None

The release of a biological agent by terrorists represents a serious threat to the safety of US citizens. At present there are over 50 pathogens and toxins on various agency threat lists. Most of these pathogens are rarely seen by public health personnel so the ability to rapidly identify their infection is limited. Since many pathogenic infections have symptomatic delays as long as several days, effective treatment is often compromised. This translates into two major deficiencies in our ability to counter biological terrorism (1) the lack of any credible technology to rapidly detect and identify all the pathogens or toxins on current threat lists and (2) the lack of a credible means to rapidly diagnose thousands of potential victims. In this SI we are developing a rapid, flexible, inexpensive, high throughput, and deeply multiplex-capable biological assay technology. The technology, which we call the Liquid Array (LA), utilizes optical encoding of small diameter beads which serve as the templates for biological capture assays. Once exposed to a fluid sample these beads can be identified and probed for target pathogens at rates of several thousand beads per second. Since each bead can be separately identified, one can perform parallel assays by assigning …

Consolidated sludge samples described in this report were collected from the Hanford K East Basin fuel storage pool in March and April 1999. Material for the samples was collected from both the basin floor and fuel canisters within the basin. Analyses persented include weight percent solids determination, uranium analysis by kinetic phosphorescence (KPA), plutonium isotope analysis by alpha energy analysis (AEA), gross beta analysis, gamma energy analysis (GEA), and metals analysis by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES).

None

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is investigating Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for its feasibility as a potential deep geological repository of high-level nuclear waste. In a deep geological repository, radioactive decay heat released from high-level nuclear waste will heat up the rock mass. Although the following discussion about the thermal-hydrological (TH) process may not be directly relate to the topic of this paper, it provides a bigger picture of the processes in a potential repository. The heat will mobilize pore water in the rock mass by evaporation, or boiling if the thermal load is great enough. The water vapor/steam will flow away from the heat source because of pressure and thermal gradients and the effects of buoyancy force. The vapor/steam will flow along fractures or highly permeable zones and condense into liquid water in the cooler regions. Gravity and the fracture network will control the drainage of the condensed water. Some water may flow back toward the waste package and re-evaporate. This TH process will affect the amount of water that may come into contact with the waste package. Water is the main concern in maintaining the integrity of the waste package and the waste form, and the potential …

None

None

The local distributions of void fraction, interfacial frequency and velocity have been measured in annular flow of R-134a through a wall-heated, high aspect ratio duct. High aspect ratio ducts provide superior optical access to tubes or irregular geometries. This work expands upon earlier experiments conducted with adiabatic flows in the same test section. Use of thin, transparent heater films on quartz windows provided sufficient electrical power capacity to produce the full range of two-phase conditions of interest. With wall vapor generation, the system pressure was varied from 0.9 to 2.4 MPa, thus allowing the investigation of flows with liquid-to-vapor density ratios covering the range of about 7 to 27, far less than studied in air-water and similar systems. There is evidence that for a given cross-sectional average void fraction, the local phase distributions can be different depending on whether the vapor phase is generated at the wall, or upstream of the test section inlet. In wall-heated flows, local void fraction profiles measured across both the wide and narrow test section dimensions illustrate the profound effect that pressure has on the local flow structure; notably, increasing pressure appears to thin the wall-bounded liquid films and redistribute liquid toward the edges of …

The DOE Energy Materials Coordinating Committee (EMaCC) serves primarily to enhance coordination among the Department`s materials programs and to further effective use of materials expertise within the Department. These functions are accomplished through the exchange of budgetary and planning information among program managers and through technical meetings/workshops on selected topics involving both DOE and major contractors. In addition, EMaCC assists in obtaining materials-related inputs for both intra- and interagency compilations. This report summarizes EMaCC activities for FY 1999 and describes the materials research programs of various offices and divisions within the Department.

An alternative being considered for the Next Linear Collider (NLC) is not to tunnel in a straight line but to bend the Main Linac into an arc so as to follow a gravitational equipotential. The authors begin here an examination of the effects that this would have on vertical dispersion, with its attendant consequences on synchrotron radiation and emittance growth by looking at two scenarios: a gentle continuous bending of the beam to follow an equipotential surface, and an introduction of sharp bends at a few sites in the linac so as to reduce the maximum sagitta produced.

