The purpose of this report is to help those interested in research supported by the Department of Energy's Division of Chemical Sciences, which is one of six Divisions of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences in the Office of Energy Research. Chemists, physicists, chemical engineers and others who are considering the possibility of proposing research for support by this Division wll find the booklet useful for gauging the scope of the program in basic research, and the relationship of their interests to the overall program. These smmaries are intended to provide a rapid means for becoming acquainted with the Chemical Sciences program for members of the scientific and technological public, and interested persons in the Legislative and Executive Branches of the Government, in order to indicate the areas of research supported by the Division and energy technologies which may be advanced by use of basic knowledge discovered in this program. Scientific excellence is a major criterion applied in the selection of research supported by Chemical Sciences. Another important consideration is the identifying of chemical, physical and chemical engineering subdisciplines which are advancing in ways which produce new information related to energy, needed data, or new ideas.

The fabrication, testing, and delivery of ten Zetatron tubes (for use in logging probes for U exploration) under Phase I of Contract 07-5363 was successfully completed by Kaman Sciences Corporation. Twelve starts were required to complete ten acceptable tubes. This is an excellent performance record for first-fabrication attempts of a tube design that was new to Kaman Sciences Corporation. The fabrication of test transformer and tube-transformer assemblies required under Phase II of the contract was satisfactorily completed. Testing of these components is still in progress.

A discussion of the control and operation of the HTGR-GT power plant is presented in terms of its closely coupled electrical load and core cooling functions. The system and its controls are briefly described and comparisons are made with more conventional plants. The results of analyses of selected transients are presented to illustrate the operation and control of the HTGR-GT. The events presented were specifically chosen to show the controllability of the plant and to highlight some of the unique characteristics inherent in this multiloop closed-cycle plant.

This bibliography is a compilation of literature on decentralized energy systems. It is arranged according to topical (e.g., lifestyle and values, institutions, and economics) and geographical scale to facilitate quick reference to specific areas of interest. Also included are articles by and about Amory B. Lovins who has played a pivotal role in making energy decentralization an important topic of national debate. Periodicals, other bibliographies, and directories are also listed.

A moderate-temperature (140/sup 0/C) geothermal power plant demonstration, sponsored by the Department of Energy, is currently under development in South Central Idaho. Environmental concerns about the quality of the local shallow groundwater prompted a modeling study. Simulation results (1) suggest significant thermal and quality levels within the 30-year projected plant operation and (2) makes obvious the importance of understanding the interconnected hydraulic systems.

Research designed to obtain baseline data on heat transfer for working fluids in geothermal binary cycle systems is described. The working fluid loop in the experimental apparatus simulates the binary cycle with steam as the heating fluid and a throttling valve instead of the turbine. Data on film coefficient for the condensation of 90/10 and 80/20 mixtures of isobutane-isopentane on a horizontal tube at various temperatures and condensation rates are presented. Data indicate that mixtures of isobutane-isopentane have lower condensation film coefficients than that of the pure isobutane under equivalent conditions of temperatures and condensation rates. Depending on the mass condensation rate, the film coefficient for the 80/20 mixture can be as low as 30 percent of the film coefficient for pure isobutane at the same mass condensation rate.

The isotopic composition of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon has been determined for regional cold springs, thermal fluids, and rocks and minerals from the Roosevelt Hot Springs thermal area. The geothermal system has developed within plutonic granitic rocks and amphibolite facies gneiss, relying upon fracture-controlled permeability for the migration of the thermal fluids. Probably originating as meteoric waters in the upper elevations of the Mineral Mountains, the thermal waters sampled in the production wells display an oxygen isotopic shift of at least +1.2. Depletions of delta /sup 18/O in wole rock, K-feldspar, and biotite have a positive correlation with alteration intensity. W/R mass ratios, calculated from the isotopic shifts of rock and water, range up to 3.0 in a producing horizon of one well, although the K-feldspar has experienced only 30% exchange with the thermal waters. While veinlet quartz has equilibrated with the thermal waters, the /sup 18/O values of K-mica clay, an alteration product of plagioclase, mimic the isotopic composition of K-feldspar and whole rock. This suggests that locally small W/R ratios enable plagioclase to influence its alteration products by isotopic exchange.

