Retrieval of 5-lb splits of -1/4 inch coal from designated 30-gallon drums was completed. Preparation and analysis of these samples for the second yearly quality evaluation is in progress. After consultation with the DOE Project Manager, two replacement samples were collected. These are the first of the series which will be stored in foil laminate bags. Both of these samples were placed in 30 gallon steel drums lined with polyethylene bags at the mine site. They were equipped with lid gaskets made from Tygon tubing, and 1/4 in. metal tubing fittings to purge and pressurize the drum with argon.

This summary presents the data accumulated to date with only brief comment. It is prepared with the intent that the viewers will offer advice on terminology, data presentation, methods and other. The year end analysis will detail changes in the data due to the tillage treatments. The data is incomplete due to equipment problems and time limitations due to the wet fall and early freeze up. The trial was not completed due to our inability to get the Mikkelsen Chisel Plow Shovel (MCP), a 16 inch sweep with an anhydrous knife, to penetrate untilled land. The MCP shovel penetrated to deep on plowed ground and pulled so hard that the front wheels of our JD4440 tractor were jerked off the ground. The Standard Chisel Plow Shovels (SCP), a 16 inch sweep, worked well and the data is included.

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, is on hold'' 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{endash}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.

The objective of proposed research is development of catalysts with enhanced slurry phase activity and better selectivity to fuel range products, through a more detailed understanding and systematic studies of the effects of pretreatment procedures and promoters/binders (silica) on catalyst performance.

In a previous paper we developed a simple model describing the far-field from a video-pulse source near the ground and for grazing incidence. We report here on a recent field test in which we attempted to verify the model. Our results show quantitative agreement with the model for most of the tested parameter space. We have also extended our model to include all elevation angles, including up to vertical. The computed engagement envelope shows three distinct regions: At grazing angles the field is small and diminishes to near zero at the earth's surface; at low-to moderate angles strong lobing occurs; at high angles the video-pulse field approaches its free-space form. 6 refs., 16 figs.

In this project we well evaluate the performance of Sel-Gel alumina membranes in coal liquid upgrading processes under realistic temperature and pressure conditions and investigate the feasibility of using such membranes in a membrane reactor based coal liquid upgrading process. In addition, the development of novel ceramic membranes with enhanced catalytic activity for coal-liquid upgrading applications, such as carbon-coated alumina membranes, will be also investigated. (VC)

Ceramic membranes are a new class of materials, which have shown promise in a variety of industrial applications. Their mechanical and chemical stability coupled with a wide range of operating temperatures and pressures make them suitable for environments found in coal liquid upgrading. In this project we will evaluate the performance of Sel-Gel alumina membranes in coal liquid upgrading processes under realistic temperature and pressure conditions and investigate the feasibility of using such membranes in a membrane reactor based coal liquid upgrading process. In addition, the development of novel ceramic membranes with enhanced catalytic activity for coal-liquid upgrading applications, such as carbon-coated alumina membranes, will also be investigated.

Ceramic membranes are a new class of materials, which have shown promise in a variety of industrial applications. Their mechanical and chemical stability coupled with a wide range of operating temperatures and pressures make them suitable for environments found in coal liquid upgrading. In this project we will evaluate the performance of Sel-Gel alumina membranes in coal liquid upgrading processes under realistic temperature and pressure conditions and investigate the feasibility of using such membranes in a membrane reactor based coal liquid upgrading process. In addition, the development of novel ceramic membranes with enhanced catalytic activity for coal-liquid upgrading applications, such as carbon-coated alumina membranes, will be also investigated.

This document describes the method developed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to evaluate transducer used in the design certification testing of nuclear material shipping packages. This testing project was performed by SNL for the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM). This evaluation is based on the results of tests conducted to measure ruggedness, failure frequency, repeatability, and manufacturers' calibration data under both field and laboratory conditions. The results of these tests are provided and discussed. The transducer were selected for testing by surveying cask contractors and testing facilities. Important insights relating to operational characteristics of accelerometer types were gained during field testing. 11 refs., 105 figs., 16 tabs.

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) food service operations, focusing on: (1) the type and volume of food services VA provides; (2) how VA provides food services; (3) the cost VA incurs; and (4) the revenues VA generates from sales of excess food services."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO provided information on the: (1) design components of retirement programs that states offer to their general employees and compared them to the design components of the two principal retirement programs for federal employees; and (2) changes states have considered and made to their retirement programs."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO the reviewed the reasonableness of the: (1) Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) estimates of budgetary savings from the sale of its single-family loans; and (2) model HUD used to estimate savings from the sale of multifamily loans."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on the Attorney General's strategy for reducing and deterring illegal entry along the southwest border, focusing on: (1) the Immigration and Naturalization Service's (INS) progress in implementing the southwest border strategy during fiscal year (FY) 1998; (2) interim results of the strategy; and (3) actions taken on GAO's recommendation that the Attorney General develop and implement a plan for formal, cost-effective, comprehensive, and systematic evaluation of the strategy."

