Major emphasis during the period was centered on improving the material properties of electrodeposited CdTe. Using newly devised means for peeling thin CdTe films off the ITO-coated glass substrates, it was possible to accurately measure material density and electrical resistivity. Density proved to be 40% below the bulk CdTe figure of about 6 gm/cm/sup 3/, while resistivity of supposedly doped CdTe films exceeded 10/sup 5/..cap omega.. - cm. These findings prompted initiation of a beneficial change in plating procedures which increased the thin film polycrystalline CdTe density to the bulk value while, at the same time, good columnar growth was obtained. Films made under the old plating process were made into Schottky diodes showing good uniformity and V/sub oc/ values generally exceeding 0.5V. Short circuit current of the best of these was 9.5mA/cm/sup 2/ despite the fact that light entered through a thick gold film and was strongly attenuated.

The findings of the 1977 State Geothermal Resources Task Force are divided into four main categories: well siting, power plant siting; environmental problems; and miscellaneous areas. California's 1978 legislation is described using the same categories. The key difficulties still harassing the state's geothermal industry are described including: control over air quality at the Geysers; powerplant finance; a binary cycle demonstration; federal land use decisions; and miscellaneous concerns. (MHR)

It was found that the distribution of liquid striking the sides of a simulated room temperature spray dryer was not significantly altered by the choice of nozles, nor by a variation in nozzle operating conditions. Instead, it was found to be a function of the spray dryer's configuration. A cocurrent flow of air down the drying cylinder, not possible with PNL's closed top, favorably altered the spray distribution by both decreasing the amount of liquid striking the interior of the cylinder from 72 to 26% of the feed supplied, and by shifting the zone of maximum impact from 1.0 to 1.7 feet from the nozzle. These findings led to the redesign of the laboratory scale spray dryer to be tested at the Savannah River Plant. The diameter of the drying chamber was increased from 5 to 8 inches, and a cocurrent flow of air was established with a closed recycle. Finally, this investigation suggested a drying scheme which offers all the advantages of spray drying without many of its limitations.

Over 50 neutral beam sources (NBS) of the joint Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL)/Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL) design have been manufactured, since 1973, in the LLL Neutral Beam Source Facility. These sources have been used to provide start-up and sustaining neutral beams for LLL mirror fusion experiments, including 2XIIB, TMX, and Beta II. Experimental prototype 20-kV and 80-kV NBS have also been designed, built, and tested for the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF). (MOW)

United States defense nuclear wastes are presently in tank storage, largely as sludges comprising Fe, Mn, Ni, U and Na oxides and hydroxides, together with 0.5 to 5 percent of fission products and actinides (exclusive of uranium). The relative proportions of Al, Fe, Mn, Ni, U and Na in the sludges from different tanks vary considerably, except that (Fe + Al + Mn) are by far the major components and Fe is more abundant than Mn. Typical compositions of some calcined sludges from Savannah River are given. This paper briefly describes how the SYNROC process, utilizing straightforward technology, can be readily adapted to the problem of defense waste immobilization, yielding a dense, inert, ceramic waste-form, SYNROC-D. Two classes of processes are discussed - one designed to immobilize sludges containing normal amounts of sodium and the other designed for otherwise similar sludges which are, however, strongly depleted in sodium as a result of more efficient washing procedures.

NOAA/DOE has selected three concepts for a baseline design of the cold water pipe (CWP) for OTEC plants: (1) a FRP CWP of sandwich wall construction suspended from the Applied Physical Laboratory/John Hopkins University (APL/JHU) barge at a site 200 miles east of the coast of Brazil using a horizontal deployment scheme; (2) an elastomer CWP suspended from the APL/JHU barge off the southeast coast of Puerto Rico using either a horizontal or vertical deployment scheme; and (3) a polyethylene CWP (single or multiple pipe) suspended from the Gibbs and Cox spar at the Puerto Rico site using a horizontal deployment scheme. TRW has developed a baseline design for each of these configurations. This volume of the report includes the following appendices: (A) fiberglass reinforced plastic cold water pipe (specification and drawingss); (B) specification for polyethylene CWP; (C) elastomer pipe drawings; (D) drawings for OTEC 10/40 hull/CWP transitions; (E) structural design of OTEC 10/40 CWP support and CWP transitions; (F) universal transition joint for CWP; (G) dynamic spherical seal of CWP; (H) at-sea deployment loads - surface towing loads; (I) OTEC 10/40 CWP deployment up-ending loads; (J) cost estimates for OTEC 10/40 hull/CWP transitions; and (K) OTEC 10/40 CWP deployment …

The separation of helium from hydrogen at the center of Jupiter is not likely even though phase separation is predicted at both higher and lower pressures.

