The following presentation is an update to a previous annotation, i.e., WINCO-1138. The literature search and annotated review covers all metals used in the nuclear industries but the emphasis of this update is directed toward work performed on mild steels. As the number of nuclear installations undergoing decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) increases, current radioactive waste storage space is consumed and establishment of new waste storage areas becomes increasingly difficult, the problem of handling and storing radioactive scrap metal (RSM) gains increasing importance in the DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program. To alleviate present and future waste problems, Lockheed Idaho Technologies Co (LITCO) is managing a program for the recycling of RSM for beneficial use within the DOE complex. As part of that effort, Montana Tech has been awarded a contract to help optimize melting and refining technology for the recycling of stainless steel RSM. The scope of the Montana Tech program includes a literature survey, a decontaminating slag design study, small wide melting studies to determine optimum slag compositions for removal of radioactive contaminant surrogates, analysis of preferred melting techniques, and coordination of large scale melting demonstrations (100--2,000 lbs) to be conducted at selected facilities. The program will support …

A two-dimensional time-dependent two-fluid hydrodynamic model has been used to study numerically the effect of interstellar neutrals on the size and structure of the heliosphere. The interstellar neutrals, coupled to the plasma by charge-exchange collisions, lead to a dramatic decrease in the size of the heliosphere -- 30% for the parameters studied. We find that a build up of neutral hydrogen in front of the leading edge of the heliospbere, seen in earlier models, occurs only when the flow in the interstellar medium is supersonic. When the flow is subsonic, no such hydrogen ``wall`` is seen in the simulations, suggesting that the distribution of scattered solar H Ly a light may be quite different for this case. We have also calculated the propagation of an interplanetary shock to the heliopause as a possible trigger for the 1992 Voyager 2--3 kHz radio emission event. We find that the interstellar plasma density, observed emission cut-off frequency, and heliopause location can all b made consistent once the effect of the reduction in the size of the heliosphere by the interaction with the neutrals is included.

Microearthquakes induced by hydraulic fracturing have been studied by many investigators to characterize fracture systems created by the fracturing process and to better understand the locations of energy resources in the earth`s subsurface. The pattern of the locations often contains a great deal of information about the fracture system stimulated during the hydraulic fracturing. Seismic tomography has found applications in many areas for characterizing the subsurface of the earth. It is well known that fractures in rock influence both the P and S velocities of the rock. The influence of the fractures is a function of the geometry of the fractures, the apertures and number of fractures, and the presence of fluids in the fractures. In addition, the temporal evolution of the created fracture system can be inferred from the temporal changes in seismic velocity and the pattern of microearthquake locations. Seismic tomography has been used to infer the spatial location of a fracture system in a reservoir that was created by hydraulic fracturing.

A study was undertaken to determine the dissolution characteristics of two NWCF calcine types. A two-way blended calcine made from 4 parts nonradioactive aluminum nitrate and one part WM-102 was studied to determine the extent of dissolution for aluminum-type calcines. A two-way blend of 3.5 parts fluorinel waste from WM-187 and 1 part sodium waste from WM-185 was used to determine the extent of dissolution for zirconium-type calcines. This study was necessary to develop suitable aqueous separation flowsheets for the partitioning of actinides and fission products from ICPP calcines and to determine the disposition of the resulting undissolved solids (UDS). The dissolution flowsheet developed by Herbst was used to dissolve these two NWCF calcine types. Results show that greater than 95 wt% of aluminum and zirconium calcine types were dissolved after a single batch contact with 5 M HNO{sub 3}. A characterization of the UDS indicates that the weight percent of TRU elements in the UDS resulting from both calcine type dissolutions increases by approximately an order of magnitude from their concentrations prior to dissolution. Substantial activities of cesium and strontium are also present in the UDS resulting from the dissolution of both calcine types. Multiple TRU, Cs, and Sr …

