Saskatchewan boasts the greatest concentration of high-grade uranium of any place in the world. Properly managed, its current reserves of 238U can easily fuel the entire province for some 10,000 years (in comparison, the world's oil supplies may be gone in 100). It is likely that Saskatchewan, with all that uranium, can build an industry and renew Canada's nuclear dream. The authors believe in the value of nuclear energy, in general, and the value of uranium mining in Saskatchewan and other parts of the world, in particular. We also believe in the value of research, development, innovation and training in the nuclear industry and the uranium industry
An aerial radiological survey of the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and surrounding area in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was conducted during the period March 30 to April 14,1992. The purpose of the survey was to measure and document the terrestrial radiological environment of the Oak Ridge Reservation for use in environmental management programs and emergency response planning. The aerial survey was flown at an altitude of 150 feet (46 meters) along a series of parallel lines 250 feet (76 meters) apart and included X-10 (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), K-25 (former Gaseous Diffusion Plant), Y-12 (Weapons Production Plant), the Freels Bend Area and Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, the East Fork Poplar Creek (100-year floodplain extending from K-25 to Y-12), Elza Gate (former uranium ore storage site located in the city of Oak Ridge), Parcel A, the Clinch River (river banks ...
Various remedial measures have been tried to lower radon levels in buildings in Uranium City. The methods used are source material removal, passive ventilation of crawl spaces, sub-floor ventilation, complete epoxy coating of the entire basement, sealants for floor-wall joints and cracks in basements, electrostatic precipitators, mechanical ventilation, and sealing and grouting concrete block plenums in basement walls. The type and condition of structures encountered in Uranium City as well as the relative isolation of the town indicate that mechanical ventilation is the most long-term cost-effective method.
This ISB in conjunction with the new TSRs, will provide the required basis for interim operation or restrictions on interim operations and administrative controls for the Facility until a SAR is prepared in accordance with the new requirements. It is concluded that the risk associated with the current operational mode of the Facility, uranium closure, clean up, and transition activities required for permanent closure, are within Risk Acceptance Guidelines. The Facility is classified as a Moderate Hazard Facility because of the potential for an unmitigated fire associated with the uranium storage buildings.
Asphalt emulsions were evaluated as a means to immobilize radiological contaminants deposited on urban surfaces after a dirty bomb attack. Contaminated surfaces would be sprayed with thin coatings of asphalt emulsion to encapsulate the radioactive particles until the site can be safely remediated. This research investigated applications of an asphalt emulsion (Topein C, Encapco Technologies, LLC, Napa, CA) to treat (zero-valent) iron, lead, and uranium powders on various building material surfaces. Initial studies found that some of the building materials (limestone, concrete, and metal) reacted with the emulsion producing gas bubbles, which formed 0.001 to 1 cm vesicles in the cured asphalt emulsion. These vesicles, however, did not expose the building material surface, and the reaction a...
The use of uranium mill tailings in the foundations of dwellings has resulted in indoor radon progeny concentrations and gamma exposures in excess of levels presently allowed for the general public. An account is given of the applications of an epoxy coating on the indoor faces of the concrete foundations of three buildings in Grand Junction, Colorado. Epoxy barriers were shown to be effective for preventing radon influx into structures. Gamma exposure rates must be analyzed to ensure that buildup behind the barrier will not introduce an unacceptable gamma exposure level. The use of a sealant is especially economical in situations where structural integrity may be jeopardized by physical removal of uranium mill tailings. (author).
The design, construction and operation of a pilot plant are often important stages in the development of a project for the production of uranium concentrates. Since building and operating a pilot plant is very costly and may not always be required, it is important that such a plant be built only after several prerequisites have been met. The main purpose of this guidebook is to discuss the objectives of a pilot plant and its proper role in the overall project. Given the wide range of conditions under which a pilot plant may be designed and operated, it is not possible to provide specific details. Instead, this book discusses the rationale for a pilot plant and provides guidelines with suggested solutions for a variety of problems that may be encountered. This guidebook is part of a series of Technical Reports on uranium ore processing being prepared by the IAEA's Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Management. 42 refs, ...
The electrometallurgical treatment process described in this paper builds on our experience in treating spent fuel from the Experimental Breeder Reactor (EBR-II). The work is also to some degree, a spin-off from applying electrometallurgical treatment to spent fuel from the Hanford single pass reactors (SPRs) and fuel and flush salt from the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) in treating EBR-II fuel, we recover the actinides from a uranium-zirconium fuel by electrorefining the uranium out of the chopped fuel. With SPR fuel, uranium is electrorefined out of the aluminum cladding. Both of these processes are conducted in a LiCl-KCl molten-salt electrolyte. In the case of the MSRE, which used a fluoride salt-based fuel, uranium in this salt is recovered through a series of electrochemical reductions. Recovering high-purity uranium from an aluminum-matrix fuel is ...
The US DOE manages the safe storage of approximately 650,000 tons of depleted uranium hexafluoride remaining from the Cold War. This slightly radioactive, but chemically active, material is contained in more than 46,000 steel storage cylinders that are located at Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Paducah, Kentucky; and Portsmouth, Ohio. Some of the cylinders are more than 40 years old, and approximately 17,500 are considered problem cylinders because their physical integrity is questionable. These cylinders require an annual visual inspection. The remainder of the 46,000-plus cylinders must be visually inspected every four years. Currently, the cylinder inspection program is extremely labor intensive. Because these inspections are accomplished visually, they may not be effective in the early detection of leaking cylinders. The inspection program requires approximately 12--14 full-time-equivalent (FTE) employees. At the cost of approximately $125K per FTE, this translates to ...
The 3001 Storage Canal is located under portions of Buildings 3001 and 3019 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and has a capacity of approximately 62,000 gallons of water. The term canal has historically been used to identify this structure, however, the canal is an in-ground reinforced concrete structure satisfying the regulatory definition of a tank. From 1943 through 1963, the canal in Building 3001 was designed to be an integral part of the system for handling irradiated fuel from the Oak Ridge Graphite Reactor. Because one of the main initial purposes of the reactor was to produce plutonium for the chemical processing pilot plant in Building 3019, the canal was designed to be the connecting link between the reactor and the pilot plant. During the war years, natural uranium slugs were irradiated in the reactor and then pushed out of the graphite matrix into the system of diversion plates and ...
The #alpha# radiation dose to the lungs of people who live in buildings constructed of some granites, low density concretes, and gypsum boards is higher than for residents of most other types of dwellings due to the air-borne progeny of radon. There is evidence that sealing the interior surfaces with epoxy paint, for example, can reduce the #alpha# dose to the lung significantly without a compensating increase in whole-body exposure to the #gamma#-rays from radon progeny. Based on the incidence rates for lung cancer in uranium miners, a concentration of radon of the order of 1 to 5 pCi/l. appears to be a reasonable limit for 'lifetime' exposure indoors for 'typical' home ventilation conditions. (author).
In order to effectively recover uranium, rotation speed of solid cathode was examined, and effect of uranium concentration and current density on electrodeposition were confirmed. And the potentiostatic and galvanostatic electrorefining experiments were conducted. Element used in the experiments were Zr, Nd, La chlorides. The reduction potentials of chlorides metals on liquid Cd cathode were measured by cyclic voltammetry experiments. The electrowinning experiments were performed in order to recover small amounts of uranium in salt. Experimental set-up for the batch type reductive extraction experiments were developed and installed. On the base of experimental results of batch type, multi-stage extraction equipment was set-up, and optimum number of stage and recover yield were measured. In the oxidative extraction study is examine selective separation behavior of the rare earth metals from alloy composed of actinide and ...
Actinides other than the main uranium or plutonium isotopes take a growing part in the different stages of the nuclear cycle. For the French nuclear power program based on the development of light water reactors and fast breeders, many evaluations of the secondary actinides build up are made for the both reactor types using mainly the existing reactor codes. The comparison of these foreseen compositions with experimental results allows to perform some adjustments of the neutronic data. The secondary actinide compositions are given for some typical fuels and their consequences on the nuclear cycle are discussed. An hypothetical burning of these wastes in fast reactors has been studied and the main conclusions are reported.
Uranium Hexafluoride is a material used in the various processes which comprise the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle (conversion, enrichment and fuel fabrication). Confinement of UF6 is a very important safety requirement since this material is highly reactive and presents safety hazards to humans. The present paper discusses the safety relevant aspects of accidental releases of UF6 inside process confinement buildings. Postulated accidental scenarios are analyzed and their consequences evaluated. Implant releases rates are estimated using computer code predictions. A time dependent homogeneous compartment model is used to predict concentrations of UF6, hydrogen fluoride and uranyl fluoride inside a confinement building, as well as to evaluate source terms released to the atmosphere. These source terms can be used as input to atmospheric dispersion models to evaluate consequences to the environment. The results can also ...
The NIS-6 group at Los Alamos National Laboratory pioneered the development of Tomographic Gamma Scanning and continue to improve its utility in real measurement situations. Building on this experience we report the development of a state of the art TGS system suitable for industrial applications. The image reconstruction and visualization software has been integrated into the familiar Canberra NDA2000 software suite which also handles all other aspects of the data acquisition and management. In this paper we describe the salient design and performance parameters of the system. The application of gamma-ray tomography to safeguards for improved assay accuracy and knowledge confirmation is discussed. In particular we compare and contrast the relative merits of this TGS and a traditional Segmented Gamma Scanner and illustrate how the 3-D visualization of the TGS image can provide valuable additional information.
In Korea, a manufacturing process for the fabrication of CANDU 37-element fuel bundles was successfully developed between 1981 and 1986. At Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), more than 20,000 fuel bundles were produced up to May 1992, for use in Wolsung-1 power reactor. At the time of the conference, about 15,000 of these fuel bundles had been irradiated in Wolsung-1, and almost all of them had performed well. From 1995, the commercial fuel production program will be transferred to Korea Nuclear Fuel Company, which is building a plant with a capacity of 400 tons of uranium per year. So-called CANFLEX fuel, more appropriate to advanced fuel cycles, is being developed jointly by AECL and KAERI. The paper includes a listing of the current status of the Republic of Korea's nuclear power plants, with planning projections up to the year 2006. 2 tabs.
After a long period of stagnation in the UK, Europe and the USA, there is now a real expectation that new nuclear plants will be under construction shortly. Several factors have contributed to this change of position in the UK: the growing realisation that effective action is needed to offset greenhouse gas emissions; higher prices for fossil fuels; increasing reliance on overseas supplies of oil and gas; the limitations of wind and wave power and distribution; security of supply; the gradual realisation in the deregulated electricity generation market that nuclear power is competitive and the pending closure of most of the UK's nuclear fleet within less than 15 years. All these factors have led to a reversal of the UK Government's attitude to nuclear power, which has now ruled in favour of allowing a new generation of nuclear plants being built. This paper summarises some of the arguments that have led to this decision and the ramifications of it. In particular, the potential of the ...
Progress is reported on: radon barrier systems for uranium mill tailings; liner evaluation for uranium mill tailings; revegetation/rock cover for stabilization of inactive U-tailings sites; and application of long-term chemical biobarriers for uranium tailings.
A discussion is given of uranium as an energy source in The Australian economy. Figures and predictions are presented on the world supply-demand position and also figures are given on the added value that can be achieved by the processing of uranium. Conclusions are drawn about Australia's future policy with regard to uranium (R.L.).
Many mines and processing facilities are in remote, difficult to access areas, or are in areas where access is limited or restricted for national reasons. In a joint project with Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, the Canadian Safeguards Support Program is investigating utility of multi- and hyperspectral remote sensing for remotely inspecting such site. With a view to eventually using the hyperspectral satellite data now coming available, airborne data over uranium and copper mine tailings and uranium processing facilities in northern Canada were acquired. The objective of this work is to demonstrate that multispectral and hyperspectral data can provide complementary and supplementary information to high-resolution panchromatic imagery for the following safeguards applications: Inspection aids (up-to-date maps of remote locations), change detection, evaluation of member state declarations, monitoring of reactor, mining and processing facility ...
The SIEN 2009 symposium organized by Romanian Nuclear Energy Association, AREN, in co-operation with Romanian Atomic Forum, ROMATOM, was primarily targeting the expert community involved in developing new nuclear power projects and implementing the National Nuclear Program. The symposium was also open as a discussion and information forum for scientists, engineers, technicians and students interested in scientific and technologic topics of Nuclear Power. It was structured in the following 6 sections: - Nuclear new builds and developments; - Operation, inspection and maintenance; - Increasing nuclear safety features; - Fuel cycle and decommissioning; - Public perception and confidence strengthening; - Environmental management. The symposium began with three plenary lectures dealing with: - Sustainable Nuclear Energy European Technology Platform; - Nuclear new-build; - Current issues of nuclear equipment standardization in Romania. A poster ...
The reactor fuel cycle based on uranium is described. The various stages in the cycle include mining of uranium ores followed by crushing and grinding, leaching and purification of leach liquor by ion exchange resin process or solvent extraction process, refining of uranium concentrate (yellow cake) by digesting with HNO_3 and then solvent extracting uranyl nitrate with TBP, conversion of uranyl nitrate to uranium hexafluoride, production of uranium metal, uranium enrichment, fabrication of reactor fuel elements and reprocessing of the spent fuel. Chemical reactions wherever they are involved are explained. (M.G.B.).
The annual production of phosphate rock, on the order of about 30-40 million tons yearly, represents several million pounds of uranium. The present invention provides a process of purifying uranium tetrafluoride hydrate to produce a uranium (VI) peroxide product meeting 'yellow cake' standards using a double precipitation procedure. A fluoride complexing agent is used in the precipitation.
Simulated atmospheric corrosion studies were performed to determine the corrosion protection provided by galvanized zinc coatings on depleted uranium, U-0.75 Ti alloy, and U-6 Nb alloys. The accelerated ASTM tests consisted of exposing the galvanized samples to aqueous and aqueous chloride environments. The test results showed that anodic protection was provided by the electronegative zinc coatings on uranium and uranium alloys. Treating zinc with chromate conversion coatings also provided more protection.
The Maybell uranium mill tailings site is 25 miles (mi) (40 kilometers [km]) west of the town of Craig, Colorado, in Moffat County, in the northwestern part of the state. The unincorporated town of Maybell is 5 road mi (8 km) southwest of the site. The designated site covers approximately 110 acres (ac) (45 hectares [ha]) and consists of a concave-shaped tailings pile and rubble from the demolition of the mill buildings buried in the former mill area. Contaminated materials at the Maybell processing site include the tailings pile, which has an average depth of 20 feet (ft) (6 meters [m]) and contains 2.8 million cubic yards (yd{sup 3}) (2.1 million cubic meters [m{sup 3}]) of tailings. The former mill processing area is on the north side of the site and contains 20,000 yd{sup 3} (15,000 m{sup 3}) of contaminated demolition debris. Off-pile contamination is present and includes areas adjacent to the tailings pile, as well as contamination ...
The security of ports and transportation is of utmost importance for the development of economy and the security of a nation. Among the necessary actions to ensure the security of ports and borders, the inspection of containers is one of the most time consuming and expensive procedures. Potential threats are the illegal traffic of radioactive materials that could be employed for the construction of weapons, as uranium and plutonium. New techniques for the inspections of containers should be fast, allow the detection and identification of dangerous materials, and be non-invasive, to reduce costs and delays. We propose to build a large surface photon and neutron detector based on plastic scintillator to identify the presence of fissile or fertile material inside a container. The detector consists of scintillator bars, wrapped in thin foils of reflecting material containing gadolinium for neutron capture and arranged in planes separated by ...
The security of ports and transportation is of utmost importance for the development of economy and the security of a nation. Among the necessary actions to ensure the security of ports and borders, the inspection of containers is one of the most time consuming and expensive procedures. Potential threats are the illegal traffic of radioactive materials that could be employed for the construction of weapons, as uranium and plutonium. New techniques for the inspections of containers should be fast, allow the detection and identification of dangerous materials, and be non-invasive, to reduce costs and delays. We propose to build a large surface photon and neutron detector based on plastic scintillator to identify the presence of fissile or fertile material inside a container. The detector consists of scintillator bars, wrapped in thin foils of reflecting material containing gadolinium for neutron capture and arranged in planes separated by ...
Depleted uranium (DU) is a dense heavy metal used primarily in military applications. Although the health effects of occupational uranium exposure are well known, limited data exist regarding the long-term...Full Text Available
The main activities developed at 'Instituto de Energia Atomica' Sao Paulo, Brazil, on the recovery of uranium from ores, the purification of uranium and thorium raw concentrates and their transformation in nuclear grade compounds, are reviewed. The design and assemble of pilot facilities for ammonium diuranate (ADV) uranium tetrafluoride, uranium trioxide, uranium oxide microspheres, uranyl nitrate denitration, uranim hexafluoride and thorium compounds are discussed. The establishment of analytical procedures are emphasized.
The report is divided into six working group discussions on the following subjects: 1) Chemical and physical mechanisms in the formation of uranium mineralization, geochronology, isotope geology and mineralogy; 2) Sedimentary basins and sandstone-type uranium deposits; 3) Uranium in quartz-pebble conglomerates; 4) Vein and similar type deposits (pitchblende); 5) Other uranium deposits; 6) Relation of metallogenic, tectonic and zoning factors to the origin of uranium deposits. Each working group paper contains a short introductory part followed by a discussion by the working group members.
Uranium has varying degrees of oxidation (+4 and +6) and is responsive to changes in the redox potential of the environment. It is deposited at the reduction barrier with the participation of biota and at the sorption barrier under oxidative conditions. Iron (hydr)oxides are the strongest sorbents of uranium. Uranium, being an element of medium biological absorption, can accumulate (relative to thorium) in the humus horizons of some soils. The high content of uranium in uncontaminated soils is most frequently inherited from the parent rocks in the regions of positive U anomalies: in the soils developed on oil shales and in the marginal zone of bogs at the reduction barrier. The development of nuclear and coal-fired power engineering resulted in the environmental contamination with uranium....
In this paper an analysis will be performed to assess the economical competitiveness of Nuclear Power against other base load technologies. There are several plans to build more nuclear power plants in western countries; these plans are result among other things of the fossil fuel high prices and the concern for the global warming. France started the construction of one EPR at Flamanville in 2007 and at the end of 2008 there were 17 applications before NRC for construction and operation licenses (COL) to build as much as 26 new reactor units in USA, among the designs selected are the US-EPR, APWR, ESBWR, ABWR and AP1000. Currently, there is a lot of uncertainty about what is the overnight cost for a new generation III nuclear power plant and the vendors are not providing too much information. However, it is expected that under the new economy conditions the overnight cost will be between 2500 and 3500 USD/kW, the output electricity power of the ...
Red mud is a waste and tail material from primary aluminum production, and is named for its color, coming from its iron oxide content. The quantity of red mud is almost equal to the primary aluminum production and leads to a considerable environmental issue. Red mud of the ETI Seydisehir Aluminum Plant is considered as detrimental waste for storage due to its content of various metal oxides, elements and caustics. This detrimental effect is classified into two groups: first, environmental health and second, the cost of storage. In order to minimize the negative effect of red mud, there have been or are presently many investigations carried out on usage of red mud in building materials. However, no effective way of utilizing red mud has yet been found. In this study domestic red mud was investigated and chemical analyses were performed by EDAX and XRF techniques. Radioactivity of the samples was also measured with gamma spectroscopy. The concentrations of elemental ...
The results of calculational comparative study into radiotoxicity and residual power release time dependences for spent uranium-plutonium and thorium-uranium nuclear fuels from the WWER-1000 reactors during ling- time (up to 300 thousand years) storage are discussed. It is shown that the total radiotoxicities for actinides from uranium, uranium-plutonium and thorium-uranium spent fuels at storage period begin amount to 5.2 x 10"1"4, 1.3 x 10"1"5 and 1.5 x 10"1"4 kg of water per 1 t of discharged fuel, respectively. Radiotoxicity of actinides in uranium-plutonium fuel is revealed to be by the factor of 2.5 greater than that for ordinary uranium fuel because of greater accumulation of "2"3"9Pu, "2"4"0Pu, "2"4"1Pu and "2"4"4Cm. Radiotoxicity of actinides for thorium-uranium fuel calculated taking into account "2"3"4U is ...
A methodology for the determination of the rare earth elements in uranium oxides by ion microprobe has been set up on a Cameca ims-3f instrument. An uranium oxide reference material from a syn-metamorphic uranium deposit related to albitisation has also been developed for this type of analysis. Applications of the methodology are presented for a series of uranium oxides selected from some major uranium deposit types: from the world's highest grade unconformity-related uranium deposit from the Athabasca Basin (Saskatchewan, Canada; the Shea Creek and the McArthur River examples), a perigranitic vein-type deposit (Pen Ar Ran, Vendee, France) and a volcanic caldera-related deposit (Streltsovkoye, Transbaikalia, Russia). Each type of uranium deposit appears to have a specific REE signature. Al...
Tetracycline in solution of benzyl alcohol was used as an extracting agent to separate uranium from interfering elements in the determination of uranium and of isotopic ratio sup(235)U/sup(238)U by neutron activation analysis. Separation gives a recovery of 97% for uranium and the interferences from matrices of pitchblende and monazite are eliminated.
Molybdenum is separated from molybdenum-containing activated charcoal or char also containing small amounts of uranium obtained as a by-product in uranium leaching processes by stripping with an alkaline solution to provide a molybdenum containing solution containing substantially less than 500 ppm u/sup 3/o/sup 8/.
Daily exposures of adult beagle dogs to inhaled radon daughters and to uranium ore dust for 4-1/2 to 6 yr have produced respiratory tract carcinomas, at similar cumulative working level months (WLM) of exposures to those which induced carcinomas in uranium miners. Biological data from the beagle-dog experiments can therefore be used for prediction of carcinogenic risk under changing exposure conditions in future uranium miners.
Contents: Introduction; Design Criteria for a Green Building; Comparison of Energy Efficiency Measures; Whole House Energy Efficiency; Built Examples of Energy Efficient Houses; and Product Energy of Building Elements.
For the treatment of dam waste water containing micro quantities of uranium, the so-called chemical precipitation method is conventionally used, that is, acidic sodium phosphate is added to it and so the uranium (UO_2"2"+) is removed in coprecipitation with the then occurring calcium phosphate (solid). The method, however, has several problems, such as the large space required and large quantities of sludge. For the pupose of eliminating such difficulties and removal and recovery of the uranium, development of the new uranium adsorption method was started. Of the many uranium adsorbents available, excellent ones were selected and then the continuous treatment test was made with small apparatus. Subsequently, the dam waste water uranium recovery facility was completed in 1983. (Mori, K.).
The potential use of uranium in the field of catalysis is presented in the first part of this paper. Numerous applications of uranium binary oxides, as well as mixed oxides, are reviewed with a special emphasis on the role of U-Sb-O catalysts in selective oxidation (and ammoxidation) processes. Attempts are made to correlate the electronic structure of uranium, and especially the role that 5f electrons play in bonding, with its promising catalytic properties. In the second part, new data are given for uranium-bismuth mixed oxides in the catalytic oxidation of CO by O_2. Kinetic tests performed in a flow microreactor allow a mechanism to be proposed that involves the direct participation of lattice oxygen of the catalyst in the chemical process (redox mechanism). The high activity can be related to the ability of uranium to change reversibly its oxidation state. (author).
The potential use of uranium in the field of catalysis is presented in the first part of this paper. Numerous applications of uranium binary oxides, as well as mixed oxides, are reviewed with a special emphasis on the role of U-Sb-O catalysts in selective oxidation (and ammoxidation) processes. Attempts are made to correlate the electronic structure of uranium, and especially the role that 5f electrons play in bonding, with its promising catalytic properties. In the second part, new data are given for uranium-bismuth mixed oxides in the catalytic oxidation of CO by O/sub 2/. Kinetic tests performed in a flow microreactor allow a mechanism to be proposed that involves the direct participation of lattice oxygen of the catalyst in the chemical process (redox mechanism). The high activity can be related to the ability of uranium to change reversibly its oxidation state.
It is essential that alumina used for manufacturing electronic devices should contain an extremely low level of alpha-radiation. The principal source of alpha-radiation in alumina is uranium, a minor source being thorium. Uranium in bauxite dissolves into the liquor in the digestion process and is fixed to the red mud as the desilication reaction progresses. A part of uranium remaining in the liquor precipitates together with aluminum hydroxide in the precipitation process. The uranium content of aluminum hydroxide becomes lower as the precipitation velocity per unit surface area of the seed becomes slower. Organic matters in the Bayer liquor has an extremely significant impact on the uranium content of aluminum hydroxide. Aluminum hydroxide free of uranium is obtainable from the liquor that does not contain organic matters.
Approximately 1.2 million kg of uranium oxide (yellow cake) has been produced from the area surrounding Gunnison, Colorado. Over 99 percent of this has come form the Cochetopa and Marshall Pass districts. Uranium in both districts and many of the other occurrences is associated closely with fault and shear zones which cut brittle host formations (sandstones and dolomites) of Paleozonic and Mesozoic age. Minor uranium occurrences are in pegmatites and shear zones in Precambrian rocks, Cambrian vein material, and sandstones of Tertiary age. In the paper presented, the uranium occurences are described by districts. In addition, possibilities for additional discoveries are discussed. (JMT)
Investigations were conducted at Los Alamos National Laboratory to quantify the extent of migration of depleted uranium away from firing sites. Extensive sampling of air particles, soil, sediment, and water was conducted to establish the magnitude of uranium contamination throughout one watershed. The uranium source term was estimated, and mass balance calculations were performed to compare the percentage of migrated uranium with original expenditures. Mass balance calculations can be powerful in identification of the extent of waste migration and used as an aid in planning future waste investigations.
Processes of production and purification (necessary for fabricating fuel elements) of powdery uranium dioxide with particle size up to 1000 #mu#m and more have been studied. Developed is continuous process of UO_2 production with above particle size by converting uranium hexafloride into UO_2 solid particles in fluidized bed while their interaction with water vapor and hydrogen on the uranium dioxide nucleus material. The method allows to conduct continuous selection from the apparatus of UO_2 powder fraction with particle size near 1000 #mu#m without nucleus material additional feed.
The near-term availability of domestic and selected foreign uranium resources for use by United States electric utilities is considered in light of projected geopolitical and socioeconomic considerations. No attempt is made to analyze the impact on domestic uranium supply of inflation or cost-price considerations, the introduction of the breeder reactor, limitations in enrichment capacity, or the presently expanding uranium inventory. All data are current as of mid-1980. The period with which this research is concerned is 1980-1995. It is concluded that the United States must promote responsible, environmentally acceptable uranium resource exploration and development, if this nation is to remain self sufficient in this necessary energy commodity.
The manufacturing of TRIGA fuel rods with low enriched uranium follows in principle the same route as high-enriched uranium. The high purity of the primary metals (uranium, zirconium and erbium) is important for determining the equilibrium metal-hydrogen phases. The impurities from the metal, on the surface and from hydrogen may have an important influence on the hydriding process. This paper presents the aspects of the fuel contamination with oxygen during the manufacturing process of the low enriched uranium fuel. The continuous control of the oxygen concentration in the working zone ensures avoidance of the accidental contamination. Key words: manufacturing, fuel, oxygen, contamination. (authors)
The Conference on Building Design and Architecture organized by Swedish Council for Building Research Contents included articles on building physics, thermal-climate technology, and building location and planning.
A research report presents the basic data required when designing a building with minimal environmental impacts. Topics covered include the energy consumption of building elements during their lifetime, the environmental implications linked to the extraction and processing of building material and the energy consumed in buildings by the occupants. (UK)
The total amount of uranium dissolved in seawater at a uniform concentration of 3 mg U/m{sup 3} in the world's oceans is 4.5 billion tons. An adsorption method using polymeric adsorbents capable of specifically recovering uranium from seawater is reported to be economically feasible. A uranium-specific nonwoven fabric was used as the adsorbent packed in an adsorption cage 16 m{sup 2} in cross-sectional area and 16 cm in height. We submerged three adsorption cages in the Pacific Ocean at a depth of 20 m at 7 km offshore of Japan. The three adsorption cages consisted of stacks of 52 000 sheets of the uranium-specific non-woven fabric with a total mass of 350 kg. The total amount of uranium recovered by the nonwoven fabric was >1 kg in terms of yellow cake during a total submersion time of 240 days in the ocean.
The total amount of uranium dissolved in seawater at a uniform concentration of 3 mg U/m3 in the world's oceans is 4.5 billion tons. An adsorption method using polymeric adsorbents capable of specifically recovering uranium from seawater is reported to be economically feasible. A uranium-specific nonwoven fabric was used as the adsorbent packed in an adsorption cage 16 m2 in cross-sectional area and 16 cm in height. We submerged three adsorption cages in the Pacific Ocean at a depth of 20 m at 7 km offshore of Japan. The three adsorption cages consisted of stacks of 52 000 sheets of the uranium-specific non-woven fabric with a total mass of 350 kg. The total amount of uranium recovered by the nonwoven fabric was >1 kg in terms of yellow cake during a total submersion time of 240 days in the ocean.
The raw materials used in manufacturing of phosphate fertilizer products were derived from rocks. Rocks contain a remarkable of natural radioactivity. Uranium and phosphorous were originally initiated at the same time of the initiated rocks. The purpose of this research is to investigate solubility of uranium phosphate species at the phosphate fertilizer samples, samples including; raw phosphate material, single super phosphates (SSP) granules and powdered, triple super phosphates (TSP) and phosphogypsum samples were obtained from Abu-Zabal factory in Egypt. Solubility of uranium phosphate species was estimated. It was found that, less than half of the uranium phosphate species are soluble in water. The soluble uranium may be enter into the food chains by plant. Therefore, restriction should be done in order to limit contamination of land and the public.
