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Laboratory Testing of Glasses for Lockheed Idaho Technology Co. Fiscal Year 1994 Report
The purpose of this project is to measure the intermediate and long-term durability of vitrified waste forms developed by Lockheed Idaho Technology Co. (LITCO) for the immobilization of calcined radioactive wastes at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Two vitreous materials referred to as Formula 127 and Formula 532, have been subjected to accelerated durability tests to measure their long-term performance. Formula 127 consists of a glass matrix containing 5-10 vol % fluorite (CaF2) as a primary crystalline phase. It shows low releases of glass components to solution in 7-, 28-, 70-, and 140-day Product Consistency Tests performed at 2000 m⁻¹ at 90 C. In these tests, release rates for glass-forming components were similar to those found for durable waste glasses. The Ca and F released by the glass as it corrodes appear to re-precipitate as fluorite. Formula 532 consists of a glass matrix containing 5-10 vol % of an Al-Si-rich primary crystalline phase. The release rates for components other than aluminum are relatively low, but aluminum is released at a much higher rate than is typical for durable waste glasses. Secondary crystalline phases form relatively early during the corrosion of Formula 532 and appear to consist almost entirely of the Al-Si-rich primary phase (or a crystal with the same Al:Si ratio) and a sodium-bearing zeolite. Future test results are expected to highlight the relative importance of primary and secondary crystalline phases to the rate of corrosion of Formula 127 and Formula 532.
Surveillance of Site A and Plot M : Report for 1994
The results of the environmental surveillance program conducted at Site A/Plot M in the Palos Forest Preserve area for 1994 are presented. The surveillance program is the ongoing remedial action that resulted from the 1976-1978 radiological characterization of the site. That study determined that very low levels of hydrogen-3 (as tritiated water) had migrated from the burial ground and were present in two nearby hand-pumped picnic wells. The current program consists of sample collection and analysis of air, surface and subsurface water, and bottom sediment.
The Effects of the Glass Surface Area/Solution Volume Ratio on Glass Corrosion: a Critical Review
This report reviews and summarizes the present state of knowledge regarding the effects of the glass surface area/solution volume (SA/V) ratio on the corrosion behavior of borosilicate waste glasses.
Technology Development Goals for Automotive Fuel Cell Power Systems
Directed Technologies, Inc. has previously submitted a detailed technical assessment and concept design for a mid-size, five-passenger fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), under contract to Argonne National Laboratory. As a supplement to that contract, DTI has reviewed the literature and conducted a preliminary evaluation of two energy carriers for the FCEV: hydrogen and methanol. This report compares the estimated fuel efficiency, cost of producing and delivering the fuel, and the resultant life cycle costs of the FCEV when fueled directly by hydrogen and when fueled by methanol with on-board reforming to produce the required hydrogen-rich gas for the fuel cell. This work will be supplemented and expanded under the Ford contract with the Department of Energy to develop the FCEV and its fuel infrastructure.
Studies of Acute and Chronic Radiation Injury at the Biological and Medical Research Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 1970-1992 : the JANUS Program Survival and Pathology Data
A research reactor for exclusive use in experimental radiobiology was designed and built at Argonne National Laboratory in the 1960`s. It was located in a special addition to Building 202, which housed the Division of Biological and Medical Research. Its location assured easy access for all users to the animal facilities, and it was also near the existing gamma-irradiation facilities. The water-cooled, heterogeneous 200-kW(th) reactor, named JANUS, became the focal point for a range of radiobiological studies gathered under the rubic of "the JANUS program". The program ran from about 1969 to 1992 and included research at all levels of biological organization, from subcellular to organism. More than a dozen moderate- to large-scale studies with the B6CF₁ mouse were carried out; these focused on the late effects of whole-body exposure to gamma rays or fission neutrons, in matching exposure regimes. In broad terms, these studies collected data on survival and on the pathology observed at death. A deliberate effort was made to establish the cause of death. This archieve describes these late-effects studies and their general findings. The database includes exposure parameters, time of death, and the gross pathology and histopathology in codified form. A series of appendices describes all pathology procedures and codes, treatment or irradiation codes, and the manner in which the data can be accessed in the ORACLE database management system. A series of tables also presents summaries of the individual experiments in terms of radiation quality, sample sizes at entry, mean survival times by sex, and number of gross pathology and histopathology records.