Throughout the Department of Energy (DOE) complex there are many facilities that have been identified for Decontamination and Decommissioning (D&D). As processes are terminated or brought off-line, facilities are placed on the inactive list, and facility managers and site contractors are required to assure a safe and reliable decommissioning and transition of these facilities to a clean final state. Decommissioning of facilities requires extensive reliable characterization, decontamination and in some cases dismantlement. Characterization of piping systems throughout the DOE complex is becoming more and more necessary. In addition to decommissioning activities, characterization activities are performed as part of surveillance and maintenance (S&M). Because of the extent of contamination, all inactive facilities require some type of S&M. These S&M activities include visual assessment, equipment and material accounting, and maintenance. The majority of the inactive facilities have piping systems 3 inches or smaller that are inaccessible because they are contaminated, imbedded in concrete, or run through hot cells. Many of these piping systems have been inactive for a number of years and there exists no current system condition information or the historical records are poor and/or missing altogether. Many of these piping systems are placed on the contaminated list, not because of …

This report discusses the production of a revised version of the general soil map of the 2304-km{sup 2} (890-mi{sup 2}) Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) site in southeastern Idaho and the production of a geographic information system (GIS) soil map and supporting database. The revised general soil map replaces an INEL soil map produced in 1978 and incorporates the most current information on INEL soils. The general soil map delineates large soil associations based on National Resources Conservation Services [formerly the Soil Conservation Service (SCS)] principles of soil mapping. The GIS map incorporates detailed information that could not be presented on the general soil map and is linked to a database that contains the soil map unit descriptions, surficial geology codes, and other pertinent information.

Throughout most of the 1980s, both private organizations and government agencies were concerned about the availability of an adequate supply of qualified nuclear engineers. This concern was primarily the result of a number of nuclear engineering academic programs being eliminated coupled with a continuous decline in graduate and undergraduate enrollments and degrees. By the early 1990s, the number of degrees and available supply had declined to new lows, but cutbacks in funding for the nuclear weapons program and nuclear energy R&D, and in hiring by the electric utility industry, offset in large measure the declining supply. Recently, concerns about environment and waste management and about nuclear safety have again generated questions about the adequacy of supply of qualified personnel for nuclear energy activities. This report briefly examines the nuclear engineering labor market. Trends in employment, new graduates, job openings, and salaries are reviewed as a basis for understanding the current labor market. This review is then used as a basis for assessing future employment needs and new graduate supply to provide an outlook for future labor market conditions through 2000.

Because of their computational advantages, zonally-averaged chemical-radiative-transport models are widely used to investigate the distribution of chemical species and their change due to the anthropogenic chemicals in the lower and middle atmosphere. In general, the Lagrangian-mean formulation would be ideal to treat transport due to the zonal mean circulation and eddies. However, the Lagrangian formulation is difficult to use in practical applications. The most widely-used formulation for treating global atmospheric dynamics in two-dimensional models is the transformed Eulerian mean (TEM) equations. The residual mean meridional circulation (RMMC) in the TEM system is used to advect tracers. In this study, we describe possible solution techniques for obtaining the RMMC in the LLNL two-dimensional chemical-radiative-transport model. In the next section, the formulation will be described. In sections 3 and 4, possible solution procedures will be described for a diagnostic and prognostic case, respectively.

Microearthquake activity at the Southeast Geysers, California, geothermal field is monitored with a high-resolution digital seismic network. Hypocenters are spatially clustered in both injection and production areas, but also occur in more diffuse patterns, mostly at depths from 1 to 2.8 km. Hypocenters near the injection well DV-11 exhibit a striking correlation with movement of injectate and injectate-derived steam. Preliminary moment tensor results show promise to provide information on the differing source mechanisms resulting from fluid injection and steam extraction.

