A panel research experiment (PRE) was designed, built, and tested as a scaled-down model of a direct absorption receiver (DAR). The PRE is a 3-MWt DAR experiment that will allow flow testing with molten nitrate salt and provide a test bed for DAR testing with actual solar heating. In a solar central receiver system DAR, the heat absorbing fluid (a blackened molten nitrate salt) flows in a thin film down a vertical panel (rather than through tubes as in conventional receiver designs) and absorbs the concentrated solar flux directly. The ability of the flowing salt film to absorb the incident solar flux depends on the panel design, hydraulic and thermal fluid flow characteristics, and fluid blackener properties. Testing of the PRE is being conducted to demonstrate the engineering feasibility of the DAR concept. The DAR concept is being investigated because it offers numerous potential performance and economic advantages for production of electricity when compared to other solar receiver designs. The PRE utilized a 1-m wide by 6-m long absorber panel. The salt flow tests are being used to investigate component performance, panel deformations, and fluid stability. Salt flow testing has demonstrated that all the DAR components work as designed and that there are fluid stability issues that need to be addressed. Future solar testing will include steady-state and transient experiments, thermal loss measurements, responses to severe flux and temperature gradients and determination of peak flux capability, and optimized operation. In this paper, we describe the design, construction, and some preliminary flow test results of the Panel Research Experiment.
An obvious group of applications for HTS materials is microwave and millimeter wave circuitry. Besides low loss, the unique features of these materials, such as flux flow, can be exploited. We have been concentrating on the Tl-Ca-Ba-Cu-O family of materials. The film growth techniques, lithographic processing methods and the characteristics of several devices we have developed will be presented. These devices include a flux flow-based transistor with demonstrated operation at over 35 GHz, real gain in a 50 ω system and potentially useful non-linearities and impedance levels. A number of passive microwave components are under investigation to form a more complete HTS microwave technology group.
Proceedings of the Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference
Arnold Jr., Charles
The lifetimes of zinc/bromine flow batteries may be limited by the durability of components which are fabricated from thermoplastic materials and exposed to bromine-containing electrolytes. Examples of such components are flowframes and carbon-filled plastic electrodes. In early versions of the zinc/bromine battery, flowframes and electrodes were made from copolymers of propylene and ethylene. In later versions of the zinc/bromine battery, these materials were replaced by poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and polyethyle (flowframes) and polyethylene as the plastic component in electrodes. We found that carbon-plastic electrodes made from polypropylene rich copolymers were swelled and chemically attacked by the bromine-containing electrolytes. As a result, warpage occurred and the battery failed. On the basis of accelerated aging studies we estimated the lifetimes of the electrode and its polypropylene based component to be 96 and 10 months, respectively. The enhanced stability of the electrode was attributed to the presence of carbon which is known to be an antioxidant for thermoxidation. In accelerated exposure tests, bromine-containing electrolytes were also found to attack and leach out the additives used in PVC flowframes. PVC itself was only slightly degraded by the electrolyte. A commercial fluorocarbon, TefzelR, which contains no additives, was determined to be stable in bromine-containing electrolytes and is recommended as a replacement for PVC. Currently, aging studies on carbonfilled polyethylene electrodes are in progress.
The state-of-the-art of parabolic dish solar concentrators is the faceted, glass-metal dish. The mass-production costs of glass-metal dishes may be high because they do not incorporate the innovations of design and materials developed over the last eight years. Therefore, Sandia National Laboratories has undertaken to develop two stretched-membrane parabolic dish concentrators for the Department of Energy's Solar Thermal Program. These solar concentrators are being designed for integration with an advanced solar receiver and a Stirling engine/generator in a 25-kWe power production unit. The first dish, which builds on the successful design of the stretched-membrane heliostats, is to be a low-risk, near-term commercial solar concentrator. This solar concentrator comprises twelve large, 3.6-meter diameter, stretched-membrane facets that are formed into parabolic shapes either with a large vacuum or by preforming the thin membranes plastically. The focal length-to-diameter ratios (f/D) for the facets are about 3.0, relatively large for a dish but much lower than heliostats where they typically range from 50 to 100. Two contractors are currently fabricating facets for this dish, and a third contractor is designing the facet support structure and pedestal for the dish. The second stretched-membrane concentrator is a single-element monolithic dish with an f/D of 0.6. The dish is shaped into a parabola by plastically yielding the membrane using a combination of uniform and nonuniform loading. Initial measurements of the of the dish indicate that it has a slope error of 3.6 milliradian (one standard deviation) relative to a perfect parabola. In this paper, the designs of the two stretched-membrane dishes are analyzed using the computer code CIRCE to model the optical performance of the concentrators and a thermal model, which includes conduction, convection, and radiation heat transfer, to calculate the thermal losses from the cavity solar receivers. The solar collector efficiency, defined as the product of the optical efficiency of the collector and the thermal efficiency of the receiver, is optimized for comparing the performance of several solar concentrator configurations. Ten facet arrangements for the faceted stretched-membrane dish and the single-element stretched-membrane dish are modeled and their performances compared with that of a state-of-the art glass-metal dish. Last, the initial designs of these two stretched-membrane dishes are described along with the results of preliminary performance measurements on their respective optical elements.
A three-dimensional finite element structural analysis of the Intermediate Scale Borehole Test at the WIPP has been performed. The analysis provides insight into how a relatively new excavation in a creeping medium responds when introduced into an existing pillar which has been undergoing stress redistribution for 5.7 years. The stress field of the volume of material in the immediate vicinity of the borehole changes significantly when the hole is drilled. Closure of the hole is predicted to be larger in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction, leading to an ovaling of the hole. The relatively high stresses near the hole persist even at the end of the simulation, 2 years after the hole is drilled.
As part of the Yucca Mountain Project, our research program to develop and validate conceptual models for flow and transport through unsaturated fractured rock integrates fundamental physical experimentation with conceptual model formulation and mathematical modeling. Our research is directed toward developing and validating macroscopic, continuum-based models and supporting effective property models because of their widespread utility within the context of this project. Success relative to the development and validation of effective property models is predicted on a firm understanding of the basic physics governing flow through fractured media, specifically in the areas of unsaturated flow and transport in a single fracture and fracture-matrix interaction.
Construction of well-posed scenarios for the range of conditions possible at any proposed repository site is a critical first step to assessing total system performance. Event tree construction is the method that is being used to develop potential failure scenarios for the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. An event tree begins with an initial event or condition. Subsequent events are listed in a sequence, leading eventually to release of radionuclides to the accessible environment. Ensuring the validity of the scenarios requires iteration between problems constructed using scenarios contained in the event tree sequence, experimental results, and numerical analyses. Details not adequately captured within the tree initially may become more apparent as a result of analyses. To illustrate this process, we discuss the iterations used to develop numerical analyses for PACE-90 using basaltic igneous activity and human-intrusion event trees.
Three series of measurements were performed on oriented cores of several Yucca Mountain tuffs to determine the importance of mechanical anisotropy in the intact rock. Outcrop and drillhole samples were tested for acoustic velocities, linear compressibilities, and strengths in different orientations. The present data sets are preliminary, but suggest the tuffs are transversely anisotropic for these mechanical properties. The planar fabric that produces the anisotropy is believed to be predominantly the result of the preferred orientation of shards and pumice fragments. The potential of significant anisotropy has direct relevance to the formulation of constitutive formulation and the analyses of an underground opening within Yucca Mountain.
Yucca Mountain, located in southwestern Nevada, is the site for a proposed high-level nuclear waste repository. The hydrologic units at Yucca Mountain appear to have quite different material characteristics. Additionally, measurements show that the material properties within each hydrologic unit vary significantly. Rock core samples taken from this site indicate that the volcanic tuff is highly fractured and nonhomogeneous. Modeling studies were conducted to determine the effects of material heterogeneities on the flow of water through rock. Multiple numerical calculations were made using random variations in spatial distributions of material properties. The results of these material variations on flow resistance, mechanical dispersion, and channeling were determined. Computed results were compared with a linear analytical model. Good agreement was obtained in the majority of the flow cases investigated.
Under the sponsorship of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) is developing a performance assessment methodology for the analysis of long-term disposal and isolation of high-level nuclear wastes (HLW) in alternative geologic media. As part of this exercise, SNL created a conceptualization of ground-water flow and radionuclide transport in the far field of a hypothetical HLW repository site located in unsaturated, fractured tuff formations. This study provides a foundation for the development of conceptual mathematical, and numerical models to be used in this performance assessment methodology. This conceptualization is site specific in terms of geometry, the regional ground-water flow system, stratigraphy, and structure in that these are based on information from Yucca Mountain located on the Nevada Test Site. However, in terms of processes in unsaturated, fractured, porous media, the model is generic. This report also provides a review and evaluation of previously proposed conceptual models of unsaturated and saturated flow and solute transport. This report provides a qualitative description of a hypothetical HLW repository site in fractured tuff. However, evaluation of the current knowledge of flow and transport at Yucca Mountain does not yield a single conceptual model. Instead, multiple conceptual models are possible given the existing information.
