This report presents abstracts of all publications in the Energy Sciences programs of the Department of Energy and Environment from January 1, 1978 through December 31, 1978. It is a companion report to Annual Highlights of Programs in Energy Sciences - (December 1978, BNL 50973). Together, they present scientific and/or technical highlights of the Energy Sciences programs for the past calendar year, detailed descriptions of all the programs, and the publication issuing from the work performed. The following are some of the topics included: porphyrin chemistry; chemistry of energetic compounds; combustion; coal utilization; metal hydrides; cyclic separations process research; trace element analysis; materials properties and structures; radiation damage; superconducting materials; materials of construction for geothermal applications; repair of deteriorated concrete; development of glass--polymer composite sewer pipe; flash hydropyrolysis of coal; desulfurization of high-temperature combustion and fuel gases; and synthetic fuels development. (RWR)

This 1978 Annual Abstracts represents the publishing experience over the past year of the three divisions and one group that make up the Environmental Sciences area of the Department of Energy and Environment. The abstracts are grouped according to the organization of the authors under the Atmospheric Sciences, Environmental Chemistry, and Oceanographic Sciences Division and the Land and Fresh Water Environmental Sciences Group. The range of interests and the interdisciplinary nature of the activities within Environmental Programs are demonstrated by these abstracts. Most of these activities relate in some way to the environmental effects or potential effects of energy generation. The major areas involved include: coastal meteorology; physical, biological, and chemical oceanography of the coastal shelf; analysis of marine, fresh water, and terrestrial ecosystems; effects of acid rain and other pollutants on aquatic and terrestrial systems; Multistate Power Production Pollution Study (MAP3S), including transport and transformation experiments, data management, and modeling and analysis; atmospheric diagnostics including the study of the chemistry of pollutants in plumes and ambient atmosphere; basic and applied studies of atmospheric aerosol generation, composition, and behavior; and development of atmospheric tracer systems and real-time instrumentation.

The ACCEPT code provides experimenters and theorists with a method for the routine solution of coupled electron/photon transport through three-dimensional multimaterial geometries described by the combinational method. Emphasis is placed upon operational simplicity without sacrificing the rigor of the model. ACCEPT combines condensed-history electron Monte Carlo with conventional single-scattering photon Monte Carlo in order to describe the transport of all generations of particles from several MeV down to 1.0 and 10.0 keV for electrons and photons, respectively. The model is more accurate at the higher energies with a less rigorous description of the particle cascade at energies where the shell structure of the transport media becomes important. Flexibility of construction permits the user to tailor the model to specific applications and to extend the capabilities of the model to more sophisticated applications through relatively simple update procedures. The ACCEPT code is currently running on the CDC-7600 (66000) where the bulk of the cross-section data and the statistical variables are stored in Large Core Memory (Extended Core Storage).

Acoustic emission (AE) is an emerging NDT method that offers attractive capabilities for monitoring structural integrity and characterizing materials behavior. Although its limitations are such that it should not be regarded as a panacea, AE is proving to be a viable complement to the other NDT methods. The paper examines the extent and reasons for the growing industrial interest in AE. Some of the inherent limitations of conventional NDT methods are discussed, and several surveys of defects found during the manufacture and operation of pressure boundary components are reviewed. Although welds and weld-affected areas are the most likely locations for significant defects, very little experience is available to date to describe the AE response during impending pressure vessel failures due to weld associated defects. Acoustic emission offers potential for providing increased assurance of both initial, and continued, structural integrity. Furthermore, if AE is properly applied in conjunction with recently proposed fitness-for-purpose criteria, it may be possible to reduce present manufacturing costs without compromising actual structural adequacy. This technology is exhibiting definite signs of increasing industrial maturity, as evidenced by the recent availability of industrial standards, and the activities of various AE related technical groups throughout the world.

