Current progress on the development of the oxygen sensor is reviewed. During this quarter the sensor seal and heating element was redesigned and prototypes were tested. A combustor experiment will be performed in the next one to two quarters. Related information on lean sensors is also reviewed. Additional testing was done on multilayer sensors pulled from storage. (SM)

1,1'-Diruthenocenylnaphthalene has been prepared and its molecular structure has been determined by x-ray diffraction, in order to compare its structure with that of its iron analog. The molecular structure of the half oxidized form of 1,1'-diferocenylnaphthalene has also be determined. Comparison of these structures has made it possible to assign the origins of observed deformations in these substances. Polymeric, face-to-face metallocenes related to the 1,8-dimetallocenylnaphthalenes (M=Fe, Ru) have also been prepared by coupling of 1,1'-bis(chlorozinc)metallocenes with 1,8- diiodonaphthalene. A more general approach to the synthesis of polymeric face-to-face metallocenes incorporating other transition metals has been developed. This involves the sequential replacement of iodo groups in 1,8-diiodonaphthalene with cyclopentadiene and the complexation of these rings with metals. A short synthesis of 4-n-butyl-1,8-diiodonaphthalene has been achieved. The molecular structure of a 2,3-oligomeric face-to-face ferrocene has been determined and shown to have the unexpected cis arrangement of naphthalene rings. 6 refs.

This paper describes instrumentation designed for BGO scintillator-based calorimetry of particles covering a very wide range of energies (from less than 50 MeV to 50 GeV). The instrumentation was designed to have a measurement accuracy of 0.1% over as much of the energy range as possible so the energy resolution of BGO would be the limiting factor. Two 1.5-cm{sup 2} photodiodes were used per 2.5 cm {times} 2.5 cm {times} 25 cm BGO crystal. Both a charge-sensitive preamplifier and a pulse processor were developed specifically for the needs of the WA80 experiment. The preamplifier was designed for high detector capacitance (100 to 700 pF), low integral and differential non-linearity and low power consumption (200 mW). The pulse processor is a time-invariant shaping amplifier with integral peak-detect-and-hold and automatic gain selection circuits. The amplifier use quasi-triangular shaping with 4 {mu}s peaking time, and the hold circuit is gated with a fast first level trigger. The system has more than 20 bits of effective resolution when used with an external 12-bit ADC. Results from beam tests at CERN are presented. 6 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

A gas phase and a slurry phase radioactive tracer study was performed on the 12 ton/day Liquid Phase Methanol (LPMEOH) Process Development Unit (PDU) in LaPorte, Texas. To study the gas phase mixing characteristics, a radioactive argon tracer was injected into the feed gas and residence time distribution was generated by measuring the response at the reactor outlet. Radioactive manganese oxide powder was independently injected into the reactor to measure the slurry phase mixing characteristics. A tanks-in-series model and an axial dispersion model were applied to the data to characterize the mixing in the reactor. From the axial dispersion model, a translation to the number of CSTR's (continuous stirred tank reactors) was made for comparison purposes with the first analysis. Dispersion correlations currently available in the literature were also compared. The tanks-in-series analysis is a simpler model whose results are easily interpreted. However, it does have a few drawbacks; among them, the lack of a reliable method for scaleup of a reactor and no direct correlation between mixing in the slurry and gas phases. The dispersion model allows the mixing in the gas and slurry phases to be characterized separately while including the effects of phase transfer. This analysis offers …

In 1986 a measurement control program was instituted at Mound to ensure that measurement performance used for nuclear material accountability was properly monitored and documented. The organization and management of various aspects of the program are discussed. Accurate measurements are the basis of nuclear material accountability. The validity of the accountability values depends on the measurement results that are used to determine inventories, receipts, and shipments. With this measurement information, material balances are calculated to determine losses and gains of materials during a specific time period. Calculation of Inventory Differences (ID) are based on chemical or physical measurements of many items. The validity of each term is dependent on the component measurements. Thus, in Figure 1, the measured element weight of 17 g is dependent on the performance of the particular measurement system that was used. In this case, the measurement is performed using a passive gamma ray method with a calibration curve determined by measuring representative standards containing a range of special nuclear materials (Figure 2). One objective of a measurement control program is to monitor and verify the validity of the calibration curve (Figure 3). In 1986 Mound's Nuclear Materials Accountability (NMA) group instituted a formal measurement control …

