WorldWideScience

Sample records for buffer material generation

  1. Database on gas migration tests through bentonite buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanai, Kenji

    2009-02-01

    Carbon steel is a candidate material for an overpack for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste in Japan. The corrosion of the carbon steel overpack in aqueous solution under anoxic conditions will cause the generation of hydrogen gas, which may affect hydrological and mechanical properties of the bentonite buffer. To evaluate such an effect of gas generation, it is necessary to develop a model of gas migration through bentonite buffer material taking account of data obtained from experiments. The gas migration experiments under both unsaturated and saturated conditions have been carried out to clarify the fundamental characteristics of bentonite for gas migration. This report compiles the experimental data obtained from gas migration tests for buffer material which has been conducted by JAEA until December, 2007. A CD-ROM is attached as an appendix. (author)

  2. Swelling characteristics of buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Hideaki; Fujita, Tomoo

    1999-12-01

    After emplacement of the engineered barrier system (EBS), it is expected that the near-field environment will be impacted by phenomena such as heat dissipation by conduction and other heat transfer mechanism, infiltration of groundwater from the surrounding rock into the EBS, generation of swelling pressure in the buffer due to water infiltration and the stress imposed by the overburden pressure. These phenomena are not all independent, but can be strongly influenced by, and coupled with, each other. Evaluating these coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena is important in order to clarify the initial transient behavior of the engineered barrier system within the near-field. This report describes the results on measurement of swelling amount and stress at boundary built up under restraint condition with water uptake. The following results are identified. (1) The swelling stress of buffer material at saturated condition tends to be independent of effects of pore water pressure and synthetic sea water, and to decrease with increasing temperature. The swelling stress can be explained by the effective dry density. (2) The strain due to swelling estimated from the results of the swelling amount of buffer material is proportional to swelling stress. (3) The swelling stress and strain under unsaturated condition increase with water uptake. (author)

  3. Molding method of buffer material for underground disposal of radiation-contaminated material, and molded buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akasaka, Hidenari; Shimura, Satoshi; Kawakami, Susumu; Ninomiya, Nobuo; Yamagata, Junji; Asano, Eiichi

    1995-01-01

    Upon molding of a buffer material to be used upon burying a vessel containing radiation-contaminated materials in a sealed state, a powdery buffer material to be molded such as bentonite is disposed at the periphery of a mandrel having a cylindrical portion somewhat larger than contaminate container to be subjected to underground disposal. In addition, it is subjected to integration-molding such as cold isotropic press with a plastic film being disposed therearound, to form a molding product at high density. The molding product is released and taken out with the plastic film being disposed thereon. Releasability from an elastic mold is improved by the presence of the plastic film. In addition, if it is stored or transported while having the plastic film being disposed thereon, swelling of the buffer material due to water absorption or moisture absorption can be suppressed. (T.M.)

  4. Heat conductivity of buffer materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boergesson, L.; Fredrikson, Anders; Johannesson, L.E.

    1994-11-01

    The report deals with the thermal conductivity of bentonite based buffer materials. An improved technique for measuring the thermal conductivity of buffer materials is described. Measurements of FLAC calculations applying this technique have led to a proposal of how standardized tests should be conducted and evaluated. The thermal conductivity of bentonite with different void ratio and degree of water saturation has been determined in the following different ways: * Theoretically according to three different investigations by other researchers. * Laboratory measurements with the proposed method. * Results from back-calculated field tests. Comparison and evaluation showed that these results agreed very well, when the buffer material was almost water saturated. However, the influence of the degree of saturation was not very well predicted with the theoretical methods. Furthermore, the field tests showed that the average thermal conductivity in situ of buffer material (compacted to blocks) with low degree of water saturation was lower than expected from laboratory tests. 12 refs, 29 figs, 11 tabs

  5. Moisture Buffer Value of Building Materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rode, Carsten; Peuhkuri, Ruut; Time, Berit

    2007-01-01

    When building materials are in contact with indoor air they have some effect to moderate the variations of indoor humidity in occupied buildings. But so far there has been a lack of a standardized quantity to characterize the moisture buffering capability of materials. It has been the objective o...... is a test protocol which expresses how materials should be tested for determination of their Moisture Buffer Value. Finally, the paper presents some of the results of a Round Robin Test on various typical building materials that has been carried out in the project....... of a recent Nordic project to define such a quantity, and to declare it in the form of a NORDTEST method. The Moisture Buffer Value is the figure that has been developed in the project as a way to appraise the moisture buffer effect of materials, and the value is described in the paper. Also explained...

  6. Thermophysical tests of buffer materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suzuki, H. [ITC, Tokyo (Japan); Taniguchi, Wataru

    1999-03-01

    Thermodynamic properties of buffer materials were measured for putting in order thermodynamic constants to be used in the near-field thermal analysis. The thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity were measured as functions of the water content and temperature to deduce the specific heat. The thermal conductivity and specific heat varied significantly as the water content changed. Obtained values of the specific heat agreed well the expected values calculated based on the constituents of the buffer material. Temperature dependence of the thermodynamic constants was found small below 90degC. From the findings, the thermal conductivity and specific heat of the buffer material were formulated as functions of the water content. Thermodynamic study of powdery bentonite was carried out as well with a purpose of use for filling apertures in the artificial barrier. (H. Baba)

  7. Dynamic mechanical properties of buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takaji, Kazuhiko; Taniguchi, Wataru

    1999-11-01

    The buffer material is expected to maintain its low water permeability, self-sealing properties, radionuclides adsorption and retardation properties, thermal conductivity, chemical buffering properties, overpack supporting properties, stress buffering properties, etc. over a long period of time. Natural clay is mentioned as a material that can relatively satisfy above. Among the kinds of natural clay, bentonite when compacted is superior because (i) it has exceptionally low water permeability and properties to control the movement of water in buffer, (ii) it fills void spaces in the buffer and fractures in the host rock as it swells upon water uptake, (iii) it has the ability to exchange cations and to adsorb cationic radioelements. In order to confirm these functions for the purpose of safety assessment, it is necessary to evaluate buffer properties through laboratory tests and engineering-scale tests, and to make assessments based on the ranges in the data obtained. This report describes the procedures, test conditions, results and examinations on the buffer material of dynamic triaxial tests, measurement of elastic wave velocity and liquefaction tests that aim at getting hold of dynamic mechanical properties. We can get hold of dependency on the shearing strain of the shearing modulus and hysteresis damping constant, the application for the mechanical model etc. by dynamic triaxial tests, the acceptability of maximum shearing modulus obtained from dynamic triaxial tests etc. by measurement of elastic wave velocity and dynamic strength caused by cyclic stress etc. by liquefaction tests. (author)

  8. Evaluation on elution feature of bentonite buffer materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ishikawa, Hirohisa; Kanno, Takeshi; Matsumoto, Kazuhiro

    1997-09-01

    In order to evaluate long term physical stability of artificial barrier in land disposal of high level radioactive wastes, it is necessary to know quantitatively elution behavior of buffering materials from disposal road (or cavity) to circumferential rock crack. When elution of the buffer material occurs on large scale, amount of bentonite in the disposal road (or cavity) reduces and reduction of various functions expected to the buffer materials is presumed. According to specification examples of road transverse arrangement and disposal vertical arrangement systems, evaluation on elution amount of the buffer materials at disposal environment was conducted. Opening width of rock crack in the disposal environment was supposed to be 0.5 mm. As a result, obtained mass elution ratios of the buffer materials due to extrusion phenomenon were 0.04 to 0.2% after 10,000 year and 2 to 12% after 1,000,000 years. (G.K.)

  9. The effect of Cr buffer layer thickness on voltage generation of thin-film thermoelectric modules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mizoshiri, Mizue; Mikami, Masashi; Ozaki, Kimihiro

    2013-01-01

    The effect of Cr buffer layer thickness on the open-circuit voltage generated by thin-film thermoelectric modules of Bi 0.5 Sb 1.5 Te 3 (p-type) and Bi 2 Te 2.7 Se 0.3 (n-type) materials was investigated. A Cr buffer layer, whose thickness generally needs to be optimized to improve adhesion depending on the substrate surface condition, such as roughness, was deposited between thermoelectric thin films and glass substrates. When the Cr buffer layer was 1 nm thick, the Seebeck coefficients and electrical conductivity of 1 µm thermoelectric thin films with the buffer layers were approximately equal to those of the thermoelectric films without the buffer layers. When the thickness of the Cr buffer layer was 1 µm, the same as the thermoelectric films, the Seebeck coefficients of the bilayer films were reduced by an electrical current flowing inside the Cr buffer layer and the generation of Cr 2 Te 3 . The open-circuit voltage of the thin-film thermoelectric modules decreased with an increase in the thickness of the Cr buffer layer, which was primarily induced by the electrical current flow. The reduction caused by the Cr 2 Te 3 generation was less than 10% of the total voltage generation of the modules without the Cr buffer layers. The voltage generation of thin-film thermoelectric modules could be controlled by the Cr buffer layer thickness. (paper)

  10. Static mechanical properties of buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takaji, Kazuhiko; Suzuki, Hideaki

    1999-11-01

    The buffer material is expected to maintain its low water permeability, self-sealing properties, radionuclides adsorption and retardation properties, thermal conductivity, chemical buffering properties, overpack supporting properties, stress buffering properties, etc. over a long period of time. Natural clay is mentioned as a material that can relatively satisfy above. Among the kinds of natural clay, bentonite when compacted is superior because (i) it has exceptionally low water permeability and properties to control the movement of water in buffer, (ii) it fills void spaces in the buffer and fractures in the host rock as it swells upon water uptake, (iii) it has the ability to exchange cations and to adsorb cationic radioelements. In order to confirm these functions for the purpose of safety assessment, it is necessary to evaluate buffer properties through laboratory tests and engineering-scale tests, and to make assessments based on the ranges in the data obtained. This report describes the procedures, test conditions, results and examinations on the buffer material of unconfined compression tests, one-dimensional consolidation tests, consolidated-undrained triaxial compression tests and consolidated-undrained triaxial creep tests that aim at getting hold of static mechanical properties. We can get hold of the relationship between the dry density and tensile stress etc. by Brazilian tests, between the dry density and unconfined compressive strength etc. by unconfined compression tests, between the consolidation stress and void ratio etc. by one-dimensional consolidation tests, the stress pass of each effective confining pressure etc. by consolidated-undrained triaxial compression tests and the axial strain rate with time of each axial stress etc. by consolidated-undrained triaxial creep tests. (author)

  11. Moisture buffer capacity of different insulation materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peuhkuri, Ruut Hannele; Rode, Carsten; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard

    2004-01-01

    . In the isothermal tests the material samples were exposed to the same change in the relative humidity of the ambient air on both sides, while the samples were exposed to variations in relative humidity only on the cold side in the non-isothermal tests. The results of these rather different measurement principles...... lead to more durable constructions. In this paper, a large range of very different thermal insulation materials have been tested in specially constructed laboratory facilities to determine their moisture buffer capacity. Both isothermal and nonisothermal experimental set-ups have been used...... are discussed, and different ways are presented how to determine the moisture buffer capacity of the materials using partly standard material parameters and partly parameters determined from the actual measurements. The results so far show that the determination of moisture buffer capacity is very sensitive...

  12. Experiments on thermal conductivity in buffer materials for geologic repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanno, T.; Yano, T.; Wakamatsu, H.; Matsushima, E.

    1989-01-01

    Engineered barriers for geologic disposal for HLW are planned to consist of canister, overpack and buffer elements. One of important physical characteristics of buffer materials is determining temperature profiles within the near field in a repository. Buffer materials require high thermal conductivity to disperse radiogenic heat away to the host rock. As the buffer materials, compacted blocks of the mixture of sodium bentonite and sand have been the most promising candidate in some countries, e.g. Sweden, Switzerland and Japan. The authors have been carrying out a series of thermal dispersion experiments to evaluate thermal conductivity of bentonite/quartz sand blocks. In this study, the following two factors considered to affect thermal properties of the near field were examined: effective thermal conductivities of buffer materials, and heat transfer characteristics of the gap between overpack and buffer materials

  13. MOISTURE-BUFFERING CHARACTERISTICS OF BUILDING MATERIALS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Young Cheol Choi

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The humidity level of indoor air is an important factor influencing the air quality and energy consumption of buildings, as well as the durability of building components. Indoor humidity levels depend on several factors, such as moisture sources, air flow, and the adsorption/desorption properties of materials. The moisture-buffering characteristics of building materials that are in contact with indoor air may help moderate the variations of indoor humidity, especially in the summer and winter. In this study, the moisture adsorption/desorption properties of building materials were investigated experimentally and numerically. These properties can be used to characterize the ability of building materials to exchange moisture with the indoor environment. This study indicates that a building material surface resistivity was the main factor creating variations of moisture buffering.

  14. Unsaturated hydraulic property of buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Hideaki; Fujita, Tomoo

    1999-09-01

    After emplacement of the engineered barrier system (EBS), it is expected that the near-field environment will be impacted by phenomena such as heat dissipation by conduction and other heat transfer mechanism, infiltration of groundwater from the surrounding rock into the EBS, generation of swelling pressure in the buffer due to water infiltration and the stress imposed by the overburden pressure. These phenomena are not all independent, but can be strongly influenced by, and coupled with, each other. Evaluating these coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical phenomena is important in order to clarify the initial transient behavior of the engineered barrier system within the near-field. This report describes the results on measurement of chemical potential, water diffusivity, and thermal water diffusivity of bentonite that is considered as a candidate material of buffer and on comparison between measurements and theoretical studies for these properties. The following results are identified; (l) The hysteresis of chemical potential in wet and dry conditions for compacted bentonite is not shown clearly. The chemical potential depends on temperature and amount of montmorillonite. When chemical potential of compacted bentonite is zero, the specimen is saturated. The van Genuchten model is applicable to the measured chemical potential of compacted bentonite. (2) The Darcy's law and Philip and de Vries model are applicable to the measured water diffusivity and thermal water diffusivity of compacted bentonite. (author)

  15. Approach to Accelerating Dissolved Vector Buffer Generation in Distributed In-Memory Cluster Architecture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinxin Shen

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The buffer generation algorithm is a fundamental function in GIS, identifying areas of a given distance surrounding geographic features. Past research largely focused on buffer generation algorithms generated in a stand-alone environment. Moreover, dissolved buffer generation is data- and computing-intensive. In this scenario, the improvement in the stand-alone environment is limited when considering large-scale mass vector data. Nevertheless, recent parallel dissolved vector buffer algorithms suffer from scalability problems, leaving room for further optimization. At present, the prevailing in-memory cluster-computing framework—Spark—provides promising efficiency for computing-intensive analysis; however, it has seldom been researched for buffer analysis. On this basis, we propose a cluster-computing-oriented parallel dissolved vector buffer generating algorithm, called the HPBM, that contains a Hilbert-space-filling-curve-based data partition method, a data skew and cross-boundary objects processing strategy, and a depth-given tree-like merging method. Experiments are conducted in both stand-alone and cluster environments using real-world vector data that include points and roads. Compared with some existing parallel buffer algorithms, as well as various popular GIS software, the HPBM achieves a performance gain of more than 50%.

  16. Thermal resistance of buffer layer in a ceramic wall of MHD generation channel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nomura, Osami; Ebata, Yoshihiro; Hijikata, Kenichi.

    1982-01-01

    A wal l model is composed for obtaining the thermal resistance of the buffer layer. A buffer layer of the model is consisted to an adhesive layer and a buffer body. The adhesive layer is made of a copper plate, which is 0.3 mm thick, and adhered to the element by Refractory Method. The adhesive layer is consisted to three layers, i.e., Cu, Cu 2 O and CuO. These three layers seems to give rise to the thermal resistance. The buffer body is made of nickel wires of which radious is 0.4 mm and purity is 99.7%. All of the nickel wires are assembled in one direction which is parallel to a center line of the element, and bundled all together. Occupation ratio of nickel is about 78% in a sectional area of the buffer body. One end of the buffer body is soldered to adhesive layer by silver solder and opposite and is soldered to holder by lead solder. An element of the model is made of magnesia ceramics of which purity is about 99.9% and porosity is about 3%. A holder of the model is made of copper block. Results are as follows: (1) Thermal resistance of the buffer layer is from 1.9 to 2.5K/(W/cm 2 ). (2) Thermal resistance of the adhesive layer is from 0.43 to 0.87K/(W/cm 2 ). (3) Thermal resistance of the buffer body is calculated to about 0.7K/(W/cm 2 ) under the estimation at which the heat flows in the nickel wires only. (4) From above results, thermal resistance of silver soldering layer seems to be same as that of the adhesive layers. The buffer layer needs more value of the thermal resistance in order to apply to the MHD generation channel. Value of the thermal resistance is easily satisfied by changing of material of the buffer body, increase of thickness of the buffer layer and etc. Then this wall appears to be useful to an MHD generation channel wall. (author)

  17. Exchangeability of bentonite buffer and backfill materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Savage, D. [Savage Earth Associates Ltd, Bournemouth (United Kingdom); Arthur, R. [Intera Inc, Ottawa, ON, (Canada); Luukkonen, A.

    2012-08-15

    Clay-based buffer and tunnel backfill materials are important barriers in the KBS-3 repository concept for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finland. One issue that is relevant to material properties is the degree to which different bentonite compositions can be regarded as interchangeable. In Posiva's current repository design, the reference bentonite composition is MX-80, a sodium montmorillonite dominated clay. Posiva would like to be able to use bentonite with Ca-montmorillonite as the dominant clay mineral. However, at this stage, it is not clear what supporting data need to be acquired/defined to be able to place the state of knowledge of Ca-bentonite at the same level as that of Na-bentonite. In this report, the concept of bentonite exchangeability has been evaluated through consideration of how bentonite behaviour may be affected in six key performance-relevant properties, namely (1) mineralogical composition and availability of materials, (2) hydraulic conductivity, (3) mechanical and rheological properties, (4) long-term alteration, (5) colloidal properties, and (6) swelling pressure. The report evaluates implications for both buffer and backfill. Summary conclusions are drawn from these sections to suggest how bentonite exchangeability may be addressed in regulatory assessments of engineered barrier design for a future geological repository for spent fuel in Finland. Some important conclusions are: (a) There are some fundamental differences between Ca- and Na-bentonites such as colloidal behaviour, pore structure and long-term alteration that could affect the exchangeability of these materials as buffer or backfill materials and which should be further evaluated; (b) Additional experimental data are desirable for some issues such as long-term alteration, hydraulic properties and swelling behaviour, (c) The minor mineral content of bentonites is very variable, both between different bentonites and within the same bentonite type, it is not clear

  18. The Buffer and Backfill Handbook. Part 2: Materials and techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pusch, Roland

    2001-12-01

    Improved technology and prospection yielding more pure and homogeneous raw materials for preparing buffers and backfills will ultimately outdate the clays and ballast materials described in the present part of the Handbook. It describes experimentally investigated materials of potential use in repositories but other, more suitable materials will replace them in the future. The Handbook will hence have to be reviewed regularly, making room for superior materials in future, upgraded Handbook versions. Buffer is the term for dense clay used for embedment of canisters with highly radioactive waste, while backfill is soil used for filling tunnels and shafts in repositories. Examples of soil materials of potential use as buffers and backfills in repositories of KBS-3 type are described in this part of the Handbook. They are: smectitic clay materials intended for preparation of buffers (canister-embedding clay) and used as clay component in artificially prepared tunnel and shaft backfills consisting of mixtures of clay and ballast. Ballast materials intended for backfilling of tunnels and shafts and used as components of artificially prepared backfills. Smectitic natural clay soils intended for use as buffers and backfills. Very fine-grained smectite clay used as grout for sealing rock fractures. In this part of the Handbook for Buffers and Backfills, description of various candidate materials will be made with respect to their mineral composition and physical properties, with respect to the groundwater chemistry that can be expected in a deep repository in Swedish bedrock. Chapter 3 deals with smectitic clay materials intended for embedment of heat-producing canisters with highly radioactive waste. Focus is on the nature of the buffer constituents, i. e. the smectite content, the non-expanding clay minerals colloidal and the accessory non-clay minerals as well as amorphous matter and organic substances. The dominant part of the chapter describes the occurrence and origin

  19. The Buffer and Backfill Handbook. Part 2: Materials and techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pusch, Roland [Geodevelopment AB, Lund (Sweden)

    2001-12-01

    Improved technology and prospection yielding more pure and homogeneous raw materials for preparing buffers and backfills will ultimately outdate the clays and ballast materials described in the present part of the Handbook. It describes experimentally investigated materials of potential use in repositories but other, more suitable materials will replace them in the future. The Handbook will hence have to be reviewed regularly, making room for superior materials in future, upgraded Handbook versions. Buffer is the term for dense clay used for embedment of canisters with highly radioactive waste, while backfill is soil used for filling tunnels and shafts in repositories. Examples of soil materials of potential use as buffers and backfills in repositories of KBS-3 type are described in this part of the Handbook. They are: smectitic clay materials intended for preparation of buffers (canister-embedding clay) and used as clay component in artificially prepared tunnel and shaft backfills consisting of mixtures of clay and ballast. Ballast materials intended for backfilling of tunnels and shafts and used as components of artificially prepared backfills. Smectitic natural clay soils intended for use as buffers and backfills. Very fine-grained smectite clay used as grout for sealing rock fractures. In this part of the Handbook for Buffers and Backfills, description of various candidate materials will be made with respect to their mineral composition and physical properties, with respect to the groundwater chemistry that can be expected in a deep repository in Swedish bedrock. Chapter 3 deals with smectitic clay materials intended for embedment of heat-producing canisters with highly radioactive waste. Focus is on the nature of the buffer constituents, i. e. the smectite content, the non-expanding clay minerals colloidal and the accessory non-clay minerals as well as amorphous matter and organic substances. The dominant part of the chapter describes the occurrence and origin

  20. Buffer mass test - Buffer materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pusch, R.; Boergesson, L.

    1982-08-01

    Commercial Na bentonite (MX-80) is the clay component of the buffer material in the heater holes as well of the tunnel backfill. Important characteristics are the clay content, liquid limit, X-ray diffraction pattern, water content, and degree of granulation. The ballast material consists of quartz-rich sand and feldspar-rich filler. The preparation of highly compacted bentonite for the near-field isolation of the canister was made by using isostatic compaction technique. The resulting dense bentonite core was cut into regularly shaped blocks which were arranged around each heater and lowered as one unit - heavily instrumented - in the respective deposition holes. For three of the six holes a narrow slot was left open between the bentonite stack and the rock; for the remaining ones a wider slot was chosen with a fill of soft bentonite powder. Both arrangements are expected to yield an ultimate bulk density which is sufficiently high to fulfil the requirement of a negligible permeability and a sufficient swelling pressure as well as heat conductivity, which are the essential parameters. The tunnel backfill, which consists of a mixture of suitably graded ballast material and MX-80 powder, has a considerably lower swelling pressure and heat conductivity, and a higher permeability, all these parameters still within the requirements of the KBS 2 concept. The various zones with different bentonite/sand ratios and the technique to apply them are described in the final part of the report. (Author)

  1. Full scale tests of moisture buffer capacity of wall materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortensen, Lone Hedegaard; Rode, Carsten; Peuhkuri, Ruut Hannele

    2005-01-01

    that are harmful such as growth of house dust mites, surface condensation and mould growth. Therefore a series of experiments has been carried out in a full scale test facility to determine the moisture buffer effect of interior walls of cellular concrete and plaster board constructions. For the cellular concrete......Moisture buffer capacity of hygroscopic materials can be used to moderate peaks in the relative humidity (RH) of indoor air as well as moisture content variations in building materials and furnishing. This can help to ensure healthier indoor environments by preventing many processes...... of the changes of moisture content in specimens of the wall composites exposed to the same environment. It was found that the finishes had a big impact on the buffer performance of the underlying materials. Even though the untreated cellular concrete had a very high buffer capacity, the effect was strongly...

  2. Modelling of buffer material behaviour

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boergesson, L.

    1988-12-01

    Some material models of smectite rich buffer material suited for nuclear waste isolation are accounted for in the report. The application of these models in finite element calculations of some scenarios and performance are also shown. The rock shear scenario has been closely studied with comparisons between calculated and measured results. Sensitivity analyses of the effect of changing the density of the clay and the rate of shear have been performed as well as one calculation using a hollow steel cylinder. Material models and finite element calculations of canister settlement, thermomechanical effects and swelling are also accounted for. The report shows the present state of the work to establish material models and calculation tools which can be used at the final design of the repository. (31 illustrations)

  3. Hydrothermal stability of bentonite-based buffer materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnston, R.M.; Miller, H.G.

    1985-02-01

    The reactions expected in bentonite-based buffer materials under conditions typical of a nuclear fuel waste disposal include mineral transformations (e.g. smectite to illite; smectite to zeolite) and a range of low-temperature cementation reactions. The probable extent and significance of these reactions are reviewed, and other reactions involving proposed filler sands are also examined briefly. The effects of mineral transformations on buffer performance will be insignificant if disposal vault temperatures do not exceed 100-120 degrees C and pH remains in the range 4 to 8. At pH > 9, zeolitization and silica dissolution may occur and buffer stability cannot be assured. The effects of cementation reactions may be significant, but are difficult to predict and require further investigation

  4. NORDTEST Project on Moisture Buffer Value of Materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rode, Carsten; Peuhkuri, Ruut Hannele; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard

    2005-01-01

    Building materials and furnishing used in contact with indoor air have some effect to moderate the variations of indoor humidity in occupied buildings. Very low humidity can be alleviated in winter, as well as can high indoor humidity in summer and during high occupancy loads. Thus, materials can...... have been carried out on various typical building materials. The paper gives an account on the definition of the Moisture Buffer Value, it outlines the content of the test protocol, and it gives some examples of results from the Round Robin Tests....... being completed, to develop a definition, and to declare it in the form of a NORDTEST method. Apart from the definition of the term Moisture Buffer Value, the project also declares a test protocol which expresses how materials should be tested. Finally as a part of the project, some Round Robin Tests...

  5. Survey of Swedish buffer material candidates and methods for characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erlstroem, M.; Pusch, R.

    1987-12-01

    The study has given a good overview of potential clay buffer candidates in the part of Sweden that offers the best possibilities to find large accessible quantities of smectitic materials. The most promising Scanian materials are those in the Kaageroed and Vallaakra (Margreteberg) areas since they represent the most smectitic ones, which may serve as raw material for the production of canister embedment. The moraine clays in the Lund-Landskrona region seem to be useful for backfilling purposes. A refined version of Reynolds technique is suggested as an SKB standard for prospecting and characterization of buffer materials. (orig./DG)

  6. Underground processing method for radiation-contaminated material and transferring method for buffer molding material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akasaka, Hidenari; Shimura, Satoshi; Asano, Eiichi; Yamagata, Junji; Ninomiya, Nobuo; Kawakami, Susumu.

    1995-01-01

    A bottomed molding material (buffer molding material) is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape by solidifying, under pressure, powders such as of bentonite into a highly dense state by a cold isotropic pressing or the like, having a hole for accepting and containing a vessel for radiation-contaminated materials. The bottomed cylindrical molding material is loaded on a transferring vessel, and transferred to a position near the site for underground disposal. The bottomed cylindrical molding material having a upwarded containing hole is buried in the cave for disposal. The container for radiation-contaminated material is loaded and contained in the containing hole of the bottomed cylindrical molding material. A next container for radiation-contaminated materials is juxtaposed thereover. Then, a bottomed cylindrical molding material having a downwarded containing hole is covered to the container for the radiation-contaminated material in a state being protruded upwardly. The radiation-contaminated material is thus closed by a buffer material of the same material at the circumference thereof. (I.N.)

  7. Chinese buffer material for high-level radiowaste disposal-basic features of GMZ-1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wen, Zhijian

    2005-01-01

    Radioactive wastes arising from a wide range of human activities are in many different physical and chemical forms, contaminated with varying radioactivity. Their common feature is the potential hazard associated with their radioactivity and the need to manage them in such a way as to protect the human environment. The geological disposal is regarded as the most reasonable and effective way to safety disposal high-level radioactive wastes in the world. The conceptual model of geological disposal in China is based on a multi-barrier system that combines an isolating geological environment with an engineered barrier system. The buffer is one of the main engineered barriers for HLW repository. The buffer material is expected to maintain its low water permeability, self-sealing property, radio nuclides adsorption and retardation property, thermal conductivity, chemical buffering property, overpack supporting property, stress buffering property over a long period of time. Bentonite is selected as the main content of buffer material that can satisfy above. GMZ deposit is selected as the candidate supplier for Chinese buffer material of High Level Radioactive waste repository. This paper presents geological features of GMZ deposit and basic property of GMZ Na bentonite. GMZ bentonite deposit is a super large scale deposits with high content of Montmorillonite (about 75%) and GMZ-1, which is Na-bentonite produced from GMZ deposit is selected as reference material for Chinese buffer material study

  8. Alternative buffer material. Status of the ongoing laboratory investigation of reference materials and test package 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Svensson, Daniel; Dueck, Ann; Nilsson, Ulf; Olsson, Siv; Sanden, Torbjoern; Lydmark, Sara; Jaegerwall, Sara; Pedersen, Karsten; Hansen, Staffan

    2011-07-01

    Bentonite clay is part of the Swedish KBS-3 design of final repositories for high level radioactive waste. Wyoming bentonite with the commercial name MX-80 (American Colloid Co) has long been the reference for buffer material in the KBS-3 concept. Extending the knowledge base of alternative buffer materials will make it possible to optimize regarding safety, availability and cost. For this reason the field experiment Alternative Buffer Material (ABM) was started at Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory during 2006. The experiment includes three medium-scale test packages, each consisting of a central steel tube with heaters, and a buffer of compacted clay. Eleven different clays were chosen for the buffers to examine effects of smectite content, interlayer cations and overall iron content. Also bentonite pellets with and without additional quartz are being tested. The buffer in package 1 had been subjected to wetting by formation water and heating for more than two years (at 130 deg C for ∼ 1 year) when it was retrieved and analyzed. The main purposes of the project were to characterise the clays with respect to hydro-mechanical properties, mineralogy and chemical composition and to identify any differences in behaviour or long term stability. The diversity of clays and the heater of steel also make the experiment suitable for studies of iron-bentonite interactions. This report concerns the work accomplished up to now and is not to be treated as any final report of the project

  9. Alternative buffer material. Status of the ongoing laboratory investigation of reference materials and test package 1

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Svensson, Daniel [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden); Dueck, Ann; Nilsson, Ulf; Olsson, Siv; Sanden, Torbjoern [Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden); Lydmark, Sara; Jaegerwall, Sara; Pedersen, Karsten [Microbial Analytics Sweden AB, Moelnlycke (Sweden); Hansen, Staffan [LTH Lund Univ., Lund (Sweden)

    2011-07-15

    Bentonite clay is part of the Swedish KBS-3 design of final repositories for high level radioactive waste. Wyoming bentonite with the commercial name MX-80 (American Colloid Co) has long been the reference for buffer material in the KBS-3 concept. Extending the knowledge base of alternative buffer materials will make it possible to optimize regarding safety, availability and cost. For this reason the field experiment Alternative Buffer Material (ABM) was started at Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory during 2006. The experiment includes three medium-scale test packages, each consisting of a central steel tube with heaters, and a buffer of compacted clay. Eleven different clays were chosen for the buffers to examine effects of smectite content, interlayer cations and overall iron content. Also bentonite pellets with and without additional quartz are being tested. The buffer in package 1 had been subjected to wetting by formation water and heating for more than two years (at 130 deg C for {approx} 1 year) when it was retrieved and analyzed. The main purposes of the project were to characterise the clays with respect to hydro-mechanical properties, mineralogy and chemical composition and to identify any differences in behaviour or long term stability. The diversity of clays and the heater of steel also make the experiment suitable for studies of iron-bentonite interactions. This report concerns the work accomplished up to now and is not to be treated as any final report of the project.

  10. The stochastic nuclide transport model for buffer/backfill materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma Liping; Han Yongguo

    2014-01-01

    Currently, study on nuclide migration law in geological disposal repository of high level waste is assumed buffer/backfill layer to be continuous medium, utilized the continuity equation, equation of state, the equations of motion, etc, formed a set of theory and method to estimate nuclide concentration distribution in buffer/backfill layer, and provided an important basis for nuclide migration rules of repository. However, it is necessary to study the buffer/backfill layer microstructure and subtly describe the pore structure and fracture system of the buffer/backfill layer, and reflect the changes in connectivity and in different directions of the buffer/backfill layer. Through using random field theory, the nuclide transport for the buffer/backfill layer in geological disposal repository of nuclear waste is described in the paper. This paper mainly includes that, t represents the time, ξ t ⊂ Z d = d represents the integer lattice, Z represents collectivity integers, d = l, 2, 3, for instance, d = 2, Z d = {(m, n) : m, n ∈ Z} the state point of ξ t is typically considered to be occupied by the nuclide concentration values of the buffer/backfill layer, ξ t also represents random set in the diagram of two dimensional integer lattice, namely, t ∈ [0, T], {ξ t ,0 ≤ t ≤ ⊂ T} Consequently, according to the stochastic process obtained above, the changes of the nuclide concentration values of the buffer/backfill layer or the buffer/backfill laboratory materials in the repository with the time can be known. (authors)

  11. Next Generation, Si-Compatible Materials and Devices in the Si-Ge-Sn System

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-10-09

    and conclusions The work initially focused on growth of next generation Ge1-ySny alloys on Ge buffered Si wafers via UHV CVD depositions of Ge3H8...Abstract The work initially focused on growth of next generation Ge1-ySny alloys on Ge buffered Si wafers via UHV CVD depositions of Ge3H8, SnD4. The...AFRL-AFOSR-VA-TR-2016-0044 Next generation, Si -compatible materials and devices in the Si - Ge -Sn system John Kouvetakis ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY Final

  12. Water uptake and stress development in bentonites and bentonite-sand buffer materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dixon, D.A.; Wan, A.W-L.; Gray, M.N.; Miller, S.H.

    1996-10-01

    The development of swelling pressure and the transfer of pore water pressures through dense bentonite and bentonite-sand materials are examined in this report. This report focuses on the swelling pressure and total pressure developed in initially unsaturated specimens allowed access to free water on one end. The bentonite in this wetted region rapidly develops its full swelling pressure and this pressure is transferred upwards through the specimen. Hence, the bentonite plug will exert a pressure approximately equivalent to the swelling pressure even though only a small region of the plug is actually saturated. A number of specimens were tested with total pressure sensors mounted normal and parallel to the axis of compaction. Lateral pressures developed long before the wetting front reached sensor locations, suggesting stress transfer through the unsaturated portions of these specimens. On achieving saturation, specimens were found to have similar swelling pressures both normal to and parallel to the axis of compaction. This indicates that there is little or no specimen anisotropy induced by the compaction process. Tests were conducted on specimens allowed only to take on a limited quantity of water and it was found that density anisotropy was induced as the result of the swelling pressures generated by the buffer. The wetted skin of buffer developed a considerable pressure and compressed a region of buffer immediately above the wetted region. The results suggest that the buffer material placed in a disposal vault will rapidly develop and transfer swelling pressures as a result of the saturation of a limited region or 'skin' within the emplacement site. The total pressure ultimately present on the container surface should be the sum of the swelling and hydraulic components. (author). 14 refs., 4 tabs., 8 figs

  13. Moisture buffering capacity of highly absorbing materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cerolini, S.; D' Orazio, M.; Stazi, A. [Department of Architecture, Construction and Structures (DACS), Faculty of Engineering, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60100 Ancona (Italy); Di Perna, C. [Department of Energetics, Faculty of Engineering, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60100 Ancona (Italy)

    2009-02-15

    This research investigates the possibility to use highly absorbing materials to dampen indoor RH% variations. The practical MBV of sodium polyacrylate, cellulose-based material, perlite and gypsum is evaluated for a daily cyclic exposure that alternates high (75%) and low (33%) RH% levels for 8 h and 16 h, respectively. The adjustment velocity to RH% variations and the presence of hysteretic phenomena are also presented. The cellulose-based material proves to be the most suitable for moisture buffering applications. Starting from this material's properties, the effect of thickness, vapour resistance factor ({mu}) and mass surface exchange coefficient (Z{sub v}) on sorption capacity is evaluated by the use of a numerical model. (author)

  14. Hydrothermal behaviors and long-term stability of bentonitic buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jae Owan; Cho, Won Jin

    2007-01-01

    In hydrothermal reaction tests, smectite-to-illite conversion was identified using a domestic bentonite which is favorably considered as a buffer material, and its dependency on various hydrothermal conditions was investigated. The analysis results of the XRD and Si concentration indicated that the smectite-to- illite conversion was a major process of bentonite alteration under the hydrothermal conditions. The temperature, potassium concentration in solution, and pH were observed to significantly affect the smectite-to illite conversion. A model of conversion reaction rate was suggested evaluate the long-term stability of smectite composing a major constituent of bentonitic buffer. It was expected from the evaluation results that the smectite would keep its integrity for very long disposal time under a normal condition, while as it might be converted to illite by 50 percent after over 5 x 10 4 year of disposal time under a conservative condition and consequently lose its swelling capacity as a buffer material of a repository

  15. A review of phase change materials for vehicle component thermal buffering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jankowski, Nicholas R.; McCluskey, F. Patrick

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A review of latent heat thermal energy storage for vehicle thermal load leveling. • Examined vehicle applications with transient thermal profiles from 0 to 800 °C. • >700 materials from over a dozen material classes examined for the applications. • Recommendations made for future application of high power density materials. - Abstract: The use of latent heat thermal energy storage for thermally buffering vehicle systems is reviewed. Vehicle systems with transient thermal profiles are classified according to operating temperatures in the range of 0–800 °C. Thermal conditions of those applications are examined relative to their impact on thermal buffer requirements, and prior phase change thermal enhancement studies for these applications are discussed. In addition a comprehensive overview of phase change materials covering the relevant operating range is given, including selection criteria and a detailed list of over 700 candidate materials from a number of material classes. Promising material candidates are identified for each vehicle system based on system temperature, specific and volumetric latent heat, and thermal conductivity. Based on the results of previous thermal load leveling efforts, there is the potential for making significant improvements in both emissions reduction and overall energy efficiency by further exploration of PCM thermal buffering on vehicles. Recommendations are made for further material characterization, with focus on the need for improved data for metallic and solid-state phase change materials for high energy density applications

  16. Variety and variability of bentonites as buffer materials in radioactive waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Tsutomu

    1994-01-01

    Bentonite which is considered to be most promising as the buffer material in the formation disposal of high level radioactive waste is the clay having Montmorillonite of smectite group as the main component mineral. The clay of smectite group shows different properties, and its range of variability is wide. In this report, the clay minerals of smectite group and their variety are explained from the viewpoint of crystal chemistry, and the difference in expansion property, water recovery property and long period stability, which are expected for the buffer material in formation disposal, in various smectite clays is described. The trend of the investigation of the buffer materials and the importance of making their standard are referred to. In the formation disposal of high level radioactive waste, multiple barrier concept is investigated. The expectation for the development of intelligent materials is large. Bentonite established the position as one of the intelligent materials. The factors controlling the properties of clay are the compositions of clay minerals, nonclay minerals, organic substances, exchangeable cations and soluble salts and texture. (K.I.)

  17. Organic material in clay-based buffer materials and its potential impact on radionuclide transport

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vilks, P.; Goulard, M.; Stroes-Gascoyne, S.; Haveman, S.A.; Bachinski, D.B.; Hamon, C.J.; Comba, R.

    1997-03-01

    AECL has submitted an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the concept of nuclear fuel disposal at depth in crystalline rock of the Canadian Shield. In this disposal concept used fuel would be emplaced in corrosion-resistant containers which would be surrounded by clay-based buffer and backfill materials. Once groundwater is able to penetrate the buffer and corrosion-resistant container, radionuclides could be transported from the waste form to the surrounding geosphere, and eventually to the biosphere. The release of radionuclides from the waste form and their subsequent transport would be determined by the geochemistry of the disposal vault and surrounding geosphere. Organic substances affect the geochemistry of radionuclides through complexation reactions that increase solubility and alter mobility, by affecting the redox of certain radionuclides and by providing food for microbes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the buffer and backfill materials proposed for use in a disposal vault contain organics that could be leached by groundwater in large enough quantities to complex with radionuclides and affect their mobility within the disposal vault and surrounding geosphere. Buffer material, made from a mixture of 50 wt.% Avonlea sodium bentonite and 50 wt.% silica sand, was extracted with deionized water to determine the release of dissolved organic carbon, humic acid and fulvic acid. The effect of radiation and heat from the used fuel was simulated by treating samples of buffer before leaching to various amounts of heat (60 deg C and 90 deg C) for periods of 2, 4 and 6 weeks, and to ionizing radiation with doses of 25 kGy and 50 kGy. Humic substances were isolated from the leachates to determine the concentrations of humic and fulvic acids and to determine their functional group content by acid-base titrations. The results showed that groundwater would leach significant amounts of organics that would complex with radionuclides such as

  18. Porewater salinity and the development of swelling pressure in bentonite-based buffer and backfill materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dixon, D.A. [Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (Canada)

    2000-06-01

    At the depths proposed for a nuclear fuel waste repository, it is likely that saline groundwater conditions will be encountered in the granitic rocks of Finland and Canada. The potential for saline groundwater to influence of the ability of bentonite-based buffer and backfilling materials to swell and thereby generate swelling pressure has been reviewed. Based on the data collected from existing literature, it would appear that porewater salinities as high as 100 g/l will not compromise the ability of confined, bentonite-based materials to develop a swelling pressure of at least 100 kPa on its confinement, provided the effective clay dry density (ECDD), exceeds approximately 0.9 Mg/m{sup 3}. At densities less than approximately 0.9 Mg/m{sup 3} the swelling pressure of bentonite-based materials may be reduced and become sensitive to salt concentration. The influence of porewater salinity on swelling pressure can be compared on the basis of the ECDD required to develop 100 kPa of swelling pressure. In order to generate 100 kPa of swelling pressure an ECDD of approximately 0.7 Mg/m{sup 3} is required to be present under fresh water or brackish porewater conditions. This density would need to be increased to approximately 0.9 Mg/m{sup 3} where the groundwater conditions were saline. The impact that groundwater salinity will have on density specifications for buffer and backfilling materials are discussed with reference to the nuclear fuel waste disposal concepts of Finland and Canada. (orig.)

  19. Using fractional order method to generalize strengthening generating operator buffer operator and weakening buffer operator

    OpenAIRE

    Wu, L.; Liu, S.; Yang, Yingjie

    2016-01-01

    Traditional integer order buffer operator is extended to fractional order buffer operator, the corresponding relationship between the weakening buffer operator and the strengthening buffer operator is revealed. Fractional order buffer operator not only can generalize the weakening buffer operator and the strengthening buffer operator, but also realize tiny adjustment of buffer effect. The effectiveness of GM(1,1) with the fractional order buffer operator is validated by six cases.

  20. Simultaneous pollutant removal and electricity generation in denitrifying microbial fuel cell with boric acid-borate buffer solution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Gang; Zhang, Shaohui; Li, Meng; Wei, Yan

    2015-01-01

    A double-chamber denitrifying microbial fuel cell (MFC), using boric acid-borate buffer solution as an alternative to phosphate buffer solution, was set up to investigate the influence of buffer solution concentration, temperature and external resistance on electricity generation and pollutant removal efficiency. The result revealed that the denitrifying MFC with boric acid-borate buffer solution was successfully started up in 51 days, with a stable cell voltage of 205.1 ± 1.96 mV at an external resistance of 50 Ω. Higher concentration of buffer solution favored nitrogen removal and electricity generation. The maximum power density of 8.27 W/m(3) net cathodic chamber was obtained at a buffer solution concentration of 100 mmol/L. An increase in temperature benefitted electricity generation and nitrogen removal. A suitable temperature for this denitrifying MFC was suggested to be 25 °C. Decreasing the external resistance favored nitrogen removal and organic matter consumption by exoelectrogens.

  1. Variation of power generation at different buffer types and conductivities in single chamber microbial fuel cells

    KAUST Repository

    Nam, Joo-Youn

    2010-01-15

    Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are operated with solutions containing various chemical species required for the growth of electrochemically active microorganisms including nutrients and vitamins, substrates, and chemical buffers. Many different buffers are used in laboratory media, but the effects of these buffers and their inherent electrolyte conductivities have not been examined relative to current generation in MFCs. We investigated the effect of several common buffers (phosphate, MES, HEPES, and PIPES) on power production in single chambered MFCs compared to a non-buffered control. At the same concentrations the buffers produced different solution conductivities which resulted in different ohmic resistances and power densities. Increasing the solution conductivities to the same values using NaCl produced comparable power densities for all buffers. Very large increases in conductivity resulted in a rapid voltage drop at high current densities. Our results suggest that solution conductivity at a specific pH for each buffer is more important in MFC studies than the buffer itself given relatively constant pH conditions. Based on our analysis of internal resistance and a set neutral pH, phosphate and PIPES are the most useful buffers of those examined here because pH was maintained close to the pKa of the buffer, maximizing the ability of the buffer to contribute to increase current generation at high power densities. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Variation of power generation at different buffer types and conductivities in single chamber microbial fuel cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nam, Joo-Youn; Kim, Hyun-Woo; Lim, Kyeong-Ho; Shin, Hang-Sik; Logan, Bruce E

    2010-01-15

    Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are operated with solutions containing various chemical species required for the growth of electrochemically active microorganisms including nutrients and vitamins, substrates, and chemical buffers. Many different buffers are used in laboratory media, but the effects of these buffers and their inherent electrolyte conductivities have not been examined relative to current generation in MFCs. We investigated the effect of several common buffers (phosphate, MES, HEPES, and PIPES) on power production in single chambered MFCs compared to a non-buffered control. At the same concentrations the buffers produced different solution conductivities which resulted in different ohmic resistances and power densities. Increasing the solution conductivities to the same values using NaCl produced comparable power densities for all buffers. Very large increases in conductivity resulted in a rapid voltage drop at high current densities. Our results suggest that solution conductivity at a specific pH for each buffer is more important in MFC studies than the buffer itself given relatively constant pH conditions. Based on our analysis of internal resistance and a set neutral pH, phosphate and PIPES are the most useful buffers of those examined here because pH was maintained close to the pK(a) of the buffer, maximizing the ability of the buffer to contribute to increase current generation at high power densities. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Hydraulic properties of buffer and backfill materials for high-level nuclear waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komine, Hideo; Ogata, Nobuhide

    2001-01-01

    The design and development of buffer and backfill materials, which fill up the disposal facility, are important for developing the technology of high-level nuclear wastes disposal. The compacted bentonite and sand-bentonite mixture are attracting greater attention as buffer and backfill materials because they have impermeable and swelling properties. This study investigated the hydraulic-conductivities at the different sand-bentonite mass ratio and dry density, which are the specifications of material, by the experimental works. This study also obtained the experimental data of hydraulic conductivities of the materials for 120 days at the farthest, and the permeability changes before and after swelling. Furthermore, this study proposed the evaluation method for hydraulic conductivity using the parameter 'Swelling volumetric strain of montmorillonite', which was proposed by the author. The evaluation method can obtain the hydraulic conductivity of buffer and backfill materials at various dry densities and bentonite contents. Therefore, the evaluation method can be used for designing the bentonite content and compaction density from the viewpoint of 'impermeability'. (author)

  4. The release of organic material from clay based buffer materials and its potential implications for radionuclide transport

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vilks, P.; Stroes-Gascoyne, S.; Goulard, M.; Haveman, S.A.; Bachinski, D.B.

    1998-01-01

    In the Canadian nuclear fuel waste disposal concept used fuel would be placed in corrosion resistant containers which would be surrounded by clay-based buffer and backfill materials in an engineered vault excavated at 500 to 1000 m depth in crystalline rock formations in the Canadian shield. Organic substances could affect radionuclide mobility due to the effects of redox and complexation reactions that increase solubility and alter mobility. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the buffer and backfill materials, proposed for use in a disposal vault, contain organics that could be leached by groundwater in large enough quantities to affect radionuclide mobility within the disposal vault and surrounding geosphere complex. Buffer material, made from a mixture of 50 wt.% Avonlea sodium bentonite and 50 wt.% silica sand, was extracted with deionized water to determine the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), humic acid and fulvic acid. The effect of radiation and heat from the used fuel was simulated by treating samples of buffer before leaching to various amounts of heat (60 and 90 C) for periods of 2, 4 and 6 weeks, and to ionizing radiation with doses of 25 kGy and 50 kGy. The results showed that groundwater would leach significant amounts of organics from buffer that complex with radionuclides such as the actinides, potentially affecting their solubility and transport within the disposal vault and possibly the surrounding geosphere. In addition, the leached organics would likely stimulate microbial growth by several orders of magnitude. Heating and radiation affect the amount and nature of leachable organics. (orig.)

  5. An analysis of extrusion of buffer material into fracture behavior by diffusion model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsumoto, Kazuhiro; Tanai, Kenji; Kanno, Takeshi; Iwata, Yumiko

    2005-06-01

    The buffer that will be used as a component of the engineered barriers system swells when saturated by groundwater. As a result of this swelling, buffer may penetrate into the surrounding rock zone through open fractures. It sustained for extremely long periods of time, the buffer extrusion could lead to reduction of buffer density, which may in turn degrade the assumed performance. In this report, the viscosity of bentonite was measured as one of the parameter of diffusion model. In addition, the simulation analysis was carried out to confirm the applicability of diffusion model. Moreover, an analytical evaluation on extrusion behavior of buffer into rock fractures was performed to estimate the long-term stability of buffer as reduction of density. (1) Measurement of the viscosity of bentonite. The viscosity of bentonite is measured by the Rheometer. The viscosity of bentonite indicated tendency to non-Newton flow. The viscosity of bentonite at water contents of 400-1000% was estimated. The evaluated value of the viscosity was modified based on this measurement. (2) Simulation analysis of an experiment results. The simulation analysis of the experimental result using diffusion model was performed to confirm applicability of this model. The results of the simulation reasonably agreed with obtained experimental result. (3) Example analysis of a long-term stability of buffer. The analysis of a long-term stability of buffer as reduction of density was performed to compare with the results in H12 report. In this analysis, the density of the buffer material decreased earlier than the results in H12 report. In addition, a long-term change in the density of the buffer material under seawater condition was preliminary calculated. As a result, it is indicated that extrusion behavior is not significant under seawater condition. (author)

  6. Study on diffusion behavior of nuclide in buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Satoru

    2002-05-01

    Bentonite is a promising candidate of buffer material for geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). Mass transport in bentonite is mainly controlled by diffusion process because of extremely low-permeability. Geological environments, e.g. salinity of ground water and temperature can strongly influence on migration behavior in bentonite, and therefore diffusivity and diffusion mechanism have been investigated experimentally and theoretically. In chapter 1, the author summarizes how the diffusivity in the buffer material has been treated in the safety assessment. In chapter 2, results of diffusion experiments as a function of salinity and temperature have been shown. In chapter 3, relationship between diffusivity and pore structure of bentonite has been investigated theoretically. In chapter 4, sorption structure of strontium on smectite has been studied by using molecular dynamics simulation. In chapter 5, vibrational property of pore water has been investigated. Diffusivity in bentonite has been discussed based on rock capacity factor, microstructure and interaction between diffusant and bentonite. (author)

  7. Performance of buffer material under radiation and thermal conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Shuaiwei; Yang Zhongtian; Liu Wei

    2012-01-01

    Bentonite is generally selected as backfill and buffer material for repositories in the world. Radiation and heat release is the intrinsic properties of high level radioactive waste. This paper made a preliminary research on foreign literature about performance of the engineering barrier material under radiation and at higher temperatures (e. g. above 100℃). As our current research is just budding in this area, we need to draw lessons from foreign experience and methods. (authors)

  8. Activation of a Ca-bentonite as buffer material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Wei-Hsing; Chen, Wen-Chuan

    2016-04-01

    Swelling behavior is an important criterion in achieving the low-permeability sealing function of buffer material. A potential buffer material may be used for radioactive waste repository in Taiwan is a locally available clayey material known as Zhisin clay, which has been identified as a Ca-bentonite. Due to its Ca-based origin, Zhisin was found to exhibit swelling capacity much lower than that of Na-bentonite. To enhance the swelling potential of Zhisin clay, a cation exchange process by addition of Na2CO3 powder was introduced in this paper. The addition of Na2CO3 reagent to Zhisin clay, in a liquid phase, caused the precipitation of CaCO3 and thereby induced a replacement of Ca2+ ions by Na+ ions on the surface of bentonite. Characterization test conducted on Zhisin clay includes chemical analysis, cation exchange capacity, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetry (TG). Free-swelling test apparatus was developed according to International Society of Rock Mechanics recommendations. A series of free-swelling tests were conducted on untreated and activated specimens to characterize the effect of activation on the swelling capacity of Zhisin clay. Efforts were made to determine an optimum dosage for the activation, and to evaluate the aging effect. Also, the activated material was evaluated for its stability in various hydrothermal conditions for potential applications as buffer material in a repository. Experimental results show that Na2CO3-activated Zhisin clay is superior in swelling potential to untreated Zhisin clay. Also, there exists an optimum amount of activator in terms of improvements in the swelling capacity. A distinct time-swell relationship was discovered for activated Zhisin clay. The corresponding mechanism refers to exchange of cations and breakdown of quasi-crystal, which results in ion exchange hysteresis of Ca-bentonite. Due to the ion exchange hysteresis, activated bentonite shows a post-rise time-swell relationship different than the sigmoid

  9. Piping and erosion in buffer and backfill materials. Current knowledge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boergesson, Lennart; Sanden, Torbjoern

    2006-09-01

    The water inflow into the deposition holes and tunnels in a repository will mainly take place through fractures in the rock and will lead to that the buffer and backfill will be wetted and homogenised. But in general the buffer and backfill cannot absorb all water that runs through a fracture, which leads to that a water pressure will be generated in the fracture when the inflow is hindered. If the counter pressure and strength of the buffer or backfill is insufficiently high, piping and subsequent erosion may take place. The processes and consequences of piping and erosion have been studied in some projects and several laboratory test series in different scales have been carried through. This brief report describes these tests and the results and conclusions that have emerged. The knowledge of piping and erosion is insufficient today and additional studies are needed and running

  10. Associating Physical and Chemical Properties to Evaluate Buffer Materials by Th and U Sorption

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jan, Yi-Lin; Chen, Tzu-Yun; Cheng, Hwai-Ping; Hsu, Chun-Nan; Tseng, Chia-Liang; Wei,Yuan-Yaw; Yang, Jen-Yan; Ke, Cheng-Hsiung; Chuang, Jui-Tang; Teng, Shi-Ping

    2003-02-27

    The physical and chemical properties of buffer materials to be used for a radwaste disposal repository should be evaluated prior to use. In a conventional approach, independent studies of physical and/or chemical characteristics are conducted. This study investigated the relationship between the plastic index (PI) and distribution ratio (Rd) of buffer materials composed of varying ratios of quartz sand and bentonite. Thorium (Th) and Uranium (U) were the nuclides of interest, and both synthetic groundwater and seawater were used as the liquid phases to simulate conditions representative of deep geological disposal within an island. Atterberg tests were used to determine PI values, and batch sorption experiments were employed to measure Rd values. The results show that Th reached maximum sorption behavior when the bentonite content exceeded 30 % of the mixture. Contrariwise, the sorption of U increased linearly with bentonite content, up to bentonite contents of 100%, and this correlation was present regardless of the liquid phase used. A further result is that U has a better additivity with respect to Rd than Th in both synthetic groundwater and synthetic seawater. These results will allow a determination of more effective buffer material composition, and improved estimates of the overall Rd of the buffer material mixture from the Rd of each mineral component.

  11. Selection and Basic Properties of the Buffer Material for High-Level Radioactive Waste Repository in China

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    WEN Zhijian

    2008-01-01

    Radioactive wastes arising from a wide range of human activities are in many different physical and chemical forms, contaminated with varying radioactivity. Their common features are the potential hazard associated with their radioactivity and the need to manage them in such a way as to protect the human environment. The geological disposal is regarded as the most reasonable and effective way to safely disposing high-level radioactive wastes in the world. The conceptual model of geological disposal in China is based on a multi-barrier system that combines an isolating geological environment with an engineered barrier system. The buffer is one of the main engineered barriers for HLW repository. It is expected to maintain its low water permeability, self-sealing property, radio nuclides adsorption and retardation properties, thermal conductivity, chemical buffering property,canister supporting property, and stress buffering property over a long period of time. Bentonite is selected as the main content of buffer material that can satisfy the above requirements. The Gaomiaozi deposit is selected as the candidate supplier for China's buffer material of high level radioactive waste repository. This paper presents the geological features of the GMZ deposit and basic properties of the GMZ Na-bentonite. It is a super-large deposit with a high content of montmorillonite (about 75%), and GMZ-1, which is Na-bentonite produced from GMZ deposit is selected as the reference material for China's buffer material study.

  12. Final report of the Buffer Mass Test - Volume 3: Chemical and physical stability of the buffer materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pusch, R.

    1985-11-01

    The Buffer Mass Test offered a possibility to investigate whether chemical changes took place in the smectite component at heating to 125 degrees C for about one year. The alterations that could possibly take place were a slight charge change in the crystal lattice with an associated precipitation of silica compounds, and a tendency of illite formation. The analysis showed that there were indications of both but to such a slight extent that the processes could not have affected the physical properties, which was also demonstrated by determining the swelling pressure and the hydraulic conductivity. The BMT also showed that the erodibility of bentonite-based buffer materials is less than or about equal to what can be expected on theoretical grounds. (author)

  13. Temperature Buffer Test. Measurements of water content and density of the excavated buffer material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johannesson, Lars-Erik [Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden)

    2010-12-15

    TBT (Temperature Buffer Test) is a joint project between SKB/ANDRA and supported by ENRESA (modeling) and DBE (instrumentation), which aims at understanding and modeling the thermo-hydromechanical behavior of buffers made of swelling clay submitted to high temperatures (over 100 deg C) during the water saturation process. The test was carried out at the - 420 m level in Aespoe HRL in a 8 meters deep and 1.76 m diameter deposition hole, with two heaters (3 m long, 0.6 m diameter), surrounded by a MX-80 bentonite buffer and a confining plug on top anchored with 9 rods. It was installed during spring 2003. The bentonite around upper heater was removed during the period October - December 2009 and the buffer around the lower heater was removed during January - Mars 2010. During dismantling of the buffer, samples were taken on which analyses were made. This report describes the work with the deteroemoeination of the water content and the density of the taken samples. Most of the samples were taken from the buffer by core drilling from the upper surface of each installed bentonite block. The cores had a diameter of about 50 mm and a maximum length equal to the original height of the bentonite blocks (about 500 mm). The water content of the buffer was determined by drying a sample at a temperature of 105 deg C for 24 h and the bulk density was determined by weighing a sample both in the air and immerged in paraffin oil with known density. The water content, dry density, degree of saturation and void ratio of the buffer were then plotted. The plots show that all parts of the buffer had taken up water and the degree of saturation of the buffer varied between 90 - 100%. Large variation in the dry density of the buffer was also observed.

  14. A formula for determination of swelling characteristics of buffer material containing bentonite and evaluation of self-sealing performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komine, Hideo; Ogata, Nobuhide

    1998-01-01

    High level radioactive waste disposal facility is planned to construct in a rock board deeper than some hundreds meter at underground, it is necessary to develop a material to refill the gap between waste container and its circumferential rock board. For this material it is required to have high water sealing and swellability, and bentonite is expected to use such application. Production of soil buffer materials containing bentonite is difficult to obtain required dry density by solidifying due to in situ roll-pressing, so it is, at present, thought to be an effective method to carry a block produced in a factory to a pit for disposal to settle. When supposing to produce and settle such buffer material, a gap forming between the buffer material and circumferential rock board or waste container has a large possibility to make a water path when remaining without treating it. Therefore, the buffer material is required to have a function to fill gap portion by swelling deformation and to proof water. In this study, in order to evaluated self-sealing of bentonite, due to a theoretical examination and a laboratory experiment on swelling behavior of soil materials containing bentonite, a swelling evaluation equation of the buffer materials was proposed. And, an application example for outlined design of an actual high level radioactive waste disposal facility was introduced. (G.K.)

  15. Systematic generation of buffer systems for pH gradient ion exchange chromatography and their application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kröner, Frieder; Hubbuch, Jürgen

    2013-04-12

    pH gradient protein separations are widely used techniques in the field of protein analytics, of which isoelectric focusing is the most well known application. The chromatographic variant, based on the formation of pH gradients in ion exchange columns is only rarely applied due to the difficulties to form controllable, linear pH gradients over a broad pH range. This work describes a method for the systematic generation of buffer compositions with linear titration curves, resulting in well controllable pH gradients. To generate buffer compositions with linear titration curves an in silico method was successfully developed. With this tool, buffer compositions for pH gradient ion exchange chromatography with pH ranges spanning up to 7.5 pH units were established and successfully validated. Subsequently, the buffer systems were used to characterize the elution behavior of 22 different model proteins in cation and anion exchange pH gradient chromatography. The results of both chromatographic modes as well as isoelectric focusing were compared to describe differences in between the methods. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Thermal buffering performance of composite phase change materials applied in low-temperature protective garments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Kai; Jiao, Mingli; Yu, Yuanyuan; Zhu, Xueying; Liu, Rangtong; Cao, Jian

    2017-07-01

    Phase change material (PCM) is increasingly being applied in the manufacturing of functional thermo-regulated textiles and garments. This paper investigated the thermal buffering performance of different composite PCMs which are suitable for the application in functional low-temperature protective garments. First, according to the criteria selecting PCM for functional textiles/garments, three kinds of pure PCM were selected as samples, which were n-hexadecane, n-octadecane and n-eicosane. To get the adjustable phase change temperature range and higher phase change enthalpy, three kinds of composite PCM were prepared using the above pure PCM. To evaluate the thermal buffering performance of different composite PCM samples, the simulated low-temperature experiments were performed in the climate chamber, and the skin temperature variation curves in three different low temperature conditions were obtained. Finally composite PCM samples’ thermal buffering time, thermal buffering capacity and thermal buffering efficiency were calculated. Results show that the comprehensive thermal buffering performance of n-octadecane and n-eicosane composite PCM is the best.

  17. Extrusion and erosion of bentonite buffer material in a flow-through, horizontal, artificial fracture system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schatz, Timothy; Kanerva, Noora; Martikainen, Jari

    2012-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. One scenario of interest for the long-term safety assessment of a spent nuclear fuel repository involves the loss of bentonite buffer material through contact with dilute groundwater at a transmissive fracture interface [SKB 2011, Posiva 2012]. In order to simulate the potential extrusion/erosion behaviour of bentonite buffer material in such an environment, a series of small-scale, flow-through, artificial fracture experiments were performed in which swelling clay material could extrude/erode into a well defined, system (see Figure 1). The fracture dimensions were 24 cm (length) x 24 cm (width) x 1 mm (aperture) and the compacted sample dimensions were 2 cm (height) x 2 cm (diameter). Extrusion/erosion effects were analysed against solution chemistry (salt concentration and composition), material composition (sodium montmorillonite and admixtures with calcium montmorillonite), and flow velocity. No erosion was observed for sodium montmorillonite against solution compositions from 10 to 0.5 g/L NaCl. Comparatively, most reports in the literature indicate that a concentration of 0.5 g/L NaCl (8.6 mM) is below, in some cases well below, the (experimentally observed) critical coagulation concentration (CCC) for the colloidal sodium montmorillonite/sodium chloride system [Garcia-Garcia et al. 2007]. It was also the case that no erosion was observed for 50/50 calcium/sodium montmorillonite against 0.5 g/L NaCl. Overall, the results of the flow-through, artificial fracture tests, indicate stability to erosion down to a dilute concentration range between 8 to 4 mM NaCl for both sodium and 50/50 calcium/sodium montmorillonite. These limits compare favorably to the erosion stability limits observed by Birgersson et al. [2009] in the case of the latter material but less so for the former. A number of tests were conducted for which measurable erosion was observed. The calculated mass loss rates for these tests, expressed in

  18. Basic characteristic test of buffer/backfill material under Horonobe groundwater condition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kikuchi, Hirohito; Tanai, Kenji

    2005-02-01

    By the second progress report (H12) on research and development for the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in Japan, Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) extended the data base of basic properties of compacted bentonite which were mainly obtained by using distilled water as test fluid. This report presents influence of Horonobe groundwater on the basic properties of buffer and backfill material. The Horonobe groundwater is a type of saline groundwater. The groundwater was sampled at GL-300 m or deeper by using bore hole HDB-6 of the underground laboratory of Horonobe site. In addition, basic properties are also obtained by using distilled water, synthetic seawater, and NaCl solution. Experimental results are as follows; 1) Swelling characteristics, hydraulic characteristics and mechanical characteristics of the buffer material and backfill material decrease by the influence of saline water. The relationship between effective clay density and swelling stress is described by the following equation. σ = exp (2.5786ρ b 3 - 12.238ρ b 2 + 21.818ρ b - 14.035) where σ is swelling stress [MPa], ρ b is effective clay density [Mg/m 3 ]. The relationship between effective clay density and intrinsic permeability is described by the following equation. κ = exp (-41.466 + 4.316ρ b - 4.069ρ b 2 ) where κ is intrinsic permeability [m 2 ], ρ b is effective clay density [Mg/m 3 ]. The relationship between effective clay density and unconfined compressive strength is described by the following equation. qu = 1.4 x 10 -4 exp (5.637ρ b ) where qu is unconfined compressive strength [MPa], ρ b is effective clay density [Mg/m 3 ]. 2) Saline water doesn't influence the thermal characteristic of the buffer material. The thermal conductivity and specific heat are derived by using the relationship that was obtained so far. (author)

  19. Tandem organic light-emitting diodes with buffer-modified C60/pentacene as charge generation layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhen; Zheng, Xin; Liu, Fei; Wang, Pei; Gan, Lin; Wang, Jing-jing

    2017-09-01

    Buffer-modified C60/pentacene as charge generation layer (CGL) is investigated to achieve effective performance of charge generation. Undoped green electroluminescent tandem organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with multiple identical emissive units and using buffer-modified C60/pentacene organic semiconductor heterojunction (OHJ) as CGL are demonstrated to exhibit better current density and brightness, compared with conventional single-unit devices. The current density and brightness both can be significantly improved with increasing the thickness of Al. However, excessive thickness of Al seriously decreases the transmittance of films and damages the interface. As a result, the maximum current efficiency of 1.43 cd·A-1 at 30 mA·cm-2 can be achieved for tandem OLEDs with optimal thickness of Al. These results clearly demonstrate that Cs2CO3/Al is an effective buffer for C60/pentacene-based tandem OLEDs.

  20. Optimal Maintenance of a Production System with Intermediate Buffers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Constantinos C. Karamatsoukis

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available We consider a production-inventory system that consists of an input-generating installation, a production unit and L intermediate buffers. It is assumed that the installation transfers the raw material to buffer and the production unit pulls the raw material from buffer We consider the problem of the optimal preventive maintenance of the installation if the installation deteriorates stochastically with usage and the production unit is always in operative condition. We also consider the problem of the optimal preventive maintenance of the production unit if the production unit deteriorates stochastically with usage and the installation is always in operative condition. Under a suitable cost structure and for given contents of the buffers, it is proved that the average-cost optimal policy for the first (second problem initiates a preventive maintenance of the installation (production unit if and only if the degree of deterioration of the installation (production unit exceeds some critical level. Numerical results are presented for both problems.

  1. Characteristics study of bentonite as candidate of buffer materials for radioactive waste disposal system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suryantoro; Arimuladi, S.P.; Sastrowardoyo, P.B.