The specifics of the permitting process, land access, power plant siting, water law, and other legal or institutional barriers or conflicts are presented for each of the most highly regarded target electric prospects in the five Pacific Rim states: California, Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon, and Wasington. (MHR)

Measurement of /sup 129/I at low levels is required for effluent control, environmental assessment and tracer studies in the natural environment. Low level /sup 129/I analysis has also been used for measurement of natural-fission-produced /sup 129/I in minerals and ores as well as meteorites. The most sensitive method for /sup 129/I measurements is neutron activation analysis of iodine separated from a suitable sample. Minimum sample processing prior to neutron activation is desirable in order to reduce chances of sample contamination with uranium or /sup 129/I. A potential interference in the activation analysis method is the production of /sup 129/I (/sup 130/I) from Te impurities in the irradiated ampoule. Procedures have been developed and applied to measurement of the magnitude of the potential Te interference. One-tenth of a microgram of Te in the irradiated ampoule is sufficient to produce interference in the analysis. This is detectable by either radiochemical Te measurements or by /sup 131/I detection in the iodine fraction from the irradiated ampoule. This paper discusses the procedures and results of Te interference studies in /sup 129/I activation analysis. The interference was found to be insignificant for most analyses. 5 tables.

As now being explored for fusion applications confinement systems based on the mirror principle embody two kinds of plasma regimes. These two regimes are: (a) high-beta plasmas, stabilized against MHD and other low frequency plasma instabilities by magnetic-well fields, but characterized by non-Maxwellian ion distributions; (b) near-Maxwellian plasmas, confined electrostatically (as in the tandem mirror) or in a field-reversed region within the mirror cell. Common to both situations are the questions of anomalous transport owing to high frequency instabilities in the non-maxwellian portions of the plasmas. This report will summarize the status of theory and of experimental data bearing on these questions, with particular reference to the high temperature regimes of interest for fusion power.

A computer controlled ultrasonic scanning system and a data acquisition and analysis system have been developed to perform the inservice inspection of welds in stainless steel sodium piping in the Fast Flux Test Facility. The scanning equipment consists of a six axis motion mechanism and control system which allows full articulation of an ultrasonic transducer as it follows the circumferential pipe welds. The data acquisition and analysis system consists of high speed ultrasonic waveform digitizing equipment, dedicated processors to perform on-line analysis, and data storage and display equipment.

Progress is reported in research on the following subjects: gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric analysis of thermal degradation products from wood and composite burns; corrosion in the experimental ducting of the fire test cell; on-line x-ray fluorescence analysis of transition metals in waste water: Phase II; fire environmental tests for self-contained breathing apparatus; developments in neutron spectrometry; and, intermediate energy x-ray spectra for general shielding calculations. (JGB)

In conclusion, it may be stated that: Recycle processing of SRC-I coal extract produced an equilibrium recycle solvent containing 9 weight percent hydrogen after two recycle passes in the PDU; no refractory 850/sup 0/F+ material was detected when recycling 500/sup 0/F+ material; an 850/sup 0/F+ conversion of approximatly 87 weight percent (based on fresh SRC-I feed) was obtained during recycle processing at temperatures of 790 to 810/sup 0/F; a distillate product (390 to 850/sup 0/F) containing < 0.3 weight percent nitrogen was routinely obtained during recycle processing at the above noted high conversion; and in the recycle mode of processing coal extract at 780/sup 0/F, a catalyst addition rate of one pound of catalyst per ton of moisture-free coal gave an 850/sup 0/F+ conversion of 62 weight percent (based on fresh SRC-I feed) and a nitrogen content in the distillate fraction (390 to 850/sup 0/F) of 0.36 weight percent.

The second phase of a contract between the California Energy Commission and the G.R.I.P.S. Commission (Geothermal Research Information and Planning Services) is reported. The activities include: environmental studies; information exchange; funding proposals; and administration of GRIPS. (MHR)

The standard colorimetric procedure for thorium was improved by using lanthanum carrier precipitation of thorium fluoride, conversion to sulfate, and colorimetric measurement with thoron. Four types of anion-exchange resins were evaluated using breakthrough capacity, elution volume, and the neptunium-plutonium ratios in both wash solutions and ion-column eluates as criteria, and 100 to 200 mesh Dowex 1 x 4 resin had the most favorable separation characteristics. Use of commercially available aqueous cleaner followed by water and acetone rinses was found to be superior to other techniques for cleaning uranium samples prior to carbon analysis. The substitution of sodium bisulfate for potassium pyrosulfate in the fusion procedure has lead to a more efficient dissolution process for oxide samples undergoing plutonium assay and the determination of uranium impurities. Sealed-capillary differential thermal analysis experiments were performed to assess the relative reactivities of iron, stainless steel, copper, beryllium, aluminum, and plutonium with trichloroethylene, methyl chloroform, and Freon TF. Results obtained by a method involving reduction of plutonium with titanium (III) chloride followed by titration with standard cerium (IV) sulfate solution are comparable to those obtained by an established amperometric-titration method.