Boiling Heat Transfer with Three Fluids in Small Circular and Rectangular Channels
Small circular and noncircular channels are representative of flow passages act evaporators and condensers. This report describes results of an experimental study on heat transfer to the flow boiling of refrigerants (R-12) and refrigerant-134a (R-134a) in a small horizontal circular-cross-section tube. The tube diameter of 2.46 mm was chosen to approximate the hydraulic diameter of a 4.06 x 1.70 mm rectangular channel previously studied with R-12, and a 2.92-mm-diameter circular tube previously studied with R-113. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of channel geometry and fluid properties on the heat transfer coefficient and to obtain additional insights relative to the heat transfer mechanism(s). The current circular flow channel for the R-12 and R-134a tests was made of brass and had an overall length of 0.9 in. The channel wall was electrically heated, and thermocouples were installed on the channel wall and in the bulk fluid stream. Voltage taps were located at the same axial locations as the stream thermocouples to allow testing over an exit quality range to 0.94 and a large range of mass flux (58 to 832 kg/m sq s) and heat flux (3.6 to 59 kW/m sq). Saturation pressure was nearly constant, averaging 0.82 MPa for most of the testing, with some tests performed at a lower pressure of 0.4--0.5 MPa. Local heat transfer coefficients were determined experimentally as a function of quality along the length of the test section. Analysis of all data for three tubes and three fluids supported the conclusion that a nucleation mechanism dominates for flow boiling in small channels. Nevertheless, a convection-dominant region was obtained experimentally in this study at very low values of wall superheat (<(approx) 2.75C). The circular and rectangular tube data for three fluids were successfully correlated in the nucleation-dominant region.
Dynamic Stability Experiment of Maglev Systems
This report summarizes the research performed on Maglev vehicle dynamic stability at Argonne National Laboratory during the past few years. It also documents magnetic-force data obtained from both measurements and calculations. Because dynamic instability is not acceptable for any commercial Maglev system, it is important to consider this phenomenon in the development of all Maglev systems. This report presents dynamic stability experiments on Maglev systems and compares their numerical simulation with predictions calculated by a nonlinear dynamic computer code. Instabilities of an electrodynamic system (EDS)-type vehicle model were obtained from both experimental observations and computer simulations for a five-degree-of-freedom Maglev vehicle moving on a guideway consisting of double L-shaped aluminum segments attached to a rotating wheel. The experimental and theoretical analyses developed in this study identify basic stability characteristics and future research needs of Maglev systems.
Argonne National Laboratory-East Site Environmental Report for Calendar Year 1994
This report discusses the results of the environmental protection program at Argonne National Laboratory-East (ANL) for 1994. To evaluate the effects of ANL operations on the environment, samples of environmental media collected on the site, at the site boundary, and off the ANL site were analyzed and compared to applicable guidelines and standards. A variety of radionuclides was measured in air, surface water, groundwater, soil, grass, and bottom sediment samples. In addition, chemical constituents in surface water, groundwater, and ANL effluent water were analyzed.
Practical Superconductor Development for Electrical Power Applications, Annual Report: 1995
Annual report for the superconductor program at Argonne National Laboratory discussing the group's activities and research. This report describes the technical progress of research and development efforts aimed at producing superconducting components in the (Bi,Pb)-Sr-Ca-Cu, (T,Pb,Bi,V)- (Ba,Sr)-Ca-Cu, and Y-Ba-Cu oxide systems including: synthesis and heat treatment of high-Te superconductors, formation of monolithic and composite conductors, characterization of structures and superconducting and mechanical properties, and fabrication and testing of prototype components.
IPNS Upgrade: a Feasibility Study
Many of Argonne National Laboratory`s (ANL`s) scientific staff members were very active in R & D work related to accelerator-based spoliation sources in the 1970s and early 1980s. In 1984, the Seitz/Eastman Panel of the National Academy of Sciences reviewed U.S. materials science research facilities. One of the recommendations of this panel was that the United States build a reactor-based steady-state source, the Advanced Neutron Source (ANS), at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Subsequently, R & D activities related to the design of an accelerator-based source assumed a lower priority. The resumption of pulsed-source studies in this country started simultaneously with design activities in Europe aimed at the European Spallation Source (ESS). The European Community funded a workshop in September 1991 to define the parameters of the ESS. Participants in this workshop included both accelerator builders and neutron source users. A consortium of European countries has proposed to build a 5-MW pulsed source, and a feasibility study is currently under way. Soon after the birth of the ESS, a small group at ANL set about bringing themselves up to date on pulsed-source information since 1984 and studied the feasibility of upgrading ANL`s Intense Pulsed Neutron Source (IPNS) to 1 MW by means of a rapidly cycling synchrotron that could be housed, along with its support facilities, in existing buildings. In early 1993, the Kohn panel recommended that (1) design and construction of the ANS should be completed according to the proposed project schedule and (2) development of competitive proposals for cost-effective design and construction of a 1-MW pulsed spallation source should be authorized immediately.