    1998-01-01

    Literature studies on bentonite characteristic of, as candidate for radioactive waste disposal system, have been conducted. Several information have been obtained from references, which would be contributed on performance assessment of engineered barrier. The functions bentonite includes the buffering of chemical and physical behavior, i.e. swelling property, self sealing, hydraulic conductivities and gas permeability. This paper also presented long-term stability of bentonite in natural condition related to the illitisazation, which could change its buffering capacities. These information, showed that bentonite was satisfied to be used for candidate of buffer materials in radioactive waste disposal system. (author)

  2. Scoping calculation of nuclides migration in engineering barrier system for effect of volume expansion due to overpack corrosion and intrusion of the buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshita, Takashi; Ishihara, Yoshinao; Ishiguro, Katsuhiko; Ohi, Takao; Nakajima, Kunihiko

    1999-11-01

    Corrosion of the carbon steel overpack leads to a volume expansion since the specific gravity of corrosion products is smaller than carbon steel. The buffer material is compressed due to the corrosive swelling, reducing its thickness and porosity. On the other hand, buffer material may be extruded into fractures of the surrounding rock and this may lead to a deterioration of the planned functions of the buffer, including retardation of nuclides migration and colloid filtration. In this study, the sensitivity analyses for the effect of volume expansion and intrusion of the buffer material on nuclide migration in the engineering barrier system are carried out. The sensitivity analyses were performed on the decrease in the thickness of the buffer material in the radial direction caused by the corrosive swelling, and the change in the porosity and dry density of the buffer caused by both compacting due to corrosive swelling and intrusion of buffer material. As results, it was found the maximum release rates of relatively shorter half-life nuclides from the outside of the buffer material decreased for taking into account of a volume expansion due to overpack corrosion. On the other hand, the maximum release rates increased when the intrusion of buffer material was also taking into account. It was, however, the maximum release rates of longer half-life nuclides, such as Cs-137 and Np-237, were insensitive to the change of buffer material thickness, and porosity and dry density of buffer. (author)

  3. Anolyte recycling enhanced bioelectricity generation of the buffer-free single-chamber air-cathode microbial fuel cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Yueping; Chen, Jinli; Shi, Yugang; Li, Xiufen; Yang, Na; Wang, Xinhua

    2017-11-01

    Anolyte acidification is an inevitable restriction for the bioelectricity generation of buffer-free microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this work, acidification of the buffer-free KCl anolyte has been thoroughly eliminated through anolyte recycling. The accumulated HCO 3 - concentration in the recycled KCl anolyte was above 50mM, which played as natural buffer and elevated the anolyte pH to above 8. The maximum power density (P max ) increased from 322.9mWm -2 to 527.2mWm -2 , which is comparable with the phosphate buffered MFC. Besides Geobacter genus, the gradually increased anolyte pH and conductivity induced the growing of electrochemically active Geoalkalibacter genus, in the anode biofilm. Anolyte recycling is a feasible strategy to strengthen the self-buffering capacity of buffer-free MFCs, thoroughly eliminate the anolyte acidification and prominently enhance the electric power. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Redox buffered hydrofluoric acid etchant for the reduction of galvanic attack during release etching of MEMS devices having noble material films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hankins, Matthew G [Albuquerque, NM

    2009-10-06

    Etchant solutions comprising a redox buffer can be used during the release etch step to reduce damage to the structural layers of a MEMS device that has noble material films. A preferred redox buffer comprises a soluble thiophosphoric acid, ester, or salt that maintains the electrochemical potential of the etchant solution at a level that prevents oxidation of the structural material. Therefore, the redox buffer preferentially oxidizes in place of the structural material. The sacrificial redox buffer thereby protects the exposed structural layers while permitting the dissolution of sacrificial oxide layers during the release etch.

  5. The separation of radionuclide migration by solution and particle transport in LLRW repository buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torok, J.; Buckley, L.P.; Woods, B.L.

    1989-01-01

    Laboratory-scale lysimeter experiments were performed with simulated waste forms placed in candidate buffer materials which have been chosen for a low-level radioactive waste repository. Radionuclide releases into the effluent water and radionuclide capture by the buffer material were determined. The results could not be explained by traditional solution transport mechanisms, and transport by particles released from the waste form and/or transport by buffer particles were suspected as the dominant mechanism for radionuclide release from the lysimeters. To elucidate the relative contribution of particle and solution transport, the waste forms were replaced by a wafer of neutron-activated buffer soaked with selected soluble isotopes. Particle transport was determined by the movement of gamma-emitting neutron-activation products through the lysimeter. Solution transport was quantified by comparing the migration of soluble radionuclides relative to the transport of neutron activation products. The new approach for monitoring radionuclide migration in soil is presented. It facilitates the determination of most of the fundamental coefficients required to model the transport process

  6. Thermo-hydro-mechanical tests of buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pintado, X.; Hassan, Md. M.; Martikainen, J.

    2013-10-01

    MX-80 bentonite is the reference clay material for the buffer component planned to be used in the deep geological repository for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finland. The buffer presents complex thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior which is modeled with different constitutive models for heat flow, water flow and stress-strain evolution in the buffer. Thermo, hydro and mechanical models need parameters to evaluate the THM-behavior. These modeling parameters were determined by performing series of laboratory experiments as follows: Water retention curve tests were performed on compacted bentonite samples, encompassing a range of initial dry density values from 1397 to 1718 kg/m 3 as the initial water content was around of 5-8 %. The water retention curve was determined by imposing different suctions to the samples and the suctions were then checked using capacitive hygrometer and chilled mirror psychrometer. Oedometer tests were performed on compacted bentonite samples, encompassing a range of initial dry density values from 1590 to 1750 kg/m 3 as the initial water content was around of 6 %. Samples were saturated with tap water, 35 or 70 g/L salt solutions. Infiltration tests were performed on compacted unsaturated bentonite samples, encompassing a range of initial dry density values from 1400 to 1720 kg/m 3 as the initial water content was approximately between 4-7 %. Samples were saturated with tap water, 0.87, 35 or 70 g/L salt solutions. Tortuosity tests were performed on bentonite samples, encompassing a range of dry density values from 1460 to 1750 kg/m 3 and the degree of saturation varied between 33-93 %. Thermal conductivity tests were performed on compacted bentonite samples, encompassing a range of dry density values from 1545 to 1715 kg/m 3 and the degree of saturation varied between 31-88 %. The measurement was performed using a thermal needle probe. The general trend of all analyzed parameters was as expected when dry density, water content, and

  7. Thermo-hydro-mechanical tests of buffer material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pintado, X.; Hassan, Md. M.; Martikainen, J. [B and Tech Oy, Helsinki (Finland)

    2013-10-15

    MX-80 bentonite is the reference clay material for the buffer component planned to be used in the deep geological repository for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finland. The buffer presents complex thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior which is modeled with different constitutive models for heat flow, water flow and stress-strain evolution in the buffer. Thermo, hydro and mechanical models need parameters to evaluate the THM-behavior. These modeling parameters were determined by performing series of laboratory experiments as follows: Water retention curve tests were performed on compacted bentonite samples, encompassing a range of initial dry density values from 1397 to 1718 kg/m{sup 3} as the initial water content was around of 5-8 %. The water retention curve was determined by imposing different suctions to the samples and the suctions were then checked using capacitive hygrometer and chilled mirror psychrometer. Oedometer tests were performed on compacted bentonite samples, encompassing a range of initial dry density values from 1590 to 1750 kg/m{sup 3} as the initial water content was around of 6 %. Samples were saturated with tap water, 35 or 70 g/L salt solutions. Infiltration tests were performed on compacted unsaturated bentonite samples, encompassing a range of initial dry density values from 1400 to 1720 kg/m{sup 3} as the initial water content was approximately between 4-7 %. Samples were saturated with tap water, 0.87, 35 or 70 g/L salt solutions. Tortuosity tests were performed on bentonite samples, encompassing a range of dry density values from 1460 to 1750 kg/m{sup 3} and the degree of saturation varied between 33-93 %. Thermal conductivity tests were performed on compacted bentonite samples, encompassing a range of dry density values from 1545 to 1715 kg/m{sup 3} and the degree of saturation varied between 31-88 %. The measurement was performed using a thermal needle probe. The general trend of all analyzed parameters was as expected when dry

  8. Possibility of material cost reduction toward development of low-cost second-generation superconducting wires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ichinose, Ataru; Horii, Shigeru; Doi, Toshiya

    2017-10-01

    Two approaches to reducing the material cost of second-generation superconducting wires are proposed in this paper: (1) instead of the electrical stabilizing layers of silver and copper presently used on the superconducting layer, a Nb-doped SrTiO3 conductive buffer layer and cube-textured Cu are proposed as an advanced architecture, and (2) the use of an electromagnetic (EM) steel tape as a metal substrate of coated conductors in a conventional architecture. In structures fabricated without using electrical stabilizing layers on the superconducting layer, the critical current density achieved at 77 K in a self-field was approximately 2.6 MA/cm2. On the other hand, in the case of using EM steel tapes, although the critical current density was far from practical at the current stage, the biaxial alignment of YBa2Cu3O y (YBCO) and buffer layers was realized without oxidation on the metal surface. In this study, the possibility of material cost reduction has been strongly indicated toward the development of low-cost second-generation superconducting wires in the near future.

  9. Experimental investigations of piping phenomena in bentonite based buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, K.; Asano, H.; Kobayashi, I.; Sellin, P.; Svemar, C.; Holmqvist, M.

    2012-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. Formation of channels in a clay based buffer material is often referred to as 'piping'. Piping is likely to occur in bentonite based buffer materials in a fractured host rock during the early evolution of the repository when strong hydraulic gradients are present. After water saturation of the repository and reestablishment of the hydraulic gradients piping will not be an issue. However, piping in the early phase may still have implications for long-term performance: 1. if the pipes fail to close there may be remaining conductive pathways in the engineered barrier, and 2. piping may lead to erosion or redistribution of material which needs to be taken into account in the long-term performance assessment. This means that the piping process may affect requirements on rock characterization, water inflow and water management during the installation phase, buffer material properties and buffer installation methodology. As a part of the 'Bentonite re-saturation' program, RWMC has initiated and performed studies of the piping process. The main objectives of the studies are to answer: 1. Under what conditions can pipes form? 2. How do pipes evolve with time? 3. When and how do pipes close/reseal? 4. How does piping affect the buffer properties? 5. How much mass can be lost by erosion? The answers will be used in the development of the requirements stated above as well as input to long term performance assessments. overview of the experiment Test apparatuses were manufactured for investigation of the piping phenomena, see Figure 1. The apparatuses have drainage gutter to prevent clogging to take place with eroded material, and to keep an advection field around specimens. There is also a storage chamber for eroded material on the apparatuses. In the investigation, specimens of bentonite block and pellets were used. The block specimen consisted of a mixture of Japanese Na type bentonite, termed Kunigel V1, and 30 wt% silica

  10. Swelling pressures of a potential buffer material for high-level waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jae Owan; Cho, Won Jin; Chun, Kwan Sik

    1999-01-01

    The swelling pressure of a potential buffer material was measured and the effect of dry density, bentonite content and initial water content on the swelling pressure was investigated to provide the information for the selection of buffer material in a high-level waste repository. Swelling tests were carried out according to Box-Behnken's experimental design. Measured swelling pressures were in the wide range of 0.7 Kg/cm 2 to 190.2 Kg/cm 2 under given experimental conditions. Based upon the experimental data, a 3-factor polynomial swelling model was suggested to analyze the effect of dry density, bentonite content and initial water content on the swelling pressure. The swelling pressure increased with an increase in the dry density and bentonite content, while it decreased with increasing the initial water content and, beyond about 12 wt.% of the initial water content, levelled to nearly constant value. (author). 21 refs., 10 figs., 4 tabs

  11. Moisture performance of building materials: From material characterization to building simulation using the Moisture Buffer Value concept

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abadie, Marc Olivier [Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program, Pontifical Catholic University of Parana, PUC-PR/CCET, Curitiba, PR 80215-901 (Brazil); LEPTAB, University of La Rochelle, La Rochelle, 17042 Cedex 1 (France); Mendonca, Katia Cordeiro [Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program, Pontifical Catholic University of Parana, PUC-PR/CCET, Curitiba, PR 80215-901 (Brazil)

    2009-02-15

    Predicting the indoor air relative humidity evolution is of great importance to evaluate people thermal comfort, perceived air quality and energy consumption. In building environments, porous materials of the envelope and furniture act on the indoor air humidity by reducing its variations. Solving the physical processes involved inside the porous materials requires the knowledge of the material hygrothermal properties that needs multiple and, for some of them, time-consuming experimental procedures. Recently, both the NORDTEST Project and Japanese Industrial Standard described a new Moisture Buffer Capacity index that accounts for surrounding air vapor concentration variation. The Moisture Buffer Value (MBV) indicates the amount of water vapor that is transported in or out of a material, during a certain period of time, when the vapor concentration of the surrounding air varies. The MBV evaluation requires only one experimental procedure and its value permits a direct comparison of the building materials moisture performance. However, two limitations can be distinguished: first, no relation between the MBV and the usual material hygrothermal properties has been clearly identified and second, no model has been proposed to actually use the MBV in building simulation. The present study aims to solve these two problems. First, the MBV fundamentals are introduced and discussed; followed by its relation with the usual material properties. Then, a lumped model for building simulation, whose parameters can be determined from the MBV experimental procedure, is described. To finish, examples of the use of this MBV-based lumped model for moisture prediction in buildings are presented. (author)

  12. Thermal properties of clay-based buffer materials for a nuclear fuel waste disposal vault

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Radhakrishna, H.S.

    1984-06-01

    The thermal properties of three types of bentonite clay, one illite-rich shale and one kaolin mixed with crushed granite were investigated. Thermal conductivity measurements were made over a range of mix proportions, moisture content, density and ambient temperature using the transient heat-probe method. The effects of thermal drying in the buffer zone prior to water uptake were investigated by means of laboratory-scale heater experiments. Illite-rich shale (Sealbond) and kaolin exhibited better compactability and thermal conductivity than the bentonite clays. The thermal conductivity of all types of clay buffers showed a high degree of moisture dependency and relatively no effect due to elevated temperature under high fluid pressure conditions. Bentonite buffers compacted to a dry density of 1200 to 1400 kg/m 3 showed extensive cracking due to differential shrinkage. Addition of crushed granite, and/or compaction to a higher density, reduced the thermal cracking of the buffer material

  13. bentonite-sand mixture as new backfill/buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cui Suli; Liu Jisheng; Zhang Huyuan; Liang Jian

    2008-01-01

    The mixture of bentonite and quartz sand is suggested as a new backfill/buffer material for geological disposal of HLW. To improve the further design of underground laboratory and in-situ industrial construction test, the optimization of sand addition to bentonite is focused at present research stage. Based on summarizing the research results abroad, laboratory tests were conducted on the mixture of GMZ001 bentonite and quartz sand, such as compaction test and swelling tests etc. Test data shows that GMZ bentonite-sand mixture exhibits a favorite compaction with a 30% sand addition, a highest swelling pressure with a 20% sand addition, and a decreasing plasticity with increases in sand addition and pore liquid concentration. (authors)

  14. A Markov chain analysis of the effectiveness of drum-buffer-rope material flow management in job shop environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masoud Rabbani

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The theory of constraints is an approach for production planning and control, which emphasizes on the constraints in the system to increase throughput. The theory of constraints is often referred to as Drum-Buffer-Rope developed originally by Goldratt. Drum-Buffer-Rope uses the drum or constraint to create a schedule based on the finite capacity of the first bottleneck. Because of complexity of the job shop environment, Drum-Buffer-Rope material flow management has very little attention to job shop environment. The objective of this paper is to apply the Drum-Buffer-Rope technique in the job shop environment using a Markov chain analysis to compare traditional method with Drum-Buffer-Rope. Four measurement parameters were considered and the result showed the advantage of Drum-Buffer-Rope approach compared with traditional one.

  15. LOT Project long term test of buffer material at the Aespoe HRL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karnland, O.; Olsson, S.; Dueck, A.; Birgersson, M.; Nilsson, U.; Hernan-Haakansson, T.; Pedersen, K.; Eriksson, S.; Eriksen, T.; Eriksson, S.; Rosborg, B.; Muurinen, A.; Rousset, D.; Mosser-Ruck, R.; Cathelineau, M.; Villieras, F.; Pelletier, M.; Kaufold, S.; Dohrmann, R.; Fernandez, R.; Maeder, U.; Koroleva, M.

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. Bentonite clay has been proposed as buffer material in several concepts for HLW repositories. The decaying spent fuel in the HLW canisters will increase temperature of the bentonite buffer. A number of laboratory test series, made by different research groups, have resulted in various bentonite alteration models. According to these models no significant alteration of the buffer is expected to take place at the prevailing physico-chemical conditions in the proposed Swedish KBS-3 repository, neither during, nor after water saturation. The ongoing LOT test series is focused on quantifying the mineralogical alteration in the buffer in a repository like environment at the Aespoe HRL. Further, buffer related processes concerning bacterial survival/activity, cation transport, and copper corrosion are studied. In total, the LOT test series includes seven test parcels, of which three are exposed to standard KBS-3 conditions and four test parcels are exposed to adverse conditions. Each test parcel contains a central Cu-tube surrounded by bentonite cylinder rings with a diameter of 30 cm, additional test material (Cu coupons, 60 Co tracers, bacteria etc) and instruments. Electrical heaters were place within the copper tube in order to simulate effect of decaying power from the spent fuel. The entire test parcels were released from the rock after the field exposure by overlapping boring and the bentonite material was analyzed with respect to: - physical properties (water content, density, swelling pressure, hydraulic conductivity, rheology); - mineralogical alteration in the bentonite; - distribution of added substances (e.g diffusional transport of 60 Co); - copper corrosion; - bacterial survival/activity. Two one year tests were started in 1996 and terminated in 1998. The results from tests and analyses are presented in SKB TR-00-22. The remaining four test parcels were installed during the fall 1999 plus one additional one

  16. Photovoltaic Plants Generation Improvement Using Li-Ion Batteries as Energy Buffer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Beltran, H.; Swierczynski, Maciej Jozef; Luna, A.

    2011-01-01

    This paper analyzes the PV power plants operability improvement obtained when introducing energy storage (ES) systems which allow decoupling the power received from the sun on the photovoltaic (PV) panels from the power injected by the power plant into the grid. Two energy management strategies a...... are presented and analyzed, using Li-ion batteries as the energy storage buffer. The generated power redistribution and its variability reduction are All the results obtained in this paper are based on one year long simulations which used real irradiance data sampled every two minutes....

  17. The effect of combining a relative-humidity-sensitive ventilation system with the moisture-buffering capacity of materials on indoor climate and energy efficiency of buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Woloszyn, Monika [Universite de Lyon, Lyon F-69003 (France); Universite Lyon1, Villeurbanne F-69622 (France); INSA-Lyon, CETHIL UMR CNRS 5008, bat. Sadi Carnot, F-69621 Villeurbanne cedex (France); Kalamees, Targo [Chair of Building Physics and Architecture, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehiteja tee 5 19086 (Estonia); Olivier Abadie, Marc [Pontifical Catholic University of Parana - PUCPR/CCET-Thermal Systems Laboratory, Rua Imaculada Conceicao, 1155 Curitiba, PR 80215-901 (Brazil); LEPTIAB-University of La Rochelle, Avenue M. Crepeau, 17000 La Rochelle (France); Steeman, Marijke [Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, UGENT-Ghent University, J. Plateaustraat 22, 9000 Ghent (Belgium); Sasic Kalagasidis, Angela [Department of Building Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, Sven Hultins gata 8, 412 96 Gothenburg (Sweden)

    2009-03-15

    Indoor moisture management, which means keeping the indoor relative humidity (RH) at correct levels, is very important for whole building performance in terms of indoor air quality (IAQ), energy performance and durability of the building. In this study, the effect of combining a relative-humidity-sensitive (RHS) ventilation system with indoor moisture buffering materials was investigated. Four comprehensive heat-air-moisture (HAM) simulation tools were used to analyse the performance of different moisture management strategies in terms of IAQ and of energy efficiency. Despite some differences in results, a good agreement was found and similar trends were detected from the results, using the four different simulation tools. The results from simulations demonstrate that RHS ventilation reduces the spread between the minimum and maximum values of the RH in the indoor air and generates energy savings. Energy savings are achieved while keeping the RH at target level, not allowing for possible risk of condensations. The disadvantage of this type of demand controlled-ventilation is that other pollutants (such as CO{sub 2}) may exceed target values. This study also confirmed that the use of moisture-buffering materials is a very efficient way to reduce the amplitude of daily moisture variations. It was possible, by the combined effect of ventilation and wood as buffering material, to keep the indoor RH at a very stable level. (author)

  18. Signature-based store checking buffer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sridharan, Vilas; Gurumurthi, Sudhanva

    2015-06-02

    A system and method for optimizing redundant output verification, are provided. A hardware-based store fingerprint buffer receives multiple instances of output from multiple instances of computation. The store fingerprint buffer generates a signature from the content included in the multiple instances of output. When a barrier is reached, the store fingerprint buffer uses the signature to verify the content is error-free.

  19. Review of the properties and uses of bentonite as a buffer and backfill material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Savage, D.; Lind, A.; Arthur, R.C.

    1999-05-01

    similar studies elsewhere and is therefore contentious and open to debate. There seems to be a general lack of integration of analogue studies with modelling and experimental work in terms of a model of the evolution of the chemistry of bentonite pore fluids with time (i.e. analogue evidence demonstrates the importance of mineral dissolution and precipitation, but this is not incorporated into the chemical modelling approach). Some rationalisation of approaches is required for a credible model of bentonite pore water evolution to be created. There is little apparent use of modelled bentonite pore water chemistry for the calculation of radionuclide solubility, sorption and speciation in PA (c.f. approaches used by Nagra, JNC, TVO). Although recent work in part redresses this imbalance, SKB is alone amongst disposal agencies in this approach. There is little published work by SKB on the interaction of bentonite with cement. There is now a growing literature elsewhere on this subject which does not seem to be reflected in studies carried out by SKB. Collaboration with other waste disposal authorities interested in this topic is recommended. It may be necessary to incorporate chemical processes into the current SKB conceptual model of gas transport in buffer and backfill materials. Dissolved or gaseous H 2 is generated by Fe corrosion under anaerobic conditions, and this gas may be reactive with several minerals in bentonite, including smectite. Although field tests carried out by SKB suggest that the emplacement of compacted bentonite will not be a problem from the perspective of buffer performance, borehole, shaft and vault sealing, there are apparent problems for block manufacture. The introduction of oil as a lubricant in block manufacture, for example may pose problems for long-term behaviour of the near-field due to the presence of these organic materials. Better manufacturing methods are therefore required

  20. Review of the properties and uses of bentonite as a buffer and backfill material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Savage, D.; Lind, A. [QuantiSci Ltd., Melton Mowbray (United Kingdom); Arthur, R.C. [QuantiSci lnc., Denver, CO (United States)

    1999-05-01

    similar studies elsewhere and is therefore contentious and open to debate. There seems to be a general lack of integration of analogue studies with modelling and experimental work in terms of a model of the evolution of the chemistry of bentonite pore fluids with time (i.e. analogue evidence demonstrates the importance of mineral dissolution and precipitation, but this is not incorporated into the chemical modelling approach). Some rationalisation of approaches is required for a credible model of bentonite pore water evolution to be created. There is little apparent use of modelled bentonite pore water chemistry for the calculation of radionuclide solubility, sorption and speciation in PA (c.f. approaches used by Nagra, JNC, TVO). Although recent work in part redresses this imbalance, SKB is alone amongst disposal agencies in this approach. There is little published work by SKB on the interaction of bentonite with cement. There is now a growing literature elsewhere on this subject which does not seem to be reflected in studies carried out by SKB. Collaboration with other waste disposal authorities interested in this topic is recommended. It may be necessary to incorporate chemical processes into the current SKB conceptual model of gas transport in buffer and backfill materials. Dissolved or gaseous H{sub 2} is generated by Fe corrosion under anaerobic conditions, and this gas may be reactive with several minerals in bentonite, including smectite. Although field tests carried out by SKB suggest that the emplacement of compacted bentonite will not be a problem from the perspective of buffer performance, borehole, shaft and vault sealing, there are apparent problems for block manufacture. The introduction of oil as a lubricant in block manufacture, for example may pose problems for long-term behaviour of the near-field due to the presence of these organic materials. Better manufacturing methods are therefore required 112 refs, 4 figs, 4 tabs

  1. Study of the applicability of the diffusion model of bentonite buffer material (2)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsumoto, Kazuhiro; Fujita, Tomoo

    2011-03-01

    Bentonite buffer material is envisaged as a component of the engineered barrier system for high-level radioactive waste disposal. As a result of its swelling property, the buffer may extrude into the surrounding host rock through open fractures. If this persists for extremely long periods of time, the buffer extrusion could lead to a reduction of buffer density, which may in turn degrade the expected performance. In this report, verification of the solid phase diffusion theory of the past was performed and future problems were extracted based on expertise. Results obtained from the studies are summarized as follows; 1) Verification of solid phase diffusion theory: Comparison with the solid phase diffusion coefficient based on an swelling experiment and the theoretical value was performed. As a result of simulation, the theoretical diffusion velocity had slower than the experimental one. 2) Simulation of an extrusion experiment: As a result of performing the simulation of an extrusion experiment using the fitting line based on an experiment, it was well in agreement in comparison. 3) Expert review: The expert propel an application of advection-diffusion equation to the extrusion model. It is necessary to attain optimization of a model, repeating the simulation of element experiment and those results and performing it based on the result of this experiment and a review. (author)

  2. Study on the properties of Gaomiaozi bentonite as the buffer/backfilling materials for HLW disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Xiaodong; Luo Taian; Zhu Guoping; Chen Qingchun

    2007-12-01

    Systematic studies including mineral composition and structure, physico- chemical properties and thermal properties have been conducted on Gaomiaozi bentonite, Xinghe County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The compaction characteristics of bentonite and the influence of additive to bentonite have been discussed. The analysis of mineral composition and structure show that the bentonite ores are dominated by montmorillonite. Preliminary studies of the characteristics of ores indicated that No-type bentonite from the deposit has good absorption, excellent swelling and high cation exchangeability. The compressibility of bentonite will be improved by adding the additives such as quartz sand. The studies indicated that the characteristics of Gaomiaozi bentonite can satisfy the requirement of buffer/backfilling materials for HLW repository and the ores can be selected as the preferential candidate to provide buffer/backfill- ing materials for HLW repository in China. (authors)

  3. Study on the properties of Gaomiaozi bentonite as the buffer/backfilling materials for HLW disposal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xiaodong, Liu [East China Inst. of Technology, Fuzhou (China); [Key Laboratory of Nuclear Resources and Environment of Ministry of Education, Fuzhou (China); Taian, Luo; Guoping, Zhu; Qingchun, Chen [East China Inst. of Technology, Fuzhou (China)

    2007-12-15

    Systematic studies including mineral composition and structure, physico- chemical properties and thermal properties have been conducted on Gaomiaozi bentonite, Xinghe County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The compaction characteristics of bentonite and the influence of additive to bentonite have been discussed. The analysis of mineral composition and structure show that the bentonite ores are dominated by montmorillonite. Preliminary studies of the characteristics of ores indicated that No-type bentonite from the deposit has good absorption, excellent swelling and high cation exchangeability. The compressibility of bentonite will be improved by adding the additives such as quartz sand. The studies indicated that the characteristics of Gaomiaozi bentonite can satisfy the requirement of buffer/backfilling materials for HLW repository and the ores can be selected as the preferential candidate to provide buffer/backfill- ing materials for HLW repository in China. (authors)

  4. Swelling of the buffer of KBS-3V deposition hole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lempinen, A.

    2006-12-01

    At the time of the installation of spent nuclear fuel canister in the KBS-3V deposition hole, empty space is left around bentonite buffer for technical reasons. The gap between the buffer and the canister is about 10 mm, and the gap between the buffer and the rock is 30 to 35 mm. In this study, the swelling of the buffer to fill the gaps was simulated, when the gaps are initially filled with water and no external water is available. The model used here is a thermodynamical model for swelling clay, with parameters determined for bentonite. The simulations presented here were performed with Freefem++ software, which is a finite element application for partial differential equations. These equations come from the material model. The simulation results show that the swelling fills the outer gaps in few years, but no significant swelling pressure is generated. For swelling pressure, external water supply is required. (orig.)

  5. Influence of temperature elevation on the sealing performance of a potential buffer material for a high-level radioactive waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, W.-J.; Lee, J.-O.; Kang, C.-H.

    2000-01-01

    The sealing performance of buffer material in a high-level waste repository depends largely upon the hydraulic conductivity, the swelling pressure, and the dissolution of organic carbon in the buffer material. Temperature effects on these properties were evaluated. The hydraulic conductivity and the swelling pressure of compacted bentonite increase with increasing temperature, but the effect of temperature elevation is not large. The dissolution of organic carbon in bentonite also increases with increasing temperature, but the resultant aqueous concentrations of organic carbon in bentonite suspensions are less than those of deep groundwater in granite. Therefore, the organic carbon dissolved from the bentonite will not cause a significant increase in the organic carbon content of deep groundwater in the repository environment. Overall, temperature effects on the sealing performance of buffer material in a waste repository is not important, if the maximum temperature is maintained below 100 deg. C

  6. Fundamental properties of monolithic bentonite buffer material formed by cold isostatic pressing for high-level radioactive waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawakami, S.; Yamanaka, Y.; Kato, K.; Asano, H.; Ueda, H.

    1999-01-01

    The methods of fabrication, handling, and emplacement of engineered barriers used in a deep geological repository for high level radioactive waste should be planned as simply as possible from the engineering and economic viewpoints. Therefore, a new concept of a monolithic buffer material around a waste package have been proposed instead of the conventional concept with the use of small blocks, which would decrease the cost for buffer material. The monolithic buffer material is composed of two parts of highly compacted bentonite, a cup type body and a cover. As the forming method of the monolithic buffer material, compaction by the cold isostatic pressing process (CIP) has been employed. In this study, monolithic bentonite bodies with the diameter of about 333 mm and the height of about 455 mm (corresponding to the approx. 1/5 scale for the Japanese reference concept) were made by the CIP of bentonite powder. The dry densities: ρd of the bodies as a whole were measured and the small samples were cut from several locations to investigate the density distribution. The swelling pressure and hydraulic conductivity as function of the monolithic body density for CIP-formed specimens were also measured. High density (ρd: 1.4--2.0 Mg/m 3 ) and homogeneous monolithic bodies were formed by the CIP. The measured results of the swelling pressure (3--15 MPa) and hydraulic conductivity (0.5--1.4 x 10 -13 m/s) of the specimens were almost the same as those for the uniaxial compacted bentonite in the literature. It is shown that the vacuum hoist system is an applicable handling method for emplacement of the monolithic bentonite

  7. Moisture Buffer Effect and its Impact on Indoor Environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Mingjie; Qin, Menghao; Chen, Zhi

    2017-01-01

    The moisture buffer effect of building materials may have great influence on indoor hygrothermal environment. In order to characterize the moisture buffering ability of materials, the basic concept of moisture buffer value (MBV) is adopted. Firstly, a theoretical correction factor is introduced...... in this paper. The moisture uptake/release by hygroscopic materials can be calculated with the factor and the basic MBV. Furthermore, the validation of the correction factor is carried out. The impact of moisture buffering on indoor environment is assessed by using numerical simulations. The results show...

  8. Basic research of developed the evaluation model of buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawamura, K.; Ichikawa, Y.; Suzuki, S.; Shibata, M.; Sato, H.; Ueno, K.

    2003-07-01

    For the better understanding of mass transport property of the buffer material of the high-level radioactive waste disposal, the unified method of molecular dynamics simulations (MD) and homogenization analysis (HA) method and model were developed. Interaction of atoms and multi-body potential model which needed in MD calculation was improved. Na-smectite surface and water molecule system were calculated by MD, the structure of water molecule, viscosity of water nearby the Na-smectite surface and distribution of diffusion coefficient of which were estimated. According to the results of the MD calculation, first water layer adjacent to Na-smectite surface was structured, and about 1nm thick diffuse layer was observed in which viscosity of water in higher than ordinary water. Structure modeling for Na-smectite including edge was also discussed. The HA analysis needs the results of the micro-scale properties from MD calculation and the microstructure of the field, i.e. microstructure of buffer material. Microstructure of compacted Na-smectite were studied by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). On the basis of the simplified observation results, the equation was formulated that the external pore size was expressed as a function of the number of clay layers and dry density. Using MD simulation results and pore structure model, diffusion coefficient of water molecule in compacted Na-smectite were calculated by the unified MD/HA analysis method. For this analysis Multi-scale HA method which can handle for porous media consists of various scale particles was developed. Calculated diffusion coefficient of water was in agreement with the results of diffusion experiment of triturated water (HTO). Regarding solute diffusion through compacted bentonite, experimental results are accumulated and discussed. Modelling frameworks for diffusion and sorption of ion were also developed. (author)

  9. A comparison of the Nordtest and Japanese test methods for the moisture buffering performance of building materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Roels, Staf; Janssen, Hans

    2006-01-01

    Two test methods, one worked out in a Nordtest project and the other available as a Japanese Industrial Standard, both developed to characterize building materials with respect to moisture buffering performance, are analyzed in detail by a numerical study on four different materials. Both test...... by confronting the values obtained for the four materials with the dynamic response of a small room with each of the materials used in turns as finishing material. Finally, the results determined according to the dynamic test protocol are compared with values calculated from steady-state material data....

  10. Buffer design 2012

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Juvankoski, M.

    2013-08-01

    Posiva's spent nuclear fuel disposal is based on the KBS-3V concept and on the characteristics of the Olkiluoto site. In this concept single canisters containing spent nuclear fuel surrounded by a bentonite buffer are emplaced in individual vertical boreholes drilled in the floor of deposition tunnels in bedrock at about 420 m depth below ground level. Disk type bentonite blocks are installed at the bottom of the hole and on the top of the disposal canister. Ring type bentonite blocks surround the canisters. This report describes the detailed design of the buffer for a KBS-3V repository. The report presents the design basis, the reference design, and summarises the performance analyses carried out for the design. This report addresses aspects concerning the manufacture, quality control, mechanical strength, chemical resistance, thermal dimensioning, handling of buffer components and material ageing phenomena including the effect of radiation. Interaction of buffer and other engineered barriers are included in the study. The long-term evolution of the repository and its effective drivers are considered if they have an impact on the buffer performance but operational safety aspects are also included because they may affect long-term safety. (orig.)

  11. Evaluation of porewater chemistry in the buffer material for the second progress report H12

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oda, Chie; Shibata, Masahiro; Yui, Mikazu

    1999-09-01

    In the safety assessment for geological disposal of high-level radioactive wastes (HLW), porewater chemistry in buffer materials is used to estimate migration of radionuclides and corrosion of overpack materials. For the reference case in the second progress report on research and development for HLW disposal in Japan, entitled H12, porewater chemistry was evaluated by using a chemical model based on an experimental work by Oda and Shibata (1999) under the assumption of a thermodynamic system of groundwater with bentonite and corrosion products of carbon-steel overpack. This report provides the scientific information basis for the porewater chemistry evaluation, and describes the possible variations in porewater composition affected by following factors: - variations in groundwater composition relevant to the alternative geological environments cases and the perturbation scenario, and supplementary variations in groundwater composition. - model/data uncertainties associated with insufficient understanding of important processes with respect to the time-dependent behavior of a geological disposal system: in particular, how the surface reaction of smectite changes with time, how the impurities of bentonite affect porewater, and how the reactions like redox equilibria, kinetics of dissolution of accessory minerals in bentonite and precipitation of secondary minerals (including corrosion products of overpack materials) should be handled in the porewater calculations. - uncertainties of thermodynamic data of the geochemical elements. The results of calculation indicated that porewaters in the buffer material, as far as calcite is not exhausted, may vary within the range of pH from 6 to 11. It was found that important factors on the variations in porewater composition were the change of surface reactions of smectite with time, the degree of soluble impurities dissolution/dispersion and the amount of iron being supplied into the buffer region by corrosion of the overpack

  12. Evaluation for swelling characteristics of buffer and backfill materials for high-level nuclear waste disposal. Influence of sand-bentonite content and cation compositions in bentonite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komine, Hideo; Ogata, Nobuhide

    1999-01-01

    Compacted bentonite and sand-bentonite mixture are attracting greater attention as buffer and backfill materials for disposal pits and access tunnels in the underground facilities for repositories of high-level nuclear waste. Buffer and backfill materials must have the swelling characteristics and are expected to fill up the space between these materials and surrounding ground by swelling. This role is called as 'Self-sealing'. To design the specifications, such as dry density, bentonite content and size, of buffer and backfill materials for the disposal facilities of high-level nuclear wastes described above, we must evaluate the swelling characteristics of compacted bentonite and sand-bentonite mixtures. For this purpose, this study proposed the evaluation formula for swelling characteristics of buffer and backfill materials containing bentonite. This study derived new equations for evaluating the relationship between the swelling deformation of compacted bentonite and sand-bentonite mixtures, and the swelling behavior of montmorillonite minerals, which are swelling clay minerals. This study also proposed new equations for evaluating the ion compositions of bentonite, ion concentration of pore water and the specific surface of bentonite, which significantly influence the swelling characteristics of buffer and backfill materials. The evaluation formula proposed in this study is presented by combining the above-mentioned new equations with theoretical equations, of which are the Gouy-Chapman diffuse double layer theory and the van der Waals force, of repulsive and attractive forces of montmorillonite minerals. (author)

  13. A buffer material optimal design in the radioactive wastes geological disposal using the satisficing trade-off method and the self-organizing map

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okamoto, Takashi; Hanaoka, Yuya; Aiyoshi, Eitaro; Kobayashi, Yoko

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we consider a multi-objective optimization method in order to obtain a preferred solution for the buffer material optimal design problem in the high-level radioactive wastes geological disposal. The buffer material optimal design problem is formulated as a constrained multi-objective optimization problem. Its Pareto optimal solutions are distributed evenly on whole bounds of the feasible region. Hence, we develop a search method to find a preferred solution easily for a decision maker from the Pareto optimal solutions which are distributed evenly and vastly. In the preferred solution search method, the visualization technique of a Pareto optimal solution set using the self-organizing map is introduced into the satisficing trade-off method which is the interactive method to obtain a Pareto optimal solution that satisfies a decision maker. We confirm the effectiveness of the preferred solution search method in the buffer material optimal design problem. (author)

  14. Back contact buffer layer for thin-film solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Compaan, Alvin D.; Plotnikov, Victor V.

    2014-09-09

    A photovoltaic cell structure is disclosed that includes a buffer/passivation layer at a CdTe/Back contact interface. The buffer/passivation layer is formed from the same material that forms the n-type semiconductor active layer. In one embodiment, the buffer layer and the n-type semiconductor active layer are formed from cadmium sulfide (CdS). A method of forming a photovoltaic cell includes the step of forming the semiconductor active layers and the buffer/passivation layer within the same deposition chamber and using the same material source.

  15. Formation of accessory mineral bed layers during erosion of bentonite buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schatz, Timothy; Kanerva, Noora

    2012-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. dilute groundwater at a transmissive fracture interface, accessory phases within bentonite, such as quartz, feldspar, etc., might remain behind and form a filter bed or cake. As more and more montmorillonite is lost, the thickness of the accessory mineral bed increases and the continued transport of montmorillonite slows and possibly stops if the porosity of the filter bed is sufficiently compressed. Alternatively or concurrently, as the accessory mineral filter bed retains montmorillonite colloids, a filter cake composed of montmorillonite itself may be formed. Ultimately, depending on their extent, properties, and durability, such processes may provide the bentonite buffer system with an inherent, self-filtration mechanism which serves to limit the effects of colloidal erosion. A conceptual view of bentonite buffer extrusion and erosion in an intersecting fracture with formation of an accessory mineral filter bed and montmorillonite filter cake is presented in Figure 1. Due to the swelling pressure of the bentonite buffer, the situation described in Figure 1 may be analogous to that of the case of pressure filtration where a filter cake is formed by pressing a suspension through a filter medium and, by a mechanism known as expression, the filter cake is compressed by direct contact with a solid surface resulting in a reduction of its porosity. In order to examine whether the erosion of bentonite material through contact with dilute groundwater at a transmissive fracture interface could intrinsically result in 1) the formation of an accessory mineral filter bed and cake and/or 2) filter caking of montmorillonite itself, a series of laboratory tests were performed in a flow-through, horizontal, 1 mm aperture, artificial fracture system. Bentonite buffer material was simulated by using mixtures (75/25 weight percent ratio) of purified sodium montmorillonite and various additives serving as accessory mineral proxies

  16. Buffer erosion in dilute groundwater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schatz, T.; Kanerva, N.; Martikainen, J.; Sane, P.; Olin, M.; Seppaelae, A.; Koskinen, K.

    2013-08-01

    One scenario of interest for repository safety assessment involves the loss of bentonite buffer material in contact with dilute groundwater flowing through a transmissive fracture interface. In order to examine the extrusion/erosion behavior of bentonite buffer material under such circumstances, a series of experiments were performed in a flow-through, 1 mm aperture, artificial fracture system. These experiments covered a range of solution chemistry (salt concentration and composition), material composition (sodium montmorillonite and admixtures with calcium montmorillonite), and flow velocity conditions. No erosion was observed for sodium montmorillonite against solution compositions from 0.5 g/L to 10 g/L NaCl. No erosion was observed for 50/50 calcium/sodium montmorillonite against 0.5 g/L NaCl. Erosion was observed for both sodium montmorillonite and 50/50 calcium/sodium montmorillonite against solution compositions ≤ 0.25 g/L NaCl. The calculated erosion rates for the tests with the highest levels of measured erosion, i.e., the tests run under the most dilute conditions (ionic strength (IS) < ∼1 mM), were well-correlated to flow velocity, whereas the calculated erosion rates for the tests with lower levels of measured erosion, i.e., the tests run under somewhat less dilute conditions (∼1 mM < IS < ∼4 mM), were not similarly correlated indicating that material and solution composition can significantly affect erosion rates. In every experiment, both erosive and non-erosive, emplaced buffer material extruded into the fracture and was observed to be impermeable to water flowing in the fracture effectively forming an extended diffusive barrier around the intersecting fracture/buffer interface. Additionally, a model which was developed previously to predict the rate of erosion of bentonite buffer material in low ionic strength water in rock fracture environments was applied to three different cases: sodium montmorillonite expansion in a vertical tube, a

  17. The buffer/container experiment design and construction report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chandler, N.A.; Wan, A.W.L.; Roach, P.J

    1998-03-01

    The Buffer/Container Experiment was a full-scale in situ experiment, installed at a depth of 240 m in granitic rock at AECL's Underground Research Laboratory (URL). The experiment was designed to examine the performance of a compacted sand-bentonite buffer material under the influences of elevated temperature and in situ moisture conditions. Buffer material was compacted in situ into a 5-m-deep, 1.24-m-diameter borehole drilled into the floor of an excavation. A 2.3-m long heater, representative of a nuclear fuel waste container, was placed within the buffer, and instrumentation was installed to monitor changes in buffer moisture conditions, temperature and stress. The experiment was sealed at the top of the borehole and restrained against vertical displacement. Instrumentation in the rock monitored pore pressures, temperatures and rock displacement. The heater was operated at a constant power of 1200 W, which provided a heater skin temperature of approximately 85 degrees C. Experiment construction and installation required two years, followed by two and a half years of heater operation and two years of monitoring the rock conditions during cooling. The construction phase of the experiment included the design, construction and testing of a segmental heater and controller, geological and hydrogeological characterization of the rock, excavation of the experiment room, drilling of the emplacement borehole using high pressure water, mixing and in situ compaction of buffer material, installation of instrumentation in the rock, buffer and on the heater, and the construction of concrete curb and steel vertical restraint system at the top of emplacement borehole. Upon completion of the experiment, decommissioning sampling equipment was designed and constructed and sampling methods were developed which allowed approximately 2000 samples of buffer material to be taken over a 12-day period. Quality assurance procedures were developed for all aspects of experiment

  18. The buffer/container experiment design and construction report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chandler, N.A.; Wan, A.W.L.; Roach, P.J.

    1998-03-01

    The Buffer/Container Experiment was a full-scale in situ experiment, installed at a depth of 240 m in granitic rock at AECL's Underground Research Laboratory (URL). The experiment was designed to examine the performance of a compacted sand-bentonite buffer material under the influences of elevated temperature and in situ moisture conditions. Buffer material was compacted in situ into a 5-m-deep, 1.24-m-diameter borehole drilled into the floor of an excavation. A 2.3-m long heater, representative of a nuclear fuel waste container, was placed within the buffer, and instrumentation was installed to monitor changes in buffer moisture conditions, temperature and stress. The experiment was sealed at the top of the borehole and restrained against vertical displacement. Instrumentation in the rock monitored pore pressures, temperatures and rock displacement. The heater was operated at a constant power of 1200 W, which provided a heater skin temperature of approximately 85 degrees C. Experiment construction and installation required two years, followed by two and a half years of heater operation and two years of monitoring the rock conditions during cooling. The construction phase of the experiment included the design, construction and testing of a segmental heater and controller, geological and hydrogeological characterization of the rock, excavation of the experiment room, drilling of the emplacement borehole using high pressure water, mixing and in situ compaction of buffer material, installation of instrumentation in the rock, buffer and on the heater, and the construction of concrete curb and steel vertical restraint system at the top of emplacement borehole. Upon completion of the experiment, decommissioning sampling equipment was designed and constructed and sampling methods were developed which allowed approximately 2000 samples of buffer material to be taken over a 12-day period. Quality assurance procedures were developed for all aspects of experiment construction

  19. Current status of mechanical erosion studies of bentonite buffer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sane, P.; Olin, M.; Koskinen, K.

    2013-08-01

    The performance of the bentonite buffer in KBS-3-type nuclear waste repository concept relies to a great extent on the buffer surrounding the canister having sufficient dry density. Loss of buffer material caused by erosion remains as the most significant process reducing the density of the buffer. The mechanical erosion, or pre-saturation erosion, is the process where flowing groundwater transports buffer material away from the deposition hole towards the deposition tunnel. This process reduces the overall buffer density and potentially creates localized regions of low density. In the worst case the process is assumed to last as long as the free volume between the pellets in the pellets filled regions is filled with groundwater. With fixed environmental and material parameters a set of experiments was performed, testing the erosive properties of different buffer and backfill materials (MX-80 and Friedland Clay) in different groundwater conditions. The method used was a pinhole erosion test using two sizescales; 100 mm and 400 mm of cell length. The purpose of the pinhole tests was to test the scenario where piping channel is formed in the buffer and water flows through a single channel. The erosion data was produced with two methods, firstly the time-related erosion rates measured in-situ during the measurement and secondly the overall mass loss in the sample cell measured after dismantling of the test. It was observed that erosion in piping channels decreases rapidly (∼24 h) and irreversibly to a level that is an order of magnitude lower than the peak values. (orig.)

  20. The diffusion coefficient for 239Pu, 241Am, 99Tc and 137Cs in highly compacted buffer materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Kanghan; Li Guoding

    1998-01-01

    Based on one-dimension diffusion model, the diffusion coefficients of Pu, Am, Tc and Cs in highly compacted sodium-bentonite generally used as buffer materials in geologic disposal system for high-level radioactive waste have been determined at room temperature in the atmosphere of nitrogen. The results show that the diffusion coefficients of Am, Pu and Tc and about 10 -13 ∼10 -15 m 2 /s, and that of Cs about 10 -12 m 2 /s. The diffusion coefficients of these elements decrease with the increasing of the dry density of buffer materials. From the relationship of diffusion coefficient, retardation coefficient and dry density of bentonite, it has been concluded that Am and Pu transfer predominately by diffusion in solid phase, however, Cs and Tc by diffusion in pore water

  1. Buffer capacity of biologics--from buffer salts to buffering by antibodies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karow, Anne R; Bahrenburg, Sven; Garidel, Patrick

    2013-01-01

    Controlling pH is essential for a variety of biopharmaceutical process steps. The chemical stability of biologics such as monoclonal antibodies is pH-dependent and slightly acidic conditions are favorable for stability in a number of cases. Since control of pH is widely provided by added buffer salts, the current study summarizes the buffer characteristics of acetate, citrate, histidine, succinate, and phosphate buffers. Experimentally derived values largely coincide with values calculated from a model that had been proposed in 1922 by van Slyke. As high concentrated protein formulations become more and more prevalent for biologics, the self-buffering potential of proteins becomes of relevance. The current study provides information on buffer characteristics for pH ranges down to 4.0 and up to 8.0 and shows that a monoclonal antibody at 50 mg/mL exhibits similar buffer capacity as 6 mM citrate or 14 mM histidine (pH 5.0-6.0). Buffer capacity of antibody solutions scales linearly with protein concentration up to more than 200 mg/mL. At a protein concentration of 220 mg/mL, the buffer capacity resembles the buffer capacity of 30 mM citrate or 50 mM histidine (pH 5.0-6.0). The buffer capacity of monoclonal antibodies is practically identical at the process relevant temperatures 5, 25, and 40°C. Changes in ionic strength of ΔI=0.15, in contrast, can alter the buffer capacity up to 35%. In conclusion, due to efficient self-buffering by antibodies in the pH range of favored chemical stability, conventional buffer excipients could be dispensable for pH stabilization of high concentrated protein solutions. Copyright © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  2. High-performance tandem organic light-emitting diodes based on a buffer-modified p/n-type planar organic heterojunction as charge generation layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Yukun; Sun, Ying; Qin, Houyun; Hu, Shoucheng; Wu, Qingyang; Zhao, Yi

    2017-04-01

    High-performance tandem organic light-emitting diodes (TOLEDs) were realized using a buffer-modified p/n-type planar organic heterojunction (OHJ) as charge generation layer (CGL) consisting of common organic materials, and the configuration of this p/n-type CGL was "LiF/N,N'-diphenyl-N,N'-bis(1-napthyl)-1,1'-biphenyl-4,4'-diamine (NPB)/4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (Bphen)/molybdenum oxide (MoOx)". The optimized TOLED exhibited a maximum current efficiency of 77.6 cd/A without any out-coupling techniques, and the efficiency roll-off was greatly improved compared to the single-unit OLED. The working mechanism of the p/n-type CGL was discussed in detail. It is found that the NPB/Bphen heterojunction generated enough charges under a forward applied voltage and the carrier extraction was a tunneling process. These results could provide a new method to fabricate high-performance TOLEDs.

  3. Radioactive material generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Czaplinski, T.V.; Bolter, B.J.; Heyer, R.E.; Bruno, G.A.

    1975-01-01

    A radioactive material generator includes radioactive material in a column, which column is connected to inlet and outlet conduits, the generator being embedded in a lead casing. The inlet and outlet conduits extend through the casing and are topped by pierceable closure caps. A fitting, containing means to connect an eluent supply and an eluate container, is adapted to pierce the closure caps. The lead casing and the fitting are compatibly contoured such that they will fit only if properly aligned with respect to each other

  4. Improvement in reliability of the long-term mechanical behavior of buffer material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takaji, Kazuhiko; Shigeno, Yoshimasa; Shimogouchi, Takafumi; Hirai, Takashi; Shiratake, Toshikazu

    2005-02-01

    On the R and D of the HLW repository, it is essential that Engineered Barrier System (EBS) is stable mechanically over a long period of time for maintaining each ability required to EBS. After closing the repository, the various external forces will be affected to the buffer intricately for a long period of time. So, evaluation of mechanical behavior of the buffer is important to carry out safety assessment of EBS. In this report, the effects of mechanical behavior of the buffer to its safety performance are examined. As a result, the ability to filtrate colloids and the ability to keep diffusion-dominated environment are maintained for 100,000 years. Natural analogue of bentonite ore is also done to corroborate viscous parameter of the buffer. The results shows that the laboratory test data is reasonable compared with the analogized viscous parameters of the 15M years aged ore. Next, the mechanical parameters of the buffer under brine environment are examined. Then the mechanical behavior of the buffer is analyzed. Throughout these processes, the scheme for freshwater environment is confirmed to be valid under brine environment. At the last, the EBS field-test that is planned at Horonobe underground laboratory is analyzed. The analysis is encountered viscous behavior of the buffer and the surrounding rock under corrosion expansion of the overpack. The result offers the mechanical data to design the field test. (author)

  5. Visualization of Buffer Capacity with 3-D "Topo" Surfaces: Buffer Ridges, Equivalence Point Canyons and Dilution Ramps

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Garon C.; Hossain, Md Mainul

    2016-01-01

    BufCap TOPOS is free software that generates 3-D topographical surfaces ("topos") for acid-base equilibrium studies. It portrays pH and buffer capacity behavior during titration and dilution procedures. Topo surfaces are created by plotting computed pH and buffer capacity values above a composition grid with volume of NaOH as the x axis…

  6. {sup 137}Cs sorption into bentonite from Cidadap-Tasikmalaya as buffer material for disposal demonstration plant facility at Serpong

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Setiawan, B., E-mail: bravo@batan.go.id; Sriwahyuni, H., E-mail: bravo@batan.go.id; Ekaningrum, NE., E-mail: bravo@batan.go.id; Sumantry, T., E-mail: bravo@batan.go.id [Radwaste Technology Center-National Nuclear Energy Agency, PUSPIPTEK, Serpong-Tangerang 15310 (Indonesia)

    2014-03-24

    According to co-location principle, near surface disposal type the disposal demonstration plant facility will be build at Serpong nuclear area. The facility also for anticipation of future needs to provide national facility for the servicing of radwaste management of non-nuclear power plant activity in Serpong Nuclear Area. It is needs to study the material of buffer and backfill for the safety of demonstration plant facility. A local bentonite rock from Cidadap-Tasikmalaya was used as the buffer materials. Objective of experiment is to find out the specific data of sorption characteristic of Cidadap bentonite as buffer material in a radwaste disposal system. Experiments were performed in batch method, where bentonite samples were contacted with CsCl solution labeled with Cs-137 in 100 ml/g liquid:solid ratio. Initial Cs concentration was 10{sup −8} M and to study the effects of ionic strength and Cs concentration in solution, 0.1 and 1.0 M NaCl also CsCl concentration ranging 10{sup −8} - 10{sup −4} M were added in solution. As the indicator of Cs saturated in bentonite samples, Kd value was applied. Affected parameters in the experiment were contact time, effects of ionic strength and concentration of CsCl. Results showed that sorption of Cs by bentonite reached constantly after 16 days contacted, and Kd value was 10.600 ml/g. Effect of CsCl concentration on Kd value may decreased in increased in CsCl concentration. Effect of ionic strength increased according to increased in concentration of background and would effect to Kd value due to competition of Na ions and Cs in solution interacts with bentonite. By obtaining the bentonite character data as buffer material, the results could be used as the basis for making of design and the basic of performance assessment the near surface disposal facility in terms of isolation capacity of radwaste later.

  7. BENTO buffer development program in Finland - Key issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Autio, J.; Korkiala-Tanttu, L.; Vaehaenen, M.; Koskinen, K.; Korkeakoski, P.; Haapala, K.

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. Posiva launched a programme, BENTO, to develop technology of using bentonite in spent nuclear fuel repositories. The main purpose of the BENTO programme is to produce buffer designs and verify that they fulfil the requirements, especially safety requirements. To achieve this objective, resources and the level of expertise and know-how has to be increased. There are several uncertainties related to the functioning of the buffer components at present. An issue is defined as being significant if there is sufficient uncertainty that the buffer system might not fulfil the requirements because of the issue. These significant issues need to be resolved in order to develop a proper design and to verify the fulfilment of the requirements. The list of significant issues may change with time. Therefore it is crucial to develop adequate expertise, know-how and laboratory facilities to manage the changes. Moreover, there is confidence that by solving the open issues a defendable construction license application can be submitted in 2012. The basic nature of the programme is a combination of material and process research with the design and manufacturing of buffer components to produce feasible buffer design with proven long-term functional properties. The development work carried out under BENTO-programme has been initially divided into four different projects. During the course of work the number of projects and their content can be adjusted. The four BENTO projects are: 1. Manufacturing (MANU); 2. Design (DESI); 3. Modelling (MODE); 4. Material and Process Research (MARE). BENTO programme aims at producing feasible buffer designs which fulfil the requirements specified in Posiva's requirement management system. The designs are produced in DESI-project by following the design development scheme which starts from specification of design basis and ends in documented detailed designs and therefore DESIgn is specified as one

  8. Thermal conductivity of compacted bentonite as a buffer material for a high-level radioactive waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jae Owan; Choi, Heuijoo; Lee, Jong Youl

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • The thermal conductivities were measured under various disposal conditions. • They were significantly influenced by the water content and dry density. • They were not sensitive to the temperature and the anisotropic structure. • A new model of thermal conductivity was proposed for the thermal analysis. - Abstract: Bentonite buffer is one of the major barrier components of a high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository, and the thermal conductivity of the bentonite buffer is a key parameter for the thermal performance assessment of the HLW repository. This study measured the thermal conductivity of compacted bentonite as a buffer material and investigated its dependence upon various disposal conditions: the dry density, water content, anisotropic structure of the compacted bentonite, and temperature. The measurement results showed that the thermal conductivity was significantly influenced by the water content and dry density of the compacted bentonite, while there was not a significant variation with respect to the temperature. The anisotropy of the thermal conductivity had a negligible variation for an increasing dry density. The present study also proposed a geometric mean model of thermal conductivity which best fits the experimental data.

  9. Buffer-regulated biocorrosion of pure magnesium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirkland, Nicholas T; Waterman, Jay; Birbilis, Nick; Dias, George; Woodfield, Tim B F; Hartshorn, Richard M; Staiger, Mark P

    2012-02-01

    Magnesium (Mg) alloys are being actively investigated as potential load-bearing orthopaedic implant materials due to their biodegradability in vivo. With Mg biomaterials at an early stage in their development, the screening of alloy compositions for their biodegradation rate, and hence biocompatibility, is reliant on cost-effective in vitro methods. The use of a buffer to control pH during in vitro biodegradation is recognised as critically important as this seeks to mimic pH control as it occurs naturally in vivo. The two different types of in vitro buffer system available are based on either (i) zwitterionic organic compounds or (ii) carbonate buffers within a partial-CO(2) atmosphere. This study investigated the influence of the buffering system itself on the in vitro corrosion of Mg. It was found that the less realistic zwitterion-based buffer did not form the same corrosion layers as the carbonate buffer, and was potentially affecting the behaviour of the hydrated oxide layer that forms on Mg in all aqueous environments. Consequently it was recommended that Mg in vitro experiments use the more biorealistic carbonate buffering system when possible.

  10. MATHEMATICAL MODELLING OF QUAZISTEADY MODE OF BEARING AIR BUFFER FILLING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. D. Chertov

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Summary. Today the only way to eliminate contact with the product during the manufacturing process is to provide a support surface under its support surface air buffer layer formed due to the expiration of the working environment through holes perforated gas distribution grids forms. There proposed the method of contactless formation of products consisting of composite materials by the means of air buffer in the article. The results of theoretical and experimental investigations of hydro-gas-dynamic processes occurring when casting of organic- mineral composite material onto the bearing air buffer expressed in the form of mathematical description realizing original hypotheses reflected in the choice of transformation algorithm and limiting conditions are presented. On the base of obtained mathematical model the algorithm of calculation of optimum parameters of transporting systems with discretely powered gas buffer is developed. The method of deduction of a semi-finished product on the gas buffer, which allows to level the pressure field under the bearing surface of the deduction object due to the usage of devices of pseudo fluidized granular material in pneumatic chambers is offered. The application of this method allows to eliminate the possibility of contact between the composite material and the working surface of the equipment and also to reduce the cost of production of pneumatic devices, to improve operational characteristics of this equipment. Submitted depending allowed to develop the methodology and implementation of engineering calculation device for non-contact casting composite materials on air buffer, semi-industrial and industrial variants were created and put into production.

  11. Final Report: Rational Design of Wide Band Gap Buffer Layers for High-Efficiency Thin-Film Photovoltaics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lordi, Vincenzo [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2016-09-30

    The main objective of this project is to enable rational design of wide band gap buffer layer materials for CIGS thin-film PV by building understanding of the correlation of atomic-scale defects in the buffer layer and at the buffer/absorber interface with device electrical properties. Optimized wide band gap buffers are needed to reduce efficiency loss from parasitic absorption in the buffer. The approach uses first-principles materials simulations coupled with nanoscale analytical electron microscopy as well as device electrical characterization. Materials and devices are produced by an industrial partner in a manufacturing line to maximize relevance, with the goal of enabling R&D of new buffer layer compositions or deposition processes to push device efficiencies above 21%. Cadmium sulfide (CdS) is the reference material for analysis, as the prototypical high-performing buffer material.

  12. Thermo-Hydraulic Modelling of Buffer and Backfill

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pintado, X.; Rautioaho, E.

    2013-09-01

    The temporal evolution of saturation, liquid pressure and temperature in the components of the engineered barrier system was studied using numerical methods. A set of laboratory tests was conducted to calibrate the parameters employed in the models. The modelling consisted of thermal, hydraulic and thermo-hydraulic analysis in which the significant thermo-hydraulic processes, parameters and features were identified. CODE B RIGHT was used for the finite element modelling and supplementary calculations were conducted with analytical methods. The main objective in this report is to improve understanding of the thermo-hydraulic processes and material properties that affect buffer behaviour in the Olkiluoto repository and to determine the parametric requirements of models for the accurate prediction of this behaviour. The analyses consisted of evaluating the influence of initial canister temperature and gaps in the buffer, and the role played by fractures and the rock mass located between fractures in supplying water for buffer and backfill saturation. In the thermo-hydraulic analysis, the primary processes examined were the effects of buffer drying near the canister on temperature evolution and the manner in which heat flow affects the buffer saturation process. Uncertainties in parameters and variations in the boundary conditions, modelling geometry and thermo-hydraulic phenomena were assessed with a sensitivity analysis. The material parameters, constitutive models, and assumptions made were carefully selected for all the modelling cases. The reference parameters selected for the simulations were compared and evaluated against laboratory measurements. The modelling results highlight the importance of understanding groundwater flow through the rock mass and from fractures in the rock in order to achieve reliable predictions regarding buffer saturation, since saturation times could range from a few years to tens of thousands of years depending on the hydrogeological

  13. Diffusivity database (DDB) system for major rocks and buffer materials (Released on 2007/specification)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tochigi, Yoshikatsu; Shibata, Masahiro; Sato, Haruo; Kitamura, Akira

    2007-03-01

    The Diffusivity Database (DDB) System developed on early 2006 was upgraded to apply the data of effective diffusion coefficient of the nuclides in the rock matrix for the 'H12: Project to Establish the Scientific and Technical Basis for HLW Disposal in Japan', and the data in the buffer materials from literature survey was newly added. Some functions of data search and selection were reformed to improve the level of convenience. This DDB system (work on MS-Access TM ) is released to the public through Web server managed by JAEA. (author)

  14. Buffer Construction Methodology in Demonstration Test For Cavern Type Disposal Facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshihiro, Akiyama; Takahiro, Nakajima; Katsuhide, Matsumura; Kenji, Terada; Takao, Tsuboya; Kazuhiro, Onuma; Tadafumi, Fujiwara

    2009-01-01

    A number of studies concerning a cavern type disposal facility have been carried out for disposal of low level radioactive waste mainly generated by power plant decommissioning in Japan. The disposal facility is composed of an engineered barrier system with concrete pit and bentonite buffer, and planed to be constructed in sub-surface 50 - 100 meters depth. Though the previous studies have mainly used laboratory and mock-up tests, we conducted a demonstration test in a full-size cavern. The main objectives of the test were to study the construction methodology and to confirm the quality of the engineered barrier system. The demonstration test was planned as the construction of full scale mock-up. It was focused on a buffer construction test to evaluate the construction methodology and quality control in this paper. Bentonite material was compacted to 1.6 Mg/m 3 in-site by large vibrating roller in this test. Through the construction of the buffer part, a 1.6 Mg/m 3 of the density was accomplished, and the data of workability and quality is collected. (authors)

  15. A study on manufacturing and construction method of buffer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chijimatsu, Masakazu; Sugita, Yutaka; Amemiya, Kiyoshi

    1999-09-01

    As an engineered barrier system in the geological disposal of high-level waste, multibarrier system is considered. Multibarrier system consists of the vitrified waste, the overpack and the buffer. Bentonite is one of the potential material as the buffer because of its low water permeability, self-sealing properties, radionuclides adsorption and retardation properties, thermal conductivity, chemical buffering properties, overpack supporting properties, stress buffering properties, etc. In order to evaluate the functions of buffer, a lot of experiments has been conducted. The evaluations of these functions are based on the assumption that the buffer is emplaced or constructed in the disposal tunnel (or disposal pit) properly. Therefore, it is necessary to study on the manufacturing / construction method of buffer. As the manufacturing / construction technology of the buffer, the block installation method and in-situ compaction method, etc, are being investigated. The block installation method is to emplace the buffer blocks manufactured in advance at the ground facility, and construction processes of the block installation method at the underground will be simplified compared with the in-situ compaction method. On the other hand, the in-situ compaction method is to introduce the buffer material with specified water content into the disposal tunnel and to make the buffer with high density at the site using a compaction machine. In regard to the in-situ compaction method, it is necessary to investigate the optimum finished thickness of one layer because it is impossible to construct the buffer at one time. This report describes the results of compaction property test and the summary of the past investigation results in connection with the manufacturing / construction method. Then this report shows the construction method that will be feasible in the actual disposal site. (J.P.N.)

  16. Extended wavelength InGaAs on GaAs using InAlAs buffer for back-side-illuminated short-wave infrared detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zimmermann, Lars; John, Joachim; Degroote, Stefan; Borghs, Gustaaf; Hoof, Chris van; Nemeth, Stefan

    2003-01-01

    We conducted an experimental study of back-side-illuminated InGaAs photodiodes grown on GaAs and sensitive in the short-wave infrared up to 2.4 μm. Standard metamorphic InGaAs or IR-transparent InAlAs buffers were grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. We studied dark current and photocurrent as a function of buffer thickness, buffer material, and temperature. A saturation of the dark current with buffer thickness was not observed. The maximum resistance area product was ∼10 Ω cm2 at 295 K. The dark current above 200 K was dominated by generation-recombination current. A pronounced dependence of the photocurrent on the buffer thickness was observed. The peak external quantum efficiency was 46% (at 1.6 μm) without antireflective coating

  17. Surface modification by preparation of buffer zone in glow-discharge plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, D.L.

    1986-01-01

    Reactive species, energetic particles, and uv radiation in the plasma created by a glow discharge strongly interact with solid surfaces under the influence of the plasma. As a result of the strong interaction, various physical and chemical reactions, unique and advantageous for the surface modification of solid materials, occur on the solid surfaces. The surface modification is carried out through formation of a thin buffering layer on the solid surface. The preparation of a buffer zone on solid surfaces for surface modification is described. Two kinds of a buffer zone are prepared by plasma polymerization, or simultaneous sputter deposition of electrode material with plasma polymerization: a transitional buffer zone and a graded buffer zone. Important factors for preparation of the buffer zone (pre-conditioning of a substrate surface, thin-film deposition, post-treatment of the film, magnetron discharge, energy input, geometry of a substrate and a plasma) are discussed

  18. Buffer lining manufacturing method for radioactive waste container

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawakami, Susumu; Sugino, Hiroyuki

    1998-01-01

    A recessed portion is formed on an upper surface of a filler layer made of a buffer powder filled into a container main body, the upper portion of the vessel main body is closed by a shrinkable liquid tight film. It is placed in a pressurizing container and pressed to mold a buffer lining base material integrated with the vessel main body. A flat upper surface and a containing space are formed by shaving to form a buffer lining. A disposing vessel containing radioactive wastes is inserted into the containing space, and the containing space is closed by a buffer block. The upper surface is sealed by a lid. With such a constitution, since a buffer lining integrated with the vessel main body can be formed easily inside the vessel main body, the disposing vessel can be contained in the containing vessel in a state surrounded by the buffer easily and stably without laying or piling over a large quantity of buffer blocks. (T.M.)

