Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance (open access)

Afghanistan: Politics, Elections, and Government Performance

This report discusses the current political state of Afghanistan, as well as the Afghan government. This report also discusses Afghanistan's relationship with the United States, particularly U.S. efforts to urge President Hamid Karzai to address corruption within the Afghan government.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline: Background, Status, and Issues for Congress (open access)

The Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline: Background, Status, and Issues for Congress

This report concerns itself with the construction of an Alaska natural gas pipeline. The report considers the funding available for a natural gas pipeline and the potential for it to stimulate the economy. Moreover, the report discusses how the 2008 recession poses an obstacle to the creation of the pipeline due to it causing low gas prices.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Parfomak, Paul W.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Annual Report on Waste Generation and Pollution Prevention Progress: 2009 (open access)

Annual Report on Waste Generation and Pollution Prevention Progress: 2009

This report is a waste generation data report for year 2009.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Jackson, J. G.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Applying Human-performance Models to Designing and Evaluating Nuclear Power Plants: Review Guidance and Technical Basis (open access)

Applying Human-performance Models to Designing and Evaluating Nuclear Power Plants: Review Guidance and Technical Basis

Human performance models (HPMs) are simulations of human behavior with which we can predict human performance. Designers use them to support their human factors engineering (HFE) programs for a wide range of complex systems, including commercial nuclear power plants. Applicants to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) can use HPMs for design certifications, operating licenses, and license amendments. In the context of nuclear-plant safety, it is important to assure that HPMs are verified and validated, and their usage is consistent with their intended purpose. Using HPMs improperly may generate misleading or incorrect information, entailing safety concerns. The objective of this research was to develop guidance to support the NRC staff's reviews of an applicant's use of HPMs in an HFE program. The guidance is divided into three topical areas: (1) HPM Verification, (2) HPM Validation, and (3) User Interface Verification. Following this guidance will help ensure the benefits of HPMs are achieved in a technically sound, defensible manner. During the course of developing this guidance, I identified several issues that could not be addressed; they also are discussed.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: O'Hara, J. M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Army Future Combat System (FCS) "Spin- Outs" and Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV): Background and Issues for Congress (open access)

Army Future Combat System (FCS) "Spin- Outs" and Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV): Background and Issues for Congress

This report discusses the Future Combat System (FCS), which was a multiyear, multibillion dollar program at the heart of the Army's transformation efforts.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Feickert, Andrew & Jacob Lucas, Nathan
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Attainable Burnup in a LIFE Engine Loaded with Depleted Uranium (open access)

Attainable Burnup in a LIFE Engine Loaded with Depleted Uranium

The Laser Inertial Fusion-based Energy (LIFE) system uses a laser-based fusion source for electricity production. The (D,T) reaction, beside a pure fusion system, allows the option to drive a sub-critical fission blanket in order to increase the total energy gain. In a typical fusion-fission LIFE engine the fission blanket is a spherical shell around the fusion source, preceded by a beryllium shell for neutron multiplications by means of (n,2n) reactions. The fuel is in the form of TRISO particles dispersed in carbon pebbles, cooled by flibe. The optimal design features 80 cm thick blanket, 16 cm multiplier, and 20% TRISO packing factor. A blanket loaded with depleted uranium and depleted in a single batch with continuous mixing can achieve burnup as high as {approx}85% FIMA while generating 2,000 MW of total thermal power and producing enough tritium to be used for fusion. A multi-segment blanket with a central promotion shuffling scheme enhances burnup to {approx}90% FIMA, whereas a blanket that is operated with continuous refueling achieves only 82% FIMA under the same constraints of thermal power and tritium self-sufficiency. Both, multi-segment and continuous refueling eliminate the need for a fissile breeding phase.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Fratoni, M.; Kramer, K. J. & Latkowski, J. F.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Bypassing Senate Committees: Rule XIV and Unanimous Consent (open access)

Bypassing Senate Committees: Rule XIV and Unanimous Consent

This report consists of bypassing senate committees of rule XIV and unanimous consent.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Koempel, Michael L.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Conceptual Studies of a Fuel-Flexible Low-Swirl Combustion System for the Gas Turbine in Clean Coal Power Plants (open access)

Conceptual Studies of a Fuel-Flexible Low-Swirl Combustion System for the Gas Turbine in Clean Coal Power Plants