The Maybell uranium mill tailings site is 25 miles (mi) (40 kilometers [km]) west of the town of Craig, Colorado, in Moffat County, in the northwestern part of the state. The unincorporated town of Maybell is 5 road mi (8 km) southwest of the site. The site is 2.5 mi (4 km) northeast of the Yampa River on relatively flat terrain broken by low, flat-topped mesas. U.S. Highway 40 runs east-west 2 mi (3.2 km) south of the site. The designated site covers approximately 110 acres (ac) (45 hectares [ha]) and consists of a concave-shaped tailings pile and rubble from the demolition of the mill buildings buried in the former mill area. The site is situated between Johnson Wash to the east and Rob Pit Mine to the west. Numerous reclaimed and unreclaimed mines are in the immediate vicinity. Aerial photographs (included at the end of this executive summary) show evidence of mining activity around the Maybell site. Contaminated materials at the Maybell ...
A theoretical model is developed to explain variations in airborne gamma-ray measurements over a calibration range near Ottawa, Ontario. The gamma-ray flux from potassium and the thorium decay series showed an expected decrease with increasing soil moisture. However, the gamma-ray flux from the uranium decay series was highest in the spring when the ground was water-saturated and even covered with snow. These results are explained through the build-up of radon and its associated gamma-ray-emitting decay products in the clay soil of the calibration range with increasing soil moisture. Similar results were found from airborne measurements over other clay soils. However, measurements over sandy soils showed that the count rates from all three radio elements increased with decreasing soil moisture. This difference between soil types was attributed to the lower radon emanation of the more coarse-grained sandy soils compared to finer-grained clay ...
A theoretical model is developed to explain variations in airborne gamma-ray measurements over a calibration range near Ottawa, Ontario. The gamma-ray flux from potassium and the thorium decay series showed an expected decrease with increasing soil moisture. However, the gamma-ray flux from the uranium decay series was highest in the spring when the ground was water-saturated and even covered with snow. These results are explained through the build-up of radon and its associated gamma-ray-emitting decay products in the clay soil of the calibration range with increasing soil moisture. Similar results were found from airborne measurements over other clay soils. However, measurements over sandy soils showed that the count rates from all three radio elements increased with decreasing soil moisture. This difference between soil types was attributed to the lower radon emanation of the more coarse-grained sandy soils compared to finer-grained clay ...
In Europe, MOX fuel has been supplied by AREVA for more than 30 years, to 36 reactors: 21 in France, 10 in Germany, 3 in Switzerland, 2 in Belgium. For the present and future, recycling is compulsory in the frame of sustainable development of nuclear energy. By 2030 the overall volume of used fuel will reach about 400 000 t worldwide. Their plutonium and uranium content represents a huge resource of energy to recycle. That is the reason why, the European Utilities issued an EUR (European Utilities Requirement) demanding new builds reactors to be able of using MOX Fuel Assemblies in up to 50 % of the core. AREVA GEN3+ reactors, like EPR"T"M or ATMEA"T"M designed with MHI partnership, are designed to answer any utility need of MOX recycling. The example of the EPR"T"M reactor operated with 100 % MOX core optimized for MOX recycling will be presented. A standard EPR"T"M can be operated with 100 % MOX core using an advanced homogeneous MOX (single ...
Only within the past decade has the potential of metal biosorption by biomass materials been well established. For economic reasons, of particular interest are abundant biomass types generated as a waste byproduct of large-scale industrial fermentations or certain metal-binding algae found in large quantities in the sea. These biomass types serve as a basis for newly developed metal biosorption processes foreseen particularly as a very competitive means for the detoxification of metal-bearing industrial effluents. The assessment of the metal-building capacity of some new biosorbents is discussed. Lead and cadmium, for instance, have been effectively removed from very dilute solutions by the dried biomass of some ubiquitous species of brown marine algae such as Ascophyllum and Sargassum, which accumulate more than 30% of biomass dry weight in the metal. Mycelia of the industrial steroid-transforming fungi Rhizopus and Absidia are excellent biosorbents for lead, ...
The Conference on Building Design and Architecture organized by Swedish Council for Building Research Contents included articles on building physics, thermal-climate technology, indoor-air-quality technology, construction materials, quality assurance, and building policy and regulation.
Oxydes d'Uranium et de Plutonium. J. Nucl. Mat., vol. 33, no. 1, Oct. 1969, pp. 40-51. 21. Hall, A. R.: Elastic Moduli and Internal Friction of Some Uranium ...
ObjectivesTo assess the distribution and risk factors of depleted uranium uptake in military personnel who had taken part in the invasion of Iraq in 2003.MethodsSector...Full Text Available
Determination of the specific surface of uranium oxides: UO_2 and U_3O_8 using a simplified equation derived from the Brunauer, Emmett and Teller theory. The method is suitable for samples having a surface between 6 to 50 m"2.
Adsorption of uranium onto various solids is important from purification, environmental, and radioactive waste disposal points of view. Adsorption of uranium on activated charcoal has been studied as a function of shaking time, amount of adsorbent, pH, concentration of adsorbate, and temperature. Uranium adsorption obeys the Langmuir isotherm. {Delta}H{degrees} and {Delta}S{degrees} were calculated from the slope and intercept of plots ln K{sub D} vs 1/T. The influence of different anions and cations on uranium adsorption has been examined. The adsorption of other metal ions on activated charcoal has been studied under specified conditions to check its selectivity; consequently, uranium was removed from Cs, Ba, Zn, and Co. More than 98% adsorbed uranium on activated charcoal can be recovered with 65 ml of 3 M HNO{sub 3} solution. A wavelength dispersive x-ray ...
This report describes a field-test program to determine the effectiveness of a polymeric wall sealant to reduce the escape of naturally occurring radioactive gas radon from the walls of an underground uranium mine into the ventilation air.
Uranium(VI)-salicylic acid system has been studied polarographically in perchloric acid medium. Varying concentrations of HClO/sub 4/ and salicylic acid have been used. The nature of the polarographic waves is irreversible.
The Lander Quadrangle, Wyoming, was evaluated to a depth of 1500 m to identify environments and delineate areas that exhibit characteristics favorable for the the occurrence of uranium deposits. The evaluation used criteria established for the National Uranium Resources Evaluation program. The methods of surface investigations included evaluation of aerial radiometric and hydrogeochemical stream-sediment reconnaissance data, verification of some reported uranium occurrences, and general field geology with rock, water, and sediment sampling. The subsurface evaluation was accomplished through the use of 230 various oil-well logs. The results of this investigation identified three environments favorable for sandstone uranium deposits in Eocene fluvial sediments. These environments are within the Battle Spring and upper Fort Union Formations of the northern Great Divide Basin and within the Wind River and ...
The Lander Quadrangle, Wyoming, was evaluated to a depth of 1500 m to identify environments and delineate areas that exhibit characteristics favorable for the the occurrence of uranium deposits. The evaluation used criteria established for the National Uranium Resources Evaluation program. The methods of surface investigations included evaluation of aerial radiometric and hydrogeochemical stream-sediment reconnaissance data, verification of some reported uranium occurrences, and general field geology with rock, water, and sediment sampling. The subsurface evaluation was accomplished through the use of 230 various oil-well logs. The results of this investigation identified three environments favorable for sandstone uranium deposits in Eocene fluvial sediments. These environments are within the Battle Spring and upper Fort Union Formations of the northern Great Divide Basin and within the Wind River and ...
The storage and distribution of copper, cadmium, and uranium and their effects on ionic contents in roots and shoots of Azolla filiculoides has been studied by x-ray microanalysis....Full Text Available
In this paper, we present experimentally determined reflection factors of mirrors based on the depleted uranium and dependence of reflection factor on time of presence of samples on air.
The desorption of uranium from the granular titanium-activated carbon composite adsorbent (concentration of uranium: 25.5 mg/l-Ad), which adsorbed uranium from natural sea water, was examined by the column process with acidic eluent at room temperature. The column operation was able to be carried out without destruction of the granular adsorbent by the generation of the carbon dioxide, and free from disturbance of the eluent flow by precipitate of calcium sulfate dihydrate with sulfuric acid eluent. The amount of acid consumption by the adsorbent was 0.87 eq/l-Ad. The alkaline earth metals were eluted in the range of elution volume below 2l/l-Ad, whereas uranium, iron, and titanium were eluted above 2l/l-Ad. Therefore, uranium was separable from the alkaline earth metals which were adsorbed in the most quantity in the adsorbent. In the range of elution volume 2 to 12l/l-Ad, the ...
In this paper, the following topics are studied: uranium 238 effective integral; thermal range uranium 238 capture cross section; Americium 242 m capture cross section. The mentioned examples show that differential and integral experiments are both useful...
A method to reduce the fuel composition heterogeneity effect on the core performance parameters has been studied for the DUPIC fuel which is made of spent pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuels by a dry refabrication process. This study focuses on the reactivity control method which uses either slightly enriched, depleted, or natural uranium to minimize the cost rise effect on the manufacturing of DUPIC fuel, when adjusting the excess reactivity control by slightly enriched and depleted uranium, reactivity control by natural uranium for high reactivity spent PWR fuels, and reactivity control by natural uranium for linear reactivity spent PWR fuels. The results of this study have shown that the reactivity control by slightly enriched and depleted uranium, all the spent PWR fuels can be utilized as the DUPIC fuel and the fraction of fresh uranium feed is 3.4% on an ...
The accuracy of the carbon 14 dating method is dependent on the fluctuations of carbon 14 in the atmosphere over long periods of time. Fossil corals that are dated by both carbon 14 and uranium-thorium methods allows the setting of calibration curves for the carbon 14 method for the last 50.000 years. The uranium-thorium method is based on the measurement of the ratio of 2 isotopes: thorium 230 and uranium 234 that are both present in the decay chain of uranium 238. (A.C.)
Radiological hazard in uranium mining and milling operations are primarily due to exposure to external beta and gamma radiation as well as to airborne radionuclides which consist of radon and its short-lived daughter products. In May 1981 a radiological survey programme was performed in order to make a general assessment of the radiation hazards associated with the uranium mines and the Uranium Pilot Plant operated by the M.T.A. Institute in the Koprubasi district of the Manisa province. In this paper a preliminary radiological risk evaluation attempt is presented based on the radiation and radioactivity measurements performed in this district in May 1981.
The purpose of the present research is to find a suitable technique to measure trace amounts of uranium and thorium and to determine the surface #alpha#-flux in silicon compound (SiO) used for fabrication of integrated circuit packaging materials. Among several commonly-used detecting techniques, it was found that neutron activation analysis (NAA) was most promising. The results from NAA show a large difference in uranium and thorium concentrations when cadmium and boron carbide shields are used, whereas #alpha#-flux measurements show a low #alpha#-activity, which corresponds to the trace amounts of uranium and thorium expected to be present in these materials. (author) 13 refs.; 6 figs.
Selected samples of waste microbial biomass originating from various industrial fermentation processes and biological treatment plants have been screened for biosorbent properties in conjunction with uranium and thorium in aqueous solutions. Biosorption isotherms have been used for the evaluation of biosorptive uptake capacity of the biomass which was also compared to an activated carbon and the ion exchange resin currently used in uranium production processes. Determined uranium and thorium biosorption isotherms were independent of the initial U or Th solution concentration. Solution pH affected the exhibited uptake. 24 refs.
A synthesis of scientific knowledge about petroleum biodegradation linked to uranium mineralisation is firstly done. Then the genesis of Huemul Uranium ore deposit (Malargue Town, Mendoza Province) is discussed, where Uranium ore is linked only with one type of asphaltite (there are three other types) from an oil field close by. This asphaltite type would be an efficient natural geological barrier for Uranium migration and it could be linked to a particular kind of biodegradation. The authors think that the International Wonuc Conference would be a good opportunity to discuss a way for future investigations. (author)
Heyuan mineralization belt is a structure-magmatic activities belt which is charcterized by strong plastic deformation and shearing. The squeeze (overthrust) structure is formed early. Later stretch produced slide shovel-shaped normal fault which control the red basin and uranium mineralization. Comprehensive study shows that this area is of favorable uranium metallogenic condition due to the rich uranium source and higher degree of geology work, it is a target for the new round resources exploration. (authors)
Methods of preparation, stability in solutions and in the solid phase, composition of orthophosphate crystallohydrates and condensed uranyl- and uranium (4) phosphates, are considered. Structures of these compounds are discussed; it is shown that they are steric polymers with an uranylphosphate framework. The problem of phosphate-anion polymerization in the process of thermal decomposition is discussed. It is established that condensed uranyl polyphosphates are not stable during storage, capable of degradation, its degree increasing with the phosphate chain length and uranium content.
The TTT diagrams describing the beta to alpha isothermal transformation have been made by isothermal dilatometry for pure uranium and 21 alloys based on chromium, silicon, molybdenum, iron, aluminium, zirconium. The thermal cycle preceeding the isothermal...
Daily exposures of adult beagle dogs to inhaled radon daughters plus uranium ore dust, with and without concurrent cigarette smoking, for 2 to 5-1/2 yr have produced massive pulmonary fibrosis and severe emphysema. The cumulative exposure doses are similar to those associated with a 5-fold or greater increase in death rate of uranium miners due to chronic respiratory insufficiency, including pneumoconiosis, pulmonary fibrosis, and emphysema.
Achievements in the field of sorption recovery of uranium from sea water are considered in brief. Polyacryl amidoxime chelate iorites are shown to exceed in sorption properties both titanium dioxide base natural adsorbents and styrene base synthetic resins. Merits of sorbents containing fixed layer of humic acid are pointed out, different methods of their application are considered. The cost of uranium recovery from sea water using different sorbents is estimated.
Guidelines for uranium residual radioactive material in soil were derived for the B&T Metals Company site in Columbus, Ohio. This site has been identified for remedial action under the US Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). Single-nuclide and total-uranium guidelines were derived on the basis of the requirement that following remedial action, the 50-year committed effective dose equivalent to a hypothetical individual living or working in the immediate vicinity of the site should not exceed a dose constraint of 30 mrem/yr for the current use and likely future use scenarios or a dose limit of 100 n-mrem/yr for less likely future use scenarios. The DOE residual radioactive material guideline computer code, RESRAD, was used in this evaluation. RESRAD implements the methodology described in the DOE manual for establishing residual radioactive material guidelines. Three scenarios were ...
Many factors influence radon-222 influx and radon-daughter concentrations in underground uranium mines. A brief review of some of these factors is presented. Current radon-222 and radon-daughter control principles and practices for US underground uranium mine atmospheres are discussed and a brief review of the applicability of other possible control methods such as rock sealants, radon-222 removal, and radon-daughter removal is given.
A survey is given on the results in hand on the natural radioactivity of building materials. It is shown that only a small percentage of building materials has an increased content of radioactive materials. The results are compared with approximate values given in a Russian publication. (orig./AK).
;Contents: Energy Use; Building Fabric Performance; Ventilation and Infiltration; Passive Solar Design; Heating Systems and Controls; Hot and Cold Water Provision; and Lighting and Electrical Appliances.
The development of comfort in buildings throughout the centuries was influenced by the demand for progress, wealth and innovation in various respects. At present, it seems that progress may only be possible by taking into account the environment and creat...
Contents: Energy Use; Building Fabric Performance; Ventilation and Infiltration; Passive Solar Design; Heating Systems and Controls; Hot and Cold Water Provision; and Lighting and Electrical Appliances.
This book contains the results of an architectural evaluation of building examples with integrated photovoltaic. Danish Building and Urban Research and Danish Technological Institute conducted the work within the framework of Solar Energy Centre Denmark. Seven examples are selected to inspire Danish architects and building owners to use PV in the building environment. The examples come from Denmark and countries (the Netherlands and Germany) with similar building traditions, climate and solar conditions. All the examples demonstrate architectural concepts that integrate photovoltaic as a natural part of the building envelope. (BA)
as manufacturing plants and laboratories, including the Chemical Laboratory at the House of David in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Built in America: Historic BuildingBuildings Survey/...
The photovoltaic (PV) industry is rapidly beginning to recognize the market potential of the buildings sector. New PV-for-buildings products have recently become commercially available, and numerous products that are under development will be introduced within the next 5 years. To ensure that these new products will be adopted and used in common building practices, the PV industry should recognize and address important buildings industry issues. These issues include building codes and standards, after-market servicing, education, and warranties and insurance policies. Photovoltaic systems are also still very expensive. The simplest method for increasing their value for a building is to decrease the building's electrical loads through energy efficiency and conservation. Meeting these goals can only be accomplished through ...
Research highlights: #-># The building occupancy affecting the cooling load prediction is studied. #-># PENN model is adopted in this study for predicting the building cooling load. #-># Statistical approach is adopted to result a less prejudice prediction performance. #-># Results show that occupancy data can significantly improve the prediction. -- Abstract: Building cooling load prediction is one of the key factors in the success of energy-saving measures. Many computational models available in the industry today have been developed from either forward or inverse modeling approaches. However, most of these models require extensive computer resources and involve lengthy computation. This paper discusses the use of data-driven intelligent approaches, a probabilistic entropy-based neural (PENN) model to predict the cooling load of a building. Although it is common knowledge that the presence ...
Biosorption of elements is a little understood phenomenon exhibited by some types of even nonliving microbial biomass. A common fungus Rhizopus arrhizus has been reportd to take up uranium from adqueous solutions to the extent of 180 mg U/sup 6 +//g. The mechanism of uranium sequestering by this type of biomass was studied by using experimental techniques such as electron microscopy, x-ray energy dispersion analysis, IR spectroscopy, and supporting evidence was obtained for a biosorption mechanism consisting of at least three processes. Uranium coordination and adsorption in the cell-wall chitin structure occur simultaneously and rapidly whereas precipitation of uranylhdroxide within the chitin microcrystalline cell-wall structure takes place at a lower rate. Interference of Fe/sup 2/ and Zn/sup 2 +/ coions with uranium biosorption is indicated.
Improved biosorption of uranium by Kluyveromyces marxianus IMB3 biomass was achieved by increasing the electric field strength of delivered pulses from 1.25kV/cm to 2.5kV/cm. Although this had little or no effect on the maximum biosorption capacity (q(max)), at low concentrations of uranium the amount bound to the biomass increased from 70 to 140mg uranium/g biomass. Significant increases in the maximum biosorption capacities (119-180 mg uranium/g biomass) were observed when the pulse field strength was increased from 2.5kV/cm to 3.25kV/cm. (Author).
A flowing bed kiln is a gas-solid reactor used in the civil nuclear fuel cycle for the successive conversion of uranium trioxide (UO{sub 3}) into uranium dioxide (UO{sub 2}) and then into uranium tetrafluoride (UF{sub 4}). A numerical model is developed which simulate the behaviour of this reactor in permanent regime. This model describes the physico-chemical phenomena involved, and combines a mechanistic approach in the vertical area of the kiln (resolution by the finite volumes method) and a systemic approach in the horizontal area, like in the model of cascade mixers. The first results have been obtained for reference operating conditions of the industrial kiln. Some possible improvements of the optimum temperature progression inside the kiln are evoked. (J.S.)
Whilst unwashed preparations of biomass from a local brewery had an apparent maximum biosorption capacity for uranium of 360 mg/g (dry weight biomass) washing reduced this maximum to 150 mg/g. Homogenization of both biomass preparations and recovery of cellular debris had no significant effect on the maximum biosorption capacities although at lower equilibrium concentrations of uranium differences in the biosorption capacities were detected. When unwashed biomass was retained by a semi-permeable membrane 40% of uranium used in the experiments precipitated outside that membrane. Therefore a significant proportion of the uranium removed from solution, and previously attributed to biosorption by the yeast biomass, resulted from precipitation brought about by interaction with low molecular weight components loosely associated with the biomass. (Author).
A process is described for the recovery of uranium values from phosphoric acid utilizing an alkyl pyrophosphoric acid (Appa) primary extractant. After extracting the uranium from the phosphoric acid, the appa extractant is deactivated by heating and the uranium values stripped into a phosphoric acid strip solution containing ferric ion as a salting agent. The uranium values may then be re-extracted directly from this stripping solution without adjustment of its concentration into a dialkyl phosphoric acid trialkyl phosphine oxide synergistic extractant from which a relatively pure yellow cake is precipitated. A new procedure for preparing the requisite appa primary extractants is also disclosed.
Simultaneous exposures of rats and hamsters to inhaled radon daughters, with and without uranium ore dust, were performed daily for five months. Pulmonary pathology developing in 6 to 13 mo after cessation of daily exposures included interstitial fibrosis, emphysema, epithelial hyperplasia, squamous metaplasia, and malignant neoplasia. Rats showed a greater variety and more severe response to these uranium mine inhalation exposures than did hamsters. Inhalation of radon daughters with uranium ore dust displayed the site of greatest damage, including squamous carcinoma, from the nasopharynx to the lungs. Sixty percent of the rats exposed to radon daughters with ore dust developed primary pulmonary carcinomas, providing an appropriate short-term experimental animal model for investigation of respiratory tract carcinogenesis in uranium miners.
The aim of this work is to simulate the reduction by hydrogen of the tri-uranium octo-oxide U{sub 3}O{sub 8} (obtained by uranium trioxide calcination) into uranium dioxide. The kinetics curves have been obtained by thermal gravimetric analysis, the hydrogen and steam pressures being defined. The geometrical modeling which has allowed to explain the trend of the kinetics curves and of the velocity curves is an anisotropic germination-growth modeling. The powder is supposed to be formed of spherical grains with the same radius. The germs of the new UO{sub 2} phase appear at the surface of the U{sub 3}O{sub 8} grains with a specific germination frequency. The growth reactivity is anisotropic and is very large in the tangential direction to the grains surface. Then, the uranium dioxide growths inside the grain and the limiting step is the grain surface. The variations of the growth reactivity and of the ...
From 1980 to 1993, the domestic production of uranium declined from almost 44 million pounds U{sub 3}O{sub 8} to about 3 million pounds. This retrenchment of the U.S. uranium industry resulted in the permanent closing of many uranium-producing facilities. Current low uranium prices, excess world supply, and low expectations for future uranium demand indicate that it is unlikely existing plants will be reopened. Because of this situation, these facilities eventually will have to be decommissioned. The Uranium Mill Tailings and Radiation Control Act of 1978 (UMTRCA) vests the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with overall responsibility for establishing environmental standards for decommissioning of uranium production facilities. UMTRCA also gave the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) the responsibility for licensing and ...
Spent oxide fuels are reduced in a molten salt of CaCl[sub 2]-CaF[sub 2] to convert them into metals, then melted in an Fe-U bath disposed in an electrolytic refining vessel and brought into contact with molten Mg, to extract transuranium elements and rare earth elements contained in the Fe-U bath as metals in the molten Mg. Then molten Mg is removed and the residue is brought into contact with KCl-LiCl molten salt and electrolyzed using the Fe-U as an anode. Then, uranium is recovered by deposition on an iron cathode disposed in chloride electrolytes of the electrolytic refining vessel. Uranium and transuranium elements can be thus separated and, for example, depleted uranium for use in blanket fuels can be recovered easily. This can greatly reduce the temporary storage amount of depleted uranium, to eliminate requirement for a large-scaled facility used exclusively for storing ...
Spent oxide fuels are reduced in a molten salt of CaCl_2-CaF_2 to convert them into metals, then melted in an Fe-U bath disposed in an electrolytic refining vessel and brought into contact with molten Mg, to extract transuranium elements and rare earth elements contained in the Fe-U bath as metals in the molten Mg. Then molten Mg is removed and the residue is brought into contact with KCl-LiCl molten salt and electrolyzed using the Fe-U as an anode. Then, uranium is recovered by deposition on an iron cathode disposed in chloride electrolytes of the electrolytic refining vessel. Uranium and transuranium elements can be thus separated and, for example, depleted uranium for use in blanket fuels can be recovered easily. This can greatly reduce the temporary storage amount of depleted uranium, to eliminate requirement for a large-scaled facility used exclusively for storing uranium and ...
This is the third of a series of research reports which builds on the previous contents which dealt with energy efficiency techniques and minimizing the environmental effects of building materials. It presents some specifications for house types and gives built examples of energy efficient homes in Europe. (UK)
A research report describes the energy efficiency techniques to be employed in designing a building which is ``green``. Topics covered include building fabric performance, ventilation and infiltration, passive solar design, heating systems and controls, hot and cold water provision, lighting and electrical appliances. (UK)
A simple and rapid laser fluorometric determination of trace and ultra trace level of uranium in a wide variety of low uranium content materials like soil, basic and ultra basic rocks, plant ash, coal fly ash and red mud samples is described. Interference studies of some common major, minor and trace elements likely to be present in different geological materials on uranium fluorescence are studied using different fluorescence enhancing reagents like sodium pyrophosphate, orthophosphoric acid, penta sodium tri-polyphosphate and sodium hexametaphosphate. The accurate determination of very low uranium content samples which are rich in iron, manganese and calcium, is possible only after the selective separation of uranium. Conditions suitable for the quantitative single step extraction of 25 ng to 20 #mu#g uranium with tri-n-octylphosphine oxide and single step ...
A preliminary geologic investigation was conducted to determine if Triassic sedimentary rocks of the Sanford basin and Colon cross structure in North Carolina are favorable hosts for uranium deposits. Rocks of adjacent Carolina slate belt were also examined as a potential source of uranium. On the basis of favorability criteria for sandstone-type uranium deposits, and geologic and geophysical investigations of the study area, the most favorable sites for further investigation are (1) at the contacts between the Pekin and Cumnock and between the Pekin and Sanford Formations near the Colon cross structure and (2) at the base of the Jonesboro fault, which lies below the Sanford Formation, northwest of Sanford. The highly weathered granites southeast of the Jonesboro fault were a source of the detritus deposited on the cross structure and may have been a primary source of uranium. ...
The development of comfort in buildings throughout the centuries was influenced by the demand for progress, wealth and innovation in various respects. At present, it seems that progress may only be possible by taking into account the environment and creating methods of reducing further damage to the environment. The innovative feature of future progress my be reducing the impact on the environment from human and building activities by using appropriate technology. As it is impossible to build without any impact on the environment and this is likely to be so in the future, the objective is and will be to find solutions for buildings which are more compatible with the environment. The objective is to demonstrate that it is viable to design buildings with minimized impact on the environment, while still maintaining appropriate comfort levels.
This bibliography contains citations concerning the control and mitigation of radon pollution in homes and commercial buildings. Citations cover radon transport studies in buildings and soils, remedial action proposals on contaminated buildings, soil venting, building ventilation, sealants, filtration systems, water degassing, reduction of radon sources in building materials, and evaluation of existing radon mitigation programs including their cost effectiveness. Analysis and detection of radon and radon toxicity are covered in separate published bibliographies. (Contains 129 citations fully indexed and including a title list.).
The US Department of Energy Office of Building Technology, State and Community Programs sponsored EcoTecture Solutions, Inc. (dba Sustainable Living Alliance {trademark}) in producing two home tours showcasing energy- and resource-efficient buildings in Austin, Texas, held on October 16, 1999, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, held on May 20, 2000. Lists are given of the notable building technologies, passive solar design features, and energy- and water-efficient technologies and design employed in the houses. There were over 1200 visitors to the 22 residential and 3 commercial buildings included in the tour.
Most important radionuclides naturally appearing in minerals used to form building materials are described. The frequently met ranges of concentrations of these radionuclides in the building materials composed from natural products as well as from power-plant wastes and metallurgic plant wastes are discussed and propositions concerning the limitation of presence of radioactive nuclides in the building materials are given, with special concern paid to materials for dwelling and public utility buildings. The elaborated technique of measuring potassium 40, radium 226 and thorium 228 concentrations is presented. Data on the organization of controlling-and-measuring laboratories in this field are given. (author).
In the construction work for the Unit No.5 Turbine Building at Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station, the collaboration work for the planning and the coordination of the building construction and the machinery installation was carried out utilizing three-dimensional computer aided design (3D CAD) information. It was the first time in Japan for a building constructor and a plant manufacturer to work together, exchanging 3D CAD data of the whole building and adjusting the construction schedule. It was made possible to confirm the correspondence concerning the planning of both companies from the primary stage of the project by the total process simulation and to adjust on-going work precisely by the partial process simulation.
In the construction work for the Unit No.5 Turbine Building at Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station, the collaboration work for the planning and the coordination of the building construction and the machinery installation was carried out utilizing three-dimensional computer aided design (3D CAD) information. It was the first time in Japan for a building constructor and a plant manufacturer to work together, exchanging 3D CAD data of the whole building and adjusting the construction schedule. It was made possible to confirm the correspondence concerning the planning of both companies from the primary stage of the project by the total process simulation and to adjust on-going work precisely by the partial process simulation.
Purpose of this assessment for this town in the Slovak Republic is to develop information on the building sector energy efficiency and improvement potential for use by town management to support decisions on providing energy services to Handlova citizens. Objectives were to characterize baseline space and water heat energy use and efficiency improvement potential in the residential and nonresidential building sectors. Intention was to identify major areas of efficiency improvement potential and cost-effectiveness. Four levels of energy and fuel prices were used. A significant efficiency resource exists in the space and water heating end uses in these building sectors; it amounts to 42% of the total building sector space and water heat energy consumption.
A trans-uranium (TRU) fuel should be manufactured and loaded in transmutation systems in order to transmute the long-lived TRU nuclides into short-lived ones. However, since all of the TRU nuclides are not completely transmuted in one cycle lifetime in transmutation systems, the spent TRU fuel has to be treated to recover the long-lived radionuclides or fuel matrix materials. One concept to manufacture TRU fuel for transmutation is to recover uranium from TRU and molten salt. If this type of fuel is adopted for transmutation, uranium could also be an objective material to be recovered and recycled. Since electrowinning is a promising technology to be employed for the recovery of uranium from fuel materials, some experimental work of electrowinning using anode of Cd-Li alloy was carried out in this study. The basic salt chosen was a mixture of LiCl-KCl which has an eutectic point at 357 .deg. C.