This technical memorandum was prepared to: (1) describe a typical basalt radionuclide repository site, (2) describe geologic and hydrologic processes associated with regional radionuclide transport in basalts, (3) define the parameters required to model regional radionuclide transport from a basalt repository site, and (4) develop a ''conceptual model'' of radionuclide transport from a basalt repository site. In a general hydrological sense, basalts may be described as layered sequences of aquifers and aquitards. The Columbia River Basalt, centered near the semi-arid Pasco Basin, is considered by many to be typical basalt repository host rock. Detailed description of the flow system including flow velocities with high-low hydraulic conductivity sequences are not possible with existing data. However, according to theory, waste-transport routes are ultimately towards the Columbia River and the lengths of flow paths from the repository to the biosphere may be relatively short. There are many physical, chemical, thermal, and nuclear processes with associated parameters that together determine the possible pattern of radionuclide migration in basalts and surrounding formations. Brief process descriptions and associated parameter lists are provided. Emphasis has been placed on the use of the distribution coefficient in simulating ion exchange. The use of the distribution coefficient approach is limited …

This guide deals primarily with the economics of electric utilities, although certain legal and organizational aspects of utilities are discussed. Each of the seven chapters addresses a particular facet of public-utility ratemaking. Chapter One contains a discussion of the evolution of the public-utility concept, as well as the legal and economic justification for public utilities. The second chapter sets forth an analytical economic model which provides the basis for the next four chapters. These chapters contain a detailed examination of total operating costs, the rate base, the rate of return, and the rate structure. The final chapter discusses a number of current issues regarding electric utilities, mainly factors related to fuel-adjustment costs, advertising, taxes, construction work in progress, and lifeline rates. Some of the examples used in the Guide are from particular states, such as Illinois and California. These examples are used to illustrate specific points. Consumers in other states can generalize them to their states and not change the meaning or significance of the points. 27 references, 8 tables.

This report presents program summaries of the various projects sponsored during 1979 by the Marine Research Program of the Ecological Research Division. Program areas include the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on the marine environment; a study of the baseline ecology of a proposed OTEC site near Puerto Rico; the environmental impact of offshore geothermal energy development; the movement of radionuclides through the marine environment; the environmental aspects of power plant cooling systems; and studies of the physical and biological oceangraphy of the continental shelves bordering the United States.

The Site 12 experiment was a heavily instrumented field event performed to examine the hydraulic/explosive fracturing concept for preparing an underground oil shale bed for true in situ processing. One of the key phases of this fracturing concept is the blasting operation which involves the insertion and detonation of slurry explosive in a pre-formed system of hydrofractures. To obtain a sound understanding of the nature of the blasting operations, a rather extensive array of stress gages, accelerometers, and time-of-arrival gages was installed in the rock mass in the vacinity of the explosive to monitor the dynamic events initiated by the detonation. These gages provided considerable amounts of information which were useful in evaluating overall results of the experiment. Details of the gage array, of the data, of analysis methods, and of the results and conclusions are considered in the report.

Self-sputtering and edge temperature estimates have been made for a tokamak fusion reactor with a normal incidence boundary using models for the power balance, plasma sheath, charge state, and sputtering coefficients. Both structural materials and low-Z coatings have been examined. From the self-sputtering standpoint, some materials will work only at very low edge temperatures; these will require a high recycling rate and a high radiation fraction.

A detailed study is made on the movement of the thermal fronts in the fracture and in the porous medium when 100{sup 0}C water is injected into a 300{sup 0}C geothermal reservoir with equally spaced horizontal fractures. Numerical modeling calculations were made for a number of thermal conductivity values, as well as different values of the ratio of fracture and rock medium permeabilities. One important result is an indication that although initially, the thermal front in the fracture moves very fast relative to the front in the porous medium as commonly expected, its speed rapidly decreases. At some distance from the injection well the thermal fronts in the fracture and the porous medium coincide, and from that point they advance together. The implication of this result on the effects of fractures on reinjection into geothermal reservoirs is discussed.