Simultaneous removal of SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} using a regenerable solid sorbent will constitute an important improvement over the use of separate processes for the removal of these two pollutants from stack gases and possibly eliminate several shortcomings of the individual SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} removal operations. Recent studies at PETC considered cerium oxide as an alternate sorbent to CuO. The present study aims to determine the effects of ammonia on the sulfation of the sorbent and to obtain a rate expression for the regeneration of alumina-supported CeO{sub 2} sorbents. The sulfation experiments indicated that 100% conversion of ceria could be attained. Activation energy for the sulfation reaction was found to be 19 kJ/mol. The rate of sulfation reaction is first order with respect to SO{sub 2} and solid reactant concentrations. For regeneration with hydrogen, the activation energy and the reaction order with respect to hydrogen was found to be 114 kJ/mol and 0.56, respectively. The ceria sorbent preserved its activity and structural stability after 6 cycles. The information obtained from these studies will be used to develop models for reactor-regenerator configurations. Subsequently, the SO{sub 2}/NO{sub x} removal facility will be integrated into the power production process using …

This large document provides a catalog of the location of large numbers of reports pertaining to the charge of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Research and is arranged as a series of appendices. Titles of the appendices are Appendix A- Records at the Washington National Records Center Reviewed in Whole or Part by DoD Personnel or Advisory Committee Staff; Appendix B- Brief Descriptions of Records Accessions in the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments (ACHRE) Research Document Collection; Appendix C- Bibliography of Secondary Sources Used by ACHRE; Appendix D- Brief Descriptions of Human Radiation Experiments Identified by ACHRE, and Indexes; Appendix E- Documents Cited in the ACHRE Final Report and other Separately Described Materials from the ACHRE Document Collection; Appendix F- Schedule of Advisory Committee Meetings and Meeting Documentation; and Appendix G- Technology Note.

Recent changes in international relations and other changes in national priorities have profoundly affected the management of weapons-usable fissile materials within the United States (US). The nuclear weapon stockpile reductions agreed to by the US and Russia have reduced the national security requirements for these fissile materials. National policies outlined by the US President seek to prevent the accumulation of nuclear weapon stockpiles of plutonium (Pu) and HEU, and to ensure that these materials are subjected to the highest standards of safety, security and international accountability. The purpose of the Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) Storage and Disposition Program Plan is to define and establish a planned approach for storage of all HEU and disposition of surplus HEU in support of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Fissile Material Disposition Program. Elements Of this Plan, which are specific to HEU storage and disposition, include program requirements, roles and responsibilities, program activities (action plans), milestone schedules, and deliverables.

High-temperature ceramic candle filters are being developed for use in advanced power generation systems such as the Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC), Pressurized Fluidized-Bed Combustor (PFBC), and Direct Coal-Fired Turbine (DCFT). The direct firing of coal produces particulate matter which must be removed to meet both environmental and process limitations. The ceramic candles increase the efficiency of the advanced power generation systems and protect downstream equipment from erosion and impingement of particulate matter in the hot exhaust gases. Ceramic candle filters are rigid, closed-ended (capped on one side) porous cylinders which generally have a flange on the open-ended side. The flange at the open end allows the candle to be suspended by a tubesheet in the filter vessel. Candle filters have shown promise, but have also encountered durability problems during use in hostile, high-temperature environments. Limitations in the candle lifetime lower the economic advantages of using candle filters for this application. Candles typically fail by cracking at the flange or in the body of the candle. The objective of this project was to test and analyze ceramic candle filter materials and to evaluate the degradation mechanisms. The tests were conducted such that the effects of each degradation mechanism could be …

The Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant Decontamination and Decommissioning (D&D) Program is part of the Waste Management/D&D Organization and is funded by the Office of Environmental Restoration (EM-40). Strategic goals are to protect human health and environment and to reduce the number of hazardous material-contaminated facilities by properly managing and dispositioning facilities when they are no longer required to fulfill a site mission. The D&D Program objectives include (1) providing surveillance and maintenance (S&M) activities in support of facilities in standby and awaiting D&D; (2) developing specific methods, schedules, and funding plans for the D&D of shutdown facilities; and (3) implementing plans to provide for facility disposition in a safe, compliant, and cost effective manner. Presently Building 9201-4 (Alpha-4) is the only facility at the complex that is in the Y-12 D&D Program. This report provides a status of the program plans and specific S&M requirements for Building 9201-4 as part of the Y-12 D&D Program.