At Mississippi State University a research project was begun in 1976 to investigate the use of site-built solar collectors for heating air in poultry houses. The purpose of this work was to design and test a functional air heater solar collector which would be inexpensive to construct and acceptable to poultry producers. The results reported are an extension of the original concept. The basic concept is to use a pre-engineered metal building for the structure and incorporate the solar air heaters as an integral part of the south facing wall of the building. The outer skin of the building is used as the absorber plate for the collctors. Construction and testing of the solar collectors and heat storage systems are discussed, and the performance characteristics of the site-built solar collectors are described. (WHK)

This report describes advanced fuel cell research and development activities at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) during the period July--September 1978. These efforts have been directed toward understanding and improving the components of molten-carbonate-electrolyte fuel cells operated at temperatures near 925 K. The primary focus of this work has been the development of electrolyte structures that have good electrolyte retention and mechanical properties as well as long term stability, and on developing methods of synthesis amenable to mass production. The characterization of these structures and their stability is an integral part of this effort. Synthesis studies have concentrated on the use of low-cost starting material to synthesize ..gamma..-LiAlO/sub 2/, the most stable allotrope of LiAlO/sub 2/ for the fuel cell conditions. Thermal stability and thermomechanical tests were performed on electrolyte mixtures to determine the effect of cell operating conditions on electrolyte tile longevity. A square cell (10.6 cm) with an electrolyte tile containing ..gamma..-LiAlO/sub 2/ was tested. This tile was reinforced by a wire screen. Post-test examination of this cell after 1000 h of operation showed that the reinforced tile was considerably stronger than un-reinforced tiles. Future cells will utilize tiles with metal screen reinforcement.

A research and development program is described that will enable the fabrication of 10/sup 6/ targets/day for a laser fusion prototype power reactor in 2007. We give personnel and cost estimates for a generalized laser fusion target that requires the development of several new technologies. The total cost of the program between 1979 and 2007 is $362 million in today's dollars.

An aerial radiological survey to measure terrestrial gamma radiation was carried out over the United States Department of Energy's Battelle Nuclear Science Facility located in West Jefferson, Ohio. Gamma ray data were collected over a 5.5 km/sup 2/ area centered on the facility by flying east-west lines spaced 61 m apart. Processed data indicated that on-site radioactivity was primarily due to radionuclides currently being processed due to the hot lab operations. Off-site data showed the radioactivity to be due to naturally occurring background radiation consistent with variations due to geologic base terrain and land use of similar areas.

The source of coal conversion wastewater thiocyanates is reviewed. Based on laboratory studies, the biokinetics of aerobic degradation of thiocyanate is quantified and found to follow a substrate inhibition model. A design curve based on theoretical and laboratory considerations is developed. A material balance for sulfur and nitrogen as originally found in the SCN complex is presented. During aerobic degradation of SCN, sulfur goes to sulfate, and nitrogen goes to ammonia. During anaerobic degradation of SCN, sulfur goes to sulfide. Thiocyanate was the sole source of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur available to the microorganisms during the course of the study.

The importance of gas separation methods to the economics of hydrogasification and catalytic gasification processes has been emphasized. This importance is due to the fact that these processes require large amounts of recycled hydrogen or hydrogen and carbon monoxide from which the product methane must be removed via some economical method. For example, the Exxon catalytic gasification process utilizes a cryogenic distillation to achieve the separation of CH/sub 4/ from H/sub 2/ and CO. In this report, the energetics of a cryogenic separation process for hydrogen-methane mixtures are calculated and compared with the energy requirements for the separation of H/sub 2//CH/sub 4/ and H/sub 2//CO/CH/sub 4/ mixtures using a gas hydrate separation scheme. It must be stated at the outset that the success of the proposed hydrate process depends upon the kinetics of hydrate formation for which we have no data. Nevertheless, it is still worthwhile to examine such a process within a thermodynamic framework to determine if such a scheme is at least energetically, if not kinetically, feasible.

