Science.gov (United States)

Several years ago, the AGARD Structures and Materials Panel selected ... flow separation appears to have occurred during the tests, and the angles of attack ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Modern microprocessor-based relays for the protection of the various power system components such as generators, transformers, feeders, and high voltage transmission lines are becoming more sophisticated as increasingly more complex functions and capabilities can be included in the microprocessor. With this increasing complexity, and the increasing complexity of the power system itself, there is even more value in testing the suitability of relaying equipment for the intended applications. This paper reviews the testing philosophy, experience, and capabilities developed at Ontario Hydro over more than 25 years of testing protective relays.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The IAEA Department of Safeguards established a project in 1996 for the year 2000 (Y2K) conversion activities. This project covered assessment, conversion and testing of the software applications, instrument evaluation software, embedded systems and Personal Computer (PC) hardware attached to various equipment. Significant progress has been made in converting the applications and instruments to be year 2000 compliant. At the same time Member states have made an effort as well in converting the systems used jointly at the facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) is a 400 Mw(t), loop-type, sodium-cooled, fast neutron reactor. It is operated by the Westinghouse Hanford Company for the United States Department of Energy at Richland, Washington. The FFTF is a multipurpose test reactor used to irradiate fuels and materials for programs such as Liquid Metal Reactor (LMR) research, fusion research, space power systems, isotope production and international research. FFTF is also used for testing concepts to be used in Advanced Reactors which will be designed to maximize passive safety features and not require complex shutdown systems to assure safe shutdown and heat removal. The FFTF also provides experience in the operation and maintenance of a reactor having prototypic components and systems typical of large LMR (LMFBR) power plants. The 5 year operational performance of the FFTF reactor is discussed in this report. 6 refs., 10 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Anglo-Danish programme of research on materials for advanced vehicular transport and other storage batteries is about to enter its fifth year. Here, the results of the work to date on solid electrolytes, electrode materials and cell design are reviewed and discussed as a systematic programme of cell testing gets underway.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

[1] Independent data from the Gulf of Mexico are used to develop and test the hypothesis that the same sequence of physical and ecological events each year allows the toxic dinoflagellate Karenia...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has for over ten years provided materials testing and failure analysis services to various coal conversion and utilization facilities in the United States. ORNL was involved in these types of activities at all four of the major coal liquefaction pilot plants. This paper presents a summary of activities at Wilsonville over the past two and one-half years. Some details of these activities are discussed below. Failure analysis of elastomers, stainless steels, and alloys is discussed. 6 refs., 9 figs., 13 tabs.

Science.gov (United States)

During four years of operation at the Central Receiver Test Facility (CRTF) ceramics have performed well in cyclic solar flux densities of less than 30 W/cm/sup 2/. Above 100 W/cm/sup 2/, serious limitations exist. Important application considerations include: the geometry, cyclic and long time exposures, flux density gradients, thermal shock, weathering, and soiling.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

We have discovered a previously unidentified thermal explosion mode using the Los Alamos deflagration cylinder test (DFCT). The DFCT is a "pipe bomb"-style test similar to the detonation cylinder test (DTCT), which has been used for many years to calibrate detonation product equations of state. The shot is heated in an oven to a uniform test temperature. The pre-heated high explosive (HE) is triggered by a hot wire initiator on one end. The tube is back-illuminated by a bright light source, and its combustion-driven deformation and subsequent break-up are observed by a high-speed framing camera. Like the DTCT, the DFCT tube wall motion provides the primary diagnostic. A variety of reactive responses are possible, including quasi-steady deflagration and deflagration-to-detonation transition...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We are developing a refuelable zinc/air battery (6-cells) for evaluation under the five USABC `core` test protocols. In the first half of the two year project ($1OOK, FY1997), an advanced refuelable design was developed, fabricated and tested at power levels up to 415 W. Performance matched or exceeded that of earlier multicell systems. A computer program was developed for automated data acquisition and drive cycle simulation. Small mockup cells (80 cm 2) were constructed for rapid testing of components. In the follow-on effort (FY1998, $1OOK) we will make minor advances in system design and fabrication efficiency, and seek to improve cathode performance and life, before delivery of two final units for test at DOE laboratory.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The alloy type 'alloy 800' with its different variants is used for numerous components in high-temperature reactor (HTR) plants, e.g. for hot-gas conductors, the high-pressure part of steam generators, superheaters, steam collecting vessels and live steam conductors. This study deals with the evaluation of creep rupture tests on 28 welded joints of alloy 800 with an accumulated test duration of 410 years, with the objective to obtain quantitative information on a possible loss of strength in comparison with the unwelded material. The longest test period of an individual test amounted to 98,000 h and the analyzed test temperature range lay between 550"0 and 1000"0C. (orig./MM).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of this report is to advise managers on the status of Year 2000 readiness at the Laboratory and provide a summary of critical issues to be addressed in order to ensure that the Year 2000 date rollover will not disrupt Laboratory Operations. The Laboratory`s Year 2000 council members are in the first phase of Year 2000 plans: gathering data and assessing the status of their divisions or programs. This first snapshot of the Laboratory Year 2000 readiness assessment is expected to grow and change over time as more refined assessments, plans, and schedules are developed and as more information becomes available. Here are findings to date: (1) Embedded systems` status not known. (2) Preliminary cost estimates for Year 2000 repairs, testing, and implementation are estimated to be at least $5.9 million, not including embedded systems. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandia was presented with an opportunity in 1993 to design containers for the long term storage and transport of fissile material. This program was undertaken at the direction of the US Department of Energy and in cooperation with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory which were tasked with developing the internal fixturing for the contents. The hardware is being supplied by Allied Signal Federal Manufacturing and Technologies, and the packaging will occur at Mason and Hangar Corporation`s Pantex Plant. The unique challenge was to design a container that could be sealed with the fissile material contents; and, anytime during the next 50 years, the container could be transported with only the need for the pre-shipment leak test. This required not only a rigorous design capable of meeting the long term storage and transportation requirements, but also resulted in development of a surveillance program to ensure ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The insulating oil used in a transformer is a critical component, as its service life is typically 20 years with possibly little or no maintenance. Partial discharges (PD), thermal overloads and static discharges continually subject the oil to chemical deterioration during its operating life. To ensure equipment reliability during service, it is important that the initial quality of the new insulating oil should meet the required acceptance specifications and preferably be pre-tested before use. Accelerated aging tests have been devised to determine the life expectancy of oil in service by using forced air or oxygen flow into the oil, the presence of a copper catalyst, and at elevated temperatures. The more important standards relating to transformer application are discussed and highlights of the more important aspects of the oxidation chemistry of hydrocarbons are included. The ultimate aim of the project is the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The ability to test advanced fuels and cladding materials under reactor operating conditions in the United States is limited. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) and the newly expanded post-irradiation examination (PIE) capability at the ORNL Irradiated Fuels Examination Laboratory provide unique support for this type of advanced fuel/cladding development effort. The wide breadth of ORNL's fuels and materials research divisions provides all the necessary fuel development capabilities in one location. At ORNL, facilities are available from test fuel fabrication, to irradiation in HFIR under either thermal or fast reactor conditions, to a complete suite of PIEs, and to final product disposal. There are very few locations in the world where this full range of capabilities exists. New testing capabilities at HFIR have been developed that allow testing of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has nearly a 40 year history of research and development in the field of nondestructive evaluation (NDE). One area of NDE expertise at PNNL is electromagnetic testing which includes a field of eddy current testing (ET). One benefit is that ET can typically be performed at high speeds, and as a result has found many applications in process monitoring and poduction lines. ET has been used in the nuclear, aerospace, and automotive industries for many years. Et technology lends itself well to the detection of near-surface or surface breaking defects such as surface scratches. This paper provides an overview of theory regarding the usage of ET, selected application studies performed by PNNL, a safety analysis, and a wrtie up pertaining to the operations of ET to detect surface scratches.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weld metal, base material and stainless steel overlay specimens for Charpy tests and static tensile tests were irradiated for a year in a power reactor of the Bohunice nuclear power plant in place of the evaluated surveillance specimens. The material of the specimens was identical with that of the WWER-440 reactor pressure vessels, and was exposed to a fluence of (1.2 - 4.5) x 10"2"3 m"-"2 (E > 0.5 MeV) at approximately 270 degC. Some of the irradiated as well as unirradiated specimens were subjected to regeneration annealing at 475 degC for 168 h. The behavior of the materials after irradiation and annealing was evaluated. (author). 33 tabs., 32 figs., 8 refs.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Orientation in the environment can draw on a variety of cognitive strategies. We asked 634 healthy volunteers to perform a comprehensive battery administered through an internet website (www.gettinglost.ca), testing different orientation strategies in virtual environments to determine the effect of age and gender upon these skills. Older participants (46-67years of age) performed worse than younger participants (18-30 or 31-45years of age) in all orientation skills assessed, including landmark recognition, integration of body-centered information, forming association between landmarks and body turns, and the formation and use of a cognitive map. Among all tests, however, the ability to form cognitive maps resulted to be the significant factor best at predicting the individuals' age group. ...

Science.gov (United States)

The relationship between hyperactivity and neuropsychological test performance at different age levels was examined. It was found that for young children (6 to 8 years of age, n = 90), there was no significant association between hyperactivity/attentional problems (as measured by the Hyperactivity scale of the Child Behavior Checklist) and performance on neuropsychological tasks thought to contain an attentional component (WISC-R Coding, Arithmetic, and Digit Span; WRAT Arithmetic; and the Benton Visual Retention Test). However, for older children (9 to 12 years of age, n = 92), there were significant and large negative correlations between CBC Hyperactivity scores and Coding, WRAT Arithmetic, and Benton VRT scores. Multiple regression analyses supported the above results (for Coding and WRAT Arithmetic), indicating that hyperactivity/inattention has a particularly deleterious effect on ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Two US DOE projects in the Pacific Northwest offer unique on-the-scene training opportunities at sodium-cooled fast-reactor plants: the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) near Richland, Washington, which has operated successfully in a wide range of irradiation test programs since 1980; and the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II) near Idaho Falls, Idaho, which has been in operation for approximately 20 years. Training programs have been especially designed to take advantage of this plant experience. Available courses are described.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

British Columbia is rich in resources of coal but is deficient in resources of liquid petroleum. The overall objective of the B.C. Research Coal Liquefaction Program is to provide sufficient technical data to identify and evaluate coal conversion opportunities in the province. In this first quarterly report, liquefaction test systems are discussed and results from the testing of equipment, procedures and analytical methods using coal samples from Sukunka (N.E. coal) and Hat Creek (central interior) are presented. The proposed program to be undertaken over the next four years is outlined.

CERN Document Server

Several types of X-band high power loads developed for several tens of MW range were designed, fabricated and used for high power tests at X-band facility of KEK. Some of them have been used for many years and few units showed possible deterioration of RF performance. Recently revised-design loads were made by CERN and the high power evaluation was performed at KEK. In this paper, the main requirements are recalled, together with the design features. The high power test results are analysed and presented

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, has been designated as Lead Center for the Exploratory Battery Technology Development and Testing Project, which is sponsored by the US Department of Energy's Office of Energy Storage and Distribution. In this capacity, Sandia is responsible for the engineering development of advanced rechargeable batteries for both mobile and stationary energy storage applications. This report details the technical achievements realized in pursuit of the Lead Center's goals during calendar year 1989. 4 refs., 84 figs., 18 tabs.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper present the results of a series of calculations made to determine the "2"3"8Pu production potential of several advanced target assembly designs in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). These calculations show that by using advanced target designs the intimately mix the "2"3"7Np target material with an yttrium hydride moderator, the FFTF has the potential of producing up to 30 kg of high-quality "2"3"8Pu per year.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

During the operation of Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station, some little branches of secondary system were with great vibration and even some of them cracked due to the great vibration that may cause some effect on the safety of the power station. This paper performed analysis and evaluation to the eight systems of Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station based on the vibration test results from the examination of the safety during ten years, and the list of the sensitive piping and suggestion for modification were presented based on the analysis results. (authors)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The development of turbine components for the automotive 100 kW ceramic gas turbine has entered the final stage of the seven-year project and is making satisfactory progress, toward the goals. The authors attained the interim targets of the aerodynamic performances and have been carrying out tests to further improve efficiency. As for ceramic parts, they have changed the material of the turbine rotor to a new one that is excellent in long-sustained and high-temperature strength properties, and have confirmed substantial strength at high temperature through hot-spin tests. After evaluating blade-vibration stress through analyses and experiments, the authors completed an endurance evaluation at 1200 C (1473 K) TIT (Turbine Inlet Gas Temperature) and a rated speed of 100,000 rpm. The authors are now carrying out endurance tests at 1350 C (1623 K) TIT. For ceramic stationary parts, they already finished the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A 8.4 t/d pilot plant was completed in November 1994. Experimental operation for continuous tests have been carried out since December 1994. Two kinds of Indonesian sub-bituminous coals and an Australian lignite were upgraded and slurrified by the end of 1995. Typical pilot test results, such as coal concentration of upgraded sub-bituminous CWM of 65% and 4,700 kcal/kg heating value, were better than the authors expected. And subsequent combustion test in a 200 kg/h furnace was also successfully completed, with results showing very good combustibilities. This R and D is now in its final year, and the authors are conducting combustion tests on a big burner and gasification test, which will be carried out until March 1996. The test results from the pilot plant so far confirm the validity and economic feasibility of the upgrading and CWM ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico, conducts the Utility Battery Storage Systems Program, which is sponsored by the US Department of Energy`s Office of Energy Management. In this capacity, Sandia is responsible for the engineering analyses, contract development, and testing of rechargeable batteries and systems for utility-energy-storage applications. This report details the technical achievements realized during fiscal year 1993.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

A sensitive radioimmunoassay method for HBeAg and anti-HBe allowed 98.4% of HBsAg positive blood donors to be classified. HBeAg was more prevalent in blood donors under 30 years of age and anti-HBe...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