User Interface Program for Secure Electronic Tags
This report summarizes and documents the efforts of Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) in developing a secure tag communication user interface program comprising a tag monitor and a communication tool. This program can perform the same functions as the software that was developed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), but it is enhanced with a user-friendly screen. It represents the first step in updating the TRANSCOM Tracking System (TRANSCOM) by incorporating a tag communication screen menu into the main menu of the TRANSCOM user program. A working version of TRANSCOM, enhanced with ANL secure-tag graphics, will strongly support the Department of Energy Warhead Dismantlement/Special Nuclear Materials Control initiatives. It will allow commercial satellite tracking of the movements and operational activities of treaty-limited items and transportation vehicles throughout Europe and the former USSR, as well as the continental US.
Application of NMR Spectroscopy and Multidimensional Imaging to the Gelcasting Process and in-situ Real-Time Monitoring of Cross-Linking Polyacrylamide Gels
In the gelcasting process, a slurry of ceramic powder in a solution of organic monomers is cast in a mold. The process is different from injection molding in that it separates mold-filling from setting during conversion of the ceramic slurry to a formed green part. In this work, NMR spectroscopy and imaging have been conducted for in-situ monitoring of the gelation process and for mapping the polymerization. ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra have been obtained during polymerization of a premix of soluble reactive methacrylamide (monomer) and N, N'-methylene bisacrylamide (cross-linking molecules). The premix was polymerized by adding ammonium persulfate (initiator) and tetramethyl-ethylene-diamine (accelerator) to form long-chain, cross-linked polymers. The time-varying spin-lattice relaxation times T₁ during polymerization have been studied at 25 and 35 C, and the variation of spectra and T₁ with respect to extent of polymerization has been determined. To verify homogeneous polymerization, multidimensional NMR imaging was utilized for in-situ monitoring of the process. The intensities from the images are modeled and the correspondence shows a direct extraction of T₁ data from the images.
Radiolysis and Hydrolysis of Magnetically Assisted Chemical Separation Particles
This report discusses experiments with various ways to conduct a magnetically assisted chemical separation (MACS) process, designed to separate transuranic (TRU) elements out of high-level waste (HLW) or TRU waste.
Validation of the Generic TRUEX Model Using Data from TRUEX Demonstrations with Actual High-Level Waste
The Generic TRUEX Model (GTM) was used to simulate three different counter-current flowsheet tests performed using mixer-settlers that had been carried out prior to 1993 in the Chemical Processing Facility, Tokai-works, of the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC) of Japan. The feed for the PNC runs was the highly active raffinate from reprocessing of spent fuel from fast breeder reactors. The PNC demonstration runs were planned without using the GTM. Results predicted by the GTM and those obtained experimentally by PNC for the three demonstration runs are compared. Effects of stage efficiency, nitrate complexation, temperature, and equipment type are also included.
Weight Losses of Marble and Limestone Briquettes Exposed to Outdoor Environment in the Eastern United States: Results of Exposure 1988-1992
Monitoring continued on weight changes in marble and limestone briquettes exposed to the outdoor environment at sites in the eastern US. This report presents data for the exposure period 1988 - 1992 and summarizes results for the entire period from 1984. Since 1989, only three exposure sites have remained active, but briquettes from pre-exposed material were added at those sites. A linear relationship was found between cumulative gravimetric losses and exposure period. These losses resulted in an average recession rate of 11 to 21 micrometers/yr for marble and 21 to 45 micrometers/yr for limestone. The recession rates are site-dependent and can be described with respect to rain depth and other atmospheric conditions, as evidenced by the very low rates at the Ohio site on the movable rack, dry regime. Weight monitoring is continuing in a planned 10-year program.
Review and Evaluation of Extractants for Strontium Removal Using Magnetically Assisted Chemical Separation
A literature review on extractants for strontium removal was initially performed at Northern Illinois University to assess their potential in magnetically assisted chemical separation. A series of potential strontium extractants was systematically evaluated there using radioanalytical methods. Initial experiments were designed to test the uptake of strontium from nitric acid using several samples of magnetic extractant particles that were coated with various crown ether ligands. High partition coefficient (K(sub d)) values for stimulant tank waste were obtained. Further studies demonstrated that the large partitioning was due to uncoated particles.