The nesting biology of the American coot was studied on low-level radioactive waste ponds located on the Hanford DOE Site and on control ponds located in the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Washington from 1974 through 1976. The objective was to discover any differences in the nesting biology of the birds which could be attributed to the low-level radioactive wastes present in the Hanford DOE Site ponds. Coots nesting on the Hanford ponds and those nesting on the wildlife refuge were found to have similar nesting habits. Nesting habitats were similar for coots from both the control ponds and those exposed to radionuclides; all coots selected habitats in which the water level was moderate to shallow, and stable. Emergent aquatic plants such as cattail (Typha latifolia) and bulrush (Scirpus acutus) were characteristic of both habitats. There were no apparent differences in nesting chronology between birds from the different study sites; nests containing eggs were found from April through mid-June on most ponds. Clutch size showed no significant differences. The average number of eggs per nest for all ponds was 6.7. Egg and chick weights and percent hatching success were similar among coots from both study sites. Feeding habits of …

This report presents the methodology and results of an analysis to determine the impact and leverage of federal options for supporting the growth of the photovoltaic industry. Results were projected for combinations of the following: an aggressive federal research and development program, achievement of a technological breakthrough, and immediate or breakthrough-dependent incentives including direct price reductions, keyed-to-breakeven subsidies, and federal puchases. The modeling methodology and market assumptions were also tested to determine their effect on analysis results.

The Division of Geothermal Energy (DGE) in the Department of Energy is currently reviewing its RD&D programs to evaluate their relevance to the national goals for the development of geothermal energy during the next 22 years. This report presents the results of an analysis of the RD&D program for geothermal energy extraction and conversion technology. A review of the state-of-the-art was conducted to identify opportunities for improvement. The current RDBD program was checked against the opportunities for improvement to determine if any potential improvements are being ignored, Finally, a benefit/cost analysis was conducted by estimating the benefits expected to result from successful completion of various projects.

Utilization of a pulsed radiation source such as the Clinton P. Anderson Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF) for materials science studies requires knowledge of the time--temperature history of a subject metal foil. An analytic solution was derived to a two-dimensional heat flow equation, incorporating the LAMPF time structure and the LAMPF Gaussian beam spot profile. This calculational method is useful in designing experimental systems for materials science studies and can be done on a Hewlett--Packard model 97 desk-top calculator. The results were compared with an equivalent numerical solution of the same two-dimensional heat flow problem done on a digital computer.

Research progress is reported on analytical methodology, mass and emission spectrometry, analytical services, bio-organic analysis, and nuclear and radiochemical analysis.

Hourly precipitation samples were collected at Brookhaven National Laboratory from June 1976 through May 1978 with the Brookhaven Automatic Sequential Precipitation Sampler. Conventional meteorological data were recorded for each sample period. The samples were analyzed for pH, conductivity, and concentrations of sulfate, nitrogen, ammonium, sodium, and chloride ions. Ratios of selected ions, excess conductivity above the H/sup +/ contribution, and excess sulfate and chloride above the seawater ratio were calculated and treated as additional variables. Statistical analyses were performed of the relationships between selected chemical variables and between them and meteorological conditions. Rainfall rate was also analyzed in terms of other meteorological variables. Because a number of units were changed after publication of an earlier report (BNL 50826), the results (presented in a series of tables) are given for each year separately and for both years jointly.

The angular momentum effects in deep inelastic processes and fission were studied in the limit of statistical equilibrium. The model consists of two touching liquid drop spheres. Angular momentum fractionation was found to occur along the mass asymmetry coordinate. Thermal excitation of fragment spin is predicted to occur in the degrees of freedom which can bear angular momentum, like wriggling, tilting, bending, and twisting. 17 references.

An anisotropic constitutive relation was incorporated into the Lagrangian finite-difference wavecode TOODY. The details of the implementation of the constitutive relation in the wavecode and an example of its use are discussed. 4 figures, 1 table.

