The overall goal of this project is to find biological methods to remove carboxylic functionalities from low-rank coals and to assess the properties of the modified coal towards coal liquefaction. The main objectives for this quarter were: (1) continuation of microbial consortia development and maintenance, (2) crude enzyme study using best decarboxylating organisms, (3) decarboxylation of lignite, demineralized Wyodak coal and model polymers, and (4) characterization of biotreated coals.

This report briefly discusses the following research: magnetically modulated systems, inelastic magnetotunneling, ballistic transport review, screening in reduced dimensions, raman and electron energy loss spectroscopy; and ballistic quantum interference effects. (LSP).

During this period, we focused our attention in analyzing the magnetic nature of the extensively used trimetallic catalyst system Cu-Co-Cr for the production of higher alcohols. We believe that there could be some correspondence between the catalytic and magnetic behaviors of the transition metal catalyst systems. Both the morphology and metallic charge distribution of the particles are know to govern the catalytic as well as the magnetic properties of the system. Based on this concept, we have extensively examined the Cu/Co system varying Cu/Co ratio from 0.2--4.0. Spectroscopic results are outlined herein. (VC)

The primary objective of this CCT project is to evaluate the use of Gas Reburning and Low NO{sub x} Burners (GR-LNB) for NO{sub x} emission control from a wall fired boiler. It is anticipated that, if the demonstration is successful, the GR-LNB technology could become commercialized during the 1990's and will be capable of (1) achieving significant reduction in the emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide (another acid rain precursor) from existing facilities to minimize environmental impacts such as transboundary and interstate pollution and/or (2) providing for future energy needs in an environmentally acceptable manner. Low NO{sub x} burners are designed to delay the mixing of the coal fuel with combustion air to minimize the NO{sub x} formation. Typically, one may obtain up to 50% reduction in NO{sub x} emissions through the use of LNB. For LNB applications, the technology is developed and a number of LNB designs are commercially available.

The objective of this project is to evaluate and demonstrate a cost effective emission control technology for acid rain precursors, oxides of nitrogen (NO{sub x}) and sulfur (SO{sub x}), on two coal fired utility boilers in Illinois. The units selected are representative of pre-NSPS design practices: tangential and cyclone fired. Work on a third unit, wall fired, has been stopped because of funding limitations. The specific objectives are to demonstrate reductions of 60 percent in NO{sub x} and 50 percent in SO{sub x} emissions, by a combination of two developed technologies, gas reburning (GR) and sorbent injection (SI).

An important issue for the performance of underground nuclear waste repositories is the rate of seepage into the waste emplacement drifts. A prediction of this rate is particularly complicated for the potential repository site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, because it is located in thick, unsaturated, fractured tuff formations. Underground opening in unsaturated media might act as capillary barriers, diverting water around them. In the present work, they study the potential rate of seepage into drifts as a function of the percolation flux at Yucca Mountain, based on a stochastic model of the fractured rock mass in the drift vicinity. A variety of flow scenarios are considered, assuming present-day and possible future climate conditions. They show that the heterogeneity in the flow domain is a key factor controlling seepage rates, since it causes channelized flow and local ponding in the unsaturated flow field.

Work sponsored by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) to identify and perform preliminary assessments of candidate BWR (boiling water reactor) in-vessel accident management strategies was completed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) during fiscal year 1990. Mitigative strategies for containment events have been the subject of a companion study at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The focus of this Oak Ridge effort was the development of new strategies for mitigation of the late phase events, that is, the events that would occur in-vessel after the onset of significant core damage. The work began with an investigation of the current status of BWR in-vessel accident management procedures and proceeded through a preliminary evaluation of several candidate new strategies. The steps leading to the identification of the candidate strategies are described. The four new candidate late-phase (in-vessel) accident mitigation strategies identified by this study and discussed in the report are: (1) keep the reactor vessel depressurized; (2) restore injection in a controlled manner; (3) inject boron if control blade damage has occurred; and (4) containment flooding to maintain core and structural debris in-vessel. Additional assessments of these strategies are proposed.

Emittance can be measured by intercepting an electron beam on a range thick plate and then observing the expansion of beamlets transmitted through small holes. The hole size is selected to minimize space charge effects. In the presence of a magnetic field the beamlets have a spiral trajectory and the usual field free formulation must be modified. To interpret emittance in the presence of a magnetic field an envelope equation is derived in the appropriate rotating frame. 1 ref.

