[en] Understanding fuel foil mechanical properties, and fuel/cladding bond quality and strength in monolithic plates is an important area of investigation and quantification. Specifically, what constitutes an acceptable monolithic fuel--cladding bond, how are the properties of the bond measured and determined, and what is the impact of fabrication process or change in parameters on the level of bonding? Currently, non-bond areas are quantified employing ultrasonic determinations that are challenging to interpret and understand in terms of irradiation impact. Thus, determining mechanical properties of the fuel foil and what constitutes fuel/cladding non-bonds is essential to successful qualification of monolithic fuel plates. Capabilities and tests related to determination of these properties have been implemented at the INL and are discussed, along with preliminary results

[en] A 2-D calculation is presented for the transport of plasma in the edge region of a divertor tokamak solving continuity, momentum, and energy balance fluid equations. The model uses anomalous radial diffusion, including perpendicular ion momentum, and classical cross-field drifts transport. Parallel and perpendicular currents yield a self-consistent electrostatic potential on both sides of the magnetic separatrix. Outside the separatrix, the simulation extends to material divertor plates where the incident plasma is recycled as neutral gas and where the plate sheath and parallel currents dominate the potential structure. Inside the separatrix, various radial current terms - from viscosity, charge-exchange and poloidal damping, inertia, and triangledownB - contribute to the determining the potential. The model rigorously enforces cancellation of gyro-viscous and magnetization terms from the transport equations. The results emphasize the importance of E x B particle flow under the X-point which depends on the sign of the toroidal magnetic field. Radial electric field (E_y) profiles at the outer midplane are small with weak shear when high L-mode diffusion coefficients are used and are large with strong shear when smaller H-mode diffusion coefficients are used. The magnitude and shear of the electric field (E_y) is larger both when the core toroidal rotation is co-moving with the inductive plasma current and when the ion triangledownB-drift is towards the single-null X-point

[en] A methanol/air-oxygen fuel cell is disclosed including an electrode formed by open-ended ion-exchange hollow fibers having a layer of catalyst deposited on the inner surface thereof and a first current collector in contact with the catalyst layer. A second current collector external of said fibers is provided which is immersed along with the hollow fiber electrode in an aqueous electrolyte body. Upon passage of air or oxygen through the hollow fiber electrode and introduction of methanol into the aqueous electrolyte, a steady current output is obtained. Two embodiments of the fuel cell are disclosed. In the first embodiment the second metal electrode is displaced away from the hollow fiber in the electrolyte body while in the second embodiment a spiral-wrap electrode is provided about the outer surface of the hollow fiber electrode

[en] InSb charge injection device (CID) technology focal plane arrays employ two coupled MIS capacitors which collect and store photon-generated charge carriers. Attention is presently given to two-dimensional arrays for 77 K and 4 K operating temperatures in astronomical applications; two such prototypes for ground observations have been developed for use with a 2-m telescope. A CID InSb array is noted to be a useful candidate for the proposed IR Space Observatory's focal plane camera. 7 references

[en] Iodine-129 is a key risk driver in most low-level waste cementitious waste repositories. The objectives of this study were to determine iodine speciation in cementitious materials with slag (Grout+slag) and without slag (Grout–slag) and its impact on iodine immobilization. Additional studies were conducted to determine if grout was compatibility as a waste form for the most common adsorbent used to remove aqueous and gaseous radioiodine, silver-impregnated granular activated carbon (Ag-GAC). Rankings of iodine species by their tendency to bind to grout were: iodide << organo-iodine ≤ iodate. Similarly, ranking of grout formulations by their tendency to immobilize iodine were: Grout_+slag< Grout_-slag. Organo-iodine comprised >40% of the leachate solution from grout samples initially hydrated (cured) with iodide. The origin of the organic ligand comprising the organo-iodine was organic carbon in the grout material (~1200 mg/kg). Iodine in the solid phase, as determined by K-edge X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Spectroscopy, and aqueous phases were not in equilibrium and essentially no iodine speciation transformations occurred within the grout after one month of curing, irrespective of which iodine species was initially added to the mix. For the first time, these studies demonstrate that multiple iodine species can co-exist simultaneously in grout porewater, the iodine species initially added to the grout can greatly affect immobilization, and that Ag-GAC can be safely disposed in grout formulation, but not in the presence of slag. These results help explain previous data and reduce uncertainty associated with the disposal of nuclear waste.

[en] As radiation detection in the interest of national security becomes increasingly commonplace, inevitable questions arise concerning the interpretation of data from handheld radioisotope identifiers (RIIDs). Field elements typically require fast answers to provide an effective defense and to minimize the impact on legitimate movement of people and goods. To support this need, on-call experts at Sandia, Los Alamos, and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories cooperate in resolving radiation alarms rapidly and accurately. We present an overview, describe the work in progress to improve capabilities, and report on some of the lessons learned

[en] Technologies were investigated to determine viable processes for removing mercury from the calciner (NWCF) offgas system at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. Technologies for gas phase and aqueous phase treatment were evaluated. The technologies determined are intended to meet EPA Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) requirements under the Clean Air Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Currently, mercury accumulation in the calciner off-gas scrubbing system is transferred to the tank farm. These transfers lead to accumulation in the liquid heels of the tanks. The principal objective for aqueous phase mercury removal is heel mercury reduction. The system presents a challenge to traditional methods because of the presence of nitrogen oxides in the gas phase and high nitric acid in the aqueous scrubbing solution. Many old and new technologies were evaluated including sorbents and absorption in the gas phase and ion exchange, membranes/sorption, galvanic methods, and UV reduction in the aqueous phase. Process modifications and feed pre-treatment were also evaluated. Various properties of mercury and its compounds were summarized and speciation was predicted based on thermodynamics. Three systems (process modification, NOxidizer combustor, and electrochemical aqueous phase treatment) and additional technology testing were recommended

[en] Acceleration of fast low-angle-shot (FLASH) MR imaging to about 200 msec measuring time on dedicated MR systems is called snapshot FLASH MR imaging. It snaps real-time series of MR images of the MR relaxation and of physiologic motions with nearly absent motion and susceptibility artifacts. Results in animals (4.7T) and human volunteers (2.0T) show plain vascular and cardiac snapshot FLASH MR images obtained as single shot, triggered reconstructed motion, or real-time films. The reduction of artifacts and the high resolution (triggered, three-dimensional moving heart images are possible) result in favorable applications in myocardial and great vascular disease

No abstract available

[en] We have investigated the theoretical feasibility of using fast ³He⁺⁺ ions, produced by ICRF minority heating, to simulate the behavior of fusion-produced ⁴He⁺⁺ ions in large fusion experiments. This proposed technique would allow the study of alpha-particle-like heating in near-term experiments, such as TFTR, JET, and JT-60, without the necessity of high levels of neutron production and the subsequent activation. The results of our calculations study show that ICRF minority heating should be able to produce confined fast ³He⁺⁺ distributions in TFTR-sized experiments with an energy distribution and density similar to those expected for fast alpha particles in fusion-reactor experiments, such as INTOR/FED/NET