The purpose of this study was to investigate characteristics of mean wind loads produced by airflow in and around several configurations of parabolic trough solar collectors with and without a wind fence. Four basic parabolic shapes were investigated as single units and one shape was studied as part of several array fields. One 1:25 scale model of each parabolic shape was constructed for mounting on a force balance to measure two forces and three moments. The effects of several dominant variables were investigated in this study: wind-azimuth (or yaw), trough elevation (or pitch) angle, array field configuration, and protective wind fence characteristics. All measurements were made in a boundary-layer flow developed by the meteorological wind tunnel at the Fluid Dynamics and Diffusion Laboratory of Colorado State University. Results are presented and discussed. (WHK)

First, the comments on May 3, 1979 Notice of Inquiry of DOE relating to the Gas Utility Rate Design Study Required by Section 306 of PURPA are presented. Then, comments on the following are included: (1) ICF Gas Utility Model, Gas Utility Model Data Outputs, Scenario Design; (2) Interim Model Development Report with Example Case Illustrations; (3) Interim Report on Simulation of Seven Rate Forms; (4) Methodology for Assessing the Impacts of Alternative Rate Designs on Industrial Energy Use; (5) Simulation of Marginal-Cost-Based Natural Gas Rates; and (6) Preliminary Discussion Draft of the Gas Rate Design Study. Among the most frequent comments expressed were the following: (a) the public should be given the opportunity to review the final report prior to its submission to Congress; (b) results based on a single computer model of only four hypothetical utility situations cannot be used for policy-making purposes for individual companies or the entire gas industry; (c) there has been an unobjective treatment of traditional and economic cost rate structures; the practical difficulties and potential detrimental consequences of economic cost rates are not fully disclosed; and (d) it is erroneous to assume that end users, particularly residential customers, are influenced by price signals …

This paper describes the operation of a forced two phase cooling system on a two meter diameter superconducting solenoid. The magnet is a thin high current density superconducting solenoid which is cooled by forced two phase helium in tubes around the coil. The magnet, which is 2.18 meters in diameter and 3.4 meters long, has a cold mass of 1700 kg. The two phase cooling system contains less than 300 liters of liquid helium, most of which is contained in a control dewar. This paper describes the operating characteristics of the LBL two phase forced cooling system during cooldown and warm up. The paper presents experimental data on operations of the magnet using either a helium pump or the refrigerator compressor to circulate two phase helium through the superconducting coil cooling tubes.

Air spaces in a deep geologic repository for nuclear high level waste will have an important effect on the long-term performance of the waste package. The important temperature effects of an annular air gap surrounding a high level waste canister are determined through 3-D numerical modeling. Air gap properties and parameters specifically analyzed and presented are the air gap size, surfaces emissivity, presence of a sleeve, and initial thermal power generation rate; particular emphasis was placed on determining the effect of these variables have on the canister surface temperature. Finally a discussion based on modeling results is presented which specifically relates the results to NRC regulatory considerations.

A multiple-region simulation model for estimating economic, environmental, and energy-related impacts of building energy-conservation policies is presented. The model is formulated as a time-stepped sequence of optimization subproblems, each reflecting building energy-conservation options and energy costs, and identifying optimal investments and energy consumption for the time step.

The FORTRAN subroutine LSQFT is described which uses the Gauss method to fit nonlinear functions to data. This particular program is suitable for use on a minicomputer that is utilized for real-time data acquisition and analysis. A sample problem is described that requires a nine-parameter nonlinear fit to 200 data points. This problem serves both to illustrate the use of LSQFT and to compare its results with TJMAR1, a nonlinear parameter estimation program available in the Sandia MATHLIB, for the CDC 6600/7600 computers. The results of this comparison fit are identical to the significance of the input convergence criteria. The output of LSQFT includes the standard deviation of each fit parameter, which is useful for analysis of the significance of the parameters based on the input data or for evaluation of functional models used to fit to the data. Examples are given of the types of graphical output that can be generated from the results of LSQFT. The program is documented and listed in its entirety, and a user's guide is provided. 10 figures.