  19. The effectiveness of module with critical thinking approach on hydrolysis and buffer materials in chemistry learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nuswowati, M.; Purwanti, E.

    2018-03-01

    The research aims is to find out the effectiveness of critical thinking approach in Chemistry learning especially on hydrolysis and buffer materials. The level of its effectiveness was viewed from the students’ learning outcomes including knowledge, attitude and skill domains. The data were collected through validation sheets, questionnaires and tests, which were then analyzed by using descriptive quantitative method. The first step conducted was validating the module that was going to be used in the learning processes. The students’ learning outcome on knowledge domain was very good, viewed from the classical attainment by 88.63% with N-gain 0.718 with high criteria. It was also viewed from the students’ criticality level in solving the given problems. The result of the study revealed that more than 75% of the students obtained critical and very critical criteria in solving the given problems. The students’ attitudes and skills values were viewed through observation sheets during the learning processes. The result of the observation stated that more than 75% of the students showed good and very good attitudes and skills values. Based on the data, it could be concluded that the module with critical thinking approach was effective to be used on hydrolysis and buffer materials.

  20. Coupled transport/reaction model of the properties of bentonite buffer in a repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Jinsong; Neretnieks, I.

    1996-11-01

    Two mechanisms that can affect the long-term properties of the bentonite buffer surrounding the canister in a final repository of spent nuclear fuel are studied. The two mechanisms are the oxidation of reducing minerals in the buffer by radiolytically generated oxidant, and the low-temperature alteration of Na-montmorillonite in the bentonite buffer to illite. A coupled mass transport with geochemical reaction model is used. Four cases have been considered, which differ in the assumptions of whether the radiolytically generated oxidant first oxidizes uraninite in the spent fuel, or it is directly transported to the bentonite to oxidize the pyrite. The cases also differ in the assumptions of varying initial concentrations of pyrite in the bentonite buffer. The modelling results show that, at low temperatures, the sodium montmorillonite in the bentonite buffer is chemically stable with respect to the chemical conditions of the near field. Alteration to illite and thus an increase in hydraulic conductivity and loss of swelling ability is not likely to occur. The radiolytically generated oxidant can possibly oxidize the reducing minerals in the bentonite buffer. A redox front can be generated. In all the cases considered in this study, the modelling results indicate that slightly less than 1% by weight of pyrite in the bentonite buffer will be able to ensure that the redox front does not penetrate through the bentonite buffer within 1 million years. 31 refs

  1. Numerical analysis for long-term stability of disposal facility considering thermal and hydraulic effect. Uncoupled analysis for long-term deformation of rock and buffer material and for transport of heat and water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sawada, Masataka; Okada, Tetsumi; Hasegawa, Takuma

    2004-01-01

    For the early realization of HLW geological repository and for its rational and economical design and safety assessment, it is important to evaluate the stability of repository facilities in deep underground, where high temperature, earth pressure and underground water flow affect the stability. This report discusses the numerical approaches that are useful for attaining these objectives. One of the efficient approaches is to develop models capable of simulating coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (T-H-M) processes. Several T-H-M coupled simulation codes have been proposed and the international cooperative research project DECOVALEX has been held from 1991 in order to develop and validate the T-H-M coupled simulations. But mechanical models adopted in these simulation codes are too simple to be applied to the evaluation of long-term interaction of materials that show nonlinear mechanical behavior (especially in the case that surrounding rock is soft sedimentary rock). Before simulating the long-term and coupled phenomena, uncoupled simulations for four phenomena (creep behavior of surrounding rock mass, consolidation and deformation behavior of buffer material, transport of water, and transport of heat) are conducted using various parameters and boundary condition sets. From the results of those simulations, following conclusions are obtained: (1) swelling property of buffer material is important to evaluate mechanical behavior of barrier materials, (2) hydraulic properties of natural barrier can be more important than that of buffer material because suction effect of buffer material is so strong that transport of water in the buffer material is fast, (3) change of thermal properties and filling of gaps caused by water saturation of buffer material have a strong effect on the temperature field. On the next stage, we will develop a T-H-M coupled simulation code to evaluate the mechanical interaction between barrier materials based on the above study. (author)

  2. Clad buffer rod sensors for liquid metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jen, C.-K.; Ihara, I.

    1999-01-01

    Clad buffer rods, consisting of a core and a cladding, have been developed for ultrasonic monitoring of liquid metal processing. The cores of these rods are made of low ultrasonic-loss materials and the claddings are fabricated by thermal spray techniques. The clad geometry ensures proper ultrasonic guidance. The lengths of these rods ranges from tens of centimeters to 1m. On-line ultrasonic level measurements in liquid metals such as magnesium at 700 deg C and aluminum at 960 deg C are presented to demonstrate their operation at high temperature and their high ultrasonic performance. A spherical concave lens is machined at the rod end for improving the spatial resolution. High quality ultrasonic images have been obtained in the liquid zinc at 600 deg C. High spatial resolution is needed for the detection of inclusions in liquid metals during processing. We also show that the elastic properties such as density, longitudinal and shear wave velocities of liquid metals can be measured using a transducer which generates and receives both longitudinal and shear waves and is mounted at the end of a clad buffer rod. (author)

  3. Steam generator materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Joung Soo; Han, J. H.; Kim, H. P.; Lim, Y. S.; Lee, D. H.; Suh, J. H.; Hwang, S. S.; Hur, D. H.; Kim, D. J.; Kim, Y. H.

    2002-05-01

    In order to keep the nuclear power plant(NPP)s safe and increase their operating efficiency, axial stress corrosion cracking(SCC)(IGA/IGSCC, PWSCC, PbSCC) test techniques were developed and SCC property data of the archive steam generator tubing materials having been used in nuclear power plants operating in Korea were produced. The data obtained in this study were data-based, which will be used to clarify the damage mechanisms, to operate the plants safely, and to increase the lifetime of the tubing. In addition, the basic technologies for the improvement of the SCC property of the tubing materials, for new SCC inhibition, for damaged tube repair, and for manufacturing processes of the tubing were developed. In the 1 phase of this long term research, basic SCC test data obtained from the archive steam generator tubing materials used in NPPs operating in Korea were established. These basic technologies developed in the 1 phase will be used in developing process optimization during the 2 phase in order to develop application technologies to the field nuclear power plants

  4. Long term test of buffer material. Final Report on the pilot parcels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karnland, Ola; Sanden, Torbjoern; Johannesson, Lars-Erik [Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden); Eriksen, Trygve E; Jansson, Mats; Wold, Susanna [Royal Inst. of Tech., Stockholm (Sweden); Pedersen, Karsten; Motamedi, Mehrdad [Goeteborg Univ. (Sweden); Rosborg, Bo [Studsvik Material AB, Nykoeping (Sweden)

    2000-12-01

    The 'Long Term Test of Buffer Material' (LOT) series at the Aespoe HRL aims at checking models and hypotheses for a bentonite buffer material under conditions similar to those in a KBS3 repository. The test series comprises seven test parcels, which are exposed to repository conditions for 1, 5 and 20 years. This report concerns the two completed pilot tests (1-year tests) with respect to construction, field data and laboratory results. Four research groups were engaged in this part of the project working on physical properties - mineralogy, cation diffusion, bacteria and copper corrosion, respectively. The experimental layout was to place parcels containing heater, central copper tube, pre-compacted bentonite blocks and instruments in vertical boreholes in crystalline rock. The heaters were used for simulating the decay power from spent nuclear fuel at standard KBS3 conditions (S1 parcel, 90 deg C) and to give adverse conditions (A1 parcel, 130 deg C). The latter was used in order to accelerate possible processes. Temperature, total pressure, water pressure and water content were measured during the heating period. The two pilot tests were terminated after approximately 12 months of heating, and the parcels were extracted by overlapping core drilling outside the original borehole. The entire 4.5 m long S1-parcel with approximately 20 cm rock cover was successfully lifted in one piece from the rock, whereas the central part of the A1 parcel was lost during drilling. The upper and lower parts were however retrieved. Reference and exposed bentonite material were analysed with respect to physical properties (triaxial, beam and oedometer tests), and to mineralogical properties (XRD, CEC, ICP-AES and SEM analyses) according to a defined test program. Some precipitation, mainly gypsum, was found in the warmest part of the parcels, and the only unpredicted change was minor uptake of Cu into the clay matrix. An overarching conclusion is that no degrading

  5. Long term test of buffer material. Final Report on the pilot parcels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karnland, Ola; Sanden, Torbjoern; Johannesson, Lars-Erik; Eriksen, Trygve E; Jansson, Mats; Wold, Susanna; Pedersen, Karsten; Motamedi, Mehrdad; Rosborg, Bo

    2000-12-01

    The 'Long Term Test of Buffer Material' (LOT) series at the Aespoe HRL aims at checking models and hypotheses for a bentonite buffer material under conditions similar to those in a KBS3 repository. The test series comprises seven test parcels, which are exposed to repository conditions for 1, 5 and 20 years. This report concerns the two completed pilot tests (1-year tests) with respect to construction, field data and laboratory results. Four research groups were engaged in this part of the project working on physical properties - mineralogy, cation diffusion, bacteria and copper corrosion, respectively. The experimental layout was to place parcels containing heater, central copper tube, pre-compacted bentonite blocks and instruments in vertical boreholes in crystalline rock. The heaters were used for simulating the decay power from spent nuclear fuel at standard KBS3 conditions (S1 parcel, 90 deg C) and to give adverse conditions (A1 parcel, 130 deg C). The latter was used in order to accelerate possible processes. Temperature, total pressure, water pressure and water content were measured during the heating period. The two pilot tests were terminated after approximately 12 months of heating, and the parcels were extracted by overlapping core drilling outside the original borehole. The entire 4.5 m long S1-parcel with approximately 20 cm rock cover was successfully lifted in one piece from the rock, whereas the central part of the A1 parcel was lost during drilling. The upper and lower parts were however retrieved. Reference and exposed bentonite material were analysed with respect to physical properties (triaxial, beam and oedometer tests), and to mineralogical properties (XRD, CEC, ICP-AES and SEM analyses) according to a defined test program. Some precipitation, mainly gypsum, was found in the warmest part of the parcels, and the only unpredicted change was minor uptake of Cu into the clay matrix. An overarching conclusion is that no degrading processes, with

  6. Reactive transport modelling of groundwater-bentonite interaction: Effects on exchangeable cations in an alternative buffer material in-situ test

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wallis, I.; Idiart, A.; Dohrmann, R.; Post, V.

    2016-01-01

    Bentonite clays are regarded a promising material for engineered barrier systems for the encapsulation of hazardous wastes because of their low hydraulic permeability, swelling potential, ability to self-seal cracks in contact with water and their high sorption potential. SKB (Svensk Kärnbränslehantering) has been conducting long term field scale experiments on potential buffer materials at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory for radioactive waste disposal in Sweden. The Alternative Buffer Material (ABM) test examined buffer properties of eleven different clay materials under the influence of groundwater and at temperatures reaching up to 135 °C, replicating the heat pulse after waste emplacement. Clay materials were emplaced into holes drilled in fractured granite as compacted rings around a central heater element and subsequently brought into contact with groundwater for 880 days. After test termination, and against expectations, all clay materials were found to have undergone large scale alterations in the cation exchange population. A reactive-diffusive transport model was developed to aid the interpretation of the observed large-scale porewater chemistry changes. It was found, that the interaction between Äspö groundwater and the clay blocks, together with the geochemical nature of the clays (Na vs Ca-dominated clays) exerted the strongest control on the porewater chemistry. A pronounced exchange of Na by Ca was observed and simulated, driven by large Ca concentrations in the contacting groundwater. The model was able to link the porewater alterations to the fracture network in the deposition hole. The speed of alterations was in turn linked to high diffusion coefficients under the applied temperatures, which facilitated the propagation of hydrochemical changes into the clays. With diffusion coefficients increased by up to one order of magnitude at the maximum temperatures, the study was able to demonstrate the importance of considering temperature

  7. Diffusional mass transport phenomena in the buffer material and damaged zone of a borehole wall in an underground nuclear fuel waste vault

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Page, S.; Cheung, S.C.H.

    1983-06-01

    The effects of the geometry of the borehole and the characteristics of the damaged borehole rock wall on the movement of the radionuclides from an underground nuclear waste vault have been studied. The results show that radionuclide transport will occur mainly through the buffer into the damaged zone of the borehole wall. As the degree of facturing of the damaged zone increases, the total radionuclide flux will increase up to a limit which can be approximated by a one-dimensional radial diffusion model. For large degrees of fracturing of the damaged zone, an increase in the radial buffer material thickness will decrease the total flux, whereas, for small degrees of fracturing, an increase in the radial buffer thickness may slightly increase the total flux. Increasing the vertical buffer thickness will significantly decrease the total flux when the degree of fracturing of the damaged zone is small. An increase in the vertical extent of the damaged zone will cause an increase in total flux

  8. High-Thermal- and Air-Stability Cathode Material with Concentration-Gradient Buffer for Li-Ion Batteries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Ji-Lei; Qi, Ran; Zhang, Xu-Dong; Wang, Peng-Fei; Fu, Wei-Gui; Yin, Ya-Xia; Xu, Jian; Wan, Li-Jun; Guo, Yu-Guo

    2017-12-13

    Delivery of high capacity with high thermal and air stability is a great challenge in the development of Ni-rich layered cathodes for commercialized Li-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein we present a surface concentration-gradient spherical particle with varying elemental composition from the outer end LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 (NCM) to the inner end LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O 2 (NCA). This cathode material with the merit of NCM concentration-gradient protective buffer and the inner NCA core shows high capacity retention of 99.8% after 200 cycles at 0.5 C. Furthermore, this cathode material exhibits much improved thermal and air stability compared with bare NCA. These results provide new insights into the structural design of high-performance cathodes with high energy density, long life span, and storage stability materials for LIBs in the future.

  9. Laboratory determination of migration of Eu(III) in compacted bentonite–sand mixtures as buffer/backfill material for high-level waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou, Lang; Zhang, Huyuan; Yan, Ming; Chen, Hang; Zhang, Ming

    2013-01-01

    For the safety assessment of geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW), the migration of Eu(III) through compacted bentonite–sand mixtures was measured under expected repository conditions. Under the evaluated conditions, advection and dispersion is the dominant migration mechanism. The role of sorption on the retardation of migration was also evaluated. The hydraulic conductivities of compacted bentonite–sand mixtures were K=2.07×10 −10 –5.23×10 −10 cm/s, The sorption and diffusion of Eu(III) were examined using a flexible wall permeameter for a solute concentration of 2.0×10 −5 mol/l. The effective diffusion coefficients and apparent diffusion coefficients of Eu(III) in compacted bentonite–sand mixtures were in the range of 1.62×10 –12 –4.87×10 –12 m 2 /s, 1.44×10 –14 –9.41×10 –14 m 2 /s, respectively, which has a very important significance to forecast the relationship between migration length of Eu(III) in buffer/backfill material and time and provide a reference for the design of buffer/backfill material for HLW disposal in China. - Highlights: • The migration progress of Eu(III) in compacted bentonite–sand mixtures was researched. • The hydraulic conductivity of cominpacted bentonite–sand mixtures was measured. • The migration length of Eu(III) in buffer/backfill material after a certain period of time was forecasted

  10. The use of halogen carriers and buffers in the spectrographic determination of boron in carbonaceous materials and their combustion products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rucandio, M.I.; Martin, M.; Roca, M.

    1992-01-01

    For the determination of boron in carbonaceous materials (high purity graphite, coals and their processed products, such as ashes and slags from thermoelectric power plants) by atomic emission spectroscopy with direct current arc excitation and photographic recording, the behaviour of the analyte in the presence of halide compounds or spectrochemical buffers has been studied. Among the halides, cupric fluoride at a low concentration (2%) becomes very suitable for the graphite analysis, and at a higher concentration (25%) for coals being necessary in this case to carry out a dilution of samples with graphite. Strontium carbonate as a spectrochemical buffer allows to analyse satisfactorily coals and their combustion products. (author)

  11. The use of halogen carriers and buffers in the spectrographic determination of boron in carbonaceous materials and their combustion products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rucandio, M. I.; Martin, M.; Roca, M.

    1992-01-01

    For the determination of boron in carbonaceous materials (high purity graphite, coals and their processed products, such as ashes and slags from thermoelectric power plants) by atomic emission spectroscopy with direct current are excitation and photographic recording, the behaviour of the analyte in the presence of halide compounds or spectrochemical buffers has been studied. Among the halides, cupric fluoride at a low concentration (2%) becomes very suitable for the graphite analysis, and at a higher concentration (25 %) for coals, being necessary in this case to carry out a dilution of samples with graphite. Strontium carbonate as a spectrochemical buffer allows to analyse satisfactorily coals and their combustion products. (Author) 13 refs

  12. Temperature buffer test. Installation of buffer, heaters and instruments in the deposition hole

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johannesson, Lars-Erik; Sanden, Torbjoern; Aakesson, Mattias [Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden); Barcena, Ignacio; Garcia-Sineriz, Jose Luis [Aitemin, Madrid (Spain)

    2010-12-15

    During 2003 the Temperature Buffer Test was installed in Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Temperature, water pressure, relative humidity, total pressure and displacements etc. are measured in numerous points in the test. Most of the cables from the transducers are led in the deposition hole through slots in the rock surface of the deposition hole in watertight tubes to the data collection system in a container placed in the tunnel close to the deposition hole. This report describes the work with the installations of the buffer, heaters, and instruments and yields a description of the final location of all instruments. The report also contains a description of the materials that were installed and the densities yielded after placement.

  13. Temperature buffer test. Installation of buffer, heaters and instruments in the deposition hole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johannesson, Lars-Erik; Sanden, Torbjoern; Aakesson, Mattias; Barcena, Ignacio; Garcia-Sineriz, Jose Luis

    2010-12-01

    During 2003 the Temperature Buffer Test was installed in Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory. Temperature, water pressure, relative humidity, total pressure and displacements etc. are measured in numerous points in the test. Most of the cables from the transducers are led in the deposition hole through slots in the rock surface of the deposition hole in watertight tubes to the data collection system in a container placed in the tunnel close to the deposition hole. This report describes the work with the installations of the buffer, heaters, and instruments and yields a description of the final location of all instruments. The report also contains a description of the materials that were installed and the densities yielded after placement

  14. Buffer layer between a planar optical concentrator and a solar cell

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Solano, Manuel E. [Departamento de Ingeniería Matemática and CI" 2 MA, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Casilla 160-C (Chile); Barber, Greg D. [Penn State Institute of Energy and the Environment, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Lakhtakia, Akhlesh [Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Faryad, Muhammad [Department of Physics, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore 54792 (Pakistan); Monk, Peter B. [Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 (United States); Mallouk, Thomas E. [Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

    2015-09-15

    The effect of inserting a buffer layer between a periodically multilayered isotropic dielectric (PMLID) material acting as a planar optical concentrator and a photovoltaic solar cell was theoretically investigated. The substitution of the photovoltaic material by a cheaper dielectric material in a large area of the structure could reduce the fabrication costs without significantly reducing the efficiency of the solar cell. Both crystalline silicon (c-Si) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) were considered as the photovoltaic material. We found that the buffer layer can act as an antireflection coating at the interface of the PMLID and the photovoltaic materials, and the structure increases the spectrally averaged electron-hole pair density by 36% for c-Si and 38% for GaAs compared to the structure without buffer layer. Numerical evidence indicates that the optimal structure is robust with respect to small changes in the grating profile.

  15. Effect of organic carbon content of the domestic bentonite on the performance of buffer material in a high-level waste repository

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cho, Won Jin; Lee, Jae Owan; Kang, Chul Hyung [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea)

    1999-12-01

    The organic carbon content of the domestic bentonite have been measured, and its effects on the performance of buffer are analyzed. The total carbon content and the organic carbon content were in the range of 3160 to 3600 and 2400 to 2800 ppm, respectively. The aqueous phase equilibrium concentrations of total carbon and organic carbon in bentonite-water mixture were in the range of 25 to 50 ppm and 4 to 18 ppm, respectively. The results indicate that the effect of organic matter in the domestic bentonite on the performance of buffer material were insignificant. 33 refs., 15 figs., 10 tabs. (Author)

  16. Materials for generation-IV nuclear reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alvarez, M. G.

    2009-01-01

    Materials science and materials development are key issues for the implementation of innovative reactor systems such as those defined in the framework of the Generation IV. Six systems have been selected for Generation IV consideration: gas-cooled fast reactor, lead-cooled fast reactor, molten salt-cooled reactor, sodium-cooled fast reactor, supercritical water-cooled reactor, and very high temperature reactor. The structural materials need to resist much higher temperatures, higher neutron doses and extremely corrosive environment, which are beyond the experience of the current nuclear power plants. For this reason, the first consideration in the development of Generation-IV concepts is selection and deployment of materials that operate successfully in the aggressive operating environments expected in the Gen-IV concepts. This paper summarizes the Gen-IV operating environments and describes the various candidate materials under consideration for use in different structural applications. (author)

  17. Assessing critical source areas in watersheds for conservation buffer planning and riparian restoration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiu, Zeyuan

    2009-11-01

    A science-based geographic information system (GIS) approach is presented to target critical source areas in watersheds for conservation buffer placement. Critical source areas are the intersection of hydrologically sensitive areas and pollutant source areas in watersheds. Hydrologically sensitive areas are areas that actively generate runoff in the watershed and are derived using a modified topographic index approach based on variable source area hydrology. Pollutant source areas are the areas in watersheds that are actively and intensively used for such activities as agricultural production. The method is applied to the Neshanic River watershed in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The capacity of the topographic index in predicting the spatial pattern of runoff generation and the runoff contribution to stream flow in the watershed is evaluated. A simple cost-effectiveness assessment is conducted to compare the conservation buffer placement scenario based on this GIS method to conventional riparian buffer scenarios for placing conservation buffers in agricultural lands in the watershed. The results show that the topographic index reasonably predicts the runoff generation in the watershed. The GIS-based conservation buffer scenario appears to be more cost-effective than the conventional riparian buffer scenarios.

  18. Methods of producing free-standing semiconductors using sacrificial buffer layers and recyclable substrates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ptak, Aaron Joseph; Lin, Yong; Norman, Andrew; Alberi, Kirstin

    2015-05-26

    A method of producing semiconductor materials and devices that incorporate the semiconductor materials are provided. In particular, a method is provided of producing a semiconductor material, such as a III-V semiconductor, on a spinel substrate using a sacrificial buffer layer, and devices such as photovoltaic cells that incorporate the semiconductor materials. The sacrificial buffer material and semiconductor materials may be deposited using lattice-matching epitaxy or coincident site lattice-matching epitaxy, resulting in a close degree of lattice matching between the substrate material and deposited material for a wide variety of material compositions. The sacrificial buffer layer may be dissolved using an epitaxial liftoff technique in order to separate the semiconductor device from the spinel substrate, and the spinel substrate may be reused in the subsequent fabrication of other semiconductor devices. The low-defect density semiconductor materials produced using this method result in the enhanced performance of the semiconductor devices that incorporate the semiconductor materials.

  19. Buffer construction technique using granular bentonite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masuda, Ryoichi; Asano, Hidekazu; Toguri, Satohito; Mori, Takuo; Shimura, Tomoyuki; Matsuda, Takeshi; Uyama, Masao; Noda, Masaru

    2007-01-01

    Buffer construction using bentonite pellets as filling material is a promising technology for enhancing the ease of repository operation. In this study, a test of such technology was conducted in a full-scale simulated disposal drift, using a filling system which utilizes a screw conveyor system. The simulated drift, which contained two dummy overpacks, was configured as a half-cross-section model with a height of 2.22 m and a length of 6.0 m. The average dry density of the buffer obtained in the test was 1.29 Mg/m 3 , with an angle of repose of 35 to 40 degrees. These test results indicate that buffer construction using a screw conveyor system for pellet emplacement in a waste disposal drift is a promising technology for repositories for high level radioactive wastes. (author)

  20. Design, production and initial state of the buffer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boerjesson, Lennart; Gunnarsson, David; Johannesson, Lars-Erik; Jonsson, Esther

    2010-12-15

    The report is included in a set of Production reports, presenting how the KBS-3 repository is designed, produced and inspected. The set of reports is included in the safety report for the KBS-3 repository and repository facility. The report provides input on the initial state of the buffer for the assessment of the long-term safety, SR-Site. The initial state refers to the properties of the engineered barriers once they have been finally placed in the KBS-3 repository and will not be further handled within the repository facility. In addition, the report provides input to the operational safety report, SR-Operation, on how the buffer shall be handled and installed. The report presents the design premises and reference design of the buffer and verifies the conformity of the reference design to the design premises. It also describes the production of the buffer, from excavation and delivery of buffer material to installation in the deposition hole. Finally, the initial state of the buffer and its conformity to the reference design and design premises is presented

  1. Moisture Buffer Performance of a Fully Furnished Room

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svennberg, Kaisa; Hedegaard, Lone Grønbæk; Rode, Carsten

    2004-01-01

    of the indoor air, such as growth of house dust mites, emissions from materials and mould growth it is anticipated that the moisture buffer effect can help to ensure healthier indoor environments. The building materials as well as furniture and other furnishing materials exposed to the indoor air...

  2. Analysis of diffusive mass transport in a cracked buffer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garisto, N.C.; Garisto, F.

    1989-11-01

    In the disposal vault design for the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program, cylindrical containers of used nuclear fuel would be placed in vertical boreholes in rock and surrounded with a bentonite-based buffer material. The buffer is expected to absorb and/or retard radionuclides leaching from the fuel after the containers fail. There is some evidence, however, that the buffer may be susceptible to cracking. In this report we investigate numerically the consequences of cracking on uranium diffusion through the buffer. The derivation of the mass-transport equations and the numerical solution method are presented for the solubility-limited diffusion of uranium in a cracked buffer system for both swept-away and semi-impermeable boundary conditions at the rock-buffer interface. The results indicate that for swept-away boundary conditions the total uranium flux through the cracked buffer system is, as expected, greater than through the uncracked buffer. The effect of the cracks is strongly dependent on the ratio D/D eff , where D and D eff are the pore-water and the effective buffer diffusion coefficient, respectively. However, although a decrease in D eff enhances the effect of cracks on the total cumulative flux (relative to the uncracked buffer), it also decreases the total cumulative flux through the cracked buffer system (relative to a cracked buffer with a larger D eff value). Finally, for semi-impermeable boundary conditions, the effect of cracks on the total radionuclide flux is relatively small

  3. Evaluation of amine inhibitors for suitability as crevice buffering agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jayaweera, P.; Hettiarachchi, S.

    1994-03-01

    This report describes the results of a research effort to evaluate the suitability of some selected amines and amino acids as a crevice-buffering agents in pressurized water reactor (PWR) steam generators. The amines may be useful for buffering acid crevices, and the amino acids, because they contain both acidic and basic groups, may be useful for acidic and caustic crevices. Five commercially available amines and two amino acids were studied during this research. The study involved (1) the hydrolysis of these commercially available amines and amino acids, including measurement of their kinetics of decomposition, in simulated steam generator bulk water at 290 C, and (2) determination of their thermal stability in a simulated crevice environment. The study showed that, although the high-molecular-weight amines undergo hydrothermal decomposition, they have a better buffering capacity than their low-molecular-weight counterparts at 290 C. The amines provide effective crevice buffering by increasing the pH of the crevice solution by as much as 2.84 and to 4.24 units in the experimental setup used in this program. It was concluded that polyamines provide excellent buffering of the simulated crevice environment at 290 C and morpholine remains the best low-molecular-weight amine investigated. However, detailed volatility studies of the amines were not considered in this work. Such data would be needed before in-plant testing to ensure that the amines can concentrate in steam generator crevices to the levels assumed in this study

  4. Modeling and performance analysis dataset of a CIGS solar cell with ZnS buffer layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md. Billal Hosen

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This article represents the baseline data of the several semiconductor materials used in the model of a CIGS thin film solar cell with an inclusion of ZnS buffer layer. As well, input parameters, contact layer data and operating conditions for CIGS solar cell simulation with ZnS buffer layer have been described. The schematic diagram of photovoltaic solar cell has been depicted. Moreover, the most important performance measurement graph, J-V characteristic curve, resulting from CIGS solar cell simulation has been analyzed to estimate the optimum values of fill factor and cell efficiency. These optimum results have been obtained from the open circuit voltage, short circuit current density, and the maximum points of voltage and current density generated from the cell.

  5. A study on nuclide migration in buffer materials and rocks for geological disposal of radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Haruo

    1998-01-01

    This thesis summarizes the results investigated in order to establish a basic theory on the predictive method of diffusion coefficients of nuclides in compacted sodium bentonite which is a candidate buffer material and in representative rocks for the geological disposal of radioactive waste by measuring the pore structural factors of the compacted bentonite and rocks such as porosity and tortuosity, measuring diffusion coefficients of nuclides in the bentonite and rocks, acquiring basic data on diffusion and developing diffusion models which can quantitatively predict nuclide migration in long-term. (J.P.N.). 117 refs

  6. Buffer-free therapeutic antibody preparations provide a viable alternative to conventionally buffered solutions: from protein buffer capacity prediction to bioprocess applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahrenburg, Sven; Karow, Anne R; Garidel, Patrick

    2015-04-01

    Protein therapeutics, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), have significant buffering capacity, particularly at concentrations>50 mg/mL. This report addresses pH-related issues critical to adoption of self-buffered monoclonal antibody formulations. We evaluated solution conditions with protein concentrations ranging from 50 to 250 mg/mL. Samples were both buffer-free and conventionally buffered with citrate. Samples were non-isotonic or adjusted for isotonicity with NaCl or trehalose. Studies included accelerated temperature stability tests, shaking stability studies, and pH changes in infusion media as protein concentrate is added. We present averaged buffering slopes of capacity that can be applied to any mAb and present a general method for calculating buffering capacity of buffer-free, highly concentrated antibody liquid formulations. In temperature stability tests, neither buffer-free nor conventionally buffered solution conditions showed significant pH changes. Conventionally buffered solutions showed significantly higher opalescence than buffer-free ones. In general, buffer-free solution conditions showed less aggregation than conventionally buffered solutions. Shaking stability tests showed no differences between buffer-free and conventionally buffered solutions. "In-use" preparation experiments showed that pH in infusion bag medium can rapidly approximate that of self-buffered protein concentrate as concentrate is added. In summary, the buffer capacity of proteins can be predicted and buffer-free therapeutic antibody preparations provide a viable alternative to conventionally buffered solutions. Copyright © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  7. Study on chemical buffering property of GMZ sodium bentonite in air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wen Zhijian; Liu Yuemiao; Zong Zihua; Zhou Jia

    2008-01-01

    The high level radioactive wastes are characterized by very high initial radioactivity, the longer-lived actinides, many of actinides alpha-emitters. At present, the deep geological disposal is regarded as the most reasonable and effective way to safely disposal high-level radioactive wastes in the world. The conceptual model of HLW geological disposal in China is based on a multi-barrier system that combines an isolating geological environment with an engineered barrier system. The buffer is one of the engineered barrier materials and GMZ Na-bentonite is selected as the base material. The most important role related to buffer is chemical buffering, which means buffering of changes in water chemistry. This paper presents the experiments of GMZ-1 Na-bentonite reacted with distilled water in the air. The results and discussion of bench tests are reported. (authors)

  8. Material model for shear of the buffer - evaluation of laboratory test results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boergesson, Lennart; Dueck, Ann; Johannesson, Lars-Erik

    2010-12-01

    The report describes the material model of bentonite used for analysing a rock shear through a deposition hole. The old model used in SR-Can has been considerably changed. The new reference model that has been developed for SR-Site is described and motivated. The relevant properties of the buffer that affect the response to a rock shear are (in addition to the bentonite type) the density (which yields a swelling pressure), the shear strength, the stiffness before the maximum shear stress is reached and the shear rate, which also affects the shear strength. Since the shear caused by an earthquake is very fast and the hydraulic conductivity of the bentonite is very low there is no possibility for the pore water in the water saturated bentonite to be redistributed. Since the compressibility of water and particles are negligible, the bentonite can be modelled as a solid material that cannot change volume but only exhibit shear deformations. A proper and simple model that behaves accordingly is a model with von Mises' stress modelled as a function of the strain (stress-strain model). The model is elastic-plastic with an E-modulus that determines the behaviour until the material starts yielding whereupon the plastic strain is modelled as a function of von Mises' stress and added to the elastic strain. Included in the model is also a strain rate dependency of the stress-strain relation, which ranges between the strain rates 10 -6 1/s 3 1/s. The reference material model is derived from a large number of laboratory tests made on different bentonites at different strain rates, densities and with different techniques. Since it cannot be excluded that the exchangeable cat-ions in the Na-bentonite MX-80 is exchanged to calcium-ions the Ca-bentonite Deponit CaN is proposed to be used as reference material. The overall conclusion is that a relevant and probably also slightly conservative material model of Ca-converted MX-80 is derived, presented and well motivated

  9. Materials choices for the advanced LWR steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paine, J.P.N.; Shoemaker, C.E.; McIlree, A.R.

    1987-01-01

    Current light water reactor (LWR) steam generators have been affected by a variety of corrosion and mechanical damage degradation mechanisms. Included are wear caused by tube vibration, intergranular corrosion, pitting, and thinning or wastage of the steam generator tubing and accelerated corrosion of carbon steel supports (denting). The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Steam Generator Owners Groups (I, II) have sponsored laboratory and field studies to provide ameliorative actions for the majority of the damage forms experienced to date. Some of the current corrosion mechanisms are aggravated or caused by unique materials choices or materials interactions. New materials have been proposed and at least partially qualified for use in replacement model steam generators, including an advanced LWR design. In so far as possible, the materials choices for the advanced LWR steam generator avoid the corrosion pitfalls seemingly inherent in the current designs. The EPRI Steam Generator Project staff has recommended materials and design choices for a new steam generator. Based on these recommendations we believe that the advanced LWR steam generators will be much less affected by corrosion and mechanical damage mechanisms than are now experienced

  10. Quantitative mineralogy and preliminary pore-water chemistry of candidate buffer and backfill materials for a nuclear fuel waste disposal vault

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Quigley, R.M.

    1984-07-01

    The quantitative mineralogy of seven candidate buffer and backfill materials for a nuclear fuel waste disposal vault is presented. Two of the materials were coarse grained: one a blended very pure silica sand, and the other a crushed plagioclase-rich granite or granodiorite. Five materials were fine-grained soils containing abundant clay minerals. Of these, three were fairly pure, Cretaceous, ash-derived bentonites that contained up to 3 percent of soluble sulphates; one was a freshwater glacial clay containing 59 percent interlayered smectite-illite; and one was a crushed Paleozoic shale containing abundant illite and chlorite. The adsorbed cation regimes and the pore-water chemistry of the clays are discussed

  11. Interim report on the laboratory and theoretical work in modeling the drained and undrained behavior of buffer materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boergesson, L.

    1990-12-01

    This report describes the continuous work of modeling the geotechnical properties of buffer materials. Some results of laboratory work with drained and undrained tests are described as well as the material models that these test have yielded. The effective stress concept and its relevance is discussed. The technique to apply the models in calculations using the finite element program ABAQUS is described. Some calculations of laboratory verification tests are shown and the results compared. Finally two examples of scenario calculations are shown. The work has led to three material models that can be used in ABAQUS calculations. All parameters for these models are not fully known and a continuation of the work is required. These models are not suitable for all situations and the relevance and need for further developments are presently investigated. (au)

  12. Study on chemical buffering property of GMZ sodium bentonite under atmospheric condition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wen Zhijian

    2012-01-01

    At present, the deep geological disposal is regarded as the most reasonable and effective way to safely disposal the high-level radioactive wastes in the world. The conceptual model of HLW geological disposal in China is based on a multi-barrier system that combines an isolating geological environment with an engineered barrier system. The buffer is one of the engineered barrier materials and GMZ Na-bentonite is selected as the basic material. One of the most important functions related to buffer is the chemical buffering, which means buffering the changes in pore water chemistry. This paper presents the experiments of GMZ-1 Na-bentonite reacted with distilled water under atmospheric condition. The batch tests and results discussion are reported. Na and Mg in batch test solution are co-provided by interlayer cations of montmorillonite and solids dissolution, K and Ca are provided by dissolution of solids. The result is a pre-requisite for predicting near-field nuclide migration and assesses the long-term stability of the engineered barrier materials. (author)

  13. Redox Buffer Strength

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Levie, Robert

    1999-04-01

    The proper functioning of enzymes in bodily fluids requires that the pH be maintained within rather narrow limits. The first line of defense against large pH fluctuations in such fluids is the passive control provided by the presence of pH buffers. The ability of pH buffers to stabilize the pH is indicated by the buffer value b introduced in 1922 by van Slyke. It is equally important for many enzymes that the redox potential is kept within a narrow range. In that case, stability of the potential is most readily achieved with a redox buffer. In this communication we define the redox buffer strength by analogy with acid-base buffer strength.

  14. Variation of power generation at different buffer types and conductivities in single chamber microbial fuel cells

    KAUST Repository

    Nam, Joo-Youn; Kim, Hyun-Woo; Lim, Kyeong-Ho; Shin, Hang-Sik; Logan, Bruce E.

    2010-01-01

    Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are operated with solutions containing various chemical species required for the growth of electrochemically active microorganisms including nutrients and vitamins, substrates, and chemical buffers. Many different buffers

  15. Prediction of pressure of bentonite buffer in model test of disposal pit for high-level radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komine, Hideo; Osada, Toru; Takao, Hajime; Ueda, Hiroyoshi

    2013-01-01

    Bentonite-based buffer materials for high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal are expected to fill up the space between buffer and a wall of the disposal pit, and/or between buffer and an waste-container called as overpack by its swelling deformation. That is called as self-sealing ability. This study performs the model tests simulated the relationship between buffer and space mentioned above. It also investigates the validity of the theoretical equations for evaluating the swelling characteristics of bentonite-based buffer and backfill material, which were proposed in Komine and Ogata (2003, 2004), by comparing the calculations and the experimental results. (author)

  16. Microbial occurrence in bentonite-based buffer materials of a final disposal site for low level radioactive waste in Taiwan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chou Fongin; Chen Tzungyuang; Li Chiachin; Wen Hsiaowei

    2011-01-01

    This research addresses the potential of microbial implications in bentonite for use as a buffer and backfill material in final disposal site for low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) in Taiwan, where has a special island-type climate. Microbe activities naturally present in this site were analyzed, and buffer materials (BM) consisted of 100%, 70% or 50% bentonite were prepared for laboratory studies. A total of 39 microbial strains were isolated, and the predominant strains included four bacterial, one yeast and four fungal strains. Growth inhibition was not detected in any tested strain cultured in a radiation field with a dose rate of 0.2 Gy/h. Most of the isolated strains grew under a dose rate of 1.4 Gy/h. The D 10 values of the tested strains ranged from 0.16 to 2.05 kGy. The mycelia of tested fungal strains could spread over 5 cm during six months of inoculation in BM. The spreading activity of the tested bacteria was less than that of the fungi. Moreover, biofilms were observed on the surfaces of the BM. Since a large and diverse population of microbes is present in Taiwan, microbes may contribute to the mobilization of radionuclides in the disposal site. (author)

  17. Final report of the Buffer Mass Test - Volume I: Scope, preparative field work and test arrangement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pusch, R.; Nilsson, J.; Ramqvist, G.

    1985-07-01

    The Buffer Mass Test was conducted in a 30 m long drift at 340 m depth in the Stripa mine, The main objective being to check the predicted functions of certain bentonite-based buffer materials in rock environment. These materials were blocks of highly compacted sodium bentonite placed in large boreholes simulating deposition holes for canisters, and on-site compacted sand/bentonite mixtures used as tunnel backfill. The blocks of bentonite embedded electrical heaters which served to produce heat so as to create conditions similar to those in a repository. The temperature in the initially non-saturated buffer materials was expected to be a function of the water uptake from the rock, which was also assumed to lead to rather high swelling pressures. The recording of these processes and of the moistening of the buffer materials , as well as of the associated build-up of piezometric heads at rock/buffer interfaces, was the major item of the field test. For this purpose the buffer materials and the rock were equipped with a large number of thermal elements, pressure and piezometric cells as well as moisture sensors. The choise of positions and properties of these gauges, which were connected to an effective data acquisition system, was based on predictions that required a careful site documentation with respect to the fracture characteristics and hydrological properties of the surrounding rock. (author)

  18. Damping System for Torsional Resonances in Generator Shafts Using a Feedback Controlled Buffer Storage of Magnetic Energy at ASDEX Upgrade

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaesemann, C.-P.; Huart, M.; Mueller, P.; Sigalov, A.

    2006-01-01

    The electrical power and energy for ASDEX Upgrade (AUG) is provided by three separate pulsed networks based on flywheel generators. Major damages at couplings of the shaft of the synchronous generator EZ4 (220 MVA / 600 MWs) were discovered during a routine check. The damage can only be explained by torsional resonances in the generator shaft which are excited by active power transients from the converter loads. For generator protection, torque sensors were installed near the coupling between the flywheel and the rotor. They cause an early termination of plasma experiments if a predefined torque level is exceeded. These terminations limited the achievable plasma current flattop time of AUG significantly. Since a low natural damping of the torsional resonances was identified as a major cause of the phenomena observed, novel feedback controlled DC circuits were developed providing electromagnetic damping for the generator shafts in case of excitation. Each damping circuit consists of a DC choke, acting as a buffer storage of magnetic energy, fed by a thyristor converter. The current reference for the converter is derived from the torque sensor signals. This enables the choke current to alternate with the measured natural frequency of the shaft assembly. Thus, with proper phasing, torsional resonances in generator shaft systems weighing more than 100 tons can be damped with little additional power. Since April 2003, the damping circuits have been routinely operated during all plasma experiments. Despite the low damping power used, torsional resonances could be reduced to a value that avoids a trip signal from the torque sensors. This paper describes the results from analysing, designing and testing of the feedback controlled buffer storage of magnetic energy, representing an effective and low cost solution for damping torsional resonances in electric power systems. It will present the layout, analyse the results of measurements obtained during commissioning and

  19. Microbial activity in bentonite buffers. Literature study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ratto, M.; Itavaara, M.

    2012-07-01

    The proposed disposal concept for high-level radioactive wastes involves storing the wastes underground in copper-iron containers embedded in buffer material of compacted bentonite. Hydrogen sulphide production by sulphate-reducing prokaryotes is a potential mechanism that could cause corrosion of waste containers in repository conditions. The prevailing conditions in compacted bentonite buffer will be harsh. The swelling pressure is 7-8 MPa, the amount of free water is low and the average pore and pore throat diameters are small. This literature study aims to assess the potential of microbial activity in bentonite buffers. Literature on the environmental limits of microbial life in extreme conditions and the occurrence of sulphatereducing prokaryotes in extreme environments is reviewed briefly and the results of published studies characterizing microbes and microbial processes in repository conditions or in relevant subsurface environments are presented. The presence of bacteria, including SRBs, has been confirmed in deep groundwater and bentonite-based materials. Sulphate reducers have been detected in various high-pressure environments, and sulphate-reduction based on hydrogen as an energy source is considered a major microbial process in deep subsurface environments. In bentonite, microbial activity is strongly suppressed, mainly due to the low amount of free water and small pores, which limit the transport of microbes and nutrients. Spore-forming bacteria have been shown to survive in compacted bentonite as dormant spores, and they are able to resume a metabolically active state after decompaction. Thus, microbial sulphide production may increase in repository conditions if the dry density of the bentonite buffer is locally reduced. (orig.)

  20. Mechanical interaction buffer/backfill. Finite element calculations of the upward swelling of the buffer against both dry and saturated backfill

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boergesson, Lennart (Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden)); Hernelind, Jan (5T-Engineering AB, Vaesteraas (Sweden))

    2009-10-15

    The mechanical interaction between the buffer material in the deposition hole and the backfill material in the deposition tunnel is an important process in the safety assessment since the primary function of the backfill is to keep the buffer in place and not allow it to expand too much and thereby loose too much of its density and barrier properties. In order to study the upwards swelling of the buffer and the subsequent density reduction a number of finite element calculations have been performed. The calculations have been done with the FE-program Abaqus with 3D-models of a deposition hole and the deposition tunnel. In order to refine the modelling only the two extreme cases of completely un-wetted (dry) and completely water saturated (wet) backfill have been modelled. For the wet case the influence of different factors has been studied while only one calculation of the dry case has been done. The calculated upwards swelling of the buffer varied between 2 and 15 cm for the different wet cases while it was about 10 cm for the dry case. In the wet reference case the E-modulus of the block and pellets fillings was 50 MPa and 3.24 MPa respectively, the friction angle between the buffer and the rock and canister was 8.7 deg and there were no swelling pressure from the backfill. There is a strong influence of the friction angle on both the upwards swelling and the canister heave. The friction is important for preventing especially canister displacements. The unrealistic case of no friction yielded strong unacceptable influence on the buffer with an upwards swelling of 15 cm and a strong heave of 5 cm of the canister. The influence of the backfill stiffness is as expected strong. Both buffer swelling and canister heave are twice as large at the E-modulus E = 25 MPa than at the E-modulus E = 100 MPa. The influence of the stiffness of the pellets filling is not strong since there are no pellets on the floor in the model used. The influence of the swelling pressure of the

  1. Mechanical interaction buffer/backfill. Finite element calculations of the upward swelling of the buffer against both dry and saturated backfill

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boergesson, Lennart; Hernelind, Jan

    2009-10-01

    The mechanical interaction between the buffer material in the deposition hole and the backfill material in the deposition tunnel is an important process in the safety assessment since the primary function of the backfill is to keep the buffer in place and not allow it to expand too much and thereby loose too much of its density and barrier properties. In order to study the upwards swelling of the buffer and the subsequent density reduction a number of finite element calculations have been performed. The calculations have been done with the FE-program Abaqus with 3D-models of a deposition hole and the deposition tunnel. In order to refine the modelling only the two extreme cases of completely un-wetted (dry) and completely water saturated (wet) backfill have been modelled. For the wet case the influence of different factors has been studied while only one calculation of the dry case has been done. The calculated upwards swelling of the buffer varied between 2 and 15 cm for the different wet cases while it was about 10 cm for the dry case. In the wet reference case the E-modulus of the block and pellets fillings was 50 MPa and 3.24 MPa respectively, the friction angle between the buffer and the rock and canister was 8.7 deg and there were no swelling pressure from the backfill. There is a strong influence of the friction angle on both the upwards swelling and the canister heave. The friction is important for preventing especially canister displacements. The unrealistic case of no friction yielded strong unacceptable influence on the buffer with an upwards swelling of 15 cm and a strong heave of 5 cm of the canister. The influence of the backfill stiffness is as expected strong. Both buffer swelling and canister heave are twice as large at the E-modulus E = 25 MPa than at the E-modulus E = 100 MPa. The influence of the stiffness of the pellets filling is not strong since there are no pellets on the floor in the model used. The influence of the swelling pressure of the

  2. Salt content impact on the unsaturated property of bentonite-sand buffer backfilling materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang Ming [Key Laboratory of Mechanics on Disaster and Environment in Western China, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Zhang Huyuan, E-mail: p1314lvp@yahoo.com.cn [Key Laboratory of Mechanics on Disaster and Environment in Western China, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Jia Lingyan; Cui Suli [Key Laboratory of Mechanics on Disaster and Environment in Western China, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 (China)

    2012-09-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer SWCC and infiltration process of bentonite-sand mixtures is researched. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The k{sub u} of bentonite-sand mixtures was evaluated as the buffer backfilling materials. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Salt content impacting on the unsaturated property of bentonite-sand materials is small. - Abstract: Bentonite mixed with sand is often considered as possible engineered barrier in deep high-level radioactive waste disposal in China. In the present work, the vapor transfer technique and water infiltration apparatus were used to measure the soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (k{sub u}) of bentonite-sand mixtures (B/S) effected by salt content. Results show, the water-holding capacity and k{sub u} increase slightly with the concentration of Na{sup +} in pore liquid increasing from 0 g/L to 12 g/L, similar with the solution concentration of Beishan groundwater in China. Salt content in the laboratory produced only one order of magnitude increase in k{sub u}, which is the 'safe' value. The different pore liquid concentrations used in this study led to small differences in thickness of diffuse double layer of bentonite in mixtures, this might explain why some differences have been found in final values of k{sub u}.

  3. Effects of fatigue and environment on residual strengths of center-cracked graphite/epoxy buffer strip panels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bigelow, Catherine A.

    1989-01-01

    The effects of fatigue, moisture conditioning, and heating on the residual tension strengths of center-cracked graphite/epoxy buffer strip panels were evaluated using specimens made with T300/5208 graphite epoxy in a 16-ply quasi-isotropic layup, with two different buffer strip materials, Kevlar-49 or S-glass. It was found that, for panels subjected to fatigue loading, the residual strengths were not significantly affected by the fatigue loading, the number of repetitions of the loading spectrum, or the maximum strain level. The moisture conditioning reduced the residual strengths of the S-glass buffer strip panels by 10 to 15 percent below the ambient results, but increased the residual strengths of the Kevlar-49 buffer strip panels slightly. For both buffer strip materials, the heat increased the residual strengths of the buffer strip panels slightly over the ambient results.

  4. Fast scalar data buffering interface in Linux 2.6 kernel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Homs, A.

    2012-01-01

    Key instrumentation devices like counter/timers, analog-to-digital converters and encoders provide scalar data input. Many of them allow fast acquisitions, but do not provide hardware triggering or buffering mechanisms. A Linux 2.4 kernel driver called Hook was developed at the ESRF as a generic software-triggered buffering interface. This work presents the portage of the ESRF Hook interface to the Linux 2.6 kernel. The interface distinguishes 2 independent functional groups: trigger event generators and data channels. Devices in the first group create software events, like hardware interrupts generated by timers or external signals. On each event, one or more device channels on the second group are read and stored in kernel buffers. The event generators and data channels to be read are fully configurable before each sequence. Designed for fast acquisitions, the Hook implementation is well adapted to multi-CPU systems, where the interrupt latency is notably reduced. On heavily loaded dual-core PCs running standard (non real time) Linux, data can be taken at 1 KHz without losing events. Additional features include full integration into the /sys virtual file-system and hot-plug devices support. (author)

  5. Microbial analysis of the buffer/container experiment at AECL's underground research laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stroes-Gascoyne, S.

    1996-07-01

    The Buffer/Container Experiment (BCE) was carried out at AECL's Underground Research Laboratory (URL) for 2.5 years to examine the in situ performance of compacted buffer material in a single emplacement borehole under vault-relevant conditions. During decommissioning of this experiment, numerous samples were taken for microbial analysis to determine if the naturally present microbial population in buffer material survived the conditions (i.e., compaction, heat and desiccation) in the BCE and to determine which group(s) of microorganisms would be dominant in such a simulated vault environment. Such knowledge will be very useful in assessing the potential effects of microbial activity on the concept for deep disposal of Canada's nuclear fuel waste, proposed by AECL. 46 refs., 31 tabs., 35 figs

  6. Moisture buffer capacity of cement-lime plasters with enhanced thermal storage capacity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fořt, Jan; Pavlíková, Milena; Pavlík, Zbyšek

    2017-07-01

    Indoor air temperature and relative humidity represent important parameters for health and working efficiency of buildings occupants. Beside the moderation of temperature, investigation of hygric properties of building materials with connection to indoor relative humidity variation became recognized as a relevant factor for energy efficient building maintenance. The moisture buffer value introduced in the Nordtest protocol can be used for estimation of moisture buffer capacity of building materials or their multi-layered systems. In this paper, both the ideal and real moisture buffer values are examined on the basis of simulation of diurnal relative humidity fluctuations in plasters with incorporated PCM admixture. Retrieved data points to a complex effect of the tested plasters on possible moderation of buildings interior climate.

  7. Operation voltage behavior of organic light emitting diodes with polymeric buffer layers doped by weak electron acceptor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jeon, Hyeon Soo; Cho, Sang Hee [Department of Information Display and Advanced Display Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701 (Korea, Republic of); Seo, Jaewon; Park, Yongsup [Department of Physics, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701 (Korea, Republic of); Suh, Min Chul, E-mail: mcsuh@khu.ac.kr [Department of Information Display and Advanced Display Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701 (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-11-01

    We present polymeric buffer materials based on poly[2,7-(9,9-dioctyl-fluorene)-co-(1,4-phenylene -((4-sec-butylphenyl)imino)-1,4-phenylene)] (TFB) for highly efficient solution processed organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Doped TFB with 9,10-dicyanoanthracene, a weak electron acceptor results in significant improvement of current flow and driving voltage. Maximum current- and power-efficiency value of 12.6 cd/A and 18.1 lm/W are demonstrated from phosphorescent red OLEDs with this doped polymeric anode buffer system. - Highlights: • Polymeric buffer materials for organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). • Method to control hole conductivity of polymeric buffer layer in OLED device. • Enhanced current density of buffer layers upon 9,10-dicyanoanthracene (DCA) doping. • Comparison of OLED devices having polymeric buffer layer with or without DCA. • Effect on operating voltage by doping DCA in the buffer layer.

  8. Simulation of HTM processes in buffer-rock barriers based on the French HLW disposal concept

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Xiaoshuo; Roehlig, Klaus-Juergen; Zhang, Chunliang

    2012-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. The main objectives of this paper are to gain experience with modelling and analysis of HTM processes in clay rock and bentonite buffer surrounding heat-generating radioactive waste. The French concept for HLW disposal in drifts with backfilled bentonite buffer considered in numerical calculations which are carried out by using the computer code CODE-BRIGHT developed by the Technical University of Catalonia in Barcelona. The French repository designed by ANDRA is located in the middle of the Callovo-Oxfordian argillaceous formation (COX) of 250 m thickness at a depth of 500 to 630 m below the surface. The French concept has been simplified at this simulation work. A drift is considered to be excavated at a depth of 500 m below the surface. It has a diameter of 2.2 m and a length of 20 m. A large volume of the rock mass around the drift is taken into account by an axisymmetric model of 100 m radius and 100 m length. In fact, this model represents a cylindrical rock-buffer-system with the central axis of the containers, as shown in Figure 1. Some points are selected in the buffer and the rock along the radial line (dash yellow line) in the middle of the drift for recording HTM parameters with time. The display and analysis of the results at this paper are chiefly along this line. The simulation work has been divided to two time steps. At the first step, the drift excavation and ventilation is simulated by reducing the stress normal to the drift wall down to zero and circulating gas along the drift wall with relative humidity of 85 %. Following the drift excavation and ventilation, the HLW containers and the bentonite are emplaced in the drift as the second step of the simulation. This is simulated by simultaneously applying the initial conditions of the buffer and the decayed heat emitting from the waste containers as thermal boundary conditions. Two materials (Clay rock and bentonite buffer) are taken into account

  9. 2D and 3D finite element analysis of buffer-backfill interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leoni, M.

    2013-08-01

    Methods for backfilling and sealing of disposal tunnels in an underground repository for spent nuclear fuel are studied in cooperation between Finland (Posiva Oy) and Sweden (Svensk Kaernbraenslehantering AB, SKB) in 'BAckfilling and CLOsure of the deep repository' (Baclo) programme. Baclo phase III included modelling task force SP1: Finite element modelling of deformation of the backfill due to swelling of the buffer. The objective of the finite element modelling of the backfill was to study the interaction between the buffer and backfilling. The calculations aimed to find out how large deformations can happen in the buffer-backfill interface causing loosening of the buffer bentonite above the canister. The criterion used was that the saturated density of the buffer right above the canister should be higher than 1990 kg/m 3 . This report presents the results of finite element numerical analyses carried out by Wesi Geotecnica Srl. The modelling calculations were conducted with the so-called OL1-2 deposition tunnel geometry (Juvankoski 2009). Several parameters have been considered, varying from geometry variations to different mechanical constitutive models for different components of the model. In all analyses it has been assumed that the buffer material is fully saturated, thus exerting the isotropic swelling pressure estimated in the range 7 MPa .. 15 MPa, against a fully-dry backfill, which is no doubt the 'worst case scenario' with the highest risk to lead in decrease in dry density of the buffer. Friedland clay has been considered for backfill blocks and 30/70 mixture for foundation bed on which backfill blocks are installed. Preliminarily, finite element analyses have been performed with newly released PLAXIS 2D 2010 within the assumption of axial symmetry, the purpose of this first set of calculations being the evaluation of most relevant parameters influencing the deformations of buffer material. Hence, full 3D calculations have been performed with PLAXIS

  10. Using fluorescent dyes as proxies to study herbicide removal by sorption in buffer zones.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dollinger, Jeanne; Dagès, Cécile; Voltz, Marc

    2017-04-01

    The performance of buffer zones for removing pesticides from runoff water varies greatly according to landscape settings, hydraulic regime, and system design. Evaluating the performance of buffers for a range of pesticides and environmental conditions can be very expensive. Recent studies suggested that the fluorescent dyes uranine and sulforhodamine B could be used as cost-effective surrogates of herbicides to evaluate buffer performance. However, while transformation mechanisms in buffers have been extensively documented, sorption processes of both dyes have rarely been investigated. In this study, we measured the adsorption, desorption, and kinetic sorption coefficients of uranine and sulforhodamine B for a diverse range of buffer zone materials (soils, litters, plants) and compared the adsorption coefficients (Kd) to those of selected herbicides. We also compared the global sorption capacity of 6 ditches, characterized by varying proportions of the aforementioned materials, between both dyes and a set of four herbicides using the sorption-induced pesticide retention indicator (SPRI). We found that both the individual Kd of uranine for the diverse buffer materials and the global sorption capacity of the ditches are equivalent to those of the herbicides diuron, isoproturon, and metolachlor. The Kd of sulforhodamine B on plants and soils are equivalent to those of glyphosate, and the global sorption capacities of the ditches are equivalent for both molecules. Hence, we demonstrate for the first time that uranine can be used as a proxy of moderately hydrophobic herbicides to evaluate the performance of buffer systems, whereas sulforhodamine B can serve as a proxy for more strongly sorbing herbicides.

  11. Novel nuclei isolation buffer for flow cytometric genome size estimation of Zingiberaceae: a comparison with common isolation buffers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadhu, Abhishek; Bhadra, Sreetama; Bandyopadhyay, Maumita

    2016-11-01

    Cytological parameters such as chromosome numbers and genome sizes of plants are used routinely for studying evolutionary aspects of polyploid plants. Members of Zingiberaceae show a wide range of inter- and intrageneric variation in their reproductive habits and ploidy levels. Conventional cytological study in this group of plants is severely hampered by the presence of diverse secondary metabolites, which also affect their genome size estimation using flow cytometry. None of the several nuclei isolation buffers used in flow cytometry could be used very successfully for members of Zingiberaceae to isolate good quality nuclei from both shoot and root tissues. The competency of eight nuclei isolation buffers was compared with a newly formulated buffer, MB01, in six different genera of Zingiberaceae based on the fluorescence intensity of propidium iodide-stained nuclei using flow cytometric parameters, namely coefficient of variation of the G 0 /G 1 peak, debris factor and nuclei yield factor. Isolated nuclei were studied using fluorescence microscopy and bio-scanning electron microscopy to analyse stain-nuclei interaction and nuclei topology, respectively. Genome contents of 21 species belonging to these six genera were determined using MB01. Flow cytometric parameters showed significant differences among the analysed buffers. MB01 exhibited the best combination of analysed parameters; photomicrographs obtained from fluorescence and electron microscopy supported the superiority of MB01 buffer over other buffers. Among the 21 species studied, nuclear DNA contents of 14 species are reported for the first time. Results of the present study substantiate the enhanced efficacy of MB01, compared to other buffers tested, in the generation of acceptable cytograms from all species of Zingiberaceae studied. Our study facilitates new ways of sample preparation for further flow cytometric analysis of genome size of other members belonging to this highly complex polyploid family

  12. A THEORETICAL DISCUSSION OF THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF BUFFER STOCKS AND BUFFER FUNDS

    OpenAIRE

    Simmons, Phil

    1988-01-01

    It has been established that the absence of risk markets justifies market intervention in principle. The form of intervention that has been discussed most widely in the literature is the buffer stock. This paper points out that other forms of intervention, specifically buffer funds, are likely to perform better. The analysis shows that buffer funds are likely to outperform buffer stocks because they address market failure more directly. A sub-theme developed in this paper is that since buffer...

  13. Portable Thermoelectric Power Generator Coupled with Phase Change Material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lim Chong C.

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Solar is the intermittent source of renewable energy and all thermal solar systems having a setback on non-functioning during the night and cloudy environment. This paper presents alternative solution for power generation using thermoelectric which is the direct conversion of temperature gradient of hot side and cold side of thermoelectric material to electric voltage. Phase change material with latent heat effect would help to prolong the temperature gradient across thermoelectric material for power generation. Besides, the concept of portability will enable different power source like solar, wasted heat from air conditioner, refrigerator, stove etc, i.e. to create temperature different on thermoelectric material for power generation. Furthermore, thermoelectric will generate direct current which is used by all the gadgets like Smartphone, tablet, laptop etc. The portable concept of renewable energy will encourage the direct usage of renewable energy for portable gadgets. The working principle and design of portable thermoelectric power generator coupled with phase change material is presented in this paper.

  14. Minimize corrosion degradation of steam generator tube materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lu, Y.

    2006-01-01

    As part of a coordinated program, AECL is developing a set of tools to aid with the prediction and management of steam generator performance. Although stress corrosion cracking (of Alloy 800) has not been detected in any operating steam generator, for life management it is necessary to develop mechanistic models to predict the conditions under which stress corrosion cracking is plausible. Experimental data suggest that all steam generator tube materials are susceptible to corrosion degradation under some specific off-specification conditions. The tolerance to the chemistry upset for each steam generator tube alloy is different. Electrochemical corrosion behaviors of major steam generator tube alloys were studied under the plausible aggressive crevice chemistry conditions. The potential hazardous conditions leading to steam generator tube degradation and the conditions, which can minimize steam generator tube degradation have been determined. Recommended electrochemical corrosion potential/pH zones were defined for all major steam generator tube materials, including Alloys 600, 800, 690 and 400, under CANDU steam generator operating and startup conditions. Stress corrosion cracking tests and accelerated corrosion tests were carried out to verify and revise the recommended electrochemical corrosion potential/pH zones. Based on this information, utilities can prevent steam generator material degradation surprises by appropriate steam generator water chemistry management and increase the reliability of nuclear power generating stations. (author)

  15. Survival of bacteria in nuclear waste buffer materials. The influence of nutrients, temperature and water activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pedersen, K.; Motamedi, M.

    1995-12-01

    The concept of deep geological disposal of spent fuel is common to many national nuclear waste programs. Long-lived radioactive waste will be encapsulated in canisters made of corrosion resistant materials e.g. copper and buried several hundred meters below ground in a geological formation. Different types of compacted bentonite clay, or mixtures with sand, will be placed as a buffer around the waste canisters. A major concern for the performance of the canisters is that sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) may be present in the clay and induce corrosion by production of hydrogen sulphide. This report presents data on viable counts of SRB in the bedrock of Aespoe hard rock laboratory. A theoretical background on the concept water activity is given, together with basic information about SRB. Some results on microbial populations from a full scale buffer test in Canada is presented. These results suggested water activity to be a strong limiting factor for survival of bacteria in compacted bentonite. As a consequence, experiments were set up to investigate the effect from water activity on survival of SRB in bentonite. Here we show that survival of SRB in bentonite depends on the availability of water and that compacting a high quality bentonite to a density of 2.0 g/cm 3 , corresponding to a water activity (a w ) of 0.96, prevented SRB from surviving in the clay. 24 refs

  16. The new generation of packing materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malikov, T.S.; Dzhonmurodov, A.S.; Usmanova, S.R.; Teshaev, Kh.I.; Mukhidinov, Z.K.

    2016-01-01

    Present article is devoted to new generation of packing materials. The methods of extraction and investigation of component composition and properties of whey protein, zein, carboxymethylcellulose, hyaluronic acid and pectins were elaborated in order to further application them in pharmaceutical industry as composite materials and for capsulation of medicines.

  17. COMBINATIONS OF BUFFER-STOCKS AND BUFFER-FUNDS FOR WOOL PRICE STABILISATION IN AUSTRALIA

    OpenAIRE

    Moir, Brian; Piggott, Roley R.

    1991-01-01

    In this paper a preliminary analysis is presented of a combined buffer-fund and buffer-stock as an alternative to a pure buffer-fund or a pure buffer stock for stabilising wool prices. The alternatives analysed are designed so that each provides the same prices to producers as did the Reserve Price Scheme over the period of analysis. Least-cost combinations of policy instruments are derived. The results show that there is considerable potential for cost savings to be made by combining buffer-...

  18. One Generation of New Material, One Generation of New Type Engine:Development Trend of Aero-engine and Its Requirements for Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LIU Da-xiang

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Based on the brief review of accelerated developing status of aircraft power technology in the world, the present status and developing trend of key materials technology for aero-engine were analyzed. In accordance with the idea of "one generation of new material, one generation of new type engine", development requirements for the materials technology of the system and main parts of aero-engine were proposed. Suggestions for improving development and application level of the materials technology in China were presented from aspects of quality stability and technical maturity, investigation and verification for engineering, materials system and data, composite materials, airworthiness certificate,etc.

  19. A novel, environmentally friendly sodium lauryl ether sulfate-, cocamidopropyl betaine-, cocamide monoethanolamine-containing buffer for MEKC on microfluidic devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoeman, Kurt W; Culbertson, Christopher T

    2008-12-01

    A new buffer has been developed for fast, high-efficiency separations of amino acids by MEKC. This buffer was more environmentally friendly than the most commonly used surfactant-containing buffers for MEKC separations. It used a commercially available dishwashing soap by Seventh Generation (Burlington, VT, USA), which contained three micelle-forming agents. The mixed micelles were composed of sodium lauryl ether sulfate (anionic), cocamidopropyl betaine (zwitterionic), and cocamide monoethanolamine (non-ionic). The optimized buffer contained 5.0% w/w Seventh Generation Free & Clear dishwashing soap, 10 mM sodium borate, and was completely void of organics. The lack of organics and the biodegradability of the surfactant molecules made this buffer more environmentally friendly than typical SDS-containing buffers. This new buffer also had a different selectivity and provided faster separations with higher separation efficiencies than SDS-based buffers. Fast separations of BODIPY FL labeled amino acids yielded peaks with separation efficiencies greater than 100,000 in less than 20 s.

  20. Review—Organic Materials for Thermoelectric Energy Generation

    KAUST Repository

    Cowen, Lewis M.; Atoyo, Jonathan; Carnie, Matthew J.; Baran, Derya; Schroeder, Bob C.

    2017-01-01

    Organic semiconductor materials have been promising alternatives to their inorganic counterparts in several electronic applications such as solar cells, light emitting diodes, field effect transistors as well as thermoelectric generators. Their low cost, light weight and flexibility make them appealing in future applications such as foldable electronics and wearable circuits using printing techniques. In this report, we present a mini-review on the organic materials that have been used for thermoelectric energy generation.

  1. Review—Organic Materials for Thermoelectric Energy Generation

    KAUST Repository

    Cowen, Lewis M.