A trans-uranium (TRU) fuel should be manufactured and loaded in transmutation systems in order to transmute the long-lived TRU nuclides into short-lived ones. However, since all of the TRU nuclides are not completely transmuted in one cycle lifetime in transmutation systems, the spent TRU fuel has to be treated to recover the long-lived radionuclides or fuel matrix materials. One concept to manufacture TRU fuel for transmutation is to recover uranium from TRU and molten salt. If this type of fuel is adopted for transmutation, uranium could also be an objective material to be recovered and recycled. Since electrowinning is a promising technology to be employed for the recovery of uranium from fuel materials, some experimental work of electrowinning using anode of Cd-Li alloy was carried out in this study. The basic salt chosen was a mixture of LiCl-KCl which has an eutectic point at 357 .deg. C
The solubilities of plutonium and uranium have been determined for alkaline salt solutions having compositions which bound those which will be processed in the In-Tank Precipitation (ITP) process. Loadings of plutonium and uranium onto monosodium titanate (MST) have been determined at temperatures bounding those expected to occur during ITP and using a salt solution which was determined to have the maximum solubility for uranium and plutonium. Fissile loadings increase with decreasing amounts of MST in contact with the salt solutions saturated in plutonium and uranium. At MST concentrations bounding those which are planned for the ITP process, expressions for the maximum loadings (wt %) are determined to be 0.29 - 0.20x[MST] for plutonium and 1.8 - 0.29x[MST] for uranium, where [MST] is the concentration of MST in grams/liter. These expressions are valid over the range of MST ...
In humid zones and marine environments the bio indicator contaminants by trace elements are well established. However, in arid zones it is more difficult to find these tools because there is less biodiversity. The objective of this paper was to analyze the behavior of the Baccharis salicifolia plant in areas with high uranium concentration in arid zones, to determine the characteristics of tolerance and possible use as a bio monitor for the presence of such contaminants. For this project a uraniferous zone was selected in San Marcos, located northwest of the City of Chihuahua. A total of 8 sampling points of the plant and soil were located here. Each sample was divided into the root and the stem and leaves to determine the specific activity of the uranium in both parts of the plant and its sediments. The determination of the specific activities of the total uranium in the samples was obtained by liquid scintillation with ...
High-resolution sequence stratigraphy taking base-level cycles as interface of reference was developed rapidly in recent years. Its greatest predominance lies in that it can be applied to multi-controled continental sedimentary basins and can effectively improve accuracy and distinguishability of sequence stratigraphy analysis. Principles of base-level cycles can also be applied to the research and practice of the exploration and exploitation of sandstone-type uranium deposits as they control the spatial distribution, porosity, the permeability and the sealing ability of sandstone and mudstone, and stacking patterns of strata configuration. Taking Dongsheng uranium deposits as an example, the application of base-level cycles to exploration and exploitation of sandstone uranium deposits was analyzed. It is suggested that favorable strata framework of sandstone and mudstone was developed very well in the fluctuation of ...
The technology developed here will exploit the ability of microorganisms to remove dissolved metals from aqueous solutions. Microbial sorbents for uranium will be immobilized biosorbents will be deployed ex situ within flow-through reactors for the continuous or semicontinuous treatment of recovered wastewaters. The proposed technology will primarily be applied within a pump-and-treat process using immobilized biosorbents for the large-scale, long-term remediation of uranium-laden surface water or groundwater impoundments (environmental restoration). The technology may be equally useful as an ``end-of-pipe`` treatment of process effluents (waste management). Successful operation of this process will achieve immobilization of the targeted waste and accompanying volume reduction.
The method of reactivity determination using noise analysis correlation measurements with /sup 252/Cf was used to determine the reactivity for subcritical 17.77-cm-dia uranium (93.2 wt percent /sup 235/U) metal cylinders with reactivities as low as 25 dollars. Far subcritical tests were performed with right circular cylinders of uranium metal for which the subcritical reactivity was known from other inverse kinetics and prompt neutron decay constant measurements.
Study of the rate of dissolution in simulated lung fluid of uranium from 3 different ore matrices and from refined uranium dioxide in an essentially all teflon extraction apparatus; the rate of dissolution of thorium from a nickel metal/2 percent thoria mixture; the effect of neutron irradiation of the studied materials upon the dissolution rates; and the adsorptions of the radioisotope tracers barium 133 (substitute for radium), lead 203 and thorium 234 upon the extraction system components.
Major contributions during this contract period have been in developing an analytical procedure for Pu measurement, and in applying the developed procedures to determining the plutonium concentration and distribution in coral from the Bikini Atoll. In conjunction with these contributions, measurements using the fission-track method have been made of the uranium distribution and concentrations in several carbonate samples from drill cores obtained from the Runit Island Enewetak Atoll. Petrographic studies on these drill core samples have been made to correlate the uranium data with the mineralogical data.
Major contributions during this contract period have been in developing an analytical procedure for Pu measurement, and in applying the developed procedures to determining the plutonium concentration and distribution in coral from the Bikini Atoll. In conjunction with these contributions, measurements using the fission-track method have been made of the uranium distribution and concentrations in several carbonate samples from drill cores obtained from the Runit Island Enewetak Atoll. Petrographic studies on these drill core samples have been made to correlate the uranium data with the mineralogical data. (auth)
The emission of light charged particles from heavy fragments of uranium fission induced by 153-MeV protons is studied. The probability of their emission is 2.7 x 10{sup - 2} per fission event. It is found that these particles affect the distribution of angles of fragment divergence and the angular distribution of heavy fragments with respect to the primary-proton beam. Experimental results suggest that the preequilibrium emission of particles is correlated with fission. Two mechanisms of interaction between 153-MeV protons and uranium nuclei are considered. 13 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.
The Purex process and the fluorescence spectrometry are first recalled, then uranyl fluorescence is studied in a pure nitric medium without other elements to establish a theoretical model, allowing the description of uranium fluorescence signal with a general equation. The influence of different parameters (temperature, inhibitors, dynamic quenching of iron and cerium) is investigated to develop the model. A quantitative analysis method without addition of reagents is proposed to validate the model.
... shrouded in secrecy in 2008, Iraq sold its stock of 550 metric tons (in 3,500 barrels) of apparently commercial-grade yellow cake (milled uranium ...
The US National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, in collaboration with the International Commission on Radiological Protection, has been developing a biokinetic and dosimetric model for radionuclide-contaminated wounds. The finalised model is described briefly in this paper, together with the scientific basis and application. The multicompartment model uses first-order linear biokinetics to describe the retention and clearance of a radionuclide deposited in a wound site using seven default retention categories. Examples using plutonium nitrate in colloidal form and uranium in metal fragments show the behaviour of the less soluble forms of radionuclides in wounds, in which long-term retention is predicted. Using uranium as an example, the wound model is coupled to a uranium International Commission on Radiological Protection systemic model to predict urinary excretion patterns for different physicochemical ...
The impacted armor targets used in testing high density armor-piercing ammunition containing depleted uranium (DU) are subject to disposal as low-level radioactive waste. Because of the costs associated with disposal of the entire armor plate and the limited use of secured commercial sites in the future, the U.S. Army is seeking to identify and evaluate new technologies for decontaminating these armor plates. The objectives of this Phase I SBIR program are two-fold, namely: to develop a selective solvent that can decontaminate impacted armor targets containing DU for disposal or recycle, and to identify and characterize technologies that can remove depleted uranium from the solvent for solvent recycle and uranium recovery for easier hazardous-waste disposal.
Thin passive layers of uranium nitride were formed by nitriding pure metallic uranium in non-equilibrium, low pressure radio-frequency plasma of nitrogen. Plasma nitriding at low substrate temperature of 230 C-250 C was found to cause the formation of adherent layers of uranium sesquinitride ({alpha}-U{sub 2}N{sub 3}) which provide a considerable protection against hydrogen attack. The characteristics of these passivation layers were determined by X-ray diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. The incipient hydriding kinetics of the plasma-treated samples were compared with those of untreated and nitrogen-ion implantation ones, utilizing a hot-stage microscope that was monitored continuously with a TV camera and videotape. (orig.)
Chronic exposure to uranium compounds such as UO{sub 2} and U{sub 3}O{sub 8} led to the development of a methodology, based on the recommendation of ICRP, involving four main steps: the measurement of the uranium concentration and the particle size distribution at the workstation, the assessment of physico-chemical properties of the compound, the study of in-vitro solubility using a chemical test and the monitoring of workers. Results and comments on UO{sub 2} and U{sub 3}O{sub 8} are given. (author)
The temperature and concentration dependence of the kinetics of uranium(VI) ions adsorption onto activated charcoal from aqueous solutions has been studied. The adsorption proceeds via a rather fast stage followed by a slower one, with activation energies of 5.41 and 17.46 kJ . mol[sup -1] respectively. The diffusion of uranium ions into the pores of the activated charcoal controls the kinetics of adsorption which follows the Langmuir isotherm equation in the concentration range studied. The adsorption equilibrium constant k[sub c] has been derived at temperatures between 283 K and 323 K as well as [Delta] G, [Delta] H and [Delta] S. The results indicate that the adsorption of uranium ions on activated charcoal is an endothermic process. (orig.)
Evaluations were done to determine conditions that could permit nuclear criticality with fissile uranium in low-level waste (LLW) facilities and to estimate potential radiation exposures to personnel if there were such an accident. Simultaneous hydrogeochemical and nuclear criticality studies were done (1) to identity realistic scenarios for uranium migration and concentration increase at LLW disposal facilities, (2) to model groundwater transport of uranium and subsequent concentration via sorption or precipitation, (3) to evaluate the potential for nuclear criticality resulting from potential increases in uranium concentration over disposal limits, and (4) to estimate potential radiation exposures to personnel resulting from criticality consequences. This paper presents the details of the radiation exposure calculations relying on the conditions as determined from the preceding studies detailed in a ...
Decontamination and decommission activities related to the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) involve the trapping and recovery of radiolitically generated uranium hexafluoride and fluorine. Although fission product radiolysis was known to generate F{sub 2}, the formation of UF{sub 6} and its transport from the fuel salt was unexpected. Some of these gaseous radiolysis products have been moving through the gas piping to a charcoal bed since the reactor was shut down in 1969. Current and planned remediation and clean-up activities involve the trapping of the gaseous products, deactivation and treatment of the activated charcoal bed, stabilization and reconditioning of the fuel salt, and recovery of the uranium. The chemical aspects of these processes, including radiolytic generation mechanisms, reactions between uranium hexafluoride and fluorine and trapping materials such as activated charcoal, activated alumina, and ...
Water-based epoxy sealants were examined during a 2-year period to determine their effectiveness as barriers to radon release in uranium mines. Radon emanation rates from uranium ore samples were monitored for extended periods in the laboratory before and after sealant application. Reduction of radon flux due to the coating of lab samples was approximately 80 percent. Test chambers in a dormant uranium mine were monitored to determine both short and long-term barrier effectiveness. These field studies of the sealants indicated reductions greater than 50 percent relatively soon after application and nearly 75 percent more than 1 year later. An unexpected complication to early monitoring in the form of a large radon emanation increase, believed due to added moisture, is discussed.
The methods are described of determining natural radionuclides, viz., thorium, uranium, radium, radon, polonium, actinium, and protactinium. The analysis is also described of ores, rocks, minerals, water, air. (M.D.).
This official IEA report is a deliverable of IEA SHC Task 21/IEA BCS Annex 29: Daylight in Buildings. The Task focuses on daylighting systems and strategies which can be applied in new and existing buildings with a high potential electricity saving potential such as offices, schools, commercial, and institutional buildings. The daylighting performance of these strategies and systems is tested in laboratory facilities, through modeling, and in real case study buildings. This paper provides methods and procedures to evaluate the daylighting performance of real buildings. Annex 29 case studies located in Europe, North America, and Australia. It is a deliverable of Subtask D research projects. The main objective of Subtask D, as stated in the Implementing Agreement of Task 21/Annex 29, is `to demonstrate the viability of daylighting buildings in various world ...
At the 7th Healthy Buildings Conference, which was held in Singapore, 7-11 December 2003, more than 500 articles to improve public health and productivity of workers in buildings and the performance of installations. Special attention is paid to indoor air quality and thermal comfort in relation to energy efficiency. [Dutch] Op de laatste Healthy Buildings conferentie, december 2003 in Singapore, werden meer dan 500 artikelen gepresenteerd over het creeren van gezonde, productiviteit verhogende gebouwen en installaties. Deze keer lag de nadruk op binnenluchtkwaliteit en thermisch binnenklimaat, onder andere op het aspect energiezuinigheid. Opvallend was ook de aandacht die de problemen met binnenluchtkwaliteit in ontwikkelingslanden kreeg.
A number of buildings dating from the 1950s and 1960s were retrofitted with thermal insulation in order to cut energy consumption. This took place within the building competition 'Therma' nitrated by the Federal Ministry of Regional Planning, Building and Town Planning in 1974. Result at that time were so encouraging that now, 15 years later the results were checked again with special attention to the long-term performance of the thermal insulation measures. Laboratory tests prove that the building materials are still in good condition and that humidity has not increased with age. Cracks in the surface plaster of the compound insulation systems occurred at different frequencies and intensities and usually caused by thermal tensions. (BWI).
In accordance with federal legislation, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has conducted a project to demonstrate use of its Energy Conservation Voluntary Performance Standards for Commercial and Multi-Family High-Rise Residential Buildings; Mandatory for New Federal Buildings; Interim Rule (referred to in this report as DOE-1993). A key requisite of the legislation requires DOE to develop commercial building energy standards that are cost effective. During the demonstration project, DOE specifically addressed this issue by assessing the impacts of the standards on (1) construction costs, (2) builders (and especially small builders) of multi-family, high-rise buildings, and (3) the ability of low-to moderate-income persons to purchase or rent units in such buildings. This document reports on this project.
A survey was conducted to determine the sources of buildings energy conservation case studies and educational aids available in Canada. In total 785 consultants, educational institutions, building developers, manufacturers and government agencies were contacted. The results of this survey provide an indication of those agencies in Canada most actively involved with energy conservation in buildings, a listing of those agencies in Canada having case study information and/or educational aids materials available related to energy conservation in buildings, and a broad description of the subject area of the case studies and educational aids listed. The results of this study are intended to provide a source listing of energy conservation case studies and educational aids to the Buildings Energy Technology Transfer Program lead agencies and others conducting similar studies in the ...
Indian PHWRs are designed to operate with natural uranium (NU) as the main fuel. Earlier in the initial fresh core, to achieve flux flattening and hence to operate the reactor at design rated power, limited number of depleted uranium bundles were loaded in the central portion of the core. Presently even in fresh core about 40 % of the core is loaded with depleted uranium bundles (?0.6 wt % 235U) from the consideration of conserving the natural uranium fuel. This is achieved by loading most of the depleted bundles in the peripheral locations of the channels. Successful operation with large number of DU bundles in the fresh core has been proven in MAPS - 2 and MAPS - 1cores after EMCCR as well as in TAPP - 4. In these three reactors 100 % FP was possible even with 40 % DU bundles in the core. In TAPP-4 and 3 initial core, depleted bundles of 0.36 wt % 235U are also loaded to conserve the depleted bundles ...
The harmful effect of phosphate in yellow cake on the TBP purification process and its removal methods are dealed with. The reason of more uranium loss in residue was analyzed. The harmful effect of phosphate on TBP extraction efficiency and operaton of extraction column was discussed. The limit value of uranium concentration in digestion solution was presented. For TBP purification process, the presence of phosphate in yellow cake does more harm than good. (authors)
Biosorption of uranium by residual biomass from The Old Bushmill`s Distillery Co. Ltd., Bushmills, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, following exposure to short and intense electric pulses has been examined. The biomass was prepared from the distillery spent wash and consisted of non-viable yeast and bacterial cells. As shown previously, untreated biomass had a maximum biosorption capacity of 170 mg uranium/g dry weight biomass. When biosorption reactions were placed between two electrodes and exposed to electric pulses with field strengths ranging from 1.25-3.25 kV/cm at a capacitance of 25 {mu}F, biosorption increased from 170 mg of uranium to 275 mg uranium/g dry weight biomass. The data were obtained from biosorption isotherm analyses and taken as the degree of biosorption at residual uranium concentrations of 3 mM. In addition, when the capacitance of the electric pulses increased ...
Stability constants for uranium-tetracycline complexes were determined by the method of average number of ligands, the method of limiting values, the method of two parameters and the method of weighted least squares. Solvent extraction technique was used to obtain experimental data. (author). 10 refs.; 5 figs.
In response to a need of the safeguards community, we have begun an evaluation effort to upgrade the recommended values of the prompt neutron emission multiplicity distribution, P/sub nu/ and its average value, nubar. This paper will report on progress achieved thus far. The evaluation of the uranium, plutonium, americium and curium nuclide's nubar values will be presented. The recommended values will be given and discussed. 61 references.
This paper reviews the mill flowsheet applied at the SOMAIR (Societe des Mines de l'Air) uranium mill in Niger. It focuses on the yellow cake quality improvements achieved by molybdenum and zirconium elimination through double yellow cake precipitation in tanks at first stage and through size/density control in a fluidized bed precipitator at second stage. Water saving aspects in the plant are also presented. (author)
This paper reviews the mill flowsheet applied at the COMINAK uranium mill (Compagnie Miniere d'Akouta) in Niger. For ore treatment, it focuses on the major improvements to the operations using sulfonitric pugging and solids/liquid separation using belt filter double filtration after leaching. The precipitation circuits have been improved with molybdenum elimination through caustic washing of the yellow cake. (author)
To the crushed ore leaching is applied. The resulting solid-liquid mixture is fed to a hydro-cyclon grading facility; here the superfine grain is separated before the concentrated mixture can be filtered or centrifuged. The grading is done in several steps. From the liquid, ultimately ridded of the solid, uranium compounds are precipitated and the yellow cake is obtained. (DG).
The optical properties of uranium monochalcogenides and monopnictides are discussed in terms of their electronic structure. A comparison is made with corresponding rare earth compounds. It is shown that there are close similarities to mixed valence CeN. the results support the occurrence of a dip in the density of d states near Esub(F), where the f density of states has its maximum. Empirical energy level schemes are derived which are found to agree with the existing information from XPS measurements and recent theories. (orig.).
> Develoopments which have imporved fuel core quality and reduced production costs are described. These developments in the melting and casting of uranium ingots arei modification of the crucible and knockout-slide assembly, substitution of uncoated crucibles for coated crucibles, and substitution of a one-piece gun barrel mold for a vertically split mold. (N.W.R.)
... Research Center, Washington DC May 23 BBC NEws: US used Nuclear Weapons in Afghanistan Jalalabad: New reference levels based on recent samples show uranium levels 45 times normal. New bioassay studies identify uranium internal contamination in Spin Gar (Tora Bora) area and the City ...
Niger is the second poorest country in the world but it has natural resources underground in the form of uranium ores deposits. This uranium is currently mined by two companies incorporated under Nigerian law: Somair and Cominak, operated by the principal shareholder Areva (through its subsidiary Cogema). After a presentation of Somair and Cominak key figures, this document details the working conditions and radiological protection, the environmentally friendly operations, the production traceability, the local economic development, the strengthening of the health care system and the development of the infrastructure. (A.L.B.)
Observed 7-eV satellites in the XPS spectra of UGa_2 and other B-group compounds are shown to be due to two-hole final states as confirmed by existing Auger data. The presence of these satellites is an indication for a weak fd hybridization and, when compared to uranium--transition-metal compounds, increased 5f localization.
The dwelling is equipped with solar collectors which heat the air circulating in the cavity walls and the space beneath the floors. The thermal aspects of such a building are described. Heat balance, losses, heating by the sun in different seasons are described. Different measures taken to reduce the energy losses are described.
A nation-wide survey of natural radioactivity in building materials was conducted during 1982-1984. Samples including industrial wastes, by-products and common building materials were collected from main building material manufactories in 29 provinces except Taiwan. The results of exposure rates, specific activities and release rate for "2"2"2Rn are presented. The specific activities of common materials are listed in declining order as follows: clay bricks > common concrete and sandstones > limes and ordinary cement. The highest level was found in breeze bricks made of stone coal, phosphogypsum and red mud with high intrinsic radioactivity. Therefore, these raw materials should be strictly controlled in manufacturing building materials. The measurement results also showed that the typical specific activities of common building materials in our country were "2"2"6Ra 50 Bq/kg, ...
The following subjects are dealt with: physics of indoor air flow, flow in individual rooms, exchange of air and pollution between individual building zones and with the outside world, thermal coupling with the building shell, thermal comfort and air quality, evaluation of the ventilation. figs., tabs., refs.
Based on a generalized theory of perturbations and on non-linear programming an approach to the quantitative determination of necessary accuracies for nuclear data is described. It is used to calculate transactinide isotope build-up in reactors.
First, attention is paid to the development and use of new construction techniques, including the use of new building materials, e.g. synthetic materials and the so-called steel frame method. Next, the reduction of the energy consumption during the service life of a house is discussed. The reduction can be realized by means of passive methods, e.g. improved windows, thermal insulation and design, or by means of active methods, e.g. electric load monitoring. The information in this article mainly concerns the housing construction in the USA and Canada. The purpose of this article to contribute to the discussion in the Netherlands on innovation in the building technology, e.g. formulated in the report `Bouwvisie 2010` (Vision on Buildings for the year 2010) of the Dutch Advisory Board Technology Policy for the Building Industry (ARTB, abbreviated in Dutch) and the building technology ...
situ by isolating portions of the building envelope and performing tests .MAXIMUM ALLOWED LOAD ...and shall identify commissioning team members who will perform testing and prepare documentation.The commissioning agent may be
In response to the need for a comprehensive and consistent approach to the complex issue of mixed waste management, a generalized methodology for remediation of a mixed waste site has been developed. The methodology is based on requirements set forth in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and incorporates ``lessons learned`` from process design, remediation methodologies, and remediation projects. The methodology is applied to the treatment of 32,000 drums of mixed waste sludge at the Oak Ridge K-25 Site. Process technology options are developed and evaluated, first with regard to meeting system requirements and then with regard to CERCLA performance criteria. The following process technology options are investigated: (1) no action, (2) separation of hazardous and radioactive species, (3) dewatering, (4) drying, and (5) ...
During the weekend of September 2--3, 1984, a part of the wooden spillway for Steed Pond gave way and the pond slowly drained. Consideration is being given to leaving Steed Pond dry. Steed Pond has accumulated some of the uranium discharged from 300 Area operations and past surveys have shown that the uranium concentration in the sediments ranges between 20 and 531 pCi/gm. The recently completed aerial survey of the exposed area of Steed Pond showed that the uranium was widely spread in the sediments of Steed Pond. Until ground cover is established over the exposed pond sediments, they will be subject to erosion. As much as 90 tons of sediment could be eroded from the exposed sediments in Steed Pond the first year, but the erosion could be reduced to 5--15 tons by establishing a ground cover such as rye grass. Only about 40% of the eroded sediment would be delivered to Upper Three Runs Creek, because most of the eroded ...
The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of verifying depleted uranium (DU), natural uranium (NU), low enriched uranium (LEU) and high enriched uranium (HEU) by a developed digital gamma-gamma coincidence spectroscopy. The spectroscopy consists of two NaI(Tl) scintillators and XIA LLC Digital Gamma Finder (DGF)/Pixie-4 software and card package. The results demonstrate that the spectroscopy provides an effective method of "2"3"5U and "2"3"8U quantification based on the count rate of their gamma-gamma coincidence counting signatures. The main advantages of this approach over the conventional gamma spectrometry include the facts of low background continuum near coincident signatures of "2"3"5U and "2"3"8U, less interference from other radionuclides by the gamma-gamma coincidence counting, and region-of-interest (ROI) imagine analysis for uranium enrichment ...
In an effort to develop cost-efficient techniques for remediating uranium contaminated groundwater at DOE Uranium Mill Tailing Remedial Action (UMTRA) sites nationwide, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) deployed a pilot scale research project at an UMTRA site in Durango, CO. Implementation included design, construction, and subsequent monitoring of an in situ passive reactive barrier to remove Uranium from the tailings pile effluent. A reactive subsurface barrier is produced by emplacing a reactant material (in this experiment various forms of metallic iron) in the flow path of the contaminated groundwater. Conceptually the iron media reduces and/or adsorbs uranium in situ to acceptable regulatory levels. In addition, other metals such as Se, Mo, and As have been removed by the reductive/adsorptive process. The primary objective of the experiment was to eliminate the need for surface treatment of ...
A numerical investigation of the mixing of gaseous uranium and hydrogen inside an open-cycle gas core nuclear rocket engine (spherical geometry) is presented. The gaseous uranium fuel is injected near the centerline of the spherical engine cavity at a constant mass flow rate, and the hydrogen propellant is injected around the periphery of the engine at a five degree angle to the wall, at a constant mass flow rate. The main objective is to seek ways to minimize the mixing of uranium and hydrogen by choosing a suitable injector geometry for the mixing of light and heavy gas streams. Three different uranium inlet areas are presented, and also three different turbulent models (k-var-epsilon model, RNG k-var-epsilon model, and RSM model) are investigated. The commercial CFD code, FLUENT, is used to model the flow field. Uranium mole fraction, axial mass flux, and radial mass flux ...
The use of borated plaster to isolate uranium (93.2 wt % /sup 235/U) metal was studied in a series of subcritical experiments with uranium metal cylinders (7.0 in. diam, 2.0 in. thick) and slabs (approx.1.4 x approx.5.4 x approx.10.1 in. dimensions). In the cylindrical experiments, the thickness of borated plaster was varied up to 10 in. and the subcriticality measured using the /sup 252/Cf-source-driven neutron noise analysis method. In the experiments with the uranium slabs, an array of slabs 3 wide and 8 high was assembled in steps to demonstrate the subcriticality of this array with 3.75-in.-thick borated plaster as an isolating material between all uranium slabs. In the slab experiments, both noise analysis and source neutron multiplication measurements were performed. Before assembly of the slab array the presence of boron in the plaster was verified by neutron transmission and gamma-ray ...
Environmental research related to uranium tailings is being carried out within the Mining Research Laboratories and Mineral Sciences Laboratories of CANMET, EMR. Field-related research on uranium tailings has been conducted at Elliot Lake for over five years. Much of the work has been focused on a program to rehabilitate pyritic tailings. This has resulted in developing a practicable technology for growing vegetation on such wastes. Limitations have been small size of the test-plots and the relatively short period during which experiments have been carried out. A research program aimed at identifying and reducing acidic and radioactive effluents is also underway at Elliot Lake. These liquid effluents have been identified as the most serious threat to the environment. Research at the Mineral Sciences Laboratories and its predecessor divisions relating to the processing of uranium and thorium ores is outlined. A process has ...
In the present work, a rapid deposition anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) for determination of uranium is presented. For this purpose, the uranyl hexacyanoferrate (K2UO2[Fe(CN)6]) is deposited electrochemically on a thin palladium-aluminum electrode (Pd-Al) from a UO22+ solution in the presence of K3Fe(CN)6. Then, the well stable (K2UO2[Fe(CN)6]) on the electrode was stripped by anodic differential pulse voltammetry for measuring the UO22+ ion concentration. The effect of operational parameters, including: concentration of K3Fe(CN)6, solution pH, deposition potential, and deposition time were studied. In optimum conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the concentration range 105-7 x 10-4 mol L-1 with a detection limit of 6.2 x 10-6 mol L-1. The influence of some concomitant ions in K2UO2[Fe(CN)6] formation was investigated. The proposed method was used for the rapid determination of uranium in some uranium mineral ...
An intemted approach to building a networking infrastructure is an absolute necessiry for meeting the multidisciplinary science networking requirements of ...
The risk analysis was carried out in consideration of conditions prevailing at the Kalkar site analogous to the investigations in phase A of DRS (German Reactor Study). Earthquake design loads include the probabilities of upper deviations of the site intensities to be expected. The calculations of dynamic loads for select buildings are made using models and computational methods. Component analyses were performed analogous to DRS for the supports of large components, supports of the roof construction of the reactor building taking into account support reserves due to plastic work capacity, wall disks in steam generator buildings and switchboard plant buildings. (DG).
The operation of buildings can be temporarily modified to use much less electricity. These actions may be necessary during regional electricity shortages lasting anywhere from days to months. The electricity conservation measures typically involve a combination of technical modifications, temporary changes in occupant behavior, and greatly increased vigilance. At the same time, attempts to drastically reduce a building's electricity use may have unexpected consequences affecting energy use, the indoor environment, and the performance of building materials and equipment. Electricity shortfalls such as those described in this paper may occur more often as a result of climate change and liberalized electricity markets. (author)
Ontologies ? a form of structured and logically related knowledge or classification hierarchy embedded in a computer system ? are regarded by many scientists as having enormous promise for the consistent use and re-use of data. To realise this promise, however, is not straightforward. In this paper, based on ethnographic observation, we argue that the challenges for ontology building are ?social? as much as they are technical. By this we mean the routine work undertaken in the building process and the problems and difficulties entailed can be understood in terms of the practices of knowledge workers and the practical nature of ?sorting things out?. Getting a better sense of how, in practise, this work gets done gives a sense of the main challenges of building successful ontologies and how ...
