In 1999, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and the National Academy of Sciences' U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Microbiological Sciences (IUMS) jointly organized a competitive travel grant program to support the participation of U.S. scientists in the 9th International Congresses of the Bacteriological and Applied Microbiology, Mycology and Virology Divisions of the IUMS in Sydney, Australia, August 16-20, 1999. Funding was solicited for the program, and the ASM Minority and International Activities department administered the $40,000 raised. Travel grants in the amount of $2,000 were offered to U.S. investigators (citizens, including federal employees, and permanent residents working in the United States) in the early stages of their careers who planned to attend and present their research at the Congress. Teams of established and new investigators who applied jointly were eligible to received a combined $3,000 award. IUMS developed a questionnaire th at each applicant were required to complete and return, which asked each award recipient about their experience at the Congresses. Questionnaire results are included.

The scope of the Mercury Laser project encompasses the research, development, and engineering required to build a new generation of diode-pumped solid-state lasers for Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF). The Mercury Laser will be the first integrated demonstration of laser diodes, crystals, and gas cooling within a scalable laser architecture. This report is intended to summarize the progress accomplished during the first three years of the project. Due to the technological challenges associated with production of 900 nm diode-bars, heatsinks, and high optical-quality Yb:S-FAP crystals, the initial focus of the project was primarily centered on the R&D in these three areas. During the third year of the project, the R&D continued in parallel with the development of computer codes, partial activation of the laser, component testing, and code validation where appropriate.

The saturation of impurity-rich accessory phases in a Ce-analog baseline ceramic formulation for the immobilization of excess plutonium has been tested by synthesizing an impurity-rich baseline compositions at 1300 C, 1350 C, and 1400 C in air. Impurity oxides are added at the 10 wt% level. The resulting phases assemblages are typically rich in pyrochlore, Hf-zirconolite (hafnolite), brannerite and rutile, but in many instances also contain an accessory mineral enriched in the impurity oxide. The concentration of that oxide in coexisting pyrochlore sets the saturation limit for solid solution of the component in question. In most cases, the accessory phase does not contain significant amounts of Ce, Gd or U. Exceptions are the stabilization of a Ca-lanthanide phosphate and a phosphate glass when P{sub 2}O{sub 5} is added to the formulation. P{sub 2}O{sub 5} addition is also very effective in reducing the modal amount of pyrochlore in the form relative to brannerite. Addition of the sodium-aluminosilicate, NaAlSiO{sub 4}, also results in the formation of a grain boundary melt at run conditions, but the fate of this phase on cooling is not well determined. At temperatures above 1300 C, addition of 10 wt% Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} also leads to melting. Substitution …

Three compositions representing plutonium-free analogs of a proposed Ca-Ti-Gd-Hf-U-PU oxide ceramic for the immobilization of plutonium were equilibrated at 1 atm, 1350 C over a range of oxygen fugacities between air and that equivalent to the iron-wuestite buffer. The cerium analog replaces Pu on a mole-per-mole basic with Ce; the thorium analog replaces Pu with Th. A third material has 10 wt% Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} added to the cerium analog to encourage the formation of a Hf-analog of, CaHfTi{sub 2}O{sub 7}, zirconolite, which is referred to as hafnolite. The predominant phase produced in each formulation under all conditions is pyrochlore, A{sub 2}T{sub 2}O{sub 7}, where the T site is filled by Ti, and Ca, the lanthanides, Hf, U and Pu are accommodated on the A-site. Other lanthanide and uranium-bearing phases encountered include brannerite (UTi{sub 2}O{sub 6}), hafnolite (CaHfTi{sub 2}O{sub 7}), perovskite (CaTiO{sub 3}) and a calcium-lanthanide aluminotitanate with nominal stoichiometry (Ca,Ln)Ti{sub 2}Al{sub 9}O{sub 19}, where Ln is a lanthanide. The phase compositions show progressive shifts with decreasing oxygen fugacity. All of the phases observed have previously been identified in titanate-based high-level radioactive waste ceramics and demonstrate the flexibility of these ceramics to variations in processing parameters. The main variation is …

The purpose of this analysis is to identify and evaluate the functional space and spatial relationship requirements for the two main nuclear buildings, the Waste Handling Building (WHB) and the Waste Treatment Building (WTB), which are part of the Repository Surface Facilities. This analysis is consistent with the Development Plan for ''WHB/WTB Space Program Analysis for Site Recommendation'' (CRWMS M&O 2000r), which concentrates on the primary, primary support, facility support, and miscellaneous building support areas located in the WHB and WTB. The development plan was completed in accordance with AP-2.134, ''Technical Product Development Planning''. The objective and scope of this analysis is to develop a set of spatial parameters (e.g., square footage, room heights, etc.) and layout requirements (e.g., adjacency and access/circulation requirements, etc.) from which preliminary building floor plans are developed and presented as figures. The resulting figures will provide information to support the Site Recommendation and the total system life cycle cost. This analysis uses the Viability Assessment (VA) ''Surface Nuclear Facilities Space Program Analysis'' (SPA) (CRWMS M&O 1997c) as the baseline reference document and further develops the functional requirements based on Project-directed changes, including incorporation of a new design basis waste stream and the applicable elements of …

Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion (CFBC) and Fluidized Bed Combustion (FBC) with recirculation are widely used technologies in the US for power generation. They have the advantage of fuel flexibility, and low NO{sub x} and SO{sub x} emissions. Typically, as partially combusted fuel is circulated in the system, only a split stream of this circulating stream is rejected, with remainder recycled to the combustor. As a consequence, there is unburned carbon and partially used, valuable, calcium hydroxide in the reject stream. If these useful materials in the reject stream can be recovered and sent back to the combustor, the efficiency of the system will be increased significantly and the equivalent emissions will be lower. This project studies an innovative concept to incorporate triboelectric separation into CFBC/FBC systems in order to preferentially split its recycle/reject streams based on material compositions of the particles. The objective is to answer whether useful constituents, like carbon, calcium carbonate and calcium hydroxide or oxide, can be selectively separated from combustion ash at elevated temperatures. Laboratory experimental studies are performed at temperatures from 25 C to 210 C, the data from which are presented in the form of recovery curves. These curves present quality-versus-quantity information useful for …

The results of the environmental surveillance program conducted at Site A/Plot M in the Palos Forest Preserve area for Calendar Year 1999 are presented. Based on the results of the 1976-1978 radiological characterization of the site, a determination was made that a surveillance program be established. The characterization study determined that very low levels of hydrogen-3 (as tritiated water) had migrated from the burial ground and were present in two nearby hand-pumped picnic wells. The current surveillance program consists of sample collection and analysis of surface and subsurface water. The results of the analyses are used to (1) monitor the migration pathway of water from the burial ground (Plot M) to the handpumped picnic wells, (2) establish if buried radionuclides other than hydrogen-3 have migrated, and (3) generally characterize the radiological environment of the area. Hydrogen-3 in the Red Gate Woods picnic wells was still detected this year, but the average and maximum concentrations were significantly less than found earlier. Tritiated water continues to be detected in a number of wells, boreholes, dolomite holes, and a surface stream. For many years it was the only radionuclide found to have migrated in measurable quantities. Analyses since 1984 have indicated the presence …

Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion (CFBC) and Fluidized Bed Combustion (FBC) with recirculation are widely used technologies in the US for power generation. They have the advantage of fuel flexibility, and low NO{sub x} and SO{sub x} emissions. Typically, as partially combusted fuel is circulated in the system, only a split stream of this circulating stream is rejected, with remainder recycled to the combustor. As a consequence, there is unburned carbon and partially used, valuable, calcium hydroxide in the reject stream. If these useful materials in the reject stream can be recovered and sent back to the combustor, the efficiency of the system will be increased significantly and the equivalent emissions will be lower. This project studies an innovative concept to incorporate triboelectric separation into CFBC/FBC systems in order to preferentially split its recycle/reject streams based on material compositions of the particles. The objective is to answer whether useful constituents, like carbon, calcium carbonate and calcium hydroxide or oxide, can be selectively separated from combustion ash at elevated temperatures. Laboratory experimental studies are performed at temperatures from 25 C to 210 C, the data from which are presented in the form of recovery curves. These curves present quality-versus-quantity information useful for …

Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion (CFBC) and Fluidized Bed Combustion (FBC) with recirculation are widely used technologies in the US for power generation. They have the advantage of fuel flexibility, and low NO{sub x} and SO{sub x} emissions. Typically, as partially combusted fuel is circulated in the system, only a split stream of this circulating stream is rejected, with remainder recycled to the combustor. As a consequence, there is unburned carbon and partially used, valuable, calcium hydroxide in the reject stream. If these useful materials in the reject stream can be recovered and sent back to the combustor, the efficiency of the system will be increased significantly and the equivalent emissions will be lower. This project studies an innovative concept to incorporate triboelectric separation into CFBC/FBC systems in order to preferentially split its recycle/reject streams based on material compositions of the particles. The objective is to answer whether useful constituents, like carbon, calcium carbonate and calcium hydroxide or oxide, can be selectively separated from combustion ash at elevated temperatures. Laboratory experimental studies are performed at temperatures from 25 C to 210 C, the data from which are presented in the form of recovery curves. These curves present quality-versus-quantity information useful for …