Directly driven Rayleigh-Taylor instability growth experiments being performed on NOVA have been simulated using the computer code, LASNEX. Foils with single-wavelength imposed surface perturbations have been driven with a single beam of 0.53 {mu}m light, employing smoothing by spectral dispersion (SSD). In addition to simulating foils with imposed surface perturbations, we have simulated flat foils driven by beams with time-dependent intensity modulation resulting from the NOVA implementation of SSD. These simulations show the development of large amplitude modulation of the target from residual intensity nonuniformities. Structure seeded by beam nonuniformity would overwhelm modulation resulting from imposed surface perturbations of sub-micron initial amplitude, but is predicted to develop sufficiently slowly that we expect to observe growth of perturbations with initial amplitudes of several microns. In other NOVA experiments, flat foils with an embedded brominated spectroscopic tracer layer are used in infer mass ablation rates. SSD drive is predicted to yield ablation rates in better agreement with 1-D simulations than drive from a beam with random phase plates (RPP) alone. Simulations of foils driven with RPP beams show enhanced ablation rates because modulation of the ablation front increases its surface area. Line emission from the seed is first seen at cold spots …

A substantial savings in size and cost over a linear machine may be achieved in an induction accelerator in which a heavy ion beam makes many (< {approximately} 50) passes through one or more circular induction accelerators. We examine how the requirement of high beam quality and the requirement of pulse simultaneity at the target constrain the design of such an accelerator. Some of the issues that we have considered include beam interactions with residual gas, beam-beam charge exchange, emittance growth around bends, and beam instabilities. We show some of the interplay between maximization of beam quality and recirculator efficiency, and the minimization of recirculator cost, in arriving at a recirculator design. 9 refs., 1 fig.

The objectives of this secondary oil recovery project involving the Carter sandstone in northwest Alabama are: (1) To increase the ultimate economic recovery of oil from the Carter reservoirs, thereby increasing domestic reserves and lessening US dependence on foreign oil; (2) To extensively model, test, and monitor the reservoirs so their management is optimized; and (3) To assimilate and transfer the information and results gathered to other US oil companies to encourage them to attempt similar projects. Start-up water injection began on 0 1/12/93 at the Central Bluff Field, and daily operations began on 01/13/93. These operations include monitoring wellhead pressures at the injector and two producers, and injection water treatment. Water injection was running 200-300 bbl/day at the end of February. Once the unit is pressured-up well testing will be performed. Unitization was approved on 03/01/93.b. For the North Fairview Field correlations and log analyses were used to determine the fluid and rock properties. A summary of these properties is included in Table 1. The results of the log analysis were used to construct the hydrocarbon pore volume map shown on Figure 1. The map was planimetered to determine original oil-in-place (OOIP) values and the hydrocarbon pore volume by …

A method of sintering nanocrystalline material is disclosed wherein the nanocrystalline material is microwaved to heat the material to a temperature less than about 70% of the melting point of the nanocrystalline material expressed in degrees K. This method produces sintered nanocrystalline material having a density greater than about 95% of theoretical and an average grain size not more than about 3 times the average grain size of the nanocrystalline material before sintering. Rutile TiO[sub 2] as well as various other ceramics have been prepared. Grain growth of as little as 1.67 times has resulted with densities of about 90% of theoretical.

The purpose of this document is to review technologies for treatment of air streams that contain chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCS) and to describe a Department of Energy Office of Technology Development program that is planned to demonstrate innovative technologies for the abatement of CVOC emissions. This report describes the first phase of testing of off-gas treatment technologies. At least one more phase of testing is planned. Guidance for the preparation of this document was provided by a predecisional draft outline issued by the Department of Energy's Office of Technology Development. The report is intended to evaluate the technical and regulatory aspects, public acceptance, and estimated costs of technologies selected for development and testing. These technologies are compared to currently practiced or baseline methods for treatment of CVOC-laden airstreams. A brief overview is provided rather than detailed cost and data comparisons because many of these technologies have not yet been field tested. A description of other promising technologies for the treatment of CVOC emissions is also included. Trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) were used for industrial cleaning and solvent applications for several decades. These chemicals can be classified as CVOCS. As a result of past standard disposal practices, these types …

Clean Coal Technology (CCT) implies the use of coal in an environmentally acceptable manner. Coal combustion results in the emission of oxides of nitrogen (NO[sub x]), which are precursors of both acid rainand ozone formation. The primary objective of this CCT project is to evaluate the use of Gas Reburning and Low NO[sub x] Burners (GR-LNB) for NO[sub x] emission control from a wall fired boiler. It is anticipated that, if the demonstration is successful, the GR-LNB technology could become commercialized during the 1990's and will be capable of (1) achieving significant reduction in the emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide (another acid rain precursor) from existing facilities to minimize environmental impacts such as transboundary and interstate pollution and/or (2) providing for future energy needs in an environmentally acceptable manner. Low NO[sub x] burners are designed to delay the mixing of the coal fuel with combustion air to minimize the NO[sub x] formation. Typically, one may obtain up to 50% reduction in NO[sub x] emissions through the use of LNB. For LNB applications, the technology is developed and a number of LNB designs are commercially available. With GR, about 80--85 percent of the coal fuel is fired in the …