Many non-domestic buildings, built recently in the UK, use natural means to provide ventilation for indoor air quality and thermal comfort. This paper presents monitoring results obtained from such a purpose built naturally ventilated educational building. Its performance during the summer is discussed based on monitored results. Using thermal and ventilation modelling, the paper also discusses the optimisation of the building's summer performance. Recommendations on the selection of appropriate ventilation strategies in relation to the prevailing external conditions are derived and the appropriateness of the control methods is discussed. (author)
There is increasing pressure to operate laboratory facilities in environmentally and financially sustainable ways. A key factor in achieving this goal is careful consideration of how energy is used by the buildings' ventilation system, both for conditioning air supplied to the laboratories and the energy used moving air through the building. Traditionally, laboratory energy use is treated as an engineering concern within the scope of the building's overall design and operation. However, this approach limits the involvement of key stakeholders in many important decisions and can lead to unexpected safety concerns for the laboratory's users. We believe that a broad view of the parties affected by a laboratory building's operations is necessary to avoid having the various stakeholders working...
During its jubilee, the French building technical and scientific centre (CSTB) has organized a colloquium about the future tendencies of buildings evolution in the 20 forthcoming years: autonomy in energy production and wastes or effluents management, reduction of water consumption and management of water, hot water production and space heating, bio-sensors for the management of indoor air-quality, control of noise environment using active acoustic systems etc.. (J.S.)
In the discussion of environmental architecture, we are conjoining two disciplines, the subject of architecture and that of ecology. At their best, green buildings are examples of applied ecology, where designers understand the constitution, organization, and structure of ecosystems, and the impacts of architecture are considered from an environmental perspective. By utilizing the concepts, methods, and language of ecology, designers can create architecture that intentionally engages the natural systems of a site. The establishment of assessment criteria implies the definition of building design criteria. If we establish criteria that are based on our best scientific understanding of environmental capacity, we will begin to develop a building stock that is sustainable. To do this we must quantify the link between the resulting environmental impacts and their cause in building production and use. This is ...
The preliminary results of a feasibility study of nighttime and/or daytime accelerated ventilation for reducing or even avoiding air conditioning energy consumption in commercial buildings, is presented. The first part of the study is based on computerized simulations and in-situ experimentations which are described. The second part is aimed at determining technological limitations to the various components and optimizing building environmental quality in terms of energy conservation, acoustics and air quality
In this study, a probabilistic seismic risk analysis of the Wolsung NPP containment building was performed by a seismic hazard analysis and a seismic fragility analysis based on the nonlinear dynamic time-history analyses. The conventional seismic fragility analysis of the safety related structures in a NPP have been performed by using the linear elastic analysis results. The probabilistic seismic risk of the containment building was 5.19e-8.
In this study, a probabilistic seismic risk analysis of the Wolsung NPP containment building was performed by a seismic hazard analysis and a seismic fragility analysis based on the nonlinear dynamic time-history analyses. The conventional seismic fragility analysis of the safety related structures in a NPP have been performed by using the linear elastic analysis results. The probabilistic seismic risk of the containment building was 5.19e-8.
This report provides a detailed description of, and the baseline assumptions and simulation results for, the building prototype simulations conducted for the building types designated in the Work Plan for Demand-side Management Assessment of Hawaii`s Demand-Side Resources (HES-4, Phase 2). This report represents the second revision to the initial building prototype description report provided to DBEDT early in the project. Modifications and revisions to the prototypes, based on further calibration efforts and on comments received from DBEDT Staff have been incorporated into this final version. These baseline prototypes form the basis upon which the DSM measure impact estimates and the DSM measure data base were developed for this project. This report presents detailed information for each of the 17 different building prototypes developed for use with the DOE-21E program (23 ...
Our long-term goal is to enable highly productive plant species to extract, resist, detoxify, and/or sequester toxic heavy metal pollutants as an environmentally friendly alternative to physical remediation methods. We have focused this phytoremediation research on soil and water-borne ionic and methylmercury. Mercury pollution is a serious world-wide problem affecting the health of human and wild-life populations. Methylmercury, produced by native bacteria at mercury-contaminated wetland sites, is a particularly serious problem due to its extreme toxicity and efficient biomagnification in the food chain. We engineered several plant species (e.g., Arabidopsis, tobacco, canola, yellow poplar, rice) to express the bacterial genes, merB and/or merA, under the control of plant regulatory sequences. These transgenic plants acquired remarkable properties for mercury remediation. (1) Transgenic plants expressing merB (organomercury lyase) extract methylmercury from their growth substrate and ...
This paper seeks to challenge the traditional way in which we assess the value of green buildings in terms of their environmental friendliness, energy efficiency and whole life cost. In the UK, quantity surveyors (or cost consultants) have a perception that more energy efficient and environmentally friendly buildings cost between 5% and 15% more to build from the outset. This common assumption is not backed up by recent research and should be questioned. Construction professionals need to be informed of the whole life cost and environmental impact of buildings so that they can encourage key stakeholders to make more sustainable choices. These emerging issues together with practical tools are considered with case studies from recent projects. (Author)
Today's building industry is promoting the use of renewable sources of energy to heat, cool, and illuminate commercial buildings. Societies such as the International Solar Energy Society sponsor conferences such as this one to share knowledge and experience in the area of solar energy. However, the technologies presented here assume a need for heating, cooling or illumination. A simple technique is presented for determining the actual heating, cooling, and lighting requirements for commercial buildings, and for reducing those requirements through proper building design before applying solar technologies. The energy nomographs are a graphic energy design tool developed to aid designers in making cost effective decisions about energy alternatives early in the design process. Reducing loads at this point can help reduce the expense of a passive or active solar system which is usually sized to meet ...
This book brings together the 103 presentations given at the 2. conference of the international institute of refrigeration (IIF/IIR) about air conditioning in high rise office buildings. The main themes are: design of air conditioning equipment for high buildings; air quality and thermal comfort inside these buildings; constraints and possible improvements of the refrigeration equipment used; energy conservation; fire protection and smokes detection. All themes are presented both on the technical and economical points of view and concern more particularly the buildings of Chinese cities. This publication is available both on the book and CD-Rom forms. (J.S.)
In Japan, the Ningyo-toge uranium deposit was discovered in 1955, and the Tono deposit in 1962. Geology of these mines is different from that of other metal mines developed in Japan. Therefore, it appeared that some changes were required in the usual mining methods applied to existing metal mines to mine uranium ore in these deposits. At the Ningyo-toge mine, effective methods were studied for mining the ore, such as the room and pillar method, long-wall method, slicing method, and the hydraulic method; as a result, it was determined that a modified long-wall method is the most useful and practicable for recovering uranium ore from this underground sedimentary deposit. Applicatons of in-place and microbiological leaching to these deposits are being studied to secure mine safety and decrease mine pollution. Since 1959, when the Ningyo-toge mine went into operation, no hazards for workers nor any pollution of the environment ...
Biosorption equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamics of binding of uranium ions to Cystoseria indica were studied in a batch system with respect to temperature and initial metal ion concentration. Algae biomass exhibited the highest uranium uptake capacity at 15 deg. C at an initial uranium ion concentration of 500 mg l{sup -1} and an initial pH of 4. Biosorption capacity increased from 198 to 233 mg g{sup -1} with an decrease in temperature from 45 to 15 deg. C at this initial uranium concentration. The Langmuir isotherm model were applied to experimental equilibrium data of uranium biosorption depending on temperature. Equilibrium data fitted very well to the Langmuir model C. indica algae in the studied concentration range of Uranium ions at all the temperatures studied. The saturation type kinetic model was applied to experimental data at different ...
Green building (GB) is part of the concept of promoting sustainability. Although GB and the concept of sustainability are well studied for environmental concerns, their business rationale and related social concerns have not been fully explored or widely accepted by the parties involved in the building sector. In this study, the situation of GB market in relation to the general building market is reviewed and the business rationales of stakeholders to invest in the GB market have been investigated from the perspective of building designers. In addition, the factors that enhance the popularity of GB have been explored and the obstacles that hinder its market have been examined. The data are collected by a questionnaire survey covering building designers in Hong Kong and Singapore, the cities that are categorized as economically developed cities in Asia. After data analysis of the ...
The basic principle of the green building philosophy is to design buildings that consider environmental performance. Residential and commercial buildings in Canada consume about 30 per cent of the total secondary energy use and are responsible for approximately 29 per cent of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions and many other wastes. An optimization model was developed which minimizes life cycle cost and life cycle environmental impact. The model distinguishes different energy sources and incorporates their impacts, such as resource depletion, global warming and acidification. The model also considers design variables such as window type, orientation, building orientation, window-to-wall ratio, wall type and roof type. The model can be used to identify optimum green building designs for given conditions. The model uses expanded cumulative exergy consumption as the ...
Because there are more than 101 million residential households in the United States today, it is not surprising that existing residential buildings represent an extremely large source of potential energy savings. Because thousands of these homes are renovated each year, Building America is investigating the best ways to make existing homes more energy-efficient, based on lessons learned from research in new homes. The Building America program is aiming for a 20%-30% reduction in energy use in existing homes by 2020. The strategy for the existing homes project of Building America is to establish technology pathways that reduce energy consumption cost-effectively in American homes. The existing buildings project focuses on finding ways to adapt the results from the new homes research to retrofit applications in existing homes. Research activities include a combination of computer ...
Inactive cells of Rhizopus arrhizus have been documented to exhibit a high thorium biosorptive uptake (170 mg/g) from aqueous solutions. The mechanism of thorium sequestering by this biomass type was investigated following the same method as for the uranium biosorption emchanism. The thorium sequestering mechanism appeared somewhat different from that of uranium. Experimental evidence is presented which indicates that, at optimum biosorption pH (4), thorium coordinates with the nitroge of the chitin cell wall network and, in addition, more thorium is adsorbed by the external section of the fungal cell wall. At pH 2 the overall thorium uptake is reduced. The kinetic study of thorium biosorption revealed a very rapid rate of uptake. Unlike uranium at optimum solution pH, Fe/sup 2 +/ and Zn/sup 2 +/ did not interfere significantly with the thorium biosorptive uptake capacity of R. arrhizus.
The microdynamics of soliton waves and localized modes of nonlinear vibrations of the acoustic and optical types in uranium nitride has been investigated. It has been shown that, with an increase in the excitation energy in the spectral gap between the bands of optical and acoustic phonons, the energies of solitons increase, whereas the energies of local modes decrease. The previously experimentally observed unidentified quasi-resonant features, which shift in the gap with variations in the temperature, can represent the revealed soliton waves and local modes. The microdynamics of heat conduction of uranium nitride has been studied for the stochastic generation of soliton waves and local modes in the case of spatially distant energy absorption. The thermal conductivity coefficient determin...
This study started with a comprehensive and critical review of the published information of relevance to the different methods to produce uranium dioxide from raw materials. we have chosen this method 'flame denitration' or flame process to produce Uo_2. from its compounds, uranyl nitrate Uo_2 ( NO_3) _2 .6H_2o) prepared from raw uranium 'yellow cake'. This method in short produces uranium dioxide from aqueous uranyl nitrate by contacting the atomized liquid which has 40 #mu# in diameter with hot reducing gases (butane and oxygen mixture) till we obtain a suitable and yellow red colour light for the flame and this is a prof that there is carbon monoxide and hydrogen, the temperature of the reactor at is least 950 degree C.
A series of branched alkylbenzene ranging from C15 to C19 with several isomers (2?5) at each carbon number were identified in sediments from the Dongsheng sedimentary uranium ore deposits, Ordos Basin, China. The distribution patterns of the branched alkylbenzenes show significant differences in the sample extracts. The branched alkylbenzenes from organic-rich argillites and coals range from C15 to C19 homologues, in which the C17 or C18 dominated. On the other hand, the C19 branched alkylbenzenes dominated in the sandstone/siltstone extracts. The obvious differences of the branched alkylbenzene distributions between the uranium-host sandstones/siltstones and the interbedded barren organic-rich mudstones/coals probably indicate their potential use as biological markers associated with part...
Using the Laser-Fluorescence technique, an investigation was made, adopting the standard mix method, on trace uranium concentrations in hot spring water and geothermal water from Lishan region, and in tap water from some major cities in Shanxi province. Totally 40 samples from 27 sites were investigated. Measurement showed that the tap water contains around 10"-"6 g/L of uranium, whose concentrations in both hot spring water and geothermal water are 10"-"5 g/L. Most of samples are at normal radioactive background level, some higher contents were determined in a few samples
Lead is contained as trace element in uranium ores and propagates throughout the production process to intermediate products like yellow cake or uranium oxide. The lead isotopes in such material originate from two sources: natural lead and radiogenic lead. The variability of the isotopic composition of lead in ores and yellow cakes was studied and the applicability of this parameter for nuclear forensic investigations was investigated. Furthermore, the chemical impurities contained in these materials were measured in order to identify characteristic differences between materials from different mines. For the samples investigated, it could be shown, that the lead isotopic composition varies largely from mine to mine and it may be used as one of the parameters to distinguish between materials of different origins. Some of the chemical impurities show a similar pattern and support the conclusions drawn from the lead isotope data. (orig.)
From their genesis by weathering and sedimentation, bauxites, the principal aluminium ores, contain appreciable amounts of uranium and thorium. High resolution gamma spectrometry with a high purity germanium detector was used for an analysis of four industrially used bauxites from Gondama, Sierra Leone; Boke, Guinea; Weipa, Queensland, Australia; Gove, Northern Territory, Australia. Significant differences in uranium to thorium ratios and in activities of the uranium and thorium daughters were observed for the four bauxites. It was found that the bauxite from Gondama, Sierra Leone has an activity of only 10% compared with the others. Red mud tailings from such a bauxite may well be used as an additive to bricks, which is now illegal for normal red mud from more active bauxites. (author).
From their genesis by weathering and sedimentation, bauxites, the principal aluminium ores, contain appreciable amounts of uranium and thorium. High resolution gamma spectrometry with a high purity germanium detector was used for an analysis of four industrially used bauxites from Gondama, Sierra Leone; Boke, Guinea; Weipa, Queensland, Australia; Gove, Northern Territory, Australia. Significant differences in uranium to thorium ratios and in activities of the uranium and thorium daughters were observed for the four bauxites. It was found that the bauxite from Gondama, Sierra Leone has an activity of only 10% compared with the others. Red mud tailings from such a bauxite may well be used as an additive to bricks, which is now illegal for normal red mud from more active bauxites. (author).
In situ treatment has been proposed as a remediation alternative for surface water and groundwater contaminated with uranium and nitrate as a result of former waste disposal practices in the S-3 Ponds. Interceptor trenches containing reactive media have been proposed to treat groundwater, and constructed wetlands and/or algal mats are potential alternatives for treating surface water. This report presents the results from testing of ten different reactive media, and combinations of media, that are candidates for use in the proposed interceptor trenches to remove uranium and nitrate from groundwater. It also presents the results of testing and evaluation of algal mats and wetlands for removing uranium and nitrate from surface water.
Categorization is complete. Samples 11-3-1 (NSR-F-270409-01) and 11-3-2 (NSR-F-270409-02) are depleted uranium powders of moderate purity (#approx#65-80 % U). The uranium feed stocks for 11-3-1 and 11-3-2 have both experienced a neutron flux (as demonstrated by the presence of "2"3"2U). Sample 11-3-3 is indistinguishable from a natural uranium ore concentrate of moderate purity (#approx#70-80% U). Two anomalous objects (11-3-1-4 and 11-3-2-5) were found in the material during aliquoting. These objects might be valuable for route attribution.
Studies of asphalt emulsion sealants conducted by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory have demonstrated that the sealants are effective in containing radon and other potentially hazardous material within uranium tailings. The laboratory and field studies have further demonstrated that radon exhalation from uranium tailings piles can be reduced by greater than 99% to near background levels. Field tests at the tailings pile in Grand Junction, Colorado, confirmed that an 8-cm admix seal containing 22 wt% asphalt could be effectively applied with a cold-mix paver. Other techniques were successfully tested, including a soil stabilizer and a hot, rubberized asphalt seal that was applied with a distributor truck. After the seals were applied and compacted, overburden was applied over the seal to protect the seal from ultraviolet degradation.
Studies of asphalt emulsion sealants have demonstrated that the sealants are effective in containing radon and other potentially hazardous material within uranium tailings. The laboratory and field studies have further demonstrated that radon exhalation from uranium tailings piles can be reduced by greater than 99% to less than background levels. Field tests at the tailings pile in Grand Junction, Colorado confirmed that an 8-cm admix seal containing 22 wt % asphalt could be effectively applied with a cold-mix paver. Other techniques were successfully tested, including a soil stabilizer and a hot, rubberized asphalt seal that was applied with a distributor truck. After the seals were applied and conpacted, overburden was applied over the seal to protect the seal from ultraviolet degradation. 14 figures.
This thesis examines the costs and benefits of energy management in office buildings and investigates the relationships between operating costs, space lease contracts, and building value. Energy management be building owners and managers begins with monitoring and analysing building energy, use and continues by reducing energy consumption through operating procedure changes, equipment replacement and control personnel training and continued monitoring. The cost to complete energy management projects in 12 British Columbia office buildings is analyzed. The average before-tax internal rate of return for the 12 energy management programs was 22.1% on total expenditures of Canadian $1.2 million. Nine of the buildings are owned and occupied by the provincial government, and the return on investment directly benefits the public. However, in the three prvately owned ...
This book is based on a new method published in U.S. Geological Survey Circular 994 and is the second assessment made in accordance with the 1984 Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Energy. The first estimate was published as U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-2. The endowment estimates are reported for 26 areas in the following 1{degrees} {times} 2{degrees} guadrangles: Grand Canyon, Marble Canyon, Williams, Flagstaff, Prescott, Holbrook, and St. Johns, Ariz., and Cedar City, Utah. The total uranium endowment is about eight times larger than reported in 1980 by the Department of Energy. The Grand Canyon region has the potential of becoming the second most important domestic uranium producer after the most production San Juan Basin uranium region in New Mexico.
This study evaluates the degree to which surface impoundments at licensed facilities comply with significant changes in NRC requirements initiated by enactment of EPA's final environmental standards for uranium recovery facilities (40 CFR Part 192). Impoundment liner requirements, ground-water protection standards, ground-water monitoring and corrective action programs, and site closure standards are the most significant regulatory modifications. The compliance status of 30 conventional mills and 31 in-situ mines is determined from a review of Nuclear Regulatory Commission and agreement state docket files through November, 1983. Results of this review show that a majority of conventional uranium mill tailings management systems are deficient with respect to liner requirements for new impoundments or proposed expansions to existing impoundments, as well as with respect to some aspects of ground-water monitoring and compliance programs. ...
The ability of residual biomass from the thermotolerant ethanol-producing yeast strain Kluyveromyces marxianus IMB3 to function as a biosorbent for uranium has been examined. It was found that the biomass had an observed maximum biosorption capacity of 120 mg U/g dry weight of biomass. The calculated value for the biosorption maximum, obtained by fitting the data to the Langmuir model was found to be 130 mg U/g dry weight biomass. Maximum biosorption capacities were examined at a number of temperatures and both the observed and calculated values obtained for those capacities increased with increasing temperature. Decreasing the pH of the biosorbate solution resulted in a decrease in uptake capacity. When biosorption reactions were carried out using sea-water as the diluent it was found that the maximum biosorption capacity of the biomass increased significantly. Using transmission electron microscopy, uranium crystals were shown to be ...
This report presents geologic considerations that are pertinent to the Remedial Action Plan for Slick Rock mill tailings. Topics covered include regional geology, site geology, geologic stability, and geologic suitability.
The production of the uranium mine Zirovski Vrh ceased in 1990. The main remaining problem of the remadiation are mine and mill tailings. The uranium mine Zirovski Vrh has one mill tailings site Borst and one waste pile Jazbec. According to the Act on protection against ionising radiation and nuclear safety which was adopted by the Parliament in 2002, they are classified as radiation facilities. Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration (SNSA) is authorised for issuing a mandatory consent to mining work. The SNSA prepared the initial proposal of content of the safety report for the mine waste pile Jazbec. In 2005, according to the detailed content of this document, the public company Zirovski Vrh Ltd prepared the safety report which was examined by an authorised expert for radiation and nuclear safety. After a careful revision of the safety evaluation report, the consensus for mining work shall be issued by the SNSA. After finishing the mining ...
The Grand Canyon Quadrangle (2/sup 0/), northwestern Arizona, was evaluated to identify environments and delineate areas favorable for the occurrence of uranium deposits. This was done using criteria developed for the National Uranium Resource Evaluation. General surface reconnaissance and geochemical sampling were carried out in all geologic environments within the quadrangle. Aerial radiometric and hydrochemical and stream-sediment reconnaissance surveys were performed, although results were not available in time for field checking. The results of this investigation indicate environments favorable for: channel-controlled, peneconcordant sandstone deposits in the Petrified Forest Member of the Chinle Formation in the north-central part of the quadrangle, vein-type deposits in collapse breccias in all areas underlain by the Redwall Limestone, and unconformity-related deposits in the metasediments of the Vishnu Group within the Grand Canyon. All ...
The storage of aluminum-clad fuel and target materials in the L-Disassembly Basin at the Savannah River Site for more than 5 years has resulted in extensive pitting corrosion of these materials. In many cases the pitting corrosion of the aluminum clad has penetrated in the uranium metal core, resulting in the release of plutonium, uranium, cesium-137, and other fission product activity to the basin water. In an effort to characterize the extent of corrosion of the Mark 31A target slugs, two unirradiated slug assemblies were removed from basin storage and sent to the Savannah River Technology Center for evaluation. This paper presents the results of the metallography and photographic documentation of this evaluation. The metallography confirmed that pitting depths varied, with the deepest pit found to be about 0.12 inches (3.05 nun). Less than 2% of the aluminum cladding was found to be breached resulting in less than 5% of the ...
Individual monitoring of personal exposure to inhalation of uranium oxides throughout the manufacture of fuel for pressurized water reactor (PWR) includes lung gamma-spectrometry, fecal analysis and urine analysis. Examination of the results shows the following: internal exposure is the consequence of repeated intake incidents as revealed by early peaks of urinary and particularly fecal elimination; a shift is often observed with the results of aerosol concentration measured through air collectors; the measured variations of uranium lung incorporations are relatively fast (apparent mean period 165 d). Correct evaluation of the effective dose equivalent from inhalation requires further information concerning the aerosol size distribution at work stations, the physico-chemical characteristics of the product leading to an estimate of its actual biological solubility, and the measurement of the fraction of aerosol liable to intake with an ...
The biological accumulation of heavy metals and cesium, strontium, and uranium in plants is discussed. The role of nutrient deficiencies and foliar treatments of manganese and iron compounds is described.
High-resolution sequence stratigraphy has been applied widely in the petroleum exploration and development, many achievements have been achieved. However, it is in the beginning stage that high-resolution sequence stratigraphy is applied to explore the sandstone-type uranium deposits in Erlian Basin. By applying principles of high-resolution sequence stratigraphy and taking typical boreholes as an example, sedimentary cycles of Saihan Formation, the ore-bearing formation in Baiyinwula area are divided and correlated through cross sections. One long-term cycle (LSC_1), two middle-term cycles (MSC_1, MSC_2) have been identified in this study. Based on this and combined with the mineralization character of sandstone uranium deposits in this area, it is presented that the interlayer oxidation zone is developed mainly in the rising hemicycle of MSC_1 and uranium ore bodies predominantly in channel sand bodies that were developed ...
A simple sample decomposition and laser fluorimetric determination of uranium at trace level is reported in certain refractory minerals, like ilmenite, rutile, zircon and monazite; environmental samples viz. soil and sediments; industrial waste materials, such as, coal fly ash and red mud. Ilmenite sample is decomposed by heating with ammonium fluoride. Rutile, zircon and monazite minerals are decomposed by fusion using a mixture of potassium bifluoride and sodium fluoride. Environmental and industrial waste materials are brought into solution by treating with a mixture of hydrofluoric and nitric acids. The laser induced fluorimetric determination of uranium is carried out directly in rutile, zircon and in monazite minerals and after separation in other samples. The determination limit was 1 #mu#g x g"-"1 for ilmenite, soil, sediment, coal fly ash and red mud samples, and it is 5 #mu#g x g"-"1 for rutile, zircon and monazite. The method is also ...
Thorium-230, together with "2"3"8U and "2"2"6Ra, was determined (mainly by #gamma#-spectrometry) in samples from the waste piles at Borst and Jazbec in the vicinity of the former uranium mine at Zirovski vrh, Slovenia. Activity (and in the case of uranium, also mass) balances for these nuclides were constructed for the overall operation of the mine and yellow cake plant, using experimental data and known data on ore and uranium production, and nuclide emissions to the environment. All the "2"2"6Ra resulting from ore exploitation is presently contained in the Borst tailings pile. However, because of the very high content of "2"3"0Th in red mud deposited at Jazbec, where 60% of this nuclide is found, the majority of "2"2"6Ra will be found at the Jazbec pile in the future, due to its ingrowth from "2"3"0Th over the next few thousand years. (Author).
Nuclear Fuel Plant (FCN) is a facility that produces fuel bundles of CANDU-6 type for the CANDU nuclear power plant. Only natural and depleted uranium in bulk and itemized form are present as nuclear materials in this facility. Uranium and wastes from the plant are handled, processed, treated and stored throughout the entire facility. The nuclear materials with natural and depleted uranium are entirely under nuclear safeguards. The amount of uranium present in the plant in different forms and activities together with zircaloy, beryllium and other hazardous substances, wastes, explosive materials at high temperatures, etc. lead to special measures undertaken by Nuclear Safety Department (DNS) to ensure nuclear safety. Different aspects of safety are continuously monitored in the plant: operational safety, industrial safety, radiological safety, labour safety, informational safety. The emergency ...
Swift heavy ion-solid interaction leads in volume to track creation and on the surface to the ejection of particles into the vacuum. To learn more about initial mechanisms of track formation, we are focused on the sputtering of uranium dioxide by fast heavy ions. This present study is exclusively devoted to the influence of the electronic stopping power on the emission of neutral particles and especially on their angular distribution. These measurements are completed by those of the ions emitted from UO{sub 2} targets bombarded with swift heavy ions. The whole experimental results give access to: i) the nature of the sputtered particles; ii) the charge state of the emitted particles; iii) the direction of ejection of the sputtered particles ; iv) the sputtering yields deduced from the angular distributions. These results are compared to the prediction of the sputtering models proposed in the literature and it seems that the supersonic gas flow model is well suited ...
Phosphoro-uraniferous deposit of Itataia is situated in Precambrian metamorphic terrains, into the litho-stratigraphic unit named Caico Complex. Regionally, the rocks are linearly folded, as a result of compressive tectonic that fits in the regmatic pattern. Rio Groairas' and Itatira's wrench faults form shearing couples in which the drag folds' climax are thrusting faults with axial plane dipping north. Uranium mineralization occurs into a phosphatic rock containing about 80% of collophane - 'collophanite - in association chiefly with marbles or feldsphatic rocks and gneisses. The ore (collophanite) occurs mainly as a stockwork, and it may be massive, (into big joints) or disseminated (impregnating the host rocks). Dark ore appears only in brecciated zones; it is richer in uranium content, but poorer in phosphorous. The highest grade ore is in a very fractured zone, associated to marbles. Supergene enrichment took place in this area. ...
Bi-U mixed oxides were synthesized by two methods and characterized by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The samples were tested for the catalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide by oxygen. A stepwise redox mechanism consistent with the kinetic results is proposed. (orig.).
This regulatory guide describes methods acceptable to the NRC staff for calculating radon fluxes through earthen covers and for calculating the resulting minimum cover thickness needed to meet NRC and EPA standards. The guide also suggests methods for obtaining the various parameters used in calculating the radon fluxes and earthen cover thicknesses and suggests default values for certain parameters. This regulatory guide is applicable to active uranium tailings sites. The NRC staff is using the methods stated in this guide as a basis for review and concurrence of DOE remedial action plans for inactive sites. The guidance is intended to be used for calculating radon flux attenuation by earthen uranium mill tailings covers. The parameter values and examples presented are limited to earthen cover materials, but the diffusion theory and the methods presented are also applicable to man-made materials. Detailed supporting information for calculating ...
This regulatory guide describes methods acceptable to the NRC staff for calculating radon fluxes through earthen covers and for calculating the resulting minimum cover thickness needed to meet NRC and EPA standards. The guide also suggests methods for obtaining the various parameters used in calculating the radon fluxes and earthen cover thicknesses and suggests default values for certain parameters. This regulatory guide is applicable to active uranium tailings sites. The NRC staff is using the methods stated in this guide as a basis for review and concurrence of DOE remedial action plans for inactive sites. The guidance is intended to be used for calculating radon flux attenuation by earthen uranium mill tailings covers. The parameter values and examples presented are limited to earthen cover materials, but the diffusion theory and the methods presented are also applicable to man-made materials. Detailed supporting information for calculating ...
A method of the correction for sample self attenuation used in segmented gamma scanner (SGS) is described. The method of calibration for assaying the uranium and plutonium contents of each category of heterogeneous process residues and wastes in nuclear facilities is studied. The effect of variable measurement parameter on measurement results is also studied. The measurement results of SGS assay is compared with that of the destructive assay (DA), which is aimed at evaluating SGS method for assaying uranium and plutonium content in process residues and wastes. The deviation of two assay results is 3.6%. The SGS assay results and DA assay results both are coincided well in error limits. Four category of heterogeneous process residues and wastes in nuclear facilities have assayed successfully in physical inventory. The uncertainty of measurement results for uranium and plutonium content in process residues and wastes is 5% ...
The Secure Automated Fabrication (SAF) line, an automated and remotely controlled manufacturing process, is scheduled for startup in 1987 and will produce mixed uranium/plutonium oxide fuel pins for the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). The application of robotics in the fuel fabrication and supporting operations is described.