Sandia National Laboratories, as a participant in the Yucca Mountain Project, administered by the Nevada Operations Office of the US Department of Energy, is in the process of evaluating a proposed site for geologic disposal of high-level nuclear wastes in the volcanic tuffs at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. In a repository, loads will be imposed on the rock mass as a result of excavation of the openings and heating of the rock by the nuclear waste. In an attempt to gain a better understanding of the thermal, mechanical, and thermomechanical response of fractured tuff, a series of experiments have been performed, and measurements have been taken in the welded and nonwelded tuffs at the G-Tunnel underground test facility at Rainier Mesa, Nevada. Comparisons between measured and calculated data of the G-Tunnel High-Pressure Flatjack Development Experiment are presented in this investigation. Calculated results were obtained from two dimensional finite element analysis using a recently developed compliant-joint rock-mass model. The purpose of this work was to assess the predictive capability of the model based on limited material property data for the G-Tunnel welded tuff. The results of this evaluation are discussed.
A new facility is being constructed for the Primary Standards Laboratory (PSL) at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Features of the final design are at the state of the art and were developed over a number of years of study and design effort. Based on experience and evaluation of anticipated needs, a philosophy was established for the design and followed through the effort. A temperature control limit of {plus minus}0.01{degrees}C is required for some of the dimensional measuring spaces; isolation from vibration and electromagnetic interference (EMI) are required for all measurement spaces. The requirements for the facility and the principal design features are presented. 4 refs.
Two devices or tools are described which can be used to evaluate the ability of chip passivation or postbond coatings to protect a Si device from moisture penetration and resultant Al corrosion. The first device is a test chip with a number of Al triple track and other corrosion measurement structures. The authors present HAST data to illustrate the use of this chip in measuring failure rates and determining failure modes. The second device is a rugged, moisture sensitive, porous Si capacitor, which is compatible with high temperature passivation and postbond IC processing. Data are presented showing the stability of the device relative to that of an anodized Al moisture sensor and showing the variation of capacitance with moisture. Data are also presented showing that the capacitor can respond to a point source of water located over the porous region but remotely from the top electrode.
While the backscattered field as a function of angular incidence of a plane wave for dihedral corner reflectors having right, acute, and obtuse angles has been studied extensively, it has generally been stated that the RCS of a 90{degree} dihedral corner reflector oriented for maximum backscattered return to a radar is given by the expression {sigma} = 8{pi}a{sup 2}b{sup 2}/{lambda}{sup 2}. The intent of this paper is to present experimental results which demonstrate that not only does the RCS of a dihedral corner reflector oriented for maximum backscattered return differ significantly from this value, but that high range resolution measurements of the dihedral can serve to identify the dominant contributors to the backscattered field. Further, inclusion of these backscattered components in an analytical calculation will allow an accurate calibration model to be generated. 6 refs., 8 figs.
Computer-aided molecular design (CAMD) has been used to define the structural conformations and intramolecular interactions of bituminous coal models. Molecular dynamics studies have produced representative minimum energy conformations for several published molecular models. These studies show the importance of van der Waals (vdW) and hydrogen-bonding interactions as cohesive forces responsible for the three-dimensional (folded) structures of the coal methods. Calculations on pairs of small ring compounds representative of those found in coal clusters demonstrate that aromatics exhibit stronger vdW interactions compared with saturated ring compounds. Correlations of the vdW interactions compared with saturated ring compounds. Correlations of vdW interactions with boiling points also show differences between aromatics and saturated rings. 23 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
Large computational physics codes are increasing in complexity as customers demand improved physics packages and more flexible algorithms and problem specifications. It is not uncommon for a code to exceed one hundred thousand lines of FORTRAN, and some codes are much larger. This poses a considerable challenge for program management. The Computational Physics Research and Development Division at Sandia National Laboratories is aggressively pursuing C++ as the language of choice for new coding efforts. We feel that we cannot meet the stringent customer requirements and delivery schedules we now face with either FORTRAN77 or Fortran-90. 8 refs., 3 tabs.
Cleaning, plating, and painting are chemically intensive processes that involve toxic and potentially carcinogenic materials that pose a significant threat to the environment. EPA/OSHA, the Clean Air Act, and the Montreal Protocol are forcing development of environmentally sound materials and processes. A review is given of the materials and processes that are under investigation that will minimize the environmental impact of these operations. 7 refs.
The Recirculating Linear Accelerator (RLA) is returning to operation with a new relativistic electron beam (REB) injector and a modified accelerating cavity. Upon completion of our pulsed-power test program, we will capture the injected beam on an Ion Focussed Regime (IFR) guiding channel in either a spiral or a closed racetrack drift tube. The relativistic beam will recirculate for four passes through two accelerating cavities, in phase with the ringing cavity voltage, and increase to 8--12 MeV before being extracted. We designed the METGLAS ribbon-wound core, inductively isolated, four-stage injector to produce beam parameters of 4 MeV. 10--20 kA, and 40--55 ns FWHM. The three-line radial cavity is being modified to improve the 1-MV accelerating pulse shape while an advanced cavity design study is in progress. This is a continuation of the Sandia National Laboratory program to develop compact, high-voltage gradient, linear induction accelerators. The RLA concept is based on guiding an injected REB with an IFR channel. This channel is formed from a plasma created with a low energy electron beam inside a beam line containing about 2 {times} 10{sup {minus}4} Torr of argon. The REB is injected onto the IFR channel and is transported down the beamline through a water dielectric accelerating cavity based on the ET-2 design. If the round-tip path of the beam matches the period of the cavity, the REB can be further accelerated by the ringing waveform on every subsequent pass. We have installed the new REB injector because we need a higher amplitude, longer duration., flat-topped pulse shape with a colder beam than that produced by the previous injector. We made extensive use of computer simulations in the form of network solver and electrostatic field stress analysis codes to aid in the design and modifications for the new RLA. The pulsed-power performance of the RLA injector and cavity and the associated driving hardware are discussed.
A major center with emphasis on validation of nondestructive inspection techniques for aging aircraft, the Aging Aircraft NDI Development and Demonstration Center (AANC), has been funded by the FAA at Sandia National Laboratories. The Center has been assigned specific tasks in developing techniques for the nondestructive inspection of static engine parts, assessing inspection reliability (POD experiments), developing test beds for nondestructive inspection validation, maintaining a FAA library of characterized aircraft structural test specimens, and leasing a hangar to house a high flight cycle transport aircraft for use as a full scale test bed. 3 refs.
This paper describes procedure used to produce a test-validated finite element model of a three-stage solid propellant booster system. A series of system-level modal tests were performed for several inert and live propellant configurations. Test-analysis models (TAMs) were used to provide pretest support of the live propellant system tests. Confidence in the model was established by a test-analysis correlation procedure. Optimization techniques were used to determine appropriate model updates. 11 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.
Soldering is often referred to as a mature technology whose fundamentals were established long ago. Yet a multitude of soldering problems persist, not the least of which are related to the wetting and spreading of solder. The Buff-Goodrich approach to thermodynamics of capillarity is utilized in a review of basic wetting principles. These thermodynamics allow a very compact formulation of capillary phenomena which is used to calculate various meniscus shapes and wetting forces. These shapes and forces lend themselves to experimental techniques, such as the sessile drop and the Wilhelmy plate, for measuring useful surface and interfacial energies. The familiar equations of Young, Wilhelmy, and Neumann are all derived with this approach. The force-energy duality of surface energy is discussed and the force method is developed and used to derive the Herring relations for anisotropic surfaces. The importance of contact angle hysteresis which results from surface roughness and chemical inhomogeneity is presented and Young's equation is modified to reflect these ever present effects. Finally, an analysis of wetting with simultaneous metallurigical reaction is given and used to discuss solder wetting phenomena. 60 refs., 13 figs.
Titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) is a known photocatalyst for solar detoxification of water containing organic contaminants including PCB's and dioxins. Unfortunately, the UV light used by the photocatalyst only comprises about 4% of the strong spectrum. Metalloporphyrins strongly absorb in the visible and near infrared region. Using visible light, we have investigated Ni(II) uroporphyrin (NiUroP), Sn(IV)Cl{sub 2} uroporphyrin (SnUroP) and Sn(IV)Cl{sub 2} tetrakis(p-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin (SnTCPP) as possible enhancers of destruction of a model organic compound, salicylic acid (SA), by means of photosensitization of colloidal TiO{sub 2} particles. All three porphyrins are found to adsorb reversibly onto the colloidal TiO{sub 2} upon variation of pH. Adsorption of porphyrins results in the increased colloidal stability of fine TiO{sub 2} particles in the pH range 5--8. While NiUroP on TiO{sub 2} does not show any enhancement of photodestruction, the adsorption of SnUroP increases the destruction rate compared to that of the bare TiO{sub 2} surface. The effect of ambient oxygen on the observed photolability of the Sn porphyrins and enhancement of photodestruction of SA was also investigated. SnTCPP does not photodecompose upon illumination either in the presence or absence of TiO{sub 2}, but neither does it bind to the photocatalyst at pH 6. At pH 4.5 it adsorbs onto TiO{sub 2} but it also photodecompose at this pH. We are attempting to stabilize the adsorbed porphyrins by adding suitable peripheral substituents onto the porphyrin macrocycle. 27 refs., 6 figs.
The frequency response of the Faraday rotation in fiber current sensors is computed and measured for sensor coils of noncircular cross section and with displaced coil and conductor axes. Resonances are observed at higher frequencies with magnitudes approaching that of the low frequency response. Narrowband current sensors at frequencies above 100 MHz are reported. 7 refs., 4 figs.
We have designed and tested a system for applying a ramped vertical magnetic field for turning the electron beam in the IFR Recirculating Linear Accelerator. The field is highly uniform over two Gaussian beam radii, and can be adjusted for a large radial gradient for increased energy bandwidth. The system includes shielding of the current-carrying rods to protect the pulser from REB induced fields and to reduce the effect of REB images on the beam transport to negligible levels. The system has been tested on the IBEX accelerator with > 95% peak current transport and > 90% charge transport through a 90{degree} turn. 2 refs., 6 figs.
The cleaning efficiency of five alternative solvents for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and chlorohydrocarbons (CHCs) used in the manufacture of certain electronic components was studied. These solvents were evaluated in the first phase of a two-phase program to remove various manufacturing contaminants such as oils, greases, mold release, and body oils. Results have shown that EXXATE 1000 and EC-7 were able to effectively remove these contaminants from copper board substrates. 4 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.
Eight Gulf Coast salt domes have emerged as candidate sites for possible expansion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to one billion barrels. Two existing SPR sites, Big Hill, TX, and Weeks Island, LA, are among the eight that are being considered. To achieve the billion barrel capacity, some 25 new leached caverns would be constructed, and would probably be established in two separate sites in Louisiana and Texas because of distribution requirements. Geotechnical factors involved in siting studies have centered first and foremost on cavern integrity and environmental acceptability, once logistical suitability is realized. Other factors have involved subsidence and flooding potential, loss of coastal marshlands, seismicity, brine injection well utility, and co-use by multiple operators. 5 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs.
Hertel, E.S.; Chhabildas, L.C.; Yarrington, L.; Hill, S.A.
A series of numerical simulations has been performed using the multi-dimensional hydrodynamics code CTH to computationally determine a ballistic limit for a Whipple bumper shield. The ballistic limit is generally characterized as a critical diameter such that particle diameters greater than the ballistic limit will generate debris clouds that will penetrate the rear wall and particle diameters less than the ballistic limit will not. The particular shield design used for these analyses is defined as a 1.27 mm bumper, a 102 mm void space, and a 3.18 mm rear wall. Since debris shape is expected to be a contributing factor in the impact phenomena, two different shapes are considered for the numerical simulations. The particle shapes considered were flat plates of constant 1 mm thickness and varying diameters and spheres of varying diameters. The critical diameter (ballistic limit) was determined over the velocity range 4 km/s to 15 km/s for both geometries. 13 refs., 2 figs.
In response to a request from the US Government, Sandia National Laboratories has developed an instrumentation system to monitor the conditions along an underwater, rotating drive shaft. It was desired to study the structural integrity and signal acquisition capabilities of the Shaft Instrumentation System (SIS) in an environment which closely simulates the actual deployment conditions. In this manner, the SIS response to ill-defined conditions, such as flow field turbulence or temperature fluctuations, could be determined. An Underwater Spin Facility was developed in order to verify the operation of the instrumentation and telemetric data acquisition system in a combined environment of external pressure, transient axial loads and centrifugal force. The main components of the Underwater Spin Facility are a large, five foot diameter pressure vessel, a dynamically sealed shaft, a drive train assembly and a shaker table interface which is used to apply the axial loads. This paper presents a detailed description of the design of the Underwater Spin Facility. It also discusses the SIS certification test program in order to demonstrate the successful performance of the Underwater Spin Facility. 8 refs., 10 figs.
The Magma Energy Program is a speculative endeavor regarding practical utility of electrical power production from the thermal energy which reside in magma. The systematic investigation has identified an number of research areas which have application to the utilization of magma energy and to the field of geothermal energy. Eight topics were identified which involve thermal processes and which are areas for the application of the techniques of numerical simulation. These areas are: (1) two-phase flow of the working fluid in the wellbore, (2) thermodynamic cycles for the production of electrical power, (3) optimization of the entire system, (4) solidification and fracturing of the magma caused by the energy extraction process, (5) heat transfer and fluid flow within an open, direct-contact, heat-exchanger, (6) thermal convection in the overlying geothermal region, (7) thermal convection within the magma body, and (8) induced natural convection near the thermal energy extraction device. Modeling issues have been identified which will require systematic investigation in order to develop the most appropriate strategies for numerical simulation. It appears that numerical simulations will be of ever increasing importance to the study of geothermal processes as the size and complexity of the systems of interest increase. It is anticipated that, in the future, greater emphasis will be placed on the numerical simulation of large-scale, three-dimensional, transient, mixed convection in viscous flows and porous media. Increased computational capabilities, e.g.; massively parallel computers, will allow for the detailed study of specific processes in fractured media, non-Darcy effects in porous media, and non-Newtonian effects. 23 refs., 13 figs., 1 tab.
Sensitivity studies have been conducted for the gas release from the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) using the TOUGH2 computer code with performance measures of peak repository pressure and gas migration distance at 1000 years. The effect of formation permeabilities including impermeable halite, two-phase characteristic curves including different models and residual saturations, and other variations was studied to determine their impact on the performance of the WIPP repository. 15 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.
The standard operating mode produces bremsstrahlung with an endpoint energy of about 18 MeV. This paper describes a new mode with a 8.5 MeV endpoint energy and the same standard mode pulse characteristics achieved by operating only half of the accelerator at full charge with the advantage of minimal setup time. An extension of the new half-voltage mode is to use the other half of the accelerator for delivering a second pulse at a later time with the same technique. The double pulse mode is ideal for beam generation which requires a long interpulse time in the millisecond regime. The beam characteristics of the two half-voltage pulses are nearly identical with the nominal radiation pulse full width at half maximum of 21 ns and 10--90 risetime of 11 ns recorded by the same Compton diode radiation monitors on instruments triggered 30 ms apart.
A series of shock-loading experiments on a nitrocellulose-based (NC-based) gun propellant was conducted using a light-gas gun. The intent of this work was to characterize the shock sensitivity of the gun propellant. The initial objectives were to obtained Hugoniot data and to investigate the pressure threshold at which a reaction initiates. For the Hugoniot/reaction threshold experiments, 1/4-length grains of propellant were mounted on the front of projectiles and were impacted onto either polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), fused silica or sapphire targets at velocities as high as 1.4 mm/{mu}s, the upper limit of the gun. The particle velocity data obtained from the VISAR (Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector) records for the propellant fit a Hugoniot curve found in the Russian literature for a double-base, NC-nitroglycerine propellant. The density initial bulk sound velocity, and empirical parameter S values for the gun propellant were 1.63 g/cm{sup 3}, 1.70 mm/{mu}s and 1.85, respectively. VISAR data were also used to obtained the ignition threshold pressures of the gun propellant. Reactions were observed at impact pressures of 2.6 GPa and above. 5 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.
We report on the use of a deposition/etch approach to the loss of selectivity problem, using high activity fluorine chemistries in the etch step. Proof-of-concept experiments were initially performed in a hot wall system, the excellent results obtained lead us to prove out the concept in a commercially available cold wall Genus reactor. We observed that WF{sub 6} is ineffective as an etchant of W. The technique has been able to produce perfectly selective depositions 1 micron thick in both hot wall, and cold wall, systems. Sheet resistivity values and film morphology are good. 9 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.