    2017-01-29

    Organic semiconductor materials have been promising alternatives to their inorganic counterparts in several electronic applications such as solar cells, light emitting diodes, field effect transistors as well as thermoelectric generators. Their low cost, light weight and flexibility make them appealing in future applications such as foldable electronics and wearable circuits using printing techniques. In this report, we present a mini-review on the organic materials that have been used for thermoelectric energy generation.

  2. Organellar Calcium Buffers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prins, Daniel; Michalak, Marek

    2011-01-01

    Ca2+ is an important intracellular messenger affecting many diverse processes. In eukaryotic cells, Ca2+ storage is achieved within specific intracellular organelles, especially the endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum, in which Ca2+ is buffered by specific proteins known as Ca2+ buffers. Ca2+ buffers are a diverse group of proteins, varying in their affinities and capacities for Ca2+, but they typically also carry out other functions within the cell. The wide range of organelles containing Ca2+ and the evidence supporting cross-talk between these organelles suggest the existence of a dynamic network of organellar Ca2+ signaling, mediated by a variety of organellar Ca2+ buffers. PMID:21421925

  3. Chemical buffering capacity of clay rock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beaucaire, C.; Pearson, F.J.; Gautschi, A.

    2004-01-01

    The long-term performance of a nuclear waste repository is strongly dependent on the chemical properties of the host rock. The host rock establishes the chemical environment that determines such important performance attributes as radionuclide solubilities from the waste and the transport rates from the repository to the accessible environment. Clay-rich rocks are especially favourable host rocks because they provide a strong buffering capacity to resist chemical changes prompted either internally, by reactions of the waste itself and emplacement materials, or externally, by changes in the hydrologic systems surrounding the host rock. This paper will focus on three aspects of the stability of clay-rich host rocks: their ability to provide pCO 2 and redox buffering, and to resist chemical changes imposed by changes in regional hydrology and hydro-chemistry. (authors)

  4. Processing and analysis techniques involving in-vessel material generation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schabron, John F [Laramie, WY; Rovani, Jr., Joseph F.

    2012-09-25

    In at least one embodiment, the inventive technology relates to in-vessel generation of a material from a solution of interest as part of a processing and/or analysis operation. Preferred embodiments of the in-vessel material generation (e.g., in-vessel solid material generation) include precipitation; in certain embodiments, analysis and/or processing of the solution of interest may include dissolution of the material, perhaps as part of a successive dissolution protocol using solvents of increasing ability to dissolve. Applications include, but are by no means limited to estimation of a coking onset and solution (e.g., oil) fractionating.

  5. Introducing buffer inventories in the RBD analysis of process production systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Macchi, Marco; Kristjanpoller, Fredy; Garetti, Marco; Arata, Adolfo; Fumagalli, Luca

    2012-01-01

    The throughput analysis is an important issue for the design and operations management of process production lines. The throughput of a line depends on the availability and nominal throughput of its machines. Further on, it is influenced by the accumulation process of production material stocked into buffers along the line; hence, the buffer inventory level is also a relevant variable that has to be considered when assessing the throughput of the line. The present paper is particularly concerned with using such an assessment for supporting maintenance decisions. The buffer inventory level should provide the proper isolation time before the buffer becomes empty, so that, during this time, a maintenance intervention can be carried on at a failed machine upward, without causing a propagation of the effect of the failure in the machines downward (the so called ‘material starvation’). Alike, it should guarantee the proper isolation time before reaching the complete utilisation of the buffer capacity, so that also during this time a maintenance intervention is possible at a failed machine downward without causing a propagation of the effect of the failure in the machines upward (the so called ‘blocking of production’). This strategy is particularly interesting in the process industry where the capital cost of equipment is high and the holding cost of material is low. Hence, the isolation times before reaching ‘material starvation’ or ‘blocking of production’ have to be properly studied in order to make an accurate analysis of their effect on the throughput of the line. The present paper provides a model to this end, derived by extending the well known Reliability Block Diagram (RBD) method, currently used in the normal duties of a maintenance engineer. The usual RBD availability analysis is integrated by a state space analysis through which isolation times can be analysed. Besides, an empirical study – the case of a production line taken out from the

  6. Mechanical properties of buffer materials for repositories of high-level nuclear waste, 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komine, Hideo; Ogata, Nobuhide

    1993-01-01

    Compacted bentonites have attracted increasing attention as back filling (buffer) materials for repositories of high-level nuclear waste. However, since little has been known concerning the swelling characteristics of compacted bentonites, it is necessary to clarify the fundamental swelling characteristics and the quantitative evaluation on this characteristics is required. For this purpose, a theoretical model concerning the swelling characteristics (swelling deformation and swelling pressure) of compacted bentonites were developed. The following conclusions were drawn from this theoretical study; (1) The evaluation formula of the swelling characteristics of compacted bentonites based on the diffuse double layer theory has been proposed by combining the theoretical model and the theoretical equation to estimate the swelling characteristics of a crystal. (2) The applicability of the evaluation formula proposed in this study has been confirmed by the comparison of the experimental results with calculated results. The sensitivity of this evaluation formula has also been investigated to find that the swelling characteristics is strongly dependent on the ion concentration of pore water and on the montmorillonite content of bentonite. (author)

  7. Transfer buffer containing methanol can be reused multiple times in protein electrotransfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettegrew, Colin J; Jayini, Renuka; Islam, M Rafiq

    2009-04-01

    We investigated the feasibility of repeated use of transfer buffer containing methanol in electrotransfer of proteins from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels to polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane using a prestained protein marker of broad molecular sizes. Transfer of the antitumor protein p53 in HEK293T cell extracts, using fresh and used transfer buffer, followed by detection with anti-p53 antibody was also performed to test detectability in immunoblot. Results from these experiments indicate that the transfer buffer can be reused at least five times and maintain a similar extent of protein transfer to PVDF membrane. Repeated use of the transfer buffer containing methanol will significantly reduce the volume of hazardous waste generated and its disposal cost as well as its adverse effect on environment.

  8. Numerical analysis of the influence of buffer layer thickness on the residual stresses in YBCO/La2Zr2O7/Ni superconducting materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Celik, Erdal; Sayman, Onur; Karakuzu, Ramazan; Ozman, Yilmaz

    2007-01-01

    The present paper addresses a numerical investigation of the influence of buffer layer thickness on the residual stress in YBCO/La 2 Zr 2 O 7 /Ni architectured materials under cryogenic conditions by using classical lamination theory (CLT) and finite element method (FEM) for coated conductor applications. YBCO/La 2 Zr 2 O 7 multilayer films were fabricated on Ni tape substrate using reel-to-reel sol-gel and pulse laser deposition (PLD) systems. The microstructural evolution of high temperature superconducting YBCO film and buffer layers with La 2 Zr 2 O 7 configuration grown on textured Ni tape substrates was investigated by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Thermal stress analysis of YBCO/La 2 Zr 2 O 7 /Ni multilayer sample was performed by using CLT in the temperature range of 298-175 K in liquid helium media. The YBCO/La 2 Zr 2 O 7 /Ni sample strip was solved by using FEM for linear or nonlinear cases in the temperature range of 298-3 K in liquid helium media. SEM observations revealed that crack-free, pinhole-free, continuous superconducting film and buffer layer were obtained by sol-gel and PLD systems. In addition to microstructural observations, it was found that the largest compressive stresses and failure occur in La 2 Zr 2 O 7 buffer layer due to its smallest thermal expansion coefficient. The thickness of La 2 Zr 2 O 7 buffer layer affects the failure. The stress component of σ x is the smallest in Ni tape substrate due to its largest thickness

  9. Influence of pH and oxygen content of buffer solutions on the corrosion behaviour of metallic materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiedemann, K.H.

    1977-05-01

    The application of solutions to the decontamination of materials in nuclear installations is based on the condition that their corrosion behaviour is clearly understood. Since electrochemical corrosion is due to cathodic and anodic partial reactions which are influenced in different ways by the pH of the solution and the oxygen content it is suggested that the results of electrochemical experiments with buffer solutions be used as a model for predicting the corrosion behaviour of materials in other solutions. In the tests described here potentio-kinetic current-potential-curves have been traced and galvanic corrosion tests have been made. The results obtained in ascorbic acid, potassium hydrogen phthalate, ammonium citrate and acetate, sodium and potassium tartrate, ammonium hydrogen phosphate, sodium carbonate, hexamethylene tetramin, ethylene diamine enable - on the basis of summarized current-potential-curves - the metals studied to be classified in four groups characterized by clear differences concerning the influence of pH on the corrosion behaviour. (Auth.)

  10. ssDNA degradation along capillary electrophoresis process using a Tris buffer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ric, Audrey; Ong-Meang, Varravaddheay; Poinsot, Verena; Martins-Froment, Nathalie; Chauvet, Fabien; Boutonnet, Audrey; Ginot, Frédéric; Ecochard, Vincent; Paquereau, Laurent; Couderc, François

    2017-06-01

    Tris-Acetate buffer is currently used in the selection and the characterization of ssDNA by capillary electrophoresis (CE). By applying high voltage, the migration of ionic species into the capillary generates a current that induces water electrolysis. This phenomenon is followed by the modification of the pH and the production of Tris derivatives. By injecting ten times by capillary electrophoresis ssDNA (50 nM), the whole oligonucleotide was degraded. In this paper, we will show that the Tris buffer in the running vials is modified along the electrophoretic process by electrochemical reactions. We also observed that the composition of the metal ions changes in the running buffer vials. This phenomenon, never described in CE, is important for fluorescent ssDNA analysis using Tris buffer. The oligonucleotides are degraded by electrochemically synthesized species (present in the running Tris vials) until it disappears, even if the separation buffer in the capillary is clean. To address these issues, we propose to use a sodium phosphate buffer that we demonstrate to be electrochemically inactive. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Survival of bacteria in nuclear waste buffer materials. The influence of nutrients, temperature and water activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pedersen, K.; Motamedi, M. [Goeteborg Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of General and Marine Microbiology; Karnland, O. [Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden)

    1995-12-01

    The concept of deep geological disposal of spent fuel is common to many national nuclear waste programs. Long-lived radioactive waste will be encapsulated in canisters made of corrosion resistant materials e.g. copper and buried several hundred meters below ground in a geological formation. Different types of compacted bentonite clay, or mixtures with sand, will be placed as a buffer around the waste canisters. A major concern for the performance of the canisters is that sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) may be present in the clay and induce corrosion by production of hydrogen sulphide. This report presents data on viable counts of SRB in the bedrock of Aespoe hard rock laboratory. A theoretical background on the concept water activity is given, together with basic information about SRB. Some results on microbial populations from a full scale buffer test in Canada is presented. These results suggested water activity to be a strong limiting factor for survival of bacteria in compacted bentonite. As a consequence, experiments were set up to investigate the effect from water activity on survival of SRB in bentonite. Here we show that survival of SRB in bentonite depends on the availability of water and that compacting a high quality bentonite to a density of 2.0 g/cm{sup 3}, corresponding to a water activity (a{sub w}) of 0.96, prevented SRB from surviving in the clay. 24 refs.

  12. Evaluation of phyllosilicates as a buffer component in the disposal of nuclear fuel waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oscarson, D.W.; Cheung, S.C.H.

    1983-12-01

    The disposal concept now being assessed in the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management program entails the emplacement of containers with used fuel or fuel recycle waste deep in a stable plutonic formation, possibly in the Canadian Shield. One of the engineered barriers to radionuclide movement from the waste containers to the biosphere is a buffer material placed between the containers and the surrounding rock mass. An effective buffer material should have a combination of the following properties: low hydraulic conductivity and diffusivity for water and dissolved chemical species, a high sorption capacity for radionuclides, high thermal conductivity, sufficient physical strength to support the waste containers, and long-term stability under the conditions existing in a disposal vault. This report evaluates phyllosilicates for their effectiveness as potential buffer components. It concludes that bentonite, because of its high swelling potential, low hydraulic conductivity, low effective porosity, and high sorption capacity for many radionuclides, would be the most effective phyllosilicate for use as a buffer component

  13. Compact hematite buffer layer as a promoter of nanorod photoanode performances

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milan, R.; Cattarin, S.; Comisso, N.; Baratto, C.; Kaunisto, K.; Tkachenko, N. V.; Concina, I.

    2016-10-01

    The effect of a thin α-Fe2O3 compact buffer layer (BL) on the photoelectrochemical performances of a bare α-Fe2O3 nanorods photoanode is investigated. The BL is prepared through a simple spray deposition onto a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) conducting glass substrate before the growth of a α-Fe2O3 nanorods via a hydrothermal process. Insertion of the hematite BL between the FTO and the nanorods markedly enhances the generated photocurrent, by limiting undesired losses of photogenerated charges at the FTO||electrolyte interface. The proposed approach warrants a marked improvement of material performances, with no additional thermal treatment and no use/dispersion of rare or toxic species, in agreement with the principles of green chemistry.

  14. Coupled microrings data buffer using fast light

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheuer, Jacob; Shahriar, Selim

    2013-03-01

    We present a theoretical study of a trap-door optical buffer based on a coupled microrings add/drop filter (ADF) utilizing the white light cavity (WLC). The buffer "trap-door" can be opened and closed by tuning the resonances of the microrings comprising the ADF and trap/release optical pulses. We show that the WLC based ADF yields a maximally flat filter which exhibits superior performances in terms of bandwidth and flatness compared to previous design approaches. We also present a realistic, Silicon-over-Insulator based, design and performance analysis taking into consideration the realistic properties and limitations of the materials and the fabrication process, leading to delays exceeding 850ps for 80GHz bandwidth, and a corresponding delay-bandwidth product of approximately 70.

  15. Nuclear material accounting: The next generation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kern, E.A.; McRae, L.P.; O'Callaghan, P.B.; Yearsley, D.

    1992-07-01

    The Westinghouse Hanford company (Westinghouse Hanford) and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have undertaken a joint effort to develop a new generation material accounting system. The system will incorporate the latest advances in microcomputer hardware, software, and network technology. This system, the Local Area Network Material Accounting System (LANMAS), offers greater performance and functionality at a reduced overall cost. It also offers the possibility of establishing a standard among DOE and NRC facilities for material accounting. This report provides a discussion of this system

  16. Fatigue of graphite/epoxy buffer strip panels with center cracks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bigelow, C. A.

    1985-01-01

    The effects of fatigue loading on the behavior of graphite/epoxy panels with either S-Glass or Kevlar-49 buffer strips is studied. Buffer strip panels are fatigued and tested in tension to measure their residual strength with crack-like damage. Panels are made with 45/0/-45/90 sub 2s layup with either S-Glass or Kevlar-49 buffer strip material. The buffer strips are parallel to the loading direction and made by replacing narrow strips of the 0-degree graphite plies with strips of either 0-degree S-Glass/epoxy or Kevlar-49/epoxy on a one-for-one basis. The panels are subjected to a fatigue loading spectrum MINITWIST, the shortened version of the standardized load program for the wing lower surface of a transport aircraft. Two levels of maximum strain are used in the spectrum with three durations of the fatigue spectrum. One group of panels is preloaded prior to the application of the fatigue cycling. The preload consists of statistically loading the spectrum in tension until the crack-tip damage zone reaches the ajacent buffer strips. After fatigue loading, all specimens are statistically loaded in tension to failure to determine their residual strengths.

  17. Side Effect of Good's Buffers on Optical Properties of Gold Nanoparticle Solutions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Engelbrekt, Christian; Wagner, Michal; Undall-Behrend Christiansen, Mikkel

    2016-01-01

    spectroscopy. Distinct absorption features at ca. 290 and 360 nm and fluorescence emission in the 408-484 nm range are observed in filtered AuNP-free solutions. Electrochemical oxidation of these buffers generates similar optical properties, suggesting that the degradation products of the buffers contribute...... to the optical properties of AuNP solutions. This work indicates deeper evaluation of fluorescence signals based on metal NPs or NCs is needed....

  18. Materials-based process tolerances for neutron generator encapsulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berry, Ryan S.; Adolf, Douglas Brian; Stavig, Mark Edwin

    2007-01-01

    Variations in the neutron generator encapsulation process can affect functionality. However, instead of following the historical path in which the effects of process variations are assessed directly through functional tests, this study examines how material properties key to generator functionality correlate with process variations. The results of this type of investigation will be applicable to all generators and can provide insight on the most profitable paths to process and material improvements. Surprisingly, the results at this point imply that the process is quite robust, and many of the current process tolerances are perhaps overly restrictive. The good news lies in the fact that our current process ensures reproducible material properties. The bad new lies in the fact that it would be difficult to solve functional problems by changes in the process

  19. Materials-based process tolerances for neutron generator encapsulation.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berry, Ryan S.; Adolf, Douglas Brian; Stavig, Mark Edwin

    2007-10-01

    Variations in the neutron generator encapsulation process can affect functionality. However, instead of following the historical path in which the effects of process variations are assessed directly through functional tests, this study examines how material properties key to generator functionality correlate with process variations. The results of this type of investigation will be applicable to all generators and can provide insight on the most profitable paths to process and material improvements. Surprisingly, the results at this point imply that the process is quite robust, and many of the current process tolerances are perhaps overly restrictive. The good news lies in the fact that our current process ensures reproducible material properties. The bad new lies in the fact that it would be difficult to solve functional problems by changes in the process.

  20. Two-Buffer Simulation Games

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milka Hutagalung

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available We consider simulation games played between Spoiler and Duplicator on two Büchi automata in which the choices made by Spoiler can be buffered by Duplicator in two different buffers before she executes them on her structure. Previous work on such games using a single buffer has shown that they are useful to approximate language inclusion problems. We study the decidability and complexity and show that games with two buffers can be used to approximate corresponding problems on finite transducers, i.e. the inclusion problem for rational relations over infinite words.

  1. The importance of moisture buffering for indoor climate and energy conditions of buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rode, Carsten; Grau, Karl

    2007-01-01

    A new Nordic test method specifies a test protocol for determination of the so-called Moisture Buffer Value (MBV) of building materials. But how important is moisture buffering to determine the indoor humidity condition of buildings? The paper will present the new MBV-definition. Although...... buffering to save energy by reducing the requirement for ventilation in periods, and still maintain the same quality of the indoor climate? The paper will outline some possibilities for analytical/numerical calculations, and will answer some of the posed questions on the probable benefit of taking moisture...

  2. Emplacement of small and large buffer blocks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saari, H.; Nikula, M.; Suikki, M.

    2010-05-01

    The report describes emplacement of a buffer structure encircling a spent fuel canister to be deposited in a vertical hole. The report deals with installability of various size blocks and with an emplacement gear, as well as evaluates the achieved quality of emplacement and the time needed for installing the buffer. Two block assembly of unequal size were chosen for examination. A first option involved small blocks, the use of which resulted in a buffer structure consisting of small sector blocks 200 mm in height. A second option involved large blocks, resulting in a buffer structure which consists of eight blocks. In these tests, the material chosen for both block options was concrete instead of bentonite. The emplacement test was a three-phase process. A first phase included stacking a two meter high buffer structure with small blocks for ensuring the operation of test equipment and blocks. A second phase included installing buffer structures with both block options to a height matching that of a canister-encircling cylindrical component. A third phase included testing also the installability of blocks to be placed above the canister by using small blocks. In emplacement tests, special attention was paid to the installability of blocks as well as to the time required for emplacement. Lifters for both blocks worked well. Due to the mass to be lifted, the lifter for large blocks had a more heavy-duty frame structure (and other lifting gear). The employed lifters were suspended in the tests on a single steel wire rope. Stacking was managed with both block sizes at adequate precision and stacked-up towers were steady. The stacking of large blocks was considerably faster. Therefore it is probably that the overall handling of the large blocks will be more convenient at a final disposal site. From the standpoint of reliability in lifting, the small blocks were safer to install above the canister. In large blocks, there are strict shape-related requirements which are

  3. Simulation Study on Material Property of Cantilever Piezoelectric Vibration Generator

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yan Zhen

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available For increasing generating capacity of cantilever piezoelectric vibration generator with limited volume, relation between output voltage, inherent frequency and material parameter of unimorph, bimorph in series type and bimorph in parallel type piezoelectric vibration generator is analyzed respectively by mechanical model and finite element modeling. The results indicate PZT-4, PZT- 5A and PZT-5H piezoelectric materials and stainless steel, nickel alloy substrate material should be firstly chosen.

  4. In-situ experiments on bentonite-based buffer and sealing materials at the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wieczorek, K. [Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) GmbH, Braunschweig (Germany); Gaus, I. [National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA), Wettingen (Switzerland); Mayor, J. C. [Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radiactivos SA (ENRESA), Madrid (Spain); and others

    2017-04-15

    Repository concepts in clay or crystalline rock involve bentonite-based buffer or seal systems to provide containment of the waste and limit advective flow. A thorough understanding of buffer and seal evolution is required to make sure the safety functions are fulfilled in the short and long term. Experiments at the real or near-real scale taking into account the interaction with the host rock help to make sure the safety-relevant processes are identified and understood and to show that laboratory-scale findings can be extrapolated to repository scale. Three large-scale experiments on buffer and seal properties performed in recent years at the Mont Terri rock laboratory are presented in this paper: The 1:2 scale HE-E heater experiment which is currently in operation, and the full-scale engineered barrier experiment and the Borehole Seal experiment which have been completed successfully in 2014 and 2012, respectively. All experiments faced considerable difficulties during installation, operation, evaluation or dismantling that required significant effort to overcome. The in situ experiments show that buffer and seal elements can be constructed meeting the expectations raised through small-scale testing. It was, however, also shown that interaction with the host rock caused additional effects in the buffer or seal that could not always be quantified or even anticipated from the experience of small-scale tests (such as re-saturation by pore-water from the rock, interaction with the excavation damaged zone in terms of preferential flow or mechanical effects). This led to the conclusion that testing of the integral system buffer/rock or seal/rock is needed. (authors)

  5. Radiolytic gas generation in plutonium contaminated waste materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kazanjian, A.R.

    1976-01-01

    Many plutonium contaminated waste materials decompose into gaseous products because of exposure to alpha radiation. The gases generated (usually hydrogen) over long-storage periods may create hazardous conditions. To determine the extent of such hazards, knowing the gas generation yields is necessary. These yields were measured by contacting some common Rocky Flats Plant waste materials with plutonium and monitoring the enclosed atmospheres for extensive periods of time. The materials were Plexiglas, polyvinyl chloride, glove-box gloves, machining oil, carbon tetrachloride, chlorothene VG solvent, Kimwipes (dry and wet), polyethylene, Dowex-1 resin, and surgeon's gloves. Both 239 Pu oxide and 238 Pu oxide were used as radiation sources. The gas analyses were made by mass spectrometry and the results obtained were the total gas generation, the hydrogen generation, the oxygen consumption rate, and the gas composition over the entire storage period. Hydrogen was the major gas produced in most of the materials. The total gas yields varied from 0.71 to 16 cm 3 (standard temperature pressure) per day per curie of plutonium. The oxygen consumption rates varied from 0.0088 to 0.070 millimoles per day per gram of plutonium oxide-239 and from 0.0014 to 0.0051 millimoles per day per milligram 238 Pu

  6. Moisture buffering and its consequence in whole building hygrothermal modeling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rode, Carsten; Grau, Karl

    2008-01-01

    Moisture absorption and desorption of materials in contact with indoor air of buildings can be used as a passive, i.e., nonmechanical, way to moderate the variation of indoor humidity. This phenomenon, which is recognized as,moisture buffering', could potentially be used as an attractive feature...... for ventilation if indoor humidity is a parameter for controlling ventilation rate, 2. it is possible to improve the perceived acceptability of indoor air, as judged by the temperature and humidity of the air, by using moisture buffering to control the indoor humidity. The results of the whole building...

  7. Fluorine 18 in tritium generator ceramic materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jimenez-Becerril, J.; Bosch, P.; Bulbulian, S.

    1992-01-01

    At present time, the ceramic materials generators of tritium are very interesting mainly by the necessity of to found an adequate product for its application as fusion reactor shielding. The important element that must contain the ceramic material is the lithium and especially the isotope with mass=6. The tritium in these materials is generated by neutron irradiation, however, when the ceramic material contains oxygen, then is generated too fluorine 18 by the action of energetic atoms of tritium in recoil on the 16 O, as it is showed in the next reactions: 1) 6 Li (n, α) 3 H ; 2) 16 O( 3 H, n) 18 F . In the present work was studied the LiAlO 2 and the Li 2 O. The first was prepared in the laboratory and the second was used such as it is commercially expended. In particular the interest of this work is to study the chemical behavior of fluorine-18, since if it would be mixed with tritium it could be contaminate the fusion reactor fuel. The ceramic materials were irradiated with neutrons and also the chemical form of fluorine-18 produced was studied. It was determined the amount of fluorine-18 liberated by the irradiated materials when they were submitted to extraction with helium currents and argon-hydrogen mixtures and also it was investigated the possibility about the fluorine-18 was volatilized then it was mixed so with the tritium. Finally it was founded that the liberated amount of fluorine-18 depends widely of the experimental conditions, such as the temperature and the hydrogen amount in the mixture of dragging gas. (Author)

  8. Buffer layer investigations on MFIS capacitors consisting of ferroelectric poly[vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Henkel, K; Seime, B; Paloumpa, I; Mueller, K; Schmeisser, D

    2010-01-01

    In this paper we present capacitance-voltage (CV) measurements on metal-ferroelectric-insulator-semiconductor (MFIS) capacitors with poly[vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene] (P[VDF/TrFE] as ferroelectric layer and SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 and HfO 2 as buffering insulator layer. In order to discuss our data in a quantitative manner we perform fits to the data based on a model proposed by Miller and McWorther. The improvement of the polarization values and subsequently its effect on the hysteresis of the CV curve by the successive shrinking of the buffer layer thickness and the following choice of a high-k buffer material is demonstrated. Our data underline that a saturated polarization of P[VDF/TrFE] cannot be controlled with a SiO 2 buffer layer and the insertion of a high-k buffer layer is essential for further improvements of the characteristics of MFIS stacks.

  9. Considerations in selecting tubing materials for CANDU steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hemmings, R.L.

    1978-01-01

    Corrosion resistance is the major consideration in selecting tubing material for CANDU steam generators. Corrosion, and additional considerations, lead to the following steam generator tubing material recommendations: for CANDU-BPHWR's (boiling pressurized heavy water reactors) low-cobalt Incoloy-800; for CANDU-PHWR's (pressurized, non-boiling, heavy water reactors), low-cobalt Monel-400

  10. Dry shrinkage characteristics of buffer materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Suzuki, H. [ITC, Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan); Fujita, A.

    1999-03-01

    Generation of cracks due to drying of compressed bentonite was observed by changing the initial water content to obtain shrinkage constants such as shrinkage limit and shrinking rate. As a result, generation of practically no cracks was observed when the initial water content of samples was below 13%. The volume change due to drying increased with the water content in the sample, and the shrinkage constants were found to depend on the initial water content. Further, the one-dimensional compression strength after drying was compared with that before drying in order to clarify the effect of cracks generated by drying on the mechanical strength. As a result, the dry sample with cracks proved to have large one-dimensional compression strength or E{sub 50} compared to wet samples, so that the mechanical strength was kept even after drying. (H. Baba)

  11. Biochar contribution to soil pH buffer capacity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tonutare, Tonu; Krebstein, Kadri; Utso, Maarius; Rodima, Ako; Kolli, Raimo; Shanskiy, Merrit

    2014-05-01

    Biochar as ecologically clean and stable form of carbon has complex of physical and chemical properties which make it a potentially powerful soil amendment (Mutezo, 2013). Therefore during the last decade the biochar application as soil amendment has been a matter for a great number of investigations. For the ecological viewpoint the trend of decreasing of soil organic matter in European agricultural land is a major problem. Society is faced with the task to find possibilities to stabilize or increase soil organic matter content in soil and quality. The availability of different functional groups (e.g. carboxylic, phenolic, acidic, alcoholic, amine, amide) allows soil organic matter to buffer over a wide range of soil pH values (Krull et al. 2004). Therefore the loss of soil organic matter also reduces cation exchange capacity resulting in lower nutrient retention (Kimetu et al. 2008). Biochar can retain elements in soil directly through the negative charge that develops on its surfaces, and this negative charge can buffer acidity in the soil. There are lack of investigations about the effect of biochar to soil pH buffering properties, The aim of our investigation was to investigate the changes in soil pH buffer capacity in a result of addition of carbonizated material to temperate region soils. In the experiment different kind of softwood biochars, activated carbon and different soil types with various organic matter and pH were used. The study soils were Albeluvisols, Leptosols, Cambisols, Regosols and Histosols . In the experiment the series of the soil: biochar mixtures with the biochar content 0 to 100% were used. The times of equiliberation between solid and liquid phase were from 1 to 168 hours. The suspension of soil: biochar mixtures was titrated with HCl solution. The titration curves were established and pH buffer capacities were calculated for the pH interval from 3.0 to 10.0. The results demonstrate the dependence of pH buffer capacity from soil type

  12. 21 CFR 520.1696a - Buffered penicillin powder, penicillin powder with buffered aqueous diluent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Buffered penicillin powder, penicillin powder with... FORM NEW ANIMAL DRUGS § 520.1696a Buffered penicillin powder, penicillin powder with buffered aqueous diluent. (a) Specifications. When reconstituted, each milliliter contains penicillin G procaine equivalent...

  13. Nordic Nuclear Materials Forum for Generation IV Reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anghel, C. (Studsvik Nuclear AB, Nykoeping (Sweden)); Penttilae, S. (Technical Research Centre of Finland, VTT (Finland))

    2010-03-15

    A network for material issues for Generation IV nuclear power has been initiated within the Nordic countries. The objectives of the Generation IV Nordic Nuclear Materials Forum (NOMAGE4) are to put the basis of a sustainable forum for Gen IV issues, especially focussing on fuels, cladding, structural materials and coolant interaction. Other issues include reactor physics, dynamics and diagnostics, core and fuel design. The present report summarizes the work performed during the year 2009. The efforts made include identification of organisations involved in Gen IV issues in the Nordic countries, update of the forum website, http://www.studsvik.se/GenerationIV, and investigation of capabilities for research within the area of Gen IV. Within the NOMAGE4 project a seminar on Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems has been organized during 15-16th of October 2009. The aim of the seminar was to provide a forum for exchange of information, discussion on future research needs and networking of experts on Generation IV reactor concepts. As an outcome of the NOMAGE4, a few collaboration project proposals have been prepared/planned in 2009. The network was welcomed by the European Commission and was mentioned as an exemplary network with representatives from industries, universities, power companies and research institutes. NOMAGE4 has been invited to participate to the 'European Energy Research Alliance, EERA, workshop for nuclear structural materials' http://www.eera-set.eu/index.php?index=41 as external observers. Future plans include a new Nordic application for continuation of NOMAGE4 network. (author)

  14. Nordic Nuclear Materials Forum for Generation IV Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anghel, C.; Penttilae, S.

    2010-03-01

    A network for material issues for Generation IV nuclear power has been initiated within the Nordic countries. The objectives of the Generation IV Nordic Nuclear Materials Forum (NOMAGE4) are to put the basis of a sustainable forum for Gen IV issues, especially focussing on fuels, cladding, structural materials and coolant interaction. Other issues include reactor physics, dynamics and diagnostics, core and fuel design. The present report summarizes the work performed during the year 2009. The efforts made include identification of organisations involved in Gen IV issues in the Nordic countries, update of the forum website, http://www.studsvik.se/GenerationIV, and investigation of capabilities for research within the area of Gen IV. Within the NOMAGE4 project a seminar on Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems has been organized during 15-16th of October 2009. The aim of the seminar was to provide a forum for exchange of information, discussion on future research needs and networking of experts on Generation IV reactor concepts. As an outcome of the NOMAGE4, a few collaboration project proposals have been prepared/planned in 2009. The network was welcomed by the European Commission and was mentioned as an exemplary network with representatives from industries, universities, power companies and research institutes. NOMAGE4 has been invited to participate to the 'European Energy Research Alliance, EERA, workshop for nuclear structural materials' http://www.eera-set.eu/index.php?index=41 as external observers. Future plans include a new Nordic application for continuation of NOMAGE4 network. (author)

  15. An assessment of strontium sorption onto bentonite buffer material in waste repository.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pathak, Pankaj

    2017-03-01

    In the present study, changes occurring in sorption characteristics of a representative bentonite (WIn-BT) exposed to SrCl 2 (0.001-0.1 M) under the pH range of 1-13 were investigated. Such interaction revealed a significant variation in surface charge density and binding energy of ions with respect to bentonite, and alteration in their physicochemical properties viz., specific surface area, cation exchange capacity, thermal and mechanical behaviour were observed. The distribution coefficients (k d ) calculated for sorption onto virgin (UCBT) and contaminated bentonite (CBT) indicated a greater influence of mineralogical changes occurred with variance of pH and strontium concentration. Notably, the sorption mechanism clearly elucidates the effect of structural negative charge and existence of anionic metal species onto CBT, and depicted the reason behind significant k d values at highly acidic and alkaline pH. The maximum k d of UCBT and CBT (0.001M SrCl2) were 8.99 and 2.92 L/kg, respectively, at the soil pH 8.5; whereas it was 2.37 and 1.23 L/kg at pH 1 for the CBT (0.1M SrCl2) and CBT (0.01M SrCl2) , respectively. The findings of this study can be useful to identify the physicochemical parameters of candidate buffer material and sorption reversibility in waste repository.

  16. Material challenges for the next generation of fission reactor systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buckthorpe, Derek

    2010-01-01

    The new generation of fission reactor systems wil require the deployment and construction of a series of advanced water cooled reactors as part of a package of measures to meet UK and European energy needs and to provide a near term non-fossil fuel power solution that addresses CO 2 emission limits. In addition new longer term Generation IV reactor tye systems are being developed and evaluated to enhance safety, reliability, sustainability economics and proliferation resistance requirements and to meet alternative energy applications (outside of electricity generation) such as process heat and large scale hydrogen generation. New fission systems will impose significant challenges on materials supply and development. In the near term, because of the need to 'gear up' to large scale construction after decades of industrial hibernation/contraction and, in the longer term, because of the need for materials to operate under more challenging environments requiring the deployment and development of new alternative materials not yet established to an industrial stage. This paper investigates the materials challenges imposed by the new Generation III+ and Generation IV systems. These include supply and fabrication issues, development of new high temperature alloys and non-metallic materials, the use of new methods of manufacture and the best use of currently available resources and minerals. Recommendations are made as to how these materials challenges might be met and how governments, industry, manufacturers and researchers can all play their part. (orig.)

  17. Material challenges for the next generation of fission reactor systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Buckthorpe, Derek [AMEC, Knutsford, Cheshire (United Kingdom)

    2010-07-01

    The new generation of fission reactor systems wil require the deployment and construction of a series of advanced water cooled reactors as part of a package of measures to meet UK and European energy needs and to provide a near term non-fossil fuel power solution that addresses CO{sub 2} emission limits. In addition new longer term Generation IV reactor tye systems are being developed and evaluated to enhance safety, reliability, sustainability economics and proliferation resistance requirements and to meet alternative energy applications (outside of electricity generation) such as process heat and large scale hydrogen generation. New fission systems will impose significant challenges on materials supply and development. In the near term, because of the need to 'gear up' to large scale construction after decades of industrial hibernation/contraction and, in the longer term, because of the need for materials to operate under more challenging environments requiring the deployment and development of new alternative materials not yet established to an industrial stage. This paper investigates the materials challenges imposed by the new Generation III+ and Generation IV systems. These include supply and fabrication issues, development of new high temperature alloys and non-metallic materials, the use of new methods of manufacture and the best use of currently available resources and minerals. Recommendations are made as to how these materials challenges might be met and how governments, industry, manufacturers and researchers can all play their part. (orig.)

  18. Improving Water Quality With Conservation Buffers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowrance, R.; Dabney, S.; Schultz, R.

    2003-12-01

    Conservation buffer technologies are new approaches that need wider application. In-field buffer practices work best when used in combination with other buffer types and other conservation practices. Vegetative barriers may be used in combination with edge-of-field buffers to protect and improve their function and longevity by dispersing runoff and encouraging sediment deposition upslope of the buffer. It's important to understand how buffers can be managed to help reduce nutrient transport potential for high loading of nutrients from manure land application sites, A restored riparian wetland buffer retained or removed at least 59 percent of the nitrogen and 66 percent of the phosphorus that entered from an adjacent manure land application site. The Bear Creek National Restoration Demonstration Watershed project in Iowa has been the site of riparian forest buffers and filter strips creation; constructed wetlands to capture tile flow; stream-bank bioengineering; in-stream structures; and controlling livestock grazing. We need field studies that test various widths of buffers of different plant community compositions for their efficacy in trapping surface runoff, reducing nonpoint source pollutants in subsurface waters, and enhancing the aquatic ecosystem. Research is needed to evaluate the impact of different riparian grazing strategies on channel morphology, water quality, and the fate of livestock-associated pathogens and antibiotics. Integrating riparian buffers and other conservation buffers into these models is a key objective in future model development.

  19. Material for electrodes of low temperature plasma generators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caplan, Malcolm; Vinogradov, Sergel Evge'evich; Ribin, Valeri Vasil'evich; Shekalov, Valentin Ivanovich; Rutberg, Philip Grigor'evich; Safronov, Alexi Anatol'evich

    2008-12-09

    Material for electrodes of low temperature plasma generators. The material contains a porous metal matrix impregnated with a material emitting electrons. The material uses a mixture of copper and iron powders as a porous metal matrix and a Group IIIB metal component such as Y.sub.2O.sub.3 is used as a material emitting electrons at, for example, the proportion of the components, mass %: iron: 3-30; Y.sub.2O.sub.3:0.05-1; copper: the remainder. Copper provides a high level of heat conduction and electric conductance, iron decreases intensity of copper evaporation in the process of plasma creation providing increased strength and lifetime, Y.sub.2O.sub.3 provides decreasing of electronic work function and stability of arc burning. The material can be used for producing the electrodes of low temperature AC plasma generators used for destruction of liquid organic wastes, medical wastes, and municipal wastes as well as for decontamination of low level radioactive waste, the destruction of chemical weapons, warfare toxic agents, etc.

  20. Efficient Polymer Solar Cells with Alcohol-Soluble Zirconium(IV Isopropoxide Cathode Buffer Layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhen Luo

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Interfacial materials are essential to the performance and stability of polymer solar cells (PSCs. Herein, solution-processed zirconium(IV isopropoxide (Zr[OCH(CH32]4, ZrIPO has been employed as an efficient cathode buffer layer between the Al cathode and photoactive layer. The ZrIPO buffer layer is prepared simply via spin-coating its isopropanol solution on the photoactive layer at room temperature without any post-treatment. When using ZrIPO/Al instead of the traditionally used Ca/Al cathode in PSCs, the short-circuit current density (Jsc is significantly improved and the series resistance of the device is decreased. The power conversion efficiency (PCE of the P3HT:PCBM-based device with ZrIPO buffer layer reaches 4.47% under the illumination of AM1.5G, 100 mW/cm2. A better performance with PCE of 8.07% is achieved when a low bandgap polymer PBDTBDD is selected as donor material. The results indicate that ZrIPO is a promising electron collection material as a substitute of the traditional low-work-function cathode for high performance PSCs.

  1. Moisture buffer value: A comprehensive analysis of essential parameters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peuhkuri, Ruut Hannele; Rode, Carsten; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard

    2006-01-01

    There is an increasing focus on the possibilities of utilizing the absorptive ability of porous materials to create passive control of relative humidity (RH) variations in the indoor air.This has led to the need for determination of a newparameter that can be used for characterization of materials.......The dynamic nature of the buffering phenomena makes it difficult to use the standard hygrothermal material properties directly for this purpose. In this paper some experimental results on aerated cellular concrete are used for pointing out the methodological and experimental use of dynamic tests...

  2. Mechanisms of buffer therapy resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, Kate M; Wojtkowiak, Jonathan W; Cornnell, Heather H; Ribeiro, Maria C; Balagurunathan, Yoganand; Hashim, Arig Ibrahim; Gillies, Robert J

    2014-04-01

    Many studies have shown that the acidity of solid tumors contributes to local invasion and metastasis. Oral pH buffers can specifically neutralize the acidic pH of tumors and reduce the incidence of local invasion and metastatic formation in multiple murine models. However, this effect is not universal as we have previously observed that metastasis is not inhibited by buffers in some tumor models, regardless of buffer used. B16-F10 (murine melanoma), LL/2 (murine lung) and HCT116 (human colon) tumors are resistant to treatment with lysine buffer therapy, whereas metastasis is potently inhibited by lysine buffers in MDA-MB-231 (human breast) and PC3M (human prostate) tumors. In the current work, we confirmed that sensitive cells utilized a pH-dependent mechanism for successful metastasis supported by a highly glycolytic phenotype that acidifies the local tumor microenvironment resulting in morphological changes. In contrast, buffer-resistant cell lines exhibited a pH-independent metastatic mechanism involving constitutive secretion of matrix degrading proteases without elevated glycolysis. These results have identified two distinct mechanisms of experimental metastasis, one of which is pH-dependent (buffer therapy sensitive cells) and one which is pH-independent (buffer therapy resistant cells). Further characterization of these models has potential for therapeutic benefit. Copyright © 2014 Neoplasia Press, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Denitrification gene density across a wastewater-impacted riparian buffer zone

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riparian buffers are a best management practice used extensively to protect water bodies from agriculturally-generated nitrate pollution. In particular, the biological process of denitrification has been shown to be a sink for this nitrate. Denitrification results in the reduction of nitrate under a...

  4. Thermo-hydro-mechanical modelling of buffer, synthesis report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toprak, E.; Mokni, N.; Olivella, S.; Pintado, X.

    2013-08-01

    This study addresses analyses of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in a scheme considered for the spent nuclear fuel repository in Olkiluoto (Finland). The finite element code CODE B RIGHT is used to perform modelling calculations. The objective of the THM modelling was to study some fundamental design parameters. The time required to reach full saturation, the maximum temperature reached in the canister, the deformations in the buffer-backfill interface, the stress-deformation balance between the buffer and the backfill, the swelling pressure developed and the homogenization process development are critical variables. Because of the complexity of the THM processes developed, only a single deposition hole has been modelled with realistic boundary conditions which take into account the entire repository. A thermal calculation has been performed to adopt appropriate boundary conditions for a reduced domain. The modelling has been done under axisymmetric conditions. As a material model for the buffer bentonite and backfill soil, the Barcelona Basic Model (BBM) has been used. Simulation of laboratory tests conducted at B and Tech under supervision of Posiva has been carried out in order to determine the fundamental mechanical parameters for modelling the behaviour of MX-80 bentonite using the BBM model. The modelling process of the buffer-backfill interface is an essential part of tunnel backfill design. The calculations will aim to determine deformations in this intersection, the behaviour of which is important for the buffer swelling. The homogenization process is a key issue as well. Porosity evolution during the saturation process is evaluated in order to check if the final saturated density accomplishes the homogenization requirements. This report also describes the effect of the existence of an air-filled gap located between the canister and the bentonite block rings in thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of the future spent nuclear fuel repository in

  5. Thermo-hydro-mechanical modelling of buffer, synthesis report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Toprak, E.; Mokni, N.; Olivella, S. [Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona (Spain); Pintado, X. [B and Tech Oy, Helsinki (Finland)

    2013-08-15

    This study addresses analyses of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes in a scheme considered for the spent nuclear fuel repository in Olkiluoto (Finland). The finite element code CODE{sub B}RIGHT is used to perform modelling calculations. The objective of the THM modelling was to study some fundamental design parameters. The time required to reach full saturation, the maximum temperature reached in the canister, the deformations in the buffer-backfill interface, the stress-deformation balance between the buffer and the backfill, the swelling pressure developed and the homogenization process development are critical variables. Because of the complexity of the THM processes developed, only a single deposition hole has been modelled with realistic boundary conditions which take into account the entire repository. A thermal calculation has been performed to adopt appropriate boundary conditions for a reduced domain. The modelling has been done under axisymmetric conditions. As a material model for the buffer bentonite and backfill soil, the Barcelona Basic Model (BBM) has been used. Simulation of laboratory tests conducted at B and Tech under supervision of Posiva has been carried out in order to determine the fundamental mechanical parameters for modelling the behaviour of MX-80 bentonite using the BBM model. The modelling process of the buffer-backfill interface is an essential part of tunnel backfill design. The calculations will aim to determine deformations in this intersection, the behaviour of which is important for the buffer swelling. The homogenization process is a key issue as well. Porosity evolution during the saturation process is evaluated in order to check if the final saturated density accomplishes the homogenization requirements. This report also describes the effect of the existence of an air-filled gap located between the canister and the bentonite block rings in thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of the future spent nuclear fuel

  6. The Buffer and Backfill Handbook. Part 3: Models for calculation of processes and behaviour

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pusch, Roland [Geodevelopment AB, Lund (Sweden)

    2003-01-15

    The present document collects conceptual and mathematical models that have been proposed for describing the performance of buffers and backfills and processes in them that are related to their function under repository conditions. As in the preceding parts the following types of sealing components are defined. By definition, the buffer shall be so composed that radionuclide transport in the clay-based barriers takes place by diffusion and not by water flow, which makes it important to predict the extent and rate of diffusive transport of such elements through the buffer. It depends strongly on the density and homogeneity of the buffer, which in turn depend on the maturation rate and the ultimate degree of homogeneity of the buffer. They are influenced by the temperature and temperature gradient that exist in the initial phase of water saturation, in which the hydraulic interaction with the near field rock is also important. Design of suitable buffer and backfills hence requires that their performance can be quantified, which requires that the various processes can be modeled conceptually and expressed in mathematical form. Based on the present knowledge this can only be made for some of the involved mechanisms and for coupled processes there is still a very limited number of mathematically expressed computational codes. The models referred to here are conceptual in the first place, defining the respective processes and material property parameters. The quick development of computational tools, numerical as well as analytical, makes it irrelevant to give detailed descriptions of them, while the various assumptions on which they are based - especially the conceptual models - have been considered in some detail. The models of practical use are only described in general terms and examples at the end of the respective chapter illustrate how they can be utilized. A very important fact is that transport and rheological processes in a repository are hardly ever of simple

  7. Buffer Zone Fact Sheets

    Science.gov (United States)

    New requirements for buffer zones and sign posting contribute to soil fumigant mitigation and protection for workers and bystanders. The buffer provides distance between the pesticide application site and bystanders, reducing exposure risk.

  8. Parameter-sensitivity analysis of near-field radionuclide transport in buffer material and rock for an underground nuclear fuel waste vault

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheung, S.C.H.; Chan, T.

    1983-08-01

    An analytical model has been developed for radionuclide transport in the vicinity of a nuclear fuel waste container emplaced in a borehole. The model considers diffusion in the buffer surrounding the waste container, and both diffusion and groundwater convection in the rock around the borehole. A parameter-sensitivity analysis has been done to study the effects on radionuclide flux of (a) Darcian velocity of groundwater in the rock, (b) effective porosity of the buffer, (c) porosity of the rock, (d) radial buffer thickness, and (e) radius and length of the container. It is found that the radionuclide flux, Fsub(R), and the total integrated flux, Fsub(T), are greater for horizontal flow than for vertical flow; Fsub(R) decreases with increasing radial buffer thickness for all Darcian velocities, whereas Fsub(T) decreases at high velocities but increases at low velocities. The rate of change of Fsub(R) and of Fsub(T) decreases with decreasing flow velocity and increasing buffer thickness; Fsub(R) is greater for higher effective porosity of buffer or rock; and Fsub(R) increases and Fsub(T) decreases with decreasing container radius or length

  9. Experimental fretting-wear studies of steam generator materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fisher, N.J.; Chow, A.B.; Weckwerth, M.K.

    1994-01-01

    Flow-induced vibration of steam generator tubes results in fretting-wear damage due to impacting and rubbing of the tubes against their supports. This damage can be predicted by computing tube response to flow-induced excitation forces using analytical techniques, and then relating this response to resultant wear damage using experimentally-derived wear coefficients. Fretting-wear of steam generator materials has been studied experimentally at Chalk River Laboratories for two decades. Tests are conducted in machines that simulate steam generator environmental conditions and tube-to-support dynamic interactions. Different tube and support materials, tube-to-support clearances and tube support geometries have been studied. As well, the effect of environmental conditions, such as temperature, oxygen content, pH and chemistry control additive, have been investigated. Early studies showed that damage was related to contact force as long as other parameters, such as geometry and motion were held constant. Later studies have shown that damage is related to a parameter called work-rate, which combines both contact force and sliding distance. Results of short- and long-term fretting-wear tests for CANDU steam generator materials at realistic environmental conditions are presented. These results demonstrate that work-rate is appropriate correlating parameter for impact-sliding interaction

  10. Gas Generation from Actinide Oxide Materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bailey, George; Bluhm, Elizabeth; Lyman, John; Mason, Richard; Paffett, Mark; Polansky, Gary; Roberson, G. D.; Sherman, Martin; Veirs, Kirk; Worl, Laura

    2000-01-01

    This document captures relevant work performed in support of stabilization, packaging, and long term storage of plutonium metals and oxides. It concentrates on the issue of gas generation with specific emphasis on gas pressure and composition. Even more specifically, it summarizes the basis for asserting that materials loaded into a 3013 container according to the requirements of the 3013 Standard (DOE-STD-3013-2000) cannot exceed the container design pressure within the time frames or environmental conditions of either storage or transportation. Presently, materials stabilized and packaged according to the 3013 Standard are to be transported in certified packages (the certification process for the 9975 and the SAFKEG has yet to be completed) that do not rely on the containment capabilities of the 3013 container. Even though no reliance is placed on that container, this document shows that it is highly likely that the containment function will be maintained not only in storage but also during transportation, including hypothetical accident conditions. Further, this document, by summarizing materials-related data on gas generation, can point those involved in preparing Safety Analysis Reports for Packages (SARPs) to additional information needed to assess the ability of the primary containment vessel to contain the contents and any reaction products that might reasonably be produced by the contents

  11. Gas Generation from Actinide Oxide Materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    George Bailey; Elizabeth Bluhm; John Lyman; Richard Mason; Mark Paffett; Gary Polansky; G. D. Roberson; Martin Sherman; Kirk Veirs; Laura Worl

    2000-12-01

    This document captures relevant work performed in support of stabilization, packaging, and long term storage of plutonium metals and oxides. It concentrates on the issue of gas generation with specific emphasis on gas pressure and composition. Even more specifically, it summarizes the basis for asserting that materials loaded into a 3013 container according to the requirements of the 3013 Standard (DOE-STD-3013-2000) cannot exceed the container design pressure within the time frames or environmental conditions of either storage or transportation. Presently, materials stabilized and packaged according to the 3013 Standard are to be transported in certified packages (the certification process for the 9975 and the SAFKEG has yet to be completed) that do not rely on the containment capabilities of the 3013 container. Even though no reliance is placed on that container, this document shows that it is highly likely that the containment function will be maintained not only in storage but also during transportation, including hypothetical accident conditions. Further, this document, by summarizing materials-related data on gas generation, can point those involved in preparing Safety Analysis Reports for Packages (SARPs) to additional information needed to assess the ability of the primary containment vessel to contain the contents and any reaction products that might reasonably be produced by the contents.

  12. Description of buffer tests in 2005 - 2007. Results of laboratory tests

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanden, Torbjoern; Boergesson, Lennart; Dueck, Ann; Goudarzi, Reza; Loennqvist, Margareta; Nilsson, Ulf; Aakesson, Mattias

    2008-12-01

    The horizontal design for the deposition of nuclear waste in granitic rock has been ongoing since 2002. Clay Technology has contributed with studies that mainly concern the behaviour and design of the bentonite buffer material. The work described in this report was a part of the design subproject and was conducted from 2005 up to mid-2007. The results of the work and the increased general understanding of the behaviour of the buffer in KBS-3H have led to two main designs. BD (Basic Design) and DAWE (Drainage Artificial Watering and air Evacuation). Several significant uncertainties related to the behaviour of distance blocks and buffer materials were identified. The most important issues to be resolved were included in an extensive buffer test plan and this report presents the work carried. The critical issues (an issue is defined as critical if there is clear uncertainty in fulfilling the design basis) to be resolved to produce viable designs were: 1. Humidity-induced swelling. This process may cause cracking and subsequent loss of bentonite as the debris falls on to the floor. There is also the possibility that the blocks could swell and come into contact with the rock wall. Both these processes will lead to a hindering of the free water flow on the tunnel floor in DAWE and may subsequently result in the erosion of bentonite material from the tunnel. This is not expected to be an issue in the BD owing to the small buffer-rock gap engineered into the design. 2. Erosion of of filling blocks and buffer. This process will lead either to a loss of material from the emplacement drift if it takes place before a hydraulic plug is built or to redistribution of bentonite in the emplacement drift if it takes place afterwards. Localized erosion may be harmful for both design alternatives if it results in a substantial loss or redistribution of material. 3. Artificial wetting of distance blocks. Both design alternatives include artificial water filling of the gap between the

  13. Description of buffer tests in 2005 - 2007. Results of laboratory tests

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanden, Torbjoern; Boergesson, Lennart; Dueck, Ann; Goudarzi, Reza; Loennqvist, Margareta; Nilsson, Ulf; Aakesson, Mattias (Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden))

    2008-12-15

    The horizontal design for the deposition of nuclear waste in granitic rock has been ongoing since 2002. Clay Technology has contributed with studies that mainly concern the behaviour and design of the bentonite buffer material. The work described in this report was a part of the design subproject and was conducted from 2005 up to mid-2007. The results of the work and the increased general understanding of the behaviour of the buffer in KBS-3H have led to two main designs. BD (Basic Design) and DAWE (Drainage Artificial Watering and air Evacuation). Several significant uncertainties related to the behaviour of distance blocks and buffer materials were identified. The most important issues to be resolved were included in an extensive buffer test plan and this report presents the work carried. The critical issues (an issue is defined as critical if there is clear uncertainty in fulfilling the design basis) to be resolved to produce viable designs were: 1. Humidity-induced swelling. This process may cause cracking and subsequent loss of bentonite as the debris falls on to the floor. There is also the possibility that the blocks could swell and come into contact with the rock wall. Both these processes will lead to a hindering of the free water flow on the tunnel floor in DAWE and may subsequently result in the erosion of bentonite material from the tunnel. This is not expected to be an issue in the BD owing to the small buffer-rock gap engineered into the design. 2. Erosion of of filling blocks and buffer. This process will lead either to a loss of material from the emplacement drift if it takes place before a hydraulic plug is built or to redistribution of bentonite in the emplacement drift if it takes place afterwards. Localized erosion may be harmful for both design alternatives if it results in a substantial loss or redistribution of material. 3. Artificial wetting of distance blocks. Both design alternatives include artificial water filling of the gap between the

  14. New materials for next-generation commercial transports

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Committee on New Materials for Advanced Civil Aircraft, Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems, National Research Council

    ... civil aircraft throughout their service life. The committee investigated the new materials and structural concepts that are likely to be incorporated into next generation commercial aircraft and the factors influencing application decisions...

  15. Effect of material constants on power output in piezoelectric vibration-based generators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeda, Hiroaki; Mihara, Kensuke; Yoshimura, Tomohiro; Hoshina, Takuya; Tsurumi, Takaaki

    2011-09-01

    A possible power output estimation based on material constants in piezoelectric vibration-based generators is proposed. A modified equivalent circuit model of the generator was built and was validated by the measurement results in the generator fabricated using potassium sodium niobate-based and lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics. Subsequently, generators with the same structure using other PZT-based and bismuth-layered structure ferroelectrics ceramics were fabricated and tested. The power outputs of these generators were expressed as a linear functions of the term composed of electromechanical coupling coefficients k(sys)(2) and mechanical quality factors Q*(m) of the generator. The relationship between device constants (k(sys)(2) and Q*(m)) and material constants (k(31)(2) and Q(m)) was clarified. Estimation of the power output using material constants is demonstrated and the appropriate piezoelectric material for the generator is suggested.

  16. Study on radionuclide migration through a buffer material of the repository for high level nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsukamoto, Masaki; Ohe, Toshiaki

    1989-01-01

    The present report discusses radionuclide migration through a buffer material from the view point of experimental and data analysis. Na-bentonite loosely compacted with dry density of 0.8 - 1 g/cm 3 was contacted with cesium chloride solution of about 100 ppb containing Cs-134 as a tracer at 40degC and at 70degC. After the experiments, the bentonite cake was sliced and cesium distribution in the cake was measured by gamma-spectrometry. Apparent diffusivities of 2∼5 x 10 -7 cm 2 /sec was determined through the analysis method where pore diffusion and adsorption were involved. Numerical solution well described the observed data. The pore diffusion would be clearfied to be a dominant mechanism of the radionuclide migration in the bentonite, through discussing the pore diffusion mechanism and activation energy of the diffusion. This report also discusses the capability of the chemical transport model CHEMTRN for long-term predictions of the radionuclide migration. (author)

  17. Qualitative and quantitative assessment of interior moisture buffering by enclosures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Janssen, Hans; Roels, Staf

    2009-01-01

    The significance of interior humidity in attaining sustainable, durable, healthy and comfortable buildings is increasingly recognised. Given their significant interaction, interior humidity appraisals need a qualitative and/or quantitative assessment of interior moisture buffering. While the effe......The significance of interior humidity in attaining sustainable, durable, healthy and comfortable buildings is increasingly recognised. Given their significant interaction, interior humidity appraisals need a qualitative and/or quantitative assessment of interior moisture buffering. While...... the effective moisture penetration depth and effective capacitance models allow quantified assessment, their reliance on the ‘moisture penetration depth’ necessitates comprehensive material properties and hampers their application to multi-dimensional interior objects. On the other hand, while various recently...... an alternative basis for quantitative evaluation of interior moisture buffering by the effective moisture penetration depth and effective capacitance models. The presented methodology uses simple and fast measurements only and can also be applied to multimaterial and/or multidimensional interior elements....

  18. Research on superconducting generator and materials in Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uyeda, K.; Maki, N.; Kurihara, S.; Ueda, A.; Hirose, S.; Itoh, K.

    1988-01-01

    As a first step of application of superconducting technology to electric power equipment, the practical use of superconducting generator is sucessfully developed, enhanced generation efficiency, reduced construction cost, improved stability limit. For the development, it is required to integrated such technical assets as new generator design technology based on detailed analysis of techniques and high strength material for with standing intensive electro-magnetic force. This paper describes history and results of research and development of superconducting generator for experimental machines, the results of feasibility study of pilot generator, and master plan for research and development of superconducting technology for applications to generator and the other power apparatus

  19. Utilization of Concurrent Buffers to Facilitate Seamless Data Transition in Tactical Cellular Communications

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-09-01

    INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK xiii LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 2G 2nd Generation 3G 3rd Generation 3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project 4G 4th...System (UMTS) is the standard that governs 3rd Generation ( 3G ) migration of Global Services for Mobile (GSM) networks. It defines packet-based...network may assist or mitigate. 14. SUBJECT TERMS IEEE, 802.21, Media Independent Handover, mobile , communications, cyber, tactical, buffer, cellular

  20. Thermochemical modeling of nuclear fuel and the effects of oxygen potential buffers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Loukusa, Henri, E-mail: henri.loukusa@vtt.fi; Ikonen, Timo; Valtavirta, Ville; Tulkki, Ville

    2016-12-01

    The elemental and chemical composition of nuclear fuel pellets are key factors influencing the material properties of the pellets. The oxidation state of the fuel is one of the most important chemical properties influencing the material properties of the fuel, and it can only be determined with the knowledge of the chemical composition. A measure of the oxidation state is the oxygen chemical potential of the fuel. It can be buffered by redox pairs, such as the well-known Mo/MoO{sub 2} pair. In this work, the elemental composition of the fuel is obtained from a burnup calculation and the temperature and pressure calculated with a fuel performance code. An estimate of the oxygen potential of fuel is calculated with Gibbs energy minimization. The results are compared against experimental data from the literature. The significance of the UMoO{sub 6} compound and its buffering effect on the oxygen potential is emphasized. - Highlights: • A Gibbs energy minimization routine has been developed for nuclear fuel modeling. • The initial stoichiometry affects the development of the oxygen potential of fuel. • UMoO{sub 6} is found to buffer the oxygen potential of nuclear fuel.

  1. Non-Toxic Buffer Layers in Flexible Cu(In,GaSe2 Photovoltaic Cell Applications with Optimized Absorber Thickness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md. Asaduzzaman

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Absorber layer thickness gradient in Cu(In1−xGaxSe2 (CIGS based solar cells and several substitutes for typical cadmium sulfide (CdS buffer layers, such as ZnS, ZnO, ZnS(O,OH, Zn1−xSnxOy (ZTO, ZnSe, and In2S3, have been analyzed by a device emulation program and tool (ADEPT 2.1 to determine optimum efficiency. As a reference type, the CIGS cell with CdS buffer provides a theoretical efficiency of 23.23% when the optimum absorber layer thickness was determined as 1.6 μm. It is also observed that this highly efficient CIGS cell would have an absorber layer thickness between 1 μm and 2 μm whereas the optimum buffer layer thickness would be within the range of 0.04–0.06 μm. Among all the cells with various buffer layers, the best energy conversion efficiency of 24.62% has been achieved for the ZnO buffer layer based cell. The simulation results with ZnS and ZnO based buffer layer materials instead of using CdS indicate that the cell performance would be better than that of the CdS buffer layer based cell. Although the cells with ZnS(O,OH, ZTO, ZnSe, and In2S3 buffer layers provide slightly lower efficiencies than that of the CdS buffer based cell, the use of these materials would not be deleterious for the environment because of their non-carcinogenic and non-toxic nature.

  2. Early age sealing of buffer-rock gap by artificial wetting to induce bentonite swelling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holt, Erika; Marjavaara, Pieti

    2012-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. The aim of this work is to study the homogeneous and rapid swelling of bentonite in the gap between the buffer blocks and the rock wall of the Olkiluoto disposal facility by artificial wetting. The focus was on the construction period of the deposition hole and buffer, and thus only the very early ages of the first weeks. In practice it is desirable that the bentonite material has a volume increase sufficient enough to prevent rock scaling while lowering the risks of bentonite piping and erosion due to potential water flow. This initial study was done in a small-scale mock-up in laboratory conditions. The small-scale steel mock-up had dimensions of 39 cm in height by 36 cm in diameter and included 12 pressure sensors, two displacement transducers, thermal couples, and pore water pressure measurements. The radial and axial pressure development was typically measured over a two week period to assess the rate and magnitude of sealing. A steel confining lid was used for simulating overpressure, though in some cases a plexiglass lid was used to take video images of the gap sealing. The buffer blocks were produced by isostatic compression of 100 MPa. The material was MX-80 Wyoming bentonite having a water content of approximately 13% and a dry density of 1890 kg/m 3 . The testing samples were dry sawn and core drilled from the large block and machined to their final dimensions. These were typically 30 x 30 cm, either as a solid block or three disks of 10 cm height each. The diameter was sometimes varied to allow for a change of gap width between 25 to 50 mm The study included various scenarios, such as: eccentric aligned blocks with gap sizes of 5 and 45 mm, free upward swelling or confinement, different types of pellet and granular gap filling, addition of water at varying rates, and longer term test duration. The samples were typically disassembled after two weeks. At this ending point, material assessments were done

  3. Steam generator materials performance in high temperature gas-cooled reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chafey, J.E.; Roberts, D.I.

    1980-11-01

    This paper reviews the materials technology aspects of steam generators for HTGRs which feature a graphite-moderated, uranium-thorium, all-ceramic core and utilizes high-pressure helium as the primary coolant. The steam generators are exposed to gas-side temperatures approaching 760 0 C and produce superheated steam at 538 0 C and 16.5 MPa (2400 psi). The prototype Peach Bottom I 40-MW(e) HTGR was operated for 1349 EFPD over 7 years. Examination after decommissioning of the U-tube steam generators and other components showed the steam generators to be in very satisfactory condition. The 330-MW(e) Fort St. Vrain HTGR, now in the final stages of startup, has achieved 70% power and generated more than 1.5 x 10 6 MWh of electricity. The steam generators in this reactor are once-through units of helical configuration, requiring a number of new materials factors including creep-fatigue and water chemistry control. Current designs of larger HTGRs also feature steam generators of helical once-through design. Materials issues that are important in these designs include detailed consideration of time-dependent behavior of both base metals and welds, as required by current American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code rules, evaluation of bimetallic weld behavior, evaluation of the properties of large forgings, etc

  4. Developing suitable buffers to capture transport cycling behavior

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Madsen, Thomas; Schipperijn, Jasper; Christiansen, Lars Breum

    2014-01-01

    units (e.g., home-buffer-based neighborhoods) are not necessarily representative for environmental exposure. An increased understanding of appropriate neighborhoods is needed. GPS cycling tracks from 78 participants for 7 days form the basis for the development and testing of different neighborhood...... buffers for transport cycling. The percentage of GPS points per square meter was used as indicator of the effectiveness of a series of different buffer types, including home-based network buffers, shortest route to city center buffers, and city center-directed ellipse-shaped buffers. The results show...... center-directed ellipse-shaped buffers yielded better results than traditional home-based network buffer types. The ellipse-shaped buffer types could therefore be considered an alternative to more traditional buffers or administrative units in future studies of transport cycling behavior....

  5. RESEARCH NEEDS IN RIPARIAN BUFFER RESTORATION

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riparian buffer restorations are used as management tools to produce favorable water quality impacts; moreover, the basis for riparian buffers as an instrument of water quality restoration rests on a relatively firm foundation. However, the extent to which buffers can restore rip...

  6. Hydrogen generation systems utilizing sodium silicide and sodium silica gel materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallace, Andrew P.; Melack, John M.; Lefenfeld, Michael

    2015-07-14

    Systems, devices, and methods combine reactant materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen. The reactant materials can sodium silicide or sodium silica gel. The hydrogen generation devices are used in fuels cells and other industrial applications. One system combines cooling, pumping, water storage, and other devices to sense and control reactions between reactant materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen. Multiple inlets of varied placement geometries deliver aqueous solution to the reaction. The reactant materials and aqueous solution are churned to control the state of the reaction. The aqueous solution can be recycled and returned to the reaction. One system operates over a range of temperatures and pressures and includes a hydrogen separator, a heat removal mechanism, and state of reaction control devices. The systems, devices, and methods of generating hydrogen provide thermally stable solids, near-instant reaction with the aqueous solutions, and a non-toxic liquid by-product.

  7. Buffer sizing for multi-hop networks

    KAUST Repository

    Shihada, Basem

    2014-01-28

    A cumulative buffer may be defined for an interference domain in a wireless mesh network and distributed among nodes in the network to maintain or improve capacity utilization of network resources in the interference domain without increasing packet queuing delay times. When an interference domain having communications links sharing resources in a network is identified, a cumulative buffer size is calculated. The cumulative buffer may be distributed among buffers in each node of the interference domain according to a simple division or according to a cost function taking into account a distance of the communications link from the source and destination. The network may be monitored and the cumulative buffer size recalculated and redistributed when the network conditions change.