Magnetic coupling between two or more metal centers is an important facet of d- and f-block transition metal chemistry due to its implications in chemical bonding. With respect to actinide metals, magnetic coupling between polymetallic actinide centers is less well-known. Of the few documented examples, only one bimetallic uranium(V) complex, [(MeC{sub 5}H{sub 4}){sub 2}U]{sub 2}[{mu}-1,4-N{sub 2}C{sub 6}H{sub 4}] (1), has unequivocally demonstrated antiferromagnetic coupling. This complex employs a {pi}-conjugated 1,4-phenylenedimide ligand system which bridges the two f{sup 1}-metal centers and enables antiferromagentic coupling between unpaired f-e1ectrons residing in a {pi}-symmetry orbital. In this communication, we report the synthesis of a dimeric bis(imido) uranium(V) iodide complex and demonstrate with magnetic susceptibility measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations that the f{sup 1}-uranium ...
The Abrasive Waterjet Cutting process was evaluated to determine if the equivalent could be utilized for cutting uranium metal at the Feed Materials Production Center (FMPC). In the process, a thin stream of ultrahigh pressure water carried grit material through a designated piecepart. In order to be acceptable for use at the FMPC, the equipment must be cost effective, minimize waste, and be adaptableto operating in an enclosure, and improve health and safety conditions. Observation of the cutting process showed that health and safety aspects could be optimized with an enclosed ventilated system. Also the equipment can be easily automated. The cutting action produced sparks similar to the sparks caused by a grinding operation. The sparks are captured in a water container under the workpiece that not only catches the sparks, but also serves to dissipiate the stream of water and residues produced by the cut. Metallographic tests performed on the cut surface of the ...
A sensitivity study has been done to determine the composition of DUPIC fuel from the viewpoint of neutronics fuel design. The spent PWR fuel compositions were generated and fissile contents adjusted by blending fresh uranium after mixing two spent PWR fuel assemblies. The {sup 239}Pu and {sup 235}U enrichments of DUPIC fuel were adjusted by controlling the amount of fresh uranium feed and the ratio of slightly enriched and depleted uranium in the feed uranium. Based on the material balance calculation, it is recommended that DUPIC fuel composition be such that spent PWR fuel utilization is more than 90%. A sensitivity study on the temperature reactivity coefficient of DUPIC fuel and shown that it is desirable to increase the {sup 239}Pu and {sup 235}U contents to reduce both the fuel and coolant temperature coefficients. On the other hand, refueling simulations of the DUPIC core have shown that the ...
The improving uranium extraction efficiency of yellow cake production from shale deposit by acid pugging and curing with D263B resin adsorption is described in this paper. The analysis and examination show that the composition of uranium minerals in one of uranium ores is very complex, which directly influence the extraction efficiency of uranium and processing technology. Conventional experimental results indicate that uranium leaching efficiency is changed between 50?60% by conventional agitation method. In this case, acid pugging and curing experiments are employed in order to improving the extraction efficiency. A series of acid pugging and curing experiments are carried out to get parameters for heap leaching in pilot plant experiment. The experiment results by acid pugging and curing technology showed that uranium leaching efficiency can reach to 90% of ...
Full text: The isotopic assay instrument under development at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is capable of rapid prescreening to detect small and rare particles containing high concentrations of uranium in a heterogeneous sample. The isotopic measurement concept is based on laser vaporization of solid samples followed by sensitive isotope-specific detection using either uranium atomic fluorescence emission or uranium atomic absorbance. Both isotopes are measured concurrently, following a single ablation laser pulse using two external-cavity violet diode lasers. The simultaneous measurement of both isotopes enables the correlation of the fluorescence and absorbance signals on a shot-to-shot basis. This measurement approach demonstrated negligible channel crosstalk between isotopes. Scanning the heterogeneous samples provides high-resolution imagery of sample isotopic fluorescence and absorbance. Isotopically ...
The ore-hosting Yaojia Formation is composed of a set of braided stream medium-fine grained sediments. Guided by the basic theory of high-resolution sequence stratigraphy, and based on the core observation, the analysis of chemical composition of rocks, and data of natural potential logging and apparent resistivity logging, the authors have set up the high-resolution sequence stratigraphy framework of the ore-hosting Yaojia Formation, and discussed the relation of the stratigraphic structure of the middle cycle, as well as the paleotopography, the micro-facies to the formation of uranium deposit. (authors)
This paper discusses essentially the role of WDXRFS based multi element data in uranium exploration, with special reference to India. The state of art MagiX-PRO WDXRFS with 4 kW end window x-ray tubes has been used in the present study as an indispensable geo-analytical tool for the analysis of major and selected trace elements at ppm to percentage level, with high precision and relatively better accuracy
Measurements of the photon angular distribution of Radiative Electron Capture into the M shell have been performed with He-like uranium ions in the range 110-140 MeV/u. In addition, L REC was studied at a projectile energy of 140 MeV/u. In both cases, the experimental data show an asymmetry around 90 and agree well with a fully relativistic theory. (orig.) 15 refs.
The purpose of the Ocean FUSRAP Program, which began in March 1981, is to assess the technical, environmental, and institutional feasibility of disposing, in the ocean and on the ocean floor, of FUSRAP waste which contains traces of natural radioactive materials. The initial planning has focused on the Middlesex, New Jersey, Sampling Plant site and surrounding properties, which contain on the order of 100,000 metric tons of material. The Belgian Congo uranium ore and other uranium ores used by the United States were handled at the sampling plant site and have since been removed.
This paper presents calculations of the {sup 252}Cf-source-driven noise analysis measurements for subcritical highly enriched uranium metal cylinders using the Monte Carlo code MCNP-DSP. This code directly calculates the noise analysis data from the {sup 252}Cf- source-driven noise analysis method for both neutron and gamma ray detectors. Direct calculation of experimental observables by the Monte Carlo method allows for the benchmarking of the calculational model and the cross sections and for determining the bias in the calculation.
The fusion breeder is a fusion reactor designed with special blankets to maximize the transmutation by 14 MeV neutrons of uranium-238 to plutonium or thorium to uranium-233 for use as a fuel for fission reactors. Breeding fissile fuels has not been a goal of the US fusion energy program. This paper suggests it is time for a policy change to make the fusion breeder a goal of the US fusion program and the US nuclear energy program. The purpose of this paper is to suggest this policy change be made and tell why it should be made, and to outline specific research and development goals so that the fusion breeder will be developed in time to meet fissile fuel needs.
Five nomographs have been prepared that facilitate the estimation of cover thickness and cover material volume for the Uranium Mill Tailing Remedial Action Program. Key parameters determined include the cover thickness with either a surface radon flux or a boundary radon air concentration criterion and the total volume of cover material required for two different treatments of the edge slopes. Also included in the engineering guide are descriptions and representative values for the radon source term, the diffusion coefficients and the key meteorological parameters. 16 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.
This paper reports that, to obtain better simulation results for a Canada deuterium uranium (CANDU) reactor operation, a new simulation method is developed that uses actual detector readings as a correction factor. Detector readings from a CANDU reactor are used to correct the calculated flux distribution during core calculation iterations. A suitable function is found to describe the relationship between the detector flux and the fluxes of mesh points around the detector. The new simulation method is tested by performing numerical calculations for the Wolsung reactor (a CANDU-600). The results show that the new method predicts the core state more accurately with fewer iterations.
The Lake Charles and Port Arthur quadrangles cover approximately 10,950 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River delta area. The area overlies thick sections of the Gulf of Mexico Basin. Surficial exposures are dominated by Recent and Pleistocene sediment. A search of available literature revealed no known uranium deposits. A total of 82 uranium anomalies were detected and are discussed briefly in this report. None were considered significant and all appear to relate to cultural features. Magnetic data appear to be in agreement with existing structural interpretations of the area.
The author presents a new technique for production of yellow cake with double precipitation, thus solving a series of problems for precipitating uranium with traditional double precipitation. The new technique can not only remove ferric ions and sulfate radicals but also make solid-liquid separation easy, utilize effectively the sulfuric acid produced in ferric ions precipitation process, and increase uranium concentration of leaching liquor. To take it as producing yellow cake will save investment, simplify operation, and cut down the consumption of raw materials and energies. It is more competitive than ion-exchange or solvent extraction in the process of extracting-purifying and preparing yellow cake.
This study was carried out mainly to produce uranium trioxide (UO_3), with the standard of commercial specifications from rock phosphate deposits in eastern part of Nuba mountains, south Kurdufan state. A simplified hydrometallurgical procedure has been adopted for production of yellow cake from the ore. Elemental analysis has shown that the ore is rich in Ca and deficient in elements of potential interest such as Fe, Cu and Zn. Uranium content in ore, phosphoric acid and purified yellow cake (UO_3) obtained with different precipitants was analyzed using alpha-spectrometry. On the average, the activity concentration of uranium in ore corresponds to 82 #+-# 24 ppm (0.10%). From the data of pregnant liquor, it was observed that the addition of KCIO_3 as an oxidant improves the dissolution of uranium from the ore by almost 20%. Data has also indicated that the yellow cake purified by hydrogen peroxide has ...
The reaction of uranium oxides and chlorine to prepare anhydrous uranium tetrachloride (UCl{sub 4}) are important to more economical preparation of uranium metal. The most practical reactions require carbon or carbon monoxide (CO) to give CO or carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) as waste gases. The chemistry of U-O-Cl compounds is very complex with valances of 3, 4, 5, and 6 and with stable oxychlorides. Literature was reviewed to collect thermochemical data, phase equilibrium information, and results of experimental studies. Calculations using thermodynamic data can identify the probable reactions, but the results are uncertain. All the U-O-Cl compounds have large free energies of formation and the calculations give uncertain small differences of large numbers. The phase diagram for UCl{sub 4}-UO{sub 2} shows a reaction to form uranium oxychloride (UOCl{sub 2}) that has a good solubility in molten UCl{sub 4}. ...
This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is one of a series of reports concerning municipal development in various cities in Switzerland. The four city districts involved include Basel (Gundeldinger Feld), Lausanne (Bellevaux), Lucerne (Basel-/Bernstrasse) and Zurich (Werdwies). This paper takes a look at aspects of building ecology. In the four areas, the following building types and projects were examined with respect to their ecology: Basel: conversion of commercial premises to a community centre, Lausanne and Lucerne: Enhancement of residential areas, Zurich: a new residential building. Criteria examined include general building ecology, building materials, raw materials, toxic substances, recycling, maintenance and deconstruction, energy for heating and hot water, grey energy, electricity, ground usage, water, wastes and public infrastructure. Knowledge ...
Full text. This research assesses models for new nuclear build in European Union (EU) member states to find the most stable form. The countries examined in this study are the United Kingdom and Romania. The results attest that due to various historical, political, competition, and electricity market structural conditions Romania and the United Kingdom have emerged with different models for new build nuclear projects. This paper begins with an assessment of the effects on the nuclear sector from energy, environmental and competition legislation in the EU. Then the political and economic climate of the aforementioned EU member states is completed. Following this an overview of the market structure of the electricity sector in those respective countries is conducted. Then the key research on the models and the phases of new nuclear build are explored. The research concludes each model has transcended from different political ...
The new guidelines for indoor air hygiene in school buildings are intended as a response to current requirements in school practice. The recommendations aim to help to avoid mistakes in modernising school buildings and to provide hygiene-specific support in planning of new school buildings. The guidelines are laid out as follows: (a) In the general section the targets of the guidelines and the target groups are addressed. The current indoor hygiene situation in German schools is described, followed by the parameters with regard to peripheral issues which will not be dealt with further; (b) Part A deals with the hygiene requirements in the practical running of schools. Besides general requirements for maintenance and operation the important issues of cleaning and ventilation are considered, as well as minor building works; (c) Part B provides an overview of important chemical and biological contaminants ...
In this paper, the authors describe the characteristics of design seismic input motions and recently observed seismic records of base isolated buildings in Japan. First, we describe some seismic design spectra for building structures which were adopted. Then we show response spectra and energy spectra of observed records obtained during two recent major earthquakes (The 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu Earthquake and the 2003 Tokachi-oki Earthquake), which demonstrate the effectiveness of base isolation against large amplitude earthquake ground motion. We also introduce the responses of base isolated buildings during some earthquakes including the Tokachi-oki Earthquake. These data were gathered through questionnaires sent to many engineers who had conducted response observations of base isolated buildings. Last, an example of a base isolated building on soft ground is shown. We point out the ...
A study was conducted to predict indoor ventilation, smoke movement and fire propagation in a new building currently under construction at the Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal. It was conducted in response to concerns regarding the impact that air quality, in normal operation conditions, and smoke concentration, in the event of a fire, may have on occupants of a building. A detailed three-dimensional model of the new building was constructed using the NURBS-based modeler, Rhino. Simulations of fire propagation and airflow ventilation were performed in different areas of the building. The flow pattern data was analyzed using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) program called FLUENT. It predicted air flow conditions and estimated the mean age of air (MAA) in the room. Real-world geometries, such as diffuser inlets, have a significant impact on overall fluid flow behaviour and are necessary for this type ...
Forced vibration experiment has been conducted for the reactor building of Sendai Unit 1 nuclear power plant. The beam vibrational behaviors of the outer shielding building and the internal concrete structure have been observed by using a 50 tf vibration for low frequency region, and a 10 tf vibration for high frequency region, respectively. The outline of the experimental methods, the data handling system and the major results of experiment are described. The experimental results were simulated by an analytical model. The proper vibrational frequency and the vibration modes obtained by the analysis were compared with those obtained by the experiment. By these comparisons, the adequacy of the analytical method employed for the design was confirmed.
This paper describes the design, operation, and performance of an HVAC system installed as part of a project to demonstrate energy efficiency and environmental responsibility in commercial buildings. The systems installed in the 2180 m{sup 2} office building provide superior air quality and thermal comfort while requiring only half the electrical energy of conventional systems primarily because of the hydronic heating and cooling system. Gas use for the building is higher than expected because of longer operating hours and poor performance of the boiler/absorption chiller.
This Addendum to the Facility Safety Plan (FSP) 360 Complex describes the safety requirements for the safe conduct of all biohazardous research operations in all buildings within the 360 complex program areas. These requirements include all the responsibilities and authorities of building personnel, operational hazards, and environmental concerns and their controls. In addition, this Addendum prescribes facility-specific training requirements and emergency controls, as well as maintenance and quality assurance requirements for ES&H-related building systems.
This document provides guidance for modeling and inspecting energy-efficient property in commercial buildings for certification of the energy and power cost savings related to Section 179D of the Internal Revenue Code enacted in Section 1331 of the 2005 Energy Policy Act and noted in Internal Revenue Service Notice 2006-52. Specifically, Section 179D provides federal tax deductions for energy-efficient property related to a commercial building's envelope; interior lighting; heating, ventilating, and air conditioning; and service hot water systems.
This document provides guidance for modeling and inspecting energy-efficient property in commercial buildings for certification of the energy and power cost savings related to Section 179D of the Internal Revenue Code enacted in Section 1331 of the 2005 Energy Policy Act and noted in Internal Revenue Service Notice 2006-52. Specifically, Section 179D provides federal tax deductions for energy-efficient property related to a commercial building's envelope; interior lighting; heating, ventilating, and air conditioning; and service hot water systems.
This conference is composed of 21 communications and 21 posters in the domain of building ventilation and indoor air quality; the main themes are: indoor air quality assessment and optimization; performance enhancement and optimization of ventilation systems and equipment; ventilation systems for renovated and rehabilitated buildings; French and European regulations, standardizations and certifications; experimental and numerical simulation studies concerning ventilation systems, air flow, temperature distribution, air quality, thermal comfort and ventilation-induced acoustic levels
It is important to accurately estimate the effects of strong earthquake motions on the basemat uplift behavior and structural responses for the seismic design of nuclear power plant buildings. In this paper, an analysis model which describes the soil part using the 3 dimensional FEM was proposed to be used when the ground contact ratio is low, and the validity of this model was confirmed. Furthermore, investigations using the model were carried out where the attaching force under the basemat was taken into account, in order to more realistically estimate the basemat uplift behavior. The effects in the case of the building being embedded were also investigated.
It is important to accurately estimate the effects of strong earthquake motions on the basemat uplift behavior and structural responses for the seismic design of nuclear power plant buildings. In this paper, an analysis model which describes the soil part using the 3 dimensional FEM was proposed to be used when the ground contact ratio is low, and the validity of this model was confirmed. Furthermore, investigations using the model were carried out where the attaching force under the basemat was taken into account, in order to more realistically estimate the basemat uplift behavior. The effects in the case of the building being embedded were also investigated.
Indoor air exposures to gaseous contaminants originating in soil can cause large human health risks. To predict and control these exposures, the mechanisms that affect vapor transport in near-surface soils need to be understood. In particular, radon exposure is a concern since average indoor radon concentrations lead to much higher risks than are generally accepted for exposure to other environmental contaminants. This dissertation examines an important component of the indoor radon problem: the impacts of wind on soil-gas and radon transport and entry into buildings. The research includes experimental and modeling studies of wind`s interactions with a building`s superstructure and the resulting soil-gas and radon flows in the surrounding soil. In addition to exploring the effects of steady winds, a novel modeling technique is developed to examine the impacts of fluctuating winds on soil-gas and radon transport.
There are no 'intelligent' buildings but only 'intelligently controlled' buildings. Intelligent control requires communication between technical facilities, which in turn requires building automation and system integration. [German] Es gibt keine ''intelligenten'', sondern nur ''intelligent betriebene'' Gebaeude. Mit dieser Feststellung ist die Vorbedingung festgelegt, dass Gebaeude ein gewerkeuebergreifendes System benoetigen, das die Komponenten miteinander kommunizieren laesst. Dafuer eignet sich die Gebaeudeautomation. Damit diese ihre Aufgaben erfuellen kann, bedarf es der Systemintegration. (orig.)
Background:To encourage evidence-based practice, an Annals of Internal Medicine editorial called for a new professional on clinical teams: an informationist trained...Full Text Available
The Army Reactor Area (ARA) II was constructed in the late 1950s as a test site for the Stationary Low Power Reactor No. 1 (SL-1). The SL-1 was a prototype power and heat source developed for use at remote military bases using a direct cycle, boiling water, natural circulation reactor designed to operate at a thermal power of 3,000 kW. The ARA II compound encompassed 3 acres and was comprised of (a) the SL-1 Reactor Building, (b) eight support facilities, (c) 50,000-gallon raw water storage tank, (d) electrical substation, (e) aboveground 1,400-gallon heating oil tank, (f) underground 1,000-gallon hazardous waste storage tank, and (g) belowground power, sewer, and water systems. The reactor building was a cylindrical, aboveground facility, 39 ft in diameter and 48 ft high. The lower portion of the building contained the reactor pressure vessel surrounded by gravel shielding. Above the pressure vessel, in the center portion ...
This program deals with solid waste disposal with topics/services covering: Reusable Building Materials and Large Household Items Exchange, Beneficial Use Determination, Biosolids, Certification, Compost Facil...
This paper describes the results of a French-Lebanese scientific cooperation, between 2001 and 2005, about 'Rational use of energy in the residential buildings in Lebanon and adaptation of an energy certification procedure'. The aim of this project is to promote the energy efficiency in the existing residential buildings in Lebanon, using an energy certification procedure, and to evaluate the energy certification foresight with prospective methods. The paper first describes an energy investigation in Lebanese residential buildings, and the energy certification procedure. It presents the foresight methodology implemented to identify the key variables and the actors. Finally, the paper exposes the morphological method which allows to elaborate three scenarios of energy performance certification. These scenarios are presented in order to provide a decision making for the actors of the Lebanese energy policy.
... Those functions are fundamental routines to build a power model for more complex circuits or functional blocks. ... 21 of 54 6. Memory Power Model ...
A brief article considers the possible result of the enquiry into Nirex`s plan to build an underground rock laboratory at Sellafield in relation to radioactive waste disposal in the UK. (UK).
Sep 21, 2006 ... NASA has selected Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Allentown, Pa., to design, furnish and install a plant to produce liquid nitrogen for ...
Apr 21, 2011 ... The system of lipid peroxidation reacts regularly to adverse effects and results in enhancement of lipid peroxidation and build-up of LPO ...
For an air conditioned building, the major electricity consumption is by the heating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. As energy saving strategies may be in conflict with the criteria of indoor air quality and thermal comfort, a concept of the building environmental performance model (BEPM) has been developed to optimize energy consumption in HVAC systems without any deterioration of the indoor air quality and thermal comfort. The BEPM is divided into two main modules: the adaptive comfort temperature (ACT) module and the new demand control ventilation (nDCV) module. This study aims to enhance and prompt the conventional operation of the air side systems by incorporating temperature reset with the adaptive comfort temperature control and the new demand control ventilation system in high rise buildings in Hong Kong. A new example weather year (1991) was established as a reference to compute the energy use of HVAC systems ...
The activities and the policy in the Netherlands regarding the development of the title systems since 1990 are briefly outlined, focusing on the use of PV-systems in buildings. 5 figs., 1 tab.
Capturing the Daylight Dividend conducted activities to build market demand for daylight as a means of improving indoor environmental quality, overcoming technological barriers to effective daylighting, and informing and assisting state and regional market transformation and resource acquisition program implementation efforts. The program clarified the benefits of daylight by examining whole building systems energy interactions between windows, lighting, heating, and air conditioning in daylit buildings, and daylighting's effect on the human circadian system and productivity. The project undertook work to advance photosensors, dimming systems, and ballasts, and provided technical training in specifying and operating daylighting controls in buildings. Future daylighting work is recommended in metric development, technology development, testing, training, education, and outreach.
Apicomplexans are pathogens responsible for malaria, toxoplasmosis, and crytposporidiosis in humans, and a wide range of livestock diseases. These unicellular eukaryotes are stealthy invaders, sheltering...Full Text Available
This article discusses the use of five-core cables to provide utility customers with the best possible prerequisites for trouble-free operation of electrical installations and equipment. The TN-S system in buildings and the new TN-S-five-core house-connection cable for connections between the mains distribution point and buildings is introduced. The long-term target of providing TN-S-systems in power distribution even as far as the local transformer is also discussed. The advantages of the system are discussed and various configurations for different types of supply are described.
The overall aim is to develope programme modules for a Danish integrated computer system for projecting buildings and to ensure that Danish programmes are compatible with international systems. The programmes to be integrated here were AutoCAD and SCRIBE-Models and the simulation programme tsbi3 for the calculation of indoor climate conditions, power demand and energy consumption in buildings. For the calculation of humidity and temperature conditions in constructions a certain amount of integration is carried out with the MATCH programme (Moisture And Temperature calculations for Constructions of Hygroscopic materials). The activities embodied in the pilot projects are described in this working report in addition to individual computer programmes and prototypes, and examples and diagrams are presented. The programmes described deal with handling design elements in relation to AutoCAD designs, and the formatting of a ...
The widespread use of building materials with relatively high radium concentrations may increase population exposure. A method is presented for measuring effective diffusion coefficients and exhalation rates of radon from such materials. Equations for use in the experimental determination of these values are obtained theoretically. The experimental set-up consists of a container which is hermetically sealed to a slab of the building material. Nitrogen is blown through the container and then through an ionization chamber which is connected to an electrometer and X-Y plotter, and the radon concentration is measured continuously. Exhalation rates of radon from some major building materials measured by this method will be used as reference levels. The method can also be used to determine other properties such as porosity. (author).
Buildings Energy-Efficient Research Laboratories Energy Efficiency in Federal Facilities Energy Efficiency Standards Group Energy Efficient Windows Collaborative Energy &...
The method and results are presented of measurements of the coefficients of "2"2"2Rn emanation from samples of fly- ashes and slag and other commonly used building materials. A chamber was used for electrostatic collection of "2"2"2Rn decay products. The coefficients of emanation ranged from 0.2% (fly- ashes) to 21.3% (phosphogipsum from phosphorit). (author).
Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) in seven new type wall materials were surveyed. The radioactivity was determined with HPGe-#gamma# spectrometer. The red mud has the highest radioactivity concentration, followed by slag building blocks, fly-ash building blocks (bricks), gangue bricks and light weight board materials, gypsum blocks. Fly-ash and slag contain higher NORM, which contributes the major part of the radioactivity in new wall materials. (authors)
This paper deals with the control of an electromechanical valves engine. The control uses neural networks in order to build a non-linear model of engine filing which depends on the driven inlets. The aim is to build this real-time model and to integrate this model to a control system which performs an iterative inversion. (J.S.)
Performance predictions have been made for attached-sunspace types of passively solar heated buildings. The predictions are based on hour-by-hour computer simulations using computer models developed in the framework of PASOLE, the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) passive solar energy simulation program. The models have been validated by detailed comparison with actual hourly temperature measurements taken in attached-sunspace test rooms at LASL.
An inner-city development with pile foundations as well as the proximity to the river Neckar with a groundwater flow offered ideal conditions for this new building in Mannheim in order to heat and cool geothermally. Already with the planning phase, detailed numerical flow computations were necessary in order to prove the functionality of the energy concept.
Concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K measured in bauxite waste, local building materials, and soils are presented and used in model equations to estimate the effective gamma dose-equivalent increments over background in the center of a standard-sized room in a prototype house. Calculated and measured values compare reasonably well.
Information technology plays an important role in medicine because of the advanced decision support systems (DSS) it can provide. We provide an overview of the building blocks necessary for a medical decision support system and introduce seven research articles in this special issue that describe the development and evaluation of individual medical DSS building blocks or complete medical DSS.
This case study illustrates how an existing building can be transformed into a sustainable, green facility through teamwork. This multi-purpose building comprises office space, combustion testing facilities, and microwave communications center. The paper discusses internal systems design, indoor air quality, commissioning, economics, operations and maintenance, and monitoring.
... Social Capital Social capital describes circumstances in which individuals and organisations can use membership in groups and networks to secure benefits. Connections within and between networks reinforce the belief that these social networks have a value and can be used as a platform for further social progress. In this light, natural capital and social capital are closely related, and policies that build or destroy one often build ...
The special geodetic problems encountered during the construction of the Paks nuclear power plants are treated. The main building with its hermetically connected components including the reactor, the steam generators, the circulation pumps etc. impose special requirements on the control net of datum points. The geodesy tasks solved during the construction of the main building are presented in details.
The primary purpose of the Rocky Flats Field Office of the US Department of Energy is to decommission the entire plant. In an effort to improve the basis and the accuracy of the future decommissioning cost, Rocky Flats has developed a powerful but easy-to-use tool to determine budget cost estimates to characterize, decontaminate, and demolish all its buildings. The parametric cost-estimating tool is called the Facilities Disposition Cost Model (FDCM).
Since many years, people take care of hazardous consequences of a non controlled economic growth and the sustainable development concept gains on one. This situation leads to consequences in the building industry and in the energy policy: buildings insulation in consideration, demand of consultants. In this framework, the partnership between Gaz De France and CICF has to be built. (A.L.B.)
This document deals with energy management in buildings. It presents the conditions for a good implementation of energy management. These conditions include the total involvement of the management and the training of the staff. The structure of this implementation is presented together with the tools for an efficient energy management. Eventually, information on air quality and comfort in buildings is provided, as well as the management of complaints linked to them. (TEC). 1 tab.
Geothermal heat pump systems necessitate a comprehensive approach to geology and building facilities in order to be energetically useful and efficient. Cooperation with geothermal experts should be sought at an early projecting stage in order to obtain reliable data. Geothermal data and the technical facilities of the building must be matched for the project to be both effective and efficient. (orig.)
The Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) bottom-loading transfer cask (BLTC) system is designed to provide ex-vessel fuel transfers of irradiated reactor components between the reactor containment building and the LMFBR shipping cask in the reactor service building. This system is being procured from National Lead Industries, Wilmington, Delaware, under management of Aerojet Manufacturing Company.
April 2008 - British Minister for Science and Innovation I Pearson MP, visiting the ATLAS surface building and underground area with Spokesperson P. Jenni and Adviser J. Ellis.
The uptake of "2"3"8U and "2"3"2Th in different parts of some selected plants used in traditional treatment of hypertension and diabetes in south-eastern Morocco (Errachidia area) has been studied using two different types of solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs) LR-115 type II and CR-39. Plant uptake of radionuclides is one of many vectors for introduction of contaminants into the human food chain. Thus, it is critical to understand soil-plant relationships that control nuclide bioavailability. Soil concentrations of uranium ranged from 6.10 to 11.62 ppm, with a mean of 7.90 ppm. Soil concentrations of thorium ranged from 2.70 to 4.80 ppm, with a mean of 3.41 ppm. Mean uranium specific activities were 8.38 Bq kg"-"1 in root tissue, 5 Bq kg"-"1 in stem tissue and 6.02 Bq kg"-"1 in leaf tissue. Mean thorium specific activities were 2.53 Bq kg"-"1 in root tissue, 1.64 Bq kg"-"1 in stem tissue and 1.96 Bq kg"-"1 in leaf tissue. The transfer ...
In the case where uranium recovered by an advanced aqueous reprocessing is utilized in light water reactors (LWRs) with the thermal neutron spectrum, the effects of the decontamination factor (DF) of the reprocessing on core neutronic characteristics were examined. The amounts of transuranium (TRU) elements and fission products (FPs) contained in the recovered uranium depend on the DF of reprocessing, and also "2"3"6U is generated by neutron capture of "2"3"5U during a reactor operation. These all act as poisons in the fuel. Therefore, in this paper, the additional "2"3"5U enrichment necessary to compensate for the produced TRU elements, FPs, and "2"3"6U was evaluated for three representative DF values: 10"2, 10"3, and infinity. The low value of 10"2 corresponds to the advanced aqueous reprocessing investigated here. An APWR core with a discharge burnup of 49 GWd/t when the initial "2"3"5U enrichment is 4.6% was considered as the reference ...