This paper's main result is an O(({radical}{bar m}lgm)(n lg n) + mlg n)-time algorithm for computing the kth smallest entry in each row of an m {times} n totally monotone array. (A two-dimensional A = a(i,j) is totally monotone if for all i{sub 1} < i{sub 2} and j{sub 1} < j{sup 2}, < a(i{sub 1},j{sub 2}) implies a(i{sub 2},j{sub 1})). For large values of k (in particular, for k=(n/2)), this algorithm is significantly faster than the O(k(m+n))-time algorithm for the same problem due to Kravets and Park. An immediate consequence of this result is an O(n{sup 3/2} lg{sup 2}n)-time algorithm for computing the kth nearest neighbor of each vertex of a convex n-gon. In addition to the main result, we also give an O(n lg m)-time algorithm for computing an approximate median in each row of an m {times} n totally monotone array; this approximate median is an entry whose rank in its row lies between (n/4) and (3n/4) {minus} 1. 20 refs., 3 figs.
This paper presents a practical algorithm for partitioning a program into sequential threads. A thread is a sequence of instructions, possibly including branches, which can be scheduled as an indivisible unit on a von Neumann-like processor. The partitioning algorithm is designed for a non-strict (but not lazy) language with non-strict data structures and side-effects. The primary target of the proposed compilation strategy is large-scale parallel systems which rely on multithreading at the processor level to tolerate long communication latencies. As such, the algorithm incorporates a mechanism to balance the desire to maximize thread length with the desire to expose useful high-level parallelism. Although this paper focuses on non-strict semantics in conjunction with a parallel multithreaded architecture, the partitioning analysis is equally well suited (with appropriate simplifications) to a non-strict language on a sequential machine or a strict language on a parallel multithreaded machine. Our analysis is accomplished without compromising non-strict semantics and without creating dependencies which sacrifice useful high-level parallelism. It can also exploit known dependency information. The analysis starts with a traditional dataflow graph and partitions it into a set of interrelated threads. 16 refs., 9 figs.
The Silver Bullet Skunk Works, and experimental product realization team at AT T Consumer Products, designed and shipped a new telephone answering system to market in eight months, approximately one year faster than previous AT T products of similar complexity. This paper outlines the Design for X'' (DFX) philosophies and the team structure that enabled the group to accelerate the Product Realization Process. The Answering System 1300, developed in record time, was a successful product that met its schedule and cost objectives, and sold out its entire high-volume manufacturing run. Lessons learned from the Skunk Works experience have since been applied to other development activities in AT T Consumer Products. 3 figs.
Increasingly stringent air emission standards in various states has dictated the elimination of engineering finishes which are derived from high volatile organic compound (VOC) paint chemistries. In July 1989, Allied-Signal, Inc., Kansas City Division, Kansas City, Missouri, voluntarily closed its paint facility, due to non-compliance with local air emission standards. The following details the materials selection and evaluations which led to current processing using low VOC paints, which permitted the Allied Signal, Inc., paint facility to achieve compliance and resume operations. 1 tab.
We have developed a model which utilizes a probabilistic failure criterion to describe intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC). A two-dimensional array of elements representing a section of a pipe wall is analyzed, with each element in the array representing a segment of grain boundary. The failure criterion is applied repetitively to each element of the array that is exposed to the interior of the pipe (i.e. the corrosive fluid) until that element dissolves, thereby exposing the next element. A number of environmental, mechanical, and materials factors have been incorporated into the model, including: (1) the macroscopic applied stress profile, (2) the stress history, (3) the extent and grain-to- grain distribution of carbide sensitization levels, which can be applied to a subset of elements comprising a grain boundary, and (4) a data set containing IGSCC crack growth rates as function of applied stress intensity and sensitization level averaged over a large population of grains. The latter information was obtained from the literature for AISI 304 stainless steel under light water nuclear reactor primary coolant environmental conditions. The resulting crack growth simulations are presented and discussed. 14 refs., 10 figs.
Edge finishing and deburring of parts is a tedious operation that should be automated. This paper describes the use of direct-drive XY table in the automated edge finishing of machined parts. The table is faster and more accurate than an articulated robot, thus where planar motion in a small work area is sufficient it is preferable. Hybrid force/position control is used to guide the table (with mounted workpiece) past the tool and maintain the contact force at the desired level. A six-axis force sensor on the tool spindle is used to measure contact force. We identified a dynamic model for the table from experimental measurements and used this model to design a force/position controller for the table. An example application of the table in the deburring of an actual jet engine turbine hub is presented. 5 refs., 12 figs.
This paper justifies the need for and describes studies of brine chemistry under way for German and American high- and intermediate-level radioactive waste repositories in domal and bedded salt formation. In particular, it discusses the origin and composition of fluids that could enter these repositories and some sampling, modeling, and statistical techniques used to characterize them. 24 refs., 4 figs., 5 tabs.
Historically, characterization of fluid flow and transport of soluble elements in the unsaturated, or vadose, zone has been limited. Until recently, most of the interest in transport of water-soluble pollutants has been focused on aquifer contamination, i.e. saturated conditions. Vadose zone investigations are hampered by a lack of appropriate technology for the necessary measurements; little work has been done to relate laboratory measurements to field-scale effects; and development and validation of computational models has been limited, in part through lack of data. We describe here results of a small-scale field experiment in which existing technology is used to quantify fluid movement following controlled infiltration. 6 refs., 2 figs.
Sandia National Laboratories has considerable experience with video systems used for alarm assessment. Until recently the camera of choice for lighted security applications was the monochrome vacuum tube video camera. However, with recent advancements in the solid state imager technology, the integration of tube cameras in security systems may soon become obsolete. The sensitivity and resolution of solid state imagers is approaching that of vacuum tube imagers. In addition, solid state cameras have a relatively long lifetime and require little maintenance. Initial equipment costs are similar. Due to the increased performance of solid state imagers, Sandia has established an ongoing program to evaluate these cameras. The evaluations are performed mainly to verify manufacturers' specifications for resolution, sensitivity, and signal to noise ratio, which are the critical camera parameters that should be considered when designing video systems. This report defines these parameters, describes the test procedures, and provides test results. 1 figs., 2 tabs.
Zeolite-based tritium lamps are a possible alternative to traditional tritium gas tube light sources. Rare earth luminescing centers may be ion-exchanged into zeolite matrices. Close proximity of tritium atoms to the rare earths can be provided by highly tritiated water sorbed within the pore structure of the zeolite aluminosilicate matrix. Zeolites are optically clear and radiation stable. Light outputs from tritium-loaded zeolites are shown here to exceed 2{mu}W/cm{sup 2}, with good stability. Procedures for obtaining light sources are presented and results are discussed. The possible use of these luminescent materials as process monitors for zeolite absorption columns in tritium service is also discussed. 13 refs., 3 figs.
To provide a method for addressing the uncertainty associated with conceptual models developed for performance assessment of waste management sites, probabilistic networks have been applied to the conceptual model development process. The application of probabilistic networks provides a graphical representation of the reasoning process that goes into developing conceptual models. Probability tables associated with decision points in the process provide a quantification of the uncertainty that is associated with the resulting conceptual models. To support the development of this probabilistic network, a formal process is being designed and implemented to elicit expert information about the conceptual model development process. This paper discusses the approach to designing this expert judgment elicitation process. 10 refs.
The short-transverse (S-T) stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behavior of Al-Li-CU alloy 2090 was studied using a static load SCC test technique. Time to failure was measured as a function of applied potential in several different environments. Rapid SCC failures (< 10 hours) were observed only when the following criteria were satisfied: E{sub br, T1} < E{sub applied} < E{sub br, matrix} where potentials refer to the breakaway potentials of the subgrain boundary T{sub 1} (Al{sub 2}CuLi) phase and the {alpha}-Al matrix phase. E{sub br} values were measured using potentiodynamic polarization of bulk materials intended to simulate the individual phases found in the subgrain boundary region. Results strongly suggest an anodic dissolution based SCC mechanism for this alloy where selective dissolution of T{sub 1} on the subgrain boundary is a critical step. The unusual pre-exposure embrittlement phenomenon demonstrated by Al- Li alloys is also shown to be consistent with these simple SCC criteria. 21 refs., 9 figs., 6 tabs.
One of the possible consequences of disruptions is the generation of runaway electrons which can impact plasma facing components and cause damage due to high local energy deposition. This problem becomes more serious as the machine size and plasma current increases. Since large size and high currents are characteristics of proposed future machines, control of runaway generation is an important design consideration. A lumped circuit model for disruption runaway electron generation indicates that control circuitry on strongly influence runaway behavior. A comparison of disruption data from several shots on JET and D3-D with model results, demonstrate the effects of plasma motion on runaway number density and energy. 6 refs., 12 figs.