Recent flow testing of the Fenton Hill HDR reservoir has demonstrated that engineered geothermal systems can be shut-in for extended periods of d= with apparently no adverse effects. However, when this particular reservoir at Venton Hill was shut-in for 2 years in a pressurized condition, natural convection within the open-jointed reservoir region appears to have leveled out the preexisting temperature gradient so that the gradient has now approached a condition more typical of liquid-dominated hydrothermal reservoirs which air invariably almost isothermal due to natural convection. As a result of the sudden flow impedance reduction that led to an almost 50% increase in Production flow new the end of the Second Phase of the LTFR in May 1993, we were uncertain as to the state of the reservoir after being shut-in for 2 years. The flow performance observed during the current testing was found to be intermediate between that at-the end of the Second Phase of the LTFT and that following, the subsequent sudden flow increase, implying that whatever caused the sudden reduction in impedance in the first place is probably somehow associated with the cooldown of the reservoir near the injection interval, since temperature recovery at the surfaces of the …

The approach in this project has been to integrate the principles of rock physics into a quantitative processing and interpretation scheme that exploits, where possible, the broader spectrum of fracture zone signatures: (1) anomalous compressional and shear wave velocity; (2) Q and velocity dispersion; (3) increased velocity anisotropy; (4) amplitude vs. offset (AVO) response, and (5) variations in frequency content. As part of this the authors have attempted to refine some of the theoretical rock physics tools that should be applied in any field study to link the observed seismic signatures to the physical/geologic description of the fractured rock. The project had 3 key elements: (1) rock physics studies of the anisotropic viscoelastic signatures of fractured rocks, (2) acquisition and processing of seismic reflection field data, and (3) interpretation of seismic and well log data. The study site is in a producing field operated by Amoco and Arco at the southern boundary of the Powder River basin in Wyoming. During the winter of 1992--1993 the authors collected about 50 km of 9-component reflection seismic data and obtained existing log data from several wells in the vicinity. The paper gives background information on laboratory studies, seismic field studies of fracture anisotropy, …

Hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal energy technology is unique in many aspects. HDR resources are much more widely distributed than hydrothermal resources, the production temperatures of fluids extracted from fully-engineered HDR reservoirs can be selected at will, and other important characteristics of HDR reservoirs can be controlled and even deliberately varied over time. Because HDR reservoirs can be rapidly discharged and recharged, a wide variety of operating scenarios can be envisioned that are not normally feasible for hydrothermal systems. Flow testing over the past few years has shown that HDR systems can be operated in a routine, automated manner that should make them rapidly adaptable to industrial applications. An industry-led HDR project now being formulated will lead to the development and operation of a practical facility to produce and market energy from an HDR resource by the turn of the century.

This document contains two parts. Part I, Greater-Than-Class-C Low-Level Radioactive Waste Transportation Strategy, addresses the requirements, responsibilities, and strategy to transport and receive these wastes. The strategy covers (a) transportation packaging, which includes shipping casks and waste containers; (b) transportation operations relating to the five facilities involved in transportation, i.e., waste originator, interim storage, dedicated storage, treatment, and disposal; (c) system safety and risk analysis; (d) routes; (e) emergency preparedness and response; and (o safeguards and security. A summary of strategic actions is provided at the conclusion of Part 1. Part II, Institutional Plan for Greater-Than-Class C Low-Level Radioactive Waste Packaging and Transportation, addresses the assumptions, requirements, and institutional plan elements and actions. As documented in the Strategy and Institutional Plan, the most challenging issues facing the GTCC LLW Program shipping campaign are institutional issues closely related to the strategy. How the Program addresses those issues and demonstrates to the states, local governments, and private citizens that the shipments can and will be made safely will strongly affect the success or failure of the campaign.