  8. VLSI scaling methods and low power CMOS buffer circuit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma Vijay Kumar; Pattanaik Manisha

    2013-01-01

    Device scaling is an important part of the very large scale integration (VLSI) design to boost up the success path of VLSI industry, which results in denser and faster integration of the devices. As technology node moves towards the very deep submicron region, leakage current and circuit reliability become the key issues. Both are increasing with the new technology generation and affecting the performance of the overall logic circuit. The VLSI designers must keep the balance in power dissipation and the circuit's performance with scaling of the devices. In this paper, different scaling methods are studied first. These scaling methods are used to identify the effects of those scaling methods on the power dissipation and propagation delay of the CMOS buffer circuit. For mitigating the power dissipation in scaled devices, we have proposed a reliable leakage reduction low power transmission gate (LPTG) approach and tested it on complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) buffer circuit. All simulation results are taken on HSPICE tool with Berkeley predictive technology model (BPTM) BSIM4 bulk CMOS files. The LPTG CMOS buffer reduces 95.16% power dissipation with 84.20% improvement in figure of merit at 32 nm technology node. Various process, voltage and temperature variations are analyzed for proving the robustness of the proposed approach. Leakage current uncertainty decreases from 0.91 to 0.43 in the CMOS buffer circuit that causes large circuit reliability. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

  9. Sol-gel deposition of buffer layers on biaxially textured metal substances

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shoup, Shara S.; Paranthamam, Mariappan; Beach, David B.; Kroeger, Donald M.; Goyal, Amit

    2000-01-01

    A method is disclosed for forming a biaxially textured buffer layer on a biaxially oriented metal substrate by using a sol-gel coating technique followed by pyrolyzing/annealing in a reducing atmosphere. This method is advantageous for providing substrates for depositing electronically active materials thereon.

  10. Corrosion of structural materials for Generation IV systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balbaud-Celerier, F.; Cabet, C.; Courouau, J.L.; Martinelli, L.; Arnoux, P.

    2009-01-01

    The Generation IV International Forum aims at developing future generation nuclear energy systems. Six systems have been selected for further consideration: sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR), gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR), lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR), molten salt reactor (MSR), supercritical water-cooled reactor (SCWR) and very high temperature reactor (VHTR). CEA, in the frame of a national program, of EC projects and of the GIF, contributes to the structural materials developments and research programs. Particularly, corrosion studies are being performed in the complex environments of the GEN IV systems. As a matter of fact, structural materials encounter very severe conditions regarding corrosion concerns: high temperatures and possibly aggressive chemical environments. Therefore, the multiple environments considered require also a large diversity of materials. On the other hand, the similar levels of working temperatures as well as neutron spectrum imply also similar families of materials for the various systems. In this paper, status of the research performed in CEA on the corrosion behavior of the structural material in the different environments is presented. The materials studied are either metallic materials as austenitic (or Y, La, Ce doped) and ferrito-martensitic steels, Ni base alloys, ODS steels, or ceramics and composites. In all the environments studied, the scientific approach is identical, the objective being in all cases the understanding of the corrosion processes to establish recommendations on the chemistry control of the coolant and to predict the long term behavior of the materials by the development of corrosion models. (author)

  11. Microbial analysis of the buffer/container experiment at AECL's Underground Research Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stroes-Gascoyne, S.; Hamon, C.J.; Haveman, S.A.; Delaney, T.L.

    1996-05-01

    The Buffer/Container experiment was carried out for 2.5 years to examine the in-situ performance of compacted buffer material in a single emplacement borehole under vault-relevant conditions. During decommissioning of this experiment, numerous samples were taken for microbial analysis to determine if the naturally present microbial population in buffer material survived to conditions and to determine which groups of microorganisms would be dominant in such a simulated vault environment. Microbial analyses were initiated within 24 hour of sampling for all types of samples taken. The culture results showed an almost universal disappearance of viable microorganisms in the samples taken from near the heater surface. The microbial activity measurements confirmed the lack of viable organisms with very weak or no activity measured in most of these samples. Generally, aerobic heterotrophic culture conditions gave the highest mean colony-forming units (CFU) values at both 25 and 50 C. Under anaerobic conditions, and especially at 50 C, lower mean CFU values were obtained. In all samples analyzed, numbers of sulfate reducing bacteria were less than 1000 CFU/g dry material. Methanogens were either not present or were found in very low numbers. Anaerobic sulfur oxidizing bacteria were found in higher numbers in most sample types with sufficient moisture. The statistical evaluation of the culture data demonstrated clearly that the water content was the variable limiting the viability of the bacteria present, and not the temperature. 68 refs, 35 figs, 37 tabs

  12. Chemical bath deposited zinc sulfide buffer layers for copper indium gallium sulfur-selenide solar cells and device analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kundu, Sambhu; Olsen, Larry C.

    2005-01-01

    Cadmium-free copper indium gallium sulfur-selenide (CIGSS) thin film solar cells have been fabricated using chemical bath deposited (CBD) zinc sulfide (ZnS) buffer layers. Shell Solar Industries provided high quality CIGSS absorber layers. The use of CBD-ZnS, which is a higher band gap material than CdS, improved the quantum efficiency of fabricated cells at lower wavelengths, leading to an increase in short circuit current. The best cell to date yielded an active area (0.43 cm 2 ) efficiency of 13.3%. The effect of the ZnS buffer layer thickness on device performance was studied carefully. This paper also presents a discussion of issues relevant to the use of the CBD-ZnS buffer material for improving device performance

  13. Wastes power generation introduction manual. Material edition; Haikibutsu hatsuden donyu manual. Shiryohen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-07-01

    This paper collects and puts into order the materials used in preparing the manual. The materials were classified into the power generation system database related to discussion of the economic performance, case studies, technical materials, other referential materials and glossary. The database shows power generation efficiency, auxiliary power ratio, construction cost, utility cost and number of operators. The case studies present examples of economy calculations on the five recommended power generation systems at a wastes treatment capacity of 180 tons a day. Technical materials put into order the technological discussions on efficiency improvement, environmental measures (suppression of discharge of dioxins, measures for their removal, and the effects thereof), refuse derived fuel (RDF) and power plant operating techniques. The other referential materials collect laws, notifications, and guidelines related to the Welfare Ministry, laws, notifications, criteria and related to the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, and materials related to LCA, forms of power generation business entities, general wastes disposal business, and electric business bonds. The glossary explains terms required for operation and understanding of the manual. (NEDO)

  14. Phosphate and HEPES buffers potently affect the fibrillation and oligomerization mechanism of Alzheimer's Aβ peptide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garvey, Megan; Tepper, Katharina; Haupt, Caroline; Knuepfer, Uwe; Klement, Karolin; Meinhardt, Jessica; Horn, Uwe; Balbach, Jochen; Faendrich, Marcus

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Sodium phosphate buffer accelerated Aβ(1-40) nucleation relative to HEPES. → Aβ(1-40) fibrils formed in the two buffers show only minor structural differences. → NMR revealed that Aβ(1-40) histidine residues mediate buffer dependent changes. -- Abstract: The oligomerization of Aβ peptide into amyloid fibrils is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Due to its biological relevance, phosphate is the most commonly used buffer system for studying the formation of Aβ and other amyloid fibrils. Investigation into the characteristics and formation of amyloid fibrils frequently relies upon material formed in vitro, predominantly in phosphate buffers. Herein, we examine the effects on the fibrillation and oligomerization mechanism of Aβ peptide that occur due solely to the influence of phosphate buffer. We reveal that significant differences in amyloid fibrillation are observed due to fibrillation being initiated in phosphate or HEPES buffer (at physiological pH and temperature). Except for the differing buffer ions, all experimental parameters were kept constant. Fibril formation was assessed using fluorescently monitored kinetic studies, microscopy, X-ray fiber diffraction and infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies. Based on this set up, we herein reveal profound effects on the mechanism and speed of Aβ fibrillation. The three histidine residues at positions 6, 13 and 14 of Aβ(1-40) are instrumental in these mechanistic changes. We conclude that buffer plays a more significant role in fibril formation than has been generally acknowledged.

  15. Transition metal oxide as anode interface buffer for impedance spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Hui; Tang, Chao; Wang, Xu-Liang; Zhai, Wen-Juan; Liu, Rui-Lan; Rong, Zhou; Pang, Zong-Qiang; Jiang, Bing; Fan, Qu-Li; Huang, Wei

    2015-12-01

    Impedance spectroscopy is a strong method in electric measurement, which also shows powerful function in research of carrier dynamics in organic semiconductors when suitable mathematical physical models are used. Apart from this, another requirement is that the contact interface between the electrode and materials should at least be quasi-ohmic contact. So in this report, three different transitional metal oxides, V2O5, MoO3 and WO3 were used as hole injection buffer for interface of ITO/NPB. Through the impedance spectroscopy and PSO algorithm, the carrier mobilities and I-V characteristics of the NPB in different devices were measured. Then the data curves were compared with the single layer device without the interface layer in order to investigate the influence of transitional metal oxides on the carrier mobility. The careful research showed that when the work function (WF) of the buffer material was just between the work function of anode and the HOMO of the organic material, such interface material could work as a good bridge for carrier injection. Under such condition, the carrier mobility measured through impedance spectroscopy should be close to the intrinsic value. Considering that the HOMO (or LUMO) of most organic semiconductors did not match with the work function of the electrode, this report also provides a method for wide application of impedance spectroscopy to the research of carrier dynamics.

  16. Material choices for the commercial fast reactor steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Willby, C.; Walters, J.

    1978-01-01

    Experience with fast reactor steam generators has shown them to be critical components in achieving a high availability. This paper presents the designers views on the use of ferritic materials for steam generators and describes the proposed design of the steam generators for the Commercial Fast Reactor (CFR), prototype of which are to be inserted in the Prototype Fast Reactor at Dounreay. (author)

  17. Long term test of buffer material at the Aespoe HRL, LOT project. Final report on the A0 test parcel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karnland, Ola; Olsson, Siv; Sanden, Torbjoern; Faelth, Billy; Jansson, Mats; Eriksen, Trygve E.; Svaerdstroem, Kjell; Rosborg, Bo; Muurinen, Arto

    2011-02-01

    In the Swedish repository concept for nuclear waste (KBS-3 concept), the spent nuclear fuel will be stored in copper canisters surrounded by compacted bentonite. The decaying power of the fuel will increase the temperature in the repository which, in combination with the uptake of ground-water, could be expected to produce minor mineralogical changes in the bentonite. The ongoing LOT test series at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory are focused on identifying and quantifying any mineralogical alterations in the bentonite exposed to typical repository-like conditions. Further, buffer-related processes concerning copper corrosion, cation transport, and bacterial survival/activity are studied. In total, the LOT project includes seven test parcels, which contain a central Cu-tube surrounded by cylindrical bentonite blocks to a total diameter of 30 cm as well as temperature, total pressure, water pressure and humidity sensors. In each test parcel, an electrical heater placed inside the copper tube is used to simulate the heat generation from the decaying spent fuel. Three test parcels (S1 to S3) have been exposed to standard KBS-3 conditions (maximum temperature below 100 deg C) and three parcels (A1 to A3) to adverse conditions (maximum temperature below ∼140 deg C). Both the standard and the adverse test series include short term tests (1 to 2 years), medium term tests (> 5 years) and long term tests (> 10 years). The present report concerns an additional short term test, thereby the designation A0, which was exposed to adverse conditions for approximately 1.5 years. Cu-coupons, 134 Cs and 57 Co tracers and specific chemical agents were placed in the bentonite at defined positions. After field exposure, the entire test parcel was released from the rock by overlapping percussion drilling and wire sawing. The parcel was lifted and divided at the test site and the bentonite material was sampled for specified analyses. The main aspects of the various tests and analyses may

  18. Long term test of buffer material at the Aespoe HRL, LOT project. Final report on the A0 test parcel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karnland, Ola; Olsson, Siv; Sanden, Torbjoern; Faelth, Billy (Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden)); Jansson, Mats; Eriksen, Trygve E.; Svaerdstroem, Kjell (KTH Royal Inst. of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden)); Rosborg, Bo (Studsvik AB, Nykoeping (Sweden); Rosborg Consulting, Nykoeping (Sweden)); Muurinen, Arto (VTT, Espoo (Finland))

    2011-02-15

    In the Swedish repository concept for nuclear waste (KBS-3 concept), the spent nuclear fuel will be stored in copper canisters surrounded by compacted bentonite. The decaying power of the fuel will increase the temperature in the repository which, in combination with the uptake of ground-water, could be expected to produce minor mineralogical changes in the bentonite. The ongoing LOT test series at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory are focused on identifying and quantifying any mineralogical alterations in the bentonite exposed to typical repository-like conditions. Further, buffer-related processes concerning copper corrosion, cation transport, and bacterial survival/activity are studied. In total, the LOT project includes seven test parcels, which contain a central Cu-tube surrounded by cylindrical bentonite blocks to a total diameter of 30 cm as well as temperature, total pressure, water pressure and humidity sensors. In each test parcel, an electrical heater placed inside the copper tube is used to simulate the heat generation from the decaying spent fuel. Three test parcels (S1 to S3) have been exposed to standard KBS-3 conditions (maximum temperature below 100 deg C) and three parcels (A1 to A3) to adverse conditions (maximum temperature below approx140 deg C). Both the standard and the adverse test series include short term tests (1 to 2 years), medium term tests (> 5 years) and long term tests (> 10 years). The present report concerns an additional short term test, thereby the designation A0, which was exposed to adverse conditions for approximately 1.5 years. Cu-coupons, 134Cs and 57Co tracers and specific chemical agents were placed in the bentonite at defined positions. After field exposure, the entire test parcel was released from the rock by overlapping percussion drilling and wire sawing. The parcel was lifted and divided at the test site and the bentonite material was sampled for specified analyses. The main aspects of the various tests and analyses

  19. Buffer protection in the installation phase

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wimelius, Hans; Pusch, Roland

    2008-12-01

    The research and development of the design and construction of the SKB's repository for final disposal of spent reactor fuel is conducted along several paths ('lines'). Issues concerning the bedrock are dealt with in the 'rock line' and those related to buffer and backfill in deposition holes and tunnels are considered in the 'buffer line' and 'backfill line', respectively. These lines also deal with sub-activities that are coupled to several other lines. One of them includes development of techniques for protecting buffer blocks from moisture and water in the installation phase. Techniques and methods for placement and removal of the 'buffer protection sheet' are dealt with in the 'buffer line'. The removal is, however, considered as being part of the backfilling sequence. Since the performance of the sheet is of fundamental importance to the placement and function of the buffer it deserves particular attention. Thus, the removal of the rubber sheet that serves to protect the buffer blocks in the installation phase may be difficult and can cause significant problems that may require retrieval of already placed canister, buffer and backfill. These matters are in focus in the present report. Arrangements for protecting already placed buffer blocks from moist air and water have been tested in earlier large-scale experiments, i.e. the Prototype Repository project at Aespoe but the experience from them has called for more effective protection of the clay blocks as described in the present report. Focus is on the construction of foundation components at the bottom of the deposition holes required for establishing a tight seal between rock and buffer blocks, and on the protection sheet and arrangements for limiting water pressure on it. Special attention is paid to the drainage of the space between rock and protection sheet that is necessary for avoiding failure of the sheet and to systems for achieving this and for providing alarm signals if the allowed pressure is

  20. The SVT Hit Buffer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Belforte, S.; Dell'Orso, M.; Donati, S.

    1996-01-01

    The Hit Buffer is part of the Silicon Vertex Tracker, a trigger processor dedicated to the reconstruction of particle trajectories in the Silicon Vertex Detector and the Central Tracking Chamber of the Collider Detector at Fermilab. The Hit Buffer is a high speed data-traffic node, where thousands of words are received in arbitrary order and simultaneously organized in an internal structured data base, to be later promptly retrieved and delivered in response to specific requests. The Hit Buffer is capable of processing data at a rate of 25 MHz, thanks to the use of special fast devices like Cache-Tag RAMs and high performance Erasable Programmable Logic Devices from the XILINX XC7300 family

  1. Auto-recognition of surfaces and auto-generation of material removal volume for finishing process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kataraki, Pramod S.; Salman Abu Mansor, Mohd

    2018-03-01

    Auto-recognition of a surface and auto-generation of material removal volumes for the so recognised surfaces has become a need to achieve successful downstream manufacturing activities like automated process planning and scheduling. Few researchers have contributed to generation of material removal volume for a product but resulted in material removal volume discontinuity between two adjacent material removal volumes generated from two adjacent faces that form convex geometry. The need for limitation free material removal volume generation was attempted and an algorithm that automatically recognises computer aided design (CAD) model’s surface and also auto-generate material removal volume for finishing process of the recognised surfaces was developed. The surfaces of CAD model are successfully recognised by the developed algorithm and required material removal volume is obtained. The material removal volume discontinuity limitation that occurred in fewer studies is eliminated.

  2. Experimental Study on the Interaction Between Contacting Barrier Materials for Containment of Radioactive Wastes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, W. H.; Chang, H. C.

    2017-12-01

    The disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes requires use of multi-barriers for isolation of the wastes from the biosphere. Typically, the engineered barriers are composed of a concrete vault, buffer and backfill materials. Zhishin clay and Black Hill bentonite were used as raw clay material in making buffer and backfill materials in this study. These clays were compacted to make buffer material, or mixed with Taitung area argillite to produce backfill material for potential application as barriers for the disposal of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes. The interaction between concrete barrier and the buffer/backfill material is simulated by an accelerated migration test to investigate the effect of contacting concrete on the expected functions of buffer/backfill material. The results show buffer material close to the contact with concrete exhibits significant change in the ratio of calcium/sodium exchange capacity, due to the move of calcium ions released from the concrete. The shorter the distance from the contacting interface, the ratio of the calcium/sodium concentration in buffer/backfill materials increases. The longer the distance from the interface, the effect of the contact on alteration in clays become less significant. Also, some decreases in swelling capacity in the buffer/backfill material near the concrete-backfill interface are noted. Finally, a comparison is made between Zhisin clay and Balck Hill bentonite on the interaction between concrete and the two clays. Black Hill bentonite was found to be influenced more by the interaction, because of the higher content of montmorillonite. On the other hand, being a mixture of clay and sand, backfill material is less affected by the decalsification of concrete at the contact than buffer material.

  3. Enhanced bioelectricity generation of air-cathode buffer-free microbial fuel cells through short-term anolyte pH adjustment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Yueping; Chen, Jinli; Li, Xiufen; Yang, Na; Wang, Xinhua

    2018-04-01

    Short-term initial anolyte pH adjustment can relieve the performance deterioration of the single-chamber air-cathode buffer-free microbial fuel cell (BFMFC) caused by anolyte acidification. Adjusting the initial anolyte pH to 9 in 5 running cycles is the optimum strategy. The relative abundance of the electrochemically active Geobacter in the KCl-pH9-MFC anode biofilm increased from 59.01% to 75.13% after the short-term adjustment. The maximum power density (P max ) of the KCl-pH9-MFC was elevated from 316.4mW·m -2 to 511.6mW·m -2 , which was comparable with that of the PBS-MFC. And, after the short-term adjusting, new equilibrium between the anolyte pH and the anode biofilm electrochemical activity has been established in the BFMFC, which ensured the sustainability of the improved bioelectricity generation performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Low noise buffer amplifiers and buffered phase comparators for precise time and frequency measurement and distribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eichinger, R. A.; Dachel, P.; Miller, W. H.; Ingold, J. S.

    1982-01-01

    Extremely low noise, high performance, wideband buffer amplifiers and buffered phase comparators were developed. These buffer amplifiers are designed to distribute reference frequencies from 30 KHz to 45 MHz from a hydrogen maser without degrading the hydrogen maser's performance. The buffered phase comparators are designed to intercompare the phase of state of the art hydrogen masers without adding any significant measurement system noise. These devices have a 27 femtosecond phase stability floor and are stable to better than one picosecond for long periods of time. Their temperature coefficient is less than one picosecond per degree C, and they have shown virtually no voltage coefficients.

  5. Evaluation on mechanical and corrosion properties of steam generator tubing materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, In Sup; Lee, Byong Whi; Lee, Sang Kyu; Lee, Young Ho; Kim, Jun Whan; Lee, Ju Seok; Kwon, Hyuk Sang; Kim, Su Jung

    1998-06-01

    Steam generator is one of the major components of nuclear reactor pressure boundary. It's main function os transferring heat which generated in the reactor to turbine generator through steam generator tube. In these days, steam generator tubing materials of operating plant are used Inconel 600 alloys. But according to the operation time, there are many degradation phenomena which included mechanical damage due to flow induced vibration and corrosion damage due to PWSCC, IGA/SCC and pitting etc. Recently Inconel 690 alloys are selected as new and replacement steam generator tubes for domestic nuclear power plant. But there are few study about mechanical and corrosion properties of Inconel 600 and 690. The objectives of this study is to evaluate and compare mechanical and corrosion propertied of steam generator tube materials

  6. Evaluation on mechanical and corrosion properties of steam generator tubing materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, In Sup; Lee, Byong Whi; Lee, Sang Kyu; Lee, Young Ho; Kim, Jun Whan; Lee, Ju Seok; Kwon, Hyuk Sang; Kim, Su Jung [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    1998-06-15

    Steam generator is one of the major components of nuclear reactor pressure boundary. It's main function os transferring heat which generated in the reactor to turbine generator through steam generator tube. In these days, steam generator tubing materials of operating plant are used Inconel 600 alloys. But according to the operation time, there are many degradation phenomena which included mechanical damage due to flow induced vibration and corrosion damage due to PWSCC, IGA/SCC and pitting etc. Recently Inconel 690 alloys are selected as new and replacement steam generator tubes for domestic nuclear power plant. But there are few study about mechanical and corrosion properties of Inconel 600 and 690. The objectives of this study is to evaluate and compare mechanical and corrosion propertied of steam generator tube materials.

  7. Electrodialysis operation with buffer solution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hryn, John N [Naperville, IL; Daniels, Edward J [Orland Park, IL; Krumdick, Greg K [Crete, IL

    2009-12-15

    A new method for improving the efficiency of electrodialysis (ED) cells and stacks, in particular those used in chemical synthesis. The process entails adding a buffer solution to the stack for subsequent depletion in the stack during electrolysis. The buffer solution is regenerated continuously after depletion. This buffer process serves to control the hydrogen ion or hydroxide ion concentration so as to protect the active sites of electrodialysis membranes. The process enables electrodialysis processing options for products that are sensitive to pH changes.

  8. Study of shallow trench isolation technology with a poly-Si sidewall buffer layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Juang, M H; Chen, C L; Jang, S L

    2008-01-01

    Shallow trench isolation (STI) technology with a poly-Si buffer layer at the trench sidewall has been studied. At the densification temperature of 950 °C, for the samples without using a poly-Si buffer layer, the resulting junction shows a leakage of about 700 nA cm −2 for a diode area of 100 × 100 µm 2 , primarily due to large peripheral junction leakage. The large leakage is ascribed to the defect generation caused by a thermally induced stress near the trench sidewall. The usage of a poly-Si buffer layer in the trench sidewall is found to significantly improve the junction characteristics. As a result, when a 40 nm poly-Si buffer layer is sandwiched between the Si substrate and the trench-fill silicon oxide, the resultant junctions show a leakage of only about 8 nA cm −2 . This result may reflect the considerably reduced thermally induced stress near the trench sidewall. Furthermore, at the densification temperature of 1100 °C, the usage of a poly-Si buffer layer can help to achieve excellent junctions with a leakage smaller than 5 nA cm −2 for a diode area of 100 × 100 µm 2

  9. Buffered Communication Analysis in Distributed Multiparty Sessions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deniélou, Pierre-Malo; Yoshida, Nobuko

    Many communication-centred systems today rely on asynchronous messaging among distributed peers to make efficient use of parallel execution and resource access. With such asynchrony, the communication buffers can happen to grow inconsiderately over time. This paper proposes a static verification methodology based on multiparty session types which can efficiently compute the upper bounds on buffer sizes. Our analysis relies on a uniform causality audit of the entire collaboration pattern - an examination that is not always possible from each end-point type. We extend this method to design algorithms that allocate communication channels in order to optimise the memory requirements of session executions. From these analyses, we propose two refinements methods which respect buffer bounds: a global protocol refinement that automatically inserts confirmation messages to guarantee stipulated buffer sizes and a local protocol refinement to optimise asynchronous messaging without buffer overflow. Finally our work is applied to overcome a buffer overflow problem of the multi-buffering algorithm.

  10. Buffer protection in the installation phase

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wimelius, Hans (Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden)); Pusch, Roland (Geodevelopment International AB, Lund (Sweden))

    2008-12-15

    The research and development of the design and construction of the SKB's repository for final disposal of spent reactor fuel is conducted along several paths ('lines'). Issues concerning the bedrock are dealt with in the 'rock line' and those related to buffer and backfill in deposition holes and tunnels are considered in the 'buffer line' and 'backfill line', respectively. These lines also deal with sub-activities that are coupled to several other lines. One of them includes development of techniques for protecting buffer blocks from moisture and water in the installation phase. Techniques and methods for placement and removal of the 'buffer protection sheet' are dealt with in the 'buffer line'. The removal is, however, considered as being part of the backfilling sequence. Since the performance of the sheet is of fundamental importance to the placement and function of the buffer it deserves particular attention. Thus, the removal of the rubber sheet that serves to protect the buffer blocks in the installation phase may be difficult and can cause significant problems that may require retrieval of already placed canister, buffer and backfill. These matters are in focus in the present report. Arrangements for protecting already placed buffer blocks from moist air and water have been tested in earlier large-scale experiments, i.e. the Prototype Repository project at Aespoe but the experience from them has called for more effective protection of the clay blocks as described in the present report. Focus is on the construction of foundation components at the bottom of the deposition holes required for establishing a tight seal between rock and buffer blocks, and on the protection sheet and arrangements for limiting water pressure on it. Special attention is paid to the drainage of the space between rock and protection sheet that is necessary for avoiding failure of the sheet and to systems for achieving

  11. Crystallinity Improvement of Zn O Thin Film on Different Buffer Layers Grown by MBE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shao-Ying, T.; Che-Hao, L.; Wen-Ming, Ch.; Yang, C.C.; Po-Ju, Ch.; Hsiang-Chen, W.; Ya-Ping, H.

    2012-01-01

    The material and optical properties of Zn O thin film samples grown on different buffer layers on sapphire substrates through a two-step temperature variation growth by molecular beam epitaxy were investigated. The thin buffer layer between the Zn O layer and the sapphire substrate decreased the lattice mismatch to achieve higher quality Zn O thin film growth. A Ga N buffer layer slightly increased the quality of the Zn O thin film, but the threading dislocations still stretched along the c-axis of the Ga N layer. The use of Mg O as the buffer layer decreased the surface roughness of the Zn O thin film by 58.8% due to the suppression of surface cracks through strain transfer of the sample. From deep level emission and rocking curve measurements it was found that the threading dislocations play a more important role than oxygen vacancies for high-quality Zn O thin film growth.

  12. Crystallinity Improvement of ZnO Thin Film on Different Buffer Layers Grown by MBE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shao-Ying Ting

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The material and optical properties of ZnO thin film samples grown on different buffer layers on sapphire substrates through a two-step temperature variation growth by molecular beam epitaxy were investigated. The thin buffer layer between the ZnO layer and the sapphire substrate decreased the lattice mismatch to achieve higher quality ZnO thin film growth. A GaN buffer layer slightly increased the quality of the ZnO thin film, but the threading dislocations still stretched along the c-axis of the GaN layer. The use of MgO as the buffer layer decreased the surface roughness of the ZnO thin film by 58.8% due to the suppression of surface cracks through strain transfer of the sample. From deep level emission and rocking curve measurements it was found that the threading dislocations play a more important role than oxygen vacancies for high-quality ZnO thin film growth.

  13. Gas generation in pure and impure plutonium-bearing materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mason, R.; Allen, T.; Eller, P.G.; Hagan, R.; Horrell, D.; Rink, N.

    1999-01-01

    The Los Alamos National Laboratory's (LANL's) materials identification and surveillance (MIS) project identifies materials to be stored in DOE-STD-3013-96 containers, determines the chemical and physical character of stored materials, and evaluates processing to be used to stabilize materials to meet the standard. The project has completed processing and analysis of 9 Hanford items and 24 Rocky Flats items, representing a substantial portion of the oxides to be packaged for long-term storage. The resultant data provide insight into the physical and chemical characteristics of the materials at the sites. A component of the study was to investigate gas generation for representative materials. These studies included headspace gas measurements over the 9 Hanford items, measurement of gas generation in 10-g surveillance samples of MIS powders, and pressure monitoring. Before examining the Hanford cans, sampling and analysis methods were demonstrated on HRA-905191, an item from the LANL vault. This item was not typical of materials designated to be stored in 3013 cans, as it contained plastic vials, emery cloths, paper towels, and a large percentage of thorium. However, it was one of the items that contained significant hydrogen in the headspace. A mass spectrometer was used to determine the composition of headspace gases. Oxygen was substantially depleted in all cases, and the percent of nitrogen in many items was greater than that found in air. In both cans with a high hydrogen content, the corresponding oxygen content was near zero (HRA905191 and ARF-102-85-365). In some cases, carbon dioxide was generated in the cans. Carbon monoxide was found in item BLO-39-11-85-295. This item has a high americium content, thus higher temperature than other materials examined. The only notable impurities in item BLO-39-11-85-295 were carbon at ≅0.1 wt% and chlorides at 0.2 wt%. Seven long-term surveillance vessels each holding approximately10 g of MIS powders have been monitored

  14. Nature of Y1Ba2Cu3O7 nucleation centers on ceria buffers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solovyov, Vyacheslav F; Li Qiang; Qing Jie; Zhou Juan; Develos-Bagarinao, Katherine

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to enhance properties of the second-generation wires by increasing the density of Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO) nucleation centers on the surface of the ceria buffer. To identify the nature of the nucleation centers, we compare nucleation kinetics and performance of YBCO layers deposited by the metal-organic process on a standard RABiTS tape to YBCO on ceria buffers with well-controlled structure and surface morphology. The structure of the YBCO layer at the early stage of nucleation and growth is determined by high-flux synchrotron x-ray diffraction. It is shown that the best buffers exhibit high YBCO nucleation rates and produce YBCO nuclei with the least cation disorder. The high YBCO nucleation rate is associated with a high density of threading dislocation outcrops. A strategy for buffer optimization is identified.

  15. Acid-base buffering in organ preservation solutions as a function of temperature: new parameters for comparing buffer capacity and efficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baicu, Simona C; Taylor, Michael J

    2002-08-01

    Control of acidity and preventing intracellular acidosis are recognized as critical properties of an effective organ preservation solution. Buffer capacity and efficiency are therefore important for comparing the relative merits of preservation fluids for optimum hypothermic storage, but these parameters are not available for the variety of organ preservation solutions of interest in transplantation today. Moreover, buffer capacity is dependent upon both concentration and pH such that buffer capacity is not easily predicted for a complex solution containing multiple buffer species. Using standard electrometric methods to measure acid dissociation constants, this study was undertaken to determine the maximum and relative buffer capacities of a variety of new and commonly used hypothermic preservation solutions as a function of temperature. The reference data provided by these measurements show that comparative buffer capacity and efficiency vary widely between the commonly used solutions. Moreover, the fluids containing zwitterionic sulfonic acid buffers such as Hepes possess superior buffering for alpha-stat pH regulation in the region of physiological importance.

  16. Enhancing the performance of organic thin-film transistors using an organic-doped inorganic buffer layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Su, Shui-Hsiang, E-mail: shsu@isu.edu.tw; Wu, Chung-Ming; Kung, Shu-Yi; Yokoyama, Meiso

    2013-06-01

    Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) with various buffer layers between the active layer and source/drain electrodes were investigated. The structure was polyethylene terephthalate/indium-tin oxide/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/pentacene/buffer layer/Au (source/drain). V{sub 2}O{sub 5}, 4,4′,4″-tris{N,(3-methylpheny)-N-phenylamino}-triphenylamine (m-MTDATA) and m-MTDATA-doped V{sub 2}O{sub 5} films were utilized as buffer layers. The electrical performances of OTFTs in terms of drain current, threshold voltage, mobility and on/off current ratio have been determined. As a result, the saturation current of − 40 μA is achieved in OTFTs with a 10% m-MTDATA-doped V{sub 2}O{sub 5} buffer layer at a V{sub GS} of − 60 V. The on/off current ratio reaches 2 × 10{sup 5}, which is approximately double of the device without a buffer layer. The energy band diagrams of the electrode/buffer layer/pentacene were measured using ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy. The improvement in electrical characteristics of the OTFTs is attributable to the weakening of the interface dipole and the lowering of the barrier to enhance holes transportation from the source electrode to the active layer. - Highlights: • A buffer layer enhances the performance of organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). • The buffer layer consists of organic-doped inorganic material. • Interface dipole is weakened at the active layer/electrodes interface of OTFTs.

  17. Effects of repository environment on diffusion behavior of radionuclides in buffer materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kozaki, Tamotsu; Sato, Seichi

    2004-03-01

    Compacted bentonite is considered as a candidate buffer material in the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. An important function of the compacted bentonite is to retard the transport of radionuclides from waste forms to the surrounding host rock after degradation of an overpack. Therefore, diffusion behavior of radionuclides in the compacted bentonite has been extensively studied by many researchers for the performance assessments of the geological disposal. However, diffusion mechanism of radionuclides in the bentonite cannot be fully understood, and most experimental data have been obtained at room temperature for the bentonite saturated with low salinity water, which would disagree often with real repository conditions. In this study, therefore, apparent diffusion coefficients were determined at various diffusion temperatures for chloride ions in Na-montmorillonite samples saturated with NaCl solution of high salinity. Activation energies for the apparent diffusion were also obtained from the temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficients at different salinity. As the salinity increased, the apparent diffusion coefficients of chloride ions in montmorillonite were found to increase slightly. On the other hand, the activation energies for the chloride diffusion were found to be almost constant (approximately 12 kJ mol -1 ) and less than that in free water (17.4 kJ mol -1 ). Effects of salinity on diffusion behavior of radionuclides in montmorillonite were discussed from the viewpoints of microstructure of montmorillonite and distribution of ions in the montmorillonite. As a result, the diffusion behavior of sodium ions could be explained by the changes of the predominant diffusion process among pore water diffusion, surface diffusion, and interlayer diffusion that could be caused by the increase of salinity. (author)

  18. Towards Optimal Buffer Size in Wi-Fi Networks

    KAUST Repository

    Showail, Ahmad J.

    2016-01-19

    Buffer sizing is an important network configuration parameter that impacts the quality of data traffic. Falling memory cost and the fallacy that ‘more is better’ lead to over provisioning network devices with large buffers. Over-buffering or the so called ‘bufferbloat’ phenomenon creates excessive end-to-end delay in today’s networks. On the other hand, under-buffering results in frequent packet loss and subsequent under-utilization of network resources. The buffer sizing problem has been studied extensively for wired networks. However, there is little work addressing the unique challenges of wireless environment. In this dissertation, we discuss buffer sizing challenges in wireless networks, classify the state-of-the-art solutions, and propose two novel buffer sizing schemes. The first scheme targets buffer sizing in wireless multi-hop networks where the radio spectral resource is shared among a set of con- tending nodes. Hence, it sizes the buffer collectively and distributes it over a set of interfering devices. The second buffer sizing scheme is designed to cope up with recent Wi-Fi enhancements. It adapts the buffer size based on measured link characteristics and network load. Also, it enforces limits on the buffer size to maximize frame aggregation benefits. Both mechanisms are evaluated using simulation as well as testbed implementation over half-duplex and full-duplex wireless networks. Experimental evaluation shows that our proposal reduces latency by an order of magnitude.

  19. Complexation of buffer constituents with neutral complexation agents: part I. Impact on common buffer properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riesová, Martina; Svobodová, Jana; Tošner, Zdeněk; Beneš, Martin; Tesařová, Eva; Gaš, Bohuslav

    2013-09-17

    The complexation of buffer constituents with the complexation agent present in the solution can very significantly influence the buffer properties, such as pH, ionic strength, or conductivity. These parameters are often crucial for selection of the separation conditions in capillary electrophoresis or high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and can significantly affect results of separation, particularly for capillary electrophoresis as shown in Part II of this paper series (Beneš, M.; Riesová, M.; Svobodová, J.; Tesařová, E.; Dubský, P.; Gaš, B. Anal. Chem. 2013, DOI: 10.1021/ac401381d). In this paper, the impact of complexation of buffer constituents with a neutral complexation agent is demonstrated theoretically as well as experimentally for the model buffer system composed of benzoic acid/LiOH or common buffers (e.g., CHES/LiOH, TAPS/LiOH, Tricine/LiOH, MOPS/LiOH, MES/LiOH, and acetic acid/LiOH). Cyclodextrins as common chiral selectors were used as model complexation agents. We were not only able to demonstrate substantial changes of pH but also to predict the general complexation characteristics of selected compounds. Because of the zwitterion character of the common buffer constituents, their charged forms complex stronger with cyclodextrins than the neutral ones do. This was fully proven by NMR measurements. Additionally complexation constants of both forms of selected compounds were determined by NMR and affinity capillary electrophoresis with a very good agreement of obtained values. These data were advantageously used for the theoretical descriptions of variations in pH, depending on the composition and concentration of the buffer. Theoretical predictions were shown to be a useful tool for deriving some general rules and laws for complexing systems.

  20. Using Whole-House Field Tests to Empirically Derive Moisture Buffering Model Inputs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Woods, J.; Winkler, J.; Christensen, D.; Hancock, E.

    2014-08-01

    Building energy simulations can be used to predict a building's interior conditions, along with the energy use associated with keeping these conditions comfortable. These models simulate the loads on the building (e.g., internal gains, envelope heat transfer), determine the operation of the space conditioning equipment, and then calculate the building's temperature and humidity throughout the year. The indoor temperature and humidity are affected not only by the loads and the space conditioning equipment, but also by the capacitance of the building materials, which buffer changes in temperature and humidity. This research developed an empirical method to extract whole-house model inputs for use with a more accurate moisture capacitance model (the effective moisture penetration depth model). The experimental approach was to subject the materials in the house to a square-wave relative humidity profile, measure all of the moisture transfer terms (e.g., infiltration, air conditioner condensate) and calculate the only unmeasured term: the moisture absorption into the materials. After validating the method with laboratory measurements, we performed the tests in a field house. A least-squares fit of an analytical solution to the measured moisture absorption curves was used to determine the three independent model parameters representing the moisture buffering potential of this house and its furnishings. Follow on tests with realistic latent and sensible loads showed good agreement with the derived parameters, especially compared to the commonly-used effective capacitance approach. These results show that the EMPD model, once the inputs are known, is an accurate moisture buffering model.

  1. Generation method of educational materials using qualitative reasoning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshimura, Seiichi; Yamada, Shigeo; Fujisawa, Noriyoshi.

    1992-01-01

    Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry has developed a nuclear power plant educational system in which educational materials for several events are included. The system effectively teaches operators by tailoring the event explanations to their knowledge levels of understanding. The preparation of the educational materials, however, is laborious and this becomes one of the problems in the practical use of the system. Discussed in the present paper is a basic explanation generation method using qualitative reasoning. This has been developed to solve the problem. Qualitative equations describing a recirculation pumps trip were transformed into production rules. These were stored in the knowledge base of an event explanation generation system together with explanation sentences. When an operator selects a certain variable's time-interval in which he wants to know the reasons for a variable change, the inference engine searches for the rule which satisfies both the qualitative value and qualitative differential value concerned with this time-interval. Then the event explanation generation section provides explanations by combining the explanation sentences attached to the rules. This paper demonstrates that it is possible to apply qualitative reasoning to such complex reactor systems, and also that explanations can be generated using the simulation results from a transient analysis code. (author)

  2. Influence of material and solution composition on the extrusion/erosion behaviour of compacted bentonite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schatz, Timothy; Martikainen, Jari; Koskinen, Kari

    2010-01-01

    experiments, total material mass loss through a compacted material/porous frit/solution reservoir interface was measured as a function of time. The effect of material and solution composition on extruded mass loss was analysed using combinations of compacted, homo-ionised bentonite (Ca-, Na-, Mg-Mt and admixtures thereof) and aqueous solutions of interest (from deionised water to high salinity concentrations). In some cases, measurements of stable colloid concentrations, above the distinct gel/sol phase boundary, were performed as well. Additionally, mechanical effects on mass extrusion were also analysed by varying both the porosity and the length of the interface. Results from these experiments indicate that the extrusion of compacted buffer mass is a self-limiting, diffusion-controlled process. These observations are in accordance with a view that ascribes the driving force of the extrusion process to swelling pressure with resistance provided by the viscosity of the extruded material and friction with the fracture surface. Moreover, material and solution composition effects on the rate of mass loss were clearly observed as well. Additionally, the mass fraction of spontaneously generated colloids, relative to the total extruded mass, was small to negligible for every measured case. As with the overall rate of mass loss, there were also clear material and solution composition effects on the magnitude of the measured colloidal mass fractions. (authors)

  3. Use of Gap-fills in the Buffer and Backfill of an HLW Repository

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Jae Owan; Lee, Min Soo; Choi, Heui Joo [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-05-15

    The buffer and backfill are significant barrier components of the repository. They play the roles of preventing the inflow of groundwater from the surrounding rock, retarding the release of radionuclides from the waste, supporting disposal container against external impacts, and discharging decay heat from the waste. When the buffer and backfill are installed for the HLW repository, there may be gaps between the container and buffer and between the backfill and the wall of disposal tunnels, respectively. These gaps occur because spaces are allowed for ease of the installation of the buffer and backfill in excavated deposition boreholes and disposal tunnels. If the gaps are left without any sealing as they are, however, the buffer and backfill can't accomplish their functions as the barrier components. This paper reviews the gap-fill concepts of the developed foreign countries, and then suggests a gap-fill concept which is applicable for the KRS. The gap-fill is suggested to employ bentonite- based materials with a type of pellet, granule, and pellet-granule mixture. The roller compression method and extrusion-cutting method are applicable for the fabrication of the bentonite pellets which can have the high density and the required amount for use to the buffer and backfill. For the installation of the gap-fill, the pouring and then pressing method and the shotcrete- blowing method are preferable for the gap of the deposition borehole and the gap of the disposal tunnel, respectively.

  4. Microbial analysis of the buffer/container experiment at AECL`s Underground Research Laboratory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stroes-Gascoyne, S; Hamon, C J; Haveman, S A; Delaney, T L [Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Pinawa, MB (Canada). Whiteshell Labs; Pedersen, K; Ekendahl, S; Jahromi, N; Arlinger, J; Hallbeck, L [Univ. of Goeteborg, (Sweden). Dept. of General and Marine Microbiology; Daumas, S; Dekeyser, K [Guiges Recherche Appliquee en Microbiologie, Aix-en-Provence, (France)

    1996-05-01

    The Buffer/Container experiment was carried out for 2.5 years to examine the in-situ performance of compacted buffer material in a single emplacement borehole under vault-relevant conditions. During decommissioning of this experiment, numerous samples were taken for microbial analysis to determine if the naturally present microbial population in buffer material survived to conditions and to determine which groups of microorganisms would be dominant in such a simulated vault environment. Microbial analyses were initiated within 24 hour of sampling for all types of samples taken. The culture results showed an almost universal disappearance of viable microorganisms in the samples taken from near the heater surface. The microbial activity measurements confirmed the lack of viable organisms with very weak or no activity measured in most of these samples. Generally, aerobic heterotrophic culture conditions gave the highest mean colony-forming units (CFU) values at both 25 and 50 C. Under anaerobic conditions, and especially at 50 C, lower mean CFU values were obtained. In all samples analyzed, numbers of sulfate reducing bacteria were less than 1000 CFU/g dry material. Methanogens were either not present or were found in very low numbers. Anaerobic sulfur oxidizing bacteria were found in higher numbers in most sample types with sufficient moisture. The statistical evaluation of the culture data demonstrated clearly that the water content was the variable limiting the viability of the bacteria present, and not the temperature. 68 refs, 35 figs, 37 tabs.

  5. SODR Memory Control Buffer Control ASIC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodson, Robert F.

    1994-01-01

    The Spacecraft Optical Disk Recorder (SODR) is a state of the art mass storage system for future NASA missions requiring high transmission rates and a large capacity storage system. This report covers the design and development of an SODR memory buffer control applications specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The memory buffer control ASIC has two primary functions: (1) buffering data to prevent loss of data during disk access times, (2) converting data formats from a high performance parallel interface format to a small computer systems interface format. Ten 144 p in, 50 MHz CMOS ASIC's were designed, fabricated and tested to implement the memory buffer control function.

  6. Implant Materials Generate Different Peri-implant Inflammatory Factors

    OpenAIRE

    Olivares-Navarrete, Rene; Hyzy, Sharon L.; Slosar, Paul J.; Schneider, Jennifer M.; Schwartz, Zvi; Boyan, Barbara D.

    2015-01-01

    Study Design. An in vitro study examining factors produced by human mesenchymal stem cells on spine implant materials. Objective. The aim of this study was to examine whether the inflammatory microenvironment generated by cells on titanium-aluminum-vanadium (Ti-alloy, TiAlV) surfaces is affected by surface microtexture and whether it differs from that generated on poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK). Summary of Background Data. Histologically, implants fabricated from PEEK have a fibrous connectiv...

  7. Buffer layers and articles for electronic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paranthaman, Mariappan P.; Aytug, Tolga; Christen, David K.; Feenstra, Roeland; Goyal, Amit

    2004-07-20

    Materials for depositing buffer layers on biaxially textured and untextured metallic and metal oxide substrates for use in the manufacture of superconducting and other electronic articles comprise RMnO.sub.3, R.sub.1-x A.sub.x MnO.sub.3, and combinations thereof; wherein R includes an element selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, and Y, and A includes an element selected from the group consisting of Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Ra.

  8. Portable Thermoelectric Power Generator Coupled with Phase Change Material

    OpenAIRE

    Lim Chong C.; Al-Kayiem Hussain H.; Sing Chin Y.

    2014-01-01

    Solar is the intermittent source of renewable energy and all thermal solar systems having a setback on non-functioning during the night and cloudy environment. This paper presents alternative solution for power generation using thermoelectric which is the direct conversion of temperature gradient of hot side and cold side of thermoelectric material to electric voltage. Phase change material with latent heat effect would help to prolong the temperature gradient across thermoelectric material f...

  9. pH buffering capacity of acid soils from tropical and subtropical regions of China as influenced by incorporation of crop straw biochars

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Ren-kou; Zhao, An-zhen; Yuan, Jin-hua; Jiang, Jun [Academy of Sciences, Nanjing (China). State Key Lab. of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture

    2012-04-15

    Purpose: The key factors influencing pH buffering capacity of acid soils from tropical and subtropical regions, and effects of soil evolution and incorporation of biochars on pH buffering capacity were investigated to develop suitable methods to increase pH buffering capacity of acid soils. Materials and methods: A total of 24 acid soils collected from southern China were used. The pH buffering capacity was determined using acid-base titration. The values of pH buffering capacity were obtained from the slope of titration curves of acid or alkali additions plotted against pH in the pH range 4.0-7.0. Two biochars were prepared from straws of peanut and canola using a low temperature pyrolysis method. After incubation of three acid soils, pH buffering capacity was then determined. Results and discussion: pH buffering capacity had a range of 9.1-32.1 mmol kg{sup -1} pH{sup -1} for 18 acid soils from tropical and subtropical regions of China. The pH buffering capacity was highly correlated (R{sup 2} = 0.707) with soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) measured with ammonium acetate method at pH 7.0 and decreased with soil evolution due to the decreased CEC. Incorporation of biochars at rates equivalent to 72 and 120 t ha{sup -1} increased soil pH buffering capacity due to the CEC contained in the biochars. Incorporation of peanut straw char which itself contained more CEC and alkalinity induced more increase in soil CEC, and thus greater increase in pH buffering capacity compared with canola straw char. At 5% of peanut straw char added, soil CEC increased by 80.2%, 51.3%, and 82.8% for Ultisol from Liuzhou, Oxisol from Chengmai and Ultisol from Kunlun, respectively, and by 19.8%, 19.6%, and 32.8% with 5% of canola straw char added, respectively; and correspondingly for these soils, the pH buffering capacity increased by 73.6%, 92.0%, and 123.2% with peanut straw char added; and by 31.3%, 25.6%, and 52.3% with canola straw char added, respectively. Protonation

  10. Materials engineering issues, LMFBR steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spalaris, C.N.; Challenger, K.D.; Day, R.A.; Dutina, D.; Ring, P.J.

    1976-01-01

    Selection of 2-1/4 Cr-1 Mo as the reference construction material for LMFBR steam generators assumed a balance between its known intrinsic properties and our ability to accommodate certain of its deficiencies through design allowance. A comprehensive development program was undertaken to define base data needed, confirm assumptions made relative to desired performance, minimize defects by optimization of melting, fabrication and heat treatment processes, and prepare specifications for purchasing reactor components

  11. The buffer/container experiment: results, synthesis, issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Graham, J.; Chandler, N.A.; Dixon, D.A.; Roach, P.J.; To, T.; Wan, A.W.L.

    1997-12-01

    A large in-ground experiment has examined how heat affects the performance of the dense sand bentonite 'buffer' that has been proposed for use in the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program. The experiment was performed by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited at its Underground Research Laboratory, Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba between 1991 and 1994. The experiment placed a full-size heater representing a container of nuclear fuel waste in a 1.24-m diameter borehole filled with buffer below the floor of a room excavated at 240-m depth in granitic rock of the Canadian Shield. The buffer and surrounding rock were extensively instrumented for temperatures, total pressures, water pressures, suctions, and rock displacements. Power was provided to the heater for almost 900 days. The experiment showed that good rock conditions can be pre-selected, a borehole can be drilled, and buffer can be placed at controlled densities and water contents. The instrumentation generally worked well, and an extensive data base was successfully organized. Drying was observed in buffer close to the heater. This caused some desiccation cracking. However the cracks only extended approximately one third of the distance to the buffer-rock interface and did not form an advective pathway. Following sampling at the time of decommissioning, cracked samples of buffer were transported to the laboratory and given access to water. The hydraulic conductivities and swelling pressures of these resaturated samples were very similar to those of uncracked buffer. A good balance was achieved between the mass of water flowing into the experiment from the surrounding rock and the increased mass of water in the buffer. A good understanding was developed of the relationships between suctions, water contents, and total pressures in buffer near the buffer-rock interface. Comparisons between measurements and predictions of measured parameters show that a good understanding has been developed of the processes operating

  12. The buffer/container experiment: results, synthesis, issues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Graham, J. [Univ. of Manitoba, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Winnipeg, MB (Canada); Chandler, N.A.; Dixon, D.A.; Roach, P.J.; To, T.; Wan, A.W.L

    1997-12-01

    A large in-ground experiment has examined how heat affects the performance of the dense sand bentonite 'buffer' that has been proposed for use in the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program. The experiment was performed by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited at its Underground Research Laboratory, Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba between 1991 and 1994. The experiment placed a full-size heater representing a container of nuclear fuel waste in a 1.24-m diameter borehole filled with buffer below the floor of a room excavated at 240-m depth in granitic rock of the Canadian Shield. The buffer and surrounding rock were extensively instrumented for temperatures, total pressures, water pressures, suctions, and rock displacements. Power was provided to the heater for almost 900 days. The experiment showed that good rock conditions can be pre-selected, a borehole can be drilled, and buffer can be placed at controlled densities and water contents. The instrumentation generally worked well, and an extensive data base was successfully organized. Drying was observed in buffer close to the heater. This caused some desiccation cracking. However the cracks only extended approximately one third of the distance to the buffer-rock interface and did not form an advective pathway. Following sampling at the time of decommissioning, cracked samples of buffer were transported to the laboratory and given access to water. The hydraulic conductivities and swelling pressures of these resaturated samples were very similar to those of uncracked buffer. A good balance was achieved between the mass of water flowing into the experiment from the surrounding rock and the increased mass of water in the buffer. A good understanding was developed of the relationships between suctions, water contents, and total pressures in buffer near the buffer-rock interface. Comparisons between measurements and predictions of measured parameters show that a good understanding has been developed of the processes

  13. Moisture buffering phenomenon and its impact on building energy consumption

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Mingjie; Qin, Menghao; Rode, Carsten

    2017-01-01

    buffering on building energy consumption in different climate conditions is assessed by using numerical simulations. The results show that the potential energy saving rate could be up to 25–30% when using proper hygroscopic materials in the test building in temperate climates and semi-arid climates. Finally......, the relationship between MBV and potential energy saving rate is also discussed....

  14. International comparison of observation-specific spatial buffers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frank, Lawrence D; Fox, Eric H; Ulmer, Jared M

    2017-01-01

    the relative differences in resulting explanatory power on self-reported physical activity outcomes. BEMs were developed in five countries using 'sausage,' 'detailed-trimmed,' and 'detailed,' network buffers at a distance of 1 km around participant household addresses (n = 5883). RESULTS: BEM values were...... significantly different (p trimmed buffer comparisons and 89% of sausage versus detailed network buffer comparisons. Results showed that BEM coefficients in physical activity models did not differ significantly across buffering methods, and in most cases BEM...

  15. Isostatic compression of buffer blocks. Middle scale

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ritola, J.; Pyy, E.

    2012-01-01

    Manufacturing of buffer components using isostatic compression method has been studied in small scale in 2008 (Laaksonen 2010). These tests included manufacturing of buffer blocks using different bentonite materials and different compression pressures. Isostatic mould technology was also tested, along with different methods to fill the mould, such as vibration and partial vacuum, as well as a stepwise compression of the blocks. The development of manufacturing techniques has continued with small-scale (30 %) blocks (diameter 600 mm) in 2009. This was done in a separate project: Isostatic compression, manufacturing and testing of small scale (D = 600 mm) buffer blocks. The research on the isostatic compression method continued in 2010 in a project aimed to test and examine the isostatic manufacturing process of buffer blocks at 70 % scale (block diameter 1200 to 1300 mm), and the aim was to continue in 2011 with full-scale blocks (diameter 1700 mm). A total of nine bentonite blocks were manufactured at 70 % scale, of which four were ring-shaped and the rest were cylindrical. It is currently not possible to manufacture full-scale blocks, because there is no sufficiently large isostatic press available. However, such a compression unit is expected to be possible to use in the near future. The test results of bentonite blocks, produced with an isostatic pressing method at different presses and at different sizes, suggest that the technical characteristics, for example bulk density and strength values, are somewhat independent of the size of the block, and that the blocks have fairly homogenous characteristics. Water content and compression pressure are the two most important properties determining the characteristics of the compressed blocks. By adjusting these two properties it is fairly easy to produce blocks at a desired density. The commonly used compression pressure in the manufacturing of bentonite blocks is 100 MPa, which compresses bentonite to approximately

  16. Isostatic compression of buffer blocks. Middle scale

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ritola, J.; Pyy, E. [VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland)

    2012-01-15

    Manufacturing of buffer components using isostatic compression method has been studied in small scale in 2008 (Laaksonen 2010). These tests included manufacturing of buffer blocks using different bentonite materials and different compression pressures. Isostatic mould technology was also tested, along with different methods to fill the mould, such as vibration and partial vacuum, as well as a stepwise compression of the blocks. The development of manufacturing techniques has continued with small-scale (30 %) blocks (diameter 600 mm) in 2009. This was done in a separate project: Isostatic compression, manufacturing and testing of small scale (D = 600 mm) buffer blocks. The research on the isostatic compression method continued in 2010 in a project aimed to test and examine the isostatic manufacturing process of buffer blocks at 70 % scale (block diameter 1200 to 1300 mm), and the aim was to continue in 2011 with full-scale blocks (diameter 1700 mm). A total of nine bentonite blocks were manufactured at 70 % scale, of which four were ring-shaped and the rest were cylindrical. It is currently not possible to manufacture full-scale blocks, because there is no sufficiently large isostatic press available. However, such a compression unit is expected to be possible to use in the near future. The test results of bentonite blocks, produced with an isostatic pressing method at different presses and at different sizes, suggest that the technical characteristics, for example bulk density and strength values, are somewhat independent of the size of the block, and that the blocks have fairly homogenous characteristics. Water content and compression pressure are the two most important properties determining the characteristics of the compressed blocks. By adjusting these two properties it is fairly easy to produce blocks at a desired density. The commonly used compression pressure in the manufacturing of bentonite blocks is 100 MPa, which compresses bentonite to approximately

  17. Multi-Buffer Simulations for Trace Language Inclusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milka Hutagalung

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available We consider simulation games played between Spoiler and Duplicator on two Büchi automata in which the choices made by Spoiler can be buffered by Duplicator in several buffers before she executes them on her structure. We show that the simulation games are useful to approximate the inclusion of trace closures of languages accepted by finite-state automata, which is known to be undecidable. We study the decidability and complexity and show that the game with bounded buffers can be decided in polynomial time, whereas the game with one unbounded and one bounded buffer is highly undecidable. We also show some sufficient conditions on the automata for Duplicator to win the game (with unbounded buffers.

  18. THE BUFFER CAPACITY OF AIRWAY EPITHELIAL SECRETIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dusik eKim

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The pH of airway epithelial secretions influences bacterial killing and mucus properties and is reduced by acidic pollutants, gastric reflux, and respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis (CF. The effect of acute acid loads depends on buffer capacity, however the buffering of airway secretions has not been well characterized. In this work we develop a method for titrating micro-scale (30 µl volumes and use it to study fluid secreted by the human airway epithelial cell line Calu-3, a widely used model for submucosal gland serous cells. Microtitration curves revealed that HCO3- is the major buffer. Peak buffer capacity (β increased from 17 to 28 mM/pH during forskolin stimulation, and was reduced by >50% in fluid secreted by cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR-deficient Calu-3 monolayers, confirming an important role of CFTR in HCO3- secretion. Back-titration with NaOH revealed non-volatile buffer capacity due to proteins synthesized and released by the epithelial cells. Lysozyme and mucin concentrations were too low to buffer Calu-3 fluid significantly, however model titrations of porcine gastric mucins at concentrations near the sol-gel transition suggest that mucins may contribute to the buffer capacity of ASL in vivo. We conclude that CFTR-dependent HCO3- secretion and epithelially-derived proteins are the predominant buffers in Calu-3 secretions.

  19. Buffering dissociation/formation reaction of biogenic calcium carbonate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ichikawa, Kazuhiko

    2007-01-01

    The oscillating stability of coral reef seawater pH has been maintained at around physiological pH values over the past 300 years (Pelejero et al., 2005). The stability mechanism of its pH has been interpreted in terms of the buffering dissolution/formation reaction of CaCO(3) as well as the proton consumption/generation reaction in CaCO(3)-saturated water. Here the pH-dependent solubility product [HCO(3)(-)][Ca(2+)] has been derived on the basis of the actual pH-dependent reactions for the atmospheric CO(2)/CO(2 (aq.))/HCO(3)(-)/CO(3)(2-)/Ca(2+)/CaCO(3) system. Overbasic pH peaks appeared between pH approximately 8 and approximately 9.5 during sodium hydroxide titration, as a result of simultaneous CaCO(3) formation and proton generation. The spontaneous and prompt water pH recovery from the acidic to the physiological range has been confirmed by the observation of acid/base time evolution, because of simultaneous CaCO(3) dissolution and proton consumption. The dissolution/formation of CaCO(3) in water at pH 7.5-9 does not take place without a proton consumption/generation reaction, or a buffering chemical reaction of HCO(3)(-)+Ca(2+)right arrow over left arrowCaCO(3)+H(+). SEM images of the CaCO(3) fragments showed that the acid water ate away at the CaCO(3) formed at physiological pH values. Natural coral reefs can thus recover the physiological pH levels of seawater from the acidic range through partial dissolution of their own skeletons.

  20. Programmable pH buffers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gough, Dara Van; Huber, Dale L.; Bunker, Bruce C.; Roberts, Mark E.

    2017-01-24

    A programmable pH buffer comprises a copolymer that changes pK.sub.a at a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in water. The copolymer comprises a thermally programmable polymer that undergoes a hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic phase change at the LCST and an electrolytic polymer that exhibits acid-base properties that are responsive to the phase change. The programmable pH buffer can be used to sequester CO.sub.2 into water.

  1. A buffer overflow detection based on inequalities solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Guoai; Zhang Miao; Yang Yixian

    2007-01-01

    A new buffer overflow detection model based on Inequalities Solution was designed, which is based on analyzing disadvantage of the old buffer overflow detection technique and successfully converting buffer overflow detection to Inequalities Solution. The new model can conquer the disadvantage of the old technique and improve efficiency of buffer overflow detection. (authors)

  2. Magnetorheological elastomer and its application on impact buffer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu, J; Yu, M; Zhu, L X; Dong, X M

    2013-01-01

    In this study, a new magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) based buffer is proposed and its vibration isolation performance is investigated. The MRE buffer with a compact structure is first designed in order to accomplish the maximization of the variable stiffness range. The working characteristics of the MRE buffer are then measured and the model of MRE is established. On the basis of the experimental data, the control model of the MRE buffer is also formulated. A two-degree-of-freedom dynamic model with an MRE buffer is then developed. An intelligent control strategy, human simulated intelligent control (HSIC), is proposed to reduce the impact during the drop crash. Finally, the proposed MRE buffer and controller are validated numerically and experimentally. The results show that the proposed MRE buffer and the control strategy can reduce the impact acceleration effectively.

  3. Retaining in-gel zymographic activity of cysteine proteases via a cysteine-supplemented running buffer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vootukuri Reddy, Sreekanth; Philpott, Mike P; Trigiante, Giuseppe

    2016-10-01

    Zymography is a powerful technique to separate and identify different enzymatic activities on a standard acrylamide gel. For oxidation prone enzymes such as cysteine proteases however, the oxidizing species generated by electrolysis of the gel running buffer may result in partial or complete inactivation, thus compromising the final readout. This can be only partially remedied by subsequent treatment of the gel with reducing agents. We demonstrate the generation of reactive oxidizing species during electrophoresis and discovered that supplementation of the gel running buffer with a minimum of 5 mM cysteine prevents enzyme inactivation and allows retention of proteolytic activity as measured by zymography on model substrate N α-benzoyl-l-arginine p-nitroanilide, without at the same time altering the mobilities of the gel proteins. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Buffer development in KBS-3H repository design variant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanden, T.; Boergesson, L.; Autio, J.; Oehberg, A.; Anttila, P.

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. KBS-3H project is a joint project between Svensk Kaernbraenslehantering AB (SKB) in Sweden and Posiva Oy in Finland. The overall objectives of the project phase are to demonstrate that the horizontal deposition alternative is technically feasible and to demonstrate that it fulfils the same long-term safety requirements as the reference design KBS-3V, which calls for vertical emplacement of the canisters in individual deposition holes. KBS-3H and KBS-3V are the two variants of the KBS-3 method. In KBS-3H each spent fuel canister, with a surrounding layer of bentonite clay, is placed in a perforated steel cylinder prior to disposal; the entire assembly is called the supercontainer. Several super-containers are positioned along up to 300 m long approximately horizontal deposition drifts. The drifts will be excavated at the depth of about 420 m in bedrock. Bentonite distance blocks separate the super-containers, one from another, along the drift. The bentonite inside the super-containers and the bentonite distance blocks are jointly termed the buffer. There are two KBS-3H design alternatives; a design based on Drainage, Artificial Watering and air Evacuation (DAWE) and a less mature alternative called Semi Tight Compartments design (STC). Significant effort has been made in the KBS-3H project to solve the functional uncertainties related to buffer behaviour, which could e.g. cause piping, erosion, displacement and rupture of distance blocks. Some of the issues were prioritised as being important if there was clear uncertainty regarding the ability of the buffer to fulfil the specified requirements with respect to this issue. The design components in KBS-3H design alternatives include currently significant amounts of iron and titanium as possible alternative material to iron. Therefore the buffer development work has also included studies on the Fe-bentonite and Ti-bentonite interaction. The work has included testing in

  5. Decomposition of some amines and amino acids in steam generator environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jayaweera, P.; Hettiarachchi, S.; Millett, P.J.

    1994-01-01

    Hydrothermal decomposition rate constants and high temperature pH values of some selected high-molecular weight amines and amino acids were measured under simulated steam generator conditions. These amines and amino acids were evaluated as potential crevice buffering agents for steam generator applications in pressurized water reactors. The study showed that, although the high molecular weight amines undergo hydrothermal decomposition, they have a better buffer capacity than their low molecular weight counterparts at 290 C. The amines provide effective crevice buffering by increasing the pH of the simulated crevice solution by as much as 2.84 to 4.24 units. However, volatility data for the amines and amino acids are needed before in-plant testing to ensure that amines can concentrate sufficiently in steam generator crevices to provide effective buffering

  6. Advanced Material Strategies for Next-Generation Additive Manufacturing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Jinke; He, Jiankang; Mao, Mao; Zhou, Wenxing; Lei, Qi; Li, Xiao; Li, Dichen; Chua, Chee-Kai; Zhao, Xin

    2018-01-22

    Additive manufacturing (AM) has drawn tremendous attention in various fields. In recent years, great efforts have been made to develop novel additive manufacturing processes such as micro-/nano-scale 3D printing, bioprinting, and 4D printing for the fabrication of complex 3D structures with high resolution, living components, and multimaterials. The development of advanced functional materials is important for the implementation of these novel additive manufacturing processes. Here, a state-of-the-art review on advanced material strategies for novel additive manufacturing processes is provided, mainly including conductive materials, biomaterials, and smart materials. The advantages, limitations, and future perspectives of these materials for additive manufacturing are discussed. It is believed that the innovations of material strategies in parallel with the evolution of additive manufacturing processes will provide numerous possibilities for the fabrication of complex smart constructs with multiple functions, which will significantly widen the application fields of next-generation additive manufacturing.

  7. Advanced Material Strategies for Next-Generation Additive Manufacturing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinke Chang

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Additive manufacturing (AM has drawn tremendous attention in various fields. In recent years, great efforts have been made to develop novel additive manufacturing processes such as micro-/nano-scale 3D printing, bioprinting, and 4D printing for the fabrication of complex 3D structures with high resolution, living components, and multimaterials. The development of advanced functional materials is important for the implementation of these novel additive manufacturing processes. Here, a state-of-the-art review on advanced material strategies for novel additive manufacturing processes is provided, mainly including conductive materials, biomaterials, and smart materials. The advantages, limitations, and future perspectives of these materials for additive manufacturing are discussed. It is believed that the innovations of material strategies in parallel with the evolution of additive manufacturing processes will provide numerous possibilities for the fabrication of complex smart constructs with multiple functions, which will significantly widen the application fields of next-generation additive manufacturing.