The objective of this project is to evaluate and demonstrate a cost effective emission control technology for acid rain precursors, oxides of nitrogen (NO[sub x]) and sulfur (SO[sub x])on two coal fired utility boilers in Illinois. The units selected are representative of pre-NSPS design practices: tangential and cyclone fired. The specific objectives are to demonstrate reductions of 60 percent in NO[sub x] and 50 percent in SO[sub x] emissions, by a combination of two developed technologies, gas reburning (GR) and sorbent injection (SI). With GR, about 80--85 percent of the coal fuel is fired in the primary combustion zone. The balance of the fuel is added downstream as natural gas to create a slightly fuel rich environment in which NO[sub x]is converted to N[sub 2]. The combustion process is completed by overfire air addition. SO[sub x] emissions are reduced by injecting dry sorbents (usually calcium based) into the upper furnace. The sorbents trap SO[sub x] as solid sulfates that are collected in the particulate control device. This project is conducted in three phases at each site: (1) Design and Permitting, (2) Construction and Startup, and (3) Operation, Data Collection, Reporting and Disposition. Technology transfer to industry is accomplished through the …

This Phase II final report documents the Phase II testing conducted from June 18, 1998 through November 13, 1998, and it focuses on the application of the siphon technology as a sub-component of the overall GeoSiphon Cell technology. [Q-TPL-T-00004]

The objective of this contract is the synthesis of a new naphthalene-hydroxynaphthalene polymer model compound for coal combustion studies. This effort also requires the development of a synthetic procedure for this compound since it has not been reported before. We can only report that we are still unable to provide the target polymer or even any of the key intermediates leading to this target Dr. Rao has been informed of our progress (or lack of progress), and he has suggested that we begin to design other alternative compounds which contain the functionalities required by the target compound. In response to this suggestion, we have quickly designed the potential targets shown in Scheme VIL We are currently evaluating the schemes further and we will continue designing routes to the other analogous compounds.

The objectives of this secondary oil recovery project involving the Carter sandstone in northwest Alabama are: (1) To increase the ultimate economic recovery of oil from the Carter reservoirs, thereby increasing domestic reserves and lessening US dependence on foreign oil; (2) To extensively model, test, and monitor the reservoirs so their management is optimized; and (3) To assimilate and transfer the information and results gathered to other US oil companies to encourage them to attempt similar projects. Start-up water injection began on 0 1/12/93 at the Central Bluff Field, and daily operations began on 01/13/93. These operations include monitoring wellhead pressures at the injector and two producers, and injection water treatment. Water injection was running 200-300 bbl/day at the end of February. Once the unit is pressured-up well testing will be performed. Unitization was approved on 03/01/93.b. For the North Fairview Field correlations and log analyses were used to determine the fluid and rock properties. A summary of these properties is included in Table 1. The results of the log analysis were used to construct the hydrocarbon pore volume map shown on Figure 1. The map was planimetered to determine original oil-in-place (OOIP) values and the hydrocarbon pore volume by …

The objective of this project is to evaluate and demonstrate a cost effective emission control technology for acid rain precursors, oxides of nitrogen (NO{sub x}) and sulfur (SO{sub x}), on two coal fired utility boilers in Illinois. The units selected are representative of pre-NSPS design practices: tangential and cyclone fired. Work on a third unit, wall fired, has been stopped because of funding limitations. The specific objectives are to demonstrate reductions of 60 percent in NO{sub x} and 50 percent in SO{sub x}, emissions, by a combination of two developed technologies, gas reburning (GR) and sorbent injection (SI). With GR, about 80-85 percent of the coal fuel is fired in the primary combustion zone. The balance of the fuel is added downstream as natural gas to create a slightly fuel rich environment in which NO{sub x} is converted to N{sub 2}. The combustion process is completed by overfire air addition. SO{sub x} emissions are reduced by injecting dry sorbents (usually calcium based) into the upper furnace. The sorbents trap SO{sub x} as solid sulfates that are collected in the particulate control device. This project is conducted in three phases at each site: (1) Design and Permitting, (2) Construction and Startup, …