Residual radioactive material guidelines for uranium in soil were derived for the Colonie site located in Colonie, New York. This site has been designated for remedial action under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The site became contaminated with radioactive material as a result of operations conducted by National Lead (NL) Industries from 1958 to 1984; these activities included brass foundry operations, electroplating of metal products, machining of various components using depleted uranium, and limited work with small amounts of enriched uranium and thorium. The Colonie site comprises the former NL Industries property, now designated the Colonie Interim Storage Site (CISS), and 56 vicinity properties contaminated by fallout from airborne emissions; 53 of the vicinity properties were previously remediated between 1984 and 1988. In 1984, DOE accepted ...
The environmental impacts of uranium mining and milling activities are of great concern in many countries for the last three decades. These impacts range from the creation of massive stockpiles of radioactive and toxic waste rock and sand-like tailings to serious contamination of surface and groundwater with radioactive and toxic pollutants, and releases of conventional, toxic and radioactive air pollutants. Uranium mining is also associated with high concentrations of highly toxic heavy metals, which are a major source of surface and groundwater contamination. Depending upon the hydraulic properties of the fractures involved, contaminated ground water may be transported many miles from its point of origin before feeding into an aquifer. Tailings pond may contaminate the groundwater regime by continuous seepage and leaching of radionuclides and other toxic metals due to interaction of rain water through the tailings ponds. The ...
Vaarst Vestervang (Denmark) comprises 16 villas and 1 communal building. The complex was designed by the inhabitants themselves with the aim of polluting the environment as little as possible. The land area constitutes 69.000 square meters where it is possible to grass animals. The document reports a measuring programme concerning the overall heat consumption as one of the main aims of the inhabitants is to save energy and thus contribute to the protection of the environment. The capacity of the solar collectors predominantly used in the building complex was 235 kWh/m{sup 2}. Supplementary heating is provided by boilers fired with wood. The measuring system is described in detail. Tables show the influence of heat transmission losses, ventilation, airing out of rooms, the angle of the sun`s rays within the buildings and heating needs on energy consumption. Energy consumption data is presented in relation to the forms of ...
The German voluntary standard 'Passivhaus' (passive house) leads to buildings with practically no energy consumption. The first residential buildings of this type were built in 1998 and the first tertiary buildings in 2000. Such a passive house must fulfill 5 efficiency criteria: annual space heating needs {<=} 15 kWh/m{sup 2}, U{sub v} envelope coefficient lower than 0.15 W/(m{sup 2}.K), U{sub v} of openings lower than 0.8 W/(m{sup 2}.K), airtightness {<=} 0.6 volume/hour, and total energy needs (space heating, hot water, ventilation, lighting and domestic uses) measured at the meter lower than 42 kWh/m{sup 2}.year. This article makes a status of the effective efficiency of existing passive buildings both in the residential and tertiary sectors and presents some possible ways of improvement. (J.S.)
In the United Kingdom several educational buildings were built in the last decades with a strong environmental ethos, real icons of a new generation of low-energy sustainable buildings. For some of the buildings the performance was assessed. Also in the Netherlands several new concepts were developed for sustainable schools during the last years. This is an interesting topic as many of those schools had problems concerning energy efficiency, indoor air quality and thermal comfort. In the case of sustainable schools much effort was put into the design process of the schools to try to find better solutions to face the problems of the traditional designs. This resulted in different solution concepts, which raises the question which are better school concepts. From the literature three evaluations from the UK and one overview of five sustainable educational buildings from the Netherlands are given, which ...
The objective of the project was to provide a readily understandable and usable methodology for preliminary analysis of the economic benefit that can accrue from the use of thermal energy storage for building heating and cooling. The procedure was to be capable of providing an estimate of cooling plant and storage size, as well as the monthly savings that can be saved. The research focused on the development of a procedure for a limited class of commercial and institutional buildings in North Carolina. A simplified procedure for analyzing the potential for using thermal energy storage (TES) in such buildings in North Carolina was developed. The procedure developed consists of charts and nomographs that can be used for estimating the size of TES systems, and for estimating the monthly demand savings. The monthly demand savings can be combined with the applicable rate schedule to determine the annual cost savings. An overview ...
From the indoor radon problem arises a great challenge for the radiation protection of the population. The soil can be considered as the only source for high radon concentrations in buildings. The contribution of common building materials to high indoor concentrations with a range of 30 Bq/m"3 is negligible low. Therefore building materials for radon mitigation should be judged by their tightness against diffusive radon and not by their radon exhalation rate. Also isolation materials for mitigation should be radon tight. The radon diffusion coefficient describes the physical processes in relatively homogeneous samples. The diffusion coefficient D and the diffusion length R are very exactly determined by a self engineered measuring method. The range of D reaches from D = (0.0005 to 2.35) . 10"-"6 m"2/s for building materials and from D = (0.07 to < 10"-"6) . 10"-"6 m"2/s for isolation materials. ...
Recent interest in ecologically sustainable design (ESD) has once more focussed attention upon environmental management in buildings. This paper explores the application of both air conditioning and natural ventilation in creating more sustainable non-residential buildings. In the non-residential sector the level of debate surrounding sustainable forms of environmental control and management has been disappointing. It has largely been based upon the rather simplistic argument that air conditioning is bad and natural ventilation is good and thus the only sustainable solution is naturally ventilated buildings. The paper advances the view that for both designers and managers of buildings the problem is more complex than a simple choice between air conditioning and natural ventilation. It begins with a reassessment of conventional ideas of thermal comfort and the organization of the workplace and argues ...
This paper describes the challenges involved in the construction of a mid-rise housing development in Boston, Massachusetts, during which the development team elected to upgrade the initial design criteria from Minimum Building Code to Energy Star and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The various constraints imposed on the development were discussed, including constraints imposed by the involvement of substantial public funds as well as the constraints imposed by various funding sources that were approached to leverage energy efficiency and green building investment via competitive grant solicitations. Building owner and utility cost management priorities were outlined along with details of central mechanical system selection. Issues concerning isolation and compartmentalization were examined along with indoor pollution source control. A building load analysis was ...
This Phase 1 final report covers the work performed by Springborn Testing and Research, Inc., for the period October 1, 1997 to June 30, 1998 under the Department of Energy Cooperative Agreement Number DE-FC36-97GO10255, entitled Development of Flame Retardant PV Module Encapsulants. While use of roof-mounted arrays has always been an attractive means of deploying PV, only within recent years have such building integrated concepts (BIPV) found renewed interest among module makers and end-users. Prior to building integrated and rooftop applications, flammability requirements for modules have not been a great industry concern. However, with growing interest in BIPV and the requirement for building code requirements for commercial and industrial structures, flammability issues have become a barrier to entry for many module constructions into this potentially huge domestic market for PV. The overall goal of the 3 phase PV BONUS ...
This is the first of a series of monthly reports summarizing the status of the work of the National Accelerator Laboratory. This first report will cover developments since the publication of the Design Report in January. Authorization hearings were held before the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy on February 21, 1968. Dr. Wilson described the plans and designs of the Laboratory. The present plan of the Laboratory is that the Village of Weston will be utilized for office, laboratory, and shop space during construction. The Laboratory business office is already occupying several houses. The linac section is occupying three houses for offices and construction of an 8,000 sq ft laboratory building for linac work is almost complete. Another house is being used and a 4,500 sq ft inflatable building is being constructed for model-magnet and vacuum testing. Other temporary buildings will be constructed for use by other sections. We ...
Bis(imido) uranium(VI) trans- and cis-dichalcogenate complexes with the general formula U(NtBu)2(EAr)2(OPPh3)2 (EAr = O-2-tBuC6H4, SPh, SePh, TePh) and U(NtBu)2(EAr)2(R2bpy) (EAr = SPh, SePh, TePh) (R2bpy = 4,4'-disubstituted-2,2'-bipyridyl, R = Me, tBu) have been prepared. This family of complexes includes the first reported monodentate selenolate and tellurolate complexes of uranium(VI). Density functional theory calculations show that covalent interactions in the U-E bond increase in the trans-dichalcogenate series U(NtBu)2(EAr)2(OPPh3)2 as the size of the chalcogenate donor increases and that both 5f and 6d orbital participation is important in the M-E bonds of U-S, U-Se, and U-Te complexes.
The principal types of uranium deposits in Ontario are carbonatites and fenites, alkalic volcanic rocks, pegiatites, calc-silicate rocks, pyritic quartz-pebble conglomerates, polymictic conglomerates and some pelitic rocks, and various 'pitchblende' deposits including late Precambrian unconformities, possibly late Precambrian diabase dikes, and other unconformities: carbonates, sandstones, lignites, and semi-pelitic rocks of middle and upper Precambrian age. Only red unzoned pegmatite and the pyritic quartz-pebble conglomerate have supported production. Ontario reasonably assured and estimated resources in the economic and subeconomic categories in 1977 amounted to 553 000 tonnes U, and 1977 production was 4000 tonnes U. Measured, indicated, and inferred resources in the Elliot Lake - Agnew Lake area are at least 400 000 tonnes U. The latter deposits are also a significant thorium resource. Geological features reflecting major changes in physics and chemistry are ...
Biosorption has been developed as an effective and economic method to treat wastewater containing low concentrations of metal pollutants. In this study, a bacterium, Citrobacter freudii, was used as a biosorbent to adsorb uranium ions. The thermodynamics and kinetics of this adsorption, as well as its mechanism, were investigated. The results indicated that the biosorption rate could be better described by a pseudo 2nd-order model than a pseudo 1st-order model. The adsorption of U (VI) proceeded very rapidly in the first 30 min and subsequently slowed down continuously for a long period. The biosorption isotherm of uranium by C. freudii could be described well by the Langmuir or Freundlich isotherm, and the latter was better. The thermodynamics parameters, {delta}H{sup o}, {delta}G{sup o}, and {delta}S{sup o} were calculated according to the results of the experiment, which showed this biosorption as being endothermic and spontaneous. The ...
TRACI, a model based on the physical mechanisms governing the radon transport in unsaturated soils, has been developed to evaluate the radon flux density at Uranium Mill Tailings (UMT) covers surface. First, moisture contents in the soil, induced by weather conditions, are calculated. Then, radon concentrations in the air-filled pore space, and radon flux density at the soil surface, are deduced from a transport model which takes account for diffusion and convection in the pore space. To check the hypothesis used in TRACI and the efficiency of cover layers, an in situ study was launched in 1997 with the French uranium mining company, COGEMA. It consists of continuous measurements of moisture contents, suctions, radon concentrations at various depths inside an UMT cover, and flux density at its surface. The first analysis made on in situ observations shows that radon concentrations and flux density, calculated with a steady-state diffusion model ...
As part of the national survey to evaluate natural radioactivity in the environment, concentration levels of natural uranium and "2"2"6Ra have been analyzed in over 300 drinking water samples taken from different locations in Argentina. "2"2"6Ra was determined by "2"2"2Rn emanation and liquid scintillation counting, and natural uranium by a fluorimetric procedure. Values ranging from 0.03 to 24 #mu#g.l"-"1 of natural uranium and from 0.06 to 50 #mu#g.l"-"1, were measured on drinking water samples taken from tap water systems and private wells, respectively. Concentrations up to 15 mBq.l"-"1 and to 22 mBq.l"-"1 of "2"2"6Ra were found in drinking water samples taken from tap water systems and private wells, respectively. These values are compared with the reference values accepted for drinking water. Based on the water intake rate, the age distribution and the measured concentrations, an annual collective effective dose of ...
Rehabilitation of the abandoned uranium mining areas in Saxonia and Thuringia is a task posing also legal problems. The radiation protection laws of the former GDR continued to be effective to a great extent and proved to be a legal basis not ``perfect`` in formal terms, but suitably efficient in practice to tackle the manifold problems encountered in the land reclamation and waste disposal work. Originally intended to serve as a legal interim regime awaiting amendment at a later date, the body of laws available for the task proved to be a sufficient basis. (orig./HP) [Deutsch] Das fortgeltende Strahlenschutzrecht der frueheren DDR hat sich zwar nicht als formal `perfektes`, in der Sache aber strahlenschutzgerechtes und praktikables Instrument zur Loesung der anstehenden Sanierungsaufgaben erwiesen. Bei seiner Beurteilung darf nicht ausser Acht gelassen werden, dass die Ueberleitung dieses Rechts seinerzeit aus der Not eines kurzfristigen Regelungsbedearfs geboren ...
Uranium dendrites which were deposited at a solid cathode of an electrorefiner contained a certain amount of salts. These salts should be removed for the recovery of pure metal using a cathode processor. In the uranium deposits from the electrorefining process, there are actinide chlorides and rare earth chlorides in addition to uranium chloride in the LiCl-KCl eutectic salt. The evaporation behaviors of the actinides and rare earth chlorides in the salts should be investigated for the removal of salts in the deposits. Experiments on the salt evaporation of rare earth chlorides in a LiCl-KCl eutectic salt were carried out. Though the vapor pressures of the rare earth chlorides were lower than those of the LiCl and KCl, the rare earth chlorides were co-evaporized with the LiCl-KCl eutectic salt. The Hertz-Langmuir relation was applied for this evaporation, and also the evaporation rates of the salt were obtained. The ...
Measurements have been made of radon ("2"2"2Rn), release from diverse quaternary samples collected from different sediment deposits in the Errachidia and Beni-Mellal areas (Morocco). The radon diffusion coefficient as one of some important parameters of radon transport in the soil has been measured using solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD). Radon #alpha#-activity, uranium content and radon exhalation rate have been determined in the studied samples. Uranium concentrations were found to vary from 0.14 to 9.52 ppm whereas the radon exhalation rate varied from 0.003 to 0.145 Bq x m"-"2 x h"-"1. A positive correlation has been found between radon exhalation rate and uranium content in the studied samples. The average radon diffusion coefficients were found to vary from (1.26 #+-# 0.09) x 10"-"6 m"2 x s"-"1 to (4.3 #+-# 0.36) x 10"-"6 m"2 x s"-"1. Furthermore, the correlation between "2"2"2Rn diffusion coefficient and ...
To carry out studies on the radon behavior under controlled and stable conditions it was designed and constructed a system that consists of two parts: a container of mineral rich in Uranium and an experimentation chamber with radon united one to the other one by a step valve. The container of uranium mineral approximately contains 800 gr of uranium with a law of 0.28%; the radon gas emanated by the mineral is contained tightly by the container. When the valve opens up the radon gas it spreads to the radon experimental chamber; this contains 3 accesses that allow to install different types of detectors. The versatility of the system is exemplified with two experiments: 1. With the radon experimental chamber and an associated spectroscopic system, the radon and two of its decay products are identified. 2. The design of the system allows to couple the mineral container to other experimental geometries to demonstrate this fact ...
A new method for the determination of {sup 237}Np and Pu isotopes in large soil samples has been developed that provides enhanced uranium removal to facilitate assay by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). This method allows rapid preconcentration and separation of plutonium and neptunium in large soil samples for the measurement of {sup 237}Np and Pu isotopes by ICP-MS. {sup 238}U can interfere with {sup 239}Pu measurement by ICP-MS as {sup 238}UH{sup +} mass overlap and {sup 237}Np via {sup 238}U peak tailing. The method provides enhanced removal of uranium by separating Pu and Np initially on TEVA Resin, then transferring Pu to DGA resin for additional purification. The decontamination factor for removal of uranium from plutonium for this method is greater than 1 x 10{sup 6}. Alpha spectrometry can also be applied so that the shorter-lived {sup 238}Pu isotope can be measured successfully. {sup 239}Pu, ...
Applying the theory of depositional system, the depositional facies and depositional systems of the Zhiluo Formation in Dongsheng area are systematically analysed, and the authors proposed that sediments of the Zhiluo Formation are of fluvial facies, and streams of the Zhiluo time experienced three evolution stages, namely: the early braided stream, the middle low sinuosity meandering stream and the late high sinuosity meandering stream. Based on features of paleoclimatic evolution, the Zhiluo Formation is divided into two lithological members. The lower lithological member consists of sediments of braided and low sinuosity meandering streams under humid-ward paleoclimatic conditions forming grey sedimentary formation. The upper member is composed of sediments of meandering streams under arid-hot paleoclimatic conditions representing complex-colored (mainly red) sedimentary formation. It is suggested that uranium mineralization in the study area is of channel ...
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute has launched a decommissioning program of uranium conversion plant. One of the important tasks in the decommissioning program is the treatment of the sludge, which was generated during operation and stored in the two ponds of the lagoon. The treatment requires the volume reduction of lagoon sludges for the low cost of the program and the conversion of the chemical forms, including uranium, for the acceptance at the final disposal site. The physical properties, such as densities, were measured and chemical compositions and radiological properties were analyzed. The denitration was a candidate process which would satisfy the requirements for sludge treatment, and the characteristics of thermal decomposition and dissolution with water were analyzed. The main compounds of the sludge were ammonium and sodium nitrate from conversion plant and calcium nitrate, calcium carbonate from Ca precipitation and ...
One option in establishing advanced technology for disposing of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) is to remove TRU elements from HLW and then transform them into short-lived radionuclides. Tertiary pyridine-type anion exchange resin was investigated as a separation medium for spent fuel reprocessing using a HCl solution. Distribution coefficients of typical elements, along with uranium, were measured in the pyridine resin--HCl solution system, where HCl concentration was varied from 1 to 9 M. The results reveal: elements of the alkali metal, alkaline earth and lanthanide groups are not adsorbed, the adsorption patterns of the transition metals differ according to HCl concentration, and uranium is adsorbed in the high HCl concentration region. Furthermore, the present report describes the experimental results obtained for the adsorption behaviour of uranium, americium, curium and various lanthanide elements on tertiary ...
This document describes the results of accelerated aging tests to determine the long-term effectiveness of selected impoundment liner materials in a uranium mill tailings environment. The study was sponsored by the US Department of Energy under the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project. The study was designed to evaluate the need for, and the performance of, several candidate liners for isolating mill tailings leachate in conformance with proposed Environmental Protection Agency and Nuclear Regulatory Commission requirements. The liners were subjected to conditions known to accelerate the degradation mechanisms of the various liners. Also, a test environment was maintained that modeled the expected conditions at a mill tailings impoundment, including ground subsidence and the weight loading of tailings on the liners. A comparison of installation costs was also performed for the candidate liners. The laboratory testing and cost ...
A biogenic method for the treatment of uranium mill effluents containing toxic amounts of Mn"2 and "2"2"6Ra is described. The acidic tailings from the uranium mills are generally neutralised with lime and the overflow waters from tailing ponds at the discharge point, consisting of Mn"2"+ (>10 mg l"-"1) and "2"2"6Ra (> 3.0 pCi l"-"1), need further treatment before disposing off to the public utility. Arthrobacter sp. has been used for precipitating Mn"2"+ as hydrous oxide of manganes (MnO_2#centre dot#nH_2O) and along with "2"2"6Ra also gets precipitated. The effluent after bacterial treatment consisted of Mn"2"+ and "2"2"6Ra within the range of allowed concentrations as per the I.C.R.P. (International Committee of Radiological Protection) and MPC (maximum permissible concentration) standards (Mn"2"+ 95% of "2"2"6Ra could be precipitated using this method. (author). 11 refs.; 4 figs.; 4 tabs.
The /sup 252/Cf-source-driven neutron noise analysis method for obtaining the subcriticality of an assembly of fissile material from cross-power spectral densities (CPSDs) was developed to avoid some difficulties inherent in other measurement methods. This method requires measurement of frequency-dependent CPSD between a pair of detectors in or near the fissile assembly and CPSDs between these detectors and a source of correlated neutron noise from an ionization chamber containing /sup 252/Cf, also in or near the fissile assembly. Also, the auto-power spectral density of the source is required. The ratio of spectral densities is then formed and is related to the subcriticality. To date various measurements have been performed which demonstrate the usefulness of the method including measurements with single uranium metal cylinders. The experiments described here, which used coupled uranium (93.15 wt % /sup 235/U) metal cylinders separated by ...
In the framework of the search for a ceramic material usable in the radioactive waste storage, uranium and thorium phosphates have been investigated. Their experimental synthesis conditions have been entirely reviewed, they lead to the preparation of four new compounds: U(UO{sub 2})(PO{sub 4}){sub 2}, U{sub 2}O(PO{sub 4}){sub 2}, UCIPO{sub 4}, 4H{sub 2}O, and Th{sub 4}(PO{sub 4}){sub 4}P{sub 2}O{sub 7}. Experimental evidenced are advanced for non existent compounds such as: U{sub 3}(PO{sub 4}){sub 4}, U{sub 2}O{sub 3}P{sub 2}O{sub 7} and Th{sub 3} (PO{sub 4}){sub 4}. Characterization by several techniques (X-rays and neutron powder diffractions, UV-Visible and Infra-red spectroscopies, XPS,...) were performed. The ab initio structure determination of U(UO{sub 2})(PO{sub 4}){sub 2} has been achieved by X-rays and refined by neutron diffractions. Through its physico-chemical analysis, we found that this compound was a new mixed valence uranium ...
This study was carried out mainly to produce uranium trioxide (UO_3), matching standard commercial specification from rock phosphate deposits in Uro and Kurun at eastern part of the Nuba Mountains. A simplified hydrometallurgical procedure has been adopted for production of yellow cake from the ore. The powdered ore sample was leached with concentrated H_2SO_4 acid with and without addition of KCIO_3 as an oxidant. The crude yellow cake was precipitated from the resulting green solution of phosphoric acid as Na_2U_2O_7 and (NH_4)_2U_2O_7 and subsequently purified by TBP extraction (tributylphosphate) and hydrogen peroxide as UO_4.2H_2O. TBP purified product was dried and calcined to UO_3 whereas UO_4.2H-2O was dried and reduced to UO_3 by Na_2S_2O_3. Prior to precipitation of crude yellow cake, Fe in the phosphoric acid solution was precipitated using magnesia. Elemental analysis has shown that the ore is rich in Ca and deficient in elements of potential interest ...
Polymeric coated ferromagnetic carriers with an absorbed layer of octyl(phenyl)-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylmethylphosphine oxide (CMPO) diluted by tributyl phosphate (TBP) are being evaluated for application in the separation and the recovery of low concentrations of americium, plutonium, and uranium from nuclear waste solutions. Due to their chemical nature, these extractants selectively complex americium and plutonium contaminants onto the particles and the complexed particles can be recovered from the solution using a magnet. Physical and chemical characterization of the extractant-absorbed particles were performed by gamma and liquid scintillation counting, scanning electron microscopic (SEM) micrograph, and other physical measurements. Plutonium, americium, and uranium separations have been performed at various HNO{sub 3} and HCl concentrations. Parameters were studied to determine the limitations and capacity of the process. The status of the ...
A novel microcapsule adsorbent for separation of uranium from phosphoric acid solutions was developed by immobilizing the di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid-?trioctyl phosphine oxide extractants in the polymeric matrix of calcium alginate. Physical characterization of the microcapsules was accomplished by scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric techniques. Equilibrium experiments revealed that both ion exchange and solvent extraction mechanisms were involved in the adsorption of Formula Not Shown ions, but the latter prevailed in a wider range of acid concentration. According to the results of kinetics study, at low acidity level, the rate controlling step was slow chemical reaction of Formula Not Shown ions with the microdroplets of extractant, whereas it changed to intraparticle...
Ford, Bacon, Davis Utah Inc. has reevaluated the Spook site in order to revise the December 1977 engineering assessment of the problems resulting from the existence of radioactive uranium mill tailings 48 mi northeast of Casper, in Converse County, Wyoming. This engineering assessment has included the preparation of topographic maps, the performance of core drillings and radiometric measurements sufficient to determine areas and volumes of tailings and radiation exposures of individuals and nearby populations, the investigations of site hydrology and meteorology, and the evaluation and costing of alternative corrective actions. Radon gas released from the 187,000 tons of tailings at the Spook site constitutes the most significant environmental impact, although windblown tailings and external gamma radiation also are factors.
This series of measurements with a mixed Pu-U nitrate solution (280 g Pu/liter, 180 g U/liter) in a 35.54-cm-diam cylindrical tank provides a wide variety of experimental data for subcritical configurations that can be used to verify calculational methods and nuclear data. The Pu contained 7.85 wt% {sup 240}Pu and the uranium was natural uranium. The measurements performed were: inverse count rate, prompt neutron decay constants, inverse kinetics, and frequency analysis by the {sup 252}Cf source driven method. These data are presented in sufficient detail that the results of the experiments can be calculated directly. For purposes of extrapolating to the delayed critical height the ratio of spectral densities was linear with height and thus provided the best estimate of critical height.
A new reagent 7-(6-Br-2-henzthiazolilazo)-8-oxyquinoline-5-sulphoacid has been studied spectrophotometrically. Dissociation constants have been determined in 50% acetone (pK_1=2.5 and pK_2=5.9) and 50% dioxane (pK_1=1.7 and pK_2=6.1) as well as molar extinction coefficients of the reagent dissociated form in the same solvents (71.1.10"3 and 72.4.10"3). The conditions have been studied of complexing the reagent with ions of uranium (6), zinc (2), and manganese (2) in 50% dioxane (pH 2.5-4.5) and the properties of the formed complexes.
A procedure was developed for separating rubidium from irradiated aluminum encapsulated uranium. The separations procedure produces a final ultra-high purity RbCl product for subsequent high performance mass spectrometric analysis. The procedure involves first removing most of the macro-components and fission products by strong base anion exchange using, first, concentrated HCl, then oxalic acid media and second, selectively separating rubidium from alkaline-earth ions and other alkali-metal ions, including cesium, using Bio-Rex-40 cation-exchange resin. The resultant RbCl is then put through a final vacuum sublimation step. Ultra-pure reagents and specially clean glassware are used throughout the procedure to minimize contamination by naturally-occurring rubidium.
A procedure was developed for separating rubidium from irradiated aluminum encapsulated uranium. The separations procedure produces a final ultra-high purity RbCl product for subsequent high performance mass spectrometric analysis. The procedure involves first removing most of the macro-components and fission products by strong base anion exchange using, first, concentrated HCl, then oxalic acid media and second, selectively separating rubidium from alkaline-earth ions and other alkali-metal ions, including cesium, using Bio-Rex-40 cation-exchange resin. The resultant RbCl is then put through a final vacuum sublimation step. Ultra-pure reagents and specially clean glassware are used throughout the procedure to minimize contamination by naturally-occurring rubidium.
This paper first introduces the calculating method of radium specific activity to determine the radon emanation rate of tailing of uranium mine No. 794, the method needs two parameters: radon emanation coefficient and radon diffusion coefficient. According to the measured results of parameters and the contrast between radium specific activity of indoor chemical analysis of field sample and field gamma-ray spectra, the authors discuss the variation rules and characteristics of radon emanation coefficient and radon diffusion coefficient, and the best climate and seasons for measuring these parameters in northern China, and finally summarize the characteristics of this method through analyzing measured results. (authors)
Feasibility of using fixed bed column of conventional ion exchangers/sorbent and chemical precipitation based processes have been examined for the effective removal of the very low levels of 106Ru activity from NH4NO3 effluent generated during wet processing of rejected sintered depleted uranium fuel pellets. Based on the results, a simple process involving precipitation of cobalt sulphide along with ferric hydroxide was selected and further optimization of process variables was carried out. The optimized process has been found to be highly efficient in reducing 106Ru activity down to extremely low levels.
The theory of a method of determination of the reactivity from power spectral density measurements with /sup 252/Cf and the results of experiments with a critical assembly mock-up of a liquid-metal fast breeder reactor and with uranium (93.2 wt % /sup 235/U) metal cylinders and a sphere are presented. This method of reactivity determination has an advantage over existing methods in that it determines the reactivity only from properties of the reactor at the subcritical state of interest and thus does not require a calibration near delayed criticality. In these experiments the reactivity was varied by changing the fissile loading or the amount of neutron absorber inserted; for the LMFBR mock-up, the reactivity varied to approximately 75 dollars subcritical, and for the uranium metal assemblies, to approximately 30 dollars subcritical.
Three different fuels UO{sub 2}-only, UO{sub 2}-Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}(5%), and UO{sub 2}-Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}(10%) were produced by sol-gel technique. Their powder characteristics such as flowability, BET surface area, average pore diameter, and cumulative pore volume were determined. The pore size distributions of powders, green pellets, and sintered fuels were determined by using a mercury porosimeter. The theoretical densities of sintered fuels were found to be 98.01, 95.3, and 95.9 %, respectively. Their ruggedness fractal dimensions were 1.111, 1.044, and 1.042, while the fractal dimensions associated with the size distribution of grains were 1.44, 1.58, and 1.60, respectively. (orig.).
LLNL is developing the nuclear fusion based Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) power plant concept. The baseline design uses a depleted uranium (DU) fission fuel blanket with a flowing molten salt coolant (flibe) that also breeds the tritium needed to sustain the fusion energy source. Indirect drive targets, similar to those that will be demonstrated on the National Ignition Facility (NIF), are ignited at 13Hz providing a 500MW fusion source. The DU is in the form of a uranium oxycarbide kernel in modified TRISO-like fuel particles distributed in a carbon matrix forming 2-cm-diameter pebbles. The thermal power is held at 2000MW by continuously varying the 6Li enrichment in the coolants. There are many options to be considered in the engine design including target yield, U-to-C ratio in th...
