[en] The spatial distribution of the concentration of NO_x and nitrate in precipitation is analyzed with respect to the origin of the airmass. To do this, sector analysis and isentropic backtrajectories are used. The study is based on EMEP-data of NO_x and nitrate. The deposition of HNO₃ and PAN are derived from NO₂-concentrations assuming deposition velocities known from a variety of different papers. An emission inventory for NO_x and VOC has been established for all European countries except for Albania. In order to establish a source-receptor relationship for four regions in Germany isentropic back-trajektories were analyzed in combination with the emission inventory. The sector analysis points out that the cumulative deposition pattern over Europe is dominated by the synoptical structures and therefore by the transport phenomena. The source-receptor relationship shows the influence of highly populated areas like Paris or London on the concentration of NO_x in Germany due to long-lange transport. (orig.)

[en] With the Erlangen QDQ magnetic spectrometer angular distributions of the depolarization in the elastic scattering of protons on ²⁷Al, ⁸⁹Y at 11 MeV and ¹H at 12 MeV were measured. The evaluation was performed for yttrium and aluminium by adding of additional terms in the optical model which regard the spin-spin interaction. The optical-model parameter without spin-spin potentials were stated by measurements of the cross section and the analyzing power in the 4π scattering chamber in Erlangen at several energies. The calculation of the depolarization which emerges because of the spin-spin interaction was performed by means of DWBA. The depolarization of the proton-proton scattering was evaluated by scattering-phase analysis. The fits were thereby performed on analyzing-power data. The electrical P-wave scattering phases resulted to δ₁₀ = 4.442±0.121, δ₁₁ = -2.515±0.026, and δ₁₂ = 0.937±0.038 (all in degrees). (orig./HSI)

[en] The current phase of exploration is devoted to aspects of underground mine conditions and structures, the first task being the sinking of two shafts, with subsequent construction of the mine structures required for exploratory work. All activities will be based on geoscientific and geotechnological data established by a comprehensive study. Given a successful plan approval procedure, operation of the planned repository might begin approximately in the year 2008. (orig./HP)

[en] The purpose of this report is to identify the regulations and requirements for transporting greater-than-Class C (GTCC) low-level radioactive waste (LLW) and to identify planning activities that need to be accomplished in preparation for transporting GTCC LLW. The regulations and requirements for transporting hazardous materials, of which GTCC LLW is included, are complex and include several Federal agencies, state and local governments, and Indian tribes. This report is divided into five sections and three appendices. Section 1 introduces the report. Section 2 identifies and discusses the transportation regulations and requirements. The regulations and requirements are divided into Federal, state, local government, and Indian tribes subsections. This report does not identify the regulations or requirements of specific state, local government, and Indian tribes, since the storage, treatment, and disposal facility locations and transportation routes have not been specifically identified. Section 3 identifies the planning needed to ensure that all transportation activities are in compliance with the regulations and requirements. It is divided into (a) transportation packaging; (b) transportation operations; (c) system safety and risk analysis, (d) route selection; (e) emergency preparedness and response; and (f) safeguards and security. This section does not provide actual planning since the details of the Department of Energy (DOE) GTCC LLW Program have not been finalized, e.g., waste characterization and quantity, storage, treatment and disposal facility locations, and acceptance criteria. Sections 4 and 5 provide conclusions and referenced documents, respectively

[en] The limitation of fossil fuel resources has brought about active research in the field of synthetic fuels which, in the more or less near future, could lead to freedom from dependence on production of the former. On a long-term basis, hydrogen would appear to be the best candidate as a substitute for conventional fuels. Among the possibilities of storage in a motor vehicle, its absorption in a metallic hydride provides the most attractive solution. Account taken of the weight limitations of this storage method, the use of hydrogen in an internal combustion engine can be envisaged only for short-range urban vehicles. Optimal use of its energy content will be made possible by means of fuel cells. The development of such a storage-propulsion chain nevertheless requires considerable work in research and development, both for the study of hydrides and the technology of fuel cells

[en] Structural materials of fusion reactors are subjected to complex creep-fatigue loading and high irradiation doses. Correct modelling of their deterioration is a precondition of a sufficiently reliable lifetime prediction procedure. In the continuum mechanics approach selected for lifetime prediction of RAFM steels under creep-fatigue conditions the ISRM (Inelastic Strain Rate Modified) damage model is coupled with a modified viscoplastic deformation model taking into account the complex nonsaturating cyclic softening of RAFM steels. The resulting coupled model is a powerful prediction tool, which can be applied to arbitrary creep-fatigue loading provided that the material, temperature and possibly irradiation dose dependent parameters of the model have been determined. Therefore a fitting procedure has been developed for the parameters identification on the base of deformation and lifetime data from standard low cycle fatigue (LCF) tests without and with hold time as well as creep tests. The coupled deformation-damage model has been meanwhile applied to F82H mod and EUROFER 97 in the reference (unirradiated) state under isothermal cyclic loading at 450, 550 and 650 C. The comparisons between model and experiment show that the observed lifetimes in the LCF-tests could be fairly well calculated even for the tests with hold time, which were not considered for the identification of the damage model parameters. However before releasing the model further verifications have to be done by applying the model to isothermal two-steps LCF-tests (low-to-high and high-to-low), to thermo-mechanical LCF-tests, to isothermal multiaxial LCF-tests as well as to a suitable benchmark component test. To take into account the influence of irradiation applications of the model are in long term foreseen to several irradiated states with sufficient data base