FSD-1, a designed small ultrafast folder with a ββα fold, has been actively studied in the last few years as a model system for studying protein folding mechanisms and for testing...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico, conducts the Energy Storage Systems Program, which is sponsored by the US Department of Energy`s Office of Utility Technologies. The goal of this program is to assist industry in developing cost-effective energy storage systems as a resource option by 2000. Sandia is responsible for the engineering analyses, contracted development, and testing of energy storage systems for stationary applications. This report details the technical achievements realized during fiscal year 1996.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The overall objective of this project is to produce antibodies to unique modified DNA bases and develop immunochemical assays to quantitate these lesions in damaged DNA. During this past year we have developed an antibody and chemical test to quantitate a basic sites in DNA and produced antibodies to the 8-oxopurines. This report discusses the detection of a basic sites in DNA and the preparation of antibodies to 8-hydroxyadenine and 8-hydroxyguanine.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wildland fire suppression personnel employed by the CDF do not currently have the equipment to protect themselves from the short-term acute affects of smoke from wildland fires. In addition, no regulations exist that specify appropriate respiratory protection and the current air-purifying respirator technology and carbon monoxide monitoring has not been adapted to fit wildland fire suppression requirements. This three-year limited study evaluated the ability of wildland fire fighters to perform their normal job function while wearing full-face air-purifying respirators. In the first two years of this study we designed, developed and field tested a prototype ``smart`` air-purifying respirator which incorporated a real-time carbon monoxide monitor into a commercial full-face respirator.` Data on carbon monoxide exposure while fighting wildland fires was collected. During the third year of this study we ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The Fast Flux Test Facility has been in operation for approximately five years, including about one thousand days of full power operation of the Fast Test Reactor. During that time the collective dose equivalents received by operating personnel have been about two orders of magnitude lower than those typically received at commercial light water reactors. No major contamination problems have been encountered in operating and maintaining the plant, and release of radioactive gas to the environment has been minimal and well below acceptable limits. All shields have performed satisfactorily. Experience to date indicates an apparent radiological superiority of liquid metal reactor systems over current light water plants.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A major initiative to develop and irradiate a long-life, mixed-oxide fuel system in the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) has been implemented by Westinghouse Hanford Company for the US Department of Energy. The FFTF, shown in Figures 1 and 2, is a 400 megawatt thermal, fast liquid metal reactor that tests liquid metal, space and fusion fuels and materials. The new fuel system, called the Core Demonstration Experiment (CDE) demonstrates the capability of achieving a three- to four-year life in a prototypic heterogeneous reactor environment under prototypic power and temperature conditions. This fuel system will greatly increase fuel performance and lifetime from the current standard FFTF driver fuel. New design features, fabrication development, CDE assembly fabrication, and irradiation status have been described.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Some motor operated valves now have higher torque switch settings due to regulatory requirements to ensure valve operability with appropriate margins at design basis conditions. Verifying operability with these settings imposes higher stem loads during periodic inservice testing. These higher test loads increase stresses in the various valve internal parts which may in turn increase the fatigue usage factors. This increased fatigue is judged to be a concern primarily in the valve disks, seats, yokes, stems, and stem nuts. Although the motor operators may also have significantly increased loading, they are being evaluated by the manufacturers and are beyond the scope of this study. Two gate valves representative of both relatively weak and strong valves commonly used in commercial nuclear applications were selected for fatigue analyses. Detailed dimensional and test data were available for both valves from previous studies ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

National Research Institute for Materials started in FY1966 a creep data sheet project aiming at obtaining the creep test data until 360Ms (about 11 years and half) in maximum, and has continuously been conducting the above on more than 40 kinds of heat resistant metallic materials for practical use for 30 years already as of January, 1996. The 360Ms creep rupture strength which has been aimed at by this project is the basic important strength property referred to at the time of determining design allowable stress of high temperature structural members. The Institute has published the accumulation of the test data of long range creeps lasting beyond 360Ms of the Institute as a creep data sheet, and in this article, the tremendous volume of this long range creep test data is analyzed and studied systematically, the new knowledge concerning the high temperature strength properties ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The Four years of the IMPACT, 'Integrated Modular Plant Analysis and Computing Technology', project Phase 1 have been completed. The verification study of Severe Accident Analysis Code SAMPSON prototype developed in Phase 1 was conducted in two steps. First, each analysis module was run independently and analysis results were compared and verified against separate-effect test data with good results. Second, with the Simulation Supervisory System, up to 11 analysis modules were executed concurrently in the parallel environment (currently, NUPEC uses IBM-SP2 with 72 process elements), to demonstrate the code capability and integrity. The target plant was Surry as a typical PWR and the initiation events were a 10-inch cold leg failure. The analysis is divided to two cases; one is in-vessel retention analysis when the gap cooling is effective (In-vessel scenario test), the other is analysis of phenomena event is extended to ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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 ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The Four years of the IMPACT, 'Integrated Modular Plant Analysis and Computing Technology' project Phase 1 have been completed. The verification study of Severe Accident Analysis Code SAMPSON prototype developed in Phase 1 was conducted in two steps. First, each analysis module was run independently and analysis results were compared and verified against separate-effect test data with good results. Test data are as follows: CORA-13 (FZK) for the Core Heat-up Module; VI-3 of HI/VI Test (ORNL) for the FP Release from Fuel Module; KROTOS-37 (JRC-ISPRA) for the Molten Core Relocation Module; Water Spread Test (UCSB) for the Debris Spreading Model and Benard's Melting Test for Natural Convection Model in the Debris Cooling Module; Hydrogen Burning Test (NUPEC) for the Ex-Vessel Thermal Hydraulics Module; PREMIX, PM10 (FZK) for the Steam Explosion ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Adalimumab is a fully human monoclonal anti-tumor necrosis factor-a agent that is approved for the treatment of Crohn's disease. It has a good safety profile, injection site reactions being the most common adverse effect. We report a case of a 54-year-old woman with a 30-year history of Crohn's disease who developed achromic patches on the trunk and upper extremities after initiating treatment with adalimumab. Cutaneous biopsy confirmed diagnosis of vitiligo and laboratory testing ruled out thyroid disease. Concomitant occurrence of vitiligo and inflammatory bowel disease, although rare, has been described. A common autoimmune basis could explain this fact. Moreover, multiple cutaneous adverse effects have been described in the literature secondary to biologic treatments, includin...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alloy 800 has been used for steam generator (SG) tubing for more than 30 years, primarily in CANDU reactors worldwide and in reactors in Germany. Extensive laboratory testing and in-service experience suggest that the Alloy 800 tubing has excellent resistance to corrosion-related degradation under appropriate operating conditions. In planning refurbishment of nuclear plants stations, a key concern is the longevity of existing SGs up to the 60-year lifetime of the refurbished plant. The paper reviews an existing methodology based on the concept of the improvement factor, and refines its estimation based on data specific to CANDU operating conditions. The paper presents a more advanced Bayesian probabilistic approach to estimate the degradation free lifetime distribution of Alloy 800 tubing, which is used to quantify the probability of degradation during the service life and to evaluate the impact of potential occurrences of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alloy 800 has been used for steam generator (SG) tubing for more than 30 years, primarily in CANDU reactors and in reactors in Germany. Extensive laboratory testing and in-service experience suggest that the Alloy 800 tubing has excellent resistance to corrosion-related degradation under specified and appropriate operating conditions. In planning refurbishment of CANDU stations, a key concern is the longevity of existing SGs up to the 60 year lifetime of the refurbished plant. The paper reviews an existing methodology based on the concept of the improvement factor, and estimates it based on experimental data specific to CANDU operating conditions. The paper presents a more advanced probabilistic approach to estimate the degradation free lifetime distribution of Alloy 800 tubing, which is used to quantify the probability of degradation during the service life and to evaluate the impact of potential occurrences of degradation ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A radioactive Waste Incineration System (WIS) with suspension combustion is noticed as effective volume reduction technology of low level radiactive wastes that are increasing every year. In order to demonstrate the decontamination efficiency of ceramic filter used on WIS, this test has been carried out with the test facilities as joint research of Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) and Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. Miscellaneous combustible waste and power resin, to which 5 nuclides (Mn-54, Fe-59, Co-60, Zn-65, Cs-137) were added, were used as samples for incineration. As the result of the test, it was verified that Decontamination Factor (DF) of the single stage ceramic filter was usually kept over 10/sup 5/ for every nuclide, and from the results of above DF, over 10/sup 8/ is expected for real commercial plant as a total system. Therefore, it is realized that the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Berliner Kraft- u. Licht (BEWAG)AG have been conducting investigations during the last several years on a 110 kV low-pressure oil-filled high-power cable with a water cooled conductor and a load capacity of 950 MVA at 110 kV. After successful transport of the cable drums (weight: 16 metric tons; diameter: 4.9 m) from the manufacturing in Cologne, West Germany, to Berlin (West), and after laying of the cable over a 300 m stretch, the commissioning tests in accordance with IEC and VDE* standards have been concluded, and several loadings with a current of 5000 A have been performed. Now, after completion of various improvements in the test system, preparations are underway for initiation of long-term testing over a period of approx. 18 months.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The use of excitation system controls, specifically the Power System Stabilizer (PSS), to improve damping of power system oscillations and thus extend steady-state stability limits has been a subject of great interest in recent years. The desire to more fully utilize transmission capacity led to the installation of PSS controls on greater numbers of generating units to maintain stability margins. This paper addresses the tuning and adjustment of PSS controls in a two unit power plant. Both analytical studies and field test confirmations are presented. The practical difficulties of verifying the PSS control loop gain margin by testing are explored. A simplified procedure is outlined. The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), Fayette Power Project (FPP) consists of two 683.7 MVA tandem compound steam turbine driven generators. The excitation systems are of the alternator rectifier type and the PSS control utilizes shaft ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

High-burnup mixed oxide fuel pins from the Fast-Flux Test Facility (FFTF) reactor were sheared in a single-pin shear, dissolved in nitric acid, and then used in solvent extraction tests to assist in establishing operating parameters for fuel recycle facilities. The fuel burnups were 2, 36, 55, and 90 MWd/kg for initial cooling times of 2.5, 1.3, 1, and 1 year, respectively. These tests include the first experiments using fuel of approximately the reference burnup (80-MWd/kg peak burnup) irradiated under reference conditions. The FFTF is a sodium-cooled reactor with stainless steel-clad fuel; the oxide fuel, which is of two compositions, has Pu/(U + Pu) ratios of approx.0.225 and 0.275. The peak fuel center temperature was about 1640/sup 0/C, the peak internal cladding temperature was approx.530/sup 0/C, the peak heat rating was approx.300 W/cm, and the peak fluence (E > 0.1 MeV) was approx.15.7 x ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This R and D project is planed to supply domestic demands of Mo-99 through fission route, and consequently this project will be expected to rise up utilization of HANARO and KAERI's capability for marketing extension into domestic and oversea radiopharmaceutical market. HEU and LEU target types are decided and designed for fission Mo-99 production in domestic. Experimental study of target fabrication technology was performed and developed processing equipments. And conceptual design of target loading/unloading in/from HANARO device are performed. Tracer test of Mo-99 separation and purification process was performed, test results reach to Mo-99 recovery yield above 80% and decontamination factor above 1600. Combined Mo-99 separation and purification process was decided for hot test scheduled from next year, and performance test was performed. Conceptual design for ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This year, the VGB Conference 'Steam Turbines and Operation of Steam Turbines 2008' will take place at the Deutsches Haus in Flensburg. By offering the possibility for exchanging experience, this conference aims to also ensure steam turbine operation with high availability and high efficiency in the future. The changing situation of the market and the responses on the parts of the manufacturers and the operators, as well as the responses of the entire service section to this, show that such an exchange of experience is of utmost importance. This year, the conference will focus on the following topics: - reviews - damage - further developing testing methods - monitoring steam turbines - modernising old steam turbines - new products - new developments in the condenser pipe sector. As in previous years, our Co-operation partners will present themselves at a technical exhibition which will ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Preliminary results from a large-scale testbed of advanced lighting control technologies at the Phillip Burton Federal Building at 450 Golden Gate Ave. in San Francisco are presented. The first year objective of this project is to determine the sustainable energy savings and cost-effectiveness of different lighting control technologies compared to a portion of the building where only minimal controls are installed. The paper presents the analyzed results from six months of tests focused on accurately characterizing the energy savings potential of one type of daylight-linked lighting controls compared to the lighting in similar open-planned areas without dimming controls. After analyzing a half year;s data, we determined that the annual energy savings for this type of daylight- linked controls was 41% and 30% for the outer rows of lights on the South and North sides of the building, respectively. The annual energy savings ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corrosion characteristics of Al and Cu thin films have been studied in cyclic fog tests using tap water fog and fog created with 0.1% NaCl solution in tap water. Likewise, their corrosion features have been analyzed in continuous immersion testing in the laboratory in distilled water, tap water, in 0.1% NaCl and 3.5% NaCl solutions in distilled water. The corrosion potentials and the corrosion currents of these thin films change and reach steady state values after some time. However, steady state is not realized in 3.5% NaCl solutions. The corrosion current density data have been used to calculate lifetime of 1 {mu}m thick thin films of Al and Cu in the various tests, and assuming that the fog test data would hold under normal exposure conditions, life spans for these thin film sensor elements in actual exterior exposure have also been calculated. According to estimates, an Al-TF of about 1 {mu}m would ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

It has often been argued that the success and spread of modern humans 50,000years ago was due to a series of key behavioral shifts that conferred particular adaptive advantages. And yet, particularly during the African Middle Stone Age (MSA), some of these "modern" behaviors see only patchy expression across time and space. Recent models have proposed a link between the emergence of modern behaviors and environmental degradation and/or demographic stress. Under these models, modern behaviors represent a form of social/economic intensification in response to stress; if this were the case, signs of subsistence intensification should be more common during periods in which these behaviors are manifested than when they are not. In order to test these models, I analyzed faunal remains from Sibud...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background: This study investigates the psychometric properties of the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) in the general population of Hong Kong. Methods: Random sampling was used to recruit 6028 participants aged 15years or over. Among them, 203 were surveyed twice within a two-week period. Participants completed the Chinese version of the PHQ-9 (including 2 items of the PHQ-2), the Chinese Health Questionnaire, the Happiness Scale, the SF-12, and questions about diagnosis and health service utilization. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct and discriminant validity of the PHQ-2 were assessed. Results: Cronbach's a was 0.76. The test-retest reliability over two weeks calculated by intraclass correlation was 0.70. Spearman correlation results showed that the PHQ-2 s...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