It may be possible to surround the region where fusion reactions are taking place with a neutronically thick liquid blanket which has penetrations that allow only a few tenths of a percent of the neutrons to leak out. Even these neutrons can be attenuated by adding an accurately placed liquid or solid near the target to shadow-shield the beam ports from line-of-sight neutrons. The logic of such designs are discussed and their evolution is described with examples applied to both magnetic and inertial fusion (HYLIFE-II). These designs with liquid protection are self healing when exposed to pulsed loading and have a number of advantages-over the usual designs with solid first walls. For example, the liquid-protected solid components will last the life of the plant, and therefore the capacity factor is estimated to be approximately 10% higher than for the non-liquid-walled blankets, because no blanket replacement shutdowns are required. The component replacement, operations, and maintenance costs might be half the usual value because no blanket change-out costs or accompanying facilities are required. These combined savings might lower the cost of electricity by 20%. Nuclear-grade construction should not be needed, largely because the liquid attenuates neutrons and results in less activation of …

The use of motor current signature analysis (CSA) has been established as a useful method for periodic monitoring of electrically driven equipment. CSA is, moreover, especially well suited as the basis for a dedicated continuous monitoring system in an industrial setting. This paper presents just such an application that has been developed and installed in the US government uranium enrichment plant at Portsmouth, Ohio. The system, which is designed to detect specific axial-flow compressor problems in 1700-hp gaseous diffusion compressors, is described in detail along with an explanation of detected fault conditions and the required signal manipulations. Amplitude demodulation and subsequent digital processing of motor signals sensed from area control room ammeter loops are used to accomplish the desired monitoring task. Using modified off-the-shelf multiplexing equipment, a 386-type personal computer, and special digital signal processing hardware, the system is presently configured to monitor ten compressors but is expandable to monitor more than 100. Within its first few days of operation in September 1992, the system detected a compressor problem that, when corrected, resulted in a cost avoidance of about $150,000, which more than paid for the hardware and software development costs. Finally, plans to expand system coverage in the coming …

In developing the new Ohio University procedure the thermodynamic limitations of the reactions for removal of both pyritic and organic sulfur from coal at 400--600{degrees}C were studied using copper as a very strong H{sub 2}S-acceptor. Copper serves as a catalyst for ethanol dehydrogenation to form nascent hydrogen. Copper also serves as a scavenger to form copper sulfide from the hydrogen sulfide evolved during the reaction. Copper sulfide in turn serves as a catalyst for organic sulfur hydrodesulfurization reactions. If the coal to be desulfurized contains pyrite (FeS{sub 2}) or FeS, the copper scavenger effect reduces any back reaction of hydrogen sulfide with the iron and increases the removal of sulfur from the carbonaceous material. The desired effect of using copper can be achieved by using copper or copper containing alloys as materials of construction or as liners for a regenerable reactor. During the time period that Ohio Coal Development Office supported this work, small scale (560 grams) laboratory experiments with coals containing about 3.5% sulfur have achieved up to 90% desulfurization at temperatures of 500{degrees}C when using a copper reactor. Results from the autoclave experiments have identified the nature of the chemical reactions taking place. Because the process removes both …

Clean Coal Technology (CCT) implies the use of coal in an environmentally acceptable manner. Coal combustion results in the emission of oxides of nitrogen (NO{sub x}), which are precursors of both acid rain and ozone formation. The primary objective of this CCT project is to evaluate the use of Gas Reburning and Low NO{sub x} Burners (GR-LNB) for NO{sub x} emission control from a wall fired boiler. It is anticipated that, if the demonstration is successful, the GR-LNB technology could become commercialized during the 1990`s and will be capable of (1) achieving significant reduction in the emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide (another acid rain precursor) from existing facilities to minimize environmental impacts such as transboundary and interstate pollution and/or (2) providing for future energy needs in an environmentally acceptable manner. Phase III of the project was approved and commenced on April 15, 1992. Phase III activities during this reporting period involved the continuation of long term testing and the extension of the program through 6-30-95. Additional funds were also allocated and changes in the workscope of Phase III were made to include Gas Reburning System Enhancements.

A method of sintering nanocrystalline material is disclosed wherein the nanocrystalline material is microwaved to heat the material to a temperature less than about 70% of the melting point of the nanocrystalline material expressed in degrees K. This method produces sintered nanocrystalline material having a density greater than about 95% of theoretical and an average grain size not more than about 3 times the average grain size of the nanocrystalline material before sintering. Rutile TiO{sub 2} as well as various other ceramics have been prepared. Grain growth of as little as 1.67 times has resulted with densities of about 90% of theoretical.