Information Exchange within the U.S. Department of Energy Pollution Prevention Community
Improving Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization Program (PP/WMIN) technologies, actions, and culture could be an important cost-cutting step for the US Department of Energy (DOE). Communicating ideas, concepts, process changes, and achievements is essential for the success of this program. The need to openly communicate ideas and concepts in a cost-effective manner is essential in an organization that has such diverse components as research and development, weapons production, and power generation. This approach is in contrast to the historic DOE culture developed within the cold war period in which compartmentalization, independence, and secrecy were stressed. DOE has now recognized that for any pollution prevention program to be successful, the many diverse elements of the organization must share information. Avenues for such information exchange are examined in this report.
Nonlinear Dynamics of a Stack/Cable System
In this study, we developed a coupled model of wind-induced vibration of a stack, based on an unsteady-flow theory and nonlinear dynamics of the stack's heavy elastic suspended cables. Numerical analysis was performed to identify excitation mechanisms. The stack was found to be excited by vortex shedding. Once lock-in resonance occurred, the cables were excited by the transverse motion of the stack. Large-amplitude oscillations of the cables were due to parametric resonance. Appropriate techniques have been proposed to alleviate the vibration problem.
Treatment of Plutonium-Bearing Solutions: a Brief Survey of the DOE Complex
With the abrupt shutdown of some DOE facilities, a significant volume of in-process material was left in place and still requires treatment for interim storage. Because the systems containing these process streams have deteriorated since shutdown, a portable system for treating the solutions may be useful. A brief survey was made of the DOE complex on the need for a portable treatment system to treat plutonium-bearing solutions. A survey was completed to determine (1) the compositions and volumes of solutions and heels present, (2) the methods that have been used to treat these solutions and heels in the past, and (3) the potential problems that exist in removing and treating these solutions. Based on the surveys and on the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Recommendation 94-1, design criteria for a portable treatment system were generated.
Equipment Decontamination: a Brief Survey of the DOE Complex
Deactivation at DOE facilities has left a tremendous amount of contaminated equipment behind. In-situ methods are needed to decontaminate the interiors of the equipment sufficiently to allow either free release or land disposal. A brief survey was completed of the DOE complex on their needs for equipment decontamination with in-situ technology to determine (1) the types of contamination problems within the DOE complex, (2) decontamination processes that are being used or are being developed within the DOE, and (3) the methods that are available to dispose of spent decontamination solutions. In addition, potential sites for using testing decontamination methods were located. Based on the information obtained from these surveys, the Rocky Flats Plants and the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory appear to be best suited complete the initial testing of the decontamination processes.
Aqueous Biphasic Extraction of Uranium and Thorium from Contaminated Soils : Final Report
The aqueous biphasic extraction (ABE) process for soil decontamination involves the selective partitioning of solutes and fine particulates between two immiscible aqueous phases. The biphase system is generated by the appropriate combination of a water-soluble polymer (e.g., polyethylene glycol) with an inorganic salt (e.g., sodium carbonate). Selective partitioning results in 99 to 99.5% of the soil being recovered in the cleaned-soil fraction, while only 0.5 to 1% is recovered in the contaminant concentrate. The ABE process is best suited to the recovery of ultrafine, refractory material from the silt and clay fractions of soils. During continuous countercurrent extraction tests with soil samples from the Fernald Environmental Management Project site (Fernald, OH), particulate thorium was extracted and concentrated between 6- and 16-fold, while the uranium concentration was reduced from about 500 mg/kg to about 77 mg/kg. Carbonate leaching alone was able to reduce the uranium concentration only to 146 mg/kg. Preliminary estimates for treatment costs are approximately $160 per ton of dry soil. A detailed flowsheet of the ABE process is provided.
Characterization of Plutonium-Bearing Wastes by Chemical Analysis and Analytical Electron Microscopy
This report summarizes the results of characterization studies of plutonium-bearing wastes produced at the US Department of Energy weapons production facilities. Several different solid wastes were characterized, including incinerator ash and ash heels from Rocky Flats Plant and Los Alamos National Laboratory; sand, stag, and crucible waste from Hanford; and LECO crucibles from the Savannah River Site. These materials were characterized by chemical analysis and analytical electron microscopy. The results showed the presence of discrete PuO2, PuO₂x, and Pu4O7 phases, of about 1micrometer or less in size, in all of the samples examined. In addition, a number of amorphous phases were present that contained plutonium. In all the ash and ash heel samples examined, plutonium phases were found that were completely surrounded by silicate matrices. Consequently, to achieve optimum plutonium recovery in any chemical extraction process, extraction would have to be coupled with ultrafine grinding to average particle sizes of less than 1 micrometer to liberate the plutonium from the surrounding inert matrix.