We have developed a chitosan/polyglycolic acid (PGA) artificial nerve graft which was previously used for bridge implantation of dog sciatic nerves across 30-mm long defects. Here we describe a clinical trial of this graft for repairing a 35-mm-long median nerve defect at elbow of a human patient. During the 3-year follow-up period, functional recovery of the injured median nerve was assessed by pinch gauge test, hydraulic hand dynamometry, static two-point discrimination and touch test with monofilaments, in couple with electrophysiological examinations. The motor and sensory function of the median nerve demonstrated an ongoing recovery postimplantation, reaching M4 and S3+ levels during the follow-up period. The results indicate that the chitosan/PGA artificial nerve graft could be used ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radiological and environmental protection experience associated with the reactor cover gas processing system at the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) has been excellent. Personnel radiation exposures received from operating and maintaining the reactor cover gas processing system have been very low, the system has remained free of radioactive particulate contamination through the first seven operating cycles (cesium contamination was detected at the end of Cycle 8A), and releases of radioactivity to the environment have been very low, well below environmental standards. This report discusses these three aspects of fast reactor cover gas purification over the first eight operating cycles of the FFTF (a duration of a little more than four years, from April 1982 through July 1986).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Interest in the tribological properties of plasma nitriding has increased substantially over the past years because plasma nitriding provides a high nitride depth and improved hard facing. The present study examines the tribological properties of AISI H11 plasma nitrided, hot-worked steel. Different nitriding temperatures and durations were considered. Characterization of the composite structures was investigated with wear tests, x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and microhardness tests. The depth profile of the nitrided zone was measured using the nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) technique. Plasma nitriding affected the microhardness, wear properties, and morphology considerably. Increase in process temperature increased the nitride zone depth.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The reliability analysis of the Fast Flux Test Facility reactor shutdown system was reevaluated. Failure information based on five years of plant operating experience was used to verify original reliability numbers or to establish new ones. Also, system modifications made subsequent to performance of the original analysis were incorporated into the reevaluation. Reliability calculations and sensitivity analyses were performed using a commercially available spreadsheet on a personal computer. The spreadsheet was configured so that future failures could be tracked and compared with expected failures. A number of recommendations resulted from the reevaluation including both increased and decreased surveillance intervals. All recommendations were based on meeting or exceeding existing reliability goals. Considerable cost savings will be incurred upon implementation of the recommendations.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Recent Canadian progress in the development of the curved-blade Darrieus vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) is described. Cooperation between government, industry and power utilities in the conduct of field trials, over several years, has demonstrated improved performance and reliability of grid-coupled turbines of this type. The rated power of the VAWTs currently under test ranges from 30 kW, in a wind/diesel powerplant, to 230 kW, in an installation on an island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Progress has also been made in understanding the basic aerodynamic behavior of the VAWT and theoretical methods for performance and load prediction have correspondingly improved. A brief description is given of Project EOLE, a cooperative project between the federal government and the utility Hydro-Quebec to develop and test, during the next two to three years, a 4 MW VAWT prototype, which will be coupled to the ...

Scientific Electronic Library Online (English)

Abstract in english We hypothesized that chronic oral administration of the phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor sildenafil could improve the exercise capacity and pulmonary hemodynamics in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) on the basis of previous short-term studies. We tested this hypothesis in 14 subjects with PAH, including seven patients with the idiopathic form and seven patients with atrial septal defects, but no other congenital heart abnormalities. Patients were subjected (more) to a 6-min walk test and dyspnea was graded according to the Borg scale. Pulmonary flow and pressures were measured by Doppler echocardiography. Patients were given sildenafil, 75 mg orally three times a day, and followed up for 1 year. Sildenafil therapy resulted in the following changes: increase in the 6-min walk distance from a median value of 387 m (range 0 to 484 m) to 462 m (range 408 to 588 m; P

CERN Document Server

We address four main areas in which graduate quantum mechanics education in the U.S. can be improved: course content; textbook; teaching methods; and assessment tools. We report on a three year longitudinal study at the Colorado School of Mines using innovations in all four of these areas. In particular, we have modified the content of the course to reflect progress in the field in the last 50 years, use modern textbooks that include such content, incorporate a variety of teaching techniques based on physics education research, and used a variety of assessment tools to study the effectiveness of these reforms. We present a new assessment tool, the Graduate Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey, and further testing of a previously developed assessment tool, the Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey (QMCS). We find that graduate students respond well to research-based techniques that have previously been ...

Science.gov (United States)

This report covers the first year of operation of a fuel cell power plant, installed by PPL Spectrum, Inc. (PPL) under contract with the United States Coast Guard (USCG), Research and Development Center (RDC). The fuel cell was installed at Air Station Cape Cod in Bourne, MA. The project had the support of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), the Department of Energy (DOE), and Keyspan Energy. PPL selected FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FCE) and its fuel cell model DFC{reg_sign}300 for the contract. Grant contributions were finalized and a contract between PPL and the USCG for the manufacture, installation, and first year's maintenance of the fuel cell was executed on September 24, 2001. As the prime contractor, PPL was responsible for all facets of the project. All the work was completed by PPL through various subcontracts, including the primary subcontract with FCE for the manufacture, delivery, and installation of the fuel ...

Environmental Research Database

ObjectivesObjectives Not AvailableDescriptionThe Cambridge University Engineering Department has granted the PI sabbatical leave in the academic year 2000/2001. Dr. T. Illangasekare from the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), USA has invited the PI to participate in his research during the period of December 2000 to September 2001. Recently, the Geotechnical and Environmental Geotechnics Group at Cambridge was successful in obtaining the Joint Infrastructure Fund to build a new laboratory/facilities to study geotechnical processes in constru [continued...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In the course of this year six local exchange offices with alternative heating and hot water plants were started up in Switzerland. They are all of the same building type, designed for not more than 1000 telephone subscribers and for the same architectural conditions. However, the buildings are situated in different areas of the country and are thus subject to different environmental conditions. Solar collectors supplemented by electricity boilers are fitted to two of these objects. Heat pumps are operated in two other exchange offices while the last two are equipped with electric heating devices. For purposes of comparison two new test plants of the same size with oil heating devices are set up.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Some aspects of metrological provision of X-ray radiometric analyzers for mineral raw composition and gamma-gamma-logging equipment are considered. Standard samples (SS) based on the phenol-formaldehyde resin with the introduced quantities calculated of element compositions in the form of oxides and salts are described. Principles of metrological provision developed are used when carrying out state acceptance tests of X-ray radiometric analyzer RAL-M-102 ''Ehkran'' and gamma-gamma-logging equipmnt RSK-102. Economic benefit from introduction of an SS set is #approx# 60-100 thousand roubles per year.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oman is an attractive and welcoming country, well-ordered and unpretentious. It has benefited from remarkable achievements of economic and social development since 1970. It now has a resource base that should be sufficient to keep it on continuing path of further development. However, the second 20-years of modern Oman will inevitable contain some testing challenges. These are centred in two main areas - the economic, where expenditure has already outstripped revenue and where firm controls are needed to maintain a reasonable balance; and the social, where the pressures from an increasingly literate and numerous population will demand changes to the autocratic traditional system of government. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report describes the progress achieved in developing electric and hybrid vehicle technologies, beginning with highlights of recent accomplishments in FY 1992. Detailed descriptions are provided of program activities during FY 1992 in the areas of battery, fuel cell, and propulsion system development, and testing and evaluation of new technology in fleet site operations and in laboratories. This Annual Report also contains a status report on incentives and use of foreign components, as well as a list of publications resulting from the DOE program.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The feasibility of the anodic protection of titanium evaporators in Al[sub 2](SO[sub 4])[sub 3] solution was studied by the measurement of polarization curves, weight loss, solubility of passive film and AC impedance. The protection parameters and efficiency were determined. In addition, the practical technology of anodic protection was studied by screening reference electrodes and auxiliary cathodes. Throwing power was also measured. Four rows of tube-type evaporators of titanium have been anodically protected in situ. Field tests lasting more than one year shows satisfactory results. (orig.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In Japan, the development of next-generation Light Water Reactor has been launched since April 2008. The development program will be completed in 2015. The purpose of development is to cope with the replacement for existing nuclear power plants after 2030 in Japan and the expanding demand for nuclear power in the world; 'Nuclear Renaissance.' The reactor also aims to be global standard at around 2030. The requirements for global standard and domestic users have been investigated through the feasibility study of past 2 years, 2006-2007, and six innovative features or 'Core-Concepts' were established as follows. A) Reactor core system with uranium enrichment above 5% for significant decrease of spent fuel discharge and prominent higher availability B) Long-life materials and innovative water chemistry technologies for 80 years plant lifetime and significant reduction of occupational dose C) Seismic isolation technologies to standardize plant ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This third report covers the period October 1 to November 30, 1991. During this period the authors: (1) fabricated a test fixture for studying hybrid armature brush behavior, (2) reactivated a 140kJ, 1MA capacitor bank, (3) reactivated 25 channels digital data acquisition and reduction system and (4) concluded the use of a DNA funded railgun would serve as the most expedient means to acquire a railgun test bed. Fabrication of a plasma brush test fixture for studying the formation, evolution and stability of plasma brushes was completed. The fixture will serve to study plasma brush parameters, such as brush length and voltage drop, as a function of initial solid foil mass, gap size and current concentration. A 4OkV, 168{mu}f, 140kJ capacitor bank capable of providing more than 1MA of current was reactivated. (The LLNL bank had been developed for opening switch research which was successfully completed.) The bank will be used ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The world`s population of research reactors is growing old. Many have been adapted to serve new purposes over their lives, from testing materials for nuclear power programmes and supporting neutron physics experiments, to colouring gemstones, doping silicon and generating medical isotopes. In the first article of this survey of research reactor issues, Wilfried Krull from GKSS in Germany describes the effects on a reactor of supporting these changes in application as ``design ageing`` . Managing this and other symptoms of ageing to extend plant life is a key task for operators, and Krull discusses the efforts being made internationally to handle them. Eventually, terminal decline of one vital component can determine when a reactor has to be shutdown for refurbishment. For BR2 in Belgium, it was the beryllium matrix. Edgar Koonen from SCK-CEN explains work being done to replace it and extend reactor life for around 15 years. The Triga at the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In order to practice design-by-analysis of thermohydraulics design of BWR fuel rod bundles, the subchannel analysis would play a major role. There, one of the immediate concerns is improvement in its predictive capability of boiling transition phenomena on the fuel rod surface. This capability strongly depends on the modeling of thermohydraulics phenomena of interests: 1) vapor-liquid redistribution by inter-subchannel exchanges due to the diversion cross flow, turbulent mixing and void drift, 2) liquid film behaviors, 3) transition of two-phase flow regimes, 4) droplet entrainment and deposition and 5) spacer-droplet interactions. These are considered to be five key factors in understanding the BT in BWR fuel rod bundles. This paper describes a progress and current status in the second year of the three year project on developing generalized boiling transition models with the above five key factors being focused on. A combined approach of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Polyethylene gas piping is expected to be in service for times on the order of 50 years depending on service conditions. Therefore research research on piping materials and pipes has two principal objectives: (a) developing methods for predicting when a pipe will fail and (b) improving the material for piping. The prediction of long time failure hinges on the development of short time test methods which relate to long time failure. The improvement in the behavior of current materials also hinges on the use of test methods of short duration relative to the anticipated life time of the pipe in service. One of the primary criterion for an acceptable test method is that it produces the same type of failure as is observed after long time failure in service. It has been found that P.E. pipe material fails in a brittle mode after long periods of time. The failure mode is called brittle because there is little ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In order to verify long-term reliability of amorphous alloy wound core distribution transformers, accelerated aging tests and field trials used by actual transformers were practiced. As for accelerated aging tests, short-circuit tests were added to imitate mechanical stress in operation on a utility's distribution system. As a result, even after the equivalent of 30 years, which was the normal expected transformer's life, magnetic characteristic was unchanged, so these transformers could be operated. Also, about field trials, two hundred transformers of four kinds were installed on a utility's distribution system to look into no-load characteristics. They were equipped with a mechanism to measure load current, background vibration and lightning surge current, so the influence for magnetic characteristic could be inspected. As a result, remarkable change wasn't seen ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Without stable hardware any program will fail. The frustration and expense of supporting bad hardware can drain an organization, delay progress, and frustrate everyone involved. At Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), we have created a testing method that helps our group, SLAC Computer Services (SCS), weed out potentially bad hardware and purchase the best hardware at the best possible cost. Commodity hardware changes often, so new evaluations happen periodically each time we purchase systems and minor re-evaluations happen for revised systems for our clusters, about twice a year. This general framework helps SCS perform correct, efficient evaluations. This article outlines SCS's computer testing methods and our system acceptance criteria. We expanded the basic ideas to other evaluations such as storage, and we think the methods outlined in this article has helped us choose hardware that is much more stable ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An evaporator using a hydrophobic membrane made from a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was developed to improve DF (Decontamination Factor) and to reduce evaporator size. The membrane distillation, provided by the evaporator, is a new technique for liquid purification. Fundamental experiments were carried out to develop the membrane filter (tube type, outer diameter, 8 mm; membrane thickness, 500 {mu}m) for radioactive liquid treatment. The continuous operation test using actual liquid waste was also made during about 3,000 h. (This is almost equal to the operation time of an actual evaporator per year.) The evaporation rate decreased with increase an operation time due to contamination of waste impurity. But the rate was recovered by washing the membrane with hot water and then drying it. DF was over 10{sup 4} which is ten times larger than that for a conventional system. A pilot plant (capacity, 200 kg-liquid waste/h) was constructed and its ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper deals with an industrial application of the foam decontamination process applied to large volume components. The work presented below was achieved within the context of a CEC contract. The objective of this 4-year programme was to study, develop and demonstrate an effective in-situ decontamination process using foams containing suitable chemical reagents. Laboratory tests were first performed to optimize the chemical formulation of the foams. Pilot tests were then conducted to study the hydrodynamic features of the fluids and to adapt a technique of permanent foam circulation. With these tests completed, it was essential to validate the foam process on an industrial scale and on a representative nuclear component. The objective was successfully achieved. The process was effectively validated during the decontamination of a graphite-gas cooler representing a developed area of 1000 m{sup 2}. ...