We present a unified description of the imaginary part of the dynamical magnetic susceptibility #chi#"'"'(#omega#.T) and measurements of the static susceptibility #chi#(T) and electrical resistivity #rho#(T) in the uranium intermetallics UCu_5_-_xPd_x (x = 1.1.5). For temperatures T and excitation energies #omega# in the range 12 K < #omega#, T < 150 K, our analysis demonstrates that the dynamics of isolated uranium ions are responsible for the observed temperature and frequency scaling, although interion interactions may become important at lower temperatures and frequencies. We derive a strict criterion for single-ion scaling in the form of a universal scaling function, providing a model-independent description of the compiled experimental data. (orig.).
A characterization study was performed on monosodium titanate (MST) particles to determine the effect of high shear forces expected from the In-Tank Precipitation (ITP) process pumps on the particle size distribution. The particles were characterized using particle size analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). No significant changes in particle size distributions were observed between as-received MST and after 2--4 hours of shearing. Both as-received and sheared MST particles contained a large percentage of porosity with pore sizes on the order of 500 to 2,000 Angstroms. Because of the large percentage of porosity, the overall surface area of the MST is dominated by the internal surfaces. The uranium and plutonium species present in the waste solution will have access to both interior and exterior surfaces. Therefore, uranium and plutonium loading should not be a strong function of MST particle size.
This report presents the results of an experimental programme to determine the mass transfer and sorptive properties of selected glacial sand and clays from the Drigg Disposal Site operated by British Nuclear Fuels plc. The hydraulic conductivity of both the sand and clay has been determined and the sensitivity of this parameter to changing water chemistry investigated. The hydrodynamic dispersion properties of the glacial sand were measured in order to aid the interpretation of column sorption experiments. The sorption of strontium and uranium from groundwater onto clay and sand samples has been studied using through-diffusion, column and batch techniques. Employing the batch technique, the effect of a series of humic acid concentrations on distribution ratios for uranium and plutonium has also been investigated. Groundwater and trench leachate were used with both clay and sand. (author).
A set of 35 uranium ore and 10 yellow cake samples, collected worldwide from different mines and production sites, were analyzed for their impurity spectrum by ICP-MS. Pattern recognition techniques such as cluster analysis were applied to the data set in order to characterize samples with relation to their geographical origin. The results obtained show a clear relationship between samples taken from the same geological origin and constitute a satisfactory fingerprint for establishing the origin of the material. In addition to the impurity data, data on the isotopic composition of radiogenic lead is used to resolve ambiguity when impurity cluster analysis fails to deliver unambiguous origin data. (author)
The hyperfine interactions at the uranium site in the antiferromagnetic USb2 compound were calculated within the density functional theory (DFT) employing the augmented plane wave plus local orbital (APW+lo) method. We investigated the dependence of the nuclear quadruple interactions to the magnetic structure in USb2 compound. The investigation were performed applying the so called band correlated LDA+U theory self consistently. The self consistent LDA+U calculations were gradually added to the performed generalized gradient approximation (GGA) including scalar relativistic spin orbit interactions in a second variation scheme. The result, which is in agreement with experiment, shows that the 5f-electrons have the tendency to be hybridized with the conduction electrons in the ferromagnetic uranium planes.
By applying the high-resolution sequence stratigraphy, the different sub-divisions of base-level cycles of Qingtujing Formation, Middle Jurassic in Chaoshui Basin are analyzed in detail. 23 short, 3 middle and 1 long base-level cycles are recognized. On the above basis, the corresponding frameworks of high-resolution sequence stratigraphy have been established in northern and southern sub-basins respectively, and the detailed sedimentary facies of MSC_1_-_3 and the special distribution of Qintujing Formation are discussed. It is pointed out that MSC_2 is the most favorable layer for the localization of sandstone-type uranium deposits. (authors)
Being based on the Segal method, calculation was carried out for the natural uranium nuclear fuel cost with Zircaloy-4 cladding having design parameters of Wolsung Nuclear Power Plant, CANDU-PHWR (Unit 1), currently under construction in Korea aiming at its completion in 1982. An attempt was also made for the sensitivity analysis of each fuel component; i.e., depreciation of fuel manufacturing plant caused by its life time, its load factor, production scale expansion of plant facilities, variations of construction and operating costs of fuel manufacturing plant, fluctuation of interest rates, extent of uranium ore price increases and effect of learning factor. (author).
The US NRC, in its Generic Environmental Impact Statement on uranium milling has specified that the radon flux escaping a uranium mill tailings pile will be reduced to pCi/m/sup 2/ s by application of covering layers of soils and clays. These covers present a radon diffusion barrier, which sufficiently increases the time required for radon passage from the tailings to the atmosphere to allow for decay of /sup 222/Rn within the cover. The depth of cover necessary to reduce the escaping radon flux to the prescribed level is to be determined by calculation, and requires precise knowledge of the radon diffusion coefficient in the covering media. A Radon Attenuation Test Facility was developed to determine rates of radon diffusion through candidate cover materials. This paper describes this facility and its application for determining the influence of physical properties of the soil column on the radon diffusion coefficient.
Ford, Bacon and Davis Utah Inc. has reevaluated the Tuba City site in order to revise the March 1977 engineering assessment of the problems resulting from the existence of radioactive uranium mill tailings at Tuba City, Arizona. This engineering assessment has included the preparation of topographic maps, the performance of core drillings and radiometric measurements sufficient to determine areas and volumes of tailings and radiation exposures of individuals and nearby populations, the investigations of site hydrology and meteorology, and the evaluation and costing of alternative corrective actions. Radon gas released from the 0.8 million tons of tailings at the Tuba City site constitutes the most significant environmental impact, although windblown tailings and external gamma radiation also are factors.
A Process for yellow cake production from local Euxenite was developed in Bench Scale by using sulphuric acid digestion with simultaneously ion-exchange and solvent extraction purification steps. Uranium was then precipitated as uranium diuranate by ammonia solution. Equipment used in this process includes : digestion vessels, columnar ion-exchange, solvent extraction and precipitation units Ore feed to the process could be adjusted up to 2 kilogram per day (8 hours operation) with yellow cake product purity meet the requirement of Usaec standard of about 10-50 gram per day. Included in this experiment are the leaching characteristics of the ore, the design and construction of continuous columnar 4-cycle ion exchange unit, determination of the extraction and stripping stages of a gravity flow mixer-settler and the design and construction of continuous yellow cake precipitation unit with large grain size and high density product
The objective of this project is to develop multi-dimensional computational models in order to improve the operation of uranium electrorefiners currently used in pyroprocessing technology. These 2-D (US) and 3-D (ROK) mathematical models are based on the fundamental physical and chemical properties of the electrorefiner processes. The validated models by compiled and evaluated experimental data could provide better information for developing advanced electrorefiners for uranium recovery. The research results in this period are as follows: - Successfully assessed a common computational platform for the modeling work and identify spatial characterization requirements. - Successfully developed a 3-D electro-fluid dynamic electrorefiner model. - Successfully validated and benchmarked the two multi-dimensional models with compiled experimental data sets
The paper describes novel analytical methods developed for the detection of previous neutron irradiation and reprocessing of illicit nuclear materials, which is an important characteristic of nuclear materials of unknown origin in nuclear forensics. Alpha spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma sector-field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS) using solution nebulization and direct, quasi-non-destructive laser ablation as sample introduction were applied for the measurement of trace-level "2"3"2U, "2"3"6U and plutonium isotopes deriving from previous neutron irradiation of uranium-containing nuclear materials. The measured radionuclides and isotope ratios give important information on the raw material used for fuel production and enable confirm the supposed provenance of illicit nuclear material.
This report presents the results of an assessment of uranium in situ leach mining costs through the application of process engineering and discounted cash flow analysis procedures. A computerized costing technique was developed to facilitate rapid cost analyses. Applications of the cost model will generate mine life capital and operating costs as well as solve for economic production cost per pound U/sub 3/O/sub 8/. Conversely, rate of return may be determined subject to a known selling price. The data bases of the cost model were designed to reflect variations in Texas versus Wyoming site applications. The results of applying the model under numerous ore deposit, operating, well field, and extraction plant conditions for Texas and Wyoming are summarized in the report. Sensitivity analysis of changes in key project parameters have also been tested and are included.
Biosorption of uranium (VI) ions by immobilized Aspergillus fumigatus beads was investigated in a batch system. The influences of solution pH, biosorbent dose, U (VI) concentration, and contact time on U (VI) biosorption were studied. The results indicated that the adsorption capacity was strongly affected by the solution pH, the biosorbent dose and initial U (VI) concentration. Optimum biosorption was observed at pH 5.0, biosrobent dose (w/v) 2.5%, initial U (VI) concentration 60 mg L{sup -1}. Biosorption equilibrium was established in 120 min. The adsorption process conformed to the Freunlich and Temkin isothermal adsorption models. The dynamic adsorption model conformed to pseudo-second order model.
The Plutonium-Uranium Extraction (PUREX) Plant, conceived during the early Cold War years, was a vehicle to increase significantly US nuclear weapons production capacity. The original PUREX Plant was a concrete rectangle 1,005 feet long and 61.5 feet wide. The shielding capacity of the concrete was designed so that personnel in non-regulated service areas would not receive radiation in excess of 0.1 millirem per hour. This report discusses the design of the PUREX Plant, the production chronology, projects and equipment changes, equipment decontamination and reuse, waste management, and contamination events that have occurred during the operation of the plant. Additionally, the development and history of the Uranium Trioxide Plant are also covered.
This report presents the results of a study dealing with the homogeneous recycling of either Pu or Pu+Np or Pu+Np+Am or Pu+Np+Am+Cm in PWRs using MOX-UE fuel, i.e. standard MOX fuel with a U235 enriched uranium support instead of the standard tail uranium (0.25%) for standard MOX fuel. This approach allows to multirecycle Pu or TRU (Pu+MA) as long as U235 is available, by keeping the Pu or TRU content in the fuel constant and at a value ensuring a negative moderator void coefficient (i.e. the loss of the coolant brings imperatively the reactor to a subcritical state). Once this value is determined, the U235 enrichment of the MOX-UE fuel is adjusted in order to reach the target burnup (51 GWd/t in this study).
The awareness of health issues related to buildings has heightened past decades. Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) has been addressed in most Green Building Rating Systems nowadays. This article analyses the scope of IEQ (Indoor Environmental Quality) within Rating Systems GPR Gebouw, BREEAM-NL (Dutch version of Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Each Rating System allocates health aspects. However, none of these Rating Systems addresses a complete set of relevant aspects. High ratings do not guarantee healthy buildings. It is concluded that, in general, credits for energy efficiency do not interfere with credits for enhanced indoor environmental quality. [Dutch] Gezondheidsaspecten van gebouwen hebben afgelopen decennia steeds meer en integraler aandacht gekregen. In de instrumenten GPR Gebouw, BREEAM-NL ...
The report presents a long-range plan for a broad-based, coordinated research, development and market transformation program for reducing the lighting energy intensities in commercial and residential buildings in California without compromising lighting quality. An effective program to advance lighting energy efficiency in California must be based on an understanding that lighting is a mature field and the lighting industry has developed many specialized products that meet a wide variety of light needs for different building types. Above all else, the lighting field is diverse and there are applications for a wide range of lighting products, systems, and strategies. Given the range of existing lighting solutions, an effective energy efficient lighting research portfolio must be broad-based and diverse to match the diversity of the lighting market itself. The belief that there is one solution--a magic bullet, such as a better lamp, for ...
Forced vibration experiment has been conducted for the reactor building of Sendai Unit 1 nuclear power plant. The beam vibrational behaviors of the outer shielding building and the internal concrete structure have been observed by using a 50 tf vibration for low frequency region, and a 10 tf vibration for high frequency region, respectively. The outline of the experimental methods, the data handling system and the major results of experiment are described. The experimental results were simulated by an analytical model. The proper vibrational frequency and the vibration modes obtained by the analysis were compared with those obtained by the experiment. By these comparison, the adequacy of the analytical method employed for the design was confirmed. (Aoki, K.).
The application of multi-objective genetic algorithms for green building design in two phases were presented in order to better help designers in the decision-making process. The purpose is to minimize two conflicting criteria: the life-cycle cost and the life-cycle environmental impact. Environmental impact criteria examined include energy and non-energy natural resources, global warming, and acidification. Variables focus on building envelope-related parameters. The application of multi-objective genetic algorithms is divided into two phases. The first phase intends to help designers in understanding the trade-off relationship between the two conflicting criteria. The second phase intends to refine the performance region that is of the designer's interest. The results after the two-phase application of the multi objective genetic algorithm were then presented. 13 refs., 4 tabs., 3 figs.
The Seismic Risk Explorer, an extension for ArcGIS Desktop developed by cedim AG, is a tool for computing the seismic risk, i.e. damage on residential buildings and thereby caused monetary losses for earthquake scenarios. It is based on the research results of the CEDIM (Center for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Technology) research center, located at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) in Potsdam. With this software tool seismic scenarios can be simulated for a given magnitude, depths and location. The seismic intensity, the resulting mean damage ratio for residential buildings and the seismic risk, expressed as the monetary loss caused by an earthquake can be computed downscaled to communities, postcode areas or even single buildings. Interested end-users are especially insurance companies, but also public authorities which may use the tool for risk management issues.
Using high-resolution y-rays spectrometry, the natural radioactivity of 14 samples of natural and o manufactured Egyptian building materials have been investigated. The samples were collected from local market and construction sites. From the measured gamma-ray spectra, specific activities were determined. The radium equivalent activity in each sample was estimated. Radiological evaluations of these materials indicate that all materials meet the external gamma-ray dose limitation. Calculation of concentration indices by assuming a Markkanen room model is constructed from these materials, to find the excess gamma-ray dose taken over that received from the outdoors. The Austrian Standard ONORM S 5200 is used in testing the building materials.
An uncomfortable thermal climate, draft complaints and a bad airquality are often related to the climate installation. To avoid badfunctioning of the system a number of preconditions has to be fulfilledwith regard to design, planning and execution, adjustments, completion,control, maintenance and management of the installations. First threetypes of health problems in buildings are shortly discussed: buildingrelated illness, sick building syndrome and building or installationrelated complaints. Then some functions of the climate installationsare described: air filtration, filter classes and filter quality, aswell as investment costs for better filters. Next the causes for thecomplaints are dealt with: air conditioning, ventilation, air quality,and temperatures. Subsequently health affecting aspects in relation tothe climate systems are discussed: outdoor air pollution,microorganisms, bacteria (legionella pneumophila), ...
More than sixty base-isolated buildings have been built in Japan. A number of base-isolation systems were considered in our research, which was intended to establish the effectiveness of base-isolation systems. We conducted research on silicone rubber bearings. Generally, silicone rubber is durable and its characteristics are not dependent on the temperature within the relevant design range. The first part of the report covers material and elements testing. After the bearings were installed in the building, we performed forced vibration tests in both the horizontal and vertical directions. These test results form the next section. After several experiments, we carried out earthquake observations. We report on the effectiveness of the system in reducing response acceleration during a small displacement. This system was installed in the building in March 1992
As a result of a lower value of the energy efficiency coefficient (EPC) for houses and the implementation of the Energy Performance Building Directive (EPBD), both in 2006, the interest in applying renewable energy systems is growing. Therefore, this issue is dedicated to renewable energy and related energy systems. [Dutch] Het begrip 'duurzaam' is van toepassing op twee pijlers: een pijler betreft het gebruik van duurzame materialen, de tweede pijler is duurzame energie. Door verlaging van de Energieprestatiecoefficient (EPC) voor woningen per 2006 en de invoering van de Europese richtlijn Energy Performance Building Directive (EPBD) in 2006, krijgt duurzame energie een nieuwe impuls. Reden voor de redactie van ThemaTech om deze aflevering te wijden aan duurzame energie en verwante ystemen.
This paper reviews the state of the art of silicon-germanium technology and assesses the problems of building thermoelectric modules in Europe, based upon silicon-germanium alloys, for use in multihundred watt radio-isotope thermoelectric generator. The generator developed in the United States for the International Solar Polar mission has been used as a reference system. The essential features of an alternative system, which employs thermocouples fabricated from improved silicon-germanium alloys based upon a design by the Fairchild Space and Electronics Company, is also described. It is concluded that although the fabrication of reliable electrical contacts will present a major problem, the technology is available in Europe to build thermoelectric modules similar to those developed for the International Solar Polar mission. (orig.).
This brochure describes the strategy employed by the administration of Malaspina University--College in Nanaimo, British Columbia, to implement energy-efficient plans and integrating systems and plans that would allow the institution to consume less energy, fewer resources and improve the health and well-being of its students and staff. An assessment study to identify the most problematic areas, and to develop a prioritizing strategy for their replacement was the first step, followed by rigorous adherence to a 10- year cyclical replacement schedule. The program includes replacement of rooftop ventilation units, installation of high-performance glazing units to replace single-glazed windows, implementation of an Energy Management System to monitor heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, and a Power Smart New Building Design and Building Improvements Program. The combined cost avoidance associated with these projects is estimated to ...
This paper summarizes the IHY and BSS activities in West Asia and their importance in many Arab countries, such as Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, etc. BSS future plans for some of these countries are as follows: It is proposed by the astronomers from the Arabian Gulf Region to build the Gulf Observatory on top of Jabal Shams (2980 msl) which will have a 2-3 m optical telescope. Libya signed a contract with a French company for building an observatory which will have a 2-m optical robotic telescope. It is also proposed to rebuild the Iraqi National Astronomical Observatory (INAO) which was destroyed during the two wars. It is planned to build a 5-6 m optical telescope and a small solar telescope on the top of Korek mountain, which has excellent observing conditions.
The national energy research programme LVIS-2000: Future Building Services is concerned with the control of energy use and indoor climate in buildings of the future. The projects were presented at a one day seminar arranged by the Laboratory of Heating and Ventilation of the Technical Research Centre in Finland which is coordinating the programme. The presentations at the seminar were: Impurity emission from materials, Building materials and indoor air quality, analysis of organic compounds in indoor air, effect of the return air, effect of the return air on health and comfort, electric heating as an indoor climate factor, calculations of air flows in ventilated rooms, effect of energy saving measures on hospital hygiene, application of modern aerosol measurement technique on indoor climate research.
The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is interested in assessing the potential economic impacts of its portfolio of subprograms on national employment and income. A special purpose version of the IMPLAN input-output model called ImBuild II is used in this study of all 21 Building Technologies Program subprograms in the EERE final FY 2005 budget request to the Office of Management and Budget on February 2, 2004. Energy savings, investments, and impacts on U.S. national employment and earned income are reported by subprogram for selected years to the year 2030. Energy savings and investments from these subprograms have the potential of creating a total of 396,000 jobs and about $5.6 billion in earned income (2003$) by the year 2030.
Southern California Gas Co.`s (SoCalGas) Energy Resource Center (ERC) in Downey, Calif. is a 45,000 ft{sup 2} (4,181 m{sup 21}) conference and education center created to help energy decision-makers find the most energy-efficient, cost-effective and environment-sensitive solutions to their energy requirements. The center has 36,000 ft{sup 2} (3,344 m{sup 2}) of remodeled space and 9,000 ft{sup 2} (836 m{sup 2}) of new space, all designed to showcase the latest energy-efficient and environment-sensitive technologies. The building is one of the 25 buildings in the US to be designated as Energy Star Showcase buildings by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
A series of Model Tests of Embedment Effect on Reactor Buildings has been carried out by the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC), under the sponsorship of the Ministry of International Trade and lndustry (MITI) of Japan. The nuclear reactor buildings are partially embedded due to conditions for the construction or building arrangement in Japan. It is necessary to verify the partial embedment effects by experiments and analytical studies in order to incorporate the effects in the seismic design. Forced vibration tests, therefore, were performed using a model with several types of embedment. Correlated simulation analyses were also performed and the characteristics of partial embedment effects on soil-structure interaction were evaluated. (author)
Fluorocarbon polymers are used to enhance thermal stability and electrostatic protection of composite propellant compositions. A precipitation technique has been developed to coat ammonium perchlorate (AP) using a copolymer of hexafluoropropylene and vinylidene fluoride (HFP-VF) with the help of solvent-counter solvent method. The coated AP has been used to prepare propellant compositions in different ratio based on hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), aluminium powder along with uncoated AP and studied for viscosity build-up and visco-elastic behaviour as well as mechanical, ballistic, thermal and sensitivity properties keeping 86% solid loading. The data on viscosity build-up indicate that as the percentage of viton coated AP increases end of mix viscosity and viscosity build-up inc...
This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) examines a project that aimed to define standard solutions for use in buildings built to meet Minergie low energy consumption standards. These standard solutions are to provide a way of meeting Minergie standards in an easy way and thus further the use of the standard and also assure quality at the same time. The report describes how the solutions were developed on the basis of a selection of existing Minergie buildings. For various combinations of heating systems - wood, wood/solar, heat pumps (brine-water and air-water), gas/solar and oil/solar - the appropriate U-values for various building elements are listed. The resulting Minergie forms and guides are listed.
The manual enhances and simplifies the work of those architects and engineers whose practice includes the analysis and modification of existing buildings to reduce both fuel consumption and operating costs. A review of the principles of energy use and conservation is given. The manual also provides a step-by-step methodology for assessing and improving the year-round energy performance of buildings, as well as a series of forms, charts, and nomographs designed to serve as day-to-day tools in the energy professional's toolbox. After a cost-benefit analysis is prepared for each conservation opportunity, the owner will be able to implement decisions based on projected energy savings and calculate investment costs, operational changes, and payback periods. Each of these considerations is accorded a detailed treatment.
This two-tomes book brings together the 108 presentations given at the first conference of the international institute of refrigeration (IIF/IIR) about air conditioning in high rise office buildings. The main themes are: general design and control systems, including split systems, radiant panels, fluctuating and gravity ventilation etc..; energy consumption, optimization and heat recovery; cold storage for peak shaving, including ice slurry circulation; indoor air quality; fire and smokes protection, protection against chimney effects and lighting spots; use of fuzzy logic and of neural networks. It includes also a description of the high rise building situation and works in progress in China, Japan and in some other countries. (J.S.)
Volume one contains calculations for: embankment design--embankment material properties; Union Carbide site--bedrock contours; vicinity properties--origin of contamination; North Continent and Union Carbide sites contaminated materials--excavation quantities; and demolition debris--quantity estimate.
Volume four contains calculations for: Borrow areas--site evaluation; temporary facilities--material quantities; embankment quantities--excavation and cover materials; Burro Canyon site excavation quantities--rippable and unrippable materials; site restoration--earthwork quantities and seeding; and bid schedule quantities and material balance.
The transverse flow of cohesive powders of uranium in a rotating kiln equipped with raising levers has been studied experimentally at ambient temperature and at the temperatures of the process. The simple laws obtained have permitted to calculate the average distribution of the powder in a straight section of the kiln. (J.S.)
The project is intended to yield information on the transfer factors describing the transfer of ingested radionuclides to breast milk for the following elements: antimony, cerium, chromium, cobalt, gallium, lanthanum, molybdenum, niobium, radium, ruthenium, silver, thorium, titanium, and uranium. Those yet unknown or poorly known transfer factors are required in order to be able to develop a reliable model for description and assessment of the transfer of the radionuclides and the possibly resulting hazardous doses to infants, and for subsequent formulation of recommendations for radiological protection of the population. (orig./CB)
The article deals with the effects of various hazardous materials in the working environment. Some of these may be detrimental to the safety and health of the worker. The absorption of hazardous substances by the human body is discussed, as well as the effects of toxic substances. The hazardous substances are classified into the following categories: irritants, asphyxiants, anaesthetics and narcotics, carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens, systemic poisons, hazardous particulate matter and the biotransformation of toxic substances. Examples of hazardous substances include: industrial solvents, fumes and vapours, lead, mercury and uranium.
This is the sixth book on reactor materials published under sponsorship of the Naval Reactors Office of the United States Department of Energy, formerly the United States Atomic Energy Commission. This book presents a comprehensive compilation of the most significant properties of thorium dioxide, much like the book Uranium Dioxide: Properties and Nuclear Applications presented information on the fuel material used in the Shippingport Pressurized Water Reactor core.
As a new production technique of yellow cake, resorption with loaded resin-elution with acid ammonium nitrate-precipitation in two steps is studied. The results show that the produced yellow cake by the new production technique has better performance of settlement, filtration and dehydration. Each index of yellow cake accords with the first grade level issued by CNNC without washing, uranium and water content are 70% and 25%, respectively
Different technological procedures used for the chemical mining of uranium differ for one thing with a level of the deposit exploitation and for another with the expenditures. It is necessary to find out the highest acceptable value of the costs per unit of production - limit unit costs. This criterion serves both for selection of the minable parts of deposit, and for determination of the exploitation level of the deposit parts. The paper describes a calculation of the costs and their decomposition into the fixed and variable costs. An evaluation of the different variants of the deposit exploitation is based on the variable costs, expressed in the dependence on the parameters of technological procedure. These parameters are either primary, e.g. density of the wells or dosage of reagents, or secondary, e.g. the uranium production. A relation between primary and secondary variables is defined by the technological models. The first economic ...
According to the data of drill cores, outcrops and well logging, two orders base-level cycles are recognized from Zhiluo Formation in Dongsheng area, which consist of 8-14 short-term base-level cycles and 3 mid-term base-level cycles, and their structural types and stacking patterns are discussed by using principles and methods of high-resolution sequence stratigraphic theory. Based on the correlation of mid-term base-level cycles, the control of the A/S (Accommodation/Sediment supply) ratio in mid-term base-level cycles on the scale of sand bodies and physical properties of reservoir is analysed. Studies show that the sand bodies of braided stream in MSC1 of Zhiluo Formation are favourable to uranium mineralization, however, the sand bodies of meandering river in MSC2 and MSC3 are not favourable to uranium mineralization. The change of the A/S results in the difference in characters of sand body, such as physical properties, continuity and so ...
The temperature coefficient has been investigated on the Wolsung nuclear power reactor, in which fuel is natural uranium dioxide and moderator heavy water. The numerical computations are carried out in terms of changes of the effective neutron multiplication factor with respect to fuel, moderator, and coolant temperatures. Those results are compared with the computed values of temperature coefficient based on the LATREP computer code. (author).
This rebuttal to a previous article provides new insight into the use of sprayed sealants in uranium mines. The author rejects the idea that the value of rock sealant on radon control is destroyed by changes in barometric pressure, showing that this is not necessarily true. The analyses described demonstrate that radon contamination resulting from changing barometric pressures is reduced by a rock coating. The overall use of coatings depends on their costs and effectiveness as compared with other radon control measures. 6 refs.
Soil placed over any sealant/barrier system can provide a protective mantle if the soil is not lost by erosion. Vegetation is an attractive choice for controlling erosion because it can provide an economical self-renewing cover that serves to reduce erosion by both wind and water. The objective of this research and development effort is to select and test vegetation strategies, including the choice of species and methods for revegetation that are compatible with sealant/barrier systems and are suited to soils and climates at inactive uranium mill tailings sites.
This volume contains appendices D6 through D8 containing laboratory test data: from MK-F investigation, 1987, Old Rifle and New Rifle sites; on bentonite amended radon barrier material; and from MK-F investigation, 1987, riprap tests.
Radon concentration measurement in the ground can be used for the prospecting for uranium and earthquake prediction. Some results of radon concentration measurement in the soil are presented here. The moisture condensation at the detector surface can affect on the detection efficiency. Due to this problem we tested a few filter papers on water permeability. The ratio of track densities on solid state nuclear track detector (SSNTD) in the open and the closed diffusion chamber is also determined. (author)
Brief summaries are given of research carried out in the following areas: absorption spectroscopy of titanium, niobium, and molybdenum in uranium alloys; atomic absorption spectroscopy of selenium in stainless steel, computer program improvements for spectrophotometer control, and detection of beryllium in stack gases; electrolysis for inactivation of bacteria in cooling-tower water; improved solvent analysis by gas chromatography; sequential radionuclide separation for various sample matrices; progress on an electron microprobe analyzer; and miscellaneous projects.
The effectiveness of an acrylic latex wall sealant in limiting the escape of radon from rock in underground mines is the subject of this paper. Application of the latex as a two-coat system over a fillter coat of gunite produced a reduction of radon concentration from an initial level of 80 to 100 pCi/L to a final average of 25 to 30 pCi/L under similar conditions.
A variety of critical experiments were constructed of enriched uranium metal during the 1960s and 1970s at the Oak Ridge Critical Experiments Facility (ORCEF) in support of criticality safety operations at the Y-12 Plant. The purposes of these experiments included the evaluation of storage, casting, and handling limits for the Y-12 Plant and providing data for verification of calculation methods and cross-sections for nuclear criticality safety applications. These included solid cylinders of various diameters, annuli of various inner and outer diameters, two and three interacting cylinders of various diameters, and graphite and polyethylene reflected cylinders and annuli. Of the hundreds of delayed critical experiments, one experiment was comprised of a stack of approximately 7-inch-diameter metal discs. The bottom of the stack consisted of uranium with an approximate height of 4-1/8 inches. The top of the stack consisted of beryllium with an ...
Nuclear magnetic resonance results are presented for a number of NaCl-type compounds and cubic Laves-phase type compounds of uranium, neptunium, and plutonium. Special emphasis is placed on the Knight shift and spin-lattice relaxation time measurements and their interpretation in terms of localized or itinerant pictures of the 5f electrons. (author).
Nuclear magnetic resonance results are presented for a number of NaCl-type compounds and cubic Laves-phase type compounds of uranium, neptunium, and plutonium. Special emphasis is placed on the Knight shift and spin-lattice relaxation time measurements and their interpretation in terms of localized or itinerant pictures of the 5Line integral electrons.