Benchmarking a network file server introduces some unique considerations over traditional benchmarking scenarios. Since the user is executing on a client system interconnected to the file server, the client and network must be provided for during benchmarking. During a recent procurement action, Sandia National Laboratories was challenged to develop a benchmark suite that would accurately test the network requirements. This paper describes the benchmark design and summarizes the experience gained from the benchmark executions. 8 refs., 2 figs.
The electromagnetic field in a mode-stirred chamber is a random process. Samples of this random process are random variables. Different realizations of this random variable can be obtained by changing the paddle-wheel angle, changing the frequency, or changing the location at which the sample is taken. Correlation widths can be defined for each of these three variables. For examples, the spatial correlation width is the distance a point sensor must be moved to realize an uncorrelated value of the field (paddle-wheel angle and frequency held constant). Likewise, the paddle-wheel correlation width is the angle through which the paddle wheel must turn to yield an uncorrelated value (location and frequency held constant). The frequency correlation width is the frequency change required to yield an uncorrelated value (location and paddle-wheel angle held constant). These values were determined experimentally for the sandia mode-stirred chamber by sampling the field at equal increments (for each variable) and calculating an autocorrelation function. The autocorrelation function is a random process (because it is calculated from a random process) and must be averaged to determine it width. The correlation widths were found to be less than 0.1{degree} for paddle-wheel angle, 50 kHz for frequency, and half a wavelength for spatial location. 4 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.
Although the feasibility of using PZT and PLZT films for optical data processing applications, such as optical storage disks, image comparators, and spatial light modulators, has clearly been established, most of the critical parameters related to the storage and readout processes still need to be evaluated. Optical readout techniques capable of nondestructively determining the value of polarization are based either on the quadratic electrooptic effect or on a photocurrent response. In reflection, large electrooptic retardations (>60{degrees}) have now been achieved with thin PZT films ({approx equal} 0.5 {mu}m) under conditions that optimize interference effects. These results are quite attractive for device applications. Model calculations, based on the equations of reflection ellipsometry, have been used to develop a framework for understanding those results. The magnitude of the photocurrent response has also been used to determine the polarization state. However, the photocurrent always has the same sign, regardless of the sign of the polarization, which suggests the presence of a strong bias field due to at least one of the interfaces. In addition, the accumulation of space charge after a succession of measurements suppresses the photocurrent transient, which severely limits the utility of a photocurrent based readout. 7 refs., 9 figs.
The contact of aluminum-based melts with liquid water has been shown to be explosive in many experiments performed by the aluminum industry and in several nuclear reactor experiments and accidents. In order to obtain quantitative information relating to the fuel-coolant interactions that might occur with aluminum-based fuel, a laboratory-scale experimental study is being performed at Sandia National Laboratories. The overall objective of this research program is to provide an understanding of the mechanism of steam explosions with the melt compositions expected in several hypothetical core meltdown accident scenarios in production reactors. In this program it has been demonstrated that rapid exothermic metal-water reactions can accompany the steam explosions under certain conditions resulting in enhanced energy release and in the concomitant generation of hydrogen. 4 refs., 2 figs.
The INTEROP Achievement Award will be given to those customer organizations that make the most effective use of internetworking technology to further their own specific business aims. This paper is an application for this award by Sandia National Laboratories. Given are the network application, topology, and the types of systems to which it is applied.(JEF)
One problem with electromagnetic time domain finite-difference simulations in cylindrical coordinates is the rapidly decreasing characteristic dimension of the cells as r approaches zero. In order to satisfy the Courant stability condition a small time step is needed to insure stability, which is undesirable because it increases the cost of the simulation. In our presentation, we will describe a method which uses a rectangular grid and an annular cylindrical grid which overlap to perform electromagnetic simulations of cylindrical geometries. The two grids are connected by interpolating the field at the grid points of one grid using field values from the second grid. 2 refs.
The strength of deuterium bonding to the walls of closed cavities within Si was determined in ion-beam experiments. These studies circumvented an inherent indeterminacy in the analysis of external-surface desorption and thereby allowed the Si-H surface bond energy to be quantified for the first time. The bond energy is 2.5 {plus minus} 0.2 eV for submonolayer coverages. 14 refs., 3 figs.
Scan path testing and debugging offers a structured, proven way to debug and test arbitrarily complex electronic systems. The interface and equipment requirements are far lower than traditional debug and test techniques. The system is also completely testable even when physically remote from the lab where it was originally developed. This report describes our experience using scan techniques to debug the EPSILON-2 processor board, a system with over 300 ICs and over 2500 independently controllable and observable test points. The debug time of the circuit was greatly reduced by the adoption of scan path methodology. The use of expensive test equipment was drastically reduced, and the level of control of the circuitry increased. We have run tests on the processor from physically remote sites. Our experiences are described, and the adoption of scan path techniques is shown to be simple enough that it should be useful in all electronic projects. 8 refs., 12 figs.
Sandia National Laboratories is a large multi-program DOE laboratory. The Recorded Information Management Division (RIM) has an expanding mission to meet Sandia's needs for cost-effective management in information from creation to final disposition in accordance with applicable regulations and requirements. An analysis based on the need to meet requirements and to improve business practice was successful in convincing management to allocate increased resources to the RIM Compliance Project.
Historically, the electronics industry has always attempted to increase the speed of electronic components and decrease the size of electronic assemblies by developing and manufacturing smaller and faster basic level components (e.g., integrated circuits). However, it is now becoming apparent that the next significant advancement in electronic assembly size and speed may come not as a result of smaller and faster devices, but rather as a consequence of smaller and more closely spaced packages. This increased packaging density will occur at early levels of assembly as industry moves towards multichip modules. It will also occur at later packaging steps as industry continues to expand the use of surface mount technology (SMT) and mixed mounting technology (through hole attachment as well as SMT on one circuit board). Furthermore, there will be an increased propensity to use higher packaging density on printed wiring boards (PWB) and to place more PWB's in a given volume at yet the next level of packaging. One class of materials on which this advanced packaging technology will place severe new demands will be the alloys used to join assemblies and subassemblies (e.g. solders and brazes). These materials will be taxed both from the perspective of enhanced manufacturability as well as greater in-service robustness. It is the objective of this paper, through the use of selected case studies, to illustrate how advanced microstructural characterization techniques can be used to improve packaging technology. The specific case studies discussed are: (1) Microstructural Characterization of Solders, (2) Microstructural Characterization of Solder Joint Embrittlement of Leaded, Surface Mount Transistors (3) Microstructural Characterization of Metal/Ceramic Brazes in Electronic Applications, and (4) Microstructural Characterization of Direct Brazing of Graphite to Copper. 25 refs., 16 figs.
A number of models that predict the impulse generated in solid targets by short high-intensity radiation loads are described. It is shown that the impulse is insensitive to the details of the energy deposition and interaction processes. Thus with the proper nondimensionalization and normalization, all the models are known to be very nearly equivalent. 5 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.
The radiation produced by a 15.5-MeV monoenergetic electron beam incident on optimized and nonoptimized bremsstrahlung targets is characterized using the ITS Monte Carlo code and measurements with equilibrated and non-equilibrated TLD dosimetry. Comparisons between calculations and measurements verify the calculations and demonstrate that the code can be used to predict both bremsstrahlung production and TLD response for radiation fields that are characteristic of those produced by pulsed simulators of gamma rays. At optimum bremsstrahlung production, the predicted total forward radiation fluence detected in equilibrated TLD dosimetry agrees with that measured within the {plus minus}6% uncertainty of the measurement. The absolute comparisons made here provide independent confirmation of the validity of the TLD calibration for photon fields characteristic of gamma-ray simulators. The empirical Martin equation, which is often used to calculate radiation dose from optimized bremsstrahlung targets, is examined, and its range of validity is established from the data presented. 23 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs.
Acoustic emissions and conventional strain measurements were used to follow the evolution of the damage surface and the plastic potential in a limestone under conditions of triaxial compressions. Confining pressures were chosen such that macroscopically, the limestone exhibited both brittle and ductile behavior. The parameters thus derived are useful for modeling the deformation of a pressure-dependent material and for computing when localization would occur. 10 refs., 8 figs.
The Gaseous Electronics Conference (GEC) RF Reference Cell was developed to enhance studies of radiofrequency (rf) discharge systems analogous to those used to fabricate microelectronic devices. The Reference Cell concept includes both a standard discharge-chamber design and a set of diagnostic tools that can be used to verify that different Cells behave similarly. Voltage and current measurements in Reference Cells in the United States show that, with proper care, plasmas that behave in a similar manner can be generated in different Cells. The versatility of the Reference Cell is illustrated by results on the use of planar laser-induced fluorescence imaging to obtain two-dimensional spatial profiles of SO{sub 2} in an SF{sub 6}/O{sub 2} rf discharge. 4 refs., 5 figs.
