Publications

More than 300 sinkholes, fissures, depressions, and other collapse features occur along a 70 km (45 mi) dissolution front of the Permian Supai Formation, dipping northward into the Holbrook Basin, also called the Supai Salt Basin. The dissolution front is essentially coincident with the so-called Holbrook Anticline showing local dip reversal; rather than being of tectonic origin, this feature is likely a subsidence-induced monoclinal flexure caused by the northward migrating dissolution front. Three major areas are identified with distinctive attributes: (1) The Sinks, 10 km WNW of Snowflake, containing some 200 sinkholes up to 200 m diameter and 50 m depth, and joint controlled fissures and fissure-sinks; (2) Dry Lake Valley and contiguous areas containing large collapse fissures and sinkholes in jointed Coconino sandstone, some of which drained more than 50 acre-feet ({approximately}6 {times} 10{sup 4} m{sup 3}) of water overnight; and (3) the McCauley Sinks, a localized group of about 40 sinkholes 15 km SE of Winslow along Chevelon Creek, some showing essentially rectangular jointing in the surficial Coconino Formation. Similar salt karst features also occur between these three major areas. The range of features in Supai salt are distinctive, yet similar to those in other evaporate basins. The wide variety of dissolution/collapse features range in development from incipient surface expression to mature and old age. The features began forming at least by Pliocene time and continue to the present, with recent changes reportedly observed and verified on airphotos with 20 year repetition. The evaporate sequence along interstate transportation routes creates a strategic location for underground LPG storage in leached caverns. The existing 11 cavern field at Adamana is safely located about 25 miles away from the dissolution front, but further expansion initiatives will require thorough engineering evaluation.

We performed neutron powder diffraction on solution-derived lead zirconate titanates (PZT). Three compositions, PZT 45/55, PZT 20/80 and PbTiO{sub 3}, were investigated. The materials were annealed so that the perovskite phase had just begun to grow from the precursor phase. In our materials this precursor phase is the pyrochlore rather than fluorite phase. The results show that in the pyrochlore phase, the (Ti,Zr) and the Pb are ordered in their crystallographic sites while the O are essentially disordered in both of the two usual pyrochlore anion sites.

A conversion coating method has been developed based on precipitation of Li{sub 2}[Al{sub 2}(OH){sub 6}]{sub 2}{center_dot}CO{sub 3}{center_dot}3H{sub 2}O from alkaline lithium salt solutions. The process is procedurally similar to chromate conversion coating but does not use or produce hazardous chemicals. The coating that forms is polycrystalline, continuous and conformal. The coating meets the MIL-C-5541E corrosion resistance, electrical contact resistance and paint adhesion requirements for certain aluminum alloys, but does not match the levels of performance exhibited by chromate conversion coatings. In this paper, methods for producing the coating are described. Corrosion resistance has been characterized using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and salt spray exposure. The structural, compositional and property changes attending post-coating thermal exposure are discussed. Performance in standardized corrosion, electrical and paint adhesion tests is also presented.

Hexylene-bridged polysilsesquioxanes can be prepared as mesoporous or non-porous xerogels simply by switching from basic to acidic polymerization conditions. In this study, we looked at the effect of monomer concentration on porosity of hexylene-bridged xerogels prepared under acidic and basic conditions. 1, 6-Hexylene-bridged polysilsesquioxanes were prepared by sol-gel polymerizations of 1, 6-bis(triethoxysilyl)hexane 1 with concentrations between 0. 1 to 1.2 M in ethanol. Gelation times ranged from seconds for 1.2 M concentration to months for 0.2 M. The gels were processed into xerogels by an aqueous work-up and the dry gels characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), solid state {sup 13}C and {sup 29}Si CP MAS NMR spectroscopy, and gas sorption porosimetry.

Hydrocarbon-bridged polysilsesquioxanes are prepared by the sol-gel polymerization of monomers with more than one trialkoxysilyl group attached directly to the bridging group by Si-C bonds. While the effects of varying the identity of the bridging group (length, rigidity, etc.), monomer concentration, and type of catalyst have been studied, the effect of different alkoxy ligands on the silicon atoms has not been investigated. For this study, 1, 6-- bis(triethoxysilyl)hexane 1 and 1, 6-bis(trimethoxysilyl)hexane 2 were polymerized under acidic and basic conditions in ethanol and methanol, respectively, and in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The resulting gels were processed to afford xerogels that were characterized by SEM, solid state {sup 13}C and {sup 29}Si Cross Polarization Magic Angle Spinning (CP MAS) NMR spectroscopy, and nitrogen sorption porosimetry.

The flat panel display development activities underway at Sandia National Laboratories are described. Research is being conducted in the areas of glass substrates, phosphors, large area processes, and electron emissions. Projects are focused on improving process yield, developing large area processes, and using modeling techniques to predict design performance.

Optical prossesses in nanostructured fractal composites are shown to be strongly enhanced. The enhancement occurs because of a localization of dipolar eigenmodes in subwavelength areas.

I{sub DDQ} testing of CMOSICs is a technique for production quality and reliability improvement, design validation, and failure analysis. The origin and basic concepts of I{sub DDQ} testing are reviewed. The relationship of I{sub DDQ} testing to other test methods is considered in the context of the whole IC life cycle from design, fabrication, and test through end use. A comprehensive test strategy is described that uses defect classes based on defect electrical properties rather than traditional fault models.

Despite intensive efforts in the area of dynamic graph algorithms, no efficient algorithms are known for the dynamic versions of some basic graph problems such as strong connectivity and transitive closure. We provide some explanation for this lack of success by presenting quadratic lower bounds on the strong certificate complexity of such problems, thereby establishing the inapplicability of the only known general technique for designing dynamic graph algorithms, viz., sparsification. These results also provide evidence of the inherent intractability of such dynamic graph problems. Some of our results are based on a general technique for obtaining lower bounds on the strong certificate complexity for a class of graph properties by establishing a relationship with the witness complexity. In many real applications of dynamic graph problems, a certain amount of lookahead is available. Specifically, we consider the problems of assembly planning in robotics and the maintenance of relations in databases which, respectively, give rise to dynamic strong connectivity and transitive closure. We exploit the (naturally available) lookahead in these two applications to circumvent the inherent complexity of the dynamic graph problems. We propose a variant of sparsification, viz., lookahead based sparsification, and apply it to obtain the first efficient fully dynamic algorithms for strong connectivity and transitive closure.

The photo-destruction of the high explosives HMX, RDX and TNT was investigated using two systems (ozone versus titanium dioxide), two reactors (pot vs annular reactor), and two types of lamps (1000 Watt Hg-Xe vs 25 Watt LP Hg). A mass balance was performed on reactions executed under pseudo-solar conditions, and relative reaction rates and products were compared for ozone and titanium dioxide based processes. The ratios of relative product formation is also discussed. Results show that there was little difference in the reactions performed in the annular reactor when either ozone or titanium oxide were used. The chemistry of RDX and HMX are very similar, as expected. Future work involving the mechanism is also discussed.

Be is a ``marginal metal.`` The stable phase, hcp-Be, has a low Fermi-level density of states and very anisotropic structural and elastic properties, similar to a semiconductor`s. At the Be(0001) surface, surface states drastically increase the Fermi-level density of states. The different nature of bonding in bulk-Be and at the Be(0001) surface explains the large outward relaxation. The presence of surface states causes large surface core-level shifts by inducing a higher electrostatic potential in the surface layers and by improving the screening at the surface. The authors experimental and theoretical investigations of atomic vibrations at the Be(0001) surface demonstrate clearly that Be screening of atomic motion by the surface states makes the surface phonon dispersion fundamentally different from that of the bulk. Properties of Be(0001) are so different from those of the bulk that the surface can be considered a new ``phase`` of beryllium with unique electronic and structural characteristics. For comparison they also study Be(11{bar 2}0), a very open surface without important surface states. Be(11{bar 2}0) is the only clean s-p metal surface known to reconstruct (1 {times} 3 missing row reconstruction).

NMR and neutron diffraction measurements reveal that macroscopic phase separation and the tetragonal to orthorhombic (TO) structural phase coincide at two distinct points in the temperature-doping phase plot for oxygen doped La{sub 2}CuO{sub 4+{delta}}. Thus the TO phase line coincides with the phase separation line. This is evidence that the macroscopic phase separation is inhibited in the tetragonal phase. We propose that the interstitial oxygen has higher mobility in the orthorhombic phase and that insufficient mobility suppresses macroscopic phase separation in the tetragonal phase. Neutron diffraction measurements also reveal superlattice peaks which indicate ordering of the interstitial oxygen. Our NMR measurements, have demonstrated a distribution of tilts of the CuO{sub 6} octahedra. We propose a sawtooth modulation of the octahedral tilt in which the sign of the tilt changes when the tilt reaches a maximum value can explain this distribution. The large openings in the La-O layer resulting from the abrupt switch of the sign of the tilt provide an attractive location for the interstitial oxygen. This mechanism would lead to stripe ordering of the interstitial oxygen.