The physical properties of thin films affect the performance and durability of nearly every solar energy conversion device. Familiar examples of thin films for solar applications are optical materials and protective coatings. Optimized optical properties are key to cost-effective photothermal conversion where individual components must have high absorptance, reflectance, or transmittance. The protection of sensitive substrates from corrosion and/or erosion is essential to ensure adequate component and system lifetime. Such substrates range from photovoltaic materials operating near room temperature to turbine blade structural alloys in hostile environments at very high temperatures (>1,000 degrees C). Although much has been written on particular categories of thin-film materials for solar energy (for example, absorbers for receiver surfaces), to date no one has provided an overview of the spectrum of applications for passive thin films in solar energy. This work is such an overview and also reviews the material state of the art as described in the current literature. Active thin film devices such as photovoltaics and thermoeleetrics are not discussed.

There are two main problems associated with the concept of geologic storage of radioactive waste in fractured crystalline rock: (1) the thermo-mechanical effects of the heat generated by the waste, and (2) the potential for transport of radioactive materials by the groundwater system. In both problems, fractures play a dominant role. An assessment of the hydraulic and mechanical characteristics of fractued rock requires a careful series of laboratory and field investigations. The complexity of the problem is illustrated by the field studies in a fractured granite that are currently underway in an abandoned iron-ore mine at Stripa, Sweden. Much information is being gathered from an extensive series of boreholes and fracture maps. The approach being taken to integrate these data into an analysis of the fracture hydrology is reviewed and preliminary results from the hydrology program are presented. 13 figures.

Exploration for Hot Dry Rock (HDR) requires the ability to delineate areas of thermal enhancement. It is likely that some of these areas will exhibit various sorts of anomalous conditions such as seismic transmission delays, low seismic velocities, high attenuation of seismic waves, high electrical conductivity in the crust, and a relatively shallow depth to Curie point of Magnetization. The Aquarius Mountain area of northwest Arizona exhibits all of these anomalies. The area is also a regional Bouguer gravity low, which may indicate the presence of high silica type rocks that often have high rates of radioactive heat generation. The one deficiency of the area as a HDR prospect is the lack of a thermal insulating blanket.

Research on the technology readiness of a proposed process sequence for the low-cost fabrication of photovoltaic modules is described. Integration of the process sequence using non-textured 2.125 inch square wafers was initiated during this period. Considerable difficulties were encountered requiring process and material modifications. These include: (1) replacement of N-250 spray-on diffusion source with PX-10 source; and (2) modification of the firing cycles for printed silver and printed aluminum contacts is required to accomodate the change of wafer size and shape. Preliminary results from cells processed through the entire process sequence except laser scribe and spray on AR coating indicate that the process sequence is feasible. Indicated cell conversion efficiency is 13 to 15%, however, the process at this point is plagued with low shunt resistance and high series resistance in the cells produced.

Marx generators, a major slow-pulsed power component in Sandia Laboratories' Electron Beam Fusion Accelerator (EBFA), were assembled at a remote facility modified to utilize an assembly-line technique. Due to the size and weight of the various components, as well as the final Marx generator assembly, special handling apparatus was designed. Time and manpower constraints required that this assembly be done in parallel with the construction of the Electron Beam Fusion Facility (EBFF). The completed Marx generators were temporarily stored and then moved from the assembly building to the EBFF using special transportation racks designed specifically for this purpose.

In the paper making industry, pulpwood chips are digested and cooked to provide the pulp going to the refining and paper mills. Black liquor residue, containing the dissolved lignin binder from the chips, with a concentration of 12 to 16% solids, is further concentrated to 62 to 65% solids and mixed with salt cake, Sodium Sulfate (Na/sub 2/SO/sub 4/). The resulting concentrate of black liquor serves both as a fuel for generating steam in the boiler and also as the mother liquid from which other process liquors are recovered and recycled. Because the black liquor fuel contains high alkali concentrations, 18.3% sodium, 3.6% sulfur, an amount typical of midwestern bituminous coal, and measurable amounts of silica, iron oxides and other species, the black liquor boiler experience was reviewed for application to MHD boiler technology.