We have used the highly sensitive technique of Photothermal Deflection Spectroscopy (PDS) to measure changes in the infrared absorption spectra of MEHPPV, P3HT and Polydiacetylene-4BCMU induced by pumping these polymers with light above the {pi}--{pi}* transition energy. In contrast to previous chopped light transmission measurements of these effects, the PDS technique can directly measure the buildup or decay of the absorption coefficient, {alpha}, on the time scale of second to days. In the case of MEHPPV we observe that the time scale of seconds to days. In the case of MEHPPV we observe that above-gap light causes the appearance of a broad infrared peak in {alpha}, which continues to grow-in hours after the pump light is first applied. For this polymer the general shape of the absorption spectra in the unpumped state mimics the photo-induced changes, suggesting that remnant photo-induced states determine the maximum transparency observed under normal experimental conditions. For P3HT and to a lesser extent, MEHPPV, we also observe irreversible photo-induced absorption components which we tentatively identify with photo-induced oxidation of the polymer matrix. 10 refs., 8 figs.
Present practice in most computer codes intended for the solution of dynamic mechanics problems is to use the classical infinitesimal plasticity relations together with the Jaumann stress rate to account for finite rotations. Use of the Jaumann stress rate is known to lead to oscillating stress-strain response in simple shear at large deformations for elastic and some plastic relations, and is limited to isotropic material descriptions. Formulations of finite deformation plasticity based on the Lagrangian reference configuration and an unrotated configuration have been proposed which, in principle, should overcome these limitations. The latter has been implemented in a finite element computer code. In this paper, it is shown how a Lagrangian description based on the reference configuration may be implemented in computer codes, and how it may be translated into a corresponding Eulerian description based on the current configuration and a description based on the unrotated configuration for comparison with currently used descriptions. 11 refs.
This paper presents information on measures taken by Sandia National Laboratories to prepare for environmental, safety, and health compliance assessments conducted by Tiger Teams'' at Department of Energy facilities.
Woven Kevlar fabrics exhibit a number of beneficial mechanical properties which include strength, flexibility, and relatively low density. The desire to engineer or design Kevlar fabrics for specific applications has stimulated interest in the development of theoretical models which relate their effective mechanical properties to specific aspects of the fabric morphology and microstructure. In this work the author provides a theoretical investigation of the large deformation elastic response of a plane woven Kevlar fabric and compares these theoretical results with experimental data obtained from uniaxially loaded Kevlar fabrics. The theoretical analysis assumes the woven fabric to be a regular network of orthogonal interlaced yarns and the individual yarns are modeled as extensible elastica, thus coupling stretching and bending effects at the outset. This comparison of experiment with theory indicates that the deformation of woven fabric can be quite accurately predicted by modeling the individual yarns as extensible elastica. 2 refs., 1 fig.
The Modular Integrated Video System (MIVS) Image Processing System (MIPS) was developed to assist the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Inspectorate in the safeguards review of MIVS surveillance data. MIPS is designed to review MIVS surveillance data automatically; firstly detecting significantly changed images and secondly identifying if the changed images show IAEA defined objects of safeguards interest. To achieve this, MIPS uses both digital image processing and neural network techniques. A change detector uses image processing techniques to identify significantly changed images. The MIPS neural network classifier detects images which may show an important object(s). The neural network is trained , i.e., given example images showing the objects that it must recognize, for each different facility. The MIPS change detection algorithms reduce the original MIVS data by eliminating images without significant activity. The MIPS neural network algorithms further reduce this data by eliminating images which may not show a safeguards significant object. The images analyzed by both the change detector and the neural network are available for inspector review. The MIPS algorithms are implemented in commercially available hardware. A high-level menu-driven system interface allows inspectors to train the neural network and to operate both the change detection and neural network classification. An evaluation program was conducted jointly by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and the IAEA to determine the systems capabilities on a variety of MIVS data. The MIPS processing techniques and the user interface were evaluated by IAEA inspectors. Performance tests were also completed on a variety of MIVS data. This paper provides a description of the Class II MIPS and the evaluation program and reports on the results of this joint evaluation. 7 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.
Betavoltaic power sources operate by converting the nuclear decay energy of beta-emitting radioisotopes into electricity. Since they are not chemically driven, they could operate at temperatures which would either be to hot or too cold for typical chemical batteries. Further, for long lived isotopes, they offer the possibility of multi-decade active lifetimes. Two approaches are being investigated: direct and indirect conversion. Direct conversion cells consist of semiconductor diodes similar to photovoltaic cells. Beta particle directly bombard these cells, generating electron-hole pairs in the semiconductor which are converted to useful power. Many using low power flux beta emitters, wide bandgap semiconductors are required to achieve useful conversion efficiencies. The combination of tritium, as the beta emitter, and gallium phosphide (GaP), as the semiconductor converter, was evaluated. Indirect conversion betacells first convert the beta energy to light with a phosphor, and then to electricity with photovoltaic cells. An indirect conversion power source using a tritium radioluminescent (RL) light is being investigated. Our analysis indicates that this approach has the potential for significant volume and cost savings over the direct conversion method. 7 refs., 11 figs.
Over the past three years, several experiments have been conducted at the Brookhaven National Laboratory Radiation Effects Facility. These experiments have been investigations of proton induced radiation effects in individual electronic components, circuits, operational subsystems and full systems. Our investigations using 170--200 MeV protons have included total dose effects up to 12 Mrad, dose rate effects of the ionizing radiation in the 10{sup 5} to 10{sup 8} rad/s range, the displacement damage effects of the protons up to 10{sup 15} p/cm{sup 2}, and the proton induced thermal shift and thermal-rate effects. The target thickness of many test devices was an appreciable fraction of the range of 200 MeV protons. In our proton beam testing experiments at BNL, dosimetry placed downstream of the target consistently yielded higher dose in rad and in particle fluence than in dosimetry placed upstream of the target. We designed and performed an experiment to study this dose enhancement. The objective of the experiment was to determine the effect of sample thickness on our three methods of dosimetry. The data from the PIN diodes and tantalum calorimeters were consistent and followed the expected DE/DX curve. They show a dose enhancement effect. The proton beam interacts and loses energy as it travels through thick targets. The exiting lower energy beam deposits more energy into the dosimetry because the stopping power increases with decreasing proton energy.
In this paper we review three proposed mechanisms for GaAs ALE and review or present data support or contradiction of these mechanisms. Surface chemistry results clearly demonstrated that TMGa irreversibly chemisorbs on the Ga-rich GaAs(100) surface. The reactive sticking coefficient (RSC) of TMGa on the adsorbate-free Ga-rich GaAs(100) surface was measured to be {approximately}0.5, conclusively demonstrating that the selective adsorption'' mechanism of ALE is not valid. We describe kinetic evidence for methyl radical desorption in support of the adsorbate inhibition'' mechanism. The methyl radical desorption rates determined by temperature programmed desorption (TPD) demonstrate that desorption is at least a factor of {approximately}10 faster from the As-rich c(2 {times} 8)/(2 {times} 4) surface than from the Ga-rich surface. It is disparity in CH{sub 3} desorption rates between the As-rich and Ga-rich surfaces that is largely responsible for GaAs ALE behavior. A gallium alkyl radical (e.g. MMGa) is also observed during TPD and molecular beam experiments, in partial support of the flux balance'' mechanism. Stoichiometry issues of ALE are also discussed. We have discovered that arsine exposures typical of atmospheric pressure and reduced pressure ALE lead to As coverages {ge} 1 ML, which provides the likely solution to the stoichiometry question regarding the arsine cycle. 32 refs., 6 figs.
A procedure was developed to use solder technology in the assembly of a single-crystal quartz accelerometer. 87.5Au-12.5Ge (wt.%) solder films 0.5 {times} 10{sup {minus}6}, 1.0 {times} 10{sup {minus}6}, and 2.0 {times} 10{sup {minus}}6 m thick were formed by the electron beam deposition of individual layers of Au and Ge with thicknesses so that the bulk film composition equals the eutectic composition. Interdiffusion of the Au and Ge formed the solder; thermal-physical measurements showed the multilayer films to behave similarly to bulk 87.5Au-12.5Be solder in process thermal cycles. The 2.0 {times} 10{sup {minus}6}m thick quartz/Au-Ge/quartz bonds had an adhesive tensile strength of 17 {plus minus} 2 MPa. The strength increased to 29 {plus minus} 3 MPa and 27 {plus minus} 12 MPa after thermal shock and thermal cycle exposures respectively. The 1.0 {times} 10{sup {minus}6} m thick bonds exhibited strengths of 16 {plus minus} 3 MPa, 16 MPa and 15 {plus minus} 8 MPa in the as-fabricated, post-thermal shock, and post-thermal cycled samples, respectively. The 0.5 {times} 10{sup {minus}6} m joints produced a large degree of scatter in the strength values. Accelerometers assembled with the 2.0 {times} 10{sup {minus}6} m thick joints demonstrated a significant improvement in temperature performance as opposed to units fabricated with a polyimide adhesive. 8 refs., 12 figs., 8 tabs.