The DART Dispersion Analysis Research Tool: a Mechanistic Model for Predicting Fission-Product-Induced Swelling of Aluminum Dispersion Fuels : User's Guide for Mainframe, Workstation, and Personal Computer
This report describes the primary physical models that form the basis of the DART mechanistic computer model for calculating fission-product-induced swelling of aluminum dispersion fuels; the calculated results are compared with test data. In addition, DART calculates irradiation-induced changes in the thermal conductivity of the dispersion fuel, as well as fuel restructuring due to aluminum fuel reaction, amorphization, and recrystallization. Input instructions for execution on mainframe, workstation, and personal computers are provided, as is a description of DART output. The theory of fission gas behavior and its effect on fuel swelling is discussed. The behavior of these fission products in both crystalline and amorphous fuel and in the presence of irradiation-induced recrystallization and crystalline-to-amorphous-phase change phenomena is presented, as are models for these irradiation-induced processes.
A Review of Dynamic Characteristics of Magnetically Levitated Vehicle Systems
The dynamic response of magnetically levitated (maglev) ground transportation systems has important consequences for safety and ride quality, guideway design, and system costs. Ride quality is determined by vehicle response and by environmental factors such as humidity and noise. The dynamic response of the vehicles is the key element in determining ride quality, while vehicle stability is an important safety-related element. To design a guideway that provides acceptable ride quality in the stable region, vehicle dynamics must be understood. Furthermore, the trade-off between guideway smoothness and levitation and control systems must be considered if maglev systems are to be economically feasible. The link between the guideway and the other maglev components is vehicle dynamics. For a commercial maglev system, vehicle dynamics must be analyzed and tested in detail. This report, which reviews various aspects of the dynamic characteristics, experiments and analysis, and design guidelines for maglev systems, discusses vehicle stability, motion dependent magnetic force components, guideway characteristics, vehicle/ guideway interaction, ride quality, suspension control laws, aerodynamic loads and other excitations, and research needs.
Extraction of Long-Lived Radionuclides from Caustic Hanford Tank Waste Supernatants
A series of polymer-based extraction systems, based on the use of polyethylene glycols (PEGs) or polypropylene glycols (PPGs), was demonstrated to be capable of selective extraction and recovery of long-lived radionuclides, such as Tc-99 and I-129, from Hanford SY-101 tank waste, neutralized current acid waste, and single-shell tank waste simulants. During the extraction process, anionic species like TcO₄⁻ and I⁻ are selectively transferred to the less dense PEG-rich aqueous phase. The partition coefficients for a wide range of inorganic cations and anions, such as sodium, potassium, aluminum, nitrate, nitrite, and carbonate, are all less than one. The partition coefficients for pertechnetate ranged from 12 to 50, depending on the choice of waste simulant and temperature. The partition coefficient for iodide was about 5, while that of iodate was about 0.25. Irradiation of the PEG phase with gamma-ray doses up to 20 Mrad had no detectable effect on the partition coefficients. The most selective extraction systems examined were those based on PPGs, which exhibited separation factors in excess of 3000 between TcO₄⁻ and NO₃⁻/NO₂⁻. An advantage of the PPG-based system is minimization of secondary waste production. These studies also highlighted the need for exercising great care in extrapolating the partitioning behavior with tank waste simulants to actual tank waste.
VARIANT: VARIational Anisotropic Nodal Transport for Multidimensional Cartesian and Hexagonal Geometry Calculation
The theoretical basis, implementation information and numerical results are presented for VARIANT (VARIational Anisotropic Neutron Transport), a FORTRAN module of the DIF3D code system at Argonne National Laboratory. VARIANT employs the variational nodal method to solve multigroup steady-state neutron diffusion and transport problems. The variational nodal method is a hybrid finite element method that guarantees nodal balance and permits spatial refinement through the use of hierarchical complete polynomial trial functions. Angular variables are expanded with complete or simplified P₁, P₃ or P₅5 spherical harmonics approximations with full anisotropic scattering capability. Nodal response matrices are obtained, and the within-group equations are solved by red-black or four-color iteration, accelerated by a partitioned matrix algorithm. Fission source and upscatter iterations strategies follow those of DIF3D. Two- and three-dimensional Cartesian and hexagonal geometries are implemented. Forward and adjoint eigenvalue, fixed source, gamma heating, and criticality (concentration) search problems may be performed.