The microstructure of Al/{alpha}-Al{sub 2}0{sub 3} composites made by infiltrating Al into dense mullite preforms has been characterized using transmission electron microscopy. Observations revealed that the formation of the Al/Al{sub 2}0{sub 3} composites involves three stages. Initially, Al infiltrates into a dense mullite preform through grain boundary diffusion, and reacts with mullite at grain boundaries to form a partial reaction zone. Then, a complete reaction takes place in the reaction region between the partial reaction zone and the full reaction zone to convert the dense mullite preform to a composite of {alpha}-Al{sub 2}0{sub 3} (matrix) and an Al-Si phase (thin channels). Finally, the reduced Si from the reaction diffuses out of the Al/Al{sub 2}0{sub 3} composite through the metal channels, whereas Al from the molten Al pool is continuously drawn to the reaction region until the mullite preform is consumed or the sample is removed from the molten Al pool. Based on the observed microstructure, infiltration mechanisms have been discussed, and a growth model of the composites is proposed in which the process involves repeated nucleation of Al{sub 2}0{sub 3} grains and grain growth.

Copper chemical vapor deposition using liquid coinjection of the Cu(I) precursor (hfac)Cu(TMVS) along with TMVS has been demonstrated. The coinjection of TMVS with (hfac)Cu(TMVS) stabilizes the Cu precursor until it enters the reaction chamber, allowing for better control of the deposition and faster deposition rates. Using this technique, we have grown films with as-deposited resistivities of 1.86 {plus_minus} 0.04 {mu}{Omega}-cm, independent of film thickness. Deposition rates of well over 100 nm/min are possible. Good step coverage and gap fill down to 0.6 {mu}m lines is demonstrated, with gap fill being limited by the large Cu grain sizes in these films.

Very highly porous (aerogel) silica films with refractive index in the range 1.006--1.05 (equivalent porosity 98.5--88%) were prepared by an ambient-pressure process. It was shown earlier using in situ ellipsometric imaging that the high porosity of these films was mainly attributable to the dilation or `springback` of the film during the final stage of drying. This finding was irrefutably reconfirmed by visually observing a `springback` of >500% using environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Ellipsometry and ESEM also established the near cent per cent reversibility of aerogel film deformation during solvent intake and drying. Film thickness profile measurements (near the drying line) for the aerogel, xerogel and pure solvent cases are presented from imaging ellipsometry. The thickness of these films (crack-free) were controlled in the range 0.1-3.5 {mu}m independent of refractive index.

The pore size r{sub p} in a gel is determined by the extent of shrinkage of the gel network during drying. Shrinkage is driven by the collapse of the gel network in response to the capillary pressure P{sub c} exerted by the pore fluid. The extent of shrinkage depends on the balance between the capillary pressure P{sub c} in the pore fluid and the bulk modulus K{sub p} of the gel. The hydraulic pore radius, r{sub H} = 2V{sub p}/S{sub a}, where V{sub p} is the pore volume and S{sub a} is the apparent N{sub 2} BET surface area, is often used to characterize the pore size of a gel. A series of acid catalyzed silica gels dried in pore fluids with different {gamma}{sub lv}, showed that there is a limit to the minimum apparent r{sub H} obtainable in a gel, and when the volume fraction of porosity {phi} {le} 0.37, r{sub H} becomes constant and {approximately}0.8 nm. In contrast, experimental data show that the true pore size r{sub p} of gels continues to decrease when {phi} {le} 0.37. Analysis of their adsorption isotherms show that while r{sub H} apparently stays constant: (a) the BET C constant continues to increase, (b) the width and average of their pore size distributions continue to decrease, and (c) as shrinkage continues the gels eventually become non-porous to N{sub 2} at 77K but are still porous to CO{sub 2} at 273K. This paper reviews these results and addresses micropore formation in silica gels with the goal of determining how P{sub c} influences the final r{sub p}, and why r{sub p} and r{sub H} diverge when {phi} {le} 0.37.

A computational/analytical technique has been developed which models the physics of high pressure gas atomization. The technique uses an uncoupled approach, such that the gas flowfield is initially calculated with a commercially-available Navier-Stokes code. The liquid metal droplet breakup, dynamics, and thermodynamics, are then calculated using the pre-computed flowfield by a separate computer program written by the authors. The atomization code models the primary breakup of the liquid metal stream, tracks the droplets resulting from primary breakup through the flowfield until they undergo secondary breakup, and then tracks the subdroplets until they breakup, solidify, or leave the flowfield region of interest. The statistical properties of the metal powder produced are then computed from the characteristics of these droplets. Comparisons between experimental measurements and computations indicate that the Navier-Stokes code is predicting the gas flowfield well, and that the atomization code is properly modeling the physics of the droplet dynamics and breakup.

Modern wind turbines are fatigue critical machines used to produce electrical power. To insure long term, reliable operation, their structure must be optimized if they are to be economically viable. The fatigue and reliability projects in Sandia`s Wind Energy Program are developing the analysis tools required to accomplish these design requirements. The first section of the paper formulates the fatigue analysis of a wind turbine using a cumulative damage technique. The second section uses reliability analysis for quantifying the uncertainties and the inherent randomness associated with turbine performance and the prediction of service lifetimes. Both research areas are highlighted with typical results.

This report contains research in the following areas related to beam transport for a common ion driver: multi-gap acceleration; neutralization with electrons; gas neutralization; self-pinched transport; HIF and LIF transport, and relevance to common ion driver; LIF and HIF reactor concepts and relevance to common ion driver; atomic physics for common ion driver; code capabilities and needed improvement.

There are major differences between the safety principles for nuclear weapons and for nuclear reactors. For example, a principal concern for nuclear weapons is to prevent electrical energy from reaching the nuclear package during accidents produced by crashes, fires, and other hazards, whereas the foremost concern for nuclear reactors is to maintain coolant around the core in the event of certain system failures. Not surprisingly, new methods have had to be developed to assess the risk from nuclear weapons. These include fault tree transformations that accommodate time dependencies, thermal and structural analysis techniques that are fast and unconditionally stable, and Monte-Carlo-based sampling methods that incorporate intelligent searching. This paper provides an overview of the new methods for nuclear weapons, compares them with existing methods for nuclear reactors, identifies some of their dual-use characteristics, and discusses ongoing developmental activities.

The authors study the following problem: given a collection A of polyhedral parts in 3D, determine whether there exists a subset S of the parts that can be moved as a rigid body by an infinitesimal translation and rotation, without colliding with the rest of the parts, A/S. A negative result implies that the object whose constituent parts are the collection A cannot be taken apart with two hands. A positive result, together with the list of movable parts in S and a direction of motion for S, can be used by an assembly sequence planner. This problem has attracted considerable attention within and outside the robotics community. They devise an efficient algorithm to solve this problem. The solution is based on the ability to focus on selected portions of the tangent space of rigid motions and efficiently access these portions. The algorithm is complete (in the sense that it is guaranteed to find a solution if one exists), simple, and improves significantly over the best previously known solutions. The authors report experimental results with an implementation of their algorithm.

The first remediation of an Environmental Restoration (ER) Project site at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) was successfully conducted in May and June 1994 at Technical Area II. The removal action involved four Uranium Calibration Pits (UCPs) filled with radioactive or hazardous materials. The concrete culvert pits were used to test and calibrate borehole radiometric logging tools for uranium exploration. The removal action consisted of excavating and containerizing the pit contents and contaminated soil beneath the culverts, removing the four culverts, and backfilling the excavation. Each UCP removal had unique complexities. Sixty 208-L drums of solid radioactive waste and eight 208-L drums of liquid hazardous waste were generated during the VCM. Two of the concrete culverts will be disposed as radioactive waste and two as solid waste. Uranium-238 was detected in UCP-2 ore material at 746 pci/g, and at 59 pci/g in UCP-1 silica sand. UCP-4 was empty; sludge from UCP-3 contained 122 mg/L (ppm) chromium.