This paper reports the results of preliminary analyses that show the feasibility of developing a fuel flexible (natural gas, syngas and high-hydrogen fuel) combustion system for IGCC gas turbines. Of particular interest is the use of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's DLN low swirl combustion technology as the basis for the IGCC turbine combustor. Conceptual designs of the combustion system and the requirements for the fuel handling and delivery circuits are discussed. The analyses show the feasibility of a multi-fuel, utility-sized, LSI-based, gas turbine engine. A conceptual design of the fuel injection system shows that dual parallel fuel circuits can provide range of gas turbine operation in a configuration consistent with low pollutant emissions. Additionally, several issues and challenges associated with the development of such a system, such as flashback and auto-ignition of the high-hydrogen fuels, are outlined.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Smith, K.O.; Littlejohn, David; Therkelsen, Peter; Cheng, Robert K. & Ali, S.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Condition Monitoring of Cables Task 3 Report: Condition Monitoring Techniques for Electric Cables (open access)

Condition Monitoring of Cables Task 3 Report: Condition Monitoring Techniques for Electric Cables

For more than 20 years the NRC has sponsored research studying electric cable aging degradation, condition monitoring, and environmental qualification testing practices for electric cables used in nuclear power plants. This report summarizes several of the most effective and commonly used condition monitoring techniques available to detect damage and measure the extent of degradation in electric cable insulation. The technical basis for each technique is summarized, along with its application, trendability of test data, ease of performing the technique, advantages and limitations, and the usefulness of the test results to characterize and assess the condition of electric cables.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Villaran, M.; Lofaro, R. & na
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Copyright Registration Requirement and Federal Court Jurisdiction: A Legal Analysis of Reed Elsevier, Inc. v. Muchnick (open access)

The Copyright Registration Requirement and Federal Court Jurisdiction: A Legal Analysis of Reed Elsevier, Inc. v. Muchnick

This report discusses the legal analysis of the Reed Elsevier, Inc. v. Muchnick, which is currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Yeh, Brian T. & Grunstra, Lydia
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Development of Mechanistic Modeling Capabilities for Local Neutronically-Coupled Flow-Induced Instabilities in Advanced Water-Cooled Reactors (open access)

Development of Mechanistic Modeling Capabilities for Local Neutronically-Coupled Flow-Induced Instabilities in Advanced Water-Cooled Reactors

The major research objectives of this project included the formulation of flow and heat transfer modeling framework for the analysis of flow-induced instabilities in advanced light water nuclear reactors such as boiling water reactors. General multifield model of two-phase flow, including the necessary closure laws. Development of neurton kinetics models compatible with the proposed models of heated channel dynamics. Formulation and encoding of complete coupled neutronics/thermal-hydraulics models for the analysis of spatially-dependent local core instabilities. Computer simulations aimed at testing and validating the new models of reactor dynamics.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Podowski, Michael
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
EFFECT OF COMBUSTOR INLET GEOMETRY ON ACOUSTIC SIGNATURE AND FLOW FIELD BEHAVIOUR OF THE LOW SWIRL INJECTOR (open access)

EFFECT OF COMBUSTOR INLET GEOMETRY ON ACOUSTIC SIGNATURE AND FLOW FIELD BEHAVIOUR OF THE LOW SWIRL INJECTOR

Low Swirl Injector (LSI) technology is a lean premixed combustion method that is being developed for fuel-flexible gas turbines. The objective of this study is to characterize the fuel effects and influences of combustor geometry on the LSI's overall acoustic signatures and flowfields. The experiments consist of 24 flames at atmospheric condition with bulk flows ranging between 10 and 18 m/s. The flames burn CH{sub 4} (at {phi} = 0.6 & 0.7) and a blend of 90% H{sub 2} - 10% CH{sub 4} by volume (at {phi} = 0.35 & 0.4). Two combustor configurations are used, consisting of a cylindrical chamber with and without a divergent quarl at the dump plane. The data consist of pressure spectral distributions at five positions within the system and 2D flowfield information measured by Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV). The results show that acoustic oscillations increase with U{sub 0} and {phi}. However, the levels in the 90% H{sub 2} flames are significantly higher than in the CH{sub 4} flames. For both fuels, the use of the quarl reduces the fluctuating pressures in the combustion chamber by up to a factor of 7. The PIV results suggest this to be a consequence of the quarl restricting …
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Therkelsen, Peter L.; Littlejohn, David; Cheng, Robert K.; Portillo, J. Enrique & Martin, Scott M.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Elderly Voters: Information on Promising Practices Could Strengthen the Integrity of the Voting Process in Long-term Care Facilities (open access)

Elderly Voters: Information on Promising Practices Could Strengthen the Integrity of the Voting Process in Long-term Care Facilities