Science.gov (United States)

In October 1980, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. began a three year contract with the DOE: Catalyst and Reactor Development for a Liquid Phase Fischer-Tropsch Process. The program contains four major tasks: (1) Project Work Plan, (2) Slurry Catalyst Development, (3) Slurry Reactor Design Studies, and (4) Pilot Facility Design. This report describes work on Tasks 2 and 3 carried out in the third quarter of the contract. In Task 2, the computerized search of the Fischer-Tropsch literature was continued, and improvements were made in data processing programs. Shakedown tests were completed on the first 300 ml slurry reactor, and construction of the second and third reactors began. Five modified conventional slurry catalysts were prepared, and two batches were tested in the gas phase giving information on selectivity as a function of composition and activation. Four supported cluster catalyst were synthesized, and seven were ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project is the international collaboration one for the commercialization of nuclear fusion energy through the technical and engineering verification. In ITER project, we plan to procure the blanket systems which has the risk of technology and cost when it is newly developed. We are developing the manufacturing process and joining technology for the ITER blanket to complete the procurement with qualified blanket system. To evaluate the soundness of manufacturing process, specimen and mock-up tests are being prepared. Finally, we can obtain the key technology of nuclear fusion reactor especially on the blanket design, joining and manufacturing technology through the present project and these technologies will help the construction of Korea fusion DEMO reactor and the development of commercial nuclear fusion reactor in Korea. In 1st year, through the fabrication of the Cu/SS and Be/Cu joint ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory (TUNL)--a collaboration of Duke University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--has had a very productive year. This report covers parts of the second and third year of a three-year grant between the US Department of Energy and the three collaborating universities. The TUNL research program focuses on the following areas: precision test of parity-invariance violation in resonance neutron scattering at LANSCE/LANL; parity violation measurements using charged-particle resonances in A = 20--40 targets and the A = 4 system at TUNL; chaotic behavior in the nuclei {sup 30}P and {sup 34}Cl from studies of eigenvalue fluctuations in nuclear level schemes; search for anomalies in the level density (pairing phase transition) in 1f-2p shell nuclei using GEANIE at LANSCE/LANL; parity-conserving time-reversal noninvariance ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Co-combustion tests for recycled fuels and peat were made at a 15 kW fluidized bed reactor at VTT Energy in Jyvaeskylae. Peat was used as reference fuel. 25 tests in total were performed during 1994 - 1996. A part of the peat energy was substituted by coal in five tests, in order to change the sulphur/chlorine ratio of the fuel mixture. Fuel mixtures (25% recycled fuel and 75% peat, at energy ratio) were pelletized in order to get homogeneous fuel mixtures. The tests in the year 1994 were air staging experiments (with and without tertiary air). All test were performed with air staging in the years 1995 and 1996. The aim of the research was to determine whether the co-combustion of waste materials will cause additional emission problems, as compared to combustible emissions from conventional air-staged fluidized bed combustion. Further, the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

There is extensive evidence that exposure to asbestos causes pulmonary parenchyma fibrosis, pleural disease, and malignant neoplasm in asbestos-exposed workers. However, few data concerning brake-lining workers are available in the literature. In this study, we aimed to assess the long-term effects of chrysotile asbestos exposure on lung function and the risk of asbestos-related diseases in brake-lining workers. Seventy-four asbestos-exposed workers who processed brake-lining products and 12 unexposed office workers were offered pulmonary function tests (spirometry and transfer actor) in 1992 and 1999. In 1999, the mean duration of asbestos exposure was 0.00#+-#4.07 and 11.02#+-#4.81 years (7-31 years) in non smoking and smoking asbestos workers, respectively. Transfer factor (T_L, CO) and transfer coefficient (K_C_O) decline were significant in the 7-year follow-up in both smoking and non smoking ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report presents findings from the first year of a two-year study of interactive efforts involving utilities and non-utility parties (NUPS) working together to prepare plans, develop Demand-Side Management (DSM) programs, or otherwise promote integrated planning and the use of cost-effective DSM measures. Of the ten cases covered in the current study, seven involved the collaborative approach to NUP involvement, which generally is marked by intensive utility-NUP interactions designed to reach consensus on a broad range of important issues; in collaboratives, outside consultants often are provided to enhance the technical capabilities of the NUPS. Another of the cases in this study involved a ``cooperative arrangement,`` whereby a utility and a NLT worked together in a focused short-term effort to develop a single DSM program. The intense interaction involved in this approach makes it very similar to a collaborative, except that both the ...

Science.gov (United States)

The long-term durability of bonds between adhesive resins and dentin is of significant importance for the longevity of bonded restorations. We carried out an in vivo one-year study to evaluate the durability of resin-dentin bonds in the oral cavity, as well as to test the hypothesis that the adhesive interface would show morphological changes in vivo over time. Very shallow saucer-shaped dentin cavities were prepared in 12 intact teeth of one Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata) under general anesthesia. The cavities were restored with Clearfil Liner Bond II and Clearfil Photo Posterior resin composite. The teeth were extracted at three different times: immediately, and 180 and 360 days after placement of the restorations. One day after the monkey was killed, specimens of the three time periods were subjected to the micro-tensile bond test at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. The surfaces of the failed bonds were observed under a ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The objective of this study is to evaluate the lifetime of Zr-2.5Nb pressure tube at Wolsung Unit-1. The testing materials (Effective full power year: 9.3 year, Accumulated nuetron fluence: 7.66{approx}8.91 x 1025 n/m{sup 2}) were sampled from M-11 tube at various position(inlet, middle and outlet). The cutting was carried out at hot cell to fabricate CT(Compact tension) specimen with 48 ppm hydrogen content. In the result of DHC test, irradiation-damaged specimen showed 4{approx}6 times faster DHC velocity(5.298E-0.8{approx}7.039E-8 m/s: 182 .deg. C) than non-irradiated specimen. These DHCV results also show slight faster than one of specimen from Pickering plant (average DHCV: 4.5E-8 m/s: 182 .Deg C). This faster DHCV can be explained with the fact that Wolsung Unit-1 have been operated in a severe conditions(higher cooling water temperature, high power and efficiency) than Pickering one. The ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

WIPP, intended for underground permanent disposal of defense transuranic waste, is located 40 km east of Carlsbad at a depth of 655 m in the salt beds of the 600-m thick Permian Salado Formation. It will consist of 56 ``rooms`` each 91.5 m long, 10 m wide, and 4 m high, grouped in 8 ``panels`` of 7 rooms each. About 7.5 km of access drifts will also be provided. Excavation began in 1982 and surface/access/test facilities and one panel were completed by 1988, many years before it could be used. Current plans are to start emplacing waste in WIPP in 1998 and continue for 35 years. The north- south drift E140 is the widest (25 ft) of the four main north-south drifts and is the main north-south passage. Plans to conduct experiments with waste in 1993 were abandoned, and the plan now is to use panel 1 for permanent disposal of waste starting in 1998. The stability evaluation resulted in the conclusion that, while it would be ...

Environmental Research Database

ObjectivesThe overall scientific aim of this project is, through development of an appropriate numerical modelling tool, to identify and investigate the mechanisms that control the current observed rapid thinning and acceleration of Greenland outlet glaciers and to investigate their likely future behaviour in the context of climate warming. This aim is addressed through the four major specific objectives below. These objectives build on each and therefore the order of priority is driven by the order in wh [continued...]DescriptionCurrently, the Greenland ice sheet is undergoing rapid changes in the coastal regions which have been attributed to a general warming trend to the regions climate over the last decade. Several of the narrow and fast flowing outlet glaciers that drain the ice sheet into the sea are observed to have accelerated their flow and thinned. For instance, Jakobshavn Isbrae on the West coast of Greenland has almost doubled its speed since 2000 from ...

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

The National Survey and Cadastre - Denmark (KMS) has for several years produced gravity anomaly maps over the oceans derived from satellite altimetry. During the last four years, KMS has also conducted airborne gravity surveys along the coast of Greenland dedicated to complement the existing onshore gravity coverage and fill in new data in the very-near coastal area, where altimetry data may contain gross errors. The airborne surveys extend from the coastline to approximately 100 km offshore, along 6000 km of coastline. An adequate merging of these different data sources is important for the use of gravity data especially, when computing geoid models in coastal regions. The presence of reliable marine gravity data for independent control offers an opportunity to study procedures for the merging of airborne and satellite data around Greenland. Two different merging techniques, both based on collocation, are investigated in this paper. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Work at Institutt for energiteknikk (IFE) comprises both nuclear and non-nuclear activities. The main nuclear program is centered on the Halden Reactor Project. In 1958, the first Halden Reactor Project Agreement was signed by organisations representing 12 European countries. During 1994 France became a full member and associate membership was established with Russia. Accordingly, 16 countries were participating in the Project by the end of the year. The objectives have evolved from being simply a demonstration of the operation of a boiling heavy-water reactor to becoming a substantial research and development programme covering the domains of human-machine interaction, fuel behaviour, materials testing, water chemistry, and instrumentation. In 1994, significant progress was achieved in all of the areas addressed by the project, including the re-instrumentation of irradiated fuel rods, fission gas release, irradiation-assisted stress corrosion ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Over the past few years, NPCIL has performed comprehensive Level-1 Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) for a 220 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) at Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) and for the first 540 MWe PHWR at Tarapur Atomic Power Project (TAPP- 3 and 4). The major objective of these PSAs was to present an integrated picture of the safety of the plant to identify and understand key plant vulnerabilities. As a result of the availability of these PSAs, there is a desire to use them to operate the plants in the most efficient manner practicable. In recent years, the operation of Indian Nuclear Power Plants has been characterized by improved availability/capacity factors and reduced forced outages. Frequency of planned outages is also being reduced. In order to achieve this, the PSAs are now being used as an engineering tool for optimization of Technical Specifications with regard to Allowed Outage Time (AOT) and Surveillance ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) modular stellarator is under construction at the Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik in Greifswald, Germany. The W7-X magnet system contains 70 coils made up from helium cooled superconducting cables in aluminium alloy (EN AW-6063) jackets. Several hundred connections of the jacket to the cable joints are made by aluminium-to-aluminium welds. Due to geometrical and thermal boundary conditions these welds cannot be accomplished free from defects. Microscopic analyses of the welds show that a variety of small flaws such as cracks and pores develop during welding. The welds have thus to be dimensioned accordingly, and appropriate weld qualification, investigation and testing has to be done in order not to jeopardise the structural integrity and leak tightness. The weld is mechanically loaded during cool-down due to the difference in thermal contractions between the GRP insulation and the aluminium, and during operation by bending moments ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The electrochemical capacitor devices described in this report were deliverables from the US Department of Energy--Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) Contract No. DE-AC07-92ID13404 as part of the US Department of Energy`s (DOE) High Power Energy Storage Program. The Idaho national Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) has responsibility for technical management, testing, and evaluation of high-power batteries and electrochemical capacitors under this Program. The DOE has developed various electrochemical capacitors as candidate power assist devices for the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) fast response engine requirement. This contract with Maxwell Energy Products, Inc. (Maxwell) was intended to develop a high-energy-density, high-power-density ultracapacitor that is capable of load leveling batteries in electric vehicles. The performance criteria for this device are delivery of 5 W {center_dot} h/kg of useful energy that can be used by ...

Science.gov (United States)

In early 2006 we designed and built low energy consumption, pump-operated system, for dosing of the liquid nutrient in the summer 2006 season. This operated successfully, and the system was used again during the 2007 and 2008 seasons for dosing. During the early winter period, 2008, laboratory tests were made of the liquid nutrient pump system, and it was noted that small amounts of air were being entrained on the suction side of the pump, during conditions when the inlet pressure was low. It was believed that this was the cause of diurnal fluctuations in the flow supplied, characteristic of the 2007 year flow data. Replacement of '0' rings on the inlet side of the pumps was the solution to this problem, and when tested in the field during the summer season, the flow supplied was found to be stable. A decision was made by the IKERT committee at the meeting of 20th to 21st May 2008 (held in Coeur ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Short communication.

CERN Document Server

Metals and alloys : atmospheric corrosion testing : General requirements for field tests

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Absence of the palmaris longus muscle has been well documented in several populations at a prevalence rate ranging between 2.2 and 63.9% which varies according to race, sex, and side of the body. There is little documentation of the prevalence of absence of this muscle from populations in the Arabian Gulf region. We examined 1,043 subjects, 3 85 years old, from the Kingdom of Bahrain for the presence or absence of the palmaris longus muscle using the conventional test for the presence of this muscle. Statistical analyses investigated the association of muscle absence with sex, hand dominance, and laterality. The palmaris longus muscle was absent in 36.8% of subjects. Bilateral absence (19%) was more common than unilateral absence (17.9%) with preponderance in female subjects. The ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Progress in the worldwide capability of predicting the convective energy loss from solar central receivers is reviewed. The significant advances in the past three years have been in experimental areas. Baseline measurements of the convective heat transfer from large high-temperature surfaces, e.g., a flat plate and a cubical cavity, have been completed and empirical correlations have been obtained. Theoretical modeling activities have not kept pace with the experimental advances, however. Currently, the primary theoretical emphasis is the development and testing of turbulence models suitable for buoyant flows. Three major needs have been identified: the measurement of convective energy losses from operating solar central receivers; the continued development of theoretical models in spite of the relatively slow progress to date; and the quantification of the effects of atmospheric turbulence.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Collectively, the organizations participating in the Site Operator Program have over forty years of EV experience and have operated electric vehicles (EVs) for over 600,000 miles, providing the most extensive EV operating and knowledge base in the country. The Site Operator Program is intended to provide financial and technical support and organizational resources to organizations active in the advancement of electric vehicles. Support is provided for the demonstration of vehicles and the test and evaluation of vehicles, components, and batteries. Support is also provided for the management and support of the program for the participating organizations. The Program provides a forum for participants to exchange information among the group, as well as with vehicle and equipment manufacturers and suppliers, and the public. A central data base at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory provides a repository for-data on the vehicles being operated ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The objective of this study is to test the validity of sex determination in children and adolescents using lateral radiographic cephalometry and discriminant function analysis. Fifty male and 50 female cephalograms of Taiwanese children were used (males and females with mean age of 15.52???1.38 and 15.67???1.54?years, respectively). Twenty-two cephalometric measurements were performed using computerized cephalometry. Statistical analysis shows that all measurements were sexually dimorphic (p?

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Several recent studies have documented that non-human primates can individuate objects according to property and/or kind information in much the same way as human infants do from around one year of age when they begin to acquire language. Some studies suggest, however, that only some properties are used for the individuation of food items: color, but not shape. The present study investigated whether these findings reveal a true competence problem with shape properties in the food domain or whether they merely reveal a performance problem (e.g., lack of attention to shapes). We tested 25 great apes (chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas) in two food individuation tasks. We manipulated subjects? experience with differences in color and shape properties of food items. Results indicated (i) that a...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Summary Penile injury is common as an emergency and should be accurately diagnosed and treated. We analysed 22 patients with penile injury admitted to the emergency unit of Dubrava University Hospital during a 4-year period. According to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma five-grade classification of penile injuries, there were 14 grade I, 6 grade II and 2 grade III cases. Diagnosis was mainly based on clinical and ultrasonography findings, and in some cases on cavernosography. Nineteen patients underwent immediate surgery and three patients received conservative therapy. On outpatient follow up, sexual function was assessed by use of the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) test at 3 and 12-months of injury. At 3-month follow up, moderate, mild and no e...