  8. Advanced Material Strategies for Next-Generation Additive Manufacturing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Jinke; He, Jiankang; Zhou, Wenxing; Lei, Qi; Li, Xiao; Li, Dichen

    2018-01-01

    Additive manufacturing (AM) has drawn tremendous attention in various fields. In recent years, great efforts have been made to develop novel additive manufacturing processes such as micro-/nano-scale 3D printing, bioprinting, and 4D printing for the fabrication of complex 3D structures with high resolution, living components, and multimaterials. The development of advanced functional materials is important for the implementation of these novel additive manufacturing processes. Here, a state-of-the-art review on advanced material strategies for novel additive manufacturing processes is provided, mainly including conductive materials, biomaterials, and smart materials. The advantages, limitations, and future perspectives of these materials for additive manufacturing are discussed. It is believed that the innovations of material strategies in parallel with the evolution of additive manufacturing processes will provide numerous possibilities for the fabrication of complex smart constructs with multiple functions, which will significantly widen the application fields of next-generation additive manufacturing. PMID:29361754

  9. The thermodynamic-buffer enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stucki, J W

    1980-08-01

    Oxidative phosphorylation operates at optimal efficiency if and only if the condition of conductance matching L33/L11 = square root 1-q2 is fulfilled. In this relation L11 is the phenomenological conductance of phosphorylation, L33 the phenomenological conductance of the load, i.e. the irreversible ATP-utilizing processes in the cell, and q the degree of coupling of oxidative phosphorylation driven by respiration. Since during short time intervals L11 and q are constant whereas L33 fluctuates in the cell, oxidative phosphorylation would only rarely operate at optimal efficiency due to violation of conductance matching. This paper demonstrates that the reversible ATP-utilizing reaction catalyzed by adenylate kinase can effectively compensate deviations from conductance matching in the presence of a fluctuating L33 and hence allows oxidative phosphorylation to operate at optimal efficiency in the cell. Since the adenylate kinase reaction was found to buffer a thermodynamic potential, i.e. the phosphate potential, this finding was generalized to the concept of thermodynamic buffering. The thermodynamic buffering ability of the adenylate kinase reaction was demonstrated by experiments with incubated rat-liver mitochondria. Considerations of changes introduced in the entropy production by the adenylate kinase reaction allowed to establish the theoretical framework for thermodynamic buffering. The ability of thermodynamic buffering to compensate deviations from conductance matching in the presence of fluctuating loads was demonstrated by computer simulations. The possibility of other reversible ATP-utilizing reactions, like the ones catalyzed by creatine kinase and arginine kinase, to contribute to thermodynamic buffering is discussed. Finally, the comparison of the theoretically calculated steady-stae cytosolic adenine nucleotide concentrations with experimental data from perfused livers demonstrated that in livers from fed rats conductance matching is fulfilled on a

  10. Superconducting NbN single-photon detectors on GaAs with an AlN buffer layer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schmidt, Ekkehart; Merker, Michael; Ilin, Konstantin; Siegel, Michael [Institut fuer Mikro- und Nanoelektronische Systeme (IMS), Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie, Hertzstrasse 16, 76187 Karlsruhe (Germany)

    2015-07-01

    GaAs is the material of choice for photonic integrated circuits. It allows the monolithic integration of single-photon sources like quantum dots, waveguide based optical circuits and detectors like superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) onto one chip. The growth of high quality NbN films on GaAs is challenging, due to natural occurring surface oxides and the large lattice mismatch of about 27%. In this work, we try to overcome these problems by the introduction of a 10 nm AlN buffer layer. Due to the buffer layer, the critical temperature of 6 nm thick NbN films was increased by about 1.5 K. Furthermore, the critical current density at 4.2 K of NbN flim deposited onto GaAs with AlN buffer is 50% higher than of NbN film deposited directly onto GaAs substrate. We successfully fabricated NbN SNSPDs on GaAs with a AlN buffer layer. SNSPDs were patterned using electron-beam lithography and reactive-ion etching techniques. Results on the study of detection efficiency and jitter of a NbN SNSPD on GaAs, with and without AlN buffer layer will be presented and discussed.

  11. Third generation synchrotron radiation applied to materials science

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaufmann, E.N.; Yun, W.

    1993-01-01

    Utility of synchrotron radiation for characterization of materials and ramifications of availability of new third-generation, high-energy, high-intensity sources of synchrotron radiation are discussed. Examples are given of power of x-ray analysis techniques to be expected with these new machines

  12. Coaxial atomic force microscope probes for dielectrophoresis of DNA under different buffer conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Yinglei; Kumar Wickramasinghe, H.

    2017-02-01

    We demonstrate a coaxial AFM nanoprobe device for dielectrophoretic (DEP) trapping of DNA molecules in Tris-EDTA (TE) and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) buffers. The DEP properties of 20 nm polystyrene beads were studied with coaxial probes in media with different conductivities. Due to the special geometry of our DEP probe device, sufficiently high electric fields were generated at the probe end to focus DNA molecules with positive DEP. DEP trapping for both polystyrene beads and DNA molecules was quantitatively analyzed over the frequency range from 100 kHz to 50 MHz and compared with the Clausius-Mossotti theory. Finally, we discussed the negative effect of medium salinity during DEP trapping.

  13. Doped LZO buffer layers for laminated conductors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paranthaman, Mariappan Parans [Knoxville, TN; Schoop, Urs [Westborough, MA; Goyal, Amit [Knoxville, TN; Thieme, Cornelis Leo Hans [Westborough, MA; Verebelyi, Darren T [Oxford, MA; Rupich, Martin W [Framingham, MA

    2010-03-23

    A laminated conductor includes a metallic substrate having a surface, a biaxially textured buffer layer supported by the surface of the substrate, the biaxially textured buffer layer comprising LZO and a dopant for mitigating metal diffusion through the LZO, and a biaxially textured conductor layer supported by the biaxially textured buffer layer.

  14. Buffer regulation of calcium puff sequences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fraiman, Daniel; Dawson, Silvina Ponce

    2014-01-01

    Puffs are localized Ca 2+ signals that arise in oocytes in response to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP 3 ). They are the result of the liberation of Ca 2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum through the coordinated opening of IP 3 receptor/channels clustered at a functional release site. The presence of buffers that trap Ca 2+ provides a mechanism that enriches the spatio–temporal dynamics of cytosolic calcium. The expression of different types of buffers along the cell's life provides a tool with which Ca 2+ signals and their responses can be modulated. In this paper we extend the stochastic model of a cluster of IP 3 R-Ca 2+ channels introduced previously to elucidate the effect of buffers on sequences of puffs at the same release site. We obtain analytically the probability laws of the interpuff time and of the number of channels that participate of the puffs. Furthermore, we show that under typical experimental conditions the effect of buffers can be accounted for in terms of a simple inhibiting function. Hence, by exploring different inhibiting functions we are able to study the effect of a variety of buffers on the puff size and interpuff time distributions. We find the somewhat counter-intuitive result that the addition of a fast Ca 2+ buffer can increase the average number of channels that participate of a puff. (paper)

  15. Buffer regulation of calcium puff sequences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fraiman, Daniel; Dawson, Silvina Ponce

    2014-02-01

    Puffs are localized Ca(2 +) signals that arise in oocytes in response to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3). They are the result of the liberation of Ca(2 +) from the endoplasmic reticulum through the coordinated opening of IP3 receptor/channels clustered at a functional release site. The presence of buffers that trap Ca(2 +) provides a mechanism that enriches the spatio-temporal dynamics of cytosolic calcium. The expression of different types of buffers along the cell's life provides a tool with which Ca(2 +) signals and their responses can be modulated. In this paper we extend the stochastic model of a cluster of IP3R-Ca(2 +) channels introduced previously to elucidate the effect of buffers on sequences of puffs at the same release site. We obtain analytically the probability laws of the interpuff time and of the number of channels that participate of the puffs. Furthermore, we show that under typical experimental conditions the effect of buffers can be accounted for in terms of a simple inhibiting function. Hence, by exploring different inhibiting functions we are able to study the effect of a variety of buffers on the puff size and interpuff time distributions. We find the somewhat counter-intuitive result that the addition of a fast Ca(2 +) buffer can increase the average number of channels that participate of a puff.

  16. Optimization of protein buffer cocktails using Thermofluor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reinhard, Linda; Mayerhofer, Hubert; Geerlof, Arie; Mueller-Dieckmann, Jochen; Weiss, Manfred S

    2013-02-01

    The stability and homogeneity of a protein sample is strongly influenced by the composition of the buffer that the protein is in. A quick and easy approach to identify a buffer composition which increases the stability and possibly the conformational homogeneity of a protein sample is the fluorescence-based thermal-shift assay (Thermofluor). Here, a novel 96-condition screen for Thermofluor experiments is presented which consists of buffer and additive parts. The buffer screen comprises 23 different buffers and the additive screen includes small-molecule additives such as salts and nucleotide analogues. The utilization of small-molecule components which increase the thermal stability of a protein sample frequently results in a protein preparation of higher quality and quantity and ultimately also increases the chances of the protein crystallizing.

  17. Assessment of fibrous insulation materials for the selenide isotope generator system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wei, G.C; Tennery, V.J.

    1977-11-01

    Fibrous insulations for use in the converter and the heat source of the radioisotope-powered, selenide element, thermoelectric generator (selenide isotope generator) are assessed. The most recent system design and material selection basis is presented. Several fibrous insulation materials which have the potential for use as load-bearing or nonload-bearing thermal insulations are reviewed, and thermophysical properties supplied by manufacturers or published in the literature are presented. Potential problems with the application of fibrous insulations in the selenide isotope generator are as follows: compatibility with graphite, the thermoelectric elements, and the isolation hot frame; devitrification, grain growth, and sintering with an accompanying degradation of insulation quality; impurity diffusion from the insulation to adjoining structures; outgassing and storage of fibrous materials. Areas in which thermophysical data or quantitative information on the insulation and structural stability is lacking are identified

  18. A novel contra propagating ultrasonic flowmeter using glad buffer rods for high temperature measurement. Application to the oil and gas industries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Franca, Demartonne R. [Brasilia Univ., DF (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Eletrica; Cheng-Kuei Jen; Yuu Ono [National Research Council (NRC), Quebec (Canada). Industrial Materials Institute

    2005-07-01

    Ultrasonic techniques are attractive for process monitoring and control because they are non-intrusive, robust and inexpensive. Two common concerns limiting the high temperature performance of conventional ultrasonic systems for flow measurement are related to transducers and couplants. A suitable approach to overcoming this drawback is to insert a thermal isolating buffer rod with good ultrasonic performance (e.g., high signal-to-noise ratio). This requirement is important because, a priori, the noises generated in the buffer rod may bury the desired signals, so that no meaningful information is extracted. Besides protecting the ultrasonic transducers from overheating in applications such as high temperature flow measurements, buffer rods are also a solution for the couplant between the probe and tested sample, since their probing end can be directly wetted by fluids. Here, we propose clad buffer rods driven by shear transducers as the main building block of contra propagating ultrasonic flowmeters for high temperature application. It is demonstrated that the superior signal-to-noise ratio exhibit by clad buffer rods compared to the reported non-clad counterparts improve precision in transit-time measurement, leading to more accurate flow speed determination. In addition, it is shown that clad buffer rods generate specific ultrasonic signals for temperature calibration of flowmeters, allowing temperature variation while still measuring accurately the flow speed. These results are of interest for the oil and gas industries. (author)

  19. BUFFER CAPACITY IN HETEROGENEOUS MULTICOMPONENT SYSTEMS. REVIEW

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oxana Spinu

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The quantitative basis of the theory of buffer properties for two-phase acid-base buffer systems and for multicomponent heterogeneous systems has been derived. The analytical equations with respect to all components for diverse multicomponent systems were deduced. It has been established, that the buffer capacities of components are mutually proportional.

  20. "ASTRO 101" Course Materials 2.0: Next Generation Lecture Tutorials and Beyond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slater, Stephanie; Grazier, Kevin

    2015-01-01

    Early efforts to create course materials were often local in scale and were based on "gut instinct," and classroom experience and observation. While subsequent efforts were often based on those same instincts and observations of classrooms, they also incorporated the results of many years of education research. These "second generation" course materials, such as lecture tutorials, relied heavily on research indicating that instructors need to actively engage students in the learning process. While imperfect, these curricular innovations, have provided evidence that research-based materials can be constructed, can easily be disseminated to a broad audience, and can provide measureable improvement in student learning across many settings. In order to improve upon this prior work, next generation materials must build upon the strengths of these innovations while engineering in findings from education research, cognitive science, and instructor feedback. A next wave of materials, including a set of next generation lecture tutorials, have been constructed with attention to the body of research on student motivation, and cognitive load; and they are responsive to our body of knowledge on learning difficulties related to specific content in the domain. From instructor feedback, these materials have been constructed to have broader coverage of the materials typically taught in an ASTRO 101 course, to take less class time, and to be more affordable for students. This next generation of lecture tutorials may serve as a template of the ways in which course materials can be reengineered to respond to current instructor and student needs.

  1. Buffer Sizing in 802.11 Wireless Mesh Networks

    KAUST Repository

    Jamshaid, Kamran; Shihada, Basem; Xia, Li; Levis, Philip

    2011-01-01

    We analyze the problem of buffer sizing for TCP flows in 802.11-based Wireless Mesh Networks. Our objective is to maintain high network utilization while providing low queueing delays. The problem is complicated by the time-varying capacity of the wireless channel as well as the random access mechanism of 802.11 MAC protocol. While arbitrarily large buffers can maintain high network utilization, this results in large queueing delays. Such delays may affect TCP stability characteristics, and also increase queueing delays for other flows (including real-time flows) sharing the buffer. In this paper we propose sizing link buffers collectively for a set of nodes within mutual interference range called the 'collision domain'. We aim to provide a buffer just large enough to saturate the available capacity of the bottleneck collision domain that limits the carrying capacity of the network. This neighborhood buffer is distributed over multiple nodes that constitute the network bottleneck; a transmission by any of these nodes fully utilizes the available spectral resource for the duration of the transmission. We show that sizing routing buffers collectively for this bottleneck allows us to have small buffers (as low as 2 - 3 packets) at individual nodes without any significant loss in network utilization. We propose heuristics to determine these buffer sizes in WMNs. Our results show that we can reduce the end-to-end delays by 6× to 10× at the cost of losing roughly 5% of the network capacity achievable with large buffers.

  2. Buffer Sizing in 802.11 Wireless Mesh Networks

    KAUST Repository

    Jamshaid, Kamran

    2011-10-01

    We analyze the problem of buffer sizing for TCP flows in 802.11-based Wireless Mesh Networks. Our objective is to maintain high network utilization while providing low queueing delays. The problem is complicated by the time-varying capacity of the wireless channel as well as the random access mechanism of 802.11 MAC protocol. While arbitrarily large buffers can maintain high network utilization, this results in large queueing delays. Such delays may affect TCP stability characteristics, and also increase queueing delays for other flows (including real-time flows) sharing the buffer. In this paper we propose sizing link buffers collectively for a set of nodes within mutual interference range called the \\'collision domain\\'. We aim to provide a buffer just large enough to saturate the available capacity of the bottleneck collision domain that limits the carrying capacity of the network. This neighborhood buffer is distributed over multiple nodes that constitute the network bottleneck; a transmission by any of these nodes fully utilizes the available spectral resource for the duration of the transmission. We show that sizing routing buffers collectively for this bottleneck allows us to have small buffers (as low as 2 - 3 packets) at individual nodes without any significant loss in network utilization. We propose heuristics to determine these buffer sizes in WMNs. Our results show that we can reduce the end-to-end delays by 6× to 10× at the cost of losing roughly 5% of the network capacity achievable with large buffers.

  3. Supporting Infrastructure and Acceptability Issues for Materials Used in New Generation Vehicles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Das, S.; Curlee, T.R.; Jones, D.W.; Leiby, P.E.; Rubin, J.D.; Schexnayder, S.M.; Vogt, D.P.; Wolfe, A.K.

    1999-03-01

    To achieve its goal of producing vehicles that use two thirds less fuel than current vehicles, the Partnership of a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) is designing vehicles that will use lightweight materials in place of heavier materials used in current vehicles. using new materials in automobiles will require the development of a supporting infrastructure to produce both the substitute materials and the components of the substitute materials, as well as the automotive parts constructed from the new materials. This report documents a set of analyses that attempt to identify potential barriers--economic, infrastructure, and public acceptance barriers--to the materials substitution in New Generation Vehicles. The analyses rely on hypothetical vehicle market penetration scenarios and material composition. The approach is comprehensive, examining issues ranging from materials availability to their eventual disposition and its effect on the automobile recycling industry, and from supporting industries' capacity to the public acceptability of these vehicles. The analyses focus on two likely substitute materials, aluminum and glass-reinforced polymer composites.

  4. Temperature buffer test. Hydro-mechanical and chemical/ mineralogical characterizations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aakesson, Mattias; Olsson, Siv; Dueck, Ann; Nilsson, Ulf; Karnland, Ola; Kiviranta, Leena; Kumpulainen, Sirpa; Linden, Johan

    2012-01-01

    The Temperature Buffer Test (TBT) is a joint project between SKB/ANDRA and supported by ENRESA (modeling) and DBE (instrumentation), which aims at improving the understanding and to model the thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of buffers made of swelling clay submitted to high temperatures (over 100 deg C) during the water saturation process. The test has been carried out in a KBS-3 deposition hole at Aspo HRL. It was installed during the spring of 2003. Two steel heaters (3 m long, 0.6 m diameter) and two buffer arrangements have been investigated: the lower heater was surrounded by rings of compacted Wyoming bentonite only, whereas the upper heater was surrounded by a composite barrier, with a sand shield between the heater and the bentonite. The test was dismantled and sampled during the winter of 2009/2010. This report presents the hydro-mechanical and chemical/mineralogical characterization program which was launched subsequent to the dismantling operation. The main goal has been to investigate if any significant differences could be observed between material from the field experiment and the reference material. The field samples were mainly taken from Ring 4 (located at the mid-section around the lower heater), in which the temperature in the innermost part reached 155 deg C. The following hydro-mechanical properties have been determined for the material (test technique within brackets): hydraulic conductivity (swelling pressure device), swelling pressure (swelling pressure device), unconfined compression strength (mechanical press), shear strength (triaxial cell) and retention properties (jar method). The following chemical/mineralogical properties (methods within brackets) were determined: anion analysis of water leachates (IC), chemical composition (ICP/AES+MS, EGA), cation exchange capacity (CEC, Cu-trien method) and exchangeable cations (exchange with NH4, ICPAES), mineralogical composition (XRD and FTIR), element distribution and microstructure (SEM and

  5. Flow and transport through a damaged buffer - exploration of the impact of a cemented and an eroded buffer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neretnieks, Ivars [Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2006-12-15

    The compacted bentonite buffer that surrounds the canister with spent fuel is designed not to allow water to flow through it in any appreciable quantities. Should the buffer be severely damaged water could flow to the canister and bring with it corrosive agent such as sulphide. This could speed up the rate of copper corrosion. Should the canister have a damage or be corroded so that the spent fuel inside the canister comes in contact with the water radionuclides could dissolve in the water and be carried away. Two modes of canister damage and their consequences for solute transport are explored in this report. In one case the buffer can potentially be eroded by the water seeping in the fractures in the surrounding rock and attain a high hydraulic conductivity allowing water to flow through it, at least locally. In another case it is conjectured that the buffer is cemented and becomes brittle. Then a crack could conceivably form in the cemented buffer allowing water to flow through it directly to the canister surface. Both cases are hypothetical although in the erosion case the erosion rate could possibly be quantified. The cases studied are to be seen as exploratory calculations for 'what if' cases. Some worst case assumptions have been used to explore bounding scenarios. Thus for the erosion case it is assumed that the hydraulic conductivity is so high that the buffer exerts negligible resistance to water flow. This implies that all the water that can flow through the fractures intersecting the deposition hole can reach the canister. Similarly for the cemented buffer case it is assumed that the crack in the buffer directly connects the rock fracture to the canister surface. For these circumstances it is found that the flowrate that can enter the deposition hole will be approximately two times as large as the water flow that would pass a projected area equal to that of the deposition hole. Thus if the flux in the rock some distance from the deposition

  6. Flow and transport through a damaged buffer - exploration of the impact of a cemented and an eroded buffer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neretnieks, Ivars

    2006-12-01

    The compacted bentonite buffer that surrounds the canister with spent fuel is designed not to allow water to flow through it in any appreciable quantities. Should the buffer be severely damaged water could flow to the canister and bring with it corrosive agent such as sulphide. This could speed up the rate of copper corrosion. Should the canister have a damage or be corroded so that the spent fuel inside the canister comes in contact with the water radionuclides could dissolve in the water and be carried away. Two modes of canister damage and their consequences for solute transport are explored in this report. In one case the buffer can potentially be eroded by the water seeping in the fractures in the surrounding rock and attain a high hydraulic conductivity allowing water to flow through it, at least locally. In another case it is conjectured that the buffer is cemented and becomes brittle. Then a crack could conceivably form in the cemented buffer allowing water to flow through it directly to the canister surface. Both cases are hypothetical although in the erosion case the erosion rate could possibly be quantified. The cases studied are to be seen as exploratory calculations for 'what if' cases. Some worst case assumptions have been used to explore bounding scenarios. Thus for the erosion case it is assumed that the hydraulic conductivity is so high that the buffer exerts negligible resistance to water flow. This implies that all the water that can flow through the fractures intersecting the deposition hole can reach the canister. Similarly for the cemented buffer case it is assumed that the crack in the buffer directly connects the rock fracture to the canister surface. For these circumstances it is found that the flowrate that can enter the deposition hole will be approximately two times as large as the water flow that would pass a projected area equal to that of the deposition hole. Thus if the flux in the rock some distance from the deposition hole is 1

  7. Can acclimation of thermal tolerance, in adults and across generations, act as a buffer against climate change in tropical marine ectotherms?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morley, S A; Nguyen, K D; Peck, L S; Lai, C-H; Tan, K S

    2017-08-01

    Thermal acclimation capacity was investigated in adults of three tropical marine invertebrates, the subtidal barnacle Striatobalanus amaryllis, the intertidal gastropod Volegalea cochlidium and the intertidal barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite. To test the relative importance of transgenerational acclimation, the developmental acclimation capacity of A. amphitrite was investigated in F 1 and F 2 generations reared at a subset of the same incubation temperatures. The increase in CT max (measured through loss of key behavioural metrics) of F 0 adults across the incubation temperature range 25.4-33.4°C was low: 0.00°C (V. cochlidium), 0.05°C (S. amaryllis) and 0.06°C (A. amphitrite) per 1°C increase in incubation temperature (the acclimation response ratio; ARR). Although the effect of generation was not significant, across the incubation temperature range of 29.4-33.4°C, the increase in CT max in the F 1 (0.30°C) and F 2 (0.15°C) generations of A. amphitrite was greater than in the F 0 (0.10°C). These correspond to ARR's of 0.03°C (F 0 ), 0.08°C (F 1 ) and 0.04°C (F 2 ), respectively. The variability in CT max between individuals in each treatment was maintained across generations, despite the high mortality of progeny. Further research is required to investigate the potential for transgenerational acclimation to provide an extra buffer for tropical marine species facing climate warming. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Manufacturing and performance of customized pellets used for buffer and backfill sealing in nuclear waste containment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holt, Erika; Marjavaara, Pieti; Man, Alex; Kim, Chang-Seok; Dixon, David

    2012-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. Bentonite pellets are proposed for use in filling gaps between highly compacted bentonite and the surrounding rock walls. Previous studies typically focused on using commercially available bentonite pellets with good performance results typically being achieved but no comprehensive evaluations were undertaken. This paper summarizes the results of two recent studies completed on gap filling materials and customized pellets that were intended to see to what degree improvement of the pellet materials and placement density could be achieved and what this would mean to system behaviour. Although the joint project covered a wide range of potential materials and sealing applications, in this presentation, the focus is on the use of bentonite filling material in the outer gap between the rock surface and large highly-compacted bentonite buffer blocks used in Posiva's Reference vertical deposition design. The gap between the deposition hole's wall and the buffer is 50 mm, which should be filled with material prior to tunnel backfilling. The required dry density of the outer gap filling is 920 kg/m 3 , with an average buffer dry density of 1600 kg/m 3 at 100% saturation. At these densities, the thermal, hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of the system meet the requirements set for them. In the first part of this study, various types of commercially-available bentonite granular materials were used alone or in combination with finer material. Different placement methods were used to fill vertical gaps of either 25 or 35 mm width in a small-scale experimental mock-up. The sizes of the rectangular gap mock-up elements used in these tests were approximately 1 m in height and 2 m long. The results from the small scale tests suggest that all the filling materials and methods used during the test would achieve as-placed dry density of 800-1200 kg/m 3 , depending on material and placement method used. The lowest values were noted

  9. Liquid growth hormone: preservatives and buffers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kappelgaard, Anne-Marie; Anders, Bojesen; Skydsgaard, Karen

    2004-01-01

    injection are dependent on the preservative used in the formulation and the concentration of GH. Injection pain may also be related to the buffer substance and injection volume. A liquid formulation of GH, Norditropi SimpleXx, has been developed that dispenses with the need for reconstitution before...... solution. More pain was also reported following large volume injections and following injections with solutions containing high protein concentrations. In summary, optimization of the preservative and buffer content of a liquid GH formulation may reduce injection pain and lead to improved patient...... administration. The formulation uses phenol (3 mg/ml) as a preservative (to protect product from microbial degradation or contamination) and histidine as a buffer. Alternative preservatives used in other GH formulations include m-cresol (9 mg/ml) and benzyl alcohol (3-9 mg/ml). Buffering agents include citrate...

  10. The effect of buffer-layer on the steady-state energy release rate of a tunneling crack in a wind turbine blade joint

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Jeppe Bjørn; Sørensen, Bent F.; Kildegaard, Casper

    2018-01-01

    propagation of tunneling cracks. However, for wind turbine blade relevant material combinations it is found more effective to reduce the thickness of the adhesive layer since the stiffness mismatch between the existing laminate and the adhesive is already high. The effect of material orthotropy was found......The effect of a buffer-layer on the steady-state energy release rate of a tunneling crack in the adhesive layer of a wind turbine blade joint, loaded in tension, is investigated using a parametric 2D tri-material finite element model. The idea of embedding a buffer-layer in-between the adhesive...... and the basis glass fiber laminate to improve the existing joint design is novel, but the implications hereof need to be addressed.The results show that it is advantageous to embed a buffer-layer near the adhesive with controllable thickness-and stiffness properties in order to improve the joint design against...

  11. Generation of ultrasound in materials using continuous-wave lasers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caron, James N; DiComo, Gregory P; Nikitin, Sergei

    2012-03-01

    Generating and detecting ultrasound is a standard method of nondestructive evaluation of materials. Pulsed lasers are used to generate ultrasound remotely in situations that prohibit the use of contact transducers. The scanning rate is limited by the repetition rates of the pulsed lasers, ranging between 10 and 100 Hz for lasers with sufficient pulse widths and energies. Alternately, a high-power continuous-wave laser can be scanned across the surface, creating an ultrasonic wavefront. Since generation is continuous, the scanning rate can be as much as 4 orders of magnitude higher than with pulsed lasers. This paper introduces the concept, comparing the theoretical scanning speed with generation by pulsed laser. © 2012 Optical Society of America

  12. Specification of steam generator, condenser and regenerative heat exchanger materials for nuclear applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jovasevic, J.V.; Stefanovic, V.M.; Spasic, Z.LJ.

    1977-01-01

    The basic standards specifications of materials for nuclear applications are selected. Seamless Ni-Cr-Fe alloy Tubes (Inconel-600) for steam generators, condensers and other heat exchangers can be employed instead of austenitic stainless steal or copper alloys tubes; supplementary requirements for these materials are given. Specifications of Ni-Cr-Fe alloy plate, sheet and strip for steam generator lower sub-assembly, U-bend seamless copper-alloy tubes for heat exchanger and condensers are also presented. At the end, steam generator channel head material is proposed in the specification for carbon-steel castings suitable for welding

  13. A parallel buffer tree

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sitchinava, Nodar; Zeh, Norbert

    2012-01-01

    We present the parallel buffer tree, a parallel external memory (PEM) data structure for batched search problems. This data structure is a non-trivial extension of Arge's sequential buffer tree to a private-cache multiprocessor environment and reduces the number of I/O operations by the number of...... in the optimal OhOf(psortN + K/PB) parallel I/O complexity, where K is the size of the output reported in the process and psortN is the parallel I/O complexity of sorting N elements using P processors....

  14. Biomass carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus stocks in hybrid poplar buffers, herbaceous buffers and natural woodlots in the riparian zone on agricultural land.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fortier, Julien; Truax, Benoit; Gagnon, Daniel; Lambert, France

    2015-05-01

    In many temperate agricultural areas, riparian forests have been converted to cultivated land, and only narrow strips of herbaceous vegetation now buffer many farm streams. The afforestation of these riparian zones has the potential to increase carbon (C) storage in agricultural landscapes by creating a new biomass sink for atmospheric CO2. Occurring at the same time, the storage of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in plant biomass, is an important water quality function that may greatly vary with types of riparian vegetation. The objectives of this study were (1) to compare C, N and P storage in aboveground, belowground and detrital biomass for three types of riparian vegetation cover (9-year-old hybrid poplar buffers, herbaceous buffers and natural woodlots) across four agricultural sites and (2) to determine potential vegetation cover effects on soil nutrient supply rate in the riparian zone. Site level comparisons suggest that 9-year-old poplar buffers have stored 9-31 times more biomass C, 4-10 times more biomass N, and 3-7 times more biomass P than adjacent non managed herbaceous buffers, with the largest differences observed on the more fertile sites. The conversion of these herbaceous buffers to poplar buffers could respectively increase C, N and P storage in biomass by 3.2-11.9 t/ha/yr, 32-124 kg/ha/yr and 3.2-15.6 kg/ha/yr, over 9 years. Soil NO3 and P supply rates during the summer were respectively 57% and 66% lower in poplar buffers than in adjacent herbaceous buffers, potentially reflecting differences in nutrient storage and cycling between the two buffer types. Biomass C ranged 49-160 t/ha in woodlots, 33-110 t/ha in poplar buffers and 3-4 t/ha in herbaceous buffers. Similar biomass C stocks were found in the most productive poplar buffer and three of the four woodlots studied. Given their large and varied biomass C stocks, conservation of older riparian woodlots is equally important for C balance management in farmland. In addition, the

  15. Temperature buffer test. Dismantling operation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aakesson, Mattias [Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden)

    2010-12-15

    The Temperature Buffer Test (TBT) is a joint project between SKB/ANDRA and supported by ENRESA (modelling) and DBE (instrumentation), which aims at improving the understanding and to model the thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of buffers made of swelling clay submitted to high temperatures (over 100 deg C) during the water saturation process. The test has been carried out in a KBS-3 deposition hole at Aespoe HRL. It was installed during the spring of 2003. Two heaters (3 m long, 0.6 m diameter) and two buffer arrangements have been investigated: the lower heater was surrounded by bentonite in the usual way, whereas the upper heater was surrounded by a ring of sand. The test was dismantled and sampled during a period from the end of October 2009 to the end of April 2010, and this report describes this operation. Different types of samples have been obtained during this operation. A large number of diameter 50 mm bentonite cores have been taken for analysis of water content and density. Large pieces, so-called big sectors, have been taken for hydro-mechanical and chemical characterizations. Finally, there has been an interest to obtain different types of interface samples in which bentonite were in contact with sand, iron or concrete. One goal has been to investigate the retrievability of the upper heater, given the possibility to remove the surrounding sand shield, and a retrieval test has therefore been performed. The sand in the shield was first removed with an industrial vacuum cleaner after loosening the material through mechanical means (with hammer drill and core machine). A front loader was subsequently used for applying a sufficient lifting force to release the heater from the bentonite underneath. The experiment has been documented in different aspects: measurements of the coordinate (height or radius) of different interfaces (between bentonite blocks and between bentonite and sand); verification of sensor positions and retrieval of sensors for subsequent

  16. Temperature buffer test. Dismantling operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aakesson, Mattias

    2010-12-01

    The Temperature Buffer Test (TBT) is a joint project between SKB/ANDRA and supported by ENRESA (modelling) and DBE (instrumentation), which aims at improving the understanding and to model the thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of buffers made of swelling clay submitted to high temperatures (over 100 deg C) during the water saturation process. The test has been carried out in a KBS-3 deposition hole at Aespoe HRL. It was installed during the spring of 2003. Two heaters (3 m long, 0.6 m diameter) and two buffer arrangements have been investigated: the lower heater was surrounded by bentonite in the usual way, whereas the upper heater was surrounded by a ring of sand. The test was dismantled and sampled during a period from the end of October 2009 to the end of April 2010, and this report describes this operation. Different types of samples have been obtained during this operation. A large number of diameter 50 mm bentonite cores have been taken for analysis of water content and density. Large pieces, so-called big sectors, have been taken for hydro-mechanical and chemical characterizations. Finally, there has been an interest to obtain different types of interface samples in which bentonite were in contact with sand, iron or concrete. One goal has been to investigate the retrievability of the upper heater, given the possibility to remove the surrounding sand shield, and a retrieval test has therefore been performed. The sand in the shield was first removed with an industrial vacuum cleaner after loosening the material through mechanical means (with hammer drill and core machine). A front loader was subsequently used for applying a sufficient lifting force to release the heater from the bentonite underneath. The experiment has been documented in different aspects: measurements of the coordinate (height or radius) of different interfaces (between bentonite blocks and between bentonite and sand); verification of sensor positions and retrieval of sensors for subsequent

  17. Structural materials issues for the next generation fission reactors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chant, I.; Murty, K. L.

    2010-09-01

    Generation-IV reactor design concepts envisioned thus far cater to a common goal of providing safer, longer lasting, proliferation-resistant, and economically viable nuclear power plants. The foremost consideration in the successful development and deployment of Gen-W reactor systems is the performance and reliability issues involving structural materials for both in-core and out-of-core applications. The structural materials need to endure much higher temperatures, higher neutron doses, and extremely corrosive environments, which are beyond the experience of the current nuclear power plants. Materials under active consideration for use in different reactor components include various ferritic/martensitic steels, austenitic stainless steels, nickel-base superalloys, ceramics, composites, etc. This article addresses the material requirements for these advanced fission reactor types, specifically addressing structural materials issues depending on the specific application areas.

  18. Surface Water Protection by Productive Buffers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christen, Benjamin

    Vegetated riparian buffer zones are a widely recommended best management practice in agriculture for protecting surface and coastal waters from diffuse nutrient pollution. On the background of the EU funded research project NitroEurope (NEU; www.NitroEurope.eu), this study concentrates...... on the mitigation of nitrogen pollution in surface and groundwater, using riparian buffer zones for biomass production. The objectives are to map suitable areas for buffer implementation across the six NEU study landscapes, model tentative N-loss mitigation, calculate biomass production potential and economic...... designed for local conditions could be a way of protecting water quality attractive to many stakeholders....

  19. Calculation of the equilibrium pH in a multiple-buffered aqueous solution based on partitioning of proton buffering: a new predictive formula.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Minhtri K; Kao, Liyo; Kurtz, Ira

    2009-06-01

    Upon the addition of protons to an aqueous solution containing multiple buffers, the final H+ concentration ([H+]) at equilibrium is determined by the partitioning of added H+ among the various buffer components. In the analysis of acid-base chemistry, the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation and the Stewart strong ion formulation can only describe (rather than predict) the equilibrium pH following a proton load since these formulas calculate the equilibrium pH only when the reactant concentrations at equilibrium(1) 1The term "equilibrium" refers to the steady state proton and reactant concentrations when the buffering of excess protons by the various buffers is complete. are already known. In this regard, it is simpler to directly measure the equilibrium pH rather than measure the equilibrium reactant concentrations to calculate the equilibrium pH. As these formulas cannot predict the final equilibrium [H+] following a proton load to a multiple-buffered aqueous solution, we developed a new quantitative approach for predicting the equilibrium [H+] that is based on the preequilibrium(2)2 The term "preequilibrium" refers to the initial proton and reactant concentrations immediately upon addition of protons and before the buffering of excess protons by the various buffers. concentrations of all buffers in an aqueous solution. The mathematical model used to derive our equation is based on proton transfer buffer equilibria without requiring the incorporation of electroneutrality considerations. The model consists of a quartic polynomial equation that is derived based solely on the partitioning of H+ among the various buffer components. We tested the accuracy of the model using aqueous solutions with various buffers and measured the equilibrium pH values following the addition of HCl. Our results confirmed the accuracy of our new equation (r2 = 1; measured pH vs. predicted pH), indicating that it quantitatively accounts for the underlying acid-base phenomenology.

  20. Calculation of the equilibrium pH in a multiple-buffered aqueous solution based on partitioning of proton buffering: a new predictive formula

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Minhtri K.; Kao, Liyo; Kurtz, Ira

    2009-01-01

    Upon the addition of protons to an aqueous solution containing multiple buffers, the final H+ concentration ([H+]) at equilibrium is determined by the partitioning of added H+ among the various buffer components. In the analysis of acid-base chemistry, the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation and the Stewart strong ion formulation can only describe (rather than predict) the equilibrium pH following a proton load since these formulas calculate the equilibrium pH only when the reactant concentrations at equilibrium1 1The term “equilibrium” refers to the steady state proton and reactant concentrations when the buffering of excess protons by the various buffers is complete. are already known. In this regard, it is simpler to directly measure the equilibrium pH rather than measure the equilibrium reactant concentrations to calculate the equilibrium pH. As these formulas cannot predict the final equilibrium [H+] following a proton load to a multiple-buffered aqueous solution, we developed a new quantitative approach for predicting the equilibrium [H+] that is based on the preequilibrium22The term “preequilibrium” refers to the initial proton and reactant concentrations immediately upon addition of protons and before the buffering of excess protons by the various buffers. concentrations of all buffers in an aqueous solution. The mathematical model used to derive our equation is based on proton transfer buffer equilibria without requiring the incorporation of electroneutrality considerations. The model consists of a quartic polynomial equation that is derived based solely on the partitioning of H+ among the various buffer components. We tested the accuracy of the model using aqueous solutions with various buffers and measured the equilibrium pH values following the addition of HCl. Our results confirmed the accuracy of our new equation (r2 = 1; measured pH vs. predicted pH), indicating that it quantitatively accounts for the underlying acid-base phenomenology. PMID

  1. Study on mechanical stability of engineered barrier system for deep geological isolation of high-level radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saotome, A.; Hara, K.; Fujita, T.; Sasaki, N.

    1991-01-01

    The evaluation of mechanical and hydraulic behavior of buffer material of engineered barrier system under water uptake was carried out by applying swelling-elasto-plastic model to the buffer material, of which swelling pressure was described by swelling coefficient. The result is that displacement of overpack and deformation of buffer material are negligibly small. The analysis on overpack sinking behavior within buffer material was carried out as the creep deformation of the buffer material. The analysis shows that creep sinking of overpack within buffer material is negligibly small if the density of buffer material is taken to some extent. The effects of dilatation of corrosion products by hydrogen-generating corrosion of carbon steel overpack was studied, because the dilatation is not negligible in a long-term period of time. As the results of elasto-plastic analysis, stress generated by the dilatation is absorbed within buffer material and dose not affect the host rock if the buffer material is packed to some extent in thickness. It is important to assess the migration of hydrogen within the buffer material. Based on the results of thermal calculations in the near-field maximum temperature acceptable to the buffer material can be controlled by the spacing of the waste package. The temperature in the near-field in case of avoiding the illitization of the buffer material is not so high as to affect the waste glass and the host rock. (author)

  2. Social Buffering of Stress in Development: A Career Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunnar, Megan R.

    2016-01-01

    This review provides a broad overview of my research group's work on social buffering in human development in the context of the field. Much of the focus is on social buffering of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system, one of the two major arms of the mammalian stress system. This focus reflects the centrality of the HPA system in research on social buffering in the fields of developmental psychobiology and developmental science. However, buffering of the cardiovascular and autonomic nervous system is also discussed. The central developmental question in this area derives from attachment theory which argues that the infant's experience of stress and arousal regulation in the context of her early attachment relationships is not an immature form of social buffering experienced in adulthood, but rather the foundation out of which individual differences in the capacity to gain stress relief from social partners emerge. The emergence of social buffering in infancy, changes in social buffering throughout childhood and adolescence, the influence of early experience on later individual differences in social buffering, and critical gaps in our knowledge are described. PMID:28544861

  3. Bus Implementation Using New Low Power PFSCL Tristate Buffers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neeta Pandey

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes new positive feedback source coupled logic (PFSCL tristate buffers suited to bus applications. The proposed buffers use switch to attain high impedance state and modify the load or the current source section. An interesting consequence of this is overall reduction in the power consumption. The proposed tristate buffers consume half the power compared to the available switch based counterpart. The issues with available PFSCL tristate buffers based bus implementation are identified and benefits of employing the proposed tristate buffer topologies are put forward. SPICE simulation results using TSMC 180 nm CMOS technology parameters are included to support the theoretical formulations. The performance of proposed tristate buffer topologies is examined on the basis of propagation delay, output enable time, and power consumption. It is found that one of the proposed tristate buffer topology outperforms the others in terms of all the performance parameters. An examination of behavior of available and the proposed PFSCL tristate buffer topologies under parameter variations and mismatch shows a maximum variation of 14%.

  4. Simulating characteristics of Si/Ge tandem monolithic solar cell with Si1-xGex buffer layer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gnilenko A. B.

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available In spite of many efforts to propose new semiconductor materials and sophisticated constructions of solar cells, crystalline silicone remains the main photovoltaic material widely used up to now. There are various methods to enhance the efficiency of silicone solar cells. One of them is to combine silicone with an additional semiconductor material with the different bandgap to form a tandem construction. For example, the germanium sub-cell used as the bottom cascade for the silicone sub-cell in the tandem monolithic solar cell makes it possible to utilize the "red" sub-band of solar spectra increasing overall solar cell efficiency. The problem of the 4.2% mismatch in lattice constant between Si and Ge can be resolved in such a case by the use of SiGe buffer layer. In the paper the results of the computer simulation for Si/Ge tandem monolithic solar cell with Si1-xGex buffer layer are presented. In the solar cell under consideration, the step graded Si1-xGex buffer layer is located between the top silicone and the bottom germanium cascades to reduce the threading dislocation density in mismatched materials. The cascades are commutated by the use of the germanium tunnel diode between the bottom sub-cell and the buffer layer. For the solar cell modeling, the physically-based device simulator ATLAS of Silvaco TCAD software is employed to predict the electrical behavior of the semiconductor structure and to provide a deep insight into the internal physical processes. The voltage-current characteristic, photovoltaic parameters and the distribution of basic physical values are obtained for the investigated tandem solar cell. The influence of layer thicknesses on the photovoltaic parameters is studied. The calculated efficiency of the tandem solar cell reaches 13% which is a quarter more than the efficiency of a simple silicone solar cell with the same constructive parameters and under the same illumination conditions.

  5. Secondary coolant circuit for liquid-metal cooled reactor and steam generator for such a circuit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brachet, A.; Figuet, J.; Guidez, J.; Lions, N.; Traiteur, R.; Zuber, T.

    1984-01-01

    An upper buffer tank and downstream buffer tank are disposed inside the steam generators. The downstream briffer tank is annular and it surrounds and communicates with a zone of the steam generator through which the liquid metal flows towards the bottom between the exchange zone and the outlet nozzle. The pressure of the inert gas blanket in the downstream buffer volume is more important than this one in the upper buffer volume. The invention applies to fast neutron nuclear reactor cooled by sodium [fr

  6. Buffers for biomass production in temperate European agriculture

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christen, Benjamin; Dalgaard, Tommy

    2013-01-01

    , environmental pressures from intensive agriculture and policy developments. Use of conservation buffers by farmers outside of designated schemes is limited to date, but the increasing demand for bioenergy and the combination of agricultural production with conservation calls for a much wider implementation....... This paper reviews the biophysical knowledge on buffer functioning and associated ecosystem services. It describes how a three-zone buffer design, with arable fields buffered in combination by grassland, short rotation forestry (SRF) or coppice (SRC) and undisturbed vegetation along water courses, can...... be incorporated into farming landscapes as productive conservation elements and reflects on the potential for successful implementation. Land use plays a much greater role in determining catchment hydrology than soil type: shelterbelts or buffer strips have markedly higher infiltration capacity than arable...

  7. A Buffer Management Issue in Designing SSDs for LFSs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jaegeuk; Seol, Jinho; Maeng, Seungryoul

    This letter introduces a buffer management issue in designing SSDs for log-structured file systems (LFSs). We implemented a novel trace-driven SSD simulator in SystemC language, and simulated several SSD architectures with the NILFS2 trace. From the results, we give two major considerations related to the buffer management as follows. (1) The write buffer is used as a buffer not a cache, since all write requests are sequential in NILFS2. (2) For better performance, the main architectural factor is the bus bandwidth, but 332MHz is enough. Instead, the read buffer makes a key role in performance improvement while caching data. To enhance SSDs, accordingly, it is an effective way to make efficient read buffer management policies, and one of the examples is tracking the valid data zone in NILFS2, which can increase the data hit ratio in read buffers significantly.

  8. Agarose electrophoresis of DNA in discontinuous buffers, using a horizontal slab apparatus and a buffer system with improved properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zsolnai, A; Orbán, L; Chrambach, A

    1993-03-01

    Using a horizontal slab apparatus with a buffer in the reservoirs at the level of the gel ("sea-level electrophoresis"), the retrograde discontinuous buffer system reported by Wiltfang et al. for sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of proteins was applied to DNA electrophoresis. This application yielded the advantages of an increased displacement rate of the moving boundary front and a decrease in the concentration of the counterion base in the resolving phase, which yielded reduced relative mobility values at equivalent gel concentrations and practicable low buffer concentrations. The change of relative mobilities (Rf) with a variation of field strength is decreased compared to that of the migration rate in the continuous Tris-boric-acid-EDTA (TBE) buffer and thus the robustness of the system is improved, as well as the efficiency of separation. The system of Wiltfang et al. has in common with previously described discontinuous DNA system, that it is able to stack DNA from dilute samples and is insensitive to sample components with lower net mobilities than DNA, such as acetate. However, the variance of Rf at constant current density in the discontinuous buffer system is not improved over that of the migration rate at constant field strength in the continuous TBE buffer.

  9. Managing Multiuser Database Buffers Using Data Mining Techniques

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Feng, L.; Lu, H.J.

    2004-01-01

    In this paper, we propose a data-mining-based approach to public buffer management for a multiuser database system, where database buffers are organized into two areas – public and private. While the private buffer areas contain pages to be updated by particular users, the public

  10. Growth and micro structural studies on Yittria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) and Strontium Titanate (STO) buffer layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Srinivas, S.; Bhatnagar, A.K. [Univ. of Hyderabad (India); Pinto, R. [Solid State Electronics Group, Bombay (India)] [and others

    1994-12-31

    Microstructure of Yittria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) and Strontium Titanate (STO) of radio frequency magnetron sputtered buffer layers was studied at various sputtering conditions on Si<100>, Sapphire and LaAlO{sub 3} <100> substrates. The effect of substrate temperatures upto 800 C and sputtering gas pressures in the range of 50 mTorr. of growth conditions was studied. The buffer layers of YSZ and STO showed a strong tendency for columnar structure with variation growth conditions. The buffer layers of YSZ and STO showed orientation. The tendency for columnar growth was observed above 15 mTorr sputtering gas pressure and at high substrate temperatures. Post annealing of these films in oxygen atmosphere reduced the oxygen deficiency and strain generated during growth of the films. Strong c-axis oriented superconducting YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 9}O{sub 7-x} (YBCO) thin films were obtained on these buffer layers using pulsed laser ablation technique. YBCO films deposited on multilayers of YSZ and STO were shown to have better superconducting properties.

  11. Buffer Zone Requirements for Soil Fumigant Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Updated pesticide product labels require fumigant users to establish a buffer zone around treated fields to reduce risks to bystanders. Useful information includes tarp testing guidance and a buffer zone calculator.

  12. Modeling early in situ wetting of a compacted bentonite buffer installed in low permeable crystalline bedrock

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dessirier, B.; Frampton, A.; Fransson, À.; Jarsjö, J.

    2016-08-01

    The repository concept for geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Sweden and Finland is planned to be constructed in sparsely fractured crystalline bedrock and with an engineered bentonite buffer to embed the waste canisters. An important stage in such a deep repository is the postclosure phase following the deposition and the backfilling operations when the initially unsaturated buffer material gets hydrated by the groundwater delivered by the natural bedrock. We use numerical simulations to interpret observations on buffer wetting gathered during an in situ campaign, the Bentonite Rock Interaction Experiment, in which unsaturated bentonite columns were introduced into deposition holes in the floor of a 417 m deep tunnel at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden. Our objectives are to assess the performance of state-of-the-art flow models in reproducing the buffer wetting process and to investigate to which extent dependable predictions of buffer wetting times and saturation patterns can be made based on information collected prior to buffer insertion. This would be important for preventing insertion into unsuitable bedrock environments. Field data and modeling results indicate the development of a de-saturated zone in the rock and show that in most cases, the presence or absence of fractures and flow heterogeneity are more important factors for correct wetting predictions than the total inflow. For instance, for an equal open-hole inflow value, homogeneous inflow yields much more rapid buffer wetting than cases where fractures are represented explicitly thus creating heterogeneous inflow distributions.

  13. Shock buffer for nuclear control assembly

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bevilacqua, F.

    1977-01-01

    A shock buffer is provided for the gradual deceleration of a rapidly descending control element assembly in a nuclear reactor. The interactive buffer components are associated respectively with the movable control element assembly and part of the upper guide structure independent of and spaced from the fuel assemblies of the reactor

  14. Design of an improved RCD buffer circuit for full bridge circuit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Wenyan; Wei, Xueye; Du, Yongbo; Hu, Liang; Zhang, Liwei; Zhang, Ou

    2017-05-01

    In the full bridge inverter circuit, when the switch tube suddenly opened or closed, the inductor current changes rapidly. Due to the existence of parasitic inductance of the main circuit. Therefore, the surge voltage between drain and source of the switch tube can be generated, which will have an impact on the switch and the output voltage. In order to ab sorb the surge voltage. An improve RCD buffer circuit is proposed in the paper. The peak energy will be absorbed through the buffer capacitor of the circuit. The part energy feedback to the power supply, another part release through the resistor in the form of heat, and the circuit can absorb the voltage spikes. This paper analyzes the process of the improved RCD snubber circuit, According to the specific parameters of the main circuit, a reasonable formula for calculating the resistance capacitance is given. A simulation model will be modulated in Multisim, which compared the waveform of tube voltage and the output waveform of the circuit without snubber circuit with the improved RCD snubber circuit. By comparing and analyzing, it is proved that the improved buffer circuit can absorb surge voltage. Finally, experiments are demonstrated to validate that the correctness of the RC formula and the improved RCD snubber circuit.

  15. Third-Generation Display Technology: Nominally Transparent Material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charles Willow

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Display technology is reshaping the consumer, business, government, and even not-for-profit markets in the midst of the digital convergence, coupled with recent smart phones led by Apple, Inc. First-Generation (1G display technology was dominated by the Cathode Ray Tubes, followed by Liquid Crystal Display and Plasma in 2G. A radically innovative shift as a disruptive technology is expected to follow in 3G to utilize virtually any transparent material, which wirelessly connects to portable access points. This paper studies the feasibility of the 3G Display Technology (DT with Technology S-Curves, and presents possible business models and technology strategies which may be generated from it. Additional subsets of business models may be derived for a wide range of industry applications.

  16. Microbial community structure across a wastewater-impacted riparian buffer zone in the southeastern coastal plain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ducey, T F; Johnson, P R; Shriner, A D; Matheny, T A; Hunt, P G

    2013-01-01

    Riparian buffer zones are important for both natural and developed ecosystems throughout the world because of their ability to retain nutrients, prevent soil erosion, protect aquatic environments from excessive sedimentation, and filter pollutants. Despite their importance, the microbial community structures of riparian buffer zones remains poorly defined. Our objectives for this study were twofold: first, to characterize the microbial populations found in riparian buffer zone soils; and second, to determine if microbial community structure could be linked to denitrification enzyme activity (DEA). To achieve these objectives, we investigated the microbial populations of a riparian buffer zone located downslope of a pasture irrigated with swine lagoon effluent, utilizing DNA sequencing of the 16S rDNA, DEA, and quantitative PCR (qPCR) of the denitrification genes nirK, nirS, and nosZ. Clone libraries of the 16S rDNA gene were generated from each of twelve sites across the riparian buffer with a total of 986 partial sequences grouped into 654 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The Proteobacteria were the dominant group (49.8% of all OTUs), with the Acidobacteria also well represented (19.57% of all OTUs). Analysis of qPCR results identified spatial relationships between soil series, site location, and gene abundance, which could be used to infer both incomplete and total DEA rates.

  17. Universal buffers for use in biochemistry and biophysical experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dewey Brooke

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The use of buffers that mimic biological solutions is a foundation of biochemical and biophysical studies. However, buffering agents have both specific and nonspecific interactions with proteins. Buffer molecules can induce changes in conformational equilibria, dynamic behavior, and catalytic properties merely by their presence in solution. This effect is of concern because many of the standard experiments used to investigate protein structure and function involve changing solution conditions such as pH and/or temperature. In experiments in which pH is varied, it is common practice to switch buffering agents so that the pH is within the working range of the weak acid and conjugate base. If multiple buffers are used, it is not always possible to decouple buffer induced change from pH or temperature induced change. We have developed a series of mixed biological buffers for protein analysis that can be used across a broad pH range, are compatible with biologically relevant metal ions, and avoid complications that may arise from changing the small molecule composition of buffers when pH is used as an experimental variable.

  18. CANDU steam generator tubing material service experience and allied development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hart, A.E.; Lesurf, J.E.

    1976-01-01

    This paper covers the following aspects for the tube materials in CANDU-PHW steam generators: inservice performance with respect to tube leaks and coolant activity attributable to boiler tube corrosion, selection of tube materials for use with non-boiling and boiling primary coolants, supporting development on corrosion, vibration, fretting wear, tube inspection, leak detection and plugging of defective tubes. (author)

  19. Effect of a cement buffer on spent fuel dissolution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mennecart, Thierry; Cachoir, Christelle; Lemmens, Karel; Gielen, Ben; Vercauter, Regina

    2012-01-01

    The Belgian agency for radioactive waste has selected the super-container design with an Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) buffer as the reference design for geological disposal of High-Level Waste (HLW) and Spent Fuel (SF) in the Boom Clay formation. In the super-container design, the canisters of HLW or SF will be enclosed by a 30 mm thick carbon steel overpack and a 700 mm thick concrete buffer. The overpack will prevent contact with the (cementitious) pore water during the thermal phase. On the other hand, once the overpack will be locally perforated, the high pH of the incoming water may have an impact on the lifetime of the waste. Most published data and national programs are related to clayey backfill materials, and few studies are reported in alkaline media. Hence, a set of experiments was conducted to evaluate the behavior of spent fuel (UO 2 dissolution rate and UO 2 solubility) in such an environment. The objective was to estimate the spent fuel dissolution rate in super-container conditions for use in preliminary performance assessment calculations

  20. A versatile digitally-graded buffer structure for metamorphic device applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Yingjie; Zhang, Yonggang; Chen, Xingyou; Gu, Yi; Shi, Yanhui; Ji, Wanyan; Du, Ben

    2018-04-01

    Exploring more effective buffer schemes for mitigating dislocation deficiencies is the key technology towards higher performance metamorphic devices. Here we demonstrate a versatile metamorphic grading structure consisting of 38-period alternated multilayers of In0.52Al0.48As and In0.82Al0.18As on InP substrate, thicknesses of which in each period were gradually varied in opposite directions from 48.7 and 1.3 nm to 1.3 and 48.7 nm, respectively, akin to a digital alloy. Both preferentially dislocation nucleation and blocking of threading dislocation transmission are observed near the In0.82Al0.18As/In0.52Al0.48As interfaces, which help relax the strain and lower the residual defect density. A 2.6 μm In0.83Ga0.17As pin photodetector is fabricated on this pseudo-substrate, attaining a low dark current density of 2.9  ×  10‑6 A cm‑2 and a high detectivity of 1.8  ×  1010 cmHz1/2W‑1 at room temperature, comparable with the states of the art that on linearly-graded buffer layers. These results indicate such digitally-graded buffer structures are promising for enhancing performances of metamorphic devices, and can be easily generalized to other lattice-mismatched material systems.

  1. Deflating link buffers in a wireless mesh network

    KAUST Repository

    Jamshaid, Kamran; Shihada, Basem; Showail, Ahmad; Levis, Philip

    2014-01-01

    We analyze the problem of buffer sizing for backlogged TCP flows in 802.11-based wireless mesh networks. Our objective is to maintain high network utilization while providing low queueing delays. Unlike wired networks where a single link buffer feeds a bottleneck link, the radio spectral resource in a mesh network is shared among a set of contending mesh routers. We account for this by formulating the buffer size problem as sizing a collective buffer distributed over a set of interfering nodes. In this paper we propose mechanisms for sizing and distributing this collective buffer among the mesh nodes constituting the network bottleneck. Our mechanism factors in the network topology and wireless link rates, improving on pre-set buffer allocations that cannot optimally work across the range of configurations achievable with 802.11 radios. We evaluate our mechanisms using simulations as well as experiments on a testbed. Our results show that we can reduce the RTT of a flow by 6× or more, at the cost of less than 10% drop in end-to-end flow throughput.

  2. Deflating link buffers in a wireless mesh network

    KAUST Repository

    Jamshaid, Kamran

    2014-05-01

    We analyze the problem of buffer sizing for backlogged TCP flows in 802.11-based wireless mesh networks. Our objective is to maintain high network utilization while providing low queueing delays. Unlike wired networks where a single link buffer feeds a bottleneck link, the radio spectral resource in a mesh network is shared among a set of contending mesh routers. We account for this by formulating the buffer size problem as sizing a collective buffer distributed over a set of interfering nodes. In this paper we propose mechanisms for sizing and distributing this collective buffer among the mesh nodes constituting the network bottleneck. Our mechanism factors in the network topology and wireless link rates, improving on pre-set buffer allocations that cannot optimally work across the range of configurations achievable with 802.11 radios. We evaluate our mechanisms using simulations as well as experiments on a testbed. Our results show that we can reduce the RTT of a flow by 6× or more, at the cost of less than 10% drop in end-to-end flow throughput.

  3. Phase relations and fluid compositions in steam generator crevices: Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weres, O.; Tsao, L.

    1987-04-01

    The purpose of this project was to infer chemical conditions inside the steam generator crevices of a nuclear power plant, particularly the composition and alkalinity of the crevice liquid. The water vapor pressure of very concentrated salt solutions and salt mixtures was measured at 317 0 C. It was demonstrated that sodium acetate and other salts of organic acids can form superheated crevice liquids and that the activity of NaOH in these liquids will usually be buffered by silicate minerals in the crevice deposits. Different minerals may fix NaOH at different values, depending on the ion ratios inside the crevice. Values of NaOH that correspond to two buffering reactions involving quartz and sodium silicates were determined experimentally, and values for a variety of other buffering reactions were calculated using thermodynamic data. A thermodynamic model of superheated crevice liquids has been developed that allows us to calculate the activity of NaOH and other compounds in the crevice liquid. Experiments established that many organic materials that may be present in the secondary water will decompose at high temperature to produce acetate and other organic anions

  4. Urban Runoff: Model Ordinances for Aquatic Buffers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aquatic Buffers serve as natural boundaries between local waterways and existing development. The model and example ordinaces below provide suggested language or technical guidance designed to create the most effective stream buffer zones possible.

  5. Heed the head: buffer benefits along headwater streams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rhonda Mazza; Deanna (Dede) Olson

    2015-01-01

    Since the Northwest Forest Plan implemented riparian buffers along non-fish bearing streams in 1994, there have been questions about how wide those buffers need to be to protect aquatic and riparian resources from upland forest management activities. The Density Management and Riparian Buffer Study of western Oregon, also initiated in 1994, examines the effects of...

  6. Material reliability of Ni alloy electrodeposition for steam generator tube repair

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Dong Jin; Kim, Myong Jin; Kim, Joung Soo; Kim, Hong Pyo

    2007-01-01

    Due to the occasional occurrences of Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) in steam generator tubing (Alloy 600), degraded tubes are removed from service by plugging or are repaired for re-use. Since electrodeposition inside a tube dose not entail parent tube deformation, residual stress in the tube can be minimized. In this work, tube restoration via electrodeposition inside a steam generator tubing was performed after developing the following: an anode probe to be installed inside a tube, a degreasing condition to remove dirt and grease, an activation condition for surface oxide elimination, a tightly adhered strike layer forming condition between the electroforming layer and the Alloy 600 tube, and the condition for an electroforming layer. The reliability of the electrodeposited material, with a variation of material properties, was evaluated as a function of the electrodeposit position in the vertical direction of a tube using the developed anode. It has been noted that the variation of the material properties along the electrodeposit length was acceptable in a process margin. To improve the reliability of a material property, the causes of the variation occurrence were presumed, and an attempt to minimize the variation has been made. A Ni alloy electrodeposition process is suggested as a Primary Water Stress Corrosion Cracking (PWSCC) mitigation method for various components, including steam generator tubes. The Ni alloy electrodeposit formed inside a tube by using the installed assembly shows proper material properties as well as an excellent SCC resistance

  7. [Prediction of common buffer catalysis in hydrolysis of fenchlorazole-ethyl].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Jing; Chen, Jing-wen; Zhang, Si-yu; Cai, Xi-yun; Qiao, Xian-liang

    2008-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to elucidate the effects of temperatures, pH levels and buffer catalysis on the hydrolysis of FCE. The hydrolysis of FCE follows first-order kinetics at different pH levels and temperatures. FCE hydrolysis rates are greatly increased at elevated pH levels and temperatures. The maximum contribution of buffer catalysis to the hydrolysis of FCE was assessed based on application of the Bronsted equations for general acid-base catalysis. The results suggest that the buffer solutions play an obvious catalysis role in hydrolysis of FCE and the hydrolysis rates of FCE are quickened by the buffer solutions. Besides, the buffer catalysis capacity of different buffer solutions is diverse, and the buffer catalysis capacity at different pH levels with the same buffer solutions is different, too. The phosphate buffer at pH = 7 shows the maximal buffer catalysis capacity. The hydrolysis rate constants of FCE as a function of temperature and pH, which were remedied by the buffer catalysis factor, were mathematically combined to predict the hydrolytic dissipation of FCE. The equation suggests that the hydrolysis half-lives of FCE ranged from 7 d to 790 d. Hydrolysis metabolites of FCE were identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. In basic conditions (pH 8-10), fenchlorazole was formed via breakdown of the ester bond of the safener.

  8. High-performance ferroelectric and magnetoresistive materials for next-generation thermal detector arrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Todd, Michael A.; Donohue, Paul P.; Watton, Rex; Williams, Dennis J.; Anthony, Carl J.; Blamire, Mark G.

    2002-12-01

    This paper discusses the potential thermal imaging performance achievable from thermal detector arrays and concludes that the current generation of thin-film ferroelectric and resistance bolometer based detector arrays are limited by the detector materials used. It is proposed that the next generation of large uncooled focal plane arrays will need to look towards higher performance detector materials - particularly if they aim to approach the fundamental performance limits and compete with cooled photon detector arrays. Two examples of bolometer thin-film materials are described that achieve high performance from operating around phase transitions. The material Lead Scandium Tantalate (PST) has a paraelectric-to-ferroelectric phase transition around room temperature and is used with an applied field in the dielectric bolometer mode for thermal imaging. PST films grown by sputtering and liquid-source CVD have shown merit figures for thermal imaging a factor of 2 to 3 times higher than PZT-based pyroelectric thin films. The material Lanthanum Calcium Manganite (LCMO) has a paramagnetic to ferromagnetic phase transition around -20oC. This paper describes recent measurements of TCR and 1/f noise in pulsed laser-deposited LCMO films on Neodymium Gallate substrates. These results show that LCMO not only has high TCR's - up to 30%/K - but also low 1/f excess noise, with bolometer merit figures at least an order of magnitude higher than Vanadium Oxide, making it ideal for the next generation of microbolometer arrays. These high performance properties come at the expense of processing complexities and novel device designs will need to be introduced to realize the potential of these materials in the next generation of thermal detectors.

  9. On Buffer-Aided Multiple-Access Relay Channel

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Rongkuan; Popovski, Petar; Wang, Gang

    2016-01-01

    This letter treats uplink scenario where M user equipments (UEs) send to a base station (BS), possibly via a common relay station (RS) that is equipped with a buffer. This is a multiple-access relay channel aided by a buffer. We devise a protocol in which the transmission mode is selected...... entirely at the BS, while simultaneously a number of UEs sends new messages to the BS. The results show that the adaptive selection of direct and buffer-aided relay transmissions leads to significant average throughput gains....

  10. Optimization of the buffer layer of a side polished fiber slab coupler based on 3 D ADI beam propagation method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Cherl Hee; Kim, Cheol; Park, Jae Hee

    2008-01-01

    A side polished fiber slab coupler has been widely applied to a sensor, which has the advantages of short response time, simple manufacturing process, and reusability as well as in line fiber component. A new type of a side polished fiber sensor providing remote sensing with an improved performance was also recently developed. The side polished fiber slab coupler is modeled as a fiber to planar waveguide coupler with four layers, including the fiber cladding, a buffer layer, planar waveguide and overlay material. The coupling effects by the buffer layer of a side polished fiber slab coupler are analyzed by using 3 dimensional alternating direction implicit (ADI)beam propagation method, where the refractive index and thickness of the buffer layer were tuned for efficient light coupling. The coupling is easily tuned and more occurred by the refractive index and thickness of the buffer layer for efficient coupling. This study tried to optimize the buffer layer parameters for achieving the desired light coupling and power transfer performance

  11. Effects of water inflow into a deposition hole - Influence of pellets type and of buffer block manufacturing technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johannesson, Lars-Erik; Jense, Viktor [Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden)

    2012-10-15

    During the installation of buffer and canister in a deposition hole a number of different problems can arise. The problems are mainly connected to water flow from fractures in the rock into the deposition hole. According to the reference design for the KBS-3V concept, the buffer is protected with a special sheet made of rubber during the installation phase. This protection sheet will at some stage be removed and the outer gap between the buffer blocks and the rock surface will be filled with bentonite pellets. The interaction of buffer blocks and pellets have previously been investigated. The focuses of those studies were the following processes: 1. Erosion. Erosion of bentonite from the deposition hole up into the tunnel backfill material. This process will continue until a tunnel plug has been installed and the backfill is saturated. 2. Heave. Early wetting of the pellets filling may cause a heave of the buffer blocks into the backfill that will decrease the density of the buffer. The laboratory tests presented in this study are complementing previous investigations by focusing on how the choice of manufacturing process for the bentonite blocks (isostatic or uniaxial compaction) and pellets (roller compaction or extrusion) are affecting erosion and the heaving effect.

  12. Effects of water inflow into a deposition hole - Influence of pellets type and of buffer block manufacturing technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johannesson, Lars-Erik; Jense, Viktor

    2012-10-01

    During the installation of buffer and canister in a deposition hole a number of different problems can arise. The problems are mainly connected to water flow from fractures in the rock into the deposition hole. According to the reference design for the KBS-3V concept, the buffer is protected with a special sheet made of rubber during the installation phase. This protection sheet will at some stage be removed and the outer gap between the buffer blocks and the rock surface will be filled with bentonite pellets. The interaction of buffer blocks and pellets have previously been investigated. The focuses of those studies were the following processes: 1. Erosion. Erosion of bentonite from the deposition hole up into the tunnel backfill material. This process will continue until a tunnel plug has been installed and the backfill is saturated. 2. Heave. Early wetting of the pellets filling may cause a heave of the buffer blocks into the backfill that will decrease the density of the buffer. The laboratory tests presented in this study are complementing previous investigations by focusing on how the choice of manufacturing process for the bentonite blocks (isostatic or uniaxial compaction) and pellets (roller compaction or extrusion) are affecting erosion and the heaving effect

  13. Hydrogen generation systems and methods utilizing sodium silicide and sodium silica gel materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wallace, Andrew P.; Melack, John M.; Lefenfeld, Michael

    2017-12-19

    Systems, devices, and methods combine thermally stable reactant materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen and a non-toxic liquid by-product. The reactant materials can sodium silicide or sodium silica gel. The hydrogen generation devices are used in fuels cells and other industrial applications. One system combines cooling, pumping, water storage, and other devices to sense and control reactions between reactant materials and aqueous solutions to generate hydrogen. Springs and other pressurization mechanisms pressurize and deliver an aqueous solution to the reaction. A check valve and other pressure regulation mechanisms regulate the pressure of the aqueous solution delivered to the reactant fuel material in the reactor based upon characteristics of the pressurization mechanisms and can regulate the pressure of the delivered aqueous solution as a steady decay associated with the pressurization force. The pressure regulation mechanism can also prevent hydrogen gas from deflecting the pressure regulation mechanism.