This Resource Load Schedule (RLS) addresses two missions. The Advanced Reactors Transition (ART) mission, funded by DOE-EM, is to transition assigned, surplus facilities to a safe and compliant, low-cost, stable, deactivated condition (requiring minimal surveillance and maintenance) pending eventual reuse or D&D. Facilities to be transitioned include the 309 Building Plutonium Recycle Test Reactor (PRTR) and Nuclear Energy Legacy facilities. This mission is funded through the Environmental Management (EM) Project Baseline Summary (PBS) RL-TP11, ''Advanced Reactors Transition.'' The second mission, the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) Project, is funded through budget requests submitted to the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (DOE-NE). The FFTF Project mission is maintaining the FFTF, the Fuels and Materials Examination Facility (FMEF), and affiliated 400 Area buildings in a safe and compliant standby condition. This mission is to preserve the condition of the plant hardware, software, and personnel in a manner not to preclude a plant restart. This revision of the Resource Loaded Schedule (RLS) is based upon the technical scope in the latest revision of the following project and management plans: Fast Flux Test Facility Standby Plan (Reference 1); Hanford Site Sodium Management Plan (Reference 2); and 309 Building Transition Plan (Reference 4). …

This report documents the results of work conducted under the Cooperative Research And Development (CRADA) No. 97-F001 between the Foster Wheeler Development Corporation, FWDC, and the National Energy Technology Laboratory, NETL. Under this agreement, FWDC and NETL worked together to further investigate the applicability of the MFIX computer code to FWDC engineering problems. MFIX is a transient, finite difference, FORTRAN code that solves the equations of transport for interacting fluid and granular solid phases. It is designed to model fluidized bed reactors. Under the CRADA, work was divided into three tasks. The first task involved the continued validation of the hydrodynamic and chemistry capabilities of the MFIX code. The second task involved a parametric evaluation of the MFIX code's ability to predict bubble shape. Task 3 was to modify MFIX to make it execute faster and more easily on personal computers. Task 1 was accomplished by both FWDC and NETL while Tasks 2 and 3 were completed primarily by NETL. Non technical details of the CRADA can be found in Appendix A.

Progress continues in fuel cell technology since the previous edition of the Fuel Cell Handbook was published in November 1998. Uppermost, polymer electrolyte fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells, and solid oxide fuel cells have been demonstrated at commercial size in power plants. The previously demonstrated phosphoric acid fuel cells have entered the marketplace with more than 220 power plants delivered. Highlighting this commercial entry, the phosphoric acid power plant fleet has demonstrated 95+% availability and several units have passed 40,000 hours of operation. One unit has operated over 49,000 hours. Early expectations of very low emissions and relatively high efficiencies have been met in power plants with each type of fuel cell. Fuel flexibility has been demonstrated using natural gas, propane, landfill gas, anaerobic digester gas, military logistic fuels, and coal gas, greatly expanding market opportunities. Transportation markets worldwide have shown remarkable interest in fuel cells; nearly every major vehicle manufacturer in the U.S., Europe, and the Far East is supporting development. This Handbook provides a foundation in fuel cells for persons wanting a better understanding of the technology, its benefits, and the systems issues that influence its application. Trends in technology are discussed, including next-generation concepts that promise …

The Low-Activity Waste Process Technology Program anticipated that grouting will be used for disposal of low-level and transuranic wastes generated at the Idaho Nuclear Technology Engineering Center (INTEC). During fiscal year 2000, grout formulations were studied for transuranic waste derived from INTEC liquid sodium-bearing waste and for projected newly generated low-level liquid waste. Additional studies were completed using silica gel and other absorbents to solidify sodium-bearing wastes. A feasibility study and conceptual design were completed for the construction of a grout pilot plant for simulated wastes and demonstration facility for actual wastes.

The Rapid Terrain Visualization Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (RTV-ACTD) is designed to demonstrate the technologies and infrastructure to meet the Army requirement for rapid generation of digital topographic data to support emerging crisis or contingencies. The primary sensor for this mission is an interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IFSAR) designed at Sandia National Laboratories. This paper will outline the design of the system and its performance, and show some recent flight test results. The RTV IFSAR will meet DTED level III and IV specifications by using a multiple-baseline design and high-accuracy differential and carrier-phase GPS navigation. It includes innovative near-real-time DEM production on-board the aircraft. The system is being flown on a deHavilland DHC-7 Army aircraft.