Automotive Vehicle Sensors
This report is an introduction to the field of automotive vehicle sensors. It contains a prototype data base for companies working in automotive vehicle sensors, as well as a prototype data base for automotive vehicle sensors. A market analysis is also included.
Minimum Additive Waste Stabilization (MAWS), Phase 1: Soil Washing Final Report
As a result of the U.S. Department of Energy's environmental restoration and technology development activities, GTS Duratek, Inc., and its subcontractors have demonstrated an integrated thermal waste treatment system at Fernald, OH, as part the Minimum Additive Waste Stabilization (MAWS) Program. Specifically, MAWS integrates soil washing, vitrification of mixed waste streams, and ion exchange to recycle and remediate process water to achieve, through a synergistic effect, a reduction in waste volume, increased waste loading, and production of a durable, leach-resistant, stable waste form suitable for disposal. This report summarizes the results of the demonstration/testing of the soil washing component of the MAWS system installed at Fernald (Plant 9). The soil washing system was designed to (1) process contaminated soil at a rate of 0.25 cubic yards per hour; (2) reduce overall waste volume and provide consistent-quality silica sand and contaminant concentrates as raw material for vitrification; and (3) release clean soil with uranium levels below 35 pCi/g. Volume reductions expected ranged from 50-80 percent; the actual volume reduction achieved during the demonstration reached 66.5 percent. The activity level of clean soil was reduced to as low as 6 pCi/g from an initial average soil activity level of 17.6 pCi/g (the highest initial level of soil provided for testing was 41 pCi/g). Although the throughput of the soil washing system was inconsistent throughout the testing period, the system was online for sufficient periods to conclude that a rate equivalent to 0.25 cubic yards per hour was achieved.
Parallel Solution of the Time-Dependent Ginzburg-Landau Equations and other Experiences using BlockComm-Chameleon and PCN on the IBM SP, Intel iPSC/860, and Clusters of Workstations
Time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) equations are considered for modeling a thin-film finite size superconductor placed under magnetic field. The problem then leads to the use of so-called natural boundary conditions. Computational domain is partitioned into subdomains and bond variables are used in obtaining the corresponding discrete system of equations. An efficient time-differencing method based on the Forward Euler method is developed. Finally, a variable strength magnetic field resulting in a vortex motion in Type II High-critical-temperature superconducting films is introduced. The authors tackled the problem using two different state-of-the-art parallel computing tools: BlockComm/Chameleon and PCN. They had access to two high-performance distributed memory supercomputers: the Intel iPSC/860 and IBM SP1. They also tested the codes using, as a parallel computing environment, a cluster of Sun Sparc workstations.
Implementation and Validation of a Reynolds Stress Model in the COMMIX-1C/RSM and CAPS-3D/RSM Codes
A Reynolds stress model (RSM) of turbulence, based on seven transport equations, has been linked to the COMMIX-1C/RSM and CAPS-3D/RSM computer codes. Six of the equations model the transport of the components of the Reynolds stress tensor and the seventh models the dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy. When a fluid is heated, four additional transport equations are used: three for the turbulent heat fluxes and one for the variance of temperature fluctuations. All of the analytical and numerical details of the implementation of the new turbulence model are documented. The model was verified by simulation of homogeneous turbulence.
Physics Division Annual Review: April 1, 1994-March 31, 1995
Annual report of activities of the Argonne National Laboratory Physics Division, including heavy-ion nuclear physics research, operation and development of ATLAS, medium-energy nuclear physics research, theoretical physics, atomic and molecular physics research.
Chemical Technology Division Annual Technical Report: 1994
Annual report of the Argonne National Laboratory Chemical Technology Division (CMT) discussing the group's activities during 1994. These included electrochemical technology; fossil energy research; hazardous waste research; nuclear waste programs; separation science and technology; electrometallurgical technology; actinide recovery; applied physical chemistry; basic chemistry research; analytical chemistry.
ANL Technical Support Program for DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Annual Report October 1993 - September 1994
A program was established for DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) to evaluate factors that are anticipated to affect waste glass reaction during repository disposal, especially in an unsaturated environment typical of what may be expected for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository site.
Separation Science and Technology Semiannual Progress Report for October 1992 - March 1993
This document reports on the work done by the Separations Science and Technology Section of the Chemical Technology Division, Argonne National Laboratory, in the period October 1992-March 1993. This effort is mainly concerned with developing the TRUEX process for removing and concentrating actinides from acidic waste streams contaminated with transuranic (TRU) elements.
