[en] This patent describes an apparatus for monitoring the operation of a boiling water nuclear reactor contained within a vessel externally of the latter. The reactor includes a steam line extending from the reactor vessel for continuously tapping the reactor steam. The monitoring apparatus consists of: a fluid-holding closed system measuring device including, a comparator unit divided by a flexible diaphragm member into a sealed first chamber portion and a second chamber portion, a sensing bulb containing volatile liquid positioned within the steam line exposed to the steam contained therein and in fluid communication through a tube with the sealed first chamber portion of the comparator unit and forming a closed system therewith. Pressure changes within the sensing bulb due to heat induced volatilization of its liquid contents are transferred through the closed system to the sealed first chamber portion of the comparator unit. The measuring device is adapted to develop an internal vapor pressure corresponding to the temperature of the tapped steam and is calibrated to provide a vapor pressure substantially equal to the tapped steam pressure under normal reactor operating conditions

[en] This patent describes a method for making an improved ceramic superconductor YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x. It comprises mixing a yttrium oxide with barium carbonate and copper oxide in the ratio of about 50 to about 100 gm of Y₂O₃, about 175 to about 200 gm of BaCO₃ and about 105 to about 300 gm of CuO; ball milling the mixture with zirconia balls for at least one hour; calcining the mixture at 940 degrees C. + or - 2 degrees C. with a heating sequence of about 3 degrees C. to about 5 degrees C. per minute; maintaining the temperature at 940 degrees C. + or - 2 degrees C

[en] This patent describes a method for making an improved ceramic superconductor. It comprises: mixing an oxide selected from the group consisting of Y₂O₃, Er₂O₃, Eu₂O₃, Yb₂O₃, Dy₂O₃ and Ho₂O₃ with barium carbonate and copper oxide powders in a ratio of about 50 grams in the case of Y₂O₃, 83 grams for Er₂O₃, 76 grams for Eu₂O₃, 86 grams of Ho₂O₃ to about 70 grams of BaCO₃ to about 105 grams of CuO, ball milling the mixture with zironia balls for at least on hour; calcining the mixture at a temperature of 940 degree C + or -degree C with a heating sequence of 2 degree C per minute from room temperature to 200 degree C, maintaining the mixture at the 200 degree C temperature for a least about sixty minutes, heating the mixture at 3 degree C per minute until a temperature of 940 degree C + or -2 degree C is reached, maintaining the mixture at the 940 degree C + or -2 degree C for three hundred minutes, cooling the mixture to room temperature at a rate of 1 degree C per minute, adding silver oxide in powdered form to the mixture an amount of from about 1 to about 20 weight percent, ball milling the mixture containing silver oxide for at least one hour, compacting the mixture, sintering the mixture at 920 degree C + or -2 degree C by heating the mixture at 2 degree C per minute from room temperature 200 degree C, maintaining the temperature at 200 degree C for 60 minutes and then resuming the heating at 3 degree C per minute until a temperature of 920 degree C is reached, (l) maintaining the mixture at 920 degree C + or -2 degree C for three hundred minutes, and (m) cooling the mixture to room temperature at a rate of degree C per minute

[en] In developing next generation nuclear power plants many economic challenges must be addressed before they become economically attractive to utilities. The economic challenges vary from country to country but have several common characteristics. First and foremost, a plant has to have the lowest construction (costs) to even be considered for design and construction. Additionally, the plant design has to a have a reasonable chance of being licensed by the regulatory authorities in order to minimize the financial risk to the constructing utility. With the long lead times involved in the design and development of advanced plants nowadays, the overall development costs have also become a key factor in the evolution of advanced plants. This paper presents the design overview and approach to addressing the aforementioned economic challenges for two Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) designs. The first plant is the ABWR and the second is the European Simplified Boiling Water. The ABWR relies on proven technology and components and an extensive infrastructure that has been built up over the last 20 year. Because it has proven and standard safety systems, which have been licensed in two countries, it has very limited uncertainly regarding licensing. Finally, it relies on the economies of scale and design flexibility to improve the overall economics of power generation. The ESBWR on the other hand has taken an innovative approach to reduce systems and components to simplify the overall plant to improve plant economics. The overall plant design is indeed simpler, but improved economics required reliance on some economies of scale also. This design embodied in the ESBWR, also has minimized the overall development cost by utilizing features and components from the ABWR and Simplified Boiling Water Reactor technology programs. (authors)

