[en] Gas-turbine technology has entered a new era; the simple-cycle units of yesterday are making room for new, highly sophisticated combined-cycle units. In July 1949, the first U.S. commercial power generation gas turbine was installed at Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co.'s Belle Isle Station. This unit was a General Electric (GE) MS3000 heavy-duty gas turbine rated at 3,5000 kW. In 1994, more than 900 gas turbines totaling over 33,000 MW were ordered worldwide, according to Power-Data Group, LaJolla, Calif. These figures show just how far gas turbines have come in less than 50 years. Today, simple-cycle units rated at up to 150 MW (with efficiencies around 35 percent) and combined-cycle units rated at over 200 MW (approaching 60-percent efficiency) are up and running

[en] Through a change in philosophy and the development of a new, more efficient information management system, Arizona Public Service Co. (APSW) has, in less than two years, reduced material and service costs by 10 percent. The utility plans to cut these costs form 1993 figures by 25 percent before 2000. The utility is breaking new ground with ongoing implementation of new business processes and the new Materials Logistics Information System (MLIS), which has been co-developed with Texas Instruments Software Division (TISD)

[en] This paper describes improved plant operations at the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant by the installation of a leverless limit switch. The package consists of a stainless steel mounting bracket, ferrous target, mounting hardware, and two switches. It can be fitted to existing holes in the valve yoke. By replacing a traditional limit switch with a leverless switch, engineers solved a problem with determining valve position

[en] Rapid technology improvements, resulting in high efficiency, emissions reduction and low generation cost, are making gas turbines the generation technology of choice despite some recent reliability problems. The basic reason for the dominance is high efficiency. The rapid pace of gas-turbine technology improvement in the 1990s drove combined-cycle thermal efficiency to nearly 60 percent with natural gas as the fuel. It will probably go even higher after the year 2000. In addition, the gas-fired combined cycle is a bargain. With natural gas prices where they are right now, it is the least-cost generation operation for power producers with access to gas. Many will replace older, high-cost power plants with new gas-fired combined cycle power plants

[en] The partial reflection method of determining electron densities and collision frequencies in the ionospheric D region, is briefly described. Possible applications of the observations to the study of turbulent fine structure in the propagation medium are mentioned. The PRE (Partial Reflection Experiment) facility at the University of Tromsoe's field site at Ramfjordmoen is described. The use of the facility in relation to and coordinated with other experiments (including rockets), is discussed. (Auth.)

[en] The Danish Parliament has in March 2003 agreed to start the work to establish a 'Basis for Decision' on a Danish disposal facility for low and intermediate level waste. The radioactive waste comprises waste from the operation of three research reactors and other nuclear facilities at Risoe National Laboratory as well as radioactive waste from use of radioactive materials for medical, industrial and research purposes in Denmark. By far the largest part of the Danish waste is LILW-SL. However, a small amount is considered to be LILW-LL. Three repository types could be considered: 1) a near-surface repository, potentially combined with a deep borehole for the small amount of long-lived waste, 2) a deeper near surface repository located maybe 30-80 m below the surface, and 3) a geological repository. If the Basis for Decision is accepted, the next step will most likely be to make a geological survey and a feasibility study o (author)

No abstract available

[en] The Danish Parliament has agreed to initiate the work to establish a 'Basis for Decision' concerning a Danish disposal facility for LILW. The principles for safety and environmental protection for a Danish repository are being prepared and are based on recommendation from international organizations. These principles are to set the frames for the rest of the process. It is generally difficult to describe the decision process in details. However, it is the intention to make the process as transparent as possible to the public, thereby allowing stakeholders to participate actively in the decision process. The type of repository should be based on types and amounts of waste as well as Danish geology

[en] Microcristalline material of CuRuO₂(OH)₄ has been synthesised by precipitation and the X-ray powder diffraction pattern was measured. By automatic indexing an orthorhombic cell was evidenced with a=4.2081(2), b=8.4872(4), c=3.0331(1) A. In the space group Cmmm '' vertical stroke F_obs vertical stroke '' amplitude structure factors were extracted by the LE BAIL method. Direct methods permitted to locate one metal and two oxygen positions with the entire data set. RIETVELD refinements of 19 parameters, using 123 reflections, lead to R_WP=0.08 and R_Bragg=0.03. The metal position is occupied statistically with copper and ruthenium and is surrounded by a nearly regular octahedron of anions. The square base plane of this octahedron consists of hydroxide-anions, the apical positions are occupied by oxide anions. Each of these octahedron shares two opposite edges of the square base plane with two other octahedrons, so that linear chains are built up. Each octahedron is also connected to two others by sharing the apical corners, so that the chains construct two-dimensional planes, which are not connected to each other, but by possible hydrogen-bonds. Several models of local ordering are discussed. (orig.)

[en] The main types of heart positions and the malpositions are described as demonstrated on plain films of the thorax. Special attention is drawn to the situs ambiguous with the poly- or asplenia which may be recognized from hypoarterial or epiarterial position of the main bronchi and their equal lengths and courses. This diagnosis is important because of the frequent accompanying congenital cardiac malformations and in respect to the planning of angiocardiography. (orig.)