  14. Phosphorus retention in riparian buffers: review of their efficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffmann, Carl Christian; Kjaergaard, Charlotte; Uusi-Kämppä, Jaana; Hansen, Hans Christian Bruun; Kronvang, Brian

    2009-01-01

    Ground water and surface water interactions are of fundamental importance for the biogeochemical processes governing phosphorus (P) dynamics in riparian buffers. The four most important conceptual hydrological pathways for P losses from and P retention in riparian buffers are reviewed in this paper: (i) The diffuse flow path with ground water flow through the riparian aquifer, (ii) the overland flow path across the riparian buffer with water coming from adjacent agricultural fields, (iii) irrigation of the riparian buffer with tile drainage water from agricultural fields where disconnected tile drains irrigate the riparian buffer, and (iv) inundation of the riparian buffer (floodplain) with river water during short or longer periods. We have examined how the different flow paths in the riparian buffer influence P retention mechanisms theoretically and from empirical evidence. The different hydrological flow paths determine where and how water-borne P compounds meet and interact with iron and aluminum oxides or other minerals in the geochemical cycling of P in the complex and dynamic environment that constitutes a riparian buffer. The main physical process in the riparian buffer-sedimentation-is active along several flow paths and may account for P retention rates of up to 128 kg P ha(-1) yr(-1), while plant uptake may temporarily immobilize up to 15 kg P ha(-1) yr(-1). Retention of dissolved P in riparian buffers is not as pronounced as retention of particulate P and is often below 0.5 kg P ha(-1) yr(-1). Several studies show significant release of dissolved P (i.e., up to 8 kg P ha(-1) yr(-1)).

  15. The Interplay between Feedback and Buffering in Cellular Homeostasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hancock, Edward J; Ang, Jordan; Papachristodoulou, Antonis; Stan, Guy-Bart

    2017-11-22

    Buffering, the use of reservoirs of molecules to maintain concentrations of key molecular species, and negative feedback are the primary known mechanisms for robust homeostatic regulation. To our knowledge, however, the fundamental principles behind their combined effect have not been elucidated. Here, we study the interplay between buffering and negative feedback in the context of cellular homeostasis. We show that negative feedback counteracts slow-changing disturbances, whereas buffering counteracts fast-changing disturbances. Furthermore, feedback and buffering have limitations that create trade-offs for regulation: instability in the case of feedback and molecular noise in the case of buffering. However, because buffering stabilizes feedback and feedback attenuates noise from slower-acting buffering, their combined effect on homeostasis can be synergistic. These effects can be explained within a traditional control theory framework and are consistent with experimental observations of both ATP homeostasis and pH regulation in vivo. These principles are critical for studying robustness and homeostasis in biology and biotechnology. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Estimating construction and demolition debris generation using a materials flow analysis approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cochran, K M; Townsend, T G

    2010-11-01

    The magnitude and composition of a region's construction and demolition (C&D) debris should be understood when developing rules, policies and strategies for managing this segment of the solid waste stream. In the US, several national estimates have been conducted using a weight-per-construction-area approximation; national estimates using alternative procedures such as those used for other segments of the solid waste stream have not been reported for C&D debris. This paper presents an evaluation of a materials flow analysis (MFA) approach for estimating C&D debris generation and composition for a large region (the US). The consumption of construction materials in the US and typical waste factors used for construction materials purchasing were used to estimate the mass of solid waste generated as a result of construction activities. Debris from demolition activities was predicted from various historical construction materials consumption data and estimates of average service lives of the materials. The MFA approach estimated that approximately 610-78 × 10(6)Mg of C&D debris was generated in 2002. This predicted mass exceeds previous estimates using other C&D debris predictive methodologies and reflects the large waste stream that exists. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Composite Materials under Extreme Radiation and Temperature Environments of the Next Generation Nuclear Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simos, N.

    2011-01-01

    In the nuclear energy renaissance, driven by fission reactor concepts utilizing very high temperatures and fast neutron spectra, materials with enhanced performance that exceeds are expected to play a central role. With the operating temperatures of the Generation III reactors bringing the classical reactor materials close to their performance limits there is an urgent need to develop and qualify new alloys and composites. Efforts have been focused on the intricate relations and the high demands placed on materials at the anticipated extreme states within the next generation fusion and fission reactors which combine high radiation fluxes, elevated temperatures and aggressive environments. While nuclear reactors have been in operation for several decades, the structural materials associated with the next generation options need to endure much higher temperatures (1200 C), higher neutron doses (tens of displacements per atom, dpa), and extremely corrosive environments, which are beyond the experience on materials accumulated to-date. The most important consideration is the performance and reliability of structural materials for both in-core and out-of-core functions. While there exists a great body of nuclear materials research and operating experience/performance from fission reactors where epithermal and thermal neutrons interact with materials and alter their physio-mechanical properties, a process that is well understood by now, there are no operating or even experimental facilities that will facilitate the extreme conditions of flux and temperature anticipated and thus provide insights into the behaviour of these well understood materials. Materials, however, still need to be developed and their interaction and damage potential or lifetime to be quantified for the next generation nuclear energy. Based on material development advances, composites, and in particular ceramic composites, seem to inherently possess properties suitable for key functions within the

  18. Methods for improved growth of group III nitride buffer layers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melnik, Yurity; Chen, Lu; Kojiri, Hidehiro

    2014-07-15

    Methods are disclosed for growing high crystal quality group III-nitride epitaxial layers with advanced multiple buffer layer techniques. In an embodiment, a method includes forming group III-nitride buffer layers that contain aluminum on suitable substrate in a processing chamber of a hydride vapor phase epitaxy processing system. A hydrogen halide or halogen gas is flowing into the growth zone during deposition of buffer layers to suppress homogeneous particle formation. Some combinations of low temperature buffers that contain aluminum (e.g., AlN, AlGaN) and high temperature buffers that contain aluminum (e.g., AlN, AlGaN) may be used to improve crystal quality and morphology of subsequently grown group III-nitride epitaxial layers. The buffer may be deposited on the substrate, or on the surface of another buffer. The additional buffer layers may be added as interlayers in group III-nitride layers (e.g., GaN, AlGaN, AlN).

  19. Development of a Equipment to Measure Gas Transport Properties: Application to Study Mixtures of Candidates Buffer Materials for Low-Medium Level Waste Repositories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martin, P.L.; Barcala, J.M.; Oller, J.C.

    2002-07-01

    This report describes the design, the construction and a testing of a system set-up for the measurement of gas transport, created at CIEMAT, and its application to study mixtures of candidate buffer materials for Low-Medium Level Waste Repertories. The measure of the gas flows is carried on by mass flow meters of several ranges, white the pressure of the applied within the sample is controlled. Two National l Instrument's acquisition system that permits the control and recording of the parameters. A specific application developed for this test, with National Instruments LabWIEW DSC, permits to mange the system. A client interface lets to follow the experiment course from a remote location through Internet. (Author) 21 refs.

  20. pH and redox effects of building materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van der Sloot, H.A.; Van Zomeren, A.; Meeussen, J.C.L.; De Nie, D.S.

    2007-11-01

    The application of relatively fine grained industrial slags as fill material in industrial terrains and parking lots has led to unacceptably elevated pH values and imposed reducing conditions in ground- and surface water. Based on the Dutch Building Materials Decree the materials applied were classified as category 1 materials (free use). There are no limits set to pH and redox in this regulation. In itself a lower or higher pH and a low redox potential are not necessarily critical. Only when the buffer capacity of the surroundings is exceeded, undesirable situations may develop. In this work, the release of alkaline and reducing substances has been studied to assess if regulatory controls are needed and how such controls could be implemented practically. Both pH and redox potential are unsuitable properties for this purpose as it is the buffer capacity of the releasing material and the buffer capacity of the receiving soil and water bodies that determine whether unacceptable conditions develop. As pH and redox are also affected by gas reactions (O2 and CO2), the evaluation becomes relatively complex. Using the chemical speciation-transport model ORCHESTRA, a scenario description has been developed to assess the release of alkaline and reducing species from slag by infiltration under unsaturated conditions. Proper acid neutralization and redox buffering data for the materials were determined. Based on the sophisticated model results, a simplified model description was applied to link observations to impact. Decision schemes for applications above groundwater and in surface water have been developed based on the buffer capacity and particle size distribution of the material to be used, the infiltration rate, the degree of exposure to O2 and CO2 from the atmosphere or from soil air and the dimensions of the application. This has led to a preliminary guidance on implementing rules for acceptance of materials in specific applications. The modeled release predictions

  1. Mechanisms of social buffering of fear in zebrafish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faustino, Ana I; Tacão-Monteiro, André; Oliveira, Rui F

    2017-03-31

    Some humans thrive whereas others resign when exposed to threatening situations throughout life. Social support has been identified as an important modulator of these discrepancies in human behaviour, and other social animals also exhibit phenomena in which individuals recover better from aversive events when conspecifics are present - aka social buffering. Here we studied social buffering in zebrafish, by exposing focal fish to an aversive stimulus (alarm substance - AS) either in the absence or presence of conspecific cues. When exposed to AS in the presence of both olfactory (shoal water) and visual (sight of shoal) conspecific cues, focal fish exhibited a lower fear response than when tested alone, demonstrating social buffering in zebrafish. When separately testing each cue's effectiveness, we verified that the visual cue was more effective than the olfactory in reducing freezing in a persistent threat scenario. Finally, we verified that social buffering was independent of shoal size and coincided with a distinct pattern of co-activation of brain regions known to be involved in mammalian social buffering. Thus, this study suggests a shared evolutionary origin for social buffering in vertebrates, bringing new evidence on the behavioural, sensory and neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon.

  2. Final report of the Buffer Mass Test. Volume II: test results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pusch, R.; Boerjesson, L.; Ramqvist, G.

    1985-08-01

    The evaluation of the Buffer Mass Test mainly concerned the heating of the bentonite/rock system that simulated hot canisters in deposition holes, the swelling and swelling pressure of the expanding bentonite in the heater holes, and the water uptake of the bentonite in the holes as well as in the tunnel backfill. These processes had been predicted on the basis of laboratory-derived data and FEM calculations with due consideration of the actual geometry. The recorded temperatures of the bentonite and surrounding rock were found to be below the maximum temperature that had been set, but higher than the expected values in the initial period of testing. The heater surface temperatures dropped in the course of the tests due to the uptake of water from the rock even in the driest hole which was located in almost fracture-free rock. The water uptake in the highly compacted bentonite in the heater holes was manifested by a successively increased swelling pressure at the bentonite/rock interface. It was rather uniformly distributed over this interface and reached a maximum value of about 10 MPa. The water content determination confirmed that water had been absorbed by the bentonite from the rock even in the driest holes where the counteracting thermal gradient was rather high. In the wettest holes the saturation became almost complete and a high degree of saturation was also observed in the tunnel backfill. Both in the heater holes and the tunnel, the moistening was found to be very uniform along the periphery, which is at least partly explained by the self-sealing ability of bentonite buffer materials. A general conclusion is that the involved physical processes are well understood and that the ultimate physical state of the buffer materials under repository conditions can be safely predicted. With 15 refs. (Author)

  3. Next generation multi-material 3D food printer concept

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Klomp, D.J.; Anderson, P.D.

    2017-01-01

    3D food printing is a new rapidly developing technology capable of creating food structures that are impossible to create with normal processing techniques. Challenges in this field are creating texture and multi-material food products. To address these challenges a next generation food printer will

  4. Buffer Zone, Nicosia

    OpenAIRE

    Sorensen, Marie Louise

    2010-01-01

    Images of the United Nations Buffer Zone or Green Line which has partitioned Cyprus since 1974 The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme [FP7/2007-2013] under grant agreement n° 217411.

  5. Grass buffers for playas in agricultural landscapes: An annotated bibliography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melcher, Cynthia P.; Skagen, Susan K.

    2005-01-01

    This bibliography and associated literature synthesis (Melcher and Skagen, 2005) was developed for the Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV). The PLJV sought compilation and annotation of the literature on grass buffers for protecting playas from runoff containing sediments, nutrients, pesticides, and other contaminants. In addition, PLJV sought information regarding the extent to which buffers may attenuate the precipitation runoff needed to fill playas, and avian use of buffers. We emphasize grass buffers, but we also provide information on other buffer types.

  6. Waste minimization for commercial radioactive materials users generating low-level radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischer, D.K.; Gitt, M.; Williams, G.A.; Branch, S.; Otis, M.D.; McKenzie-Carter, M.A.; Schurman, D.L.

    1991-07-01

    The objective of this document is to provide a resource for all states and compact regions interested in promoting the minimization of low-level radioactive waste (LLW). This project was initiated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Massachusetts waste streams have been used as examples; however, the methods of analysis presented here are applicable to similar waste streams generated elsewhere. This document is a guide for states/compact regions to use in developing a system to evaluate and prioritize various waste minimization techniques in order to encourage individual radioactive materials users (LLW generators) to consider these techniques in their own independent evaluations. This review discusses the application of specific waste minimization techniques to waste streams characteristic of three categories of radioactive materials users: (1) industrial operations using radioactive materials in the manufacture of commercial products, (2) health care institutions, including hospitals and clinics, and (3) educational and research institutions. Massachusetts waste stream characterization data from key radioactive materials users in each category are used to illustrate the applicability of various minimization techniques. The utility group is not included because extensive information specific to this category of LLW generators is available in the literature

  7. Granular MX-80 bentonite as buffer material: a focus on swelling characteristics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rizzi, M.; Laloui, L.; Salager, S.; Marschall, P.

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. The Swiss High Level Waste (HLW) disposal concept envisages the emplacement of the waste canisters in horizontal tunnels excavated at a depth of several hundred meters in an over-consolidated clay-stone formation. After waste emplacement the disposal tunnels are backfilled with MX-80 granular bentonite. Research activities are presented in this paper, aimed at characterising the geomechanical behaviour of the MX-80 granular bentonite and at providing the theoretical framework for modelling its response to thermo-hydro- mechanical (THM) perturbations. From the experimental point of view, a series of tests has been designed in order to extract constitutive data and to assess the temperature and suction effects on the mechanical behaviour of the bentonite, paying particular attention in the investigation to the swelling behaviour of the material. As for the theoretical framework an elasto-plastic constitutive model has been developed to take into account those coupled processes of stress, capillary pressure, and temperature to which the bentonite will be submitted,. Bentonite is mainly composed of the smectite mineral montmorillonite with a high swelling capacity which may provide sufficient sealing properties to seal the tunnel without gaps and to restore the buffer continuity. In fact, as bentonite hydrates in the repositories it will expand in those areas where it is allowed and will exert a swelling pressure where the material is confined. The results of both confined and free swelling tests are presented. Confined tests are aiming at determining the pressure applied by the material during complete saturation under isochoric conditions, whereas in the free swelling tests the strain on hydration is measured. Some results from confined swelling tests at ambient temperature are presented. The specimen is compacted uniaxially directly in the cells, the initial dry density being chosen in the range between 1.6 and 1

  8. The use of halogen carriers and buffers in the spectrographic determination of boron in carbonaceous materials and their combustion products; Empleo de agentes halogenantes y reguladores en la determinacion espectrografica de Boro en carbones y productos derivados

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rucandio, M I; Martin, M; Roca, M

    1992-07-01

    For the determination of boron in carbonaceous materials (high purity graphite, coals and their processed products, such as ashes and slags from thermoelectric power plants) by atomic emission spectroscopy with direct current are excitation and photographic recording, the behaviour of the analyte in the presence of halide compounds or spectrochemical buffers has been studied. Among the halides, cupric fluoride at a low concentration (2%) becomes very suitable for the graphite analysis, and at a higher concentration (25 %) for coals, being necessary in this case to carry out a dilution of samples with graphite. Strontium carbonate as a spectrochemical buffer allows to analyse satisfactorily coals and their combustion products. (Author) 13 refs.

  9. Simplified modeling of HM behavior of swelling clays for nuclear waste disposal buffers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoxha, Dashnor; Belayachi, Naima; Do, Duc-Phi; Poutrel, Adrien; Wendling, Jacques

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. The swelling clays are extensively studied these last decades in relation with many industrial applications: foundations in civil engineering, sealing of waste disposals., etc. Especially in the case of waste disposals buffers the swelling pressure and its kinetics are of great importance. In the research programme of ANDRA (French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency), a mixing of bentonite MX80 with 30% of sands has been chosen as a buffering material. The modelling of behaviour of this material has been object of several works and several sophisticated models have been proposed. However as the practice of nuclear waste disposals proves, the needs for robust and simple models, able to describe the most important features of buffers, are yet to be meet by engineers and researches. This paper aims at a simplified model for the buffers behaviour based upon an extension of previous works and laboratory results. As discussed and proposed by many authors modeling of swelling clays behavior needs to consider both crystalline and osmotic swelling. While molecular dynamics could be used to understand the relation between the structure of clay minerals and its swelling properties a multiscale approach counting for chemical and hydro-mechanical couplings in various scale is revealed to give insights on the mechanisms governing clayey soil swelling. However in many industrial application large scale problems would be considered for which macroscopic and robust models should be used. From macroscopic point of view, basically two alternative approaches are used: effective stress approach and so called independent stress state variables. For an isotropic material, the volumetric strain of unsaturated media predicted by BBM model, could be written as a function of: the mean stress of applied mechanical stress, the air pressure, the suction (or pore pressure where the media is fully saturated), the drained bulk

  10. DNA amplification fingerprinting using 10 x polymerase chain reaction buffer with ammonium sulfate for human identification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baransel, Asyun; Dugler, Hikmat E.; Tokdemir, Mehmet

    2004-01-01

    The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) - based DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF) or randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) is based on a strategy using a single arbitrary oligonucleotide primer to generate anonymous amplification of genomic DNA. On this basic strategy, in this study, we aimed to test individual differences and usefulness of 2 basic primers (5-CGCGCCGG-3 and 5-TGCCGAGCTG-3) and examined whether there is a positive effect on results of 10 x PCR buffer with ammonium sulfate. A new approach in DNA fingerprinting, 10 x PCR buffer with ammonium sulfate, is presented in the study. Primers with single 8 and 10 nucleotides in length and 2 different PCR buffers with or without ammonium sulfate were used to identify 135 volunteers with no blood relationship. This study was carried out at the Pharmacology Laboratory, University of Gaziantep, School of Medicine, Turkey between 1999 and 2000. An average of 10 major bands representing 500-1500 base pair (bp) in length was determined as amplified DNA products on standard agarose gels for these volunteers. The use of ammonium sulfate in 10 x PCR buffers has increased to 92% success ratio of individual difference obtained from the 8 nucleotides primer. With this study, more reliable results can be obtained by using ammonium sulfate in 10 x PCR buffers. (author)

  11. Large area imaging of hydrogenous materials using fast neutrons from a DD fusion generator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cremer, J.T., E-mail: ted@adelphitech.com [Adelphi Technology Inc., 2003 East Bayshore Road, Redwood City, California 94063 (United States); Williams, D.L.; Gary, C.K.; Piestrup, M.A.; Faber, D.R.; Fuller, M.J.; Vainionpaa, J.H.; Apodaca, M. [Adelphi Technology Inc., 2003 East Bayshore Road, Redwood City, California 94063 (United States); Pantell, R.H.; Feinstein, J. [Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

    2012-05-21

    A small-laboratory fast-neutron generator and a large area detector were used to image hydrogen-bearing materials. The overall image resolution of 2.5 mm was determined by a knife-edge measurement. Contact images of objects were obtained in 5-50 min exposures by placing them close to a plastic scintillator at distances of 1.5 to 3.2 m from the neutron source. The generator produces 10{sup 9} n/s from the DD fusion reaction at a small target. The combination of the DD-fusion generator and electronic camera permits both small laboratory and field-portable imaging of hydrogen-rich materials embedded in high density materials.

  12. Further improvements in competitive guarantees for QoS buffering

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bansal, N.; Fleischer, L.K.; Kimbrel, T.; Mahdian, M.; Schieber, B.; Sviridenko, M.; Diaz, J.; Karhumäki, J.; Lepistö, A.; Sannella, D.

    2004-01-01

    We study the behavior of algorithms for buffering packets weighted by different levels of Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees in a single queue. Buffer space is limited, and packet loss occurs when the buffer overflows. We describe a modification of the previously proposed ``preemptive greedy{''}

  13. Buffers Plus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramette, Richard W.

    1998-11-01

    In 1989 JCE Software published The Acid-Base Package: A Collection of Useful Programs for Proton Transfer Systems (Ramette, R. W. J. Chem. Educ. Software 1989, 2B No. 2). This DOS program has been fully upgraded by the same author to the world of Windows 95. Buffers Plus takes advantage of a modern user interface and offers many new options not possible in the original version.

  14. Activity of NaOH buffered by silicate solids in molten sodium acetate-water at 3170C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weres, O.; Tsao, L.

    1988-01-01

    Silica and sodium acetate are present in the steam generator tube sheet crevices of many nuclear power plants. Trace solutes in the condensate are tremendously concentrated in the crevices by boiling. Sparingly soluble sodium silicates and other solids precipitate from the crevice liquid leaving an extremely concentrated molten mixture of water, sodium acetate and other salts. The precipitates buffer the activity of sodium hydroxide in the superheated liquid that remains. The activity of NaOH corresponding to the buffers quartz/sodium disilicate and sodium disilicate/sodium metasilicate at 317 0 C has been determined experimentally. The sodium hydroxide content of a sodium acetate-water melt buffered by these reactions was determined by chemical analysis, and the corresponding activity of NaOH at temperature was calculated using the recently published Pitzer-Simonson Model of molten salt-water mixtures. The molten mixture of sodium acetate and water plays the role solvent in these experiments and calculations. The free energies of formation of solid sodium silicates at 317 0 C were also determined. The activity of NaOH corresponding to other silicate and phosphate buffers was calculated using published thermodynamic data and estimated from phase diagrams

  15. Stacking and discontinuous buffers in capillary zone electrophoresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shihabi, Z K

    2000-08-01

    Discontinuous buffers for capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) can be used under less rigid conditions compared to those for isotachophoresis for stacking. They can be prepared simply by modifying the sample itself, either by addition of small inorganic ions, low conductivity diluents, or both, and also by adjusting its pH, meanwhile injecting a large volume on the capillary. Zwitterionic and organic-based buffers such as triethanolamine and tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) are well suited for stacking due to their low conductivity, provided the buffer is discontinuous as demonstrated here. A simple mechanism based on discontinuous buffers is described to explain many of the observed stacking types in CZE, pointing out the many similarities to transient isotachophoresis.

  16. Improved indexes for targeting placement of buffers of Hortonian runoff

    Science.gov (United States)

    M.G. Dosskey; Z. Qiu; M.J. Helmers; D.E. Eisenhauer

    2011-01-01

    Targeting specific locations within agricultural watersheds for installing vegetative buffers has been advocated as a way to enhance the impact of buffers and buffer programs on stream water quality. Existing models for targeting buffers of Hortonian, or infiltration-excess, runoff are not well developed. The objective was to improve on an existing soil survey–based...

  17. Improvement of the Shock Absorption Ability of a Face Guard by Incorporating a Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastic and Buffering Space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takahiro Wada

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the shock absorption ability of trial face guards (FGs incorporating a glass-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (GF and buffering space. The mechanical properties of 3.2 mm and 1.6 mm thick commercial medical splint materials (Aquaplast, AP and experimental GF prepared from 1.6 mm thick AP and fiberglass cloth were determined by a three-point bending test. Shock absorption tests were conducted on APs with two different thicknesses and two types of experimental materials, both with a bottom material of 1.6 mm thick AP and a buffering space of 30 mm in diameter (APS and with either (i 1.6 mm thick AP (AP-APS or (ii  1.6 mm thick GF (GF-APS covering the APS. The GF exhibited significantly higher flexural strength (64.4 MPa and flexural modulus (7.53 GPa than the commercial specimens. The maximum load of GF-APS was 75% that of 3.2 mm AP, which is widely used clinically. The maximum stress of the GF-APS only could not be determined as its maximum stress is below the limits of the analysis materials used (<0.5 MPa. Incorporating a GF and buffering space would enhance the shock absorption ability; thus, the shock absorption ability increased while the total thickness and weight decreased.

  18. Generation IV Reactors Integrated Materials Technology Program Plan: Focus on Very High Temperature Reactor Materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Corwin, William R [ORNL; Burchell, Timothy D [ORNL; Katoh, Yutai [ORNL; McGreevy, Timothy E [ORNL; Nanstad, Randy K [ORNL; Ren, Weiju [ORNL; Snead, Lance Lewis [ORNL; Wilson, Dane F [ORNL

    2008-08-01

    the structural materials needed to ensure their safe and reliable operation. The focus of this document will be the overall range of DOE's structural materials research activities being conducted to support VHTR development. By far, the largest portion of material's R&D supporting VHTR development is that being performed directly as part of the Next-Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project. Supplementary VHTR materials R&D being performed in the DOE program, including university and international research programs and that being performed under direct contracts with the American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, will also be described. Specific areas of high-priority materials research that will be needed to deploy the NGNP and provide a basis for subsequent VHTRs are described, including the following: (1) Graphite: (a) Extensive unirradiated materials characterization and assessment of irradiation effects on properties must be performed to qualify new grades of graphite for nuclear service, including thermo-physical and mechanical properties and their changes, statistical variations from billot-to-billot and lot-to-lot, creep, and especially, irradiation creep. (b) Predictive models, as well as codification of the requirements and design methods for graphite core supports, must be developed to provide a basis for licensing. (2) Ceramics: Both fibrous and load-bearing ceramics must be qualified for environmental and radiation service as insulating materials. (3) Ceramic Composites: Carbon-carbon and SiC-SiC composites must be qualified for specialized usage in selected high-temperature components, such as core stabilizers, control rods, and insulating covers and ducting. This will require development of component-specific designs and fabrication processes, materials characterization, assessment of environmental and irradiation effects, and establishment of codes and standards for materials testing and design

  19. Effects of buffer thickness on ATW blanket performances

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Won Sik

    2001-01-01

    This paper presents the preliminary results of target and buffer design studies for a lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) cooled accelerator transmutation of waste (ATW) system, aimed at maximizing the source importance while simultaneously reducing the irradiation damage to fuel. Using an 840 MWt LBE cooled ATW design, the effects of buffer thickness on the blanket performances have been studied. Varying the buffer thickness for a given blanket configuration, system performances have been estimated by a series of calculations using MCNPX and REBUS-3 codes. The effects of source importance change are studied by investigating the low-energy (< 20 MeV) neutron source distribution and the equilibrium cycle blanket performance parameters such as fuel inventory, discharge burnup, burnup reactivity loss, and peak fast fluence. As the irradiation damage to fuel, the displacements per atom (dpa), hydrogen production, and helium production rates are evaluated at the buffer and blanket interface where the peak fast fluence occurs. The results show that the damage rates and the source importance increase monotonically as the buffer thickness decreases. Based on a compromise between the competing objectives of increasing the source importance and reducing the damage rates, a buffer thickness of around 20 cm appears to be reasonable

  20. Scientific Applications Performance Evaluation on Burst Buffer

    KAUST Repository

    Markomanolis, George S.

    2017-10-19

    Parallel I/O is an integral component of modern high performance computing, especially in storing and processing very large datasets, such as the case of seismic imaging, CFD, combustion and weather modeling. The storage hierarchy includes nowadays additional layers, the latest being the usage of SSD-based storage as a Burst Buffer for I/O acceleration. We present an in-depth analysis on how to use Burst Buffer for specific cases and how the internal MPI I/O aggregators operate according to the options that the user provides during his job submission. We analyze the performance of a range of I/O intensive scientific applications, at various scales on a large installation of Lustre parallel file system compared to an SSD-based Burst Buffer. Our results show a performance improvement over Lustre when using Burst Buffer. Moreover, we show results from a data hierarchy library which indicate that the standard I/O approaches are not enough to get the expected performance from this technology. The performance gain on the total execution time of the studied applications is between 1.16 and 3 times compared to Lustre. One of the test cases achieved an impressive I/O throughput of 900 GB/s on Burst Buffer.

  1. ACETIC ACID AND A BUFFER

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2009-01-01

    The present invention relates to a composition comprising : a) 0.01-20% wt/wt acetic acid and b) a physiologically tolerable buffer capable of maintaining acetic acid at a pH in the range of 2-7; and use of such a composition as an antimicrobial agent.......The present invention relates to a composition comprising : a) 0.01-20% wt/wt acetic acid and b) a physiologically tolerable buffer capable of maintaining acetic acid at a pH in the range of 2-7; and use of such a composition as an antimicrobial agent....

  2. Surface runoff water quality in a managed three zone riparian buffer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowrance, Richard; Sheridan, Joseph M

    2005-01-01

    Managed riparian forest buffers are an important conservation practice but there are little data on the water quality effects of buffer management. We measured surface runoff volumes and nutrient concentrations and loads in a riparian buffer system consisting of (moving down slope from the field) a grass strip, a managed forest, and an unmanaged forest. The managed forest consisted of sections of clear-cut, thinned, and mature forest. The mature forest had significantly lower flow-weighted concentrations of nitrate, ammonium, total Kjeldahl N (TKN), sediment TKN, total N (nitrate + TKN), dissolved molybdate reactive P (DMRP), total P, and chloride. The average buffer represented the conditions along a stream reach with a buffer system in different stages of growth. Compared with the field output, flow-weighted concentrations of nitrate, ammonium, DMRP, and total P decreased significantly within the buffer and flow-weighted concentrations of TKN, total N, and chloride increased significantly within the buffer. All loads decreased significantly from the field to the middle of the buffer, but most loads increased from the middle of the buffer to the sampling point nearest the stream because surface runoff volume increased near the stream. The largest percentage reduction of the incoming nutrient load (at least 65% for all nutrient forms) took place in the grass buffer zone because of the large decrease (68%) in flow. The average buffer reduced loadings for all nutrient species, from 27% for TKN to 63% for sediment P. The managed forest and grass buffer combined was an effective buffer system.

  3. Dynamic Buffer Capacity in Acid-Base Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michałowska-Kaczmarczyk, Anna M; Michałowski, Tadeusz

    The generalized concept of 'dynamic' buffer capacity β V is related to electrolytic systems of different complexity where acid-base equilibria are involved. The resulting formulas are presented in a uniform and consistent form. The detailed calculations are related to two Britton-Robinson buffers, taken as examples.

  4. Dynamic Buffer Capacity in Acid?Base Systems

    OpenAIRE

    Micha?owska-Kaczmarczyk, Anna M.; Micha?owski, Tadeusz

    2015-01-01

    The generalized concept of ?dynamic? buffer capacity ? V is related to electrolytic systems of different complexity where acid?base equilibria are involved. The resulting formulas are presented in a uniform and consistent form. The detailed calculations are related to two Britton?Robinson buffers, taken as examples.

  5. Oxidation state specific generation of arsines from methylated arsenicals based on L-cysteine treatment in buffered media for speciation analysis by hydride generation-automated cryotrapping-gas chromatography-atomic absorption spectrometry with the multiatomizer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matousek, Tomas [Institute of Analytical Chemistry of the ASCR, v.v.i., Videnska 1083, 14220 Prague (Czech Republic)], E-mail: matousek@biomed.cas.cz; Hernandez-Zavala, Araceli [Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7310 (United States); Svoboda, Milan; Langrova, Lenka [Institute of Analytical Chemistry of the ASCR, v.v.i., Videnska 1083, 14220 Prague (Czech Republic); Charles University, Faculty of Science, Albertov 8, 12840 Prague 2 (Czech Republic); Adair, Blakely M. [Pharmacokinetics Branch, Experimental Toxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 (United States); Drobna, Zuzana [Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7461 (United States); Thomas, David J. [Pharmacokinetics Branch, Experimental Toxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 (United States); Styblo, Miroslav [Center for Environmental Medicine, Asthma, and Lung Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7310 (United States); Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7461 (United States); Dedina, Jiri [Institute of Analytical Chemistry of the ASCR, v.v.i., Videnska 1083, 14220 Prague (Czech Republic)

    2008-03-15

    An automated system for hydride generation-cryotrapping-gas chromatography-atomic absorption spectrometry with the multiatomizer is described. Arsines are preconcentrated and separated in a Chromosorb filled U-tube. An automated cryotrapping unit, employing nitrogen gas formed upon heating in the detection phase for the displacement of the cooling liquid nitrogen, has been developed. The conditions for separation of arsines in a Chromosorb filled U-tube have been optimized. A complete separation of signals from arsine, methylarsine, dimethylarsine, and trimethylarsine has been achieved within a 60 s reading window. The limits of detection for methylated arsenicals tested were 4 ng l{sup -1}. Selective hydride generation is applied for the oxidation state specific speciation analysis of inorganic and methylated arsenicals. The arsines are generated either exclusively from trivalent or from both tri- and pentavalent inorganic and methylated arsenicals depending on the presence of L-cysteine as a prereductant and/or reaction modifier. A TRIS buffer reaction medium is proposed to overcome narrow optimum concentration range observed for the L-cysteine modified reaction in HCl medium. The system provides uniform peak area sensitivity for all As species. Consequently, the calibration with a single form of As is possible. This method permits a high-throughput speciation analysis of metabolites of inorganic arsenic in relatively complex biological matrices such as cell culture systems without sample pretreatment, thus preserving the distribution of tri- and pentavalent species.

  6. Buffered Simulation Games for Büchi Automata

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milka Hutagalung

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Simulation relations are an important tool in automata theory because they provide efficiently computable approximations to language inclusion. In recent years, extensions of ordinary simulations have been studied, for instance multi-pebble and multi-letter simulations which yield better approximations and are still polynomial-time computable. In this paper we study the limitations of approximating language inclusion in this way: we introduce a natural extension of multi-letter simulations called buffered simulations. They are based on a simulation game in which the two players share a FIFO buffer of unbounded size. We consider two variants of these buffered games called continuous and look-ahead simulation which differ in how elements can be removed from the FIFO buffer. We show that look-ahead simulation, the simpler one, is already PSPACE-hard, i.e. computationally as hard as language inclusion itself. Continuous simulation is even EXPTIME-hard. We also provide matching upper bounds for solving these games with infinite state spaces.

  7. Effects of node buffer and capacity on network traffic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ling Xiang; Ding Jian-Xun; Hu Mao-Bin

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we study the optimization of network traffic by considering the effects of node buffer ability and capacity. Two node buffer settings are considered. The node capacity is considered to be proportional to its buffer ability. The node effects on network traffic systems are studied with the shortest path protocol and an extension of the optimal routing [Phys. Rev. E 74 046106 (2006)]. In the diagrams of flux—density relationships, it is shown that a nodes buffer ability and capacity have profound effects on the network traffic

  8. Solubilization of proteins: the importance of lysis buffer choice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peach, Mandy; Marsh, Noelle; Miskiewicz, Ewa I; MacPhee, Daniel J

    2015-01-01

    The efficient extraction of proteins of interest from cells and tissues is not always straightforward. Here we demonstrate the differences in extraction of the focal adhesion protein Kindlin-2 from choriocarcinoma cells using NP-40 and RIPA lysis buffer. Furthermore, we demonstrate the use of a more denaturing urea/thiourea lysis buffer for solubilization, by comparing its effectiveness for solubilization of small heat-shock proteins from smooth muscle with the often utilized RIPA lysis buffer. Overall, the results demonstrate the importance of establishing the optimal lysis buffer for specific protein solubilization within the experimental workflow.

  9. Effect of Buffer Bow Structure in Ship-Ship Collision

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yamada, Yasuhira; Endo, Hisayoshi; Pedersen, Preben Terndrup

    2008-01-01

    tankers, the introduction of buffer bulbous bows has been proposed. Relatively soft buffer bows absorb part of the kinetic energy of the striking ship before penetrating the inner hull of the struck vessel. The purpose of the present paper is to verify the effectiveness of a prototype buffer bulbous bow......) and the forward velocity of the struck ship on the collapse mode of the bow of the striking vessel are investigated. Collapse modes, contact forces and energy absorption capabilities of the buffer bows are compared with those of conventional bows....

  10. Reduction of intergranular exchange coupling and grain size for high Ku CoPt-based granular media: Metal-oxide buffer layer and multiple oxide boundary materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tham, Kim Kong; Kushibiki, Ryosuke; Kamada, Tomonari; Hinata, Shintaro; Saito, Shin

    2018-05-01

    Investigation of magnetic properties and microstructure of granular media with various multiple oxides as the grain boundary material is reported. Saturation magnetization (Ms), uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy (Ku), and magnetic grain diameter (GD) of the granular media show linear correlation with volume weighted average for melting point (Tm) of each oxides (Tmave). Ku of magnetic grains (Kugrain) shows a trade-off relation with GD that it is a big challenge to satisfy both high Kugrain and small GD by only controlling Tmave. To obtain a granular medium with appropriate Kugrain, GD, and low degree of intergranular exchange coupling, the combination of Tmave control of grain boundary material by mixing oxides and employment of a buffer layer are required. Here the degree of intergranular exchange coupling is estimated from the slope of M-H loop at around coercivity (α). By applying this technique, a typical granular medium with Kugrain of 1.0×107 erg/cm3, GD of 5.1 nm, and α of 1.2 is realized.

  11. Buffer layer dependence of magnetoresistance effects in Co2Fe0.4Mn0.6Si/MgO/Co50Fe50 tunnel junctions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Mingling; Kubota, Takahide; Takahashi, Shigeki; Kawato, Yoshiaki; Sonobe, Yoshiaki; Takanashi, Koki

    2018-05-01

    Buffer layer dependence of tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effects was investigated in Co2Fe0.4Mn0.6Si (CFMS)/MgO/Co50Fe50 magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). Pd, Ru and Cr were selected for the buffer layer materials, and MTJs with three different CFMS thicknesses (30, 5, and 0.8 nm) were fabricated. A maximum TMR ratio of 136% was observed in the Ru buffer layer sample with a 30-nm-thick CFMS layer. TMR ratios drastically degraded for the CFMS thickness of 0.8 nm, and the values were 26% for Cr buffer layer and less than 1% for Pd and Ru buffer layers. From the annealing temperature dependence of the TMR ratios, amounts of interdiffusion and effects from the lattice mismatch were discussed.

  12. Strontium Titanate Buffer Layers on Cu/33%Ni Substrates using a Novel Solution Chemistry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pallewatta, Pallewatta G A P; Yue, Zhao; Hui, Tian

    2013-01-01

    SrTiO3 is a widely studied perovskite material due to its advantages as a buffer template which can be simply applied between a metal substrate tape and a superconducting layer in 2G high temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes. In this study, heteroepitaxial SrTiO3 thin films were deposited on t...

  13. The quantitation of buffering action II. Applications of the formal & general approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmitt, Bernhard M

    2005-01-01

    Background The paradigm of "buffering" originated in acid-base physiology, but was subsequently extended to other fields and is now used for a wide and diverse set of phenomena. In the preceding article, we have presented a formal and general approach to the quantitation of buffering action. Here, we use that buffering concept for a systematic treatment of selected classical and other buffering phenomena. Results H+ buffering by weak acids and "self-buffering" in pure water represent "conservative buffered systems" whose analysis reveals buffering properties that contrast in important aspects from classical textbook descriptions. The buffering of organ perfusion in the face of variable perfusion pressure (also termed "autoregulation") can be treated in terms of "non-conservative buffered systems", the general form of the concept. For the analysis of cytoplasmic Ca++ concentration transients (also termed "muffling"), we develop a related unit that is able to faithfully reflect the time-dependent quantitative aspect of buffering during the pre-steady state period. Steady-state buffering is shown to represent the limiting case of time-dependent muffling, namely for infinitely long time intervals and infinitely small perturbations. Finally, our buffering concept provides a stringent definition of "buffering" on the level of systems and control theory, resulting in four absolute ratio scales for control performance that are suited to measure disturbance rejection and setpoint tracking, and both their static and dynamic aspects. Conclusion Our concept of buffering provides a powerful mathematical tool for the quantitation of buffering action in all its appearances. PMID:15771784

  14. Advance in Vertical Buffered Electropolishing on Niobium for Particle Accelerators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, A.T.; Jin, S.; Mammosser, J.D.; Reece, C.E.; Rimmer, R.A.; Lin, L.; Lu, X.Y.; Zhao, K.

    2011-01-01

    Niobium (Nb) is the most popular material that has been employed for making superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities to be used in various particle accelerators over the last couple of decades. One of the most important steps in fabricating Nb SRF cavities is the final chemical removal of 150 μm of Nb from the inner surfaces of the SRF cavities. This is usually done by either buffered chemical polishing (BCP) or electropolishing (EP). Recently a new Nb surface treatment technique called buffered electropolishing (BEP) has been developed at Jefferson Lab. It has been demonstrated that BEP can produce the smoothest surface finish on Nb ever reported in the literature while realizing a Nb removal rate as high as 10 μm/min that is more than 25 and 5 times quicker than those of EP and BCP(112) respectively. In this contribution, recent advance in optimizing and understanding BEP treatment technique is reviewed. Latest results from RF measurements on BEP treated Nb single cell cavities by our unique vertical polishing system will be reported.

  15. Spatial and temporal analysis of the land cover in riparian buffer zones (Areas for Permanent Preservation in Sorocaba City, SP, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Henrique Alves

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Considering the fundamental role that the riparian vegetation plays in relation to maintenance of the environmental health of a watershed and the necessity of restoring sectors of the buffer zone without natural vegetation, in this paper we investigated what land cover classes occur along the riparian buffer stripes considered Area for Permanent Preservation (APP in the Sorocaba municipality, SP in three periods: 1988, 1995 and 2003. Based on GIS technology and using the drainage network map, the APP stripes (riparian buffer zones map was generated, and this map was overlaid to the land cover map (1988, 1995 and 2003 to provide a land cover map specifically of the riparian buffer zones. The results show that 58.43% of the APPs have no land cover of native vegetation and therefore, need to be reforested, representing 5,400 hectares to be restored.

  16. Modelling and analysis of canister and buffer for earthquake induced rock shear and glacial load

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hernelind, Jan

    2010-08-01

    Existing fractures crossing a deposition hole may be activated and sheared by an earthquake. The effect of such a rock shear has been investigated by finite element calculations. The buffer material in a deposition hole acts as a cushion between the canister and the rock, which reduces the effect of a rock shear substantially. Lower density of the buffer yields softer material and reduced effect on the canister. However, at the high density that is suggested for a repository the stiffness of the buffer is rather high. The stiffness is also a function of the rate of shear, which means that there may be a substantial damage on the canister at very high shear rates. However, the earthquake induced rock shear velocity is lower than 1 m/s which is not considered to be very high. The rock shear has been modelled with finite element calculations with the code Abaqus. A three dimensional finite element mesh of the buffer and the canister has been created and simulation of a rock shear has been performed. The rock shear has been assumed to take place either perpendicular to the canister at the quarter point or at an inclined angle of 22.5 deg in tension. Furthermore horizontal shear has been studied using a vertical shear plane either at the centre or at 1/4-point for the canister. The shear calculations have been driven to a total shear of 10 cm. The canister also has to be designed to withstand the loads caused by a thick ice sheet. Besides rock shear the model has been used to analyse the effect of such glacial load (either combined with rock shear or without rock shear). This report also summarizes the effect when considering creep in the copper shell

  17. Modelling and analysis of canister and buffer for earthquake induced rock shear and glacial load

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hernelind, Jan (5T Engineering AB (Sweden))

    2010-08-15

    Existing fractures crossing a deposition hole may be activated and sheared by an earthquake. The effect of such a rock shear has been investigated by finite element calculations. The buffer material in a deposition hole acts as a cushion between the canister and the rock, which reduces the effect of a rock shear substantially. Lower density of the buffer yields softer material and reduced effect on the canister. However, at the high density that is suggested for a repository the stiffness of the buffer is rather high. The stiffness is also a function of the rate of shear, which means that there may be a substantial damage on the canister at very high shear rates. However, the earthquake induced rock shear velocity is lower than 1 m/s which is not considered to be very high. The rock shear has been modelled with finite element calculations with the code Abaqus. A three dimensional finite element mesh of the buffer and the canister has been created and simulation of a rock shear has been performed. The rock shear has been assumed to take place either perpendicular to the canister at the quarter point or at an inclined angle of 22.5 deg in tension. Furthermore horizontal shear has been studied using a vertical shear plane either at the centre or at 1/4-point for the canister. The shear calculations have been driven to a total shear of 10 cm. The canister also has to be designed to withstand the loads caused by a thick ice sheet. Besides rock shear the model has been used to analyse the effect of such glacial load (either combined with rock shear or without rock shear). This report also summarizes the effect when considering creep in the copper shell

  18. Buffering capacity: its relevance in soil and water pollution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stigliani, W.M. [University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls (United States)

    1996-02-01

    Buffering capacities in soils are essential for neutralizing or immobilizing inputs of acids and heavy metals. There are four major buffering regimes, each of which operates in a defined pH range. When the rate of pollutant inputs exceeds the rate of natural replenishment of the buffer in a specific regime, the supply of buffer will be exhausted over time, and the soil may switch to a regime at lower pH. As the pH of the soil declines, so does its capacity to immobilize heavy metals. If the soil initially has a moderately high buffering capacity, the time scale before exhaustion is on the order of decades to a century. Over this time there may be no observable environmental effects. When the effects do become obvious, it may be too late to reverse the damage. The importance of buffering capacity as a valued environmental resource must be recognized, and its preservation must be a major component of long-term soil protection policies. (Author). 17 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

  19. Classical entropy generation analysis in cooled homogenous and functionally graded material slabs with variation of internal heat generation with temperature, and convective–radiative boundary conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torabi, Mohsen; Zhang, Kaili

    2014-01-01

    This article investigates the classical entropy generation in cooled slabs. Two types of materials are assumed for the slab: homogeneous material and FGM (functionally graded material). For the homogeneous material, the thermal conductivity is assumed to be a linear function of temperature, while for the FGM slab the thermal conductivity is modeled to vary in accordance with the rule of mixtures. The boundary conditions are assumed to be convective and radiative concurrently, and the internal heat generation of the slab is a linear function of temperature. Using the DTM (differential transformation method) and resultant temperature fields from the DTM, the local and total entropy generation rates within slabs are derived. The effects of physically applicable parameters such as the thermal conductivity parameter for the homogenous slab, β, the thermal conductivity parameter for the FGM slab, γ, gradient index, j, internal heat generation parameter, Q, Biot number at the right side, Nc 2 , conduction–radiation parameter, Nr 2 , dimensionless convection sink temperature, δ, and dimensionless radiation sink temperature, η, on the local and total entropy generation rates are illustrated and explained. The results demonstrate that considering temperature- or coordinate-dependent thermal conductivity and radiation heat transfer at both sides of the slab have great effects on the entropy generation. - Highlights: • The paper investigates entropy generation in a slab due to heat generation and convective–radiative boundary conditions. • Both homogeneous material and FGM (functionally graded material) were considered. • The calculations are carried out using the differential transformation method which is a well-tested analytical technique

  20. Buffer thermal energy storage for a solar Brayton engine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strumpf, H. J.; Barr, K. P.

    1981-01-01

    A study has been completed on the application of latent-heat buffer thermal energy storage to a point-focusing solar receiver equipped with an air Brayton engine. To aid in the study, a computer program was written for complete transient/stead-state Brayton cycle performance. The results indicated that thermal storage can afford a significant decrease in the number of engine shutdowns as compared to operating without thermal storage. However, the number of shutdowns does not continuously decrease as the storage material weight increases. In fact, there appears to be an optimum weight for minimizing the number of shutdowns.

  1. Effects of buffer ionization in protein transition volumes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Soyoung; Heerklotz, Heiko; Chalikian, Tigran V

    2010-05-01

    Protein denaturation events are generally associated with a change in the state of ionization of abnormally titrating groups and, therefore, are coupled with changes in buffer ionization/neutralization equilibria. Consequently, buffer ionization should influence the measured change in volume accompanying protein denaturation. Changes in volume accompanying protein denaturation reflect the differential packing and hydration of polypeptide chains in their native and denatured conformations while also describing the pressure stability of proteins. A characteristic feature of conformational transitions of globular proteins is a near zero change in volume that is comparable in magnitude with the volume of ionization of biologically relevant buffers. Thus, the impact of buffer ionization on the volume of protein denaturation could be very significant with the potential to affect not only its magnitude but also its sign. To investigate this point quantitatively, we performed pressure perturbation calorimetric (PPC) studies of lysozyme and ribonuclease A at pH 3.0 in four buffers differing in their ionization volumes. Our results identify buffer ionization as an important determinant of protein transition volume that needs to be carefully taken into account. We emphasize that the importance of our results is not limited to PPC measurements but is more general and applies to all volumetric investigations, in particular, extending to the derivation of the pressure-temperature phase diagram of protein stability.

  2. Performance Enhancement of Small Molecular Solar Cells by Bilayer Cathode Buffer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Qinjun; Zhao, Huanbin; Zhou, Miao; Gao, Liyan; Hao, Yuying

    2016-04-01

    An effective composite bilayer cathode buffer structure is proposed for use in small molecular solar cells. CsF was doped in Alq3 to form the first cathode buffer, leading to small serial resistances. BCP was used as the second cathode buffer to block the holes to the electrode. The optimized bilayer cathode buffer significantly increased the short circuit and fill factor of devices. By integrating this bilayer cathode buffer, the CuPc/C60 small molecular heterojunction cell exhibited a power conversion efficiency of up to 0.8%, which was an improvement of 56% compared to a device with only the Alq3 cathode buffer. Meanwhile, the bilayer cathode buffer still has a good protective effect on the performance of the device.

  3. Research and development on university-collaboration type industrial and scientific technologies in fiscal 1999. Achievement report on research and development of the next generation ferroelectric thin film memory (research and development of the next generation ferroelectric memory); 1999 nendo jisedai kyoyudentai memory no kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-03-01

    With an objective to realize the next generation ferroelectric memory, research and development has been carried out on quality improvement in ferroelectric thin films. This paper summarizes the achievements in fiscal 1999. In the search and research on new ferroelectric materials, discussions were given on such new materials as Bi{sub 3.25}La{sub 0.75}Ti{sub 3}O{sub 12} in addition to the conventional PLZT and SBT. In the research on film forming processes, the sol-gel method, the organic metal gaseous phase growth method and the sputtering method were used. In improving the quality of buffer layers, research was performed to use as a buffer layer the STA/SiON laminated structure in which silicon substrates were nitrided, and a film of SrTa{sub 2}O{sub 6} (STA) being a high ferroelectric material was formed. As a result of the research, a buffer layer having thin films with thickness of 3.7 to 4.8 nm as converted to SiO{sub 2} was obtained, wherein a leak current smaller than the tunnel current of the SiO{sub 2} film having the same thickness was shown. In the search for materials and research on film forming technologies to develop function separated type memory, such pure metals as Pt, Ir and Ru and their conductive oxides were used to evaluate properties as a floating gate electrode. (NEDO)

  4. Investigation of the THM behaviour of the buffer and rock-buffer interaction during the canister retrieval test performed in the ASPÖ Hard Rock Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Millard, A.; Barnichon, J.D.

    2014-01-01

    In the framework of the THERESA European project, numerical modelling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) and thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) behaviour of buffer (bentonite) and buffer-rock interfaces for deep underground nuclear waste repositories has been undertaken, with focus on the performance assessments. A major step of the project was the analysis of a large scale test, called the Canister Retrieval test, which has been performed in Aspö Hard Rock Laboratory. It consists in a full scale test of the emplacement of a canister with the surrounding buffer material. A deposition hole was first bored, and then the canister with heaters was installed together with bentonite blocks. The gap between the rock and the bentonite blocks was filled with bentonite pellets. The whole set was artificially wetted from its external boundary in order to accelerate the expected natural rehydration by the surrounding rock. The evolution of the THM processes was recorded over 5 years. Before analysing the whole CRT experiment, a preliminary simpler problem has been defined, which consisted in modelling a disc of buffer at canister mid-height. Thanks to the available experimental recorded measurements, it has been possible to numerically investigate the respective influence of the various THM parameters involved in the modelling of the physical processes. The theoretical model is based on one hand on the Richard's approximation for the flow calculation, and on the other hand on a Biot's type model for the hydro-mechanical behaviour. It has revealed the large influence of the liquid relative permeability, which is unfortunately in general not directly available from experiments and must be determined through inverse analysis techniques. Then, in a second stage, the whole CRT experiment has been analysed. For simplicity reasons, an axisymetrical model has been adopted, although the presence of a neighbouring experiment did influence the CRT results. The comparisons of

  5. Investigation of the THM behaviour of the buffer and rock-buffer interaction during the canister retrieval test performed in the ASPÖ Hard Rock Laboratory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Millard, A., E-mail: alain.millard@cea.fr [CEA, DEN, DANS, DM2S, SEMT, LM2S, F91191 Gif sur Yvette (France); Barnichon, J.D. [IRSN/DEI/SARG/LR2S, F-92260 Fontenay-aux-Roses (France)

    2014-04-01

    In the framework of the THERESA European project, numerical modelling of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) and thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) behaviour of buffer (bentonite) and buffer-rock interfaces for deep underground nuclear waste repositories has been undertaken, with focus on the performance assessments. A major step of the project was the analysis of a large scale test, called the Canister Retrieval test, which has been performed in Aspö Hard Rock Laboratory. It consists in a full scale test of the emplacement of a canister with the surrounding buffer material. A deposition hole was first bored, and then the canister with heaters was installed together with bentonite blocks. The gap between the rock and the bentonite blocks was filled with bentonite pellets. The whole set was artificially wetted from its external boundary in order to accelerate the expected natural rehydration by the surrounding rock. The evolution of the THM processes was recorded over 5 years. Before analysing the whole CRT experiment, a preliminary simpler problem has been defined, which consisted in modelling a disc of buffer at canister mid-height. Thanks to the available experimental recorded measurements, it has been possible to numerically investigate the respective influence of the various THM parameters involved in the modelling of the physical processes. The theoretical model is based on one hand on the Richard's approximation for the flow calculation, and on the other hand on a Biot's type model for the hydro-mechanical behaviour. It has revealed the large influence of the liquid relative permeability, which is unfortunately in general not directly available from experiments and must be determined through inverse analysis techniques. Then, in a second stage, the whole CRT experiment has been analysed. For simplicity reasons, an axisymetrical model has been adopted, although the presence of a neighbouring experiment did influence the CRT results. The

  6. Effects of buffer thickness on ATW blanket performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, W. S.; Mercatali, L.; Taiwo, T. A.; Hill, R. N.

    2001-01-01

    This paper presents preliminary results of target and buffer design studies for liquid metal cooled accelerator transmutation of waste (ATW) systems, aimed at maximizing the source importance while simultaneously reducing the irradiation damage to fuel. Using 840 MWt liquid metal cooled ATW designs, the effects of buffer thickness on the blanket performance have been studied. Varying the buffer thickness for a given blanket configuration, system performance parameters have been estimated by a series of calculations using the MCNPX and REBUS-3 codes. The effects of source importance variation are studied by investigating the low-energy ( and lt; 20 MeV) neutron source distribution and the equilibrium cycle blanket performance parameters such as fuel inventory, discharge burnup, burnup reactivity loss, and peak fast fluence. For investigating irradiation damage to fuel, the displacements per atom (dpa), hydrogen production, and helium production rates are evaluated at the buffer and blanket interface where the peak fast fluence occurs. Results for the liquid-metal-cooled designs show that the damage rates and the source importance increase monotonically as the buffer thickness decreases. Based on a compromise between the competing objectives of increasing the source importance and reducing the damage rates, a buffer thickness of around 20 cm appears to be reasonable. Investigation of the impact of the proton beam energy on the target and buffer design shows that for a given blanket power level, a lower beam energy (0.6 GeV versus 1 GeV) results in a higher irradiation damage to the beam window. This trend occurs because of the increase in the beam intensity required to maintain the power level

  7. Effects of Buffer Thickness on ATW Blanket Performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, W.S.; Mercatali, L.; Taiwo, T.A.; Hill, R.N.

    2002-01-01

    This paper presents preliminary results of target and buffer design studies for liquid metal cooled accelerator transmutation of waste (ATW) systems, aimed at maximizing the source importance while simultaneously reducing the irradiation damage to fuel. Using 840 MWt liquid metal cooled ATW designs, the effects of buffer thickness on the blanket performance have been studied. Varying the buffer thickness for a given blanket configuration, system performance parameters have been estimated by a series of calculations using the MCNPX and REBUS-3 codes. The effects of source importance variation are studied by investigating the low-energy (< 20 MeV) neutron source distribution and the equilibrium cycle blanket performance parameters such as fuel inventory, discharge burnup, burnup reactivity loss, and peak fast fluence. For investigating irradiation damage to fuel, the displacements per atom (dpa), hydrogen production, and helium production rates are evaluated at the buffer and blanket interface where the peak fast fluence occurs. Results for the liquid-metal-cooled designs show that the damage rates and the source importance increase monotonically as the buffer thickness decreases. Based on a compromise between the competing objectives of increasing the source importance and reducing the damage rates, a buffer thickness of around 20 cm appears to be reasonable. Investigation of the impact of the proton beam energy on the target and buffer design shows that for a given blanket power level, a lower beam energy (0.6 GeV versus 1 GeV) results in a higher irradiation damage to the beam window. This trend occurs because of the increase in the beam intensity required to maintain the power level. (authors)

  8. Accelerating Science with the NERSC Burst Buffer Early User Program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhimji, Wahid [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Bard, Debbie [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Romanus, Melissa [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ (United States); Paul, David [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Ovsyannikov, Andrey [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Friesen, Brian [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Bryson, Matt [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Correa, Joaquin [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Lockwood, Glenn K. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Tsulaia, Vakho [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Byna, Suren [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Farrell, Steve [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Gursoy, Doga [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS); Daley, Chris [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Beckner, Vince [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Van Straalen, Brian [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Trebotich, David [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Tull, Craig [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Weber, Gunther H. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Wright, Nicholas J. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Antypas, Katie [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Prabhat, none [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2016-01-01

    NVRAM-based Burst Buffers are an important part of the emerging HPC storage landscape. The National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory recently installed one of the first Burst Buffer systems as part of its new Cori supercomputer, collaborating with Cray on the development of the DataWarp software. NERSC has a diverse user base comprised of over 6500 users in 700 different projects spanning a wide variety of scientific computing applications. The use-cases of the Burst Buffer at NERSC are therefore also considerable and diverse. We describe here performance measurements and lessons learned from the Burst Buffer Early User Program at NERSC, which selected a number of research projects to gain early access to the Burst Buffer and exercise its capability to enable new scientific advancements. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time a Burst Buffer has been stressed at scale by diverse, real user workloads and therefore these lessons will be of considerable benefit to shaping the developing use of Burst Buffers at HPC centers.

  9. pH variations during diafiltration due to buffer nonidealities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baek, Youngbin; Yang, Deyu; Singh, Nripen; Arunkumar, Abhiram; Ghose, Sanchayita; Li, Zheng Jian; Zydney, Andrew L

    2017-11-01

    Diafiltration is used for final formulation of essentially all biotherapeutics. Several studies have demonstrated that buffer/excipient concentrations in the final diafiltered product can be different than that in the diafiltration buffer due to interactions between buffer species and the protein product. However, recent work in our lab has shown variations in solution pH that are largely independent of the protein concentration during the first few diavolumes. Our hypothesis is that these pH variations are due to nonidealities in the acid-base equilibrium coefficient. A model was developed for the diafiltration process accounting for the ionic strength dependence of the pK a . Experimental results obtained using phosphate and histidine buffers were in excellent agreement with model predictions. A decrease in ionic strength leads to an increase in the pK a for the phosphate buffer, causing a shift in the solution pH, even under conditions where the initial feed and the diafiltration buffer are at the same pH. This effect could be eliminated by matching the ionic strength of the feed and diafiltration buffer. The experimental data and model provide new insights into the factors controlling the pH profile during diafiltration processes. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1555-1560, 2017. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  10. The role of SiGe buffer in growth and relaxation of Ge on free-standing Si(001) nano-pillars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaumseil, P; Kozlowski, G; Schubert, M A; Yamamoto, Y; Bauer, J; Schülli, T U; Tillack, B; Schroeder, T

    2012-09-07

    We study the growth and relaxation processes of Ge nano-clusters selectively grown by chemical vapor deposition on free-standing 90 nm wide Si(001) nano-pillars with a thin Si(0.23)Ge(0.77) buffer layer. We found that the dome-shaped SiGe layer with a height of about 28 nm as well as the Ge dot deposited on top of it partially relaxes, mainly by elastic lattice bending. The Si nano-pillar shows a clear compliance behavior-an elastic response of the substrate on the growing film-with the tensile strained top part of the pillar. Additional annealing at 800 °C leads to the generation of misfit dislocation and reduces the compliance effect significantly. This example demonstrates that despite the compressive strain generated due to the surrounding SiO(2) growth mask it is possible to realize an overall tensile strain in the Si nano-pillar and following a compliant substrate effect by using a SiGe buffer layer. We further show that the SiGe buffer is able to improve the structural quality of the Ge nano-dot.

  11. Helium generation in fusion reactor materials. Technical progress report, April--September 1977

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-01-01

    The near-term objectives of this program are to measure the spectrum-integrated helium generation rates and cross sections of a number of pure elements and alloys in several high-intensity neutron sources, and to develop and demonstrate neutron dosimetry procedures using some of these materials. To this end, four neutron irradiation experiments have now been run: one using accelerator-produced d-Be neutrons, two using the accelerator-produced d-T reaction, and one in the neutron field of a mixed-spectrum fission reactor. All of these irradiations have incorporated a large number of helium-generation materials

  12. Interaction of HEPES buffer with glass-ceramic scaffold: Can HEPES replace TRIS in SBF?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rohanová, Dana; Horkavcová, Diana; Paidere, Laine; Boccaccini, Aldo Roberto; Bozděchová, Pavlína; Bezdička, Petr

    2018-01-01

    An international standard (ISO: 23317:2014) exists for the in vitro testing of inorganic biomaterials in simulated body fluid (SBF). This standard uses TRIS buffer to maintain neutral pH in SBF, but in our previous paper, we showed that the interaction of a tested glass-ceramic material with TRIS can produce false-positive results. In this study, we evaluated whether the HEPES buffer, which also belongs to the group of Good´s buffers, would be more suitable for SBF. We compared its suitability in two media: SBF with HEPES and demineralized water with HEPES. The tested scaffold (45S5 bioactive glass-based) was exposed to the media under a static-dynamic arrangement (solutions were replaced on a daily basis) for 15 days. Leachate samples were collected daily for the analysis of Ca 2+ ions and Si (AAS), (PO 4 ) 3- ions (UV-VIS), and to measure pH. The glass-ceramic scaffold was analyzed by SEM/EDS, XRD, and WD-XRF before and after 0.3, 1, 3, 7, 11, and 15 days of exposure. Our results confirmed the rapid selective dissolution of the glass-ceramic crystalline phase (Combeite) containing Ca 2+ ions due to the presence of HEPES, hydroxyapatite supersaturation being reached within 24 h in both solutions. These new results suggest that, like TRIS, HEPES buffer is not suitable for the in vitro testing of highly reactive inorganic biomaterials (glass, glass-ceramics). The ISO standard for such tests requires revision, but HEPES is not a viable alternative to TRIS buffer. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 143-152, 2018. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. SPARC: Demonstrate burst-buffer-based checkpoint/restart on ATS-1.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oldfield, Ron A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ulmer, Craig D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Widener, Patrick [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ward, H. Lee [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2018-01-01

    Recent high-performance computing (HPC) platforms such as the Trinity Advanced Technology System (ATS-1) feature burst buffer resources that can have a dramatic impact on an application’s I/O performance. While these non-volatile memory (NVM) resources provide a new tier in the storage hierarchy, developers must find the right way to incorporate the technology into their applications in order to reap the benefits. Similar to other laboratories, Sandia is actively investigating ways in which these resources can be incorporated into our existing libraries and workflows without burdening our application developers with excessive, platform-specific details. This FY18Q1 milestone summaries our progress in adapting the Sandia Parallel Aerodynamics and Reentry Code (SPARC) in Sandia’s ATDM program to leverage Trinity’s burst buffers for checkpoint/restart operations. We investigated four different approaches with varying tradeoffs in this work: (1) simply updating job script to use stage-in/stage out burst buffer directives, (2) modifying SPARC to use LANL’s hierarchical I/O (HIO) library to store/retrieve checkpoints, (3) updating Sandia’s IOSS library to incorporate the burst buffer in all meshing I/O operations, and (4) modifying SPARC to use our Kelpie distributed memory library to store/retrieve checkpoints. Team members were successful in generating initial implementation for all four approaches, but were unable to obtain performance numbers in time for this report (reasons: initial problem sizes were not large enough to stress I/O, and SPARC refactor will require changes to our code). When we presented our work to the SPARC team, they expressed the most interest in the second and third approaches. The HIO work was favored because it is lightweight, unobtrusive, and should be portable to ATS-2. The IOSS work is seen as a long-term solution, and is favored because all I/O work (including checkpoints) can be deferred to a single library.

  14. Temperature buffer test. Hydro-mechanical and chemical/ mineralogical characterizations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aakesson, Mattias; Olsson, Siv; Dueck, Ann; Nilsson, Ulf; Karnland, Ola [Clay Technology AB, Lund (Sweden); Kiviranta, Leena; Kumpulainen, Sirpa [BandTech Oy, Helsinki (Finland); Linden, Johan [Aabo Akademi, Aabo (Finland)

    2012-01-15

    The Temperature Buffer Test (TBT) is a joint project between SKB/ANDRA and supported by ENRESA (modeling) and DBE (instrumentation), which aims at improving the understanding and to model the thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of buffers made of swelling clay submitted to high temperatures (over 100 deg C) during the water saturation process. The test has been carried out in a KBS-3 deposition hole at Aspo HRL. It was installed during the spring of 2003. Two steel heaters (3 m long, 0.6 m diameter) and two buffer arrangements have been investigated: the lower heater was surrounded by rings of compacted Wyoming bentonite only, whereas the upper heater was surrounded by a composite barrier, with a sand shield between the heater and the bentonite. The test was dismantled and sampled during the winter of 2009/2010. This report presents the hydro-mechanical and chemical/mineralogical characterization program which was launched subsequent to the dismantling operation. The main goal has been to investigate if any significant differences could be observed between material from the field experiment and the reference material. The field samples were mainly taken from Ring 4 (located at the mid-section around the lower heater), in which the temperature in the innermost part reached 155 deg C. The following hydro-mechanical properties have been determined for the material (test technique within brackets): hydraulic conductivity (swelling pressure device), swelling pressure (swelling pressure device), unconfined compression strength (mechanical press), shear strength (triaxial cell) and retention properties (jar method). The following chemical/mineralogical properties (methods within brackets) were determined: anion analysis of water leachates (IC), chemical composition (ICP/AES+MS, EGA), cation exchange capacity (CEC, Cu-trien method) and exchangeable cations (exchange with NH4, ICPAES), mineralogical composition (XRD and FTIR), element distribution and microstructure (SEM and

  15. Next Generation Nuclear Plant Materials Research and Development Program Plan, Revision 4

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    G.O. Hayner; R.L. Bratton; R.E. Mizia; W.E. Windes; W.R. Corwin; T.D. Burchell; C.E. Duty; Y. Katoh; J.W. Klett; T.E. McGreevy; R.K. Nanstad; W. Ren; P.L. Rittenhouse; L.L. Snead; R.W. Swindeman; D.F. Wlson

    2007-09-01

    DOE has selected the High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) design for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project. The NGNP will demonstrate the use of nuclear power for electricity and hydrogen production. It will have an outlet gas temperature in the range of 950°C and a plant design service life of 60 years. The reactor design will be a graphite moderated, helium-cooled, prismatic or pebble-bed reactor and use low-enriched uranium, TRISO-coated fuel. The plant size, reactor thermal power, and core configuration will ensure passive decay heat removal without fuel damage or radioactive material releases during accidents. The NGNP Materials Research and Development (R&D) Program is responsible for performing R&D on likely NGNP materials in support of the NGNP design, licensing, and construction activities. Some of the general and administrative aspects of the R&D Plan include: • Expand American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Codes and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Standards in support of the NGNP Materials R&D Program. • Define and develop inspection needs and the procedures for those inspections. • Support selected university materials related R&D activities that would be of direct benefit to the NGNP Project. • Support international materials related collaboration activities through the DOE sponsored Generation IV International Forum (GIF) Materials and Components (M&C) Project Management Board (PMB). • Support document review activities through the Materials Review Committee (MRC) or other suitable forum.