[en] Highlights: • KZABS glasses with Dy³⁺/Tb³⁺ ions were prepared by using melt quench technique. • XRD recorded for all the as prepared glasses confirm the glassy nature. • Temperature dependent PL reveals the thermal stability of the as prepared glasses. • Energy transfer through dipole-dipole interaction leads to concentration quenching. • Dy (0.5 mol%)/Tb(1.25 mol%) in KZABS glasses gives energy transfer efficiency to 85%. Potassium Zinc Alumino Borosilicate (KZABS) glasses co-doped with Dy³⁺/Tb³⁺ ions have been synthesized by employing a sudden melt quenching technique. To check the luminescence behavior, the as prepared glasses were characterized by employing spectroscopic tools like photoluminescence (PL) excitation and emission, temperature dependent PL and PL decay to see the energy transfer between Dy³⁺ and Tb³⁺ ions and optimum green emission suitable for photonic applications. The XRD spectra reveals the amorphous nature of the as prepared KZABS glasses. PL spectral features show optimum green emission and confirms energy transfer from Dy³⁺ to Tb³⁺ ions. With the help of temperature dependent PL, glasses were found to be thermally stable. The decay profiles recorded show bi-exponential nature and demonstrates the energy transfer that took place from Dy³⁺ to Tb³⁺ ions. The Inokuti- Hirayama (I–H) model confirms the interaction involved in energy transfer process as dipole-dipole in nature. The CIE coordinates are found to be shifting gradually towards intense green region with increase in activator concentration (Tb³⁺) under the optimized sensitizer (Dy³⁺) concentration. It is also observed that, the CIE coordinates shifting towards intense green region when the as prepared KZABS glasses are excited with suitable excitation wavelengths of both sensitizer and activator. All the studies finally reveal the superiority of Dy³⁺/Tb³⁺ co-doped KZABS glasses for their usage in green emitting photonic device applications such as w-LEDs and display devices.

[en] Lithium Lead Alumino Borate (LiPbAlB) glasses doped with Dy³⁺ ions with varying concentration were synthesized by using the melt quenching technique to understand their feasibility in solid state lighting and laser devices. From the absorption spectra, bonding parameters (δ) were evaluated to understand the nature of bonding between Dy³⁺ ions and its surrounding ligands. Judd-Ofelt intensity parameters estimated from the experimental oscillator strengths were used to evaluate various radiative parameters for the fluorescent levels of Dy³⁺ ions. From the decay curves, the experimental lifetimes were measured and coupled with the radiative lifetimes to evaluate the quantum efficiency. The decay profile changes from exponential to non-exponential with increase in Dy³⁺ ion concentration resulting decrease in experimental lifetimes. Inokuti-Hirayama model applied to the decay spectral profiles confirm dipole-dipole interaction responsible for their conversion from exponential to non-exponential. By exciting the glasses with different n-UV radiations, the CIE chromaticity coordinates and correlated color temperatures (CCT) were calculated to understand the utility of as-prepared glasses in cool white light generation. From the evaluated radiative parameters, CIE co-ordinates, CCT temperatures, emission cross-sections, quantum efficiency and confocal images, it was observed that LiPbAlB glass with 0.5 mol% Dy³⁺ ions are more suitable for the development of w-LEDs and Lasers.

[en] A full-length, electrically heated, 8 x 8 Zircaloy-clad, simulated fuel bundle was spray-cooled from the top and flooded from the bottom under simulated loss-of-coolant accident conditions. The heater rods were internally pressurized with argon to simulate fission product inventory. Results are presented and discussed

[en] Abdominal palpation, radiography and ultrasonography were compared for pregnancy diagnosis in bitches. The earliest correct diagnosis of pregnancy was made by 22 and 21 days with abdominal palpation and ultrasonography respectively, while radiography led to more accurate diagnosis in last trimester of pregnancy. All the methods revealed 100 per cent accuracy in last trimester where as ultrasonography gave constant results from day 21 up to termination of pregnancy followed by abdominal palpation

No abstract available

[en] The Centre for Advanced Technology (CAT) is constructing two synchrotron radiation sources (SRS) namely Indus-1 and Indus-2. While the Indus-1 is a 450 MeV storage ring for VUV radiation, which is in the final stages of commissioning, Indus-2 will be a 2 GeV storage ring for X-rays. A 20 MeV injector microtron and a 700 MeV booster synchrotron will inject the electron beam both to Indus-1 and Indus-2, while doing so at a lower energy of 450 MeV for Indus-1. The paper deals with the salient features of Indus-2 which is now under construction. The machine with a circumference of 172.2M has critical wavelength with bending magnet radiation of 3.88A and with high field wiggler of 0.93A. There is provision for 22 beamlines for use of synchrotron radiation from bending magnets and 5 beamlines for using the radiation from insertion devices in straight sections. The paper gives the present status of the design and fabrication of various sub-systems of Indus-2. (author)