Experiments such as the 2XIIB experiment at Livermore have established the ability of mirror systems to confine high temperature, high density plasmas at central beta values exceeding unity. Given these results the next tasks for the mirror approach are to explore means for increasing the energy gain factor Q and to scale up the plasma volume, both of these requirements deriving from economic constraints. This report discusses means for increasng Q, including recent improvements in the tandem mirror concept and design studies of the field-reversed mirror in the context of upcoming and proposed scaled-up mirror experiments.

The verification and adjustment of plant models for decay heat removal analysis using a mix of engineering judgment and formal techniques from control theory are discussed. The formal techniques facilitate dealing with typical test data which are noisy, redundant and do not measure all of the plant model state variables directly. Two pretest examples are presented.

The physical properties of brittle materials are of interest because of the rapidly expanding use of these material in high-pressure and shock wave techology, e.g., geophysics and explosive compaction as well as military applications. These materials are characterized by unusually high sonic velocities, have large dynamic impedances and exhibit large dynamic yield strengths.

A diametral extensometer was developed and employed during temperature ramp tests with the Fuel Cladding Transient Tester (FCTT). Plastic strain measurements were performed using unirradiated 20% cold-worked AISI 316 stainless steel tubing ramped at 5.6 and 111/sup 0/C/s with internal pressures from 3.4 to 93.1 MPa. Results demonstrated that plastic deformation can occur at stresses well below the conventional 0.2% yield strength and that most deformation in such tests occurs in the final 50/sup 0/C before failure. Postirradiation tests were performed on fuel pin cladding irradiated to 5.8 x 10/sup 22/ n/cm (E > 0.1 MeV) with irradiation temperatures to 540/sup 0/C. The tests showed that, for test pressures of 17.2 MPa or less, the stress-strain behavior was unchanged from unirradiated material behavior although the strains at failure were greatly decreased.

Exposure to noise, H{sub 2}S, NH/sub 3/, hazardous chemicals and wastes, and heat are the major occupational health hazards associated with geothermal energy development - from drilling to power production. Exposures to these agents, although not unique to geothermal energy development, occur in situations peculiar to the industry. Reports show that occupational illnesses associated with geothermal energy development are increasing, while the corresponding rates from all power production are decreasing. Most of those related to geothermal energy result from the H{sub 2}S-abatement systems used in response to environmental pollution regulations.

A study of depository recharge and repressurization has been reviewed. Specific consideration has been given to the validity of two initial assumptions in that study. The first was a decision to ignore lateral flow and end effects into the depository. The second was a decision to ignore thermal effects. The review has been made with particular concern to assessing the sufficiency of the Golder model for estimation of worst-case (minimum) recharge-repressurization time (RRT) in a bedded salt depository. It has been concluded that several errors by Golder may have little net effect on this worst case scenario. Combination of lateral flow and thermal effects may, however, reduce the value of the Golder model for estimation of minimum RRT in a bedded salt facility. Several subjects for further model development are suggested, though the availability of data to support such models is not addressed.

Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL) is conducting research on the seismic risk of nuclear power plants through the Seismic Safety Margins Research Program (SSMRP). Phase I of the SSMRP will include a study of an existing plant and site. Results are presented of a study of existing and planned nuclear power plants in the United States. Selection criteria were developed and a recommendation for a specific plant for the SSMRP Phase I effort is given. Power plant characteristics including types of nuclear steam supply steam, containment structure, electric power capacity, geographic location, site seismicity, and foundation soil properties were evaluated.

This document sets forth recommendations for a verification program to test the ability of operational nuclear power plants to achieve safe shutdown immediately following a safe-shutdown earthquake. The purpose of the study is to develop a program plan to provide assurance by physical demonstration that nuclear power plants are earthquake resistant and to allow nuclear power plant operators to (1) decide whether tests should be conducted on their facilities, (2) specify the tests that should be performed, and (3) estimate the cost of the effort to complete the recommended test program.

Coring of Well R-109 (Washington County, Ohio) was accomplished in August 1976. A total of 25 samples were collected. Hydrocarbon gas analyses indicate that higher chain hydrocarbon gases (C/sub 2/-C/sub 5/) make up a significant portion of total hydrocarbons in the shales, but methane is still the dominant single gas. Distinct relationships exist between the carbon and hydrocarbon gas contents, showing increase in hydrocarbon gas contents with increasing carbon. Similar relationships between hydrogen and hydrocarbon gas contents exist, though they are not as pronounced. Gas contents appear not to be related to the bulk densities in any quantitative manner, though organic contents (carbon and hydrogen) seem to be related to bulk density values much more clearly. R-109 shales are virtually impermeable to gases and other fluids, as attempted helium gas permeability measurements indicated extremely small (< 10/sup -12/ Darcy) permeability values.