This paper is about the spatial resolution of x-ray microanalysis in thin foils. The theory of the scattering of an electron beam with a thin foil is discussed.
Upon becoming Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE), Admiral Watkins first pledged to Congress that he would clean-up'' the nuclear weapons production complexes and then initiated many changes in the way DOE facilities are operated. He generated new orders regarding environments, safety, and health and created investigation units called Tiger Teams'' to check on how well his orders were being followed. During the spin-up of this massive undertaking, DOE decided to include all its facilities and not just the ones involved in nuclear production. This resulted in research and development labs, such as Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, and Sandia National Laboratories being subjected to more stringent regulations. This paper addresses the action Sandia National Laboratories has taken during the past year, particularly in regard to its pulsed-power accelerators, to come into compliance with the new DOE orders. 2 tabs.
The measurement and understanding of the fracture toughness of ductile cast irons, DCI, are critical to the analysis of nuclear transportation casks made from these alloys. Cask containment must be assured for all loading events from normal handling to accidents during which high loads can be delivered at elevated rates. Cask walls are commonly in the range of 20 to 50 cm thick (or greater) in order to provide requisite nuclear shielding, and this requires that associated mechanical constraint effects must be considered. At elevated temperatures (i.e., in the vicinity of ambient) DCI behaves in an elastic-plastic manner, even for large section sizes (B>20 cm) and moderately high loading rates. However, as the temperature is lowered or the loading rate is increased, ferritic DCI alloys exhibit a relatively sharp transition to linear elastic behavior, with a significant decrease in the fracture toughness. The fracture toughness of a DCI alloy has been measured using linear elastic and elastic-plastic experimental techniques. Measurements have been made as a function of temperature, loading rate and section size. The loading rates span the range which a cask could experience during normal transport and handling, as well as accident events. 15 refs., 7 figs., 4 tabs.
Sandia National Laboratories and the University of New Mexico's Anderson School of Management are developing a program which enables M.B.A. students to assist in commercializing Sandia developed technologies. Thus far, students have prepared detailed business plans (which include market analyses, design and development sections, and pro forma financials) for a wide range of technologies. Potential applications include waste management, cancer treatment, oil and gas transportation, coating of plastics, manufacturing and assembly, and parts inspections. By having graduate students conduct the research necessary to identify positive net-present-value projects, Sandia is able to interest private sector firms in its technologies.
Several countries propose to permanently dispose of spent reactor fuel as waste in geologic repositories. There is no basis for terminating safeguards on spent fuel, since it does not meet the criteria specified for termination, and conceivably it might be subsequently recovered and used for prohibited purposes. The paper proposed safeguards measures for spent fuel undergoing preparation, emplacement, recoverable storage, and after site closure which are consistent with other IAEA safeguards but which differ in detail, commensurate with the lesser risk of diversion relative to materials in other parts of the fuel cycle. The proposed measures rely on item accountability of discrete units, by means of containment and surveillance. The concept is consistent with the guidelines contained in Part I of the Safeguards Document, INFCIRC/153, but not entirely with Part II, which is based on verified material balances. After final site closure safeguards are limited to infrequent site observations, which would be sufficient to detect any attempts to recover the material. The paper points out the magnitude of effort required for recovery and the difficulty of concealing if from casual observation. 4 refs.
This paper addresses the issue of collision avoidance in unknown or partially modeled environments using a capacitive sensor. An eight channel capacitance-based sensor system which can detect obstacles up to 400 mm (16 inches) away has been developed. This sensor can detect both conductive and non-conductive obstacles of arbitrary color and shape. The sensor hardware is reliable and inexpensive, and it may be fabricated using flexible printed circuit boards to provide whole-arm and joint protection for any robot or manipulator. Simple collision avoidance control algorithms have been implemented on a two-link robot arm. The sensor and control system enable the robot arm to avoid a conductive post and a concrete block. 13 refs., 9 figs.
This paper presents two algorithms that construct a set of initial (x, y, {theta}) configurations from which a given action will reliably accomplish a planar manipulation task. The first algorithm applies energy arguments to construct a conservative set of successful initial configurations, while the second algorithm performs numerical integration to construct a set that is much less conservative. The algorithms may be applied to a variety of tasks, including pushing, placing-by-dropping, and force-controlled assembly tasks. Both algorithms consider the task geometry and mechanics, and allow uncertainty in every task parameter except for the object shapes. Experimental results are presented which demonstrate the validity of the algorithms' output for two example manipulation tasks. 16 refs., 8 figs.
Sandia National Laboratories developed an Authenticated Secure Container System (ASCS) for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Agency standard weights and safeguards samples can be stored in the ASCS to provide continuity of knowledge. The ASCS consists of an optically clear cover, a base containing the Authenticated Item Monitoring System (AIMS) transmitter, and the AIMS receiver unit for data collection. The ASCS will provide the Inspector with information concerning the status of the system, during a surveillance period, such as state of health, tampering attempts, and movement of the container system. The secure container is located inside a Glove Box with the receiver located remotely from the Glove Box. AIMS technology uses rf transmission from the secure container to the receiver to provide a record of state of health and tampering. The data is stored in the receiver for analysis by the Inspector during a future inspection visit. 2 refs.
The advent of optical storage has made the digital storage of documents a viable option from both a practical and legal perspective. However, the availability of Optical Disk Storage raises questions regarding the destruction of the stored records and standards of longevity, and the admissibility in court of records produced from optical storage has not been tested. This paper will attempt to address these issues. 6 refs.
A 1K bit Shadow RAM has been developed for storage of critical data in a high transient radiation environment. The circuit includes a 1K bit (128 {times} 8) static RAM with two non-volatile (NV) shadows. The NV shadows are used to back-up the data in the static RAM allowing the circuit to be powered down during transient radiation without losing critical data. This paper will describe the circuit's operation and characterization results.
The use of carbon materials in catalytic system has been traditionally associated with their properties as supports. There are, however, some literature data describing their use as catalysts. Our results show that no simple relationship exists between the catalytic activity of some carbon materials for selective cleavage of carbon-carbon bonds adjacent to condensed polyaromatic rings an the elemental composition or surface area of these materials. The activity is dependent, however, upon the precursor used to generate the carbon material. Moreover, for a given precursor the activity is determined by the method of conversion to the carbon material. It remains to be established what elements of structure are responsible for the observed activity in carbon materials that are catalytically active. 12 refs., 7 tabs., 1 fig.
The strain rate in steady shock waves is proportional to the fourth power of shock amplitude for a wide variety of materials over a broad range of strain rates. A model based on this observation gives good agreement not only with steady-wave profiles but also with data on non-steady waves in aluminum. In apparent contrast, data on vanadium and uranium at low strain rates indicates a departure from the fourth power law if the wave profiles are assumed to be steady. However, when predicted profiles are produced by allowing the waves to propagate and evolve over the actual experimental sample thickness, the fourth power model gives excellent agreement with the wave profile data even though the wave profiles in the calculations have not yet reached steady state. The implication is that the experimental data do not represent steady waves, and the model is predicting the correct evolution of non-steady waves in vanadium and uranium. 7 refs., 2 figs.
The National Competitiveness Technology Transfer Act of 1989 has opened up the vast resources of our nation's national laboratories to the electronics industry. The electronics industry stands to gain advanced technology development, increased competitiveness, resource-sharing, and technology protection from this act. Sandia National Laboratories can help our nation's companies and universities in developing and applying advanced, commercially valuable technologies and in solving technological problems. These technological areas are discussed. A clear, non-bureaucratic process of tapping the microelectronics expertise and resources of Sandia National Laboratories is presented.