This report summarizes work performed under Grant Number DE-FG03-88ER13911 for the period June 15, 1988 through October 31, 1990. The first year's work dealt with derivations of the fundamental equations describing suspensions of inelastic particles. This work was documented in last year's annual progress report, and has since been published in Physica A. We include the published version as an Appendix to this report. During the past year our work has focused on derivations of the nonlinear hydrodynamic equations for multi-component systems. The remainder of this report summarizes the results of these latter studies. The report is organized as follows. In Section 2, we derive a general set of nonlinear hydrodynamic equations for a two-component, classical fluid system. We then show under what circumstances the exact equations can be approximated by the phenomenological, nonlinear Navier-Stokes equations. In Section 3, we use the general results of Section 2 to obtain explicit, nonlinear equations for the evolution of the hydrodynamic variables of two-component fluid mixtures (total mass density, mass density of one of the two species, momentum density and energy density). In Section 4, we give the linearized, fundamental equations that follow from the results of Section 3. In Section 5, we …

The West Sak (Upper Cretaceous) sands, overlaying the Kuparuk field, would rank among the largest known oil fields in the US, but technical difficulties have so far prevented its commercial exploitation. Steam injection is the most successful and the most commonly-used method of heavy oil recovery, but its application to the West Sak presents major problems. Such difficulties may be overcome by using a novel approach, in which steam is generated downhole in a catalytic Methanator, from Syngas made at the surface from endothermic reactions (Table 1). The Methanator effluent, containing steam and soluble gases resulting from exothermic reactions (Table 1), is cyclically injected into the reservoir by means of a horizontal drainhole while hot produced fluids flow form a second drainhole into a central production tubing. The downhole reactor feed and BFW flow downward to two concentric tubings. The large-diameter casing required to house the downhole reactor assembly is filled above it with Arctic Pack mud, or crude oil, to further reduce heat leaks. A quantitative analysis of this production scheme for the West Sak required a preliminary engineering of the downhole and surface facilities and a tentative forecast of well production rates. The results, based on published information …

In order to increase the production rate of purified gas stream, a new hollow fiber module has been fabricated with more number of hollow fibers. A few experiments have also been carried out using a CO{sub 2}-N{sub 2} feed gas mixture and water as an absorbent in the new module. With the new module, it was possible to increase the production rate of purified gas by a significant amount while the cycle time for vacuum desorption was considerably reduced. Preparations are now being made to study the absorption behavior of CO{sub 2}-N{sub 2} gas mixture with a reactive absorbent liquid such as aqueous diethanolamine solution.

Testing of the ROChem Disc Tube[reg sign] reverse osmosis (RO) module's performance on biologically active feed waters has been completed. Both the ROChem module (using Filmtec standard-rejection seawater membranes) and the Filmtec spiral-wound membrane module (using Filmtec high-rejection seawater membranes) were tested with stimulant solutions containing typical bacteria and metal hydroxide levels found in the F/H Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) influent. Results indicate that the ROChem module gave superior performance over the spiral-wound module. Water flux losses were reduced by over 30% for water recoveries above 40%.

Seeds of most species of the Umbelliferae (Apiaciae), Araliaceae, and Garryaceae families are characterized by their high content of the unusual C[sub 18] monounsaturated fatty acid petroselinic acid (18:l[Delta][sup 6cis]). Prior to a recent report of this lab, little was known of the biosynthetic origin of the cis[Delta][sup 6] double bond of petroselinic acid. Such knowledge may be of both biochemical and biotechnological significance. Because petroselinic acid is potentially the product of a novel desaturase, information regarding its synthesis may contribute to an understanding of fatty acid desaturation mechanisms in plants. Through chemical cleavage at its double bond, petroselinic acid can be used as a precursor of lauric acid (12:0), a component of detergents and surfactants, and adipic acid (6:0 dicarboxylic), the monomeric component of nylon 6,6. Therefore, the development of an agronomic source of an oil rich in petroselinic acid is of biotechnological interest. As such, studies of petroselinic acid biosynthesis may provide basic information required for any attempt to genetically engineer the production and accumulation of this fatty acid in an existing oilseed.

During this second project quarter, screening of South Texas fields within the Frio Fluvial-Deltaic Sandstone/Vicksburg Fault Zone oil play was completed. Fields were to identify reservoirs that have a large remaining oil resource, are in danger of premature abandonment, and have geological and production data in sufficient quantity and of suitable quality to facilitate advanced reservoir characterization studies (subtask 1). Two fields have been selected for inclusion in this study: Tijerina-Canales-Blucher (T.C.B.) Field, located in the northern portion of the trend in Jim Wells County, and Rincon Field, located to the south in Starr County. Current plans are to incorporate data from both fields in our reservoir characterization and targeted resource addition studies. Project members met with operators of both fields to review available geologic and production field data and discuss our research plans. The collection of detailed geologic and production data required for the initial reservoir characterization studies (subtask 2) is currently underway. Details outlining specifics of project accomplishments for this quarter are provided.

The Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Uranium Resource Assessment Data (URAD) System contains information on potential resources (undiscovered) of uranium in the United States. The purpose of this report is: (1) to describe the work carried out to maintain and update the URAD system; (2) to assess the 1991 U.S. uranium potential resources in various cost categories; and (3) to describe the progress that has been made to automate the generation of the assessment reports and their subsequent transmittal by diskette.

Waste Management Technology has requested SRTC to maintain and extend a previously developed computer model, TRUGAS, which calculates hydrogen gas concentrations within the transuranic (TRU) waste drums. TRUGAS was written by Frank G. Smith using the BASIC language and is described in the report A Computer Model of gas Generation and Transport within TRU Waste Drums (DP- 1754). The computer model has been partially validated by yielding results similar to experimental data collected at SRL and LANL over a wide range of conditions. The model was created to provide the capability of predicting conditions that could potentially lead to the formation of flammable gas concentrations within drums, and to assess proposed drum venting methods. The model has served as a tool in determining how gas concentrations are affected by parameters such as filter vent sizes, waste composition, gas generation values, the number and types of enclosures, water instrusion into the drum, and curie loading. The success of the TRUGAS model has prompted an interest in the program's maintenance and enhancement. Experimental data continues to be collected at various sites on such parameters as permeability values, packaging arrangements, filter designs, and waste contents. Information provided by this data is used to …

Testing was conducted to investigate the ability of a metal getter, SAES St 198, to remove D[sub 2] from flowing nitrogen. This getter is being considered for applications involving removal of tritium at low concentrations from glovebox atmospheres and inert or nitrogen process streams. This document reports results from tests involving flow of 107 ppM D[sub 2] in nitrogen through a packed bed of St 198 getter granules (1.02 mm average dia) at a gas flow rate of 400 std. cm[sup 3][center dot]min[sup [minus]1]. The first of two tests (Run 1) was conducted at a temperature of 350[degrees]C, and the getter reactor contained 9.7 grams of getter. The second test (Run 2) was at 250[degrees]C, and the reactor contained 5.1 grams of getter. The tests involved continuous flow of the D[sub 2]/N[sub 2] mixture into the getter bed for several days, during which the inlet and outlet streams were analyzed for D[sub 2] by mass spectrometry at 12 h intervals. For both runs, testing continued until nearly complete breakthrough of deuterium was observed. During Run 1 no D[sub 2] was detected in the getter bed exit stream for 122 h, and during Run 2, no D[sub 2] was detected in …

Progress on 6 projects is reported: excited state absorption spectrum of Ru(bpy)[sub 3][sup 2+], solvent cage model for electron transfer quenching, reductive quenching of [sup *]Cr(III) complexes, solution medium effects in oxidative quenching of [sup *]Ru(II) complexes, photosensitized oxidation of phenol in aqueous solution, and quenching of Ru(II) complexes by oxygen.

During this period, testing of the system continued at the American Fructose (AF) plant in Dimmitt, Texas. Testing at the first two sites (dryer output and dryer input) was completed. Following the testing at the second site, the sensor was returned to the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) laboratories for modifications and for fitting of the additional components required to allow sampling of the material to be measured at the third site. These modifications were completed during this reporting period, and the system is scheduled to be installed at the third site (Rotary Vacuum Filter output) early in the next period. Laboratory measurements of corn germ (to be measured at the fourth site) and a variety of fruits and vegetables (one of which will be measured at the fifth site) have also continued during this period.

The Texas A M University (TAMU) has been awarded a DOE contract to study dynamic properties and atomization characteristics of coal-water slurry (CWS) fuels. Additives are essential for better mixing and stable suspension of coal powders and these additives change CWS properties. Dynamic properties will have major effects on CWS fuel atomization, which constitutes highly dynamic processes, and will determine the combustion as well as the pollutant formation behaviors. The dynamic surface tension of CWS fuels can be much higher than the corresponding static surface tension. Experimental study of correlating the atomization characteristics and dynamic properties of CWS fuels will be performed during the contract period. The research projects consists of five tasks. Task 1 selects appropriate additives and surfactants for CWS fuels by measuring the stabilizing characteristics and critical micelle concentrations (CMC). Task 2 implements the dynamic surface tensiometer operating based on the formation of maximum bubble pressure. Task 3 measures dynamic properties of CWS fuels as functions of bubble frequency while the fuel parameters are varied. The fuel parameters include coal loading, type of stabilizer and type of surfactant. Task 4 will devise a CWS fuel spray system and Task 5 will measure the spray droplet sizes using …

Currently, the Replacement Tritium Facility (RTF) glovebox stripper system consists of a catalytic oxidation front end where trace tritium which may escape from the primary tritium process into the glovebox nitrogen system is oxidized to tritiated water. The tritiated water, along with normal water which may leak into the glovebox from the surrounding atmosphere, is then captured on a zeolite bed. Eventually, the zeolite bed becomes saturated with water and must be regenerated to remain effective as a stripper. This is accomplished by heating the zeolite and evolving the trapped water which is then passed over an elevated temperature uranium bed. A waste minimization program was instituted to address this issue. The program has two parallel paths. One path investigates replacing the entire glovebox stripper system with a system of getters to scavenge trace tritium. This report concentrates on the second path, retaining the catalytic oxidation front end but replacing the uranium bed water cracking with alternative technologies.