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The Nuclear Data Interface (NDI) code library and data formats are the standards for multigroup nuclear data at Los Alamos National Laboratory. NDI's analysis, design, implementation, testing, integration, and maintenance required a ten person-year and ongoing effort by the Nuclear Data Team. Their efforts provide a unique, contemporary experience in producing a standard component library. In reflection upon that experience at NDI's decennial, we have identified several factors critical to NDI's success: it addressed real problems with appropriate simplicity, it fully supported all users, it added extra value through the code to the raw nuclear data, and its team went the distance from analysis through maintenance. In this report we review these critical success factors and discuss their implications for future standardization projects.

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The use of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods is proposed for characterization of transuranic (TRU) waste stored at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex. These NDE methods include real-time x-ray radiography, real-time neutron radiography, x-ray and neutron computed tomography, thermal imaging, container weighing, visual examination, and acoustic measurements. An integrated NDE system is proposed for characterization and certification of TRU waste destined for eventual shipment to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico. Methods for automating both the classification waste and control of a complete nondestructive evaluation/nondestructive assay system are presented. Feasibility testing of the different NDE methods, including real-time x-ray radiography, and development of automated waste classification techniques are covered as part of a five year effort designed to yield a production waste characterization system.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This paper examines the pattern of introduced herbivore and predator distribution in the Tanami Desert and tests a series of propositions put forward by Stafford Smith and Morton [1990. A framework for the ecology of arid Australia. Journal of Arid Environments 18, 255-278]. regarding the functioning of arid Australian environments. These authors proposed that introduced herbivore and predator species would be largely restricted to and reliant on productive refugia. We collected occurrence data on introduced and naturalized predators and herbivores at 227 plots stratified by substrate and fire age class across a study area of 700x400km. We also collected data from 16 repetitively sampled transects stratified by substrate and latitude over a 4 year period. Each of the predator species was a...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Introduction: Transduodenal ampullectomy (TDA) can be performed for benign and premalignant tumors of the ampulla of Vater (AOV) as an alternative to pancreaticoduodenectomy. However, the laparoscopic approach has rarely been attempted. In this report 2 cases of benign ampullary tumor that were treated by totally laparoscopic TDA. Patients and Methods: Case 1 was of a 75-year-old female who was admitted with left knee pain and underwent arthroscopic debridement. On postoperative day 6, she showed elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase, aspirate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, without any other laboratory test abnormality. She had no complaint of abdominal pain, and physical examinations were unremarkable. Computed tomography (CT), magnet...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

ObjectiveTo address the characteristics of hearing loss in patients with Turner syndrome (TS), we evaluated hearing levels of patients with TS and analyzed causative factors.Study designThirty-three patients with TS (8 to 40 years of age) were studied through the use of audiological measurements, and causative factors were explored.ResultsTwenty cases (35 of 66 ears tested) showed high-frequency (8 kHz) sensory neural hearing loss (HFQ-SNHL). Fifteen cases (26 ears) and 15 cases (24 ears) of the impaired 20 cases were unresponsive to distortion-product otoacoustic emissions and transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions, respectively. HFQ-SNHL showed little relation to the history of middle ear infection and puberty, although middle ear infections were seen in 11 of the 20 cases. The hearing t...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smart metering is required by the EU and will be implemented in Germany during the next few years, but customers are not much interested in ''intelligent meters''. Displays and information services may ensure higher acceptance and additional use and provide an incentive for saving energy. In a pilot programme in BAvaria, Eon tested the customers' reaction to such a system. Smart metering technology and long-wave services were combined into an overall system that helps customers save energy. (orig.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

There are no specific diagnostic tests or a gold standard method for measuring disease activity and outcome in spondyloarthropathies (SpA). Many different methods have been developed to assess the signs and symptoms in SpA. The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of scintigraphy, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and Bath Ankilosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) in the evaluation of disease activity in early axial SpA diagnosed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Thirty early MRI-positive axial SpA patients (23 males, 7 females) with a median age of 35 (18?55) years and a median duration of inflammatory low back pain of 24 (8?60) months were included in the study. In the patients with sacroiliitis, the sensitivity, specificity, and pos...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper describes the development of cellulose paper/plastic film/cellulose paper laminate insulated Self-Contained 500 kV Oil-Filled (OF) Cable and its accessories. Dielectric loss of this new cable was confirmed to be about one third that of conventional kraft paper cable. Moreover, by employing the reduced insulation thickness of 25 mm rather than that of 33 mm, as is usual with conventional cables, the new cable could be made very compact, due to the high dielectric strengths of laminated paper. As a result, the shipping reel length of the new cable, which is about 10% lighter in total weight and 10% smaller in overall diameter than conventional cables, could be dramatically increased. The reliability and the stability of the new cable have been demonstrated by the successful completion of a one and a half year field test.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

For 170 years, scientists have attempted to explain why consistent temporal patterns of death are observed among individuals within populations. Historical efforts to identify a {open_quotes}law of mortality{close_quotes} from these patterns ended in 1935 when it was declared that such a law did not exist. These empirical tests for a law of mortality were constructed using mortality curves based on all causes of death. We predicted that patterns of mortality consistent with the historical concept of a law would be revealed if mortality curves for species were constructed using only senescent causes of death. Using data on senescent mortality for laboratory animals and humans, we demonstrate that patterns of mortality overlap when compared on a biologically comparable time scale. These results are consistent with the existence of a law of mortality following sexual maturity as asserted by Benjamin Gompertz and Raymond Pearl. The societal, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Following the United Kingdom's nuclear tests at Maralinga in Australia in the 1960's, the Australian government signed away its rights to claim compensation for decontamination costs in a 1968 agreement. Controversy now rages as the Australian government is claiming pound33 million for this purpose from the United Kingdom to compensate the Maralinga Tjarutja for the loss of access to their traditional lands. They claim that the UK clean-up operation was inadequate and that much plutonium was spread over the land, rather than contained in pits. Measurements of contamination at the site were wrong by a factor of ten according to a 1984 visit when Australian scientists were horrified to realize that an Aboriginal child living near Taranaki could inhale more than 460 millisieverts a year. As ministers from both countries meet in June 1993 the debate is likely to be heated and hotly defended. (UK).

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A historical review of floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) systems for marginal fields is presented. The areas in which such systems are operating, ranges of model tests, and current applicability of mooring systems are reviewed to present capabilities of these concepts. Limitations are reviewed to assess the applicability of these concepts to similar sites. Consideration of processing operations on floating vessels are identified. Particularly, the effects of vessel motion on the processing equipment, gas disposal, and crude offloading are addressed. It will be shown that operations are becoming well understood and routine. Future problem areas and solutions under development are identified. Specific examples are cited and design refinements are noted. While various floating production systems have been in operation for only a few years, their potential for solving the problems of producing small offshore fields and for achieving ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The project is devoted to the development of novel insoluble anodes for copper electrowinning and electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) production. The anodes are made of titanium-lead composite material produced by techniques of powder metallurgy, compaction of titanium powder, sintering and subsequent lead infiltration. The titanium-lead anode combines beneficial electrochemical behavior of a lead anode with high mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of a titanium anode. In the titanium-lead anode, the titanium stabilizes the lead, preventing it from spalling, and the lead sheathes the titanium, protecting it from passivation. Interconnections between manufacturing process, structure, composition and properties of the titanium-lead composite material were investigated. The material containing 20-30 vol.% of lead had optimal combination of mechanical and electrochemical properties. Optimal process parameters to manufacture the anodes were identified. Prototypes having ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

During the five plus years this Cooperative Agreement existed, more than 45 different projects were funded. Most projects were funded for a one year period but there were some, deemed of such quality and importance, funded for multiple years. Approximately 22 external agencies, businesses, and other entities have cooperated with or been funded through the WVU Cooperative Agreement over the five plus years. These external entities received 33% of the funding by this Agreement. The scope of this Agreement encompassed all forms of hazardous waste remediation including radioactive, organic, and inorganic contaminants. All matrices were of interest; generally soil, water, and contaminated structures. Economic, health, and regulatory aspects of technologies were also within the scope of the agreement. The highest priority was given to small businesses funded by the Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC) and ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper reviews the technical literature published on the welding of alloy 800. Much of this work has been carried out using the Varestraint and Gleeble tests to investigate the susceptibility of the alloy and of high nickel consumables to hot-cracking. Inspite of much reported work, it is pointed out that many years of experience in the use of alloy 800 shows it to be readily weldable without any major problems occurring due to hot-cracking. The elements investigated include titanium, aluminium, sulphur, phosphorus and carbon, and the effects of these elements are discuused in terms of their effects on the hot-ductility curves obtained by Gleeble testing. Conclusions reached by various researchers state that the individual effects of the above five elements may be masked by other unknown factors. It is concluded that with correct welding procedures alloy 800 can be welded without cracking problems even with high heat ...

Science.gov (United States)