[en] Low cycle fatigue behaviour on material DIN 1.4909 (Creusot-Marrel-heat) has been determined in temperature range of 400 up to 750 C. A triangular wave form with constant total strain ranges between 0.4 and 1.5% at a constant strain rate of ε = 3.10^-3/s were employed. Specimens with hourglass-shaped gauge length have been used. For temperatures above 550 C, Creusot-Marrel-heat shows a higher cyclic lifetime as compared to data, which have been investigated earlier on a similar heat (Krupp-heat). Introducing additional creep-damage (combined creep-fatigue damage) causes a more pronounced reduction of number of cycles to fracture on Creusot-Marrel-heat in comparison with Krupp-heat. Concerning hold-time tests, experimental data on Creusot-Marrel-heat are smaller than calculated values predicted by linear damage rule of the ASME-Code. (orig.)

[en] Many institutions have participated in public relations work concerning the final disposal of radioactive wastes in Germany since preliminary research work in this field was started in the early 1960's. The large number of institutions involved necessitates a uniform phraseology, kept up to date by permanent exchanges of information. The Press and Public Information Section of the Bundesamt fur Strahlenschutz (BfS) is responsible for co-ordination, with the aim of presenting both the general disposal concept of the Federal Government, and the work done within the scope of individual projects in the field of final waste disposal. Public relations activities are supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft zum Bau and Betrieb von Endlagern fur Abfallstoffe mbH (DBE) which conducts public relations work at site level. Since the early sixties radioactive waste disposal policy in Germany has been based on the decision that all kinds of radioactive wastes should be disposed of in deep geological formations. One operating repository and two different disposal projects are currently under was in Germany. The paper discusses these three sites and their public relations efforts. A lot of work has been done in the public relations field in Germany, for more than 15 years now. Open, comprehensive information and reporting are essential for transparent and credible representations of the activities necessary for the disposal of radioactive waste, as well as to create a climate of confidence in order to fashion a position identity for such large-scale projects. In addition to personal contacts, target-group oriented information meetings and scientifically understandable information material are important means to achieved this end. The permanent presence of contact persons at the sites supports this objective, especially with regard to information directed towards the general public. (author)

[en] Low-cycle fatigue tests in the temperature range from 20 to 550⁰C have been carried out to study the cyclic hardening behaviour of steel 1.4948. The results showed that at 20⁰C the hardening only increases up to the 10th cycle then decreases gradually until fracture occurs. At 550⁰C, however, the hardening increases up to the 100th cycle and remains nearly constant for a large number of cycles until it decreases very rapidly within a few cycles. Tests on irradiated specimens revealed no significant influence of the rather low irradiation dose of 1 x 10¹⁹n cm^-2 (E > 0.1 MeV) with regard to the hardening behaviour of base material and welded joints. Furthermore, hold time tests indicated that creep-fatigue interaction effects have only a slight influence on the cyclic hardening behaviour. Metallographic examinations showed that tests without hold times produce a transgranular fracture while hold time tests mainly exhibit an intergranular fracture surface. (orig.)

[en] In the past, fixed target flammable gas systems were not supported in an organized fashion. The Research Division, Mechanical Support Department began to support these gas systems for the 1995 run. This technical memo describes the new approach being used to supply chamber gasses to fixed target experiments at Fermilab. It describes the engineering design features, system safety, system documentation and performance results. Gas mixtures provide the medium for electron detection in proportional and drift chambers. Usually a mixture of a noble gas and a polyatomic quenching gas is used. Sometimes a small amount of electronegative gas is added as well. The mixture required is a function of the specific chamber design, including working voltage, gain requirements, high rate capability, aging and others. For the 1995 fixed target run all the experiments requested once through gas systems. We obtained a summary of problems from the 1990 fixed target run and made a summary of the operations logbook entries from the 1991 run. These summaries primarily include problems involving flammable gas alarms, but also include incidents where Operations was involved or informed. Usually contamination issues were dealt with by the experimenters. The summaries are attached. We discussed past operational issues with the experimenters involved. There were numerous incidents of drift chamber failure where contaminated gas was suspect. However analyses of the gas at the time usually did not show any particular problems. This could have been because the analysis did not look for the troublesome component, the contaminant was concentrated in the gas over the liquid and vented before the sample was taken, or that contaminants were drawn into the chambers directly through leaks or sub-atmospheric pressures. After some study we were unable to determine specific causes of past contamination problems, although in argon-ethane systems the problems were due to the ethane only