Publications

Traditionally, proton radiotherapy has required the use of high energy proton beams (50-200 MeV) which can penetrate into a patient's body to the site of a tumor that is to be destroyed through irradiation. However, substantial damage is still done to healthy tissue along the path of the incident proton beam, as much as 30% of that done at the tumor site. We propose a new concept for the production and delivery of energetic protons for use in medical radiotherapy, based upon the fact that low energy, ion-induced nuclear reactions can produce radiation products suitable for use in radiotherapy applications. By employing specially fabricated "conduit needles" to deliver beams of energetic ions to selected target materials plugging the end of the needle, ion beam-induced nuclear reactions can be generated at the needle tip, emitting reaction-specific radiation products directly at the tumor site. In this paper, we show that the 13.6 MeV protons produced by the d(3He, p)4He nuclear reaction can deliver a lethal dose (7 krad) of radiation to a 4.4 mm diameter sphere of tissue in only 30 s using a 1 μA, 800 keV 3He ion beam. If also proven clinically feasible, the use of low energy, ion-induced nuclear reactions would allow the utilization of relatively inexpensive, compact, low energy ion accelerators for proton radiotherapy and minimize unintended radiation damage to healthy tissue by providing much greater precision in controlling the irradiated volume. © 1993.

Through the Dish-Stirling Joint Venture Program (JVP) sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE), Cummins Power Generation, Inc., (CPG) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) have entered into a joint venture to develop and commercialize economically competitive dish-Stirling systems for remote power applications. The $14 million JVP is being conducted in three phases over a 3 1/2-year period in accordance with the Cummins Total Quality System (TQS) for new product development. The JVP is being funded equally by CPG, including its industrial partners, and the DOE. In June 1992, a ``concept validation`` (prototype) 5-kW{sub e}, dish-Stirling system became operational at the CPG test site m Abilene, TX. And on January 1, 1993, the program advanced to phase 2. On the basis of the performance of the 5-kW{sub e} system, a decision was made to increase the rated system output to 7.5-kW{sub e}. The CPG system uses advanced components that have the potential for low cost and reliable operation, but which also have technical risks. In this paper, the status of the advanced components and results from system integration testing are presented and discussed. Performance results from system testing of the 5-kW{sub e} prototype along with phase 2 goals for the 7.5-kW{sub e} system are also discussed.

This paper presents data compiled by the Photovoltaic Design Assistance Center at Sandia National Laboratories from more than eighty field tests performed at over thirty-five photovoltaic systems in the United States during the last ten years. The recorded performance histories, failure rates, and degradation of post-Block IV modules and balance-of-system (BOS) components are described in detail.

Drilling production-size holes for geothermal exploration puts a large expense at the beginning of the project, and thus requires a long period of debt service before those costs can be recaptured from power sales. If a reservoir can be adequately defined and proved by drilling smaller, cheaper slim-holes, production well drilling can be delayed until the power plant is under construction, saving years of interest payments. In the broadest terms, this project`s objective is to demonstrate that a geothermal resevoir can be identified and evaluated with data collected in slim holes. We have assembled a coordinated working group, including personnel from Sandia, Lawrence Berkeley Lab, University of Utah Research Institute, US Geological Survey, independent consultants, and geothermal operators, to focus on the development of this project. This group is involved to a greater or lesser extent in all decisions affecting the direction of the research. Specific tasks being pursued include: Correlation of fluid flow and injection tests between slim-holes and production size wells. Transfer of slim-hole exploration drilling and reservoir assessment to industry so that slim-hole drilling becomes an accepted method for geothermal exploration.Development and validation of a coupled wellbore-reservoir flow simulator which can be used for reservoir evaluation from slim-hole flow data. Collection of applicable data from commercial wells in existing geothermal fields. Drilling of at least one new slim-hole and use it to evaluate a geothermal reservoir.

C++ is commonly described as an object-oriented programming language because of its strong support for classes with multiple inheritance and polymorphism. However, for a growing community of numerical programmers, an equally important feature of C++ is its support of operator overloading on abstract data types. The authors choose to call the resulting style of programming object-oriented numerics. They believe that much of object-oriented numerics is orthogonal to conventional object-oriented programming. As a case study, they discuss two strong shock physics codes written in C++ that they`re currently developing. These codes use both polymorphic classes (typical of traditional object-oriented programming) and abstract data types with overloaded operators (typical of object-oriented numerics). They believe that C++ translators can generate efficient code for many numerical objects. However, for the important case of smart arrays (which are used to represent matrices and the fields found in partial differential equations) fundamental difficulties remain. The authors discuss the two most important of these, namely, the aliasing ambiguity and the proliferation of temporaries, and present some possible solutions.