Delusional beliefs are characteristic of psychosis and, of the delusions, the paranoid delusion is the single most common type associated with psychosis. The many years of research focused on neurocognition in schizophrenia, using standardized neurocognitive tests, have failed to find conclusive cognitive deficits in relation to positive symptoms. However, UK-based psychological research has identified sociocognitive anomalies in relation to paranoid thinking in the form of theory of mind (ToM), causal reasoning and threat-related processing anomalies. Drawing from recent neuroscientific research on the default mode network, this paper asserts that the common theme running through the psychological tests that are sensitive to the cognitive impairment of paranoia is the need to cognitively project the self through time, referred to as mental time travel. Such an understanding of the cognitive roots of paranoid ideation ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The nuclear power industry has many applications where electrical equipment is required to operate in environments which contain high relative humidity, steam and water or chemical sprays. Equipment is susceptible to these environments by moisture entering through inherent design provisions such as O-rings and through the electrical interface. The objective of this research is to review electrical interface sealing techniques and to recommend methods for providing effective electrical interface sealing. The most common methods of sealing are the use of electrical fittings containing sealants, add-on assemblies and hardware changeout. The experience gained in several years of testing electrical interface seals on such devices as limit switches, solenoid valves and transmitters is presented to provide information on seal effectiveness and preferred application. The effectiveness of various sealing methods is discussed, each of which is dependent ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper gives an overview of a multiyear joint research program being conducted at the University of New Mexico (UNM) with support from Sandia National Laboratories and GA Technologies. This research focuses on heat removal and fluid dynamics in flow regimes characterized by low pressure and low Reynolds number. The program was motivated by a desire to characterize and analyze cooling in a broad class of TRIGA-type reactors under: (a) typical operating conditions, (b) anticipated, new operating regimes, and (c) postulated accident conditions. It has also provided experimental verification of analytical tools used in design analysis. The paper includes descriptions of the UNM thermal-hydraulics test facility and the experimental test sections. During the first two years experiments were conducted using single, electrically heated rod in water and air annuli. This configuration provides an observable and serviceable ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The results of the laboratory studies performed by CIEMAT with the FEBEX bentonite in the context of WP3.2 of the NF-PRO Project and of the Agreement ENRESA-CIEMAT Anexo V are presented and analysed in this report. They refer to the effect of the hydraulic gradient on the permeability of bentonite, the effect of the thermal gradient on the hydration kinetics of bentonite, and the repercussion of temperature on the hydro-mechanical properties of bentonite (swelling, permeability and water retention capacity). In all the cases the bentonite has been used compacted to densities expected in the engineered barrier of a high-level radioactive waste repository. The existence of threshold and critical hydraulic gradients has been observed, both of them dependent on bentonite density and water pressures. After more than seven years of hydration, the 40-cm high bentonite columns are far from full saturation, the thermal gradient additionally delaying the process, which is ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The use of ionising radiation for the preservation of food has been under investigation for many years but has yet to receive worldwide acceptance. Although irradiation can be carefully controlled, it is generally accepted that the development of a test or tests for the detection of irradiated food would enhance consumer confidence and might help to enforce labelling regulations. The 2-alkylcyclobutanones are reported to be the only cyclic compounds formed as the products of the radiolysis of saturated and unsaturated triglycerides. The synthesis of 2-dodecylcyclobutanone (DCB) and 2-tetradecylcyclobutanone (TCB), which are formed from palmitic and stearic acid respectively following irradiation, has been carried out and using irradiated chicken meat as the model for a high-lipid containing food, both cyclobutanones have been extracted with hexane and then identified using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). DCB ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The fast breeder test reactor at Kalpakkam has completed nearly 25 years of operation and is now operating at 18 MWt capacity with 46 fuel subassemblies (FSA) in the core consisting of 27 Mark-I (70% PuC + 30% UC), 13 Mark-II (55% PuC + 45% UC) and 6 MOX (44% PuO_2 + 56% UO_2) and one test PFBR FSA. Post Irradiation Examination (PIE) campaigns on FSAs at different burnup levels has provided valuable information about the irradiation behavior of the carbide fuel. This paper gives a summary of the irradiation performance of the carbide fuel evaluated through some of the investigations such as neutron radiography, x-radiography, gamma scanning, fission gas analysis and ceramography. Burnup of the carbide fuel could be enhanced from the initial design burnup limit of 50 GWd/t to 165 GWd/through systematic PIE. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Increasingly stringent pollution regulations have spurred a broad interest in the reduction of engine emissions. Two strategies can be considered: after-treatment or engine emissions reduction. For Diesel engines, after-treatment has a high cost induced by the required technology and implementation issues. In this context, the Highly Premixed Combustion combustion mode (HP C) has emerged as a topic of major interest in recent years. It represents one of the most promising ways for new generation of CI engines using high Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) rates. Experimentation on the test bench brought the proof of significant emission reduction. However, actual vehicle implementation implies frequent transient which fall far beyond steady state experimentation on the test bench. Several key challenges have to be addressed. With this combustion technology; accurate torque balancing at all engine modes is a requirement. Even ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this report, we have examined some of the fundamental mechanisms expected to be at work during mobilization of the waste within the double-shell tanks at Hanford. The motivation stems from the idea that in order to properly apply correlations derived from scaled tests, one would have to ensure that appropriate scaling laws are utilized. Further, in the process of delineating the controlling mechanisms during mobilization, the currently used computational codes are being validated and strengthened based on these findings. Experiments were performed at 1/50-scale, different from what had been performed in the previous fiscal years (i.e., 1/12- and 1/25-scale). It was anticipated that if the current empirical correlations are to work, they should be scale invariant. The current results showed that linear scaling between the 1/25-scale and 1/50-scale correlations do not work well. Several mechanisms were examined in the scaled ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Recently, weight reduction of vehicles has been of great interest, and consequently, the use of low-density materials in the automotive industry is increasing every year. Materials should not be substituted such a way that material of component parts is simply changed because there is a problem in achieving stiffness and strength. To achieve these requirements, the automobile should be redesigned totally. Aluminum spaceframe is rapidly being adopted as a body structure for accommodating lightness, stiffness and strength requirement. In aluminum spaceframe manufacturing, it is often required to join aluminum tube. But there are few suitable methods for joining aluminum tube, so that much interest has been focused on testing suitable joining methods. Joining by electromagnetic forming(EMF) can be useful method in joining aluminum tube, which offers some advantages compared with the conventional joining method. In this paper, joining by EMF was ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In support of Stockpile Stewardship activities, accelerated aging tests on a plutonium alloy enriched with 7.3 at.% of "2"3"8Pu is underway using dilatometry at 35, 50, and 65 deg. C and immersion density measurements of materials stored at 50 deg. C. Changes in density are expected from radiation damage in the lattice and helium in-growth. After 25 equivalent years of aging, the dilatometry data shows that the alloys at 35 deg. C have expanded in volume by 0.11-0.12% and have started to exhibit a near linear expansion behavior primarily caused by the helium accumulation. The average He-to-vacancy ratio from tested specimens was determined to be around 2.55. The model for the lattice damage and helium in-growth accurately represents the volume swelling at 35 deg. C. The density converted from the dilatometry corresponds well to the decreasing density trend of reference plutonium alloys as a function of time.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beginning in the 1940's and continuing through the 50's and early 60's, nuclear devices were tested by aerial detonation in the United States and other countries around the world. Cesium-137 (/sup 137/Cs) is one of the most important radionuclide by-products due to its abundance and slow decay (30-year half-life). The uptake of /sup 137/Cs in animal tissue is the result of its similarity to potassium. The somatic and genetic effects of /sup 137/Cs, along with its effect on reproductive cells, can pose great hazards to wildlife species. A reported buildup of /sup 137/Cs in white-tailed deer in the lower coastal plain of Georgia during the 1960's was followed by a gradual decline during the 1970's. Although numerous studies have involved terrestrial mammals of Georgia, few have involved aquatic mammals such as the river otter. With continued atmospheric testing by some foreign ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A small break LOCA event simulation with no high pressure injection system available, known as International Atomic Energy Agency Standard Problem Exercise no. 4 (IAEA-SPE-4), was performed on the PMK-2 integral test facility in Budapest in 1993. This paper analyses the response of the PMK-2 facility, a model of VVER-440 nuclear power plant, using the latest released version MOD3.2.1.2 of the RELAP5 thermal-hydraulic code. After several years of the SPE-4 experiment analyses, many problems have emerged and been studied. Main goal of the present analyses was to study the main influencing parameters for adequate modelling of the hexagonal core channel with 19-rod bundle and phenomena during the core uncovery. Some influencing parameters have been identified, mostly on the primary side, but some also on the secondary side. This is exact simulation of main coolant pump coast down, hydro-accumulators water temperature and connections to the primary ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In recent years, there has been increased interest in using early life stages of freshwater bivalves to test the toxicity of dissolved constituents in water. The authors have developed laboratory and in situ assays with artificially cultured Utterbackia imbecillis to examine effects of contaminants and existing conditions in embayments and rivers on mortality and reproductive success of unionid mussels. Age sensitivity of U. imbecillis to Cd and Cu was examined using both static acute and 8-day static renewal bioassays. Both aqueous and sediment exposures demonstrated greater sensitivity to Cd than Cu. LC{sub 50}`s for two-day old (2d) and 9d mussels were approximately half the LC{sub 50} calculated for 16d mussels in 48-hr bioassays with Cd. Additionally, acute assays were repeated twice to examine variability in response between different mussel cultures to the two metals. The results of this work reinforce the potential of juvenile U. ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Although some polymer conductors of electricity (ex. Polyanilines) are materials known for more than 100 years, only recently have the interesting chemical, electrical and optic properties of their insulating and conducting forms been recognized. Advances made in the chemistry of polymer conductors have also led to improvements in processing them. This work studies a practical application of these materials: the use of polymer conductors for the remote welding of insulating thermoplastic polymers, using energy from microwaves for the local heating of the union. Many thermoplastics (for ex. Polyethylene) do not absorb, or absorb very little, energy from microwaves. Different conductor materials (conductor polymers, carbon nanotubes), however, heavily absorb energy from microwaves with the resulting heating. In this way the welding zone can be heated without affecting the rest of the piece. Conductor polymers (polyanilines) were synthesized chemically and they were ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Improvements in electric submersible pumping systems have resulted in a demonstrated downhole running life of one year for low horsepower units operating in 180 C brine. The implementation of a prototype pressurized lubrication system to prevent brine intrusion and loss of lubricating oil from the motor and protector sections has been successfully tested. Second generation pressurized lubrication systems have been designed and fabricated and will be utilized in downhole production pumping tests during FY84. Pumping system lifetime is currently limited by available power cable designs that are degraded by high-temperature brine. A prototype metal-sheathed power cable has been designed and fabricated and is currently undergoing destructive and nondestructive laboratory testing. This cable design has the potential for eliminating brine intrusion into the power delivery system through the use of a ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: The purpose of this course is to review the physical principles underlying design, clinical application and execution of interstitial and intracavitary implants in the classical low dose-rate (LDR) range. This year, the course will focus on quality assurance of sources, applicators and treatment planning software. In addition, development of procedures and QA checks designed optimize treatment delivery accuracy and patient safety during each individual procedure will be reviewed. The level of presentation will be designed to accommodate both physicists and physicians. Implementation of recently published AAPM Task Group reports (no. 40, 'Comprehensive Quality Assurance' and No. 43, 'Dosimetry of Interstitial Brachytherapy Sources') will be reviewed. Outline: (A) General Principles (1) QA endpoints: temporal accuracy, positional accuracy, dose delivery accuracy, and safety of the patient, personnel, and the institution (2) QA procedure development: forms, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A two-year demonstration run of a 500 C/100kgf/cm{sup 2}{center_dot}g high-efficiency waste-to-energy pilot plant has been started from February 1998; this plant represents as the final stage of the NEDO project of development of a high-efficiency waste-to-energy plant. Alloy 625 (SB444) and 310 HCbN tubings were selected for the 3rd and 2nd superheater of the pilot plant, respectively, and ten kinds of conventional and new solid-wall tubings, weld overlayed tubings, composite tubings, and cermet spray coated tubings were tested. By means of 6000-hour field corrosion test in three typical domestic plants, material life and corrosion environment for superheater tubings installed in the pilot plant were evaluated. Also, the effect of alloying elements Cr, Ni, Mo, corrosion rate law, etc. were investigated in detail. Furthermore, the design conception and basic performance of the pilot plant regarding pollution control and ...

Wastenet

2 ...Amount received and number years supported Project Duration: 2 years Funding received from APN in Year1: US$...00 Funding received from APN in Year 2: US$40,000.00

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To evaluate the predictive factors for treatment response and prognostic factors affecting survival outcomes after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma. Medical records of forty two patients with histologically confirmed analsquamous cell carcinoma, who had complete CCRT between 1993 and 2008, were reviewed retrospectively. Median age was 61.5 years (39-89 years), and median radiotherapy (RT) dose was 50.4 Gy (30.0-64.0 Gy). A total of 36 patients had equal to or less than T2 stage (85.7%). Fourteen patients (33.3%) showed regional nodal metastasis, 36 patients (85.7%) were treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus mitomycin, and the remaining patients were treated by 5-FU plus cisplatinum. The median follow--up time was 62 months (2-202 months).The 5-year overall survival, locoregional relapse-free survival, disease-free survival, and colostomy-free survival rates were 86.0%, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Devonian oil shales of the Eastern United States are a significant domestic energy resource. The overall objective of the multi-year program, initiated in October 1987 by the US Department of Energy is to perform the research necessary to develop the Pressurized Fluidized-Bed Hydroretorting (PFH) process for producing oil from Eastern oil shales. The program also incorporates research on technologies in areas such as raw shale preparation, beneficiation, product separation, and waste disposal that have the potential of improving the economics and/or environmental acceptability of recovering oil from oil shales using the PFH process. The results of the original 3-year program, which was concluded in May 1991, have been summarized in a four-volume final report published by IGT. DOE subsequently approved a 1-year extension to the program to further develop the PFH process specifically for application to beneficiated shale ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An intensified integration of renewable energies and a more extensive use of combined heat and power lead to an increasingly decentralized power economy. Such an economy is characterized by the conversion of energy at the point of the energy demand and depending on the energy system, by the possibility of balancing the fluctuating supply of renewable energies. In the long run, there is no doubt that fuel cells will be part of such a sustainable and flexible energy concept. The scope of this dissertation includes an analysis of the flexibility of fuel cells in energy supply (1,5 kW{sub el}), an assessment of the potential to compensate for the fluctuating supply of wind energy by an aggregation of decentralized fuel cells and a participation as a contractor in the spot and balance energy markets. Therefore two fuel cells were monitored and tested in order to obtain their characteristics and distributions for the energy demand of households in the federal states, in ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

To ensure safe and reliable power production nuclear power plants must be operated at high level. Non destructive in-service inspections are inseparable part of the effort. Non destructive in-service inspections are essential on the ground of degradation mechanisms existence in nuclear power components. Degradation processes are constituent of operation of each industrial installation including nuclear power plants. Mission of non-destructive testing is degradation detection, closer characterization of its parameters (dimensions) and to supply as much information as possible to nuclear power plant operator. Eddy current testing method can be assigned to surface - volumetric methods. Method enables inspection of electrically conductive materials. It is particularly suitable for inspection of non-ferromagnetic materials like austenitic stainless steel and brass. The method is used for detection of stress corrosion cracking, pitting corrosion or ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steam generators (SGs) in PWRs and CANDUs are designed for at least a 30-year operating life. However, in the 15-25 years that SGs tubed with Alloy 600 have operated commercially, they have experienced reduced reliability, mainly due to SG tubing degradation. One of the degradation mechanisms that Alloy 600 SG tubing has suffered from is lead-induced stress corrosion cracking (PbSCC) in AVT and near-neutral SG environments. In contrast to Alloy 600 tubing, test data obtained in high temperature water indicate that Alloy 800 is resistant to cracking by lead and lead compounds. For Alloy 800 (cold worked, shot peened), the most aggressive environment is reported to be alkaline with minor concentration of PbO (80 ppm). Work by Max Helie et al. also concluded that Alloy 800 is not sensitive to lead assisted SCC for pH values close to neutrality, whereas it could be affected in high alkaline conditions. The work reported here ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The oil shales of the Eastern United States represent a very large energy resource that also lies close to the marketplace. Although estimates vary, one estimate shows that more than 400 billion barrels of oil are recoverable from surface-mineable Devonian oil shales in the states of Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. Conventional thermal retorting of Eastern and Western oil shales with comparable organic carbon contents results in a much lower oil yield for the Eastern shales. This discouraged research and development of this energy resource, until about ten years ago, when the Institute of Gas Technology discovered that retorting Eastern oil shales in a hydrogen-rich atmosphere at elevated pressures gives oil yields that are 2.5 times those possible by thermal retorting. Over the last ten years many research, development, and feasibility programs, both Government- and industry-funded, have been conducted to utilize the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Metal dusting corrosion has been a serious problem in the petroleum and petrochemical industries, such as reforming and syngas production systems. This form of deterioration has led to worldwide material loss for 50 years. For the past three years, we have studied the mechanism of metal dusting for Fe- and Ni-base alloys. In this report, we present a correlation between the weight loss and depth of pits that form in Ni-base alloys. Nickel-base alloys were also tested at 1 and 14.8 atm (210 psi), in a high carbon activity environment. Higher system pressure was found to accelerate corrosion in most Ni-base alloys. To reduce testing time, a pre-pitting method was developed. Mechanical scratches on the alloy surface led to fast metal dusting corrosion. We have also developed preliminary data on the performance of weldments of several Ni-base alloys in a metal dusting environment. Finally, Alloy 800 tubes ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report is a compilation of the calendar year 2003 groundwater sampling results from the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site, Nevada Test Site. Wells Ue5PW-1, Ue5PW-2, and Ue5PW-3 were sampled semi-annually for the required analytes: pH, specific conductance, total organic carbon (TOC), total organic halides (TOX), tritium, and major cations/anions. Results from all samples collected in 2003 were within established criteria. These data indicate that there has been no measurable impact to the uppermost aquifer from the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulated unit within the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site and confirm that any previous detections of TOC and TOX were false positives. Contamination indicator data are presented in control chart and tabular form with investigation levels indicated. Gross water chemistry data are presented in graphical and tabular form. There were no major changes noted in the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

LEDF(Large Equipment Dismantling Facility) is the solid waste processing technology development facility that carries out high-volume reduction and low dosage processing. The high-volume reduction processing of the high dose {alpha}-waste configured with combustible waste, pvc and rubber, spent ion exchange resin, and noncombustible waste have been planned the incinerating and melting facility using the in-can type high frequency induction heating in LEDF. This test is intended to clarify the design data. It was confirmed that the incinerating and melting performance, molten solid properties and exhaust gas processing performance with pilot testing equipment and bench scale equipment. The result of this test are as follows. 1. Processing speed is 6.7 kg/h for the combustible waste, 13.0 kg/h for the ion exchange resin, and 30.0 kg/h for the noncombustible waste. For above optimum processing conditions are as follows. ...