An experiment involving migration of fluid and tracers (Li, Br, Ni) through a 6-m-high x 3-m-dia caisson Wedron 510 sand, is being carried out for Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. Sand`s surface chemistry of the sand was studied and a preliminary surface-complexation model of Ni adsorption formulated for transport calculations. XPS and leaching suggest that surface of the quartz sand is partially covered by thin layers of Fe-oxyhydroxide and Ca-Mg carbonate and by flakes of kaolinite. Ni adsorption by the sand is strongly pH-dependent, showing no adsorption at pH 5 and near-total adsorption at pH 7. Location of adsorption edge is independent of ionic strength and dissolved Ni concentration; it is shifted to slightly lower pH with higher pCO2 and to slightly higher pH by competition with Li. Diminished adsorption at alkiline pH with higher pCO2 implies formation of dissolved Ni-carbonato complexes. Ni adsorption edges for goethite and quartz, two components of the sand were also measured. Ni adsorption on pure quartz is only moderately pH-dependent and differs in shape and location from that of the sand, whereas Ni adsorption by goethite is strongly pH-dependent. A triple-layer surface-complexation model developed for goethite provides a good fit to the Ni-adsorption curve of the sand. Based on this model, the apparent surface area of the Fe-oxyhydroxide coating is estimated to be 560 m{sup 2}/g, compatible with its occurrence as amorphous Fe-oxyhydroxide. Potentiometric titrations on sand also differ from pure quartz and suggest that effective surface area of sand may be much greater than that measured by N{sub 2}-BET gas adsorption. Attempts to model the adsorption of bulk sand in terms of properties of pure end member components suggest that much of the sand surface is inert. Although the exact Ni adsorption mechanisms remain ambiguous, this preliminary adsorption model provides an initial set of parameters that can be used in transport calculations.

We have used several sol-gel strategies to prepare supported inorganic membranes by a process that combines the features of slip-casting and dip-coating. To be viable the deposited membranes must exhibit both high flux and high selectivity. For porous membranes these requirements are met by extremely thin, defect-free porous films exhibiting a narrow size distribution of very small pores. This paper considers the use of polymeric silica and hybrid-organosilyl precursor sols in the context of the underlying physics and chemistry of the membrane deposition process. Since the average membrane pore size is ultimately established by the collapse of the gel network upon drying, it is necessary to promote polymer interpenetration and collapse during membrane deposition in order to achieve the very small pore sizes necessary for molecular sieving. For polymeric sols, this is accomplished using rather weakly branched polymers characterized by fractal dimension D < 1.5 under deposition conditions in which the silica condensation rate is minimized. By analogy to organic polymer sols and gels, we believe that the breadth of the pore size distribution can be influenced by the occurrence of micro-phase separation during membrane deposition. Minimization of the condensation rate not only fosters polymer collapse but should inhibit phase separation, leading to a narrower pore size distribution. The formation of microporosity through collapse of the gel network requires that small pores are achieved at the expense of membrane porosity. Incorporation of organic template ligands within a dense silica matrix followed by their removal allows us to independently control pore size and pore volume through the size and volume fraction of the organic template. Such strategies can be used to create microporous films with large volume fraction porosities.

The Solar Thermal Design Assistance Center (STDAC) at Sandia is a resource provided by the DOE Solar Thermal Program. The STDAC`s major objective is to accelerate the use of solar thermal systems by providing direct technical assistance to users in industry, government, and foreign countries; cooperating with industry to test, evaluate, and develop renewable energy systems and components; and educating public and private professionals, administrators, and decision makers. This FY94 report highlights the activities and accomplishments of the STDAC. In 1994, the STDAC continued to provide significant direct technical assistance to domestic and international organizations in industry, government, and education, Applying solar thermal technology to solve energy problems is a vital element of direct technical assistance. The STDAC provides information on the status of new, existing, and developing solar technologies; helps users screen applications; predicts the performance of components and systems; and incorporates the experience of Sandia`s solar energy personnel and facilities to provide expert guidance. The STDAC directly enhances the US solar industry`s ability to successfully bring improved systems to the marketplace. By collaborating with Sandia`s Photovoltaic Design Assistance Center and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory the STDAC is able to offer each customer complete service in applying solar thermal technology. At the National Solar Thermal Test Facility the STDAC tests and evaluates new and innovative solar thermal technologies. Evaluations are conducted in dose cooperation with manufacturers, and the results are used to improve the product and/or quantify its performance characteristics. Manufacturers, in turn, benefit from the improved design, economic performance, and operation of their solar thermal technology. The STDAC provides cost sharing and in-kind service to manufacturers in the development and improvement of solar technology.

Recent results in the use of disilanes as silylating reagents for near-surface imaging with deep-UV (248 nm) and EUV (13.5 nm) lithography are reported. A relatively thin imaging layer of a photo-cross-linking resist is spun over a thicker layer of hard-baked resist that functions as a planarizing layer and antireflective coating. Photoinduced acid generation and subsequent heating crosslinks and renders exposed areas impermeable to an aminodisilane that reacts with the unexposed regions. Subsequent silylation and reactive ion etching afford a positive-tone image. The use of disilanes introduces a higher concentration of silicon into the polymer than is possible with silicon reagents that incorporate only one silicon atom per reactive site. The higher silicon content in the silylated polymer increases etching selectivity between exposed and unexposed regions and thereby increases the contrast. Additional improvements that help to minimize flow during silylation are also discussed, including the addition of bifunctional disilanes. We have resolved high aspect ratio, very high quality 0.20 {mu}m line and space patterns at 248 nm with a stepper having a numerical aperture (NA)= 0.53, and have resolved {<=} 0.15 {mu}m line and spaces at 13.5 nm.

Sputtered MoS{sub 2} is a solid lubricant capable of ultralow friction coefficients (below 0.05) load-bearing capacity. Since it exhibits low friction in vacuum, low outgassing rate, is non-migrating and lacks organic binders, this material is an attractive lubricant for space mechanisms. To exploit these new materials to their fullest potential, designers of space-based motion systems require data on the effects of atomic oxygen exposure on dense, sputtered MoS{sub 2}. This paper describes the effects of atomic oxygen in low earth orbit on the friction and surface composition of sputtered MoS{sub 2} films. Sputtered multilayer films of MoS{sub 2} with nickel (0.7 nm Ni per 10 nm MoS{sub 2}, for 1 {mu}m total film thickness), and MoS{sub 2} cosputtered with antimony oxide (nominally 2 {mu}m thick) were exposed to 2.2 to 2.5 x 10{sup 20} oxygen/cm{sup 2} over a period of 42.25 hours in earth orbit on the United States space shuttle. Identical specimens were kept as controls in desiccated storage for the duration of the mission, and another set was exposed to an equivalent fluence of atomic oxygen in the laboratory. The friction coefficient in air and vacuum, and the composition of worn surfaces, were determined prior to the shuttle flight and again after the shuttle flight. Results are described.

Thermal response and thermal fatigue tests of four 5 mm thick beryllium tiles on a Russian divertor mock-up were completed on the Electron Beam Test System at Sandia National Laboratories. The beryllium tiles were diffusion bonded onto an OFHC copper saddleblock and a DSCu (MAGT) tube containing a porous coating. Thermal response tests were performed on the tiles to an absorbed heat flux of 5 MW/m{sup 2} and surface temperatures near 300{degrees}C using 1.4 MPa water at 5.0 m/s flow velocity and an inlet temperature of 8-15{degrees}C. One tile was exposed to incrementally increasing heat fluxes up to 9.5 MW/m{sup 2} and surface temperatures up to 690{degrees}C before debonding at 10 MW/m{sup 2}. A third tile debonded after 9200 thermal fatigue cycles at 5 MW/m{sup 2}, while another debonded after 6800 cycles. In all cases, fatigue failure occurred in the intermetallic layers between the beryllium and copper. No fatigue cracking of the bulk beryllium was observed. During thermal cycling, a gradual loss of porous coating produced increasing sample temperatures. These experiments indicate that diffusion-bonded beryllium tiles can survive several thousand thermal cycles under ITER relevant conditions without failure. However, the reliability of the diffusion bonded Joint remains a serious issue.

This paper illustrates how different modes of operation such as bilateral teleoperation, autonomous control, and shared control can be described and implemented using combinations of modules in the SMART robot control architecture. Telerobotics modes are characterized by different ``grids`` of SMART icons, where each icon represents a portion of run-time code that implements a passive control law. By placing strict requirements on the module`s input-output behavior and using scattering theory to develop a passive sampling technique, a flexible, expandable telerobot architecture is achieved. An automatic code generation tool for generating SMART systems is also described.

This report provides brief summaries of research performed in chemical and physical sciences at Sandia National Laboratories. Programs are described in the areas of advanced materials and technology, applied physics and chemistry, lasers, optics, and vision, and resources and capabilities.

Industrial and military activities in the US produce large amounts of hazardous mixed waste, which includes both radioactive and toxic substances. The already overburdened environment is faced with the task of safely disposing of these complex wastes. A very important aspect of this effort is the safe and economical transportation of radioactive and toxic chemical wastes to projected repositories. Movement of wastes to the repository sites is accomplished by a combination of truck, rail, ship, and air. The DOE directs transportation activities including cask development technology for use in single or multimode transport. Sandia National Laboratories` Transportation Technology programs provide the technology and know-how to support DOE in achieving safe, efficient, and economical packaging and transportation of nuclear and other hazardous waste materials. This brochure describes the Transportation Technology programs and the specialized techniques and capabilities they offer to prospective users.