At Sandia National Laboratories, the Engineering Sciences Center has made a commitment to integrate Application Visualization System (AVS) into our computing environment as the primary tool for scientific visualization. AVS will be used on an everyday basis by a broad spectrum of users ranging from the occasional computer user to AVS module developers. Additionally, AVS will be used to visualize structured grid, unstructured grid, gridless, 1D, 2D, 3D, steady-state, transient, computational, and experimental data. The following is one user`s perspective on how AVS meets this task. Several examples of how AVS is currently being utilized will be given along with some future directions.

Sandia National Laboratories and the Allied Signal-Kansas City Plant (AS-KCP) are engaged in a program called the Integrated Manufacturing and Design Initiative, or IMDI. The focus of IMDI is ``to develop and implement concurrent engineering processes for the realization of weapon components.`` An explicit part of each of the activities within IMDI is an increased concern for environmental impacts associated with design, and a desire to minimize those impacts through the implementation of Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing, or ECM. These same concerns and desires are shared within the Department of Energy`s Manufacturing Complex, and are gaining strong support throughout US industrial sectors as well. Therefore, the development and application of an environmental life cycle analysis framework, the thrust of this specific effort, is most consistent not only with the overall objectives of IMDI, but with those of DOE and private industry.

GREPOS is a mesh utility program that repositions or modifies the configuration of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional mesh. GREPOS can be used to change the orientation and size of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional mesh; change the material block, nodeset, and sideset IDs; or ``explode`` the mesh to facilitate viewing of the various parts of the model. GREPOS also updates the EXODUS quality assurance and information records to help track the codes and files used to generate the mesh. GREPOS reads and writes two-dimensional and three-dimensional mesh databases in the GENESIS database format; therefore, it is compatible with the preprocessing, postprocessing, and analysis codes in the Sandia National Laboratories Engineering Analysis Code Access System (SEACAS).

This paper discusses a nonideal solution model of the metallic phases of reactor core debris. The metal phase model is based on the Kohler equation for a 37 component system. The binary subsystems are assumed to have subregular interactions. The model is parameterized by comparison to available data and by estimating subregular interactions using the methods developed by Miedama et al. The model is shown to predict phase separation in the metallic phase of core debris. The model also predicts reduced chemical activities of zirconium and tellurium in the metal phase. A model of the oxide phase of core debris is described briefly. The model treats the oxide phase as an associated solution. The chemical activities of solution components are determined by the existence and interactions of species formed from the components.

Pool-boiler reflux receivers have been considered as an alternative to heat pipes for the input of concentrated solar energy to Stirling-cycle engines in dish-Stirling electric generation systems. Fool boilers offer simplicity in desip and fabrication. Pool-boiler solar receiver operation has been demonstrated for short periods of time. However, in order to generate cost-effective electricity, the receiver must operate without significant maintenance for the entire system life. At least one theory explaining incipient-boiling behavior of alkali metals indicates that favorable start-up behavior should deteriorate over time. Many factors affect the stability and startup behavior of the boiling system. Therefore, it is necessary to simulate the full-scale design in every detail as much as possible, including flux levels materials, and operating cycles. On-sun testing is impractical due to the limited test time available. No boiling system has been demonstrated with the current porous boiling enhancement surface and materials for a significant period of time. A test vessel was constructed with a Friction Coatings Inc. porous boiling enhancement surface. The vessel is heated with a quartz lamp array providing about 92 W/Cm{sup 2} peak incident thermal flux. The vessel is charged with NaK-78, which is liquid at room temperature. This allows the elimination of costly electric preheating, both on this test and on full-scale receivers. The vessel is fabricated from Haynes 230 alloy, selected for its high temperature strength and oxidation resistance. The vessel operates at 750{degrees}C around the clock, with a 1/2-hour shutdown cycle to ambient every 8 hours. Temperature data is continually collected. The test design and initial (first 2500 hours and 300 start-ups) test data are presented here. The test is designed to operate for 10,000 hours, and will be complete in the spring of 1994.