We report progress in elucidating the microbiological variables important in determining the relative success of bacteria in utilizing soil-sorbed contaminants. Two bacterial species, Pseudomonas putida (ATCC 17484) and an Alcaligenes sp. isolated from petroleum contaminated soil are known to differ markedly in their ability to utilize soil-sorbed napthalene based on a kinetic comparison of their capability of naphthalene mineralization in soil-containing and soil-free systems. The kinetic analysis led us to conclude that strain 17484 had direct access to naphthalene present in a labile sorbed state which promoted the rapid desorption of naphthalene from the non-labile phase. Conversely, both the rate and extent of naphthalene mineralization by strain NP-Alk suggested that this organism had access only to naphthalene in solution. Desorption was thus limited and the efficiency of total naphthalene removal from these soil slurries was poor. These conclusions were based on the average activities of cells in soil slurries without regard for the disposition of the organisms with respect to the sorbent. Since both organisms degrade naphthalene by apparently identical biochemical pathways, have similar enzyme kinetic properties, and are both motile, gram negative organisms, we undertook a series of investigations to gain a better understanding of what microbiological properties were …

An investigation of the mineralogy and chemistry of the principal hydrogeologic units and the geochemistry of the water in the principal aquifers at Savannah River Site (SRS) was undertaken as part of the Baseline Hydrogeologic Investigation. This investigation was conducted to provide background data for future site studies and reports and to provide a site-wide interpretation of the geology and geochemistry of the Coastal Plain Hydrostratigraphic province. Ground water samples were analyzed for major cations and anions, minor and trace elements, gross alpha and beta, tritium, stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon, and carbon-14. Sediments from the well borings were analyzed for mineralogy and major and minor elements.

Research was done on the biaxial stress problem accomplished in the first half of the second year. All of the work done was preparatory to magnetic measurements. Issues addressed were: construction of a model for extracting changes in the magnetic properties of a specimen from the readings of an indirect sensor; initial development of a model for how biaxial stress alters the intrinsic magnetic properties of thespecimen; use of finite element stress analysis modeling to determine a detailed shape for the cruciform biaxial stress specimen; and construction of the biaxial stress loading apparatus.

A new, pulse-timing discriminator and B-scan time-to-pulse-height converter have been developed for the inspection of production parts. The discriminator is easy to operate and features automatic echo gating and automatic pulse polarity discrimination. This instrument combines the noise-blanking advantages of threshold discrimination with the echo-timing precision of zero-crossing discrimination to improve measurement accuracy by a factor of two over the best precious techniques. When used with the discriminator, the B-scan unit allows detection of flaws at depths less than one-fourth those obtainable with commercially available instruments. 3 refs., 20 figs., 2 tabs.

The current research position is summarized, and what could be done in the future to clarify issues which were opened up by the research is indicated. Following on the discussion of the viability of catalyzed fusion, there is presented along with the key experimental results, a short account of the physics surrounding the subject. This is followed by a discussion of key research topics addressed. In consequence of the progress made, it appears that the feasibility of a small-scale fusion based on catalyzed reactions rests on either the remote chance that a yet undiscovered ultraheavy negatively charged elementary particle exists in Nature, or on the possible technical realization of a system based on muon-catalyzed fusion (MuCF) in high-density degenerate hydrogen plasma (density 1000 LHD, temperature O(100 eV)). The lattter is considered to have practical promise.

The Pen Branch fault was identified in the subsurface at the Savannah River Site in 1989 based upon the interpretation of earlier seismic reflection surveys and other geologic investigations. A program was initiated at that time to further define the fault in terms of its capability to release seismic energy. The High-Resolution, Shallow Seismic Reflection survey recently completed at SRS was initiated to determine the shallowest extent of the fault and to demonstrate the presence of flat-lying sediments in the top 300 feet of sediments. Conclusions at this time are based upon this shallow seismic survey and the Conoco deep seismic survey (1988--1989). Deformation related to the Pen Branch fault is at least 200 milliseconds beneath the surface in the Conoco data and at least 150 milliseconds in the shallow seismic reflection data. This corresponds to approximately 300 feet below the surface. Sediments at that depth are lower Tertiary (Danian stage) or over 60 million years old. This indicates that the fault is not capable.