This report consists of one engineering drawing showing the design of the Fifth Wheel System for a semi-tractor trailer truck. Notes on the drawing give instructions for installation of some items, references to other drawings and instructions, and testing procedures.

This report consists of two engineering drawings showing the electrical and pneumatic system for the Fifth Wheel System on a semi-tractor trailer truck. The system is shown in the nonactivated state.

This report consists of one engineering drawing showing modifications to the Fifth Wheel System for a semi-tractor trailer truck. Notes give instructions for installation of some items, where other items may be purchased, testing instructions, and shipping instructions.

This report consists on one engineering drawing showing the wiring scheme for the Fifth Wheel System for a semi-tracker trailer truck. A note explains what wire is specified.

The Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology (PVMaT) Project was initiated in 1990 to help the US photovoltaic (PV) industry extend its world leadership role in manufacturing and commercially developing PV modules and systems. It is being conducted in several phases, staggered to support industry progress. The four most recently awarded subcontracts (Phase 2B) are now completing their first year of research. They include two subcontracts on CdTe, one on Spheral Solar[trademark] Cells, and one on cast polysilicon. These subcontracts represent new technology additions to the PVMaT Project. Subcontracts initiated in earlier phases are nearing completion, and their progress is summarized. An additional phase of PVMaT, Phase 4A, is being initiated which will emphasize product-driven manufacturing research and development. The intention of Phase 4A is to emphasize improvement and cost reduction in the manufacture of full-system PV products. The work areas may include, but are not limited to, issues such as improvement of module manufacturing processes; system and system component packaging, integration, manufacturing, and assembly; product manufacturing flexibility; and balance-of-system development with the goal of product manufacturing improvements.

In coating processes (e.g. in blade coating) the flow domain inherently contains free surfaces and three-phase contact lines, and characteristic length scales of flow features in the dimension transverse to the web-movement vary by an order of magnitude or more from a fraction of a millimeter or more to tens of microns or less). The presence of free surfaces and three-phase contact lines, and the sudden changes of flow geometry and directions create difficulties in theoretical analyses of such flows. Though simulations of coating flows via finite-element methods using structured grids have been reportedly demonstrated in the literature, achieving high efficiency of such numerical experiments remains a grand challenge -- mainly due to difficulties in local mesh-refinement and in avoiding unacceptably distorted grids. High efficiency of computing steady flow fields under various process conditions is crucial in shortening turn-around time in design and optimization of coating-flow processes. In this paper we employ a fully-implicit, pseudo-solid, domain mapping technique coupled with unstructured meshes to analyze blade and slot coating flows using Galerkin`s method with finite element basis functions. We demonstrate the robustness and efficiency of our unique technique in circumventing shortcomings of mesh-motion schemes currently being used in the coating-flow research community. Our goal is to develop an efficient numerical tool, together with a suitable optimization toolkit, that can be used routinely in design and optimization of coating-flow processes.

This is a brief report about the Solar One and Solar Two instrument-energy-producing projects and the commercialization strategy for the Power Towers

The contact between an obsidian flow and a steep-walled tuff canyon was examined as an analogue for a highlevel waste repository. The analogue site is located in the Valles Caldera in New Mexico, where a massive obsidian flow filled a paleocanyon in the Battleship Rock tuff. The obsidian flow provided a heat source, analogous to waste panels or an igneous intrusion in a repository, and caused evaporation and migration of water. The tuff and obsidian samples were analyzed for major and trace elements and mineralogy by INAA, XRF, X-ray diffraction; and scanning electron microscopy and electron microprobe. Samples were also analyzed for D/H and {sup 39}Ar/{sup 4O} isotopic composition. Overall,the effects of the heating event seem to have been slight and limited to the tuff nearest the contact. There is some evidence of devitrification and migration of volatiles in the tuff within 10 meters of the contact, but variations in major and trace element chemistry are small and difficult to distinguish from the natural (pre-heating) variability of the rocks.

MELCOR is a fully integrated, engineering-level computer code, being developed at Sandia National Laboratories for the USNRC, that models the entire spectrum of severe accident phenomena in a unified framework for both BWRs and PWRS. As part, of an ongoing assessment program, the MELCOR computer code has been used to analyze a series of containment spray tests performed in the Containment Systems Experiment (CSE) vessel to evaluate the performance of aqueous sprays as a means of decontaminating containment atmospheres. Basecase MELCOR results are compared with test data, and a number of sensitivity studies on input modelling parameters and options in both the spray package and the associated aerosol washout and atmosphere decontamination by sprays modelled in the radionuclide package have been done. Time-step and machine-dependency calculations were done to identify whether any numeric effects exist in these CSE assessment analyses. A significant time-step dependency due to an error in the spray package coding was identified and eliminated. A number of other code deficiencies and inconveniences also are noted.

The responses of the following carbonate materials to shock loading and release have been measured: Indiana limestone (18% porosity; saturated and dry), Jeffersonville/Louisville Limestones (Fort Knox limestone) (variable dolomitization, low porosity), Danby Marble (essentially pure calcite; low porosity), and a limestone from the Utah Test and Training Range (low porosity, with 22% silica). Various experimental configurations were used, some optimized to yield detailed waveform information, others to yield a clean combination of Hugoniot states and release paths. All made use of velocity interferometry as a primary diagnostic. The stress range of 0 - 20 GPa was probed (in most cases, emphasizing the stress range 0 -10 GPa). The primary physical processes observed in this stress regime were material strength, porosity, and polymorphic phase transitions between the CaCO{sub 3} phases I, II, III and VI. Hydration was also a significant reaction under certain conditions. The Indiana Limestone studies in particular represent a significant addition to the low-pressure database for porous limestone. Temperature dependence and the effect of freezing were assessed for the Fort Knox limestone. Experimental parameters and detailed results are provided for the 42 impact tests in this series.

The Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) is developing explosives technology through its Underground Technology Program (UTP). Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has supported the DNA by conducting research to characterize the in situ stress and rock mass deformability at one of the UTP underground sites at Rodgers Hollow, near Louisville, Kentucky on the Fort Knox Military Reservation. The purpose of SNL`s testing was to determine the in situ stress using three different measurement techniques and, if possible, to estimate the rock mass modulus near the underground opening. The three stress-measuring techniques are (1) borehole deformation measurements using overcoring, (2) Anelastic Strain Recovery (ASR) complemented by laboratory ultrasonic and mechanical properties testing, and (3) the in situ flatjack technique using cancellation pressure. Rock mass modulus around the underground opening was estimated using the load deformation history of the flatjack and surrounding rock. Borehole deformation measurements using the overcoring technique probably represent the most reliable method for in situ stress determination in boreholes up to 50 ft (15 m) deep in competent rock around an isolated excavation. The technique is used extensively by the tunneling and mining industries. The ASR technique is also a core-based technique and is used in the petroleum and natural gas industries for characterization of in situ stress from deep boreholes. The flatjack technique has also been used in the tunneling and mining industries, and until recently has been limited to measurement of the stress immediately around the excavation. Results from the flatjack technique must be further analyzed to calculate the in situ stress in the far field.

The Department of Energy Order 5500.3A requires facility-specific hazards assessments be prepared, maintained, and used for emergency planning purposes. This consequence analysis documents the impact that a hydrogen accident could have to employees, the general public, and nearby facilities. The computer model ARCHIE was utilized to determine discharge rates, toxic vapor dispersion analyses, flammable vapor cloud hazards, explosion hazards, and flame jets for the Hydrogen Trailer Storage Facility located at Building 878. To determine over pressurization effects, hand calculations derived from the Department of the Air Force Manual, ``Structures to Resist the Effects of Accidental Explosions,`` were utilized. The greatest distances at which a postulated facility event will produce the Lower Flammability and the Lower Detonation Levels are 1,721 feet and 882 feet, respectively. The greatest distance at which 10.0 psi overpressure (i.e., total building destruction) is reached is 153 feet.

The Department of Energy Order 5500.3A requires facility-specific hazards assessments be prepared, maintained, and used for emergency planning purposes. This hazards assessment document describes the chemical and radiological hazards associated with the Sandia Administrative Micrographics Facility, Building 802. The entire inventory was screened according to the potential airborne impact to onsite and offsite individuals. The air dispersion model, ALOHA, estimated pollutant concentrations downwind from the source of a release, taking into consideration the toxicological and physical characteristics of the release site, the atmospheric conditions, and the circumstances of the release. The greatest distance at which a postulated facility event will produce consequences exceeding the Early Severe Health Effects threshold is 33 meters. The highest emergency classification is a Site Area Emergency. The Emergency Planning Zone is 75 meters.