A chapter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the passenger facility charge program, focusing on: (1) how the program is helping airports fund their capital development; and (2) the potential impact of various proposals to change the program, including the option of making no change."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO assessed the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) new starts program, focusing on identifying those projects that have experienced changes in their baseline cost estimates and the reason for the changes."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the effects of in-transit disbursements on the Navy's funds control and financial reporting."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO provided information on interjurisdictional adoption issues, focusing on the: (1) number of foster children who are available and waiting for an adoptive home to be identified; (2) actions taken by state and county child welfare agencies and nonprofit organizations to improve the adoption process when prospective adoptive families and foster children live in different jurisdictions; and (3) actions taken by the federal government to improve the adoption process when prospective adoptive families and foster children live in different jurisdictions."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined various issues related to the safe operation of commercial nuclear power plants, focusing on: (1) some of the challenges that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the nuclear power industry could experience in a competitive environment; (2) issues that NRC needs to resolve to implement a risk-informed regulatory approach; and (3) the status of NRC's efforts to apply a risk-informed regulatory approach to two of its oversight programs--plant safety assessments and enforcement."

A letter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO updated its previous report on the Department of Defense's (DOD) overpayments to contractors and subsequent refunds to the Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS), focusing on: (1) DOD's efforts to identify and recover overpayments made through fiscal year (FY) 1998; and (2) whether 13 contractors were retaining overpayments and how quickly overpayments were refunded."

A chapter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on: (1) the number and characteristics of self-employed taxpayers who receive social security credit for self-employment earnings when they are delinquent in paying the self-employment taxes on those earnings; (2) why self-employed taxpayers who have not paid their self-employment taxes are allowed to receive social security credit; and (3) any potential actions that could enhance the collection of self-employment taxes."

A chapter report issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Department of Energy's (DOE) efforts to create jobs for displaced former Soviet Union scientists through its Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention program, focusing on: (1) the costs to implement the program for fiscal years 1994-98, including the amount of funds received by weapons scientists and institutes; (2) the extent to which the program's projects are meeting their nonproliferation and commercialization objectives; and (3) DOE's Nuclear Cities Initiative."

Ceramic membranes are a new class of materials, which have shown promise in a variety of industrial applications. Their mechanical and chemical stability coupled with a wide range of operating temperatures and pressures make them suitable for environments found in coal liquid upgrading. In this project we will evaluate the performance of Sel-Gel alumina membranes in coal liquid upgrading processes under realistic temperature and pressure conditions and investigate the feasibility of using such membranes in a membrane reactor based coal liquid upgrading process. In addition, the development of novel ceramic membranes with enhanced catalytic activity for coal-liquid upgrading applications, such as carbon-coated alumina membranes, will be also investigated.

The objective of this contract is to extend and optimize UOP's single-stage, slurry-catalyzed co-processing scheme. The particular emphasis is one evaluating alternative and disposable slurry-catalyst systems. During the current quarter, Lloydminster vacuum resid was processed without the presence of coal. The objective of this study was to evaluate the manner in which the resid is upgraded at high-severity conditions to help understand the function of the resid during co-processing. This report coves Bench-Scale Runs 30 to 34. In Runs 30 to 34, Lloydminster vacuum resid was processed without the presence of coal using a 0.05 wt % molybdenum-based catalyst at 465{degrees}C.

This current project is pilot-scale testing of NO{sub x} recycle. The objective is to provide further fundamental understanding and useful information for its implementation at the Niles station. A Babcock Wilcox's 6 million Btu/hr Small Boiler Simulator (SBS) has been chosen to perform the tests. The SBS is the same type of cyclone furnace as that at Niles and simulates a large cyclone unit very well. The project involves conducting a series of tests which include injecting NO, NO{sub 2}, N{sub 2}O, and simulated NO{sub x} recycle stream respectively. The work performed during this reporting period focused on the site preparation, shakedown tests, and baseline tests. The shakedown testing of NO injection into the primary air stream alone and the secondary air stream alone showed promising results. A large amount of NO injected into furnace was destroyed, especially when the NO was injected into the primary air duct. However, the measuring instrumentation needs to be improved to give accurate data.