The title problem is of particular interest for the analysis of seismic signals arising from underground nuclear explosions. Previous attempts at the solution have indicated that, although cylindrical symmetry exists, conventional methods cannot be applied because of the existence of plane and spherical boundaries. The present paper develops a ray-grouping technique for finding the solution to the title problem. This technique allows the separation of the problem into a series of canonical problems. Each such problem deals with a given boundary condition (e.g., continuity conditions at a material interface). Using this technique, one may follow waves along ray paths. It is easy to identify, after n reflections, (a) rays which arrive simultaneously at a given point and (b) the terms in the solution which need to be included at a given time. It is important to note that a cylindrical coordinate system is not employed, even though the problem is axially symmetric. Instead, the equations are carefully transformed making it possible to use a Cartesian coordinate system. This results in a spectral representation of the solution in terms of algebraic expressions in lieu of Bessel functions.

A plasma-sprayed coating has been developed for the heated surface of rolls used in a new energy-efficient paper drying process, known as"Impulse Drying," which could save the US paper industry an estimated $800 million annually in reduced energy costs. Because impulse drying rolls operate at substantially higher surface temperatures than conventional drying rolls, the thermal properties of the roll surface must be carefully tailored to control energy transfer to the paper and thus prevent sheet delamination or other undesirable effects. To meet this requirement, a plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coating has been developed to control thermal mass, heat transfer, and steam infiltration. A coated test platen significantly outperformed a comparable uncoated steel platen in preliminary experiments with a heavyweight grade of paper on a laboratory-scale impulse drying simulator. Based on these results, the coating was then tested on the roll of a pilot-scale impulse dryer. Compared to conventional wet pressing, linerboard that was impulse dried with the coated test roll showed marked improvements in water removal as well as improved physical properties, such as density and specific elastic modulus. The successful prototype coating design has three plasma-sprayed layers that are deposited sequentially: a nickel alloy bond coat, a thick, 17% porous zirconia thermal barrier, and a thin, 5 to 7% porous zirconia top coat. © 1993 ASM International.

An overview is presented of research that focuses on slow flows of suspensions in which colloidal and inertial effects are negligibly small. We describe nuclear magnetic resonance imaging experiments to quantitatively measure particle migration occurring in concentrated suspensions undergoing a flow with a nonuniform shear rate. These experiments address the issue of how the flow field affects the microstructure of suspensions. In order to understand the local viscosity in a suspension with such a flow-induced, spatially varying concentration, one must know how the viscosity of a homogeneous suspension depends on such variables as solids concentration and particle orientation. We suggest the technique of falling ball viscometry, using small balls, as a method to determine the effective viscosity of a suspension without affecting the original microstructure significantly. We also describe data from experiments in which the detailed fluctuations of a falling ball`s velocity indicate the noncontinuum nature of the suspension and may lead to more insights into the effects of suspension microstructure on macroscopic properties. Finally, we briefly describe other experiments that can be performed in quiescent suspensions (in contrast to the use of conventional shear rotational viscometers) in order to learn more about boundary effects in concentrated suspensions.

Rock mass mechanical properties are important in the design of drifts and ramps. These properties are used in evaluations of the impacts of thermomechanical loading of potential host rock within the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. Representative intact rock and joint mechanical properties were selected for welded and nonwelded tuffs from the currently available data sources. Rock mass qualities were then estimated using both the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (Q) and Geomechanics Rating (RMR) systems. Rock mass mechanical properties were developed based on estimates of rock mass quality, the current knowledge of intact properties, and fracture/joint characteristics. Empirical relationships developed to correlate the rock mass quality indices and the rock mass mechanical properties were then used to estimate the range of rock mass mechanical properties.

Two aspects of the radionuclide source terms used for total-system performance assessment (TSPA) analyses have been reviewed. First, a detailed radionuclide inventory (i.e., one in which the reactor type, decay, and burnup are specified) is compared with the standard source-term inventory used in prior analyses. The latter assumes a fixed ratio of pressurized-water reactor (PWR) to boiling-water reactor (BWR) spent fuel, at specific amounts of burnup and at 10-year decay. TSPA analyses have been used to compare the simplified source term with the detailed one. The TSPA-91 analyses did not show a significant difference between the source terms. Second, the radionuclides used in source terms for TSPA aqueous-transport analyses have been reviewed to select ones that are representative of the entire inventory. It is recommended that two actinide decay chains be included (the 4n+2 ``uranium`` and 4n+3 ``actinium`` decay series), since these include several radionuclides that have potentially important release and dose characteristics. In addition, several fission products are recommended for the same reason. The choice of radionuclides should be influenced by other parameter assumptions, such as the solubility and retardation of the radionuclides.