A SEGS LS-2 parabolic trough solar collector was tested to determine the collector efficiency and thermal losses with two types of receiver selective coatings, combined with three different receiver configurations: glass envelope with either vacuum or air in the receiver annulus, and glass envelope removed from the receiver. As expected, collector performance was significantly affected by each variation in receiver configuration. Performance decreased when the cermet selective coating was changed to a black chrome coating, and progressively degraded as air was introduced into the vacuum annulus, and again when the glass envelope was removed from the receiver. For each receiver configuration, performance equations were derived relating collector efficiency and thermal losses to the operating temperature. For the bare receiver (no glass envelope) efficiency and thermal losses are shown as a function of wind speed. An incident angle modifier equation was also developed for each receiver case. Finally, equations were derived showing collector performance as a function of input insolation value, incident angle, and operating temperature. Results from the experiments were compared with predictions from a one-dimensional analytical model of the solar receiver. Differences between the model and experiment were generally within the band of experimental uncertainty.

Epitaxial SrRuO{sub 3} thin films were deposited by RF sputtering on SrTiO{sub 3} or MgO substrates for use as underlying electrodes. On these conductive substrates, epitaxial Pb(Zr{sub 0.35}Ti{sub 0.65})O{sub 3} (PZT) and PbTiO{sub 3} (PT) thin films were, deposited by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). X-ray diffraction (XRD), RBS channeling (RBS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and optical waveguiding were used to characterize phase, microstructure, defect structure, refractive index, and film thickness of the deposited films. The PZT and PT films were epitaxial and c-axis oriented. 90{degree} domains, interfacial misfit dislocations and dislocations and threading dislocations were the primary structural defects, and the films showed a 70% RBS channeling reduction. Hysteresis and dielectric measurements of epitaxial PZT ferroelectric capacitor structures formed using evaporated Ag or ITO glass top electrode showed: a remanent polarization of 46.2 mC/cm{sup 2}, a coercive field of 54.9 KV/cm, a dielectric constant of 410, a bipolar resistivity of {approximately}5.8 {times} 10{sup 9} {Omega}-cm at a field of 275 KV/cm, and a breakdown strength of >400 KV/cm.

Coupled thermal and hydrologic flow processes have been recognized as important factors in the evaluation of Yucca Mountain as a potential repository for high-level radioactive wastes. As a result, several models and numerical codes such as TOUGH2 have been used to investigate the thermohydrologic conditions near a potential nuclear waste repository. However, very few of these models have been tested through laboratory or field scale studies. This work has therefore focused on modeling well-controlled experiments of non-isothermal flow processes in porous media at different scales to serve two primary objectives: (1) identify processes that are potentially important to thermal and hydrologic transport at Yucca Mountain and (2) build confidence in models and codes through combined experimental and numerical studies of thermohydrologic behavior at different scales and conditions. In this report, three independent studies of thermohydrologic flow processes at laboratory and field scales are presented. The experiments and field studies that are presented here were performed independently of this work. The main focus of this report was to use the numerical code TOUGH2 to simulate the non-isothermal flow behavior observed in each experiment to generate understanding of the thermohydrologic processes and to gain confidence in the code. TOUGH2 was chosen due to its current use in calculations associated with Yucca Mountain and its capability of modeling the coupled transport of air, water, vapor, and heat in porous media.

High heat flux testing for the United States fusion power program is the primary mission of the Plasma Materials Test Facility (PMTF) located at Sandia National Laboratories - New Mexico. This facility, which is owned by the United States Department of Energy, has been in operation for over 17 years and has provided much of the high heat flux data used in the design and evaluation of plasma facing components for many of the world's magnetic fusion, tokamak experiments. In addition to domestic tokamaks such as Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) at Princeton and the DIII-D tokamak at General Atomics, components for international experiments like TEXTOR, Tore-Supra, and JET also have been tested at the PMTF. High heat flux testing spans a wide spectrum including thermal shock tests on passively cooled materials, thermal response and thermal fatigue tests on actively cooled components, critical heat flux-burnout tests, braze reliability tests and safety related tests. The objective of this article is to provide a brief overview of the high heat flux testing capabilities at the PMTF and describe a few of the experiments performed over the last year.

Radionuclide releases due to drilling into the potential Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste repository have been evaluated as part of a recent total-system performance assessment. The probability that a drilling event intersects a waste package is a function of the sizes of the drill bit and the waste package, and the density of placement of the containers in the repository. The magnitude of the releases is modeled as a random function that also depends on the amount of decay the radionuclides have undergone. Four cases have been analyzed, representing the combinations of two waste-package designs (small-capacity, thin-wall, vertically emplaced; and large-capacity, thick-wall, horizontally emplaced) and two repository layouts (lower thermal power dissipation, low waste-package placement density; and higher thermal power dissipation, high waste-package placement density). The results show a fairly pronounced dependence on waste-package design and slight dependence on repository layout. Given the assumptions in the model, releases from the larger containers are 4-5 times greater than from the smaller packages.

Polycarbonate rectangular honeycomb and acrylic capillary honeycomb, two types of transparent insulation material, were tested in flat-plate collectors. The honeycomb was inserted between the cover plate and the absorber, leaving a 1-cm air gap above the absorber to decouple radiative and conductive heat-transfer modes. Four 4 by 8 ft. collectors with selective black chrome absorbers were evaluated side by side using ASHRAE Standard 93-1986. They differed in thickness and type of material as follows: 1) no insulation material, 2) 1 in. of polycarbonate, 3) 4-in. of polycarbonate, and 4) 4 in. of acrylic honeycomb. Another set of tests was completed using absorbers coated with moderately selective black paint, and a third set with flat-black paint. A collector containing a selective chrome absorber and 4 in. of acrylic honeycomb achieved the best thermal performance. The amount of improvement in thermal performance was greatest when transparent insulation material was added to collectors with flat-black absorbers, and it decreased as absorber selectivity increased. Since small-cell honeycomb improves thermal performance by suppressing both convective and radiative transfer, combination with selective coatings is partially redundant because they are poor emitters. Also, the unacceptably low melting temperature of these materials preclude them from withstanding even a wet stagnation, thereby rendering this application impractical.

When a modal test is to be performed for purposes of correlation with a finite element model, one needs to design the test so that the resulting measurements will provide the data needed for the correlation. There are numerous issues to consider in the design of a modal test; two important ones are the number and location of response sensors, and the number, location, and orientation of input excitation. From a model correlation perspective, one would like to select the response locations to allow a definitive, one-to-one correspondence between the measured modes and the predicted modes. Further, the excitation must be designed to excite all the modes of interest at a sufficiently high level so that the modal estimation algorithms can accurately extract the modal parameters. In this paper these two issues are examined in the context of model correlation with methodologies presented for obtaining an experiment design.

A sensor-based control approach for real-time seam tracking of rocket thrust chamber assemblies has been developed to enable automation of a braze paste dispensing process. This approach utilizes a non-contact Multi-Axis Seam Tracking (MAST) sensor to track the seams. The MAST sensor measures capacitance variations between the sensor and the workpiece and produces four varying voltages which are read directly into the robot controller. A PID control algorithm which runs at the application program level has been designed based upon a simple dynamic model of the combined robot and sensor plant. The control algorithm acts on the incoming sensor signals in real-time to guide the robot motion along the seam path. Experiments demonstrate that seams can be tracked at 100 mm/sec within the accuracy required for braze paste dispensing.

Prosperity Games are an outgrowth and adaptation of move/countermove and seminar War Games. Prosperity Games are simulations that explore complex issues in a variety of areas including economics, politics, sociology, environment, education and research. These issues can be examined from a variety of perspectives ranging from a global, macroeconomic and geopolitical viewpoint down to the details of customer/supplier/market interactions in specific industries. All Prosperity Games are unique in that both the game format and the player contributions vary from game to game. This report documents a 90-minute Prosperity Game conducted as part of Advanced Manufacturing Day on May 17, 1994. This was the fourth game conducted under the direction of the Center for National Industrial Alliances at Sandia. Although previous games lasted from one to two days, this abbreviated game produced interesting and important results. Most of the strategies proposed in previous games were reiterated here. These included policy changes in international trade, tax laws, the legal system, and the educational system. Government support of new technologies was encouraged as well as government-industry partnerships. The importance of language in international trade was an original contribution of this game. The deliberations and recommendations of these teams provide valuable insights as to the views of this diverse group of decision makers concerning policy changes, foreign competition, and the development, delivery and commercialization of new technologies.