This report includes a critical review of the current literature on the anodic passivation of zinc electrodes, a description of supplementary experimental studies to extend the data to a low-current-density region and to provide a basis for evaluating conflicting results of published work, and a new interpretation of the anodic passivation mechanism. This work provides a starting point for understanding passivation phenomena in battery electrodes. The utilization of a zinc electrode in alkaline batteries depends on the ability of the electrode to remain active during the anodic dissolution process. This dissolution period is often terminated by the onset of passivation. Experiments were conducted on the effects of current density on passivation time of a small zinc anode (6.6 x 10/sup -3/ cm/sup 2/) in KOH at concentrations of 0.784, 2.92, 4.98 and 7.24M KOH as well as 7.24M KOH saturated with zinc oxide. It was concluded that there are two mechanisms for anodic passivation, one occurring at current densities below about 150 mA/cm/sup 2/ and another at higher current densities. Accordingly, in the overall mechanism, the total time to passivation includes the times to achieve the maximum zincate concentration as well as to form porous type I ZnO and compact …

The technical feasibility of a lithium chloride open-cycle absorption air conditioner using solar-heated air for reconcentration of the absorbent solution is examined. In contrast to a successfully operating Soviet design (in which absorbent reconcentration is accomplished by trickling the solution across a sloping black roof exposed to the sun), this study involves a packed-bed concentrator. Solar-heated air reconcentrates the solution by vaporizing water (the refrigerant) from the solution in the packed bed, enabling the system to be incorporated into a conventional solar air heating system and avoiding numerous problems associated with the roof concentrator. A thermodynamic analysis provides the criteria for the design of the packed bed. Heat and mass transfer processes occurring simultaneously in the bed are modeled using an iterative technique with the aid of a digital computer. The size of the packed-bed required to reconcentrate the absorbent solution at a rate corresponding to 10,550 W of cooling is determined, using flow rates, temperatures, and humidities typical of residential solar air-heating systems. Based on these results, the system air conditioning capability with solar energy input is predicted over the course of a clear summer day for Fort Collins, Colorado, and St. Louis, Missouri. Sufficient cooling capacity to meet …

A computer code, ASHMET, has been developed by MSFC to estimate the amount of solar insolation incident on the surfaces of solar collectors. Both tracking and fixed-position collectors have been included. Climatological data for 248 US locations are built into the code. This report describes the methodology of the code, and its input and output. The basic methodology used by ASHMET is the ASHRAE clear-day insolation relationships modified by a clearness index derived from SOLMET-measured solar radiation data to a horizontal surface.

The array of alternative energy sources which are vying for the federal government's R and D dollar is formidable when compared to the politically acceptable amount which can be used to fund the research. To guide how these funds should be dispersed, a rational, defensible procedure is needed which can repeatedly be applied as new technologies and new information become available. The procedure advanced in this paper is a decision analysis technique known as multi attribute decision analysis (MADA) and its use is illustrated in an evaluation and ranking of solar thermal electric power generating systems. Since the ultimate purchase decision is made in the market place, the preferences of potential users have been sampled and brought to bear on the ranking. The focus of this description is on the formulation of the problem structure and the decision model, the treatment of uncertainty, and how the results relate to the questions asked by and of the Department of Energy, which funded the study. A final note proposes how decision analysis can be used to address the broader questions of choice among competing technologies with cautions concerning misuse of the procedure.

Progress is reported in the following areas of research: characterization of organic pollutants emitted by fossil fuel processing and energy generating plants; environmental effects of using municipal solid wastes as a supplementary fuel; microbiological air quality at the Ames Municipal Solid Waste Recovery System; solid waste to methane environmental study; x-ray and ultraviolet excited optical luminescence (XEOL, UVEOL) of carcinogens - analytical possibilities; laser pumped luminescence (LPL) spectroscopy; personnel and plant monitors; and multi-element characterization of air particulates. Two papers submitted for publication are included. (JGB)