Brine seepage to 17 boreholes in salt at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) facility horizon has been monitored for several years. A simple model for one-dimensional, radial, darcy flow due to relaxation of ambient pore-water pressure is applied to analyze the field data. Fits of the model response to the data yield estimates of two parameters that characterize the magnitude of the flow and the time scale over which it evolves. With further assumptions, these parameters are related to the permeability and the hydraulic diffusivity of the salt. For those data that are consistent with the model prediction, estimated permeabilities are typically 10{sup {minus}22} to 10{sup {minus}21} m{sup 2}. The relatively small range of inferred permeabilities reflects the observation that the measured seepage fluxes are fairly consistent from hole to hole, of the order of 10{sup {minus}10} m/s. Estimated diffusivities are typically 10{sup {minus}10} to 10{sup {minus}8} m{sup 2}/s. The greater scatter in inferred hydraulic diffusivities is due to the difficulty of matching the idealized model history to the observed evolution of the flows. The data obtained from several of the monitored holes are not consistent with the simple model adopted here; material properties could not be inferred in these cases.

This report is a summary and a guide to core-based stress measurements. It covers anelastic strain recovery, circumferential velocity anistropy, differential strain curve analysis, differential wave velocity analysis, petrographic examination of microcracks, overcoring of archieved core, measurements of the Kaiser effect, strength anisotropy tests, and analysis of coring-induced fractures. The report begins with a discussion of the stored energy within rocks, its release during coring, and the subsequent formation of relaxation microcracks. The interogation or monitoring of these microcracks form the basis for most of the core-based techniques (except for the coring induced fractures). Problems that can arise due to coring or fabric are also presented, Coring induced fractures are discussed in some detail, with the emphasis placed on petal (and petal-centerline) fractures and scribe-knife fractures. For each technique, a short description of the physics and the analysis procedures is given. In addition, several example applications have also been selected (where available) to illustrate pertinent effects. This report is intended to be a guide to the proper application and diagnosis of core-based stress measurement procedures.

This paper describes progress made in the Lost Circulation Technology Development Program over the period March, 1992--April, 1993. The program is sponsored at Sandia National Laboratories by the US Department of Energy, Geothermal division. The goal of the program is to develop technology to reduce lost circulation costs associated with geothermal drilling by 30--50%.

ITS is a powerful and user-friendly software package permitting state-of-the-art Monte Carlo solution of linear time-independent coupled electron/photon radiation transport problems, with or without the presence of macroscopic electric and magnetic fields. It combines operational simplicity and physical accuracy in order to provide experimentalists and theorists alike with a method for the routine but rigorous solution of sophisticated radiation transport problems. Flexibility of construction permits tailoring of the codes to specific applications and extension of code capabilities to more complex applications through simple update procedures.

Intergranular environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) of Ni anode substrates is likely to occur in a large proportion of Li/SOCl{sub 2} cells, but it is not generally detected because in the majority of cases it does not lead to catatrophic failure. However, EAC could become a problem for applications requiring continuous power with high reliability for 10--15 years. In the present work, we determine why simple galvanic couple constant-strain tests do not produce cracking, and introduce a constant strain test that does produce cracking. Objective of this investigation is to determine the stress threshold for cracking as a function of Ni composition and microstructure.

Ever since PRO-ENGINEER has become a dominating CAD package available to the public, some of us have been saying, ``Gee, if only I could export my geometry to a stress analysis program without having to recreate any of the details already created, wouldn`t that be spectacular?`` Well, much to the credit of the major stress and thermal analysis software vendors, some of them have been listening to design engineers like me badger them to furnish a seamless interface between PRO and their stress analysis programs. The down side of this problem is the fact that a lot of problems still exist with most of the vendors and their interfaces. I want to discuss the interfaces that I feel are currently ``State of the Art``, and how they are developing and the future for finally arriving at a transparent procedure that an engineer at a workstation can utilize in his or her design process. In years past, engineers would develop a design and changes would evolve based on intuition, or somebody else`s critical evaluation. Then the design would be forwarded to the production group, or the stress analysis group for further evaluation and analysis. Maybe data from a preliminary prototype would be collected and an evaluation report made. All of this took time and increased the cost of the item to be manufactured. Today, the engineer must assume responsibility for design and functional capability early on in the design process, if for no other reason than costs associated with diverse channels of critiquing. For that reason, one place to enhance the design process is to have the ability to do preliminary stress and thermal analysis during the initial design phase. This is both cost and time effective. But, as I am sure you are aware, this has been easier said than done.