This presentation is a quick review of the actions taken to calculate the uncertainty of measurements made along one axis of the M-60 Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM). National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Technical Note 1297 `Guidelines for Evaluating the Uncertainty of NIST Measurement Results`, was used as a guide to define what actions would be taken. Very simply stated, TN 1297 says that the uncertainty of a measurement result consists of a combination of several components (sources of variation) in the measuring process. The basic approach is to represent each component of uncertainty by an estimated standard deviation. These standard deviations are then combined by the `root-sum-of-squares` technique to arrive at the estimated standard deviation of the measurement result.

This technical report summarizes the research work performed and progress achieved during the period of October 1, 1994 to December 31, 1994. The measurement of gas flow continued with the assumption of axisymmetric flow in the laboratory-scale FBC. The gas axial velocity distributions at two cross-section in the test chamber were presented. The circulating flow is relatively strong (swirl number of 3.0) near the freeboard wall for the two cross-sections because the flow has high reversal air velocity. The recirculation flow had weak air velocity when the swirl number of 0.60. For the non-swirling flow, the axial velocity was low near the freeboard wall. However, no circulating flow was observed at the two cross-sections. The measurement of the gas axial velocity will be continued to observe the effect of the secondary air injection angles.

We present performance results obtained on a 128-node Cray Research T3D computer by a neutron transport code implementing a standard mtiltigroup, discrete ordinates algorithm on a three-dimensional Cartesian grid. After summarizing the implementation strategy used to obtain a full decomposition of phase space (i.e., simultaneous parallelization of the neutron energy, directional and spatial variables), we investigate the scalability of the fundamental source iteration step with respect to each phase space variable. We also describe enhancements that have enabled performance rates approaching 10 gigaflops on the full 128-node machine.

The Department of Energy has operated nuclear facilities at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) to support national interests for several decades. Since 1953, it has supported the development of technologies for the storage and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels (SNF) and the resultant wastes. However, the 1992 decision to discontinue reprocessing of SNF has left nearly 768 MT of SNF in storage at the INEL with unspecified plans for future dispositioning. Past reprocessing of these fuels for uranium and other resource recovery has resulted in the production of 3800 M{sup 3} calcine and a total inventory of 7600 M{sup 3} of radioactive liquids (1900 M{sup 3} destined for immediate calcination and the remaining sodium-bearing waste requiring further treatment before calcination). These issues, along with increased environmental compliance within DOE and its contractors, mandate operation of current and future facilities in an environmentally responsible manner. This will require satisfactory resolution of spent fuel and waste disposal issues resulting from the past activities. A national policy which identifies requirements for the disposal of SNF and high level wastes (HLW) has been established by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) Sec.8,(b) para(3)) [1982]. The materials have to be conditioned or treated, then …

NREL has completed the initial twisted blade field tests of the ``Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment.`` This test series continues systematic measurements of unsteady aerodynamic phenomena prevalent in stall-controlled horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs). The blade twist distribution optimizes power production at a single angle of attack along the span. Abrupt transitions into and out of stall are created due to rapid changes in inflow. Data from earlier experiments have been analyzed extensively to characterize the steady and unsteady response of untwisted blades. In this report, a characterization and comparison of the baseline aerodynamic performance of the twisted versus non-twisted blade sets will be presented for steady flow conditions.

This volume and its appendixes supplement the Advisory Committee`s final report by reporting how we went about looking for information concerning human radiation experiments and intentional releases, a description of what we found and where we found it, and a finding aid for the information that we collected. This volume begins with an overview of federal records, including general descriptions of the types of records that have been useful and how the federal government handles these records. This is followed by an agency-by-agency account of the discovery process and descriptions of the records reviewed, together with instructions on how to obtain further information from those agencies. There is also a description of other sources of information that have been important, including institutional records, print resources, and nonprint media and interviews. The third part contains brief accounts of ACHRE`s two major contemporary survey projects (these are described in greater detail in the final report and another supplemental volume) and other research activities. The final section describes how the ACHRE information-nation collections were managed and the records that ACHRE created in the course of its work; this constitutes a general finding aid for the materials deposited with the National Archives. The appendices …