A significant number of analytical problems (for example, abnormal-environment safety analysis) depend on data that are partly or mostly subjective. Since fuzzy algebra depends on subjective operands, we have been investigating its applicability to these forms of assessment, particularly for portraying uncertainty in the results of PRA (probabilistic risk analysis) and in risk-analysis-aided decision-making. Since analysis results can be a major contributor to a safety-measure decision process, risk management depends on relating uncertainty to only known (not assumed) information. The uncertainties due to abnormal environments are even more challenging than those in normal-environment safety assessments; and therefore require an even more judicious approach. Fuzzy algebra matches these requirements well. One of the most useful aspects of this work is that we have shown the potential for significant differences (especially in perceived margin relative to a decision threshold) between fuzzy assessment and probabilistic assessment based on subtle factors inherent in the choice of probability distribution models. We have also shown the relation of fuzzy algebra assessment to ``bounds`` analysis, as well as a description of how analyses can migrate from bounds analysis to fuzzy-algebra analysis, and to probabilistic analysis as information about the process to be analyzed is obtained. Instructive examples are used to illustrate the points.

Many organizations face high consequence safety situations where unwanted stimuli due to accidents, catastrophes, or inadvertent human actions can cause disasters. In order to improve interaction among such organizations and to build on each others` experience, preventive approaches, and assessment techniques, the High Consequence Operations Safety Symposium was held July 12--14, 1994 at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The symposium was conceived by Dick Schwoebel, Director of the SNL Surety Assessment Center. Stan Spray, Manager of the SNL System Studies Department, planned strategy and made many of the decisions necessary to bring the concept to fruition on a short time scale. Angela Campos and about 60 people worked on the nearly limitless implementation and administrative details. The initial symposium (future symposia are planned) was structured around 21 plenary presentations in five methodology-oriented sessions, along with a welcome address, a keynote address, and a banquet address. Poster papers addressing the individual session themes were available before and after the plenary sessions and during breaks.

This report is a critical reassessment of the geotechnical risks of continuing oil storage at the Weeks Island Strategic Petroleum Reserve site. It reviews all previous risk abatement recommendations, subsequent mitigative actions, and new information. Of increased concern, due to the discovery of a surface levels, is the long term maintainability of the mine as an oil storage repository. Mine operational changes are supported in order to facilitate monitoring of water entry diagnostics. These changes are also intended to minimize the volume in the mine available for water entry. Specific recommendations are made to implement the mine changes.

The design of structural containments for testing small explosive devices requires the designer to consider the various aspects of the explosive loading, i.e., shock and gas or quasistatic pressure. Additionally, if the explosive charge has the potential of producing damaging fragments, provisions must be made to arrest the fragments. This may require that the explosive be packed in a fragment attenuating material, which also will affect the loads predicted for containment response. Material also may be added just to attenuate shock, in the absence of fragments. Three charge weights are used in the design. The actual charge is used to determine a design fragment. Blast loads are determined for a {open_quotes}design charge{close_quotes}, defined as 125% of the operational charge in the explosive device. No yielding is permitted at the design charge weight. Blast loads are also determined for an over-charge, defined as 200% of the operational charge in the explosive device. Yielding, but no failure, is permitted at this over-charge. This guide emphasizes the calculation of loads and fragments for which the containment must be designed. The designer has the option of using simplified or complex design-analysis methods. Examples in the guide use readily available single degree-of-freedom (sdof) methods, plus static methods for equivalent dynamic loads. These are the common methods for blast resistant design. Some discussion of more complex methods is included. Generally, the designer who chooses more complex methods must be fully knowledgeable in their use and limitations. Finally, newly fabricated containments initially must be proof tested to 125% of the operational load and then inspected at regular intervals. This specification provides guidance for design, proof testing, and inspection of small explosive containment structures.

Feature extraction transforms an object's image representation to an alternate reduced representation. In one-class object recognition, we would like this alternate representation to give improved discrimination between the object and all possible non-objects and improved generalization between different object poses. Feature selection can be time-consuming and difficult to optimize so we have investigated unsupervised neural networks for feature discovery. We first discuss an inherent limitation in competitive type neural networks for discovering features in gray level images. We then show how Sanger's Generalized Hebbian Algorithm (GHA) removes this limitation and describe a novel GHA application for learning object features that discriminate the object from clutter. Using a specific example, we show how these features are better at distinguishing the target object from other non-target objects with Carpenter's ART 2-A as the pattern classifier.

This report summarizes the results for the first year of a two year Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) effort. This effort included a system study, preliminary data acquisition, and preliminary algorithm development. The system study determined the optimum frequency and bandwidth, surveyed soil parameters and targets, and defined radar cross section in lossy media. The data acquisition imaged buried objects with a rail-SAR. Algorithm development included a radar echo model, three-dimensional processing, sidelobe optimization, phase history data interpolation, and clutter estimation/cancellation.

Robotic automation is examined as a possible alternative to manual spent nuclear fuel, transport cask and Multi-Purpose Canister (MPC) handling at a Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) facility. Automation of key operational aspects for the MRS/MPC system are analyzed to determine equipment requirements, throughput times and equipment costs is described. The economic and radiation dose impacts resulting from this automation are compared to manual handling methods.

The potential radiological and nonradiological risks associated with specific radioactive waste shipping campaigns at the Hanford Site are estimated. The shipping campaigns analyzed are associated with the transportation of wastes from the N-Reactor site at the 200-W Area, both within the Hanford Reservation, for disposal. The analysis is based on waste that would be generated from the N-Reactor stabilization program.

Verification measurements may be used to help ensure nuclear criticality safety when burnup credit is applied to spent fuel transport and storage systems. The FORK measurement system, designed at Los Alamos National Laboratory for the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards program, has been used to verify reactor site records for burnup and cooling time for many years. The FORK system measures the passive neutron and gamma-ray emission from spent fuel assemblies while in the storage pool. This report deals with the application of the FORK system to burnup credit operations based on measurements performed on spent fuel assemblies at the Oconee Nuclear Station of Duke Power Company.

A method is presented for input torque shaping for three-dimensional slew maneuvers of a precision pointing flexible spacecraft. The method determines the torque profiles for fixed-time, rest-to-rest maneuvers which minimize a specified performance index. Spacecraft dynamics are formulated in such a manner that the rigid body and flexible motions are decoupled. Furthermore, assembly of the equations of motion is simplified by making use of finite element analysis results. Input torque profiles are determined by solving an associated optimization problem using dynamic programming. Three example problems are provided to demonstrate the application of the method.

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films are of technological interest for a variety of electronic and optical applications. Fabrication of PZT films by solution deposition techniques is attractive because of stoichiometric control at the molecular level, ease of processing, and both low capital investment and total cost. Control of phase evolution, microstructure, crystallite size and orientation, and ferroelectric domain assemblage during processing is essential to optimize electrical and/or optical properties of the films. Electron microscopy techniques have been used extensively to correlate microstructural features with film processing.

This paper addresses theoretical aspects of forming images from an airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) of targets buried below the earth's surface. Soil is generally a lossy, dispersive medium, with wide ranging variability in these attributes depending on soil type, moisture content, and a host of other physical properties. Focussing a SAR subsurface image presents new dimensions of complexity relative to its surface-image counterpart, even when the soil's properties are known. This paper treats the soil as a lossy, dispersive half space, and presents a practical model for the radar echo-delay time to point scatterers within it. This model is then used to illustrate effects of refraction, dispersion, and attenuation on a SAR's phase histories, and the resulting image. Various data collection geometries and processing strategies are examined for both 2-Dimensional and 3-Dimensional SAR images. The conclusions from this work are that 1) focussing a SAR image must generally take into account both refraction and dispersion, 2) resolving targets at different depths in lossy soils requires perhaps unprecedented sidelobe attenuation, that for some soils may only be achievable with specialized window functions, 3) the impulse response of the soil itself places a practical limit on the usable bandwidth of the radar, and 4) dynamic ranges and sensitivities will need to be orders of magnitude greater than typical surface-imaging SARs, leading to significant impact on SAR parameters, for example compressing the usable range of pulse repetition frequencies (PRFs).

This paper demonstrates how certain concepts from the Phase Gradient Autofocus (PGA) algorithm for automated refocus of spotlight mode SAR imagery may be used to design a similar algorithm that applies to SAR imagery formed in the conventional strip-mapping mode. The algorithm derivation begins with the traditional view of strip-map image formation as convolution (compression) using a linear FM chirp sequence. The appropriate analogies and modifications to the spotlight mode case are used to describe a working algorithm for strip-map autofocus.

