No abstract available

[en] The company's essential task consists in the management of the decommissioning program including the later demolition of the nuclear power plant of Lingen. The company's activities in 1988 are reported on. (UA)

[en] For 30 years, outputs published by UK researchers have been submitted for cyclical assessment by peer panels, creating a unique longitudinal dataset. This is the first analysis covering 921,254 submitted outputs and 36,244 case study references across 25 years, five assessment cycles and both academic impact and economic/societal impact. For submitted outputs, document types shift towards journal articles across time. The time-spread of outputs is skewed to the most recent publication years in early RAE cycles, a pattern not reported at the time but one that then changes synchronously for science and engineering but not for social science or humanities. The skew and later changes are cohesive across disciplines and institutions. For impact case study references, the time-spread of the earliest of the six references for each study is uniform for science and engineering, although the overall timespread for references is skewed. About 42% of case study references with DOIs can be identified as RAE/REF submitted outputs, at about the same rate in every publication year for 1996-2013. Implications for assessment are discussed. (Author)

[en] Over 1,140 yd³ of radioactively contaminated soil containing toxic mercury (Hg) and several liters of mixed-waste elemental mercury were generated during a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) removal action at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Science and Technology Mixed Waste Focus Area (DOE MWFA) is sponsoring a comparison of several technologies that may be used to treat these wastes and similar wastes at BNL and other sites across the DOE complex. This report describes work conducted at BNL on the application and pilot-scale demonstration of the newly developed Sulfur Polymer Stabilization/Solidification (SPSS) process for treatment of contaminated mixed-waste soils containing high concentrations (approximately 5,000 mg/L) of mercury and liquid elemental mercury. BNL's SPSS (patent pending) process chemically stabilizes the mercury to reduce vapor pressure and leachability and physically encapsulates the waste in a solid matrix to eliminate dispersion and provide long-term durability. Two 55-gallon drums of mixed-waste soil containing high concentrations of mercury and about 62 kg of radioactive contaminated elemental mercury were successfully treated. Waste loadings of 60 wt% soil were achieved without resulting in any increase in waste volume, while elemental mercury was solidified at a waste loading of 33 wt% mercury. Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) analyses indicate the final waste form products pass current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allowable TCLP concentrations as well as the more stringent proposed Universal Treatment Standards. Mass balance measurements show that 99.7% of the mercury treated was successfully retained within the waste form, while only 0.3% was captured in the off gas system

[en] As part of the effort by Nagra to assess the suitability of various sites for construction of repository for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste, five boreholes were drilled at the Wellenberg site to obtain geologic and hydrogeologic data. Solexperts AG was contracted by Nagra to perform and evaluate hydraulic testing for two of the boreholes, SB1 and SB2. The scope of work included field testing, test interpretation and reporting. The objectives of the testing program were to characterize the vertical distribution of hydraulic properties in the boreholes, to facilitate collection of formation-fluid samples from isolated test intervals and to assist in performance of borehole fluid logging. This report serves to document methods and results of the hydraulic testing program carried out in SB1 and SB2. A total of 58 hydraulic test sequences were conducted in the boreholes; 37 in SB1 and 21 in SB2. The hydraulic test sequences were conducted primarily using single- and double-packer test systems. The test systems include a down-hole shut-in valve and triple pressure/temperature measuring probe. A Moineau pump system was incorporated in the test system when conducting constant rate withdrawal tests or for the collection of groundwater samples. Surface test equipment included: data acquisition system, constant pressure injection system, gas and water separator, and flow measurement systems for liquid and gas. The primary hydraulic testing methods utilized include pulse, slug, constant pressure, constant rate, and pressure recovery tests. A series of individual test events constituted a test sequence for a particular test interval. Transmissivity estimates for the two boreholes are communicated. (author) figs., tabs., refs

[en] The effort by Hercules and Ultramet to produce CVD NbC coatings, which protect carbon-carbon substrates from hot hydrogen, has had some success but with some limitations. The coatings increase the survival time at atmospheric pressure and low flow rate of hydrogen by about a factor of 40 over uncoated graphite at 3000 K. However, the grain structure is not stable at these temperatures, and after about 10--20 minutes, the coating is subject to rapid degradation by spalling in visible chunks. Further experiments would have to be performed to determine the effects of higher pressures and flow rates, for it is not clear how these factors would affect the survival time, considering that one of the main failure mechanisms is independent of the atmosphere

[en] Introduction: While radiography is currently developing a research base, which is important in terms of professional development and informing practice and policy issues in the field, the amount of research published by radiographers remains limited. However, a range of qualitative methods offer further opportunities for radiography research. Purpose: This paper briefly introduces a number of key qualitative methods (qualitative interviews, focus groups, observational methods, diary methods and document/text analysis) and sketches one possible framework for future qualitative work in radiography research. The framework focuses upon three areas for study: intra-professional issues; inter-professional issues; and clinical practice, patient and health delivery issues. While the paper outlines broad areas for future focus rather than providing a detailed protocol for how individual pieces of research should be conducted, a few research questions have been chosen and examples of possible qualitative methods required to answer such questions are outlined for each area. Conclusion: Given the challenges and opportunities currently facing the development of a research base within radiography, the outline of key qualitative methods and broad areas suitable for their application is offered as a useful tool for those within the profession looking to embark upon or enhance their research career

[en] AREVA Group's business globally includes mining, reactors and services and renewables. In Canada, AREVA is a leading uranium producer and globally qualified for CANDU plants. AREVA's nuclear and renewables strategy is based on the development of nuclear and renewable energies.

[en] When using an organic liquid scintillator such as NE213 for neutron spectrometry, the light output as a function of proton energy is needed in order to unfold the neutron spectrum from the scintillator's pulse height distribution. We have measured this function for several detectors over the range 1.5 - 16 MeV approximately, using monoenergetic neutrons from the Harwell 5 MV Van de Graaff accelerator. Results were obtained for a wide variety of sizes and shapes of scintillator cell, and were found to be essentially in agreement within errors. The results were also compared with those of several other workers (amongst whom there is considerable disagreement). Below 10 MeV, there is excellent agreement with one worker and moderate or poor agreement with others; above 10 MeV, agreement is moderate in all cases. We conclude that workers wishing to unfold neutron spectra from NE213 pulse height distributions would be advised to make measurements with their own particular detector configuration, rather than use published functions. (author)

[en] The performance of various carbon-based materials in flowing, high-temperature helium and hydrogen is described. These materials which are candidate hot frit substrates for possible application in a PBR include various grades of graphite, carbon-carbon and vitreous carbon. Vitreous carbon showed extremely good performance in helium, while that of the various graphite grades was quite variable and, in some cases, poor. Purified grades performed better than unpurified grades, but in all cases large sample-to-sample variations in weight loss were observed. For carbon-carbon samples, the performance was intermediate. Since the weight loss in these samples was in large measure due to the loss of the densification media, improvements in the performance of carbon-carbon may be possible. With respect to the performance in hydrogen, high weight losses were observed, re-enforcing the need for coating carbon-based materials for service in a flowing hydrogen environment