Science.gov (United States)

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission stipulates in 10 CFR 61 that disposed low-level radioactive waste (LLW) be stabilized. To provide guidance to disposal vendors and nuclear station waste generators for implementing those requirements, the NRC developed the Technical Position on Waste Form, Revision 1. That document details a specified set of recommended testing procedures and criteria, including several tests for determining the biodegradation properties of waste forms. Cement has been widely used to solidify LLW; however, the resulting waste forms are sometimes susceptible to failure due to the actions of waste constituents, stress, and environment. The purpose of this research program is to develop modified microbial degradation test procedures that will be more appropriate than the existing procedures for evaluating the effects of microbiologically influenced chemical attack on cement-solidified LLW. Groups of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) is an active heat transfer augmentation technique which utilizes the effect of secondary motions generated through the application of an electrostatic potential to a dielectric fluid. Net result is better momentum and heat transfer between the fluid and the heat transfer wall through destabilization of the thermal boundary layer and better mixing of the fluid adjacent to the heat transfer surface. EHD enhancement of refrigerant/refrigerant oil mixtures heat transfer using the Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) technique is the subject of a three-year experimental investigation in a project funded by the US Department of Energy, effective June 1, 1993. For the interim period between November 1992 and June 1993 when the DOE funds became available, the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Institute (ARTI) provided partial funding for our EHD research program with the aim of accomplishing three major tasks: (1) conduct a comprehensive ...

Science.gov (United States)

Not Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The following paragraphs summarize the progress of each research project funded under the WVU Cooperative Agreement during the third quarter of 1997 (July - September 1997). The projects are arranged according to their 1997 WVU task number. WVU Focus Area 1.0: Subsurface Contaminants, Containment and Remediation Task No. 1.1: Project discontinued. Task No. 1.2: Development of Standard Test Protocols and Barrier Design Models for Desiccation Barriers (K. Amininan & S. Ameri): A number of experiments were preformed this period to evaluate the ability of the dried sand-packs to act as a barrier to liquids. Water infiltration tests were done with a constant head, dispersing 80 ml of water, and by adding water in small increments. Results indicate that when the water is spilled over the sand-pack, it has the tendency to channel through the sand-pack, significantly reducing the capacity of the dried zone to retain liquid contaminants. This ...

CERN Document Server

We explored ways of doing spatial search within a relational database: (1) hierarchical triangular mesh (a tessellation of the sphere), (2) a zoned bucketing system, and (3) representing areas as disjunctive-normal form constraints. Each of these approaches has merits. They all allow efficient point-in-region queries. A relational representation for regions allows Boolean operations among them and allows quick tests for point-in-region, regions-containing-point, and region-overlap. The speed of these algorithms is much improved by a zone and multi-scale zone-pyramid scheme. The approach has the virtue that the zone mechanism works well on B-Trees native to all SQL systems and integrates naturally with current query optimizers - rather than requiring a new spatial access method and concomitant query optimizer extensions. Over the last 5 years, we have used these techniques extensively in our work on SkyServer.sdss.org, and SkyQuery.net.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The use of capacitance sensors for measuring phase concentrations in two-phase flow has gained popularity in recent years. In designing such sensors, there are many issues which must be considered in order to optimize performance: two-phase flow regime, permittivity of the phases, duct geometry, electrical shielding, desired spacial resolution of film thickness, and temperature variation in the flow field. These design issues are discussed and are used to optimize the design of a capacitance sensor which is used to measure vapor volume fraction in annular, two-phase vertical upflow and downflow in a square duct. The sensor was tested and implemented in a 12.7 mm square duct mounted in a flow boiling facility containing FC-72, a low permittivity dielectric fluid ({epsilon}{sub r} = 1.75). Using analytical modeling, an adjustable-length, parallel-plate design was developed and refined to achieve good sensitivity to flow conditions. The sensor ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

France has a wide variety of experimental spent fuels different from LWR spent fuel discharged from commercial reactors. Reprocessing such fuels would thus require the development and construction of special facilities. The French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) has consequently opted for long-term interim storage of these spent fuels over a period of 50 years. Comparative studies of different storage concepts have been conducted on the basis of safety (mainly containment barriers and cooling), economic, modular design and operating flexibility criteria. These studies have shown that dry storage in a concrete vault cooled by natural convection is the best solution. A research and development program including theoretical investigations and mock-up tests confirmed the feasibility of cooling by natural convection and the validity of design rules applied for fuel storage. A facility called CASCAD was built at the CEA's Cadarache Nuclear Research ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

There is no possibility to check any inner part at real welded joint at nuclear power station (NPS) during operation because any destructive test cannot be used. In practice there is checked surface of weld. There are used four methodical instructions for the check of real welds: 1. The visual inspection, 2. The measurement of hardness, 3. The chemical composition checking and 4. The microstructure replica analysis. It is necessary to know how these information of weld surface are in accordance with characteristics of inner parts of weld. If there is not any difference between surface weld microstructure and internal weld microstructure of experimental weld it is supposed to that there is not any difference in other measured properties of welds. If is changed structural characteristics of microstructure, it is changed also hardness, chemical analysis etc. It was observed that the microstructure of real welds is almost the same with simulated weld and also the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long-term disposal and management of low and intermediate-level radioactive waste is a major project of the nuclear power industry. Therefore, the selection of an underground waste repository has to be a geologically and seismologically stable storage. Easy transportation and emplacement is essential. The Wolsung nuclear power plant (NPP) of unit no. 1/2/ 3/ 4, which is responsible for the future of the energy industry, has already been constructed at the Wolsung site and a New NPP has recently been created at the Sinwolsung site. Radioactive waste used in the plant facilities, has piled up increasingly every year, but it should be taken to be managed at long-term underground storage disposal facilities. The Wolsung site for radioactivity waste repository was known to be relatively stable through various geological surveys, earthquakes, groundwater, engineering testing and analysis, but still more research related to the stability of the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The ability of "9"9"mTc-IgG scintigraphy to predict the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 47 patients with arthralgia was investigated. "9"9"mTc-IgG scintigraphy and the serum test for rheumatoid factor (RF), measured at the beginning of a year long study, were compared for their ability to predict RA. During the study 8 patients developed RA. The specificity and positive predictive values of RF in predicting RA were 79% and 50% respectively, and for "9"9"mTc-IgG scintigraphy 97% and 88%. The sensitivity and negative predictive values of RF were 100% and of "9"9"mTc-IgG-scintigraphy 88% and 97%, respectively. In conclusion, "9"9"mTc-IgG scintigraphy has additional value to RF with respect to the prediction of the development of RA in patients with arthralgia. 27 refs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Three aspects of the research project ``Surface physics with cold and ultracold neutron reflectometry`` were stressed during the present first year: (1) Setup of the reflectometer facility at the research reactor of the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center. The installation provides a narrow ``pencil beam`` analyzed by time of flight using a chopper system. Following beam characterization and a test measurement of the total cross section of copper single crystal first reflectivity measurements are currently performed using a supermirror. (2) Design stud for the ultracold neutron imaging system, with involvement of the relevant industry. Bids are available for several components indicating that it will be very difficult to build the entire system unless further funds become available. (3) Analysis of features of neutron reflection from surfaces with special emphasis on the effect of surface roughness both on the specular beam and the diffusely ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Within the framework of the EU power plant conceptual study (PPCS), helium-cooled modular divertor concepts have been investigated in detail at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe during the past few years. The first conceptual design proposed was based on convective cooling with the use of flow promoters in the form of pin and/or slot arrays (HEMP/HEMS) to increase the cooling surface and, hence, enhance the heat transfer capacity. While continuing the design optimisation, an advanced multiple-jet design (HEMJ) was introduced, which is based on direct jet-to-wall impinging cooling and offers advantages in terms of simple construction and manufacturing. Main emphasis of the 2004 work program (TW4-TRP-001) lay on experiments for the concepts HEMJ and HEMS, which were mainly performed at the Efremov Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia. For experiment preparation, detailed test programs were worked out and accompanying CFD analyses were accomplished. ...

CERN Document Server

For a long time, signal processing applications, and most particularly detection and parameter estimation methods, have relied on the limiting behaviour of test statistics and estimators, as the number n of observations of a population grows large comparatively to the population size N, i.e. n>>N. Modern technological and societal advances now demand the study of sometimes extremely large populations, while simultaneously requiring fast signal processing due to accelerated system dynamics; this results in not-so-large practical ratios n/N, sometimes even smaller than one. A disruptive change in classical signal processing methods has therefore been initiated in the past ten years, mostly spurred by the field of large dimensional random matrix theory. The early literature in random matrix theory for signal processing applications is however scarce and highly technical. This tutorial proposes an accessible methodological introduction to the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The control of nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}) emissions will become a major challenge in the forthcoming years, in the domain of automotive industry or industrial burners. Pulsed combustion offers an imaginative solution which does not affect the combustion efficiency. In this paper, the efficiency of this method is demonstrated using the burner of a 20 kW domestic boiler. The actuator is simply installed on the air intake. Two types of actuators have been tested successfully: a loudspeaker and a rotative valve. Both can produce 100 to 1000 Hz frequencies and can lead to a reduction of 20% of NO{sub x} emissions. The feasibility of the concept is also demonstrated on a 840 kW liquid fuel-oil burner. The mechanisms involved during an excitation are explained using the CH{sup *} radical imaging. Results show an important reorganization of the flow and of the flame structure. During each excitation cycle, an annular swirl occurs at the leading edge ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Concerning the gamma emitters, the only analysis on soils put in evidence the presence of cesium-137 ({sup 137}Cs), that does not come from the cyclotron functioning but from past man action as the Chernobylsk accident and the nuclear weapon tests in atmosphere. Independently of the functioning of the installation, we observe an increase of the ambient gamma radiation only near radioactive waste storage. It results of the storage of the former cyclotron elements. The induced increase is moderated because at 5 meters the values do not exceed the background noise. In relation with the functioning of the installation an increase of the ambient gamma radiation is noticed. Two causes are to considered: the release of radionuclides in atmosphere with gaseous effluents and the radiance of radiation sources inside the building. After the stopping of the installation (48 h at least), no increase of gamma radiation is observed. About the neutrons monitoring, the measures ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eight patients who had received megavoltage therapy for Cushings' disease 5-12 years previously have been reviewed. The long term response to this therapy was assessed with respect to efficacy of treatment in inducing continued remission and disturbance of hypothalamic-pituitary function. One patient showed clear evidence of relapse of Cushings' disease. One patient had unequivocal hypopituitarism. Basal levels of growth hormone (GH), TSH, LH, and FSH were not statistically different from controls, but provocative testing revealed significant abnormalities of response of cortisol/ACTH, GH, prolactin and LH. Six out of eight patients had absent diurnal cortisol variation and five patients had elevated serum prolactin levels. Thus, in this group of patients normal pituitary-adrenal function has not been satisfactorily restored. It is clear that significant disturbances of hypothalamic-pituitary function follow megavoltage ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

'Full text:' In Germany, Alloy 800 (high nickel austenitic stainless steel) was modified and qualified for the use as steam generator tubing by Siemens/KWU (now AREVA NP GmbH). The service reliability of Alloy 800 has been demonstrated over a long period of time. 1968 Siemens/KWU decided to use this material for the NPP Stade, which started operation in 1972. The steam generators operating with Alloy 800 tubes have now been in service for more than 30 years. Up to now no PWSCC or secondary-side SCC has been observed in the more than 285,000 tubes installed in Siemens/KWU steam generators (including RSG) in 19 PWRs in Europe. The operating experience will be shown and discussed. During the past regular SG tubing inspections using eddy current testing, a few indications were detected within the tube sheet between upper and lower tube expansion. These indications were limited to the outer tube positions. The number of affected ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Oil Shale Program is directed toward the development of advanced technologies for extracting shale oil from large, currently unrecoverable oil shale resources. The overall goal of the Oil Shale Program is to foster development by the private sector of an economically competitive and environmentally acceptable oil shale industry whose products can compete with natural petroleum liquids in the marketplace by the year 2000. For the achievement of this goal, a series of interrelated technology development steps must take place, some sponsored by DOE, some by other government agencies, and some by other governments and/or the private sector. These include basic and applied research and development, proof-of-concept activities, first-of-a-kind field tests, and associated commercial scale activity. Activities associated with the Oil Shale Program are designed to achieve one or more of the following: enhanced environmental acceptability; expanded ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A KEK-PS experiment E337 `Angular correlation of intermediate mass fragments emitted from the target multifragmentation reactions with 12 GeV protons` is an extension of the E288 performed a few years ago. The E288 revealed that the proton-induced target multifragmentation reactions at 12 GeV showed quite interesting phenomena such as 70 degree peaking angular distributions for intermediate mass fragments. In December, 1955, the test experiment with 12 GeV protons was started at KEK using this newly constructed counter array of 37 Bragg Curve Counters. The main production experiment was performed in April and May in 1996 after debugging the new counter system and DAQ system, as well as EP1-B beam line. Data with Au, Tm, Sm and Ag targets were successfully accumulated. The data are in the analysis stage, and several interesting features of high energy nuclear reactions have already been seen. (G.K.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The rebuilt rotor of the 224 kW Magdalen Islands VAWT was installed in 1979 and has been operating at its design speed (36.6 rpm) for about one year. Agreement between measured and theoretical performance is generally good except that maximum power may exceed theoretical predictions. Measurements of drive train losses, torque and power ripple, and rotor stresses are discussed. Although peak-to-peak cyclic stress levels are low in relation to fatigue life limits, spectral analysis of stress data indicates that the 3-per-rev component is amplified by near-resonance with the first butterfly blade mode. This resonance was subsequently de-coupled by a damped connection between the blade struts and the central column. The major future project in the Canadian program is the design, construction and testing of a megwatt-scale VAWT in cooperation with Hydro Quebec. Preliminary desigh details of this turbine, known as Project Aeolus are briefly ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subslab depressurization (SSD) systems have become the most popular radon mitigation technique used by professional mitigators. Readily available supplies and equipment from other trades are commonly utilized in the installation of these systems. What is not currently known is the long-term performance of some of the caulks or sealants and the mechanical devices such as fans or controls. The operating environment for the fans is often different from that for which they were designed. Specifically, this involves studying whether the fans are still operating as installed, whether there has been an increase or decrease in the radon levels after several years of operation, and whether the homeowners are operating the systems the way the systems were originally designed. To answer these questions, the authors have tested eight of the Piedmont Study homes as well as homes in which post-mitigation measurements done by New Jersey Dept. of Environmental ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Currently, high temperature filter systems are in the demonstration phase with the first commercial scale hot filter systems being installed on integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) and pressurized fluid bed combustion cycle (PBFC) systems (70 MW). They are dependent on the development of durable and economic high temperature filter systems. These filters are mostly ceramic tubes or candles. Ceramic filter durability has not been high. Failure is usually attributed to mechanical or thermal shock: they can also undergo significant changes due to service conditions. The overall objective of this project is to commercialize weldable, crack resistant filters which will provide several years service in advanced power processes. The specific objectives of this project are to develop corrosion resistant alloys and manufacturing processes to make Iron Aluminide filter media, and to use a ``short term`` exposure apparatus supported by other ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fe-Cu binary alloys are often used to mimic the behaviour of reactor pressure vessel steels. Their study allows identifying some of the defects responsible for irradiation-induced hardening. But recently the influence of manganese and nickel in low-Cu steels has been found to be important as well. In contrast with existing models found in the literature, which predict that hardening saturates after a certain dose, Fe alloys containing nickel and manganese irradiated in a material test reactor (BR2) show a continuous increase of hardening, up to doses equivalent to about 40 years of operation. Considerations based on positron annihilation spectroscopy analyses suggest that the main objects causing hardening in Cu-free alloys are most probably self-interstitial clusters decorated with manganese. In low-Cu reactor pressure vessel steels and in Fe-CuMnNi alloys, the main effect is still due to Cu-rich precipitates at low doses, but the role of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eight patients, one male and seven females, with no pre-existing hypothalamic-pituitary disease, who developed symptoms of hypopituitarism following cranial irradiation for nasopharyngeal carcinoma were studied 5 years or more after radiotherapy. All were GH deficient. Four of the patients with no GH response during insulin tolerance tests (ITT) showed increased GH in response to synthetic human growth hormone releasing factor (GRF-44). Four patients had impaired cortisol responses to ITT, and gradual but diminished cortisol responses to ovine corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF-41). There was no significant difference between mean peak increments in response to ITT and those in response to CRF-41. TSH responses to TRH were delayed in five and absent in two patients; four of these had low free T4 index. Prolactin was raised in all seven women and increased further in response to TRH. Two patients had impaired gonadotrophin responses to LHRH. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This study hypothesizes that Appalachian Kentucky's nineteenth century commercial economic development was as significant as coal mining in shaping economic patterns which appeared during the depression years of the 1930's. Testing of this hypothesis permits the evaluation of widely-held views of the region's development. The economic landscape of the 1800's has generally been thought of as a rather homogeneous unit, isolated from outside commercial linkages, and almost wholly dominated by subsistence agriculture. This study concludes that the region's nineteenth century economy was: 1) spatially and structurally more complex than has previously been recognized, 2) not by-passed by national economic growth in 1850, as previous research indicates; and 3) characterized by some commercial agriculture rather than the subsistence stereotype presented in other works. Appalachian Kentucky did not develop as ...