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Voting is fundamental to the U.S. democratic system and federal law provides broad protections for people with disabilities, including older voters. Many long-term care facility residents, who often have physical or cognitive impairments, vote by absentee or early ballot. Concerns have been raised about the extent to which states and localities are helping the increasing number of facility residents exercise their right to vote, especially those requiring voting assistance, who may be subject to undue influence or unauthorized completion of their ballot by facility staff or relatives. Given these concerns, GAO was asked to identify the actions taken to facilitate and protect voting for long-term care facility residents at (1) the state level and (2) the local level. To address these objectives, GAO interviewed federal officials, national organizations, and researchers; reviewed Election Assistance Commission (EAC) guidance on voting in long-term care facilities; surveyed state and local election officials; and visited seven localities in the weeks prior to the November 2008 federal election to observe the voting process in long-term care facilities."
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Electro-optic Laser-Sampled Neutron Detector (open access)

Electro-optic Laser-Sampled Neutron Detector

A new method of detecting radiation which can allow for long distance measurements is being investigated. The device is primarily for neutrons detection althought it could, in principle, be used for gamma ray detection. The neutron detection medium is a solid, transparent, electro-optical material, such as lithium niobate, lithium tantalite, or barium borate. Crystals of these materials act as optical gates to laser light, allowing light to pass through only when a neutron interaction occurs in the crystal. Typical light detection devices, such as CCD cameras or photomultiplier tubes, can be used to signal when light passes through the crystal. The overall goal of the project is to investigate the feasibility of such devices for the detection of neutron radiation and to quantify their capabilities and limitations.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Shultis, J. Kenneth & McGregor, Douglas
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Energy-Water Nexus: Many Uncertainties Remain about National and Regional Effects of Increased Biofuel Production on Water Resources (open access)

Energy-Water Nexus: Many Uncertainties Remain about National and Regional Effects of Increased Biofuel Production on Water Resources

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In response to concerns about the nation's energy dependence on imported oil, climate change, and other issues, the federal government has encouraged the use of biofuels. Water plays a crucial role in all stages of biofuel production--from cultivation of feedstock through its conversion into biofuel. As demand for water from various sectors increases and places additional stress on already constrained supplies, the effects of expanded biofuel production may need to be considered. To understand these potential effects, GAO was asked to examine (1) the known water resource effects of biofuel production in the United States; (2) agricultural conservation practices and technological innovations that could address these effects and any barriers to their adoption; and (3) key research needs regarding the effects of water resources on biofuel production. To address these issues, GAO reviewed scientific studies, interviewed experts and federal and state officials, and selected five states to study their programs and plans related to biofuel production. GAO is not making any recommendations in this report. A draft of this report was provided to the Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Energy (DOE), and the Interior (DOI); and the …
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Budget Process Reform in the 111th Congress: A Brief Overview (open access)

Federal Budget Process Reform in the 111th Congress: A Brief Overview

This report briefly discusses the context in which federal budget process changes are made and identifies selected reforms proposals by major category.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Keith, Robert
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fenestration System Performance Research, Testing, and Evaluation (open access)

Fenestration System Performance Research, Testing, and Evaluation

The US DOE was and is instrumental to NFRC's beginning and its continued success. The 2005 to 2009 funding enables NFRC to continue expanding and create new, improved ratings procedures. Research funded by the US DOE enables increased fenestration energy rating accuracy. International harmonization efforts supported by the US DOE allow the US to be the global leader in fenestration energy ratings. Many other governments are working with the NFRC to share its experience and knowledge toward development of their own national fenestration rating process similar to the NFRC's. The broad and diverse membership composition of NFRC allows anyone with a fenestration interest to come forward with an idea or improvement to the entire fenestration community for consideration. The NFRC looks forward to the next several years of growth while remaining the nation's resource for fair, accurate, and credible fenestration product energy ratings. NFRC continues to improve its rating system by considering new research, methodologies, and expanding to include new fenestration products. Currently, NFRC is working towards attachment energy ratings. Attachments are blinds, shades, awnings, and overhangs. Attachments may enable a building to achieve significant energy savings. An NFRC rating will enable fair competition, a basis for code references, and …
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Benney, Jim
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Final Report - Composite Fermion Approach to Strongly Interacting Quasi Two Dimensional Electron Gas Systems (open access)

Final Report - Composite Fermion Approach to Strongly Interacting Quasi Two Dimensional Electron Gas Systems

Work related to this project introduced the idea of an “effective monopole strength” Q* that acted as the effective angular momentum of the lowest shell of composite Fermions (CF). This allowed us to predict the angular momentum of the lowest band of energy states for any value of the applied magnetic field simply by determining N{sub QP} the number of quasielectrons (QE) or quasiholes (QH) in a partially filled CF shell and adding angular momenta of the N{sub QP} Fermions excitations. The approach reported treated the filled CF level as a “vacuum state” which could support QE and QH excitations. Numerical diagonalization of small systems allowed us to determine the angular momenta, the energy, and the pair interaction energies of these elementary excitations. The spectra of low energy states could then be evaluated in a Fermi liquid‐like picture, treating the much smaller number of quasiparticles and their interactions instead of the larger system of N electrons with Coulomb interactions.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Quinn, John
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The finite temperature QCD using 2+1 flavors of domain wall fermions at Nt = 8 (open access)