Analytical Electron Microscopy Characterization of Fernald soils. Annual Report, October 1993 - September 1994
A combination of backscattered electron imaging and analytical electron microscopy (AEM) with electron diffraction have been used to determine the physical and chemical properties of uranium contamination in soils from the Fernald Environmental Management Project in Ohio. The information gained from these studies has been used in the development and testing of remediation technologies.
Advanced Evaporator Technology Progress Report FY 1992
This report summarizes the work that was completed in FY 1992 on the program "Technology Development for Concentrating Process Streams." The purpose of this program is to evaluate and develop evaporator technology for concentrating radioactive waste and product streams such as those generated by the TRUEX process. Concentrating these streams and minimizing the volume of waste generated can significantly reduce disposal costs; however, equipment to concentrate the streams and recycle the decontaminated condensates must be installed. LICON, Inc., is developing an evaporator that shows a great deal of potential for this application. In this report, concepts that need to be incorporated into the design of an evaporator operated in a radioactive environment are discussed. These concepts include criticality safety, remote operation and maintenance, and materials of construction. Both solubility and vapor-liquid equilibrium data are needed to design an effective process for concentrating process streams. Therefore, literature surveys were completed and are summarized in this report. A model that is being developed to predict vapor phase compositions is described. A laboratory-scale evaporator was purchased and installed to study the evaporation process and to collect additional data. This unit is described in detail. Two new LICON evaporators are being designed for installation at Argonne-East in FY 1993 to process low-level radioactive waste generated throughout the laboratory. They will also provide operating data from a full-sized evaporator processing radioactive solutions. Details on these evaporators are included in this report.
Yucca Mountain Project - Argonne National Laboratory Annual Progress Report, FY 1994
This document reports on the work done by the Nuclear Waste Management Section of the Chemical Technology Division (CMT), Argonne National Laboratory, in the period October 1993-September 1994. Studies have been performed to evaluate the performance of nuclear waste glass and spent fuel samples under unsaturated conditions (low volume water contact) that are likely to exist in the Yucca Mountain environment being considered as a potential site for a high-level waste repository. Tests with simulated waste glasses have been in progress for over eight years and demonstrate that actinides from initially fresh glass surfaces will be released as a result of the spallation of reacted glass layers from the surface, as the small volume of water passes over the waste form.
LEVSEEP: Analysis Software for Levee Underseepage and Rehabilitation
This report uses the computer software LEVSEEP to describe analysis methodology for levee underseepage analyses and rehabilitation. Information required for data input, calculation procedures, output, and graphics is presented. In addition, comprehensive results of case studies and parameter analyses utilizing LEVSEEP are included.
Fluvial Architecture of the Lower Cretaceous Lakota Formation, Southwestern Flank of the Black Hills Uplift, South Dakota
From introduction This report describes large-scale depositional units referred to as architectural elements, interpreted from outcrops of three distinct fluvial sandstone units of the Lakota Formation in the southwestern Black Hills area of Custer and Fall River Counties, South Dakota. These fluvial deposits formed near the end of an episode of continental deposition that began when the Jurassic Sundance sea regressed from the region and ended when the Early Cretaceous Skull Creek sea encroached from the north in Albian time.
Regional Potential of Selected Paleozoic Carbonate Units in the Northern Midcontinent for Undiscovered Mississippi Valley-Type Deposits
From abstract: This report attempts to identify areas where geologic conditions for the Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) deposits are favorable.
Geology of Pre-Pennsylvanian Rocks in the Paradox Basin and Adjacent Areas, Southeastern Utah and Southwestern Colorado
From abstract: This report is about the geology of pre-Pennsylvanian rocks in the Paradox basin and its adjacent areas--such as the Mississippian strata, the Upper Devonian rocks, and the Upper Cambrian--in southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado.
Carbon Dioxide in Mississippian Rocks of the Paradox Basin and Adjacent Areas, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona
From abstract: This report is about six gas samples that were obtained from the Mississippian Leadville Limestone in the McElmo field, Colorado, and the Lisbon field, Utah. These samples were recorded to contain a high reading of carbon dioxide and the report investigates these results.
Area Adjacent to the Turkey Creek Caldera, Cochise County, Arizona: Analytic Data and Geologic Sample Catalog
From introduction: This report supplements similar reports prepared for the four 7.5-minute quadrangles that cover the Turkey Creek caldera and geologic map of the caldera.