None

None

None

The completed research project has made some significant contributions that will help us meet the challenges outlined in the previous section. One of the major novelties of our experimental approach involves the application of video microscopy and digital image analysis to study important transient phenomena (like particle swelling and ignitions) occurring during coal pyrolysis and combustion. Image analysis was also used to analyze the macropore structure of chars, a dominant factor in determining char reactivity and ignition behavior at high temperatures where all the commercial processes operate. By combining advanced experimental techniques with mathematical modeling, we were able to achieve the main objectives of our project. More specifically: (1) We accurately quantified the effect of several important process conditions (like pyrolysis heating rate, particle size, heat treatment temperature and soak time) on the combustion behavior of chars. These measurements shed new light into the fundamental mechanisms of important transient processes like particle swelling and ignitions. (2) We developed and tested theoretical models that can predict the ignition behavior of char particles and their burn-off times at high temperatures where intraparticle diffusional limitations are very important.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been using vitrification processes to convert high-level radioactive waste forms into a stable glass for disposal in waste repositories. Vitrification facilities at the Savannah River Site (SRS) and at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) are converting liquid high-level waste (HLW) by combining it with a glass-forming media to form a borosilicate glass, which will ensure safe long-term storage. Large, slurry fed melters, which are used for this process, were anticipated to have a finite life (on the order of two to three years) at which time they would have to be replaced using remote methods because of the high radiation fields. In actuality the melters useable life spans have, to date, exceeded original life-span estimates. Initial plans called for the removal of failed melters by placing the melter assembly into a container and storing the assembly in a concrete vault on the vitrification plant site pending size-reduction, segregation, containerization, and shipment to appropriate storage facilities. Separate facilities for the processing of the failed melters currently do not exist. Options for handling these melters include (1) locating a facility to conduct the size-reduction, characterization, and containerization as originally planned; (2) long-term storing or …

This report describes program goals, activities, processes, benefits for the profession of engineering and for the project participants, coordination, and impact of NHBEP throughout the three years of implementation.

This report summarizes the research that has been performed by Reaction Engineering International (REI) during the last three months on demonstrating and evaluating low NOx control strategies and their possible impact on boiler performance for firing US coals. The focus of our efforts during the last six months have been on: (1) Field Tests for RRI at the Conectiv BL England Station Unit No.1, a 130 MW cyclone fired boiler; (2) Extending our Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) based NOx model to accommodate the chemistry for Rich Reagent Injection (RRI) in cyclone fired boilers; (3) Applying the NOx model to evaluate RRI systems integrated into a boiler with Over Fired Air (OFA) and Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction (SNCR); (4) Field Tests of the REI Corrosion Probe at the Conectiv BL England Station Unit No.1; (5) Commence engineering study of ammonia adsorption mechanisms for Fly Ash; (6) Presentation of current program accomplishments and plans for future work to DoE staff members at NETL-FE (Pittsburgh); and (7) Presentation of preliminary field test results for RRI to EPRI CNCIG.

Tantalum alloys are one of the refractory metals with renewed consideration for high temperatures in fusion reactor applications. Tantalum alloys perform well in protective environments but oxidized readily in gases containing higher oxygen levels. In addition, the radioactive isotope Ta-182 would be produced in tantalum and could be a significant contributor to dose if mobilized. Other isotopes of importance are produced from tungsten and hafnium. Mobilization of activated products during an accident with air ingress is therefore a safety issue. In this study, we measured the extent of oxidation and mobilization from tantalum alloy T-222 oxidized in flowing air between 500 and 1200 C. This alloy nominally contains 10 wt% tungsten, 2.5 wt% hafnium and 0.01 wt% carbon. We found that the mobilization of Ta and Hf was closely linked to the occurrence of oxide spalling. These elements showed no migration from the test chamber. Some W was mobilized by volatilization as evidenced by transport from the chamber. Tungsten volatilization could occur primarily during initial stages of oxidation before an oxide scale forms and impedes the process. The mobilization of Ta and W are presented in terms of the mass flux (g/m 2 -h) as a function of test temperature. …

The primary research activities under this grant were in E871 (HyperCP) at Fermilab, a search for CP violation in hyperon decays which completed data taking in January, 2000. HyperCP is an experiment designed to perform a sensitive search for direct CP violation in the decays of cascade ({Xi}) and {Lambda} hyperons by looking for an asymmetry between particle and antiparticle decay parameters. The experiment is expected to achieve a sensitivity {approx}10{sup -4} in the decay parameters. Standard model predictions for this CP-violating asymmetry range from 0.3 to 5 x 10{sup -4}. A difference between the decay parameters for particle and antiparticle is direct evidence that CP symmetry is violated. A non-zero asymmetry would be the first evidence for CP violation outside of the K{sup o} system. Recent results from KTeV indicate a direct CP violation in K{sup o} decays, which suggests that CP violation will appear in other decays. In addition, we will look at a number of rare hyperon decays involving muons. These probe important new physics topics such as Majorana neutrinos and lepton number violating processes. The latter are of great current interest because new evidence for neutrino oscillations indicate lepton flavor violation does occur. Our data will …