Highly reactive coal pyrites and unstable museum specimens are easily distinguished from the stable pyrites by the growth of white crystals that cover samples exposed to room atmosphere for short periods of time. Continued exposure to the atmosphere will eventually cause the specimens to fall apart. The term rotten pyrite has been applied to museum specimens that fall apart in this way. SEM studies show that reactive (rotten) pyrites contain between 100 and 10,000 times more dislocations than stable pyrites. Shock-loading of a stable pyrite to 7.5 GPa and 17 GPa increased its reactivity by a factor of two, probably caused by an increase in the number of imperfections. However, shock-loading at 22 GPa decreased the reactivity of pyrite because the imperfections produced at the higher pressure were removed during annealing the sample received at the higher temperature. Although there was a factor of six difference between the most and least reactive shocked MCB (commercial pyrite) samples, shock-loading did not increase the reactivity of the MCB pyrite to that of the Queensland coal pyrite. The results in hand show that while shock-loading produces sufficient imperfections to increase the reactivity of pyrites, there is insufficient data to show that imperfections are the main reason why some coal pyrites are highly reactive. 9 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.
A wafer-level test system, capable of 50-MHz data rates, is shown to support (1) process improvement and control and (2) test-structure-to-IC correlation efforts for total-dose hardness assurance. 11 refs., 3 figs.
Transmitting digital voice via packetized mobile communications systems that employ relatively short packet lengths and narrow bandwidths often necessitates very low bit rate coding of the voice data. Sandia National Laboratories is currently developing an efficient voice coding system operating at 800 bits per second (bps). The coding scheme is a modified version of the 2400 bps NSA LPC-10e standard. The most significant modification to the LPC-10e scheme is the vector quantization of the line spectrum frequencies associated with the synthesis filters. An outline of a hardware implementation for the 800 bps coder is presented. The speech quality of the coder is generally good, although speaker recognition is not possible. Further research is being conducted to reduce the memory requirements and complexity of the vector quantizer, and to increase the quality of the reconstructed speech. 4 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs.
BA85 is a routine for the quantitative reduction of x-ray data collected from oxide samples in an electron microprobe. BA85 is based on the correction procedures developed by Bence and Albee and is coded in Flextran for use with the TASK8 microprobe operating system. Features include stoichiometry and statistical calculations, the use of a 90 - oxide A-factor matrix which contains all of the common valence states for such elements as Fe and Cr, the ability to analyze up to 45 oxides, and the ability to create and use mineral codes which permit associating up to 15 oxides with three letter mnemonic codes. Entering a mineral code results in the analysis of the oxides associated with it and the performance of one of 21 endmember calculations. 13 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs.
Application of conventional fracture mechanics concepts to treat crack growth and failure problems in geological media is discussed in this paper. Conventional fracture mechanics methods were developed mainly for metallic materials which exhibit nonlinearity associated mainly with plasticity type responses. Thus, these are not directly applicable to geological materials whose inelastic responses originate from inherent large-scale heterogenities, microcracking, strain softening, et. Proposed fracture mechanics methods for geological materials and their associated problems are discussed. To demonstrate the utility of fracture mechanics concepts in geological applications, examples involving multiple-fracture generation in tight gas formations and oil shale blasting design are presented.
This paper seeks to improve the synergism between computational aerodynamics and wind tunnel experimentation. In this paper, experimental and computational results are presented for a hypersonic vehicle configuration at Mach 8. Comparisons are made between experimental and computational results in order to improve the accuracy of both approaches. The basic vehicle configuration is a spherically blunted cone with a slice parallel with the axis of the vehicle. The half-angle of the cone is 10 deg. and the ratio of spherical nose radius to base radius in 10%. Onto the slice portion of the vehicle can be attached flaps with three different deflection angles; 10, 20, and 30 deg. All of the experimental results were obtained in the Sandia Mach 8 long duration, blow-down, hypersonic wind tunnel. Flow visualization results include surface oil flow, spark schlieren, and liquid crystal photographs and video. The liquid crystals were used as an aid in verifying that a laminar boundary layer existed over the entire body. An extensive uncertainty analysis was conducted to estimate quantitatively the accuracy of the measurement. Computational aerodynamic force and moment predictions are compared with the wind tunnel data. The Sandia Parabolized Navier-Stokes code is used to generate solutions for the sliced vehicle (no flap) and partial solutions for the flapped vehicle. For the geometry with the flap, an axially separated flow occurs and a time iterative Navier-Stokes code is used to provide comparisons with the data. This paper presents a portion of the results given in earlier works and also discusses new experimental results with this configuration.
Plotting and summary routines available for the TASK8 microprobe operating system are able to accept both spectral and quantitative data. All of the routines are able to be run as subroutines from within the TASK8 program or as stand alone programs. Additionally, the spectral plotting routine can be run from within a modified version of SQ. The quantitative routines currently in use with TASK8. Quantitative output can be sent by the summary program to a serial port that is connected to a VAX or PC in addition to printing it. The plotting codes have been written so that either a Tracor Northern TN2000 or a TN5xxx analyzer may be used with either a Hewlett Packard HP7221 series or a HP7470/HP7550 series plotter. The plotting routine for spectra incorporates a user definable usual was'' option to simplify most input procedures. The quantitative plotting routine offers numerous options including scale expansion, smoothing, auto-labeling, special symbols, and multiple pens. 5 refs., 5 figs.
A computational scheme is presented to solve the unsteady Navier-Stokes equations over a blunt body at high altitude, high Mach number atmospheric reentry flow conditions. This continuum approach is directed to low Reynolds/low density hypersonic flows by accounting for non-zero bulk viscosity effects in near frozen flow conditions. A significant difference from previous studies is the inclusion of the capability to model non-zero bulk viscosity effects. The grid definition for these low Reynolds number, viscous dominated flow fields is especially important in terms of numerical stability and accurate heat transfer solutions. 11 refs., 15 figs.
This paper describes a new technique for the detection of x-rays in electron column instruments used in microanalysis. In electron column instruments, the point source of x-rays is produced by the interaction of a focused electron beam with the sample. Neither of the conventional methods, wavelength dispersive (WDS) nor energy dispersive (EDS) based spectrometry, is optimized for low Z element quantitative analysis. In WDS applications, where the analyte elements are Be through P, chemical effects complicate the x-ray measurement process. Peak positions and shapes are altered, sometimes very strongly, by the electron configurations of the analyte atoms and neighboring atoms. In these cases, the ideal spectrometer would profile the peak and some small amount of continuum on either side of the peak such that an accurate peak area could be calculated. Present WDS spectrometers are serial in nature and cannot directly measure peak areas, often causing errors in the determination of light element concentrations. Bastin and co-workers have developed an elegant method to provide accurate area determinations, using the serial spectrometer, by a three point procedure. The parallel wavelength dispersive spectrometer (PWDS) we propose here is ideally suited for those applications.
A new facility is being constructed for the Primary Standards Laboratory at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Salient features of the final design, described briefly in this paper, follow the conceptual design of 1984 to a fairly high degree. Because the facility is in process of construction, this paper is a progress report. 6 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
Curved and planar inversion domain boundaries (IDB) in aluminum nitride (AIN) form in sintered AIN ceramics containing oxygen, and oxygen is known to segregate to them. A number of interface models shown in Table 1, have been suggested based upon crystallographic constraints, chemical information and observed high resolution electron microscope (HREM) images. Until recently, problems with simulation of HREM images from AIN have made accurate determination of the structure of the IDB interface difficult. The aim of the present study was to use quantitative analytical electron microscopy (AEM) to determine the oxygen concentration at the IDBs, and then to compare the experimental results with calculated oxygen concentrations for each of the IDB models using a Monte Carlo electron trajectory simulation program. A match, if any, between the experimental and calculated oxygen concentrations would indicate the model which best described the IDB structure. The best match was obtained for Youngman's defect model. 14 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.
Plessite in iron meteorites is a two phase structure with an fcc precipitate phase in a bcc matrix. After Fe-Ni martensite forms during slow cooling, the martensite decomposition occurs at different temperatures. The morphology of the precipitates and the Ni content of both precipitate and matrix vary with the local average Ni composition of the plessite. In this study, the plessite structure of two octahedrites, Carlton and Grant, was characterized using the analytical electron microscope (AEM). The composition of the taenite precipitates in various regions of plessite which have 9 to 13 wt% and 15 to 20 wt% Ni composition were measured using an x-ray energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) in the AEM. To understand the phase transformation processes which occurred during the plessite formation, an experimental set of Fe-Ni binary and Fe-Ni-P ternary alloys were made and analyzed also using the AEM. The alloys, which have 15 to 30 wt% Ni (0.2-0.3 wt% P for ternary alloys), were first homogenized at 1,200{degree}C and quenched to liquid nitrogen temperature to form martensite. They were then isothermally heat treated for 60 to 400 days in the temperature range from 450{degree}C to 300{degree}C. Two phase structures, which are similar to those of plessite, were formed in these alloys. The Fe-Ni phase equilibria measured in the decomposed martensite alloys can be used to explain the difference in Ni composition between precipitates in the high Ni and low Ni plessite regions. 3 refs., 2 figs.