Archean and Early Proterozoic Tectonic Framework of North-Central United States and Adjacent Canada
From abstract: This report contains the analysis of the southern part of the Canadian Shield and the subsurface of the southern interior platform where they comprise two Archean cratons and three Early Proterozoic collisional orogens.
Improved Performance of Linear Coal Cutting Compared with Rotary Cutting
From abstract: The linear cutting system, developed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines, uses geometric principles developed by Cardan to produce a nearly constant cut depth. The new system has been extensively tested in a synthetic material under laboratory conditions to verify mechanical capability and to identify operational characteristics. This report details the improved performance versus rotary cutting.
Effects of Remote Drop and Pumpdown Placement on Cellular Concrete
Abstract: The hazards to the public posed by abandoned mine shafts are well documented. As private development encroaches on previously mined areas, the potential for fatalities and serious injuries from abandoned mine shafts increases. The U.S. Bureau of Mines has conducted research into cellular concrete as a material for sealing these openings. The current work involves testing the characteristics of cellular concrete before and after it had been pumped or dropped from different heights into a simulated mine shaft. Cellular concrete was pumped vertically up to and subsequently dropped from heights of 18 and 37 m into concrete forms. Wet density measurements were made at multiple sampling points in the test circuit. Air content determinations and uniaxial compressive strength testing were conducted. Research results showed significant loss in air content and changes in the characteristics of cellular concrete during pumping or dropping from various heights. Recommendations on effective use of cellular concrete for sealing abandoned mine shafts are made.
Structural Analysis of a Mechanized LHD Trench Undercut Caving System
Abstract: This U. S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) report presents results of stress analyses and field observations to investigate the effects of elevated trench drifts on the structural stability of rock mass zones surrounding a production draw drift in a mine utilizing a mechanized load-haul-dump (LHD) trench undercut panel caving system. A two-dimensional boundary-element mine stress model was developed to predict the locations and extent of damaged rock mass zones surrounding draw drifts where adjacent, parallel trench drifts are either elevated or not elevated above the LHD production draw drift level. A Mohr-Coulomb shear-failure criterion was obtained directly from in situ borehole shear test data. Hoek-Brown shear-failure parameter values were computed from borehole-shear and triaxial test data. A procedure is described to estimate these parameters when a rock mass rating (RMR) value and triaxial data on intact samples exist, and no borehole shear test data exist. Results indicate that trench drifts, elevated to the level equal to the height of the LHD production draw drift, would not minimize material damage nor significantly enhance the stability of rib and crown pillar zones surrounding production draw drifts in the mechanized LHD trench undercut caving panel investigated at this mine.
High-Temperature Cyanide Leaching of Platinum-Group Metals from Automobile Catalysts--Pilot Plant Study
From abstract: The U.S. Bureau of Mines Reno Research Center investigated, developed, and patented a high temperature cyanide leaching process for recovering platinum-group metals (PGM) from automobile catalysts. A batch pilot plant was constructed at the center and operated to demonstrate this technology to industry.
Ten-Cycle Bench-Scale Study of Simplified Clay-Hydrogen Chloride Process for Alumina Production
From abstract: This U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) research simplified an earlier hydrogen chloride (HCl) leachsparge process developed by the USBM to recover reduction-grade alumina from domestic kaolin clay. Improvements were made by decreasing the initial leaching acid concentration from 25 to 20 pct, decreasing the leaching time from 1 to 2 h to 15 to 30 min, eliminating the solvent extraction step for Fe removal, and eliminating the step to recover the Al content of the bleedstream circuit. A 10-cycle bench-scale experiment of the simplified process showed that the ferric chloride (FeC 3) concentration built up to 9.3 g/L in the recycle stream. This did not interfere with any of the unit operations or final alumina product purity because Fe forms stable soluble chloride complexes when sparged with HC and is easily washed from the large aluminum chloride hexahydrate (ACH) crystals. The reduced leaching time and acid concentration did not decrease Al extraction.
Teleoperation of a Compact Loader-Trammer
Abstract: The U.S. Bureau of Mines has developed a portable, inexpensive teleoperation system for mobile hard-rock mining equipment. The system was tested on a compact loader-trammer in a simulated stope. The teleoperation system includes radio remote control and computer-assisted navigation. A recent enhancement includes video cameras mounted on the machine to provide visual information to the operator. This system allows the operator to remain in a safe location while operating the machine from a distance, thus increasing both operator safety and mining productivity.
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