Processing certain raw materials containing natural radioactive isotopes (e.g. U-238, Th-232 or K- 40) into products such as glas, abrasives, grinding materials or electrodes used for gasshielded tungsten-arc welding also leads to certain concentrations of industrial waste containing natural radioactive materials. Such industrial waste does not necessarily contain natural radioactive substances in concentrations exceeding the highest possible levels but nevertheless in significantly measurable quantities. This, however, frequently leads to confusion bordering on irritation by entities processing such substances as well as the general public, since they tend to believe natural radioactive substances in unobjectable concentration to cause similar or identical - health - consequences as man made radioactive substances in detrimental concentration. Radioactive materials may be incorporated intentionally or unintentionally into the product as main or additional ingredients. The recent ...
Processing certain raw materials containing natural radioactive isotopes (e.g. U-238, Th-232 or K- 40) into products such as glas, abrasives, grinding materials or electrodes used for gasshielded tungsten-arc welding also leads to certain concentrations of industrial waste containing natural radioactive materials. Such industrial waste does not necessarily contain natural radioactive substances in concentrations exceeding the highest possible levels but nevertheless in significantly measurable quantities. This, however, frequently leads to confusion bordering on irritation by entities processing such substances as well as the general public, since they tend to believe natural radioactive substances in unobjectable concentration to cause similar or identical - health - consequences as man made radioactive substances in detrimental concentration. Radioactive materials may be incorporated intentionally or unintentionally into the product as main or additional ingredients. The recent ...
Samples of Parmelia sulcata and Xanthoria parietina from different biotopes have been analysed for elements of the series of uranium 238 and thorium 232. These species have been used as bio-monitors in different cases : urban areas, coal fired power plant, tip for uranium-mining residues. The concentration of most of these elements in lichens is decreasing as follows: radium waste-disposal site > area with uranium-rich soil > urban area > rural area. Road traffic was not found to increase notably the presence of radioactive lead in the environment. The two foliose lichens seem to have a comparable concentration ability, but Parmelia sulcata appeared to be more reliable. Some of the elements under investigation could be particularly problematic from a sanitary point of view: the intake limits in case of inhalation are very low and the atmospheric deposition is not negligible; this is particularly so for lead 210 and ...
This investigation involves a study of the influence of key processing parameters on the heating of materials using microwave energy. Selective and localized heating characteristics of microwaves will be utilized in the sintering of ceramics without hydrostatic pressure. In addition, combustion synthesis will be studied for the production of powders, carbides, and nitrides by combining two or more solids or a solid and a gas to form new materials. The insight gained from the interaction of microwaves with various materials will be utilized in the mobilization and subsequent redeposition of uranium.
Residual plutonium (Pu), with trace quantities of depleted uranium (DU) or weapons grade uranium (WU), exists in surficial soils at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), Nellis Air Force Range (NAFR), and the Tonopah Test Range (TTR) as the result of the above-ground testing of nuclear weapons and special experiments involving the detonation of plutonium-bearing devices. The special experiments (referred to as safety shots) involving plutonium-bearing devices were conducted to study the behavior of Pu as it was being explosively compressed; ensure that the accidental detonation of the chemical explosive in a production weapon would not result in criticality; evaluate the ability of personnel to manage large-scale Pu dispersal accidents; and develop criteria for transportation and storage of nuclear weapons. These sites do not pose a health threat to either workers or the general public because they are under active institutional control. The DOE is ...
The compound UC_2Si_2 has been found to be ferromagnetic at low temperatures with a Curie temperature of 101"0K. The magnetization follows a Curie-Weiss law in the paramagnetic region with an effective magneton number of 2.12 Bohr magnetons per uranium atom. Partial substitution of Th atoms for the U atoms results in an expansion of the lattice, a rapid drop in the Curie temperature, and a sizable increase in the coercive field.
Nuclear material is either a product of technological processing of natural source material or it is entirely of anthropogenic origin. Consequently, nuclear material carries 'tool-marks' or 'fingerprints' of the process it was subjected to. Uranium fuels are examples of the first category, while plutonium belongs to the second category. The nature of these production processes is reflected in the elemental and isotopic composition of the material as well as in its microscopic and macroscopic appearance. All of these parameters can be determined using appropriate analytical techniques and they may result in important conclusions on the history and on the origin of the material. Therefore, they provide the most essential contribution to the prevention of future diversions of nuclear material from the same source. So far, essentially metallic impurities or light elements have been investigated for their potential in providing clues either on the type of process they ...
This ISB, in conjunction with the IOSR, provides the required basis for interim operation or restrictions on interim operations and administrative controls for the facility until a SAR is prepared in accordance with the new requirements or the facility is shut down. It is concluded that the risks associated with tha current and anticipated mode of the facility, uranium disposition, clean up, and transition activities required for permanent closure, are within risk guidelines.
The possibility of having properly designed multinational fuel cycle agreements which would contribute to public acceptance of nuclear energy are explored. The advantages of existing international cooperation in the field of uranium enrichment and nuclear waste disposal and reprocessing are discussed. The possible forms of multinational co-operation under an international organisation, committed the non-proliferation and operating under international law and covering storage facilities, security of raw materials and the nuclear fuel cycle are summarised in model form. (U.K.).
The hyperfine interactions at the uranium site in the antiferromagnetic USb2 compound were calculated within the density functional theory (DFT) employing augmented plane wave plus local orbital (APW+lo) method. We investigated the dependence of the nuclear quadruple interaction to the magnetic structure in USb2 compound. The result shows that the 5f-electrons have the tendency to be hybridized with the conduction electrons.
A method based on the collection of [sup 99]Tc from 500 l sea water samples by anion exchange and further extraction of TcO[sub 4][sup -] into 5% triisooctylamine-xylene has been improved to include a decontamination factor 6.5x10[sup 5] for uranium. The detection limit for [sup 99]Tc is thereby reduced to 3 mBq/m[sup 3].
Biosorption means the storage of substances at the cell envelope. Different microbial biomasses were tested for the separation of radionuclides from mining waters. Results of a pilot plant demonstrate the ability of these techniques for water cleaning processes. An effluent concentration of lower than 1 mg/l (in most cases 0.1 mg/1) could be realized in a pilot plant by using pure cells of a methylotrophic strain of bacteria as well as using of a fungal mycelia.
This illustrated booklet describes the fission process; the use of uranium to produce power in nuclear power stations (and a brief explanation of the differences between the principal types of reactor); the formation of plutonium and fission products; radioactive wastes and their management; nuclear fusion and a conceptual fusion reactor; alpha, beta and gamma radiations; radioisotopes and their applications. (U.K.).
The MEX-15 is a conceptual design of a Multipurpose Reactor with thermal power of 15 MW and this reactor is pool type with fuel plates U{sub 3}0{sub 8}-Al of low enrichment uranium. This report presents the static calculation for the MEX-15 reactor using SRAC code system and was developed under the collaboration agreement between ININ-JAERI in Research Reactor Technology Development Division of Department of Research Reactor in Tokai Research Establishment. (Author)
"Force20 networks, the pioneer in building and securing reliable networks, today announced that the University of Tennessee physics department has deployed the C300 resilient switch to analyze data form CERN's Large Hadron Collider." (1/2 page)
Three photaffinity labeled derivatives of epothilone D were prepared by total synthesis, using efficient novel asymmetric synthesis methods for the preparation of two important synthetic building...Full Text Available
Using an economic perspective, it is possible to make a case for green buildings and green development practices by placing emphasis on Energy Efficiency and Environmental Design. Several case studies have demonstrated that green buildings save money through reduced consumption of natural resources, electricity and gas both at the building site and at the source of energy. Sound environmental practices and energy efficiency measures improve the environmental conditions throughout the state by reducing power plant emissions and reducing operations and maintenance budgets in the state. The author presented a case study where a green development project was guided and monitored using the Environmental Performance Rating System called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), version 2.0. The work was registered to achieve LEED certification. A brief study on current construction related costs was also included. 2 ...
Sensors installed at a telephone office building in Neenah, WI, continuously monitor 24 parameters related to the operation of the building's heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. This data is stored in a dedicated minicomputer and can be retrieved, in various formats, for subsequent analyses. For more than a year, we have measured indoor and outdoor concentrations of both fine and coarse airborne particles, their chemical constituents, and volatile organic compounds at this same location. Using this data, we have examined the composition of the indoor air as it correlates to the composition of the outdoor air and the various HVAC operating parameters. The steady-state indoor concentrations of the particles, particulate constituents, and organic vapors can be explained in the context of a mass balance model. This model can also be used to calculate the rate at which selected chemicals are generated within the ...
How does complex social behavior evolve? What are the developmental building blocks of division of labor and specialization, the hallmarks of insect societies? Studies have revealed the developmental...Full Text Available
This paper proposes a technique of moving picture overlapping for view simulation by means of the moving picture processing. The continuous pictures of actual natural view gotten from video and the pictures of building structure made by computer graphics (CG) were overlapped. The CG pictures of building structure model were made considering the camera parameters, such as position and direction of camera. In order to analyze the continuously changing camera parameters, optical flows were determined from the view video. Based on these results, the overlapping video was made, in which the building structure was incorporated into the actual view. Furthermore, the proposed technique of moving picture overlapping was applied to the view simulation of transmission line tower. Consequently, it was demonstrated that the overlapped moving pictures can provide information which can not be obtained from the still pictures. It was ...
Neutron radiography (NR) is a useful non-destructive method for determination of hydrogen content in various building and technical materials. Monitoring of transport processes of moisture and hydrogenous liquids in porous building materials is enabled by fast, quasi-real-time NR methods based on novel imaging plate neutron detectors (IP-NDs). Hydrogen content in the samples is determined by quantitative analysis of measured profiles of neutron attenuation in the samples. Detailed description of quantitative NR method is presented by the authors in another accompanying contribution at this conference. Deterioration of building materials is originated by different processes that all require presence of water therefore it is essential to limit or prevent the transport of water through the porous material. In this presentation, results of a study of clay brick impregnation by silicone based hydrophobic agents will be ...
This document gathers the presentations given at the first French national meetings of solar energy for the development of solar systems in buildings. The meeting was organized over two days. The first day comprises 4 workshops about: urbanism and planning, cultural acceptability of solar energy in buildings (the OPAC 38 housing association, point of view on an energy information point, the Freiburg (Germany) solar region and marketing examples), technical integration to the structure (Clipsol solutions), and economical criteria (compared impacts of R and D public photovoltaic programs (USA, Japan, Germany, France, Italy), financing of rehabilitation projects, global approach of solar photovoltaic energy, technical solutions and strategy of products development, why and how to make an economical analysis of solar energy applications in the building industry). The second day comprises a plenary session and a round table: ...
BackgroundGenomes store information for building and maintaining organisms. Complete sequencing of many genomes provides the opportunity to study and compare global information properties...Full Text Available
The article presents measures for the solution of construction-biological problems and for reducing the pollutant load of buildings. (HW) [Deutsch] Der Artikel berichtet ueber Massnahmen ueber Sanierung von baubiologischen Schwachstellen und Schadstoffbelastungen in Gebaeuden. (HW)
...broad range of experience in designing and building research and development laboratories for products such as vaccines, blood and sera, biological products, medical devices, solid dosage forms , highly potent products and cytotoxic material. We also have experience in a range of modular laboratories for TSE research, ...
Several researchers have examined and achieved favourable results in connection with the building industry's use of red mud extracted in large quantities from the processing of bauxite. These days more and more precedence is being given to limiting the radiological dose to the population. In this study carried out in Hungary, the use of red mud, bauxite, and clay additives recommended for the production of special cements, were examined from a radiological aspect. "2"2"6Ra and "2"3"2Th activity concentrations measured in Hungarian bauxite, red mud and clay samples were significantly similar with the levels for such raw materials mentioned in international literature. Taking radiation protection aspects into consideration, none of these products can be directly used for building construction. Taking Hungarian and international values into consideration, a small amount of red mud, not exceeding 15% could be used for brick production, for example ...
Science and technology could be revolutionized by quantum computers, but building them from solid-state devices will not be easy. Robert W Keyes of IBM's research division outlines the challenges in scaling up the technology from lab experiments to practical devices. (U.K.)
The present status of theoretical description of deep-inelastic lepton-nucleon as well as large angle Bhabha scattering with account for radiative corrections in the leading and next-to-leading approximations are reviewed. Also considered is a build-up principle and physical programme of the photon-photon colliders
Over 250 adults and children were exposed to chlordane when the wooden building surfaces and soil around an apartment complex were sprayed in 1987. Two hundred-sixteen adults had neurobehavioral functions...Full Text Available
The T-loop motif is an important recurrent RNA structural building block consisting of a U-turn sub-motif and a UA trans Watson–Crick/Hoogsteen base pair. In the presence of...Full Text Available
Theoretically, the outcome of World War II in Europe hung in the balance as the Allies poured onto the Normandy beachhead. Following the June 6, 1944 invasion, the Allies continue to come ashore, massively building up men and material inside the beachhead...
This article describes the new Health Sciences Library at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. The library was under construction for about two years and opened in...Full Text Available
The indoor climate of school buildings have been much debated recently. Many problems connected with air quality and thermal comfort are caused by bad maintenance, fitted carpets and no sunshades. Mechanical ventilation in schools has gained a bad reputation and many municipalities are seeking other solutions when building new schools. Natural ventilation according to the ''Swedish model'' does not use air filters or heat recovery from the outgoing air and achieve low energy consumption by reducing the airflow substantially in cold weather. Most of the naturally ventilated schools have supply air culverts of concrete below ground outside the building and in the basement. This is also true of schools using hybrid ventilation, where natural and mechanical ventilation is combined. The naturally ventilated schools often use manual control of the ventilation, which may not always be a good ...
BackgroundMaintenance of healthy bone requires the balanced activities of osteoclasts (OCs), which resorb bone, and osteoblasts, which build bone. Disproportionate action of OCs...Full Text Available
More than 100 old mine dumps active mine tailing ponds and granite quarries were investigated in South-West Germany to evaluate their potential impact on the environment caused by natural radioactive materials and by toxic metals. Five mine sites were monitored for a longer period according to their radon impact on the environment. They showed seasonal variations greater than a factor of 5 at some places. The annual mean radon concentration over granitic soil was found to be about 44 Bq.m/sup -3/ while very near the dumps more than 370 Bq.m/sup -3/ were usual. Radium concentrations up to 185 Bq.kg/sup -1/ were found in certain types of abandoned mine dumps. Some of the waste rock piles investigated are in the immediate neighbourhood of buildings and some old mine establishments are now used as homes. In these dwellings passive time integrating radon dosemeters have been exposed for up to a three month period. The average radon concentrations in the ...
To elucidate problems with microfungal infestation in indoor environments, a multidisciplinary collaborative pilot study, supported by a grant from the Danish Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs,...Full Text Available
... The high resolution imagery , collected over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, included a mixture of large commercial buildings and private houses, as well as the airport and some community parks. 10/08/11 Read more Top EU R&D companies expect a 5% ...
Radon has been recognized by various international health organizations as a major lung carcinogen. The onset of cellular carcinogenesis involves DNA damage to bronchi epithelial cells by particles emitted by radon progeny. Radon diffusion is an important release mechanism for radon that is produced inside a building material. The physical parameter that characterizes this process is the radon diffusion Coefficient D(m-2 s-l). The diffusion constant and Diffusion length has been measured as 2.15xl0- 6 m-2s-1, 1.01m for soil, 1.65x10-6m-2s-1, 0.89m for sand and 0.21x 10-6m-2s-1, 0.31m for crush aggregate saudi building materials respectively. The values are found to be minimum for crush aggregates, which shows that crush aggregate is least permeable to radon flow as compared with the other building materials studied. (author)
The reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS), the reactive upper airways dysfunction syndrome (RUDS), the sick building syndrome (SBS), and the multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome (MCS) are overlapping...Full Text Available
The purpose of this project was to build a long-range, parallel hybrid gas/electric vehicle capable of driving beyond the communter capabilities of series hybrid vehicles. It was envisioned that since the gas engine would be able to independently propel t...
In June 2009, the State of Hawaii enacted an Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (EEPS) with a target of 4,300 gigawatt hours (GWh) by 2030 (Hawaii 2009). Upon setting this goal, the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), working with select local stakeholders, partnered to execute the first key step toward attaining the EEPS goal: the creation of a high-resolution roadmap outlining key areas of potential electricity savings. This roadmap was divided into two core elements: savings from new construction and savings from existing buildings. BAH focused primarily on the existing building analysis, while NREL focused on new construction forecasting. This report presents the results of the Booz Allen Hamilton study on the existing building stock of Hawaii, along with conclusions on the key drivers of potential energy efficiency savings and on the steps ...
Concern is building about high rates of schizophrenia in large cities, and among immigrants, cannabis users, and traumatized individuals, some of which likely reflects the causal influence of environmental...Full Text Available
Vegetable oils such as soybean oil will be converted to novel polymers using hydroformylation and other catalytic processes. These polymers can be used in the construction, automotive, packaging, and electronic sectors.
Cleaning and disinfection of open surfaces in food industry premises leave some microorganisms behind; these microorganisms build up a resident flora on the surfaces. Our goal was to explore the phenomena...Full Text Available
Peripheral vision has been the topic of few studies compared with central vision. Nevertheless, given that visual information covers all the visual field and that relevant information can...Full Text Available
Increasing evidence of links between climate change, anthropogenic stress and coral disease underscores the importance of understanding the mechanisms by which reef-building corals resist infection...Full Text Available
The purpose of this study is to develop projects and actions that will reduce facilities energy consumption and operating costs at Fort Hunter Liggett. Implementation of these projects will contribute to achieving the goal of the Army Facilities Energy Plan of a reduction in energy consumption per square foot of building floor area of 20 percent by FY2OOO from FY1985 baseline levels, There are 205 numbered structures at Fort Hunter Liggett, containing a total of 791,034 square feet of gross floor space. This United Energy Study evaluates 52 surveyed buildings with results extended to an additional 44 identical or similar buildings. Together, these buildings contain a total of 632,386 gross square feet and account for approximately 93 percent of overall energy usage. Present Energy Consumption Total energy consumption at Fort Hunter Ligett in FY 1992 of non-transportation energy sources was 79,728 ...
The head of KEK expressed his dismay that SLAC has entered into a collaboration with 3 other US labs and proposes to build the next linear collider at Fermilab, Ilinois. KEK wants the next accelerator to be built somewhere in the Asian Pacific region (1 page).
This paper describes the test results on high-temperature strength properties of fire resistant steel(FR steel) for building, the formulation, and the examples of application to member tests and actual buildings. Because of its components and manufacturing method, FR steel excels in strength at elevated temperature due to precipitation and dispersion strengthening. Tests on high temperature properties of FR steel showed that every property such as strength, stress-strain curve, elastic modulus, and creep performance at high temperature was superior to those of conventional steels. Then, it was confirmed in the tensile tests at room temperature and high temperature after heat history that FR steel could be reused after fire. It was also found in the member tests that columns and beams of FR steel could support loadings equivalent to long-term allowable unit stress until the temperature rose up to 600 centigrade. Moreover, test results could be ...
When the foundations of the building are designed and worked, the prediction calculation of immediate settlement of the building exercised practically is to calculate assuming the earth is a linear elastic body, but the actual stress-strain relationship of the earth is nonlinear and rigidity of the earth becomes lower as strain (or stress) increases. Hence in order to grasp the actual settling behavior of the earth, it is necessary to elucidate the nonlinear relationship between stress and strain. In this article, a prediction method of building settlement is introduced which uses an analytical technique of the multi-layered earth by the linear elasticity theory and takes into consideration strain dependency of rigidity of the earth. Part of the conclusion is as follows which has been obtained by studying the settling behaviors observed in examples of vertical loading tests of the pile foundations and the elasto-plastic ...
This paper hopes to share the insights we experienced during designing, building, and running an indexing solution for a large set of radiological reports and images in a production environment for...Full Text Available
The report provides and overview of calculation models for the simulation of airflows and deals comprehensively with field and multi-zone models as well as the coupling of individual zone and multi-zone models. Examples of calculations are given. figs., tabs., refs.
The objective of this project is to reduce energy consumption in 203 buildings by providing a new EMCS (Energy Monitoring Control System) to control and monitor systems.
Elemental mercury has been imbued with magical properties for millennia, and various cultures use elemental mercury in a variety of superstitious and cultural practices, raising health concerns for...Full Text Available
It has recently been found that many buildings in Taiwan were constructed with radioactively contaminated rebar, which raised great concern among the residents as well as governmental officials. In order to investigate the possible cytogenetic damage to the residents of contaminated buildings, a G-banding method was carried out on the lymphocytes of 30 radiation-exposed individuals from four families and one office building, as well as 15 control individuals from laboratory personnel. The estimated cumulative radiation doses for the exposed people range from 19.63 to 280.50 mSv. Altogether, 13 females and 17 males belonging to the radiation-exposed group, and 7 females and 8 males in the control group, were included in this study. With the exception of one sample, at least 500 metaphase spreads were scored and analyzed for each individual. All the recognizable structural aberrations of chromosomes or chromatids were ...
It has recently been found that many buildings in Taiwan were constructed with radioactively contaminated rebar, which raised great concern among the residents as well as governmental officials. In order to investigate the possible cytogenetic damage to the residents of contaminated buildings, a G-banding method was carried out on the lymphocytes of 30 radiation-exposed individuals from four families and one office building, as well as 15 control individuals from laboratory personnel. The estimated cumulative radiation doses for the exposed people range from 19.63 to 280.50 mSv. Altogether, 13 females and 17 males belonging to the radiation-exposed group, and 7 females and 8 males in the control group, were included in this study. With the exception of one sample, at least 500 metaphase spreads were scored and analyzed for each individual. All the recognizable structural aberrations of chromosomes or chromatids were ...
Brownfields redevelopment contributes to the revitalization of communities across the U.S. Reuse of these abandoned, contaminated sites spurs economic growth, builds community pride, protects public health, and helps maintain our nation's "greenfields," often at a relatively low ...
Background: The objective of this study was to assess the factors associated with the traffic mortality in the region of Central Macedonia in order to produce evidence in building up preventive...Full Text Available
An economic analysis of the potential advantages of alternatives for recycling and reusing equipment now stored in Building 865 at the Rocky Flats Plant (RFP) in Colorado has been conducted. The inventory considered in this analysis consists primarily of metallurgical and process equipment used before January 1992, during development and production of nuclear weapons components at the site. The economic analysis consists of a thorough building inventory and cost comparisons for four equipment dispositions alternatives. The first is a baseline option of disposal at a Low Level Waste (LLW) landfill. The three alternatives investigated are metal recycling, reuse with the government sector, and release for unrestricted use. This report provides item-by-item estimates of value, disposal cost, and decontamination cost. The economic evaluation methods documented here, the simple cost comparisons presented, and the data provided as a supplement, should ...
The minimum energy conformations of dApdA have been examined for their suitability as buildings blocks of the single stranded coil form of polynucleotides. Calculations of the characteristic ratio C...Full Text Available
Certain applications are described of radionuclide X-ray fluorescence analysis in the ore dressing industry, in the manufacture of building materials, in metallurgy, pharmacy, in the chemical, photographic and paper industries, in space exploration, in archeology and for measuring the thicknesses of thin layers of coatings. (ES).
by American scientists, ecosystems containing a greater number of plant species, produce more biomass.This result ...to meet the increasing demand for land for farmland planted with monocultures, buildings and roads.For ...have hypothesized that greater ecological diversity (diversity of plant and animal species) leads to a greater
The reduction of emission from power plants of the public power industry inevitably leads to more and more residual products being obtained which require utilization. Traditionally, the building and building materials industry as well as, for a number of years, the gypsum industry have been the main customers processing these residual materials. To avoid having to tip them at landfills that are in short supply already, further uses are sought; so, for instance, in farming to ameliorate soil and fertilize plants. Relative to this subject, proposals are already available which are presented as lectures at the conference and discussed, together with practical knowledge and new investigation results. (BBR).
Twenty years after its building, the tertiary sector of La Defense district near Paris has been rehabilitated. The main reason is not only the age and wear of materials but the heating costs, the fire protection regulations, the search for a better air quality and air renewing with less dusts, smells and noise and a controlled moisture. This paper describes first the original installation of the Monge CB 6 office building and then the renovated installation: the central hot and cold air-treatment plant, the variable flow ventilation system, the air extraction and supply system threw the roofs and the pressure and thermal regulation of the installation. (J.S.)
The present paper is concerned with the prediction method for the motions and tensions of mooring lines on slack-moored floating oceanic architectural building in coastal zone. The motions and the tensions of mooring lines were estimated by the time domain numerical simulation in the present method. The present method includes the nonlinearity of mooring system, slow varying wave drift force. The authors performed a time domain numerical simulation for motions and the tensions of mooring lines on floating barge in two component waves. Also, the results obtained by numerical simulation were compared with the experimental results. The validity of the present method was confirmed.
The aim of this document is to make a state-of-the-art of the techniques of heating-cooling ceilings and cold beams. These systems offer many advantages: they generate a high quality thermal comfort, they are energy efficient, and offer important room saving, particularly interesting in the case of building renovation. The document comprises 5 parts dealing with: 1 - the heating-cooling ceilings; 2 - the cold beams; 3 - the elements necessary for the dimensioning (building-system interactions, ventilation, temperature regulation and safety systems); 4 - dimensioning method; 5 - design, realization and operation: the rules to follow. (J.S.)
Nanoparticles represent versatile building blocks in material science and nanotechnology. Thereby, the defined assembly of nanostructures (13 and 56 nm in diameter, respectively) is of significant importance. Short DNA sequences can be bound to the nanoparticle surface thus enabling highly specific DNA hybridization-driven events that direct the formation of nanoparticle constructs.In this paper, examples for the defined formation of gold nanoparticle constructs are demonstrated. In addition, gold-silver core-shell nanoparticles are introduced as further building blocks for the hybridization-controlled formation of nanoparticle constructs.
The fastest rate of growth in the space conditioning market has been attributed to the application of geothermal heat pumps to the industrial and commercial markets. The author reviews and provides examples of the three most popular components of a large geothermal heat pump system: geothermal earth coupling, heat pumps and heat exchangers, and building side terminals. These components are applied to three example geothermal installations: a library, an office building, and a school. Examples of energy use before and after the installation of a geothermal space conditioning system are summarized. General design and cost guidelines and comments on the use of geothermal heat pump in these and similar applications are discussed.
National Power is building its first gas turbine combined cycle power station at Killingholme, situated to the south of the River Humber in the East of England. NEI ABB Gas Turbines Limited was awarded the turnkey contract in July 1990 to build a nominal 650 MW combined cycle power station based around three Asea Brown Boveri GT13E gas turbines. The project is outlined in this article. The plant is due for completion in July 1993. (author)
In this paper the diffusion of tritiated water vapor into concrete walls is studied to evaluate tritiated water retention capacity of a fusion reactor concrete building. Using a model of the tritiated water diffusion determined form experimental results, depth profiles of tritiated water in concrete are calculated in the case of being exposed to air containing tritiated water vapor during the normal operational condition of a fusion reactor. A 0.5-m-thick concrete is sufficient for reactor hall walls from a viewpoint of the tritium containment.
In this paper the diffusion of tritiated water vapor into concrete walls is studied to evaluate tritiated water retention capacity of a fusion reactor concrete building. Using a model of the tritiated water diffusion determined form experimental results, depth profiles of tritiated water in concrete are calculated in the case of being exposed to air containing tritiated water vapor during the normal operational condition of a fusion reactor. A 0.5-m-thick concrete is sufficient for reactor hall walls from a viewpoint of the tritium containment.
In Korea, the Proton Engineering Frontier Project (PEFP) is building a proton linear accelerator facility with energy up to 100MeV and a beam current of 20mA. In this study, a radiation field after shutdown in the accelerator facility of the PEFP was evaluated for the purpose of the radiation shielding by using MCNPX code. A facility modeling was performed for the accelerator tunnel building, accelerator chain, target rooms and beam experiment hall. And radiation source terms were evaluated in the facility. With this facility, model and radiation source terms, the concentration of 41Ar was evaluated and the cooling time satisfying regulation in Korea was calculated.
The purpose of this paper is to inform commercial building designers about an energy analysis tool which can aid them in making appropriate decisions about daylighting. The energy nomographs are an energy design tool which calculate the annual energy consumption of commercial buildings, including lighting, heating, cooling, domestic hot water, fans, pumps, and miscellaneous items. This paper specifically discusses the daylighting aspects of the tool. The calculation procedure is presented with an example to explain how this design tool can be used to make good energy decisions early in the design process.
Air conditioning is getting maximum attention these days when building new offices. For the new office building of the assurance company Zwitserleven in Amstelveen, Netherlands, a new air conditioning concept is applied, based on four existing air conditioning methods: cold storage and heat storage in the soil, heat pump, double-wall facades with integrated climate control, and radiant heating combined with a cooling system in the ceiling. The integration of these methods not only provides complete climate comfort for the employees but also substantial energy savings. 3 figs.,1 ills.
The open source Scala language is a Java--based dynamic scripting, functional programming language. Moreover, this highly scalable scripting language lends itself well to building Cloud--based/deliverable Software as a Service (SaaS) online applications. Written by Lift Scala web framework founder and lead Dave Pollak, Beginning Scala takes a down--to--earth approach to teaching Scala that leads you through simple examples that can be combined to build complex, scalable systems and applications. This book introduces you to the Scala programming language and then guides you through Scala constr
I review findings of various research groups regarding perturbative heterotic string model building in the last 12 months. Attention is given to recent studies of extra U(1)'s and local discrete symmetries (LDS's) in generic string models. Issues covered include the role of U(1)'s and LDS's in limiting proton decay, developments in classification of models containing anomalous U(1), and possible complications resulting from kinetic mixing between observable and hidden sector U(1)'s. Additionally, recent string-derived and string-inspired models are briefly reviewed. Talk Presented at SUSY '97.