Statistical methods were used to design and analyze the results of a gettering experiment on four industrial multicrystalline silicon solar cell materials. The experiment studied the effects of temperature and time in the POCl3 diffusion process and the aluminum alloy process using simple diagnostic devices. The time and temperature ranges were restricted to maintain compatibility with commercial fabrication sequences. The design was capable of picking up second order interactions between the various processing factors. Statistically significant gettering effects were detected in only two of the four materials. The results for one of these materials were further tested using full solar cells. Strengths and weaknesses of this approach to gettering studies have become apparent in the present work and are discussed.

Computational physicists at Sandia National Laboratories have moved their production codes to distributed memory parallel computers. Such an effort required the development of parallel algorithms, parallel data bases and parallel support tools. The Eulerian CTH code was rewritten. Moving both ALEGRA and PRONTO to parallel computers required only a modest number of modifications. It involved restructuring the restart and graphics data bases to make them parallel and minimize the I/O to the parallel computer. It also involved developing mesh decomposition tools to divide a rectangular or arbitrary connectivity into sub-meshes. It also involved developing new visualization tools to process the very large, parallel data bases. This paper also discusses Sandia's experiences running these codes on its 1840 compute node Intel Paragon, 1024 processor nCUBE and networked stations.

Techniques for lossless waveform compression can be applied to the transmission of weight vectors from an orbiting satellite. The vectors, which are a part of a hybrid analog/digital adaptive filter, are a representation of the radio frequency background seen by the satellite. An approach is used which treats each adaptive weight as a time-varying waveform.

Transformers models for simulation with Pspice and Analogy's Saber are being developed using experimental B-H Loop and network analyzer measurements. The models are evaluated for accuracy and convergence using several test circuits. Results are presented which demonstrate the effects on circuit performance from magnetic core losses, eddy currents, and mechanical stress on the magnetic cores.

This paper describes the result of a team effort at Sandia to demonstrate the near-term performance potential for multicrystalline silicon modules using commercial mc-Si material and improved cell fabrication processes. Large-area high-performance mc-Si cells were fabricated, prototype modules were built, and world-record module efficiency was confirmed by outdoor testing at over 15% for standard test conditions.

Abstract not provided.

Abstract not provided.

We have developed a capability to make real time concentration measurements of individual chemicals in a complex mixture using a multispectral laser remote sensing system. Our chemical recognition and analysis software consists of three parts: (1) a rigorous multivariate analysis package for quantitative concentration and uncertainty estimates, (2) a genetic optimizer which customizes and tailors the multivariate algorithm for a particular application, and (3) an intelligent neural net chemical filter which pre-selects from the chemical database to find the appropriate candidate chemicals for quantitative analyses by the multivariate algorithms, as well as providing a quick-look concentration estimate and consistency check. Detailed simulations using both laboratory fluorescence data and computer synthesized spectra indicate that our software can make accurate concentration estimates from complex multicomponent mixtures. even when the mixture is noisy and contaminated with unknowns.

This paper discusses the conceptual design considerations and challenges for development of a contactless, mobile, single channel biomagnetic sensor system based on High-Temperature Superconductor (HTS) Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) and employing the Three-SQUID Gradiometer (TSG) concept. Operating in magnetically unshielded environments, as are encountered in many medical scenarios, this instrument class would monitor cardiac electrical activity with minimal patient preparation and intrusiveness, and would notionally be coupled with a clinically adaptive human-system interface (HSI).

Hydroxylated alumina films have been synthesized by water oxidation of single crystal Al(110) surfaces. Thermal dehydroxylation results in anion vacancies which produce an Al(3s) defect state 3.5 eV below the conduction band edge. A maximum in the defect-DOS occurs for oxides heated to 350 to 400C, which is where the materials exhibit maximum Lewis acidity with respect to C{sub 2}H{sub 4}. Adsorbed C{sub 2}H{sub 4} produces thermally active C{sub 2} species which interact covalently with the defect-DOS and nonbonding O(2p) from the top of the valence band. C(1s) binding energies suggest significant charge transfer which is consistent with a carbenium ion. Ni evaporated onto the surface, however, transfers charge directly to Al species and does not interact with O atoms at the defect site. The defect-DOS is regenerated when the C{sub 2} species decomposes or when Ni migrates thermally through the oxide layer.

This is the first annual report since the Inauguration of the University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaics Research and Development (UCEP) at Georgia Tech. The essential objective of the Center is to improve the fundamental understanding of the science and technology of advanced PV devices and materials, to provide training and enrich the educational experience of students in the field, and to increase US competitiveness by providing guidelines to industry and DOE for achieving cost-effective and high efficiency PV devices. These objectives are to be accomplished through a combination of research and education. This report summarizes the technical accomplishments, including modeling, processing, and characterization of cast multicrystalline silicon solar cells; use of modeling and PCD measurements to develop a road map for progressing toward 20% multicrystalline and 25% single crystalline cells; the development of a novel PECVD SiN/SiO{sub 2} AR coating that also provides good surface passivation; PECVD deposited SiO{sub 2} films with record low S and D{sub it} at the SiO{sub 2}/Si interface; and educational activities and accomplishments.

The International Energy Agency Fossil Fuel Multiphase Flow Sciences Agreement has been in effect since 1986. The traditional mechanism for the effort has been information exchange, effected by the inclusion of scientists in annual Executive committee meetings, by exchange of reports and papers, and by visits of scientists to one another`s institutions. In a sequence of informal meetings and at the 1993 Executive committee meeting, held in Pittsburgh, US in March 1994, it was decided that more intensive interactions could be productive. A candidate for such interactions would be specific projects. Each of these would be initiated through a meeting of scientists in which feasibility of the particular project was decided, followed by relatively intense international co-operation in which the work would be done. This is a report of the first of these meetings. Official or unofficial representatives from Canada, italy, japan, mexico, the United Kingdom, and the US met in Albuquerque, New Mexico, US, to consider the subject Flows of Granular Materials in Complex Geometries. Representatives of several other countries expressed interest but were unable to attend this meeting. Sixteen lectures were given on aspects of this topic. It was decided that a co-operative effort was desirable and possible. The most likely candidate for the area of study would be flows in bins and hoppers. Each of the countries wishing to co-operate will pursue funding for its effort. This report contains extended abstracts of the sixteen presentations and a transcription of the final discussion.

Sandia National Laboratories operates the Primary Standards Laboratory for the Department of Energy, Albuquerque Operations Office (DOE/AL). This report summarizes metrology activities that received emphasis in the first half of 1994 and provides information pertinent to the operation of the DOE/AL system-wide Standards and Calibration Program.

The finite difference flow and transport simulator VS2DT was benchmark tested against several other codes which solve the same equations (Richards equation for flow and the Advection-Dispersion equation for transport). The benchmark problems investigated transient two-dimensional flow in a heterogeneous soil profile with a localized water source at the ground surface. The VS2DT code performed as well as or better than all other codes when considering mass balance characteristics and computational speed. It was also rated highly relative to the other codes with regard to ease-of-use. Following the benchmark study, the code was verified against two analytical solutions, one for two-dimensional flow and one for two-dimensional transport. These independent verifications show reasonable agreement with the analytical solutions, and complement the one-dimensional verification problems published in the code`s original documentation.

Data are presented from the intermediate scale borehole test, an in situ test fielded in the pillar separating Rooms C1 and C2 at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The test was to provide data on the influence of scale, if any, on the structural behavior of underground openings in salt. These data include selected fielding information, test configuration, instrumentation activities, and comprehensive results from a large number of gages. Construction of the test began in December 1989, with the drilling of the intermediate scale borehole in December 1990. Gage data in this report cover the period from January 1989 through June 1993.

An optical technique for high-power radio-frequency (RF) signal generation is described. The technique uses a unique photodetector based on a traveling-wave design driven by an appropriately modulated light source. The traveling-wave photodetector (TWPD) exhibits simultaneously a theoretical quantum efficiency approaching 100 % and a very large electrical bandwidth. Additionally, it is capable of dissipating the high-power levels required for the RF generation technique. The modulated light source is formed by either the beating together of two lasers or by the direct modulation of a light source. A system example is given which predicts RF power levels of 100`s of mW`s at millimeter wave frequencies with a theoretical ``wall-plug`` efficiency approaching 34%.

US industry produces about 12 billion tons of waste a year, or two-thirds of the waste generated in the US. The costs of handling and disposing of these wastes are significant, estimated to be between $25 and $43 billion in 1991, and represent an increase of 66% since 1986. US industry also uses about one-third of all energy consumed in the nation, which adds to the environmental burden. Industrial wastes affect the environmental well-being of the nation and, because of their growing costs, the competitive abilities of US industry. As part of a national effort to reduce industrial wastes, the US Congress passed the Energy Policy Act (EPAct, P.L. 102-486). Section 2108, subsections (b) and (c), of EPAct requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to identify opportunities to demonstrate energy efficient pollution prevention technologies and processes; to assess their availability and the energy, environmental, and cost effects of such technologies; and to report the results. Work for this report clearly pointed to two things, that there is insufficient data on wastes and that there is great breadth and diversity in the US industrial sector. This report identifies: information currently available on industrial sector waste streams, opportunities for demonstration of energy efficient pollution prevention technologies in two industries that produce significant amounts of waste--chemicals and petroleum, characteristics of waste reducing and energy saving technologies identifiable in the public literature, and potential barriers to adoption of waste reducing technologies by industry.