Science.gov (United States)

A one-year technology-transfer project involving ERDA installations and Hawaii consisted of sending teams from the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory on week-long field trips every two months to test the effectiveness of different methods of transferring technology information from federal sources to civilian clients. The team was questioned primarily on non-energy matters, and the energy questions asked related mostly to individuals or small industries. The team responed to all questions and found that a wide range of knowledge was more effective than having a sequence of experts. Hawaiians considered current major ERDA projects to be irrelevant to their needs. The team was most successful on a one-to-one basis because large groups and state agencies tend to be more policy- than action-oriented. Personal followup was considered essential. The team also learned that their visits generated ten times as many inquiries as were received unsolicited by ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The task of selecting reliable computer programs to simulate the performance of passive solar buildings has been assigned by the CEC to a specialized sub-group, the Modelling Sub-Group. This group has selected a detailed program for large computers, which has been commissioned and run by each participant. It has also given a reference for the analysis of a set of simple models, i.e. for mini/micro computers, pocket calculators and manual methods. These simulation techniques have been analyzed by answering an original questionnaire, making test runs of the models with building and climatic data, and comparing the results obtained with the large program. The best manual method has been included in the Passive Solar Handbook prepared by the Passive Solar Working Group. The MSG has also established a comparative table of all the selected simplified models, in order to make the designer able to do a first selection among them, in accordance with the hardware he has at ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

CANDU steam generators and heat exchangers have been afflicted with a significant variety of degradation mechanisms. Until recently, detection and characterization of most of the varieties of flaws required usage of several different eddy current techniques. Tubes needed to be scanned multiple times to ensure they were inspected for all possible degradation mechanisms. The time required to deploy so many different types of techniques to inspect the steam generator tubes has had a significant impact on the inspection schedules. The X-Probe was designed with an array of eddy current coils capable of detecting, characterizing and sizing axial, circumferential and volumetric flaws. The X-Probe is a fast-scanning probe with scanning speed equivalent to speeds typically used for simple bobbin coil probes. With its capability of fulfilling most if not all of the functions of the other tube-testing eddy current probes, it can inspect each tube for all degradation ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A solar-driven 10-ton LiBr/H2O single-effect absorption cooling system has been designed and installed at the School of Renewable Energy Technology (SERT), Phitsanulok, Thailand. Construction took place in 2005, after which this system became fully operational and has been supplying cooling for our main testing buildings air-conditioning. Data on the systems operation were collected during 2006 and analyzed to find the extent to which solar energy replaced conventional energy sources. Here, we present these data and show that the 72m2 evacuated tube solar collector delivered a yearly average solar fraction of 81%, while the remaining 19% of thermal energy required by the chiller was supplied by a LPG-fired backup heating unit. We also show that the economics of this cooling system are domi...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Displacements per atom (DPA) is a widely used damage unit for displacement damage in nuclear materials. Calculating the DPA for SiC irradiated in a particular facility requires a knowledge of the neutron spectrum as well as specific information about displacement damage in that material. In recent years significant improvements in displacement damage information for SiC have been generated, especially the energy required to displace an atom in an irradiation event and the models used to describe electronic and nuclear stopping. Using this information, numerical solutions for the displacement functions in SiC have been determined from coupled integro-differential equations for displacements in polyatomic materials and applied in calculations of spectral-averaged displacement cross sections for SiC. This procedure has been used to generate spectrally averaged displacement cross sections for SiC in a number of reactors used for radiation damage ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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 two project is to ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

For a number of years, researchers at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory have been developing processes and equipment for converting high-level liquid wastes to solid forms. One of these processes is the Spray Calciner/In-Can Melter system. To immobilize high-level liquid wastes, this system must be operated remotely, and the calcine must be reliably conveyed from the calciner to the melting furnace. A concept for such a remote conveyance system was developed at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory, and equipment was tested under full-scale, nonradioactive conditions. This concept and the design of demonstration equipment are described, and the results of equipment operation during experimental runs of 7 d are presented. The design includes a connecting section and its associated systems - a canister sypport and alignment concept and a weight-monitoring system for the melting furnace. Overall, the runs demonstrated that the concept design is an ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This 4.5-year project consisted of routine analytical support to DOE`s direct liquefaction process development effort (the Base Program), and an extensive effort to develop, demonstate, and apply new analytical methods for the characterization of liquefaction process streams (the Participants Program). The objective of the Base Program was to support the on-going DOE direct coal liquefaction process development program. Feed, process, and product samples were used to assess process operations, product quality, and the effects of process variables, and to direct future testing. The primary objective of the Participants Program was to identify and demonstrate analytical methods for use in support of liquefaction process develpment, and in so doing, provide a bridge between process design, development, and operation and analytical chemistry. To achieve this direct coal liquefaction-derived materials. CONSOL made an evaluation of each analytical ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Contaminated wood treatment sites can result in adverse health effects to nearby residents. Environmental exposure can be estimated by measuring concentrations of pollutants in air, water, food, or wipe tests. This environmental exposure value can be used as a surrogate to estimate individual exposure. The objective of this study was to determine whether or not pentachlorophenol (PCP) could be found in potentially exposed residents and if the dioxin levels are consistent with PCP exposure. A further objective of the study was to determine whether or not PAH-DNA adducts could be found in the potentially exposed residents. We present results of biomonitoring studies in residents living near a wood treatment plant that used coal-derived creosote and PCP to process and treat wood for over 100 years. The plant was built in 1904 and used creosote and PCP. Creosote is a complex mixture that contains numerous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The significant technical and industrial aspects which have led to main coolant line (MCL) materials selection are addressed from a long term experience and operational practice point of view. They are based on the Siemens/KWU developed basic material concept for its nuclear power plants. It considers the choice of appropriate materials, the evaluation and qualification of the materials and the materials manufacturer, the use of appropriate semi-finished products, the tailoring of material and semi-finished products to the specific requirements of the various systems, the application of adequate manufacturing processes and the proof of the requirements by specifying proper tests and examinations. The main systems are assigned to safety classes in accordance with their safety relevance. Summarizing the operation time of nuclear power plants with ferritic MCL equipped by Siemens/KWU, more than 200 years of operation experience exist and no ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

One of the most profound features of electricity spot prices are the price spikes. Markov regime-switching (MRS) models seem to be a natural candidate for modeling this spiky behavior. However, in the studies published so far, the goodness-of-fit of the proposed models has not been a major focus. While most of the models were elegant, their fit to empirical data has either been not examined thoroughly or the signs of a bad fit ignored. With this paper we want to fill the gap. We calibrate and test a range of MRS models in an attempt to find parsimonious specifications that not only address the main characteristics of electricity prices but are statistically sound as well. We find that the best structure is that of an independent spike 3-regime model with time-varying transition probabilities, heteroscedastic diffusion-type base regime dynamics and shifted spike regime distributions. Not only does it allow for a seasonal spike intensity throughout the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Until recent years, those involved in the design, operation and regulation of nuclear power systems devoted more resources to forward movement than to the back end of the fuel cycle. Now, though, concerted thought and international cooperation have been devoted to the question of nuclear waste management. The expert consensus is that sufficient knowledge exists to make e.g. disposal decisions with an acceptable level of confidence. In the first phases of research, decision processes were adapted to the tasks at hand. However, at some point in each nuclearized country, there came a time when waste management implied finding repository sites. At that time management abruptly entered the social sphere - where unfortunate experience has shown time and time again that classical decision processes are not adapted to facilitating societal acceptance of management solutions. This paper recounts the various management frameworks that have been tested in ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A.C.R.O. (Association pour le Controle de la Radioactivite dans l'Ouest) is a French non governmental organisation that operates a laboratory for radioactivity analysis. It was created in 1986 as a response to people demands for information and reliable, independent testing. The organisation mainly carries out missions of information and training for its correspondents and more generally for a wide audience, particularly for people who worry about problems of environment, health, management of radioactive waste and emissions. Thanks to its structure, it enables citizens to involve themselves together with scientists so as to gain access to information that was hither to reserved to specialists. The organisation can vouchsafe its independence from the diversity of its members and volunteers, as well as from the diversity of its money resources. Besides its headquarters situated on the city of Caen area (Normandy), three branches situated in North Normandy, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The UNSAT-H model was developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to assess the water dynamics of arid sites and, in particular, estimate recharge fluxes for scenarios pertinent to waste disposal facilities. During the last 4 years, the UNSAT-H model received support from the Immobilized Waste Program (IWP) of the Hanford Site's River Protection Project. This program is designing and assessing the performance of on-site disposal facilities to receive radioactive wastes that are currently stored in single- and double-shell tanks at the Hanford Site (LMHC 1999). The IWP is interested in estimates of recharge rates for current conditions and long-term scenarios involving the vadose zone disposal of tank wastes. Simulation modeling with UNSAT-H is one of the methods being used to provide those estimates (e.g., Rockhold et al. 1995; Fayer et al. 1999). To achieve the above goals for assessing water dynamics and estimating recharge rates, the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Since the very high temperature reactor (VHTR) components such as hot gas ducts and intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) are operated during a design life of 30 to 60 years at 950 .deg. C and 3-8MPa in He impurities, their components are required to have good high temperature strength, creep-rupture strength, high temperature stability, and good corrosion resistance. Among them, creep properties are the most important, because the integrity of their components should be preserved during a design life of over 30 years at the maximum operating temperature up to 1000 .deg. C. So far, there are no materials approved by ASME III which is a nuclear code for temperatures reaching 1000 .deg. C, and until now, a material selection is still left as a key issue. Some leading candidate alloys can be selected from the high temperature materials approved by ASME VIII. Alloy 617 is considered as a prospective material for the IHX because it has an excellent ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Durability of 28 days compressive strength concrete of 20 to 120 MPa has been studied. The ability of concrete to transport aggressive agents has been determined for four properties: the air permeability, the chloride diffusivity, the water absorption and the carbonation. A chloride migration test for high and very high strength concrete (HSC and VHSC) has been built. The relationship between transport properties and the compressive strength after one and 28 days of humid curing has always the same shape: transport decreases when strength increases. However, transport properties often vary in the ordinary concrete field. Beyond, the domain is much more limited. The relationship between transport properties and strength valid for ordinary concrete can not be simply extrapolated for HSC and VHSC. To determine the part of microcracking of HSC and VHSC, concrete behaviour stored in two mediums has been studied: the ones shaming the storing condition of concrete in ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Background and purpose: In order to investigate the feasibility, toxicity and antitumor efficacy of hyperfractionated radiation therapy, 37 adult patients with incompletely resected supratentorial low-grade glioma were entered into a phase II study. Materials and methods: The radiation therapy dose was 55 Gy in 50 fractions in 25 treatment days over 5 weeks to the tumor plus a 2-cm margin, with an additional 17.6 Gy given in 16 fractions in 8 treatment days over 1.5 weeks to the tumor plus a 1-cm margin, using 1.1 Gy b.i.d. fractionation with a 6 h interfraction interval. The total tumor dose was 72.6 Gy in 66 fractions in 33 treatment days over 6.5 weeks. Results: The median survival time (MST) for all 37 patients has not yet been attained, while 5- and 7-year survival rates were 75% and 69%, respectively. The median time to tumor progression (MTP) has also not yet been attained, while 5- and 7-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Husky Oil received approval from the government to begin development of its White Rose properties located in the Jean d'Arc Basin, 350 km east of St. John's, offshore Newfoundland and Labrador. First oil is expected by the end of 2005. The South Avalon Pool was discovered in 1988 and is estimated to contain approximately 200-250 million barrels of oil. Husky Oil and Petro-Canada filed a development application with the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board in January 2001. Approval of the $2.35 billion project was received in December 2001. The development plan is based on a newly-built floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel. Initial development will focus on the South Avalon Pool that has been tested in excess of 5,000 barrels per day. The pool will be developed using eight production wells, 11 water injection wells and two gas injection wells. An estimated 150 million cubic feet per day of gas will also be produced from ...