In this paper, we characterize a visualization environment that has been designed and prototyped for a large community of scientists and engineers, with an emphasis in superconducting-based computational mechanics. The proposed environment makes use of a visualization server concept to provide effective, interactive visualization to the user`s desktop. Benefits of using the visualization server approach are discussed. Some thoughts regarding desirable features for visualization server hardware architectures are also addressed. A brief discussion of the software environment is included. The paper concludes by summarizing certain observations which we have made regarding the implementation of such visualization environments.

Spray systems in nuclear reactor containments are described. The scrubbing of aerosols from containment atmospheres by spray droplets is discussed. Uncertainties are identified in the prediction of spray performance when the sprays are used as a means for decontaminating containment atmospheres. A mechanistic model based on current knowledge of the physical phenomena involved in spray performance is developed. With this model, a quantitative uncertainty analysis of spray performance is conducted using a Monte Carlo method to sample 20 uncertain quantities related to phenomena of spray droplet behavior as well as the initial and boundary conditions expected to be associated with severe reactor accidents. Results of the uncertainty analysis are used to construct simplified expressions for spray decontamination coefficients. Two variables that affect aerosol capture by water droplets are not treated as uncertain; they are (1) {open_quote}Q{close_quote}, spray water flux into the containment, and (2) {open_quote}H{close_quote}, the total fall distance of spray droplets. The choice of values of these variables is left to the user since they are plant and accident specific. Also, they can usually be ascertained with some degree of certainty. The spray decontamination coefficients are found to be sufficiently dependent on the extent of decontamination that the fraction of the initial aerosol remaining in the atmosphere, m{sub f}, is explicitly treated in the simplified expressions. The simplified expressions for the spray decontamination coefficient are given. Parametric values for these expressions are found for median, 10 percentile, and 90 percentile values in the uncertainty distribution for the spray decontamination coefficient. Examples are given to illustrate the utility of the simplified expressions to predict spray decontamination of an aerosol-laden atmosphere.

This document provides an overview of those activities that are normally performed by Sandia National Laboratories to provide nuclear weapon reliability evaluations for the Department of Energy. These reliability evaluations are first provided as a prediction of the attainable stockpile reliability of a proposed weapon design. Stockpile reliability assessments are provided for each weapon type as the weapon is fielded and are continuously updated throughout the weapon stockpile life. The reliability predictions and assessments depend heavily on data from both laboratory simulation and actual flight tests. An important part of the methodology are the opportunities for review that occur throughout the entire process that assure a consistent approach and appropriate use of the data for reliability evaluation purposes.

Bench-scale tests were carried out in support of the design of a second-generation 75-kW{sub t} reflux pool-boiler solar receiver. The receiver will be made from Haynes Alloy 230 and will contain the sodium-potassium alloy NaK-78. The bench-scale tests used quartz-lamp-heated boilers to screen candidate boiling-stabilization materials and methods at temperatures up to 750{degree}C. Candidates that provided stable boiling were tested for hot-restart behavior. Poor stability was obtained with single 1/4-inch diameter patches of powdered metal hot-press-sintered onto the wetted side of the heat-input area. Laser-drilled and electric-discharge-machined cavities in the heated surface also performed poorly. Small additions of xenon, and heated-surface tilt out of the vertical dramatically improved poor boiling stability; additions of helium or oxygen did not. The most stable boiling was obtained when the entire heat-input area was covered by a powdered-metal coating. The effect of heated-area size was assessed for one coating: at low incident fluxes, when even this coating performed poorly, increasing the heated-area size markedly improved boiling stability. Good hot-restart behavior was not observed with any candidate, although results were significantly better with added xenon in a boiler shortened from 3 to 2 feet. In addition to the screening tests, flash-radiography imaging of metal-vapor bubbles during boiling was attempted. Contrary to the Cole-Rohsenow correlation, these bubble-size estimates did not vary with pressure; instead they were constant, consistent with the only other alkali metal measurements, but about 1/2 their size.