The finite temperature QCD using 2+1 flavors of domain wall fermions at Nt = 8

We study the region of the QCD phase transition using 2+1 flavors of domain wall fermions (DWF) and a 16{sup 3} x 8 lattice volume with a fifth dimension of L{sub s} = 32. The disconnected light quark chiral susceptibility, quark number susceptibility and the Polyakov loop suggest a chiral and deconfining crossover transition lying between 155 and 185 MeV for our choice of quark mass and lattice spacing. In this region the lattice scale deduced from the Sommer parameter r{sub 0} is a{sup -1} {approx} 1.3 GeV, the pion mass is {approx} 300 MeV and the kaon mass is approximately physical. The peak in the chiral susceptibility implies a pseudo critical temperature T{sub c} = 171(10)(17) MeV where the first error is associated with determining the peak location and the second with our unphysical light quark mass and non-zero lattice spacing. The effects of residual chiral symmetry breaking on the chiral condensate and disconnected chiral susceptibility are studied using several values of the valence L{sub s}.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Cheng, M.; Christ, N. H.; Li, M.; Mawhinney, R. D.; Renfrew, D.; Hegde, P. et al.
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fiscal Year 2009 Y-12 Site Profile for DOE Pollution Prevention Tracking and Reporting (open access)

Fiscal Year 2009 Y-12 Site Profile for DOE Pollution Prevention Tracking and Reporting

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Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Jackson, J. G.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The German Economy and U.S.-German Economic Relations (open access)

The German Economy and U.S.-German Economic Relations

This report first examines Germany's economic performance in historical perspective and assesses some of the domestic factors that may be contributing to Germany's suboptimal performance; the second discusses the reform challenges facing Germany's political leaders; and the third section evaluates a few salient U.S.-German economic policy differences and strains that seem to be influenced by Germany's weakened economic situation.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Ahearn, Raymond J. & Belkin, Paul
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
IN-SITU ASSAY OF TRANSURANIC RADIONUCLIDES IN THE VADOSE ZONE USING HIGH-RESOLUTION SPECTRAL GAMMA LOGGING - A HANFORD CASE STUDY (open access)

IN-SITU ASSAY OF TRANSURANIC RADIONUCLIDES IN THE VADOSE ZONE USING HIGH-RESOLUTION SPECTRAL GAMMA LOGGING - A HANFORD CASE STUDY

High-resolution spectral gamma logging in steel-cased boreholes is used to detect and quantify transuranic radionuclides in the subsurface. Pu-239, Pu-241, Am-241, and Np-237 are identified based on characteristic decay gammas. Typical minimum detectable levels are on the order of 20 to 40 nCi/g. In intervals of high transuranic concentrations, gamma rays from other sources may complicate analysis and interpretation. Gamma rays detected in the borehole may originate from three sources: decay of the parent transuranic radionuclide or a daughter; alpha interactions; and interactions with neutrons resulting from either spontaneous fission or alpha particle interactions.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: VJ, ROHAY; P, HENWOOD & R, MCCAIN
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library
Interconnecting PV on New York City's Secondary Network Distribution System (open access)

Interconnecting PV on New York City's Secondary Network Distribution System

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has teamed with cities across the country through the Solar America Cities (SAC) partnership program to help reduce barriers and accelerate implementation of solar energy. The New York City SAC team is a partnership between the City University of New York (CUNY), the New York City Mayor s Office of Long-term Planning and Sustainability, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC).The New York City SAC team is working with DOE s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Con Edison, the local utility, to develop a roadmap for photovoltaic (PV) installations in the five boroughs. The city set a goal to increase its installed PV capacity from1.1 MW in 2005 to 8.1 MW by 2015 (the maximum allowed in 2005). A key barrier to reaching this goal, however, is the complexity of the interconnection process with the local utility. Unique challenges are associated with connecting distributed PV systems to secondary network distribution systems (simplified to “networks” in this report). Although most areas of the country use simpler radial distribution systems to distribute electricity, larger metropolitan areas like New York City typically use networks to increase reliability in large load centers. Unlike the radial …
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Anderson, K.; Coddington, M.; Burman, K.; Hayter, S.; Kroposki, B. & Watson, and A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iraq: U.S. Casualties (open access)

Iraq: U.S. Casualties

This report presents casualty data compiled by the Department of Defense (DOD) as tallied from the agency's press releases.
Date: November 30, 2009
Creator: Chesser, Susan G.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library