  16. Methyl Bromide Commodity Fumigation Buffer Zone Lookup Tables

    Science.gov (United States)

    Product labels for methyl bromide used in commodity and structural fumigation include requirements for buffer zones around treated areas. The information on this page will allow you to find the appropriate buffer zone for your planned application.

  17. Roadmapping the Resolution of Gas Generation Issues in Packages Containing Radioactive Waste/Materials - A Status Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luke, D.E.; Hamp, S.

    2002-01-01

    Gas generation issues, particularly hydrogen, have been an area of concern for the transport and storage of radioactive materials and waste in the Department of Energy (DOE) Complex. Potentially combustible gases can be generated through a variety of reactions, including chemical reactions and radiolytic decomposition of hydrogen-containing material. Since transportation regulations prohibit shipment of explosives and radioactive materials together, it was decided that hydrogen generation was a problem that warranted the execution of a high-level roadmapping effort. This paper discusses the major gas generation issues within the DOE Complex and the research that has been and is being conducted by the transuranic (TRU) waste, nuclear materials, and spent nuclear fuels (SNF) programs within DOE's Environmental Management (EM) organizations to address gas generation concerns. This paper presents a ''program level'' roadmap that links technology development to program needs and identifies the probability of success in an effort to understand the programmatic risk associated with the issue of gas generation. This paper also presents the status of the roadmap and follow-up activities

  18. Replenishing data descriptors in a DMA injection FIFO buffer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Archer, Charles J [Rochester, MN; Blocksome, Michael A [Rochester, MN; Cernohous, Bob R [Rochester, MN; Heidelberger, Philip [Cortlandt Manor, NY; Kumar, Sameer [White Plains, NY; Parker, Jeffrey J [Rochester, MN

    2011-10-11

    Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for replenishing data descriptors in a Direct Memory Access (`DMA`) injection first-in-first-out (`FIFO`) buffer that include: determining, by a messaging module on an origin compute node, whether a number of data descriptors in a DMA injection FIFO buffer exceeds a predetermined threshold, each data descriptor specifying an application message for transmission to a target compute node; queuing, by the messaging module, a plurality of new data descriptors in a pending descriptor queue if the number of the data descriptors in the DMA injection FIFO buffer exceeds the predetermined threshold; establishing, by the messaging module, interrupt criteria that specify when to replenish the injection FIFO buffer with the plurality of new data descriptors in the pending descriptor queue; and injecting, by the messaging module, the plurality of new data descriptors into the injection FIFO buffer in dependence upon the interrupt criteria.

  19. New Earth-abundant Materials for Large-scale Solar Fuels Generation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prabhakar, Rajiv Ramanujam; Cui, Wei; Tilley, S David

    2018-05-30

    The solar resource is immense, but the power density of light striking the Earth's surface is relatively dilute, necessitating large area solar conversion devices in order to harvest substantial amounts of power for renewable energy applications. In addition, energy storage is a key challenge for intermittent renewable resources such as solar and wind, which adds significant cost to these energies. As the majority of humanity's present-day energy consumption is based on fuels, an ideal solution is to generate renewable fuels from abundant resources such as sunlight and water. In this account, we detail our recent work towards generating highly efficient and stable Earth-abundant semiconducting materials for solar water splitting to generate renewable hydrogen fuel.

  20. Copyright and Computer Generated Materials – Is it Time to Reboot the Discussion About Authorship?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne Fitzgerald

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Computer generated materials are ubiquitous and we encounter them on a daily basis, even though most people are unaware that this is the case. Blockbuster movies, television weather reports and telephone directories all include material that is produced by utilising computer technologies. Copyright protection for materials generated by a programmed computer was considered by the Federal Court and Full Court of the Federal Court in Telstra Corporation Limited v Phone Directories Company Pty Ltd.  The court held that the White and Yellow pages telephone directories produced by Telstra and its subsidiary, Sensis, were not protected by copyright because they were computer-generated works which lacked the requisite human authorship.The Copyright Act 1968 (Cth does not contain specific provisions on the subsistence of copyright in computer-generated materials. Although the issue of copyright protection for computer-generated materials has been examined in Australia on two separate occasions by independently-constituted Copyright Law Review Committees over a period of 10 years (1988 to 1998, the Committees’ recommendations for legislative clarification by the enactment of specific amendments to the Copyright Act have not yet been implemented and the legal position remains unclear. In the light of the decision of the Full Federal Court in Telstra v Phone Directories it is timely to consider whether specific provisions should be enacted to clarify the position of computer-generated works under copyright law and, in particular, whether the requirement of human authorship for original works protected under Part III of the Copyright Act should now be reconceptualised to align with the realities of how copyright materials are created in the digital era.

  1. Protein buffering in model systems and in whole human saliva.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreas Lamanda

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to quantify the buffer attributes (value, power, range and optimum of two model systems for whole human resting saliva, the purified proteins from whole human resting saliva and single proteins. Two model systems, the first containing amyloglucosidase and lysozyme, and the second containing amyloglucosidase and alpha-amylase, were shown to provide, in combination with hydrogencarbonate and di-hydrogenphosphate, almost identical buffer attributes as whole human resting saliva. It was further demonstrated that changes in the protein concentration as small as 0.1% may change the buffer value of a buffer solution up to 15 times. Additionally, it was shown that there was a protein concentration change in the same range (0.16% between saliva samples collected at the time periods of 13:00 and others collected at 9:00 am and 17:00. The mode of the protein expression changed between these samples corresponded to the change in basic buffer power and the change of the buffer value at pH 6.7. Finally, SDS Page and Ruthenium II tris (bathophenantroline disulfonate staining unveiled a constant protein expression in all samples except for one 50 kDa protein band. As the change in the expression pattern of that 50 kDa protein band corresponded to the change in basic buffer power and the buffer value at pH 6.7, it was reasonable to conclude that this 50 kDa protein band may contain the protein(s belonging to the protein buffer system of human saliva.

  2. META-ANALYSIS OF NITROGEN REMOVAL IN RIPARIAN BUFFERS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riparian buffer zones, the vegetated region adjacent to streams and wetlands, are thought to be effective at intercepting and controlling nitrogen loads entering water bodies. Riparian buffer width may be positively related to nitrogen removal effectiveness by influencing nitrog...

  3. Buffer fluid

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mirzadzhanzade, A Kh; Dedusanko, G Ya; Dinaburg, L S; Markov, Yu M; Rasizade, Ya N; Rozov, V N; Sherstnev, N M

    1979-08-30

    A drilling fluid is suggested for separating the drilling and plugging fluids which contains as the base increased solution of polyacrylamide and additive. In order to increase the viscoelastic properties of the liquid with simultaneous decrease in the periods of its fabrication, the solution contains as an additive dry bentonite clay. In cases of the use of a buffer fluid under conditions of negative temperatures, it is necessary to add to it table salt or ethylene glycol.

  4. Field test demonstration of emplacement feasibility of precompacted clay buffer materials in a granitic medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jorda, M.; Lajudie, A.; Gatabin, C.; Atabek, R.

    1992-01-01

    Field test demonstration of emplacement feasibility of precompacted clay buffer materials in a granitic medium has been successfully carried out in February 1990 at the mining centre of FANAY. SILORD site was selected allowing the drilling through the 'Raise Boring' technique of pits of 30 m depth minimum between two pre-existent galleries. Two pits of 37 m depth were drilled and characterized in detail: mean diameter and vertical deviation measurements, valuation of the surface condition (rugosity) and cracking. The pit which was the most regular was selected for the feasibility test it-self. In parallel, manufacturing and handling techniques for the engineered barrier were improved. The bricks were made from a powdered mixture of clay and 10% sand and formed the barrier which was installed in the pit using iron baskets. The technique used was compacting by uniaxial pressing at 64 MPa. Twenty eight baskets containing the engineered barrier were fabricated at LIBOS (refractory manufactory of CTE Group) and taken to FANAY-SILORD. A maximal diameter of 96.03 cm was determined for the basket passing through (basket height = 1.335 m) and verified by the lowering of basket gauges in the pit. The baskets were stacked up in the pit, without any difficulty, with a mean radial gap of 1.6 cm (for a pit mean diameter of 99.3 cm). Three simulated COGEMA waste containers were then satisfactorily installed. The real volume to be sealed, including residual voids, was estimated at 21.47 m 3 . The engineered barrier weight after emplacement came to 36280 kg leading to a dry density in service, i.e. after the engineered barrier swelling, of 1.69. 30 figs

  5. Corrosion in low dielectric constant Si-O based thin films: Buffer concentration effects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeng, F. W.; Lane, M. W.; Gates, S. M.

    2014-01-01

    Organosilicate glass (OSG) is often used as an interlayer dielectric (ILD) in high performance integrated circuits. OSG is a brittle material and prone to stress-corrosion cracking reminiscent of that observed in bulk glasses. Of particular concern are chemical-mechanical planarization techniques and wet cleans involving solvents commonly encountered in microelectronics fabrication where the organosilicate film is exposed to aqueous environments. Previous work has focused on the effect of pH, surfactant, and peroxide concentration on the subcritical crack growth of these films. However, little or no attention has focused on the effect of the conjugate acid/base concentration in a buffer. Accordingly, this work examines the “strength” of the buffer solution in both acidic and basic environments. The concentration of the buffer components is varied keeping the ratio of acid/base and therefore pH constant. In addition, the pH was varied by altering the acid/base ratio to ascertain any additional effect of pH. Corrosion tests were conducted with double-cantilever beam fracture mechanics specimens and fracture paths were verified with ATR-FTIR. Shifts in the threshold fracture energy, the lowest energy required for bond rupture in the given environment, G TH , were found to shift to lower values as the concentration of the base in the buffer increased. This effect was found to be much larger than the effect of the hydroxide ion concentration in unbuffered solutions. The results are rationalized in terms of the salient chemical bond breaking process occurring at the crack tip and modeled in terms of the chemical potential of the reactive species

  6. Materials Options of Steam Generator for Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu Xiaogang; Long Bin; Han Liqing; Qin Bo; Zhang Jinquan; Wang Shuxing

    2013-01-01

    Overview of the material options of steam generator for sodium-cooled fast reactors, the method to calculate the service life, the thinning of wall thickness and the sodium corrosion rate, the degradation of mechanical properties (thermal aging and decarburization) and the calculation results of theoretical models

  7. Creep in buffer clay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pusch, R.; Adey, R.

    1999-12-01

    The study involved characterization of the microstructural arrangement and molecular forcefields in the buffer clay for getting a basis for selecting suitable creep models. It is concluded that the number of particles and wide range of the particle bond spectrum require that stochastical mechanics and thermodynamics will be considered and they are basic to the creep model proposed for predicting creep settlement of the canisters. The influence of the stress level on creep strain of MX-80 clay is not well known but for the buffer creep is approximately proportional to stress. Theoretical considerations suggest a moderate impact for temperatures up to 90 deg C and this is supported by model experiments. It is believed that the assumption of strain being proportional to temperature is conservative. The general performance of the stochastic model can be illustrated in principle by use of visco-elastic rheological models implying a time-related increase in viscosity. The shear-induced creep settlement under constant volume conditions calculated by using the proposed creep model is on the order of 1 mm in ten thousand years and up to a couple of millimeters in one million years. It is much smaller than the consolidation settlement, which is believed to be on the order of 10 mm. The general conclusion is that creep settlement of the canisters is very small and of no significance to the integrity of the buffer itself or of the canisters

  8. High production rate of IBAD-MgO buffered substrate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoshizumi, M., E-mail: myoshizumi@istec.or.j [Superconductivity Research Laboratory, ISTEC, Shinonome 1-10-13, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0062 (Japan); Miyata, S.; Ibi, A.; Fukushima, H.; Yamada, Y.; Izumi, T.; Shiohara, Y. [Superconductivity Research Laboratory, ISTEC, Shinonome 1-10-13, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0062 (Japan)

    2009-10-15

    The conventional IBAD (Ion Beam Assisted Deposition) process using fluorite materials yields low production rates, resulting in high production cost, which reduces the motivation for practical application in spite of its high quality. The IBAD process using rock salt materials, e.g. MgO, is well known as a strong candidate of practical application due to its potential of high production rate and high in-plane grain alignment. In this work, the IBAD-MgO process was investigated for a newly developed architecture of PLD (Pulsed Laser Deposition)-CeO{sub 2}/sputter-LMO (LaMnO{sub 3})/IBAD-MgO/sputter-GZO (Gd{sub 2}Zr{sub 2}O{sub 7})/Hastelloy{sup TM} to make long buffered metal tapes with high properties and a high production rate. The 50 m-long IBAD-MgO substrates with about 4 deg. of DELTAphiCeO{sub 2} in an XRD phi scan could be fabricated repeatedly. A GdBCO (GdBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x}) layer deposited on the buffered substrate showed the minimum I{sub c} value of 325 A/cm-w in a 41 m-long tape. Almost of the tape showed 500-600 A/cm-w of I{sub c} value. The deposition time for the IBAD-MgO layer was 60 s which was about 2 orders of magnitude shorter than the conventional IBAD process. The production rate of 24 m/h was realized at the IBAD-MgO process to fabricate the GdBCO coated conductor with high J{sub c} and I{sub c} properties.

  9. Highly efficient treatment of aerobic vaginitis with simple acidic buffered gels: The importance of pH and buffers on the microenvironment of vaginas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xiaodong; Qiu, Haiying; Jin, Yiguang

    2017-06-15

    Aerobic vaginitis (AV) leads to uterus deep infection or preterm birth. Antibacterial agents are not optimal therapeutics of AV. Here, we report a series of temperature-sensitive in situ forming acidic buffered gels for topical treatment of AV, involving lactate, acetate, and citrate gels at pH 3.5, 5.0, and 6.5. AV rat models were prepared following vaginal infection with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. In vitro/in vivo studies of the buffered gels were performed compared with ofloxacin gels and blank gels. All the buffered gels showed the lower in vitro antibacterial activities than ofloxacin gels but the better in vivo anti-S. aureus effects and similar anti-E. coli effects. The buffered gels improved Lactobacillus growth in the vaginas. Both the healthy rat vaginal pH and the pH of rat vaginas treated with the buffered gels were about 6.5 though the AV rat models or ones treated with ofloxacin gels still remained at the high pH more than 7.0. After treatments with the buffered gels, the vaginal smears changed to a clean state nearly without aerobic bacteria, the vaginal tissues were refreshed, and the immunoreactions were downregulated. The acidic buffered gels bring rapid decrease of local vaginal pH, high antibacterial activities, improvement of probiotics, and alleviation of inflammation. They are simple, highly efficient, and safe anti-AV formulations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Labview virtual instruments for calcium buffer calculations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reitz, Frederick B; Pollack, Gerald H

    2003-01-01

    Labview VIs based upon the calculator programs of Fabiato and Fabiato (J. Physiol. Paris 75 (1979) 463) are presented. The VIs comprise the necessary computations for the accurate preparation of multiple-metal buffers, for the back-calculation of buffer composition given known free metal concentrations and stability constants used, for the determination of free concentrations from a given buffer composition, and for the determination of apparent stability constants from absolute constants. As implemented, the VIs can concurrently account for up to three divalent metals, two monovalent metals and four ligands thereof, and the modular design of the VIs facilitates further extension of their capacity. As Labview VIs are inherently graphical, these VIs may serve as useful templates for those wishing to adapt this software to other platforms.

  11. Efficient Computation of Buffer Capacities for Cyclo-Static Dataflow Graphs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wiggers, M.H.; Bekooij, Marco Jan Gerrit; Bekooij, Marco J.G.; Smit, Gerardus Johannes Maria

    A key step in the design of cyclo-static real-time systems is the determination of buffer capacities. In our multi-processor system, we apply back-pressure, which means that tasks wait for space in output buffers. Consequently buffer capacities affect the throughput. This requires the derivation of

  12. Efficient Computation of Buffer Capacities for Cyclo-Static Dataflow Graphs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wiggers, M.H.; Bekooij, Marco Jan Gerrit; Smit, Gerardus Johannes Maria

    2006-01-01

    A key step in the design of cyclo-static real-time systems is the determination of buffer capacities. In our multi-processor system, we apply back-pressure, which means that tasks wait for space in output buffers. Consequently buffer capacities affect the throughput. This requires the derivation of

  13. The W-W02 Oxygen Fugacity Buffer at High Pressures and Temperatures: Implications for f02 Buffering and Metal-silicate Partitioning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shofner, G. A.; Campbell, A. J.; Danielson, L.; Righter, K.

    2013-01-01

    Oxygen fugacity (fO2) controls multivalent phase equilibria and partitioning of redox-sensitive elements, and it is important to understand this thermodynamic parameter in experimental and natural systems. The coexistence of a metal and its oxide at equilibrium constitutes an oxygen buffer which can be used to control or calculate fO2 in high pressure experiments. Application of 1-bar buffers to high pressure conditions can lead to inaccuracies in fO2 calculations because of unconstrained pressure dependencies. Extending fO2 buffers to pressures and temperatures corresponding to the Earth's deep interior requires precise determinations of the difference in volume (Delta) V) between the buffer phases. Synchrotron x-ray diffraction data were obtained using diamond anvil cells (DAC) and a multi anvil press (MAP) to measure unit cell volumes of W and WO2 at pressures and temperatures up to 70 GPa and 2300 K. These data were fitted to Birch-Murnaghan 3rd-order thermal equations of state using a thermal pressure approach; parameters for W are KT = 306 GPa, KT' = 4.06, and aKT = 0.00417 GPa K-1. Two structural phase transitions were observed for WO2 at 4 and 32 GPa with structures in P21/c, Pnma and C2/c space groups. Equations of state were fitted for these phases over their respective pressure ranges yielding the parameters KT = 190, 213, 300 GPa, KT' = 4.24, 5.17, 4 (fixed), and aKT = 0.00506, 0.00419, 0.00467 GPa K-1 for the P21/c, Pnma and C2/c phases, respectively. The W-WO2 buffer (WWO) was extended to high pressure by inverting the W and WO2 equations of state to obtain phase volumes at discrete pressures (1-bar to 100 GPa, 1 GPa increments) along isotherms (300 to 3000K, 100 K increments). The slope of the absolute fO2 of the WWO buffer is positive with increasing temperature up to approximately 70 GPa and is negative above this pressure. The slope is positive along isotherms from 1000 to 3000K with increasing pressure up to at least 100 GPa. The WWO buffer is at

  14. Intra- and Inter-personal Consequences of Protective Buffering among Cancer Patients and Caregivers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langer, Shelby L.; Brown, Jonathon D.; Syrjala, Karen L.

    2009-01-01

    BACKGROUND Protective buffering refers to hiding cancer-related thoughts and concerns from one’s spouse or partner. This study sought to examine the intra- and inter-personal consequences of protective buffering and motivations for such (desire to shield partner from distress, desire to shield self from distress). METHODS Eighty hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients and their spousal caregivers/ partners completed measures designed to assess protective buffering and relationship satisfaction at two time points: prior to the transplant (T1) and 50 days post-transplant (T2). Overall mental health was also assessed at T2. RESULTS There was moderate agreement between one dyad member’s reported buffering of his/ her partner, and the partner’s perception of the extent to which s/he felt buffered. Caregivers buffered patients more than patients buffered caregivers, especially at T2. The more participants buffered their partners at T2, and the more they felt buffered, the lower their concurrent relationship satisfaction and the poorer their mental health. The latter effect was particularly true for patients who buffered, and patients who felt buffered. With respect to motivations, patients who buffered primarily to protect their partner at T1 reported increases in relationship satisfaction over time, but when they did so at T2, their caregiver reported concurrent decreases in relationship satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS Protective buffering is costly, in that those who buffer and those who feel buffered report adverse psychosocial outcomes. In addition, buffering enacted by patients with an intention to help may prove counterproductive, ultimately hurting the object of such protection. PMID:19731352

  15. Optimizing the availability of a buffered industrial process

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martz, Jr., Harry F.; Hamada, Michael S.; Koehler, Arthur J.; Berg, Eric C.

    2004-08-24

    A computer-implemented process determines optimum configuration parameters for a buffered industrial process. A population size is initialized by randomly selecting a first set of design and operation values associated with subsystems and buffers of the buffered industrial process to form a set of operating parameters for each member of the population. An availability discrete event simulation (ADES) is performed on each member of the population to determine the product-based availability of each member. A new population is formed having members with a second set of design and operation values related to the first set of design and operation values through a genetic algorithm and the product-based availability determined by the ADES. Subsequent population members are then determined by iterating the genetic algorithm with product-based availability determined by ADES to form improved design and operation values from which the configuration parameters are selected for the buffered industrial process.

  16. Concentrated flow paths in riparian buffer zones of southern Illinois

    Science.gov (United States)

    R.C. Pankau; J.E. Schoonover; K.W.J. Willard; P.J. Edwards

    2012-01-01

    Riparian buffers in agricultural landscapes should be designed to trap pollutants in overland flow by slowing, filtering, and infiltrating surface runoff entering the buffer via sheet flow. However, observational evidence suggests that concentrated flow is prevalent from agricultural fields. Over time sediment can accumulate in riparian buffers forming berms that...

  17. TRIO: Burst Buffer Based I/O Orchestration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Teng [Auburn University; Oral, H Sarp [ORNL; Pritchard, Michael [Auburn University; Wang, Bin [Auburn University; Yu, Weikuan [Auburn University

    2015-01-01

    The growing computing power on leadership HPC systems is often accompanied by ever-escalating failure rates. Checkpointing is a common defensive mechanism used by scientific applications for failure recovery. However, directly writing the large and bursty checkpointing dataset to parallel filesystem can incur significant I/O contention on storage servers. Such contention in turn degrades the raw bandwidth utilization of storage servers and prolongs the average job I/O time of concurrent applications. Recently burst buffer has been proposed as an intermediate layer to absorb the bursty I/O traffic from compute nodes to storage backend. But an I/O orchestration mechanism is still desired to efficiently move checkpointing data from bursty buffers to storage backend. In this paper, we propose a burst buffer based I/O orchestration framework, named TRIO, to intercept and reshape the bursty writes for better sequential write traffic to storage severs. Meanwhile, TRIO coordinates the flushing orders among concurrent burst buffers to alleviate the contention on storage server bandwidth. Our experimental results reveal that TRIO can deliver 30.5% higher bandwidth and reduce the average job I/O time by 37% on average for data-intensive applications in various checkpointing scenarios.

  18. Buffer-gas-induced absorption resonances in Rb vapor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mikhailov, Eugeniy E.; Novikova, Irina; Rostovtsev, Yuri V.; Welch, George R.

    2004-01-01

    We observe transformation of the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) resonance into an absorption resonance in a Λ interaction configuration in a cell filled with 87 Rb and a buffer gas. This transformation occurs as one-photon detuning of the coupling fields is varied from the atomic transition. No such absorption resonance is found in the absence of a buffer gas. The width of the absorption resonance is several times smaller than the width of the EIT resonance, and the changes of absorption near these resonances are about the same. Similar absorption resonances are detected in the Hanle configuration in a buffered cell

  19. Buffer Zone Sign Template

    Science.gov (United States)

    The certified pesticide applicator is required to post a comparable sign, designating a buffer zone around the soil fumigant application block in order to control exposure risk. It must include the don't walk symbol, product name, and applicator contact.

  20. Stream water responses to timber harvest: Riparian buffer width effectiveness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barton D. Clinton

    2011-01-01

    Vegetated riparian buffers are critical for protecting aquatic and terrestrial processes and habitats in southern Appalachian ecosystems. In this case study, we examined the effect of riparian buffer width on stream water quality following upland forest management activities in four headwater catchments. Three riparian buffer widths were delineated prior to cutting; 0m...

  1. Recent Progress in Nanostructured Oxide TE Materials for Power Generation at High Temperatures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Van Nong, Ngo; Pryds, Nini; Linderoth, Søren

    Thermoelectric (TE) materials, which can convert waste heat into electricity, could play an important role in a global sustainable energy solution and environmental problems. Metal oxides have been considered as potential TE materials for power generation that can operate at high temperatures...

  2. The importance of anti corruption education teaching materials for the young generation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarmini; Made Swanda, I.; Nadiroh, Ulin

    2018-01-01

    Corruption is one of the most serious issues in many countries. The purpose of this paper is to identify the importance of anti-corruption education teaching materials for the younger generation. The research method used qualitative description with questionnaire as data collection tool. The sample in this research was 150 junior high school teachers in Surabaya. Data analysis technique used in this research was descriptive statistic with percentage technique. The result of this research was that Socisl Studies teachers in Surabaya realize that teaching materials on Anti-Corruption Education is very important in Social Studies learning activities. Recommendations for further research is to examine the antieducation teaching materials that contain the value of anti-corruption character. With anticorruption education is expected to give awareness and change to all the younger generation to understand and realize the importance of having the character of anti-corruption and can mengnglemlem in society.

  3. Power-law distributions for a trapped ion interacting with a classical buffer gas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeVoe, Ralph G

    2009-02-13

    Classical collisions with an ideal gas generate non-Maxwellian distribution functions for a single ion in a radio frequency ion trap. The distributions have power-law tails whose exponent depends on the ratio of buffer gas to ion mass. This provides a statistical explanation for the previously observed transition from cooling to heating. Monte Carlo results approximate a Tsallis distribution over a wide range of parameters and have ab initio agreement with experiment.

  4. Materials used in new generation vehicles: supplies, shifts, and supporting infrastructure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Das, S.; Curlee, T.R. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Schexnayder, S.M. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, (United States)

    1997-08-01

    The Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) program intends to develop new designs for automobiles that will reduce fuel consumption by two thirds but otherwise have price, comfort, safety, and other measures of performance similar to the typical automobile now on the market. PNGV vehicle designs are expected to substitute lightweight materials, such as aluminum, magnesium, carbon-reinforced polymer composites, glass-reinforced polymer composites, and ultra- light steel, for heavier materials such as steel and iron in automobile components. The target mass of a PNGV vehicle is 1,960 pounds, as compared to the average current vehicle that weights 3,240 pounds. Other changes could include the use of different ferrous alloys, engineering changes, or incorporation of advanced ceramic components. Widespread adoption of these vehicle designs would affect materials markets and require concurrent development and adoption of supporting technologies to supply the materials and to use and maintain them in automobiles. This report identifies what would be required to bring about these changes and developments in materials substitution; identifies reasons that might make these substitutions difficult to accomplish within the overall objectives and timetable of the PNGV program; and identifies any issues arising from the substitution that could prompt consideration of policies to deal with them. The analysis in this paper uses scenarios that assume the production of new generation vehicles will begin in 2007 and that their market share will increase gradually over the following 25 years. The scenarios on which the analysis is based assume a maximum substitution of each potential replacement material considered. This maximum substitution of individual materials (i.e., the amount of replacement material by weight that would be added to the baseline vehicle`s composition) is as follows: ULSAB (high strength steel), 298 lbs.; glass-reinforced composites, 653 lbs.; carbon

  5. Evaluation of material integrity on electricity power steam generator cycles (turbine casing) component

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Histori; Benedicta; Farokhi; S A, Soedardjo; Triyadi, Ari; Natsir, M

    1999-01-01

    The evaluation of material integrity on power steam generator cycles component was done. The test was carried out on casing turbine which is made from Inconel 617. The tested material was taken from t anjung Priok plant . The evaluation was done by metallography analysis using microscope with magnification of 400. From the result, it is shown that the material grains are equiaxed

  6. Reduction of intergranular exchange coupling and grain size for high Ku CoPt-based granular media: Metal-oxide buffer layer and multiple oxide boundary materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim Kong Tham

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Investigation of magnetic properties and microstructure of granular media with various multiple oxides as the grain boundary material is reported. Saturation magnetization (Ms, uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy (Ku, and magnetic grain diameter (GD of the granular media show linear correlation with volume weighted average for melting point (Tm of each oxides (Tmave. Ku of magnetic grains (Kugrain shows a trade-off relation with GD that it is a big challenge to satisfy both high Kugrain and small GD by only controlling Tmave. To obtain a granular medium with appropriate Kugrain, GD, and low degree of intergranular exchange coupling, the combination of Tmave control of grain boundary material by mixing oxides and employment of a buffer layer are required. Here the degree of intergranular exchange coupling is estimated from the slope of M-H loop at around coercivity (α. By applying this technique, a typical granular medium with Kugrain of 1.0×107 erg/cm3, GD of 5.1 nm, and α of 1.2 is realized.

  7. Substrate-induced magnetism in epitaxial graphene buffer layers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramasubramaniam, A; Medhekar, N V; Shenoy, V B

    2009-07-08

    Magnetism in graphene is of fundamental as well as technological interest, with potential applications in molecular magnets and spintronic devices. While defects and/or adsorbates in freestanding graphene nanoribbons and graphene sheets have been shown to cause itinerant magnetism, controlling the density and distribution of defects and adsorbates is in general difficult. We show from first principles calculations that graphene buffer layers on SiC(0001) can also show intrinsic magnetism. The formation of graphene-substrate chemical bonds disrupts the graphene pi-bonds and causes localization of graphene states near the Fermi level. Exchange interactions between these states lead to itinerant magnetism in the graphene buffer layer. We demonstrate the occurrence of magnetism in graphene buffer layers on both bulk-terminated as well as more realistic adatom-terminated SiC(0001) surfaces. Our calculations show that adatom density has a profound effect on the spin distribution in the graphene buffer layer, thereby providing a means of engineering magnetism in epitaxial graphene.

  8. Thinning and riparian buffer configuration effects on down wood abundance in headwater streams in coniferous forests

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adrian Ares; Deanna H. Olson; Klaus J. Puettmann

    2013-01-01

    Down wood is associated with the function, structure, and diversity of riparian systems. Considerable knowledge has been generated regarding down wood stocks and dynamics in temperate forests, but there are few studies on effects of silvicultural practices and riparian buffer design on down wood, particularly in headwater streams. We analyzed interactive eff ects of...

  9. TERA-MIR radiation: materials, generation, detection and applications III (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, Mauro F.

    2016-10-01

    This talk summarizes the achievements of COST ACTION MP1204 during the last four years. [M.F. Pereira, Opt Quant Electron 47, 815-820 (2015).]. TERA-MIR main objectives are to advance novel materials, concepts and device designs for generating and detecting THz and Mid Infrared radiation using semiconductor, superconductor, metamaterials and lasers and to beneficially exploit their common aspects within a synergetic approach. We used the unique networking and capacity-building capabilities provided by the COST framework to unify these two spectral domains from their common aspects of sources, detectors, materials and applications. We created a platform to investigate interdisciplinary topics in Physics, Electrical Engineering and Technology, Applied Chemistry, Materials Sciences and Biology and Radio Astronomy. The main emphasis has been on new fundamental material properties, concepts and device designs that are likely to open the way to new products or to the exploitation of new technologies in the fields of sensing, healthcare, biology, and industrial applications. End users are: research centres, academic, well-established and start-up Companies and hospitals. Results are presented along our main lines of research: Intersubband materials and devices with applications to fingerprint spectroscopy; Metamaterials, photonic crystals and new functionalities; Nonlinearities and interaction of radiation with matter including biomaterials; Generation and Detection based on Nitrides and Bismides. The talk is closed by indicating the future direction of the network that will remain active beyond the funding period and our expectations for future joint research.

  10. Role of histidine-related compounds to intracellular buffering in fish skeletal muscle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abe, H; Dobson, G P; Hoeger, U; Parkhouse, W S

    1985-10-01

    Histidine-related compounds (HRC) were analyzed in fish skeletal muscle as a means of identifying their precise role in intracellular buffering. Fish muscle was used because it contains two functionally and spatially distinct fiber types, red and white. Two fish species, rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) and the Pacific blue marlin (Makaira nigricans), were studied because these species demonstrate widely different activity patterns. Marlin red and white muscle buffer capacity was two times higher than trout with white muscle, buffering being two times greater than red in both species. Buffer capacity was highest in the 6.5-7.5 pH range for all tissues, which corresponded to their high anserine levels. The titrated HRC buffering was greater than the observed HRC buffering, which suggested that not all HRC were available to absorb protons. The HRC contribution to total cellular buffering varied from a high of 62% for marlin white to a low of 7% for trout red. The other principal buffers were found to be phosphate and protein with taurine contributing within red muscle in the 7.0-8.0 pH range. HRC were found to be dominant in skeletal muscle buffering by principally accounting for the buffering capacity differences found between the species and fiber types.

  11. Updated Generation IV Reactors Integrated Materials Technology Program Plan, Revision 2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Corwin, William R [ORNL; Burchell, Timothy D [ORNL; Halsey, William [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL); Hayner, George [Idaho National Laboratory (INL); Katoh, Yutai [ORNL; Klett, James William [ORNL; McGreevy, Timothy E [ORNL; Nanstad, Randy K [ORNL; Ren, Weiju [ORNL; Snead, Lance Lewis [ORNL; Stoller, Roger E [ORNL; Wilson, Dane F [ORNL

    2005-12-01

    The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems Program will address the research and development (R&D) necessary to support next-generation nuclear energy systems. Such R&D will be guided by the technology roadmap developed for the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) over two years with the participation of over 100 experts from the GIF countries. The roadmap evaluated over 100 future systems proposed by researchers around the world. The scope of the R&D described in the roadmap covers the six most promising Generation IV systems. The effort ended in December 2002 with the issue of the final Generation IV Technology Roadmap [1.1]. The six most promising systems identified for next generation nuclear energy are described within the roadmap. Two employ a thermal neutron spectrum with coolants and temperatures that enable hydrogen or electricity production with high efficiency (the Supercritical Water Reactor - SCWR and the Very High Temperature Reactor - VHTR). Three employ a fast neutron spectrum to enable more effective management of actinides through recycling of most components in the discharged fuel (the Gas-cooled Fast Reactor - GFR, the Lead-cooled Fast Reactor - LFR, and the Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor - SFR). The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) employs a circulating liquid fuel mixture that offers considerable flexibility for recycling actinides, and may provide an alternative to accelerator-driven systems. A few major technologies have been recognized by DOE as necessary to enable the deployment of the next generation of advanced nuclear reactors, including the development and qualification of the structural materials needed to ensure their safe and reliable operation. Accordingly, DOE has identified materials as one of the focus areas for Gen IV technology development.

  12. Filling the gap between buffer and rock in the deposition hole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marjavaara, P.; Kivikoski, H.

    2011-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate different methods and materials which could be used for filling the gap between bentonite buffer and rock in the deposition hole. This work included a short literature survey of the previous gap filling tests which have been done in the recent years. The experimental work done during the study was divided in two phases. In the first phase small scale laboratory experiments were done using several different bentonite materials, material combinations and installation methods for 25 mm and 35 mm gaps. The sizes of these rectangular gap elements used in these tests were approximately 1 m in height and 2 m wide. Based on the first stage results the second sets of experiments were commenced. This time two materials and two methods were used in larger scale with gap widths of 35 mm and 50 mm. The large scale tests were done with cylinder shaped elements which had real size deposition hole radius of 1.75 m but the height was limited to 2 meters. Materials used in these gap filling tests included bentonite pellets and granules and their combination mixtures. Installation methods studied were free fall pouring method, shotcrete spraying method, Proctor hammer compaction method and two vibration methods to verify their functioning with these materials, material types and material forms. The achieved dry density was determined after each filling. The homogeneities of the fillings were also studied with X-ray imaging. The results from the small scale tests suggest that all the filling materials and methods used during the test would have high enough dry density average value needed by current buffer design options. The dry density values ranged from 800-1200 kg/m 3 . The lowest values were noted from free fall pouring of the largest Cebogel QSE pellets and the highest values were obtained from compacted small grain size Minelco bentonite. The X-ray images and their analysis showed that Minelco and Ibeco Seal S-FGS had the most

  13. The effect of respiration buffer composition on mitochondrial metabolism and function

    OpenAIRE

    Wollenman, Lucas C.; Vander Ploeg, Matthew R.; Miller, Mackinzie L.; Zhang, Yizhu; Bazil, Jason N.

    2017-01-01

    Functional studies on isolated mitochondria critically rely on the right choice of respiration buffer. Differences in buffer composition can lead to dramatically different respiration rates leading to difficulties in comparing prior studies. The ideal buffer facilities high ADP-stimulated respiratory rates and minimizes substrate transport effects so that the ability to distinguish between various treatments and conditions is maximal. In this study, we analyzed a variety of respiration buffer...

  14. Buffer mass test - Heater design and operation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nilsson, J.; Ramqvist, G.; Pusch, R.

    1984-06-01

    The nuclear waste is assumed to be contained in cylindrical metal canisters which will be inserted in deposition holes. Heat is generated as a result of the continuing decay of the radioactive waste and in the Buffer Mass Test (BMT) the heat flux expected from such canisters was simulated by the use of six electric heaters. the heaters were constructed partly of aluminium and partly of stainless steel. They are 1520 mm in length and 380 mm in diameter, and give a maximum power output of 3000 W. The heater power can be monitored by panel meters coupled to a computer-based data acquisition system. Both the heater and the control system were manufactured with a high degree of redundancy in case of component failure. This report describes the design, construction, testing, installation and necessary tools for heater installation and dismantling operation. (author)

  15. A readout buffer prototype for ATLAS high-level triggers

    CERN Document Server

    Calvet, D; Huet, M; Le Dû, P; Mandjavidze, I D; Mur, M

    2001-01-01

    Readout buffers are critical components in the dataflow chain of the ATLAS trigger/data-acquisition system. At up to 75 kHz, after each Level-1 trigger accept signal, these devices receive and store digitized data from groups of front-end electronic channels. Several readout buffers are grouped to form a readout buffer complex that acts as a data server for the high-level trigger selection algorithms and for the final data-collection system. This paper describes a functional prototype of a readout buffer based on a custom-made PCI mezzanine card that is designed to accept input data at up to 160 MB /s, to store up to 8 MB of data, and to distribute data chunks at the desired request rate. We describe the hardware of the card that is based on an Intel 1960 processor and complex programmable logic devices. We present the integration of several of these cards in a readout buffer complex. We measure various performance figures and discuss to which extent these can fulfil ATLAS needs. (5 refs).

  16. Pre- and post-remediation characterization of acid-generating fluvial tailings material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Kathleen S.; Walton-Day, Katherine; Hoal, Karin O.; Driscoll, Rhonda L.; Pietersen, K.

    2012-01-01

    The upper Arkansas River south of Leadville, Colorado, USA, contains deposits of fluvial tailings from historical mining operations in the Leadville area. These deposits are potential non-point sources of acid and metal contamination to surface- and groundwater systems. We are investigating a site that recently underwent in situ remediation treatment with lime, fertilizer, and compost. Pre- and post-remediation fluvial tailings material was collected from a variety of depths to examine changes in mineralogy, acid generation, and extractable nutrients. Results indicate sufficient nutrient availability in the post-remediation near-surface material, but pyrite and acid generation persist below the depth of lime and fertilizer addition. Mineralogical characterization performed using semi-quantitative X-ray diffraction and quantitative SEM-based micro-mineralogy (Mineral Liberation Analysis, MLA) reveal formation of gypsum, jarosite, and complex coatings surrounding mineral grains in post-remediation samples.

  17. Lucas Heights buffer zone: plan of management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1986-01-01

    This plan is being used by the Commission as a guide for its management of the Lucas Heights buffer zone, which is essentially a circular area having a 1-6 km radius around the HIFAR reactor. Aspects covered by this plan include past uses, current use, objectives for buffer zone land management, emergency evacuation, resource conservation, archaeology, fire, access, rehabilitation of disturbed areas, resource management and plan implementation

  18. U.S. Advanced Materials Development Program for steam generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patriarca, P.; Harkness, S.D.; Duke, J.M.

    1975-01-01

    The selection of construction materials for LMFBR steam generators is reviewed, presenting the advantages and limitations of 2 1 / 2 Cr-1 Mo steel selected for the Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant. These limitations indicate that further development of high-strength ferritic steels containing 9 to 12 percent Cr and the high-nickel Alloy 800 could lead to superior materials, and programs to develop these materials have been started. Combustion Engineering has surveyed the experience with the high-strength ferritic steels and prepared ingots of 26 selected compositions. Charpy V-notch tests and metallography have been used to characterize these alloys, and optimum welding rod compositions for these alloys are under development. Westinghouse-Tampa is undertaking a program to gain code acceptance of Alloy 800. A program has been set up to provide the information required for design, justification, and fabrication of reliable components. Progress has been made on characterization, the role of tertiary creep in failure, and the development of welding processes. (U.S.)

  19. Size distributions of aerosols produced from substitute materials by the Laskin cold DOP aerosol generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hinds, W.; Macher, J.; First, M.W.

    1981-01-01

    Test aerosols of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DOP) produced by Laskin nozzle aerosol generators are widely used for in-place filter testing and respirator fit testing. Concern for the health effects of this material has led to a search for substitute materials for test aerosols. Aerosols were generated with a Laskin generator and diluted 6000-fold with clean air. Size distributions were measured for DOP, di(2-ethylhexyl)sebecate, polyethylene glycol, mineral oil, and corn oil aerosols with a PMS ASAS-X optical particle counter. Distributions were slightly bimodal with count median diameters from 0.22 to 0.30 μm. Size distributions varied little with aerosol material, operating pressure, or liquid level. Mineral oil and corn oil gave the best agreement with the DOP size distribution

  20. Buffer erosion: An overview of concepts and potential safety consequences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Apted, Michael J.; Arthur, Randy; Bennett, David; Savage, David; Saellfors, Goeran; Wennerstroem, Haakan

    2010-11-01

    In its safety analysis SR-Can, SKB reported preliminary results and conclusions on the mechanisms of bentonite colloid formation and stability, with a rough estimate of the consequences of loss of bentonite buffer by erosion. With the review of SR-Can the authorities (SKI and SSI) commented that erosion of the buffer had the greatest safety significance, that the understanding of the mechanisms of buffer erosion was inadequate, and that more work would be required to arrive at robust estimates of the extent and impacts of buffer erosion. After the SR-Can report, SKB started a two-year research project on buffer erosion. The results from this two-year project have been reported in several SKB technical reports. SSM started this project to build up its own competence in the related scientific areas by a preliminary evaluation of SKB's research results

  1. Buffer erosion: An overview of concepts and potential safety consequences

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Apted, Michael J.; Arthur, Randy (INTERA Incorporated, Denver, CO (United States)); Bennett, David (TerraSalus Limited, Rutland (United Kingdom)); Savage, David (Savage Earth Associates Limited, Bournemouth (United Kingdom)); Saellfors, Goeran (GeoForce AB, Billdal (Sweden)); Wennerstroem, Haakan (Dept. of Chemistry, Lund Univ., Lund (Sweden))

    2010-11-15

    In its safety analysis SR-Can, SKB reported preliminary results and conclusions on the mechanisms of bentonite colloid formation and stability, with a rough estimate of the consequences of loss of bentonite buffer by erosion. With the review of SR-Can the authorities (SKI and SSI) commented that erosion of the buffer had the greatest safety significance, that the understanding of the mechanisms of buffer erosion was inadequate, and that more work would be required to arrive at robust estimates of the extent and impacts of buffer erosion. After the SR-Can report, SKB started a two-year research project on buffer erosion. The results from this two-year project have been reported in several SKB technical reports. SSM started this project to build up its own competence in the related scientific areas by a preliminary evaluation of SKB's research results

  2. Buffer capacity of the coelomic fluid in echinoderms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collard, Marie; Laitat, Kim; Moulin, Laure; Catarino, Ana I; Grosjean, Philippe; Dubois, Philippe

    2013-09-01

    The increase in atmospheric CO2 due to anthropogenic activity results in an acidification of the surface waters of the oceans. The impact of these chemical changes depends on the considered organisms. In particular, it depends on the ability of the organism to control the pH of its inner fluids. Among echinoderms, this ability seems to differ significantly according to species or taxa. In the present paper, we investigated the buffer capacity of the coelomic fluid in different echinoderm taxa as well as factors modifying this capacity. Euechinoidea (sea urchins except Cidaroidea) present a very high buffer capacity of the coelomic fluid (from 0.8 to 1.8mmolkg(-1) SW above that of seawater), while Cidaroidea (other sea urchins), starfish and holothurians have a significantly lower one (from -0.1 to 0.4mmolkg(-1) SW compared to seawater). We hypothesize that this is linked to the more efficient gas exchange structures present in the three last taxa, whereas Euechinoidea evolved specific buffer systems to compensate lower gas exchange abilities. The constituents of the buffer capacity and the factors influencing it were investigated in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and the starfish Asterias rubens. Buffer capacity is primarily due to the bicarbonate buffer system of seawater (representing about 63% for sea urchins and 92% for starfish). It is also partly due to coelomocytes present in the coelomic fluid (around 8% for both) and, in P. lividus only, a compound of an apparent size larger than 3kDa is involved (about 15%). Feeding increased the buffer capacity in P. lividus (to a difference with seawater of about 2.3mmolkg(-1) SW compared to unfed ones who showed a difference of about 0.5mmolkg(-1) SW) but not in A. rubens (difference with seawater of about 0.2 for both conditions). In P. lividus, decreased seawater pH induced an increase of the buffer capacity of individuals maintained at pH7.7 to about twice that of the control individuals and, for those at pH7

  3. Advanced Electrode Materials for High Energy Next Generation Li ion Batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayner, Cary Michael

    Lithium ion batteries are becoming an increasingly ubiquitous part of modern society. Since their commercial introduction by Sony in 1991, lithium-ion batteries have grown to be the most popular form of electrical energy storage for portable applications. Today, lithium-ion batteries power everything from cellphones and electric vehicles to e-cigarettes, satellites, and electric aircraft. Despite the commercialization of lithium-ion batteries over twenty years ago, it remains the most active field of energy storage research for its potential improvement over current technology. In order to capitalize on these opportunities, new materials with higher energy density and storage capacities must be developed. Unfortunately, most next-generation materials suffer from rapid capacity degradation or severe loss of capacity when rapidly discharged. In this dissertation, the development of novel anode and cathode materials for advanced high-energy and high-power lithium-ion batteries is reported. In particular, the application of graphene-based materials to stabilize active material is emphasized. Graphene, a unique two-dimensional material composed of atomically thin carbon sheets, has shown potential to address unsatisfactory rate capability, limited cycling performance and abrupt failure of these next-generation materials. This dissertation covers four major subjects: development of silicon-graphene composites, impact of carbon vacancies on graphene high-rate performance, iron fluoride-graphene composites, and ternary iron-manganese fluoride synthesis. Silicon is considered the most likely material to replace graphite as the anode active material for lithium-ion batteries due to its ability to alloy with large amounts of lithium, leading to significantly higher specific capacities than the graphite standard. However, Si also expands in size over 300% upon lithiation, leading to particle fracture and isolation from conductive support, resulting in cell failure within a few

  4. Overview of innovative next generation materials for security and defense applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, Edward W.; Taylor, Linda R.

    2008-10-01

    A short technology Overview of recently reported research and development focusing on recent advances in polymer/organic and hybrid-nanotechnology based materials that offer resistance to ionizing and displacement radiations and perhaps which are suitable for transition to next-generation systems is presented. The Overview will focus on new and emerging material technology for the military, first responders, and space systems. Recent material research results and data as well as the potential for diverse applications of these materials to new component developments such as high speed EO polymer modulators and radiation shielding for protection of military and space assets will be discussed. In particular, the ability of several organic/polymer hybrids to self-heal when irradiated by gamma-rays is discussed.

  5. Effects of microstructure of clay on diffusion behavior of radionuclides in buffer materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohashi, Hiroshi; Sato, Seichi; Kozaki, Tamotsu

    2001-03-01

    Diffusion behavior of radionuclides in compacted bentonite plays an important role in the performance assessment of bentonite buffer material in geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Microstructure of bentonite is considered to be one of the key parameters to affect on the diffusion behavior. In this study, therefore, two kinds of montmorillonite (major clay mineral of bentonite) with different particle sizes were prepared, and characterized with several methods. In addition, the apparent and effective diffusion coefficients of HTO, Cl - , and Cs + were determined using the montmorillonite samples with different particle sizes and dry densities. In the sample characterization, the specific surface areas of montmorillonite samples with different particle sizes were determined by the BET and the EGME methods, and the particle size distributions of each sample were analyzed by laser diffraction/scattering particle size analysis. Microstructure of the samples was also observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The BET method gave a higher specific surface area of the fine grained sample than of the coarse sample, while the EGME method gave same values for both samples. The laser diffraction/scattering particle size analysis using ethanol as a dispersion medium gave different particle size distributions, but when the samples were dispersed in water with Na 6 (PO 3 ) 6 , the particle size distributions were similar. These findings indicate that the montmorillonite layers, which compose the montmorillonite particles, have the same size, even if the particle sizes of the samples are different. In the diffusion experiments, it was found that the apparent diffusion coefficients of HTO and Cl - for the fine grained sample were higher than for the coarse grained sample at two dry densities, 1.0 and 1.8 Mg m -3 , while the opposite particle size effect was observed for Cs + ions. These findings cannot be explained by changes

  6. Buffering action of human dentin in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camps, J; Pashley, D H

    2000-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the relative contributions of the mineral and organic phases of dentin to its total buffering capacity and to compare the buffering abilities of normal and caries-affected dentin for acids used in adhesive dentistry. Disks of normal and caries-affected human coronal dentin 0.6 mm thick were prepared. Fifty microL of various acids were applied to the surface of mineralized or completely demineralized dentin for varying lengths of time. They were collected from the surface and combined with water rinses to permit titration of the total amount of acid applied, the amount recovered, the total amount that was taken up by the dentin, and the amount that diffused across dentin into 1 mL of water. Equal volumes of acids were applied to mineralized or demineralized dentin powder or hydroxyapatite powder. About 88% to 90% of applied acid was recovered from the surface; only 10% to 12% of the acid was taken up by dentin. Of the H+ that was taken up, only 1% to 2% actually diffused across 0.6 mm of dentin. Increasing the application time of 37% phosphoric acid did not increase the amount of H+ that diffused across dentin. Increasing the concentration of phosphoric acid from 10% to 65% produced only slight increases in H+ diffusion across dentin. There was no difference in the buffering capacity of normal vs caries-affected dentin disks. Almost all of the buffering capacity of dentin is due to its mineral phase. The high buffering capacity of dentin and the high reactivity of H+ insure that little H+ diffuses through dentin more than 0.6 mm thick.

  7. Buffers and vegetative filter strips

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthew J. Helmers; Thomas M. Isenhart; Michael G. Dosskey; Seth M. Dabney

    2008-01-01

    This chapter describes the use of buffers and vegetative filter strips relative to water quality. In particular, we primarily discuss the herbaceous components of the following NRCS Conservation Practice Standards.

  8. Near-real-time material accountancy - A technical status report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lovett, J.; Ikawa, K.; Sellinschegg, D.; Shipley, J.

    1983-01-01

    Near-Real-time materials accountancy as applied to reprocessing plants involves two major elements, measurement of the in-process physical inventory at frequent intervals, and statistical evaluation of the resulting sequential material balance data. For most reprocessing plants the bulk of the in-process inventory is in measurable intermediate ''buffer'' tanks. The plutonium inventory in the solvent extraction system, which does not appear to be directly measureable, could cause a reduction in sensitivity of the sequential data analysis. Studies are in progress, and it is hoped that an acceptable means for accounting for these variations can be found. Consultants at a meeting in January 1982 agreed that statistical tests for evaluating sequential material balance data will increase both detection timeliness and detection sensitivity. IAEA verification of operator-generated measurement data is an area requiring significantly increased effort, but here too studies are in progress which should help to reduce inspection effort in increased effectiveness

  9. Device for the generation of homogeneous dose distributions in irradiated materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leonhardt, J.; Schulze, H.; Boes, J.; Decker, U.; Schmidt, J.

    1985-01-01

    The invention has been directed at a device for the generation of homogeneous dose distributions in materials irradiated by charged particles. This device can be applied to the initiation of radiation-chemical reactions in solids, of cross-linking and vulcanizing reactors, of crystal defect annealings, etc. A movable absorber (e.g. a wedge or a solid of revolution) which periodically changes the energy of particles striking the specimen has been installed in the beam hole of the beam generating system

  10. A liquid-crystal-on-silicon color sequential display using frame buffer pixel circuits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Sangrok

    Next generation liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) high definition (HD) televisions and image projection displays will need to be low-cost and high quality to compete with existing systems based on digital micromirror devices (DMDs), plasma displays, and direct view liquid crystal displays. In this thesis, a novel frame buffer pixel architecture that buffers data for the next image frame while displaying the current frame, offers such a competitive solution is presented. The primary goal of the thesis is to demonstrate the LCOS microdisplay architecture for high quality image projection displays and at potentially low cost. The thesis covers four main research areas: new frame buffer pixel circuits to improve the LCOS performance, backplane architecture design and testing, liquid crystal modes for the LCOS microdisplay, and system integration and demonstration. The design requirements for the LCOS backplane with a 64 x 32 pixel array are addressed and measured electrical characteristics matches to computer simulation results. Various liquid crystal (LC) modes applicable for LCOS microdisplays and their physical properties are discussed. One- and two-dimensional director simulations are performed for the selected LC modes. Test liquid crystal cells with the selected LC modes are made and their electro-optic effects are characterized. The 64 x 32 LCOS microdisplays fabricated with the best LC mode are optically tested with interface circuitry. The characteristics of the LCOS microdisplays are summarized with the successful demonstration.

  11. Supplemental material: afterburner for generating light (anti-)nuclei with QCD-inspired event generators in pp collisions

    CERN Document Server

    2017-01-01

    This note complements the paper titled: ``Production of deuterons, tritons, $^{3}$He nuclei and their anti-nuclei in pp collisions at $\\sqrt{s}$~=~0.9, 2.76 and 7~TeV'' with additional material related to Monte Carlo simulations necessary to compare the results with lower energy experiments. It describes a coalescence-based afterburner for QCD-inspired event generators, which allows the generation of light nuclei, hyper-nuclei and their charge conjugates in proton--proton (pp) collisions at LHC energies. The event generators with the afterburner are able to reproduce the differential cross sections of light (anti-)nuclei ($A<4)$ with the same degree of agreement as those of protons and anti-protons at the same momentum per nucleon. They also explain the transverse momentum dependence of the coalescence parameters as the result of hard scattering effects.

  12. Designing Next Generation Rechargeable Battery Materials from First-Principles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Soo

    interacting with Mn3+ at the (001) LMO surface, promoting an oxidation state change to Mn4+. In addition, we find that graphene defects also react with H2O and generated HF, protecting the active cathode materials from the attack of HF generated in the electrolyte during cycling. The carbonyl and epoxy functional groups in graphene oxide (GO) serve as a physical barrier to mitigate Mn ion dissolution into the liquid electrolyte, stabilizing the overall cell cycling performance. Next, we examine the occurrence of low- and high-temperature LiCoO2 structures and their observed voltage profiles in order to understand the complex structural and electrochemical behaviors. Moreover, a structural search is conducted to identify a new over-lithiated spinel oxide composition, i.e., Fd3¯m LiNi0.8125Co0.1875O2, which may have potential for exploitation in structurally-integrated, 'layered-spinel' cathode system. We have further investigated the structural and electrochemical properties of 'layered-layered-spinel' xLi 2MnO3˙yLiNi0.5Co0.2 Mn0.3O2˙zLiNi0.5Mn 1.5O4 cathode materials using both experiment and theory. Lastly, the idea of a multi-faceted high-throughput (HT) screening approach has been performed within the Open Quantum Materials Database (OQMD) framework to discover possible Li-rich Li2MIO3-Li 2MIIO3 pair combinations (MI,II = elements from the periodic table) that can offer better structural stability, favorable metal-mixing behavior, coherent interfaces, and high energy. Our approach involving computational design of novel materials and systems will accelerate the development of new sustainable energy solutions for meeting global demands.

  13. A statistical method for predicting sound absorbing property of porous metal materials by using quartet structure generation set

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guan, Dong; Wu, Jiu Hui; Jing, Li

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • A random internal morphology and structure generation-growth method, termed as the quartet structure generation set (QSGS), has been utilized based on the stochastic cluster growth theory for numerical generating the various microstructures of porous metal materials. • Effects of different parameters such as thickness and porosity on sound absorption performance of the generated structures are studied by the present method, and the obtained results are validated by an empirical model as well. • This method could be utilized to guide the design and fabrication of the sound-absorption porous metal materials. - Abstract: In this paper, a statistical method for predicting sound absorption properties of porous metal materials is presented. To reflect the stochastic distribution characteristics of the porous metal materials, a random internal morphology and structure generation-growth method, termed as the quartet structure generation set (QSGS), has been utilized based on the stochastic cluster growth theory for numerical generating the various microstructures of porous metal materials. Then by using the transfer-function approach along with the QSGS tool, we investigate the sound absorbing performance of porous metal materials with complex stochastic geometries. The statistical method has been validated by the good agreement among the numerical results for metal rubber from this method and a previous empirical model and the corresponding experimental data. Furthermore, the effects of different parameters such as thickness and porosity on sound absorption performance of the generated structures are studied by the present method, and the obtained results are validated by an empirical model as well. Therefore, the present method is a reliable and robust method for predicting the sound absorption performance of porous metal materials, and could be utilized to guide the design and fabrication of the sound-absorption porous metal materials

  14. Studies of adsorber materials for preparing 68Ge/68Ga generators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brambilla, Tania de Paula

    2013-01-01

    The 68 Ga is a promising radionuclide for nuclear medicine, decaying by positron emission with an abundance of 89%, with physical half-life of 68 minutes, which is compatible with the pharmacokinetics of many biomolecules and low molecular weight substrates. Another important feature is its availability through a generator system, where the parent radionuclide, 68 Ge (t 1/2 = 270.95 days) is adsorbed on a column and the daughter, 68 Ga, is eluted in an ionic form 68Ga 3+ . The development of 68 Ge/ 68 Ga generators began in the 60s, but its clinical use began to be acceptable and relevant only recently. The method of separation of 68 Ge and 68 Ga most used is the ion-exchange chromatographic system, due to its practical operation, but other generator systems have been proposed, such as solvent extraction and evaporation technique. Currently, 68 Ge/ 68 Ga generators are commercially available using inorganic matrices columns prepared with TiO 2 or SnO 2 as well using organic resin. The efficiency of 68 Ga elution ranges from 70% to 80%, decreasing over time. The 68 Ge breakthrough varies from 10 -2 to10 -3 % or lower in a fresh generator, but there is an increase in the levels of contamination after long periods of use. Even with all the technological advances in the development of 68 Ge/ 68 Ga generators in the past decades, the 68 Ga eluted from commercial generators is not suitable for direct use in humans and some improvements in the systems need to be made to reduce the 68 Ge breakthrough and chemical impurities levels. The main objective of this work was to develop a 68 Ge/ 68 Ga generator system is which 68 Ga could be eluted with quality required for clinical use. The chemical behavior of Ge and Ga was evaluated on various inorganic adsorbents materials. Two types of 68 Ge/ 68 Ga generator systems were developed using TiO 2 as adsorbent material: elution system with manual pressure and vacuum controlled. The efficiencies of the generators were similar to

  15. Buffer modulation of menadione-induced oxidative stress in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lushchak, Oleh V; Bayliak, Maria M; Korobova, Olha V; Levine, Rodney L; Lushchak, Volodymyr I

    2009-01-01

    The objective of this study was to compare, in vivo, the effects of bicarbonate and phosphate buffers on survival and menadione-induced oxidative stress in yeast cells. The latter were treated with different concentrations of menadione in the presence of these two buffers. At 25 mM concentration of buffers, menadione only slightly reduced yeast surviving; at 50 mM concentration, cell killing by menadione was much more pronounced in bicarbonate than in phosphate buffer. Although the content of protein carbonyl groups did not show development of oxidative stress under menadione-induced stress, inactivation of aconitase and decrease in glutathione level mirrored its induction. However, cellular glutathione and aconitase activity decrease did not correlate with yeast survival. In vitro, aconitase was more quickly inactivated in 50 mM carbonate, than in 50 mM phosphate buffer. The possible involvement of the carbonate radical in these processes is discussed.

  16. Thin film photovoltaic devices with a minimally conductive buffer layer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, Teresa M.; Burst, James

    2016-11-15

    A thin film photovoltaic device (100) with a tunable, minimally conductive buffer (128) layer is provided. The photovoltaic device (100) may include a back contact (150), a transparent front contact stack (120), and an absorber (140) positioned between the front contact stack (120) and the back contact (150). The front contact stack (120) may include a low resistivity transparent conductive oxide (TCO) layer (124) and a buffer layer (128) that is proximate to the absorber layer (140). The photovoltaic device (100) may also include a window layer (130) between the buffer layer (128) and the absorber (140). In some cases, the buffer layer (128) is minimally conductive, with its resistivity being tunable, and the buffer layer (128) may be formed as an alloy from a host oxide and a high-permittivity oxide. The high-permittivity oxide may further be chosen to have a bandgap greater than the host oxide.

  17. Defining the buffering process by a triprotic acid without relying on Stewart-electroneutrality considerations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Minhtri K; Kao, Liyo; Kurtz, Ira

    2011-08-17

    Upon the addition of protons to an aqueous solution, a component of the H+ load will be bound i.e. buffered. In an aqueous solution containing a triprotic acid, H+ can be bound to three different states of the acid as well as to OH- ions that are derived from the auto-ionization of H2O. In quantifying the buffering process of a triprotic acid, one must define the partitioning of H+ among the three states of the acid and also the OH- ions in solution in order to predict the equilibrium pH value. However, previous quantitative approaches that model triprotic acid titration behaviour and used to predict the equilibrium pH rely on the mathematical convenience of electroneutrality/charge balance considerations. This fact has caused confusion in the literature, and has led to the assumption that charge balance/electroneutrality is a causal factor in modulating proton buffering (Stewart formulation). However, as we have previously shown, although charge balance can be used mathematically as a convenient tool in deriving various formulae, electroneutrality per se is not a fundamental physicochemical parameter that is mechanistically involved in the underlying buffering and proton transfer reactions. The lack of distinction between a mathematical tool, and a fundamental physicochemical parameter is in part a reason for the current debate regarding the Stewart formulation of acid-base analysis. We therefore posed the following question: Is it possible to generate an equation that defines and predicts the buffering of a triprotic acid that is based only on H+ partitioning without incorporating electroneutrality in the derivation? Towards this goal, we derived our new equation utilizing: 1) partitioning of H+ buffering; 2) conservation of mass; and 3) acid-base equilibria. In validating this model, we compared the predicted equilibrium pH with the measured pH of an aqueous solution consisting of Na2HPO4 to which HCl was added. The measured pH values were in excellent agreement

  18. Defining the buffering process by a triprotic acid without relying on stewart-electroneutrality considerations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kao Liyo

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Upon the addition of protons to an aqueous solution, a component of the H+ load will be bound i.e. buffered. In an aqueous solution containing a triprotic acid, H+ can be bound to three different states of the acid as well as to OH- ions that are derived from the auto-ionization of H2O. In quantifying the buffering process of a triprotic acid, one must define the partitioning of H+ among the three states of the acid and also the OH- ions in solution in order to predict the equilibrium pH value. However, previous quantitative approaches that model triprotic acid titration behaviour and used to predict the equilibrium pH rely on the mathematical convenience of electroneutrality/charge balance considerations. This fact has caused confusion in the literature, and has led to the assumption that charge balance/electroneutrality is a causal factor in modulating proton buffering (Stewart formulation. However, as we have previously shown, although charge balance can be used mathematically as a convenient tool in deriving various formulae, electroneutrality per se is not a fundamental physicochemical parameter that is mechanistically involved in the underlying buffering and proton transfer reactions. The lack of distinction between a mathematical tool, and a fundamental physicochemical parameter is in part a reason for the current debate regarding the Stewart formulation of acid-base analysis. We therefore posed the following question: Is it possible to generate an equation that defines and predicts the buffering of a triprotic acid that is based only on H+ partitioning without incorporating electroneutrality in the derivation? Towards this goal, we derived our new equation utilizing: 1 partitioning of H+ buffering; 2 conservation of mass; and 3 acid-base equilibria. In validating this model, we compared the predicted equilibrium pH with the measured pH of an aqueous solution consisting of Na2HPO4 to which HCl was added. The measured pH values

  19. Defining the buffering process by a triprotic acid without relying on stewart-electroneutrality considerations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Upon the addition of protons to an aqueous solution, a component of the H+ load will be bound i.e. buffered. In an aqueous solution containing a triprotic acid, H+ can be bound to three different states of the acid as well as to OH- ions that are derived from the auto-ionization of H2O. In quantifying the buffering process of a triprotic acid, one must define the partitioning of H+ among the three states of the acid and also the OH- ions in solution in order to predict the equilibrium pH value. However, previous quantitative approaches that model triprotic acid titration behaviour and used to predict the equilibrium pH rely on the mathematical convenience of electroneutrality/charge balance considerations. This fact has caused confusion in the literature, and has led to the assumption that charge balance/electroneutrality is a causal factor in modulating proton buffering (Stewart formulation). However, as we have previously shown, although charge balance can be used mathematically as a convenient tool in deriving various formulae, electroneutrality per se is not a fundamental physicochemical parameter that is mechanistically involved in the underlying buffering and proton transfer reactions. The lack of distinction between a mathematical tool, and a fundamental physicochemical parameter is in part a reason for the current debate regarding the Stewart formulation of acid-base analysis. We therefore posed the following question: Is it possible to generate an equation that defines and predicts the buffering of a triprotic acid that is based only on H+ partitioning without incorporating electroneutrality in the derivation? Towards this goal, we derived our new equation utilizing: 1) partitioning of H+ buffering; 2) conservation of mass; and 3) acid-base equilibria. In validating this model, we compared the predicted equilibrium pH with the measured pH of an aqueous solution consisting of Na2HPO4 to which HCl was added. The measured pH values were in excellent agreement

  20. Effect of short-term alkaline intervention on the performance of buffer-free single-chamber microbial fuel cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Na; Ren, Yueping; Li, Xiufen; Wang, Xinhua

    2017-06-01

    Anolyte acidification is a drawback restricting the electricity generation performance of the buffer-free microbial fuel cells (MFC). In this paper, a small amount of alkali-treated anion exchange resin (AER) was placed in front of the anode in the KCl mediated single-chamber MFC to slowly release hydroxyl ions (OH - ) and neutralize the H + ions that are generated by the anodic reaction in two running cycles. This short-term alkaline intervention to the KCl anolyte has promoted the proliferation of electroactive Geobacter sp. and enhanced the self-buffering capacity of the KCl-AER-MFC. The pH of the KCl anolyte in the KCl-AER-MFC increased and became more stable in each running cycle compared with that of the KCl-MFC after the short-term alkaline intervention. The maximum power density (P max ) of the KCl-AER-MFC increased from 307.5mW·m -2 to 542.8mW·m -2 , slightly lower than that of the PBS-MFC (640.7mW·m -2 ). The coulombic efficiency (CE) of the KCl-AER-MFC increased from 54.1% to 61.2% which is already very close to that of the PBS-MFC (61.9%). The results in this paper indicate that short-term alkaline intervention to the anolyte is an effective strategy to further promote the performance of buffer-free MFCs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.