On October 24, 1992, the President signed the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPAct, Public Law 102-486). Section 2108, subsections (b) and (c), of EPAct requires the Department of Energy to identify opportunities to demonstrate energy efficient pollution prevention technologies and processes; to assess the availability and the energy, environmental, and cost effects of such technologies; and to report the results within one year. This report is in response to that requirement. National waste reduction efforts in both the private and public sectors encompass a variety of activities to decrease the amount of wastes that ultimately enter their air, water, and land. DOE`s Office of Industrial Technologies (DOE/OIT) recognized the importance of these efforts and confirmed the federal government`s commitment to waste reduction by establishing the Industrial Waste Program (IWP) in 1990. The program is driven by industry and national needs, and is working on new technologies and information dissemination that industry identifies as vital. The national benefits of new technologies do not accrue to the economy until transferred to industry and incorporated into commercially available processes or products.

FAROW is a Computer program that assists in the probabilistic analysis of the Fatigue and Reliability of wind turbines. The fatigue lifetime of wind turbine components is calculated using functional forms for important input quantities. Parameters of these functions are defined in an input file as either constants or random variables. The user can select from a library of random variable distribution functions. FAROW uses structural reliability techniques to calculate the mean time to failure, probability of failure before a target lifetime, relative importance of each of the random inputs, and the sensitivity of the reliability to all input parameters. Monte Carlo simulation is also available. This user`s manual is intended to provide sufficient information to knowledgeably run the program and meaningfully interpret the results. The first chapter provides an overview of the approach and the results. Chapter 2 describes the formulation and assumptions used in the fatigue life calculations. Each of the input parameters is described in detail in Chapter 3 along with hints and warnings on usage. An explanation of the outputs is provided in Chapter 4. Two example problems are described and solved in Chapter 5, one for the case where extensive data are available and the other with limited data where the uncertainty is higher. A typical input file and the output files for the example problems are included in the appendices.

Concern for the environment and cost reduction are driving forces for a broad effort in government and the private sector to develop new, more cost-effective technologies for characterizing, monitoring and remediating environmental sites. Secondary goals of the characterization, monitoring and remediation (CMR) activity are: minimize secondary waste generation, minimize site impact, protect water tables, and develop methods/strategies to apply new technologies. The Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) project in directional boring for CMR of waste sites with enhanced machinery from the underground utility installation industry was initiated in 1990. The project has tested a variety of prototype machinery and hardware built by the industrial partner, Charles Machine Works (CMW), and SNL at several sites (Savannah River Site (SRS), Hanford, SNL, Kirtland AFB (KAFB), CMW), successfully installed usable horizontal environmental test wells at SRS and SNL/KAFB, and functioned as a clearing house for information regarding application of existing commercial machinery to a variety of governmental and commercial sites. The project has continued to test and develop machinery in FY 94. The original goal of cost-effectiveness is being met through innovation, adaptation, and application of fundamental concepts. Secondary goals are being met via a basic philosophy of {open_quotes}cut/thrust and compact cuttings without adding large quantities of fluid{close_quotes} to an environmental problem site. This technology will be very cost-effective where applicable. Technology transfer and commercialization by CMW is ongoing and will continue into FY 95. Technology transfer to the private sector is ongoing and reflected in increasing machinery sales to environmental contractors. Education of regulatory agencies resulting in restructuring of appropriate regulatory standards for specification of the horizontal drilling techniques continues to be a long-range goal.

This 1993 report contains monitoring data from routine radiological and nonradiological environmental surveillance activities. Summaries of significant environmental compliance programs in progress, such as National Environmental Policy Act documentation, environmental permits, environmental restoration, and various waste management programs for Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, are included. The maximum offsite dose impact was calculated to be 0.0016 millirem. The total population within a 50-mile (80 kilometer) radius of Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico received an estimated collective dose of 0.027 person-rem during 1993 from the laboratories operations, As in the previous year, the 1993 operations at Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico had no discernible impact on the general public or on the environment. This report is prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy in compliance with DOE Order 5400.1.

Results of recent studies of the electronic properties of polysilanes are reviewed. The electronic states can be described by the Hueckel model if coulomb interactions are included using the Pariser-Parr-Pople approximation. The long polymer chains appear to be divided into random length, short, ordered segments by conformational defects, with the energy of the excited states depending on the length of the segments. In isolated polymer chains energy is transferred from high-energy, short segments to longer, lower energy segments but the distance and time during which transfer take place is very limited. In solid films the excitons become highly mobile and remain mobile throughout their lifetime, even at low temperatures. Holes are quite mobile in solid films and the characteristics of transport are the same as those of charge carrier transport in molecularly doped polymer films.

A series of tests to evaluate several types of environmental well casings have been conducted by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and it`s industrial partner, The Charles Machine Works, Inc. (CMW). A test bed was constructed at the CMW test range to model a typical shallow, horizontal, directionally drilled wellbore. Four different types of casings were pulled through this test bed. The loads required to pull the casings through the test bed and the condition of the casing material were documented during the pulling operations. An additional test was conducted to make a comparison of test bed vs actual wellbore casing pull loads. A directionally drilled well was emplaced by CMW to closely match the test bed. An instrumented casing was installed in the well and the pull loads recorded. The completed tests are reviewed and the results reported.

The disposal of liquid organic solvents in unlined pits at the Sandia National Laboratories Chemical Waste Landfill (CWL) has created an organic solvent vapor plume in the subsurface soils. The groundwater, at a depth of 485 feet below ground surface, shows contamination by the vapor plume. The primary strategy to remove the volatile organic constituents from the soil include methods based on vacuum vapor extraction technologies. These technologies utilize the physical process of inducing air flow through the soils, into an extraction well, and to the surface for collection and/or treatment. The ability of the soils to be ventilated by a vacuum vapor extraction system is primarily dependent on the permeability of the soil. However, soil stratigraphic layers can have different permeabilities due to the differences in soil texture (percentages of sand, silt, and clay) and soil structure (bulk density and pore size distribution). These differences can create local soil horizons that are preferentially ventilated. The less ventilated zones will prolong the removal of vapor phase contaminants. This will increase the time needed to reach the remediation cleanup levels. Air permeability estimates at sequential depth horizons would provide valuable design input for segmented well screen completion zones that may improve removal efficiency of vacuum vapor extraction systems. Soil permeability characterization can be accomplished in many ways including laboratory tests, field scale tests, and reference to analogous soil texture properties. The work presented here represents an evaluation of soil permeability test methods at selected locations of the CWL.

The results of the numerical simulations reveal that horizontal air flow through the coarse with reasonable pressure gradients can remove large quantities of water from the cover system. Initially, the water removal from the cover system is dominated by the evaporation and advection of water vapor out of the coarse layer. Once the coarse layer is dry, removal of water by evaporation near the fine/coarse layer interface reduces the local water content and water potential, and water moves toward the fine-coarse layer interface and becomes available for evaporation. This result is important in that it suggests the fine layer water content may be moderated by air flow in the coarse layer. Incorporating diffusion of water vapor from the fine layer into the coarse layer substantially increases the water movement out of the fine layer.

Soil heating technologies have been proposed as a method to accelerate contaminant removal from subsurface soils. These methods include the use of hot air, steam, conductive heaters, in-situ resistive heating and in-situ radiofrequency heating (Buettner et.al., EPA, Dev et.al., Heath et.al.). Criteria for selection of a particular soil heating technology is a complex function of contaminant and soil properties, and efficiency in energy delivery and contaminant removal technologies. The work presented here seeks to expand the understanding of the interactions of subsurface water, contaminant, heat and vacuum extraction through model predictions and field data collection. Field demonstration will involve the combination of two soil heating technologies (resistive and dielectric) with a vacuum vapor extraction system and will occur during the summer of 1994.

Abstract not provided.

Physical Optical Corporation has introduced a Light Shaping Diffuser{trademark} (LSD) for the specialized illumination requirements of aircraft inspection. Attached to a handheld, battery-powered flashlight, this light-weight, holographic diffuser element provides bright, even illumination as aircraft inspectors perform the important task of visually examining aircraft for possible structural defects. Field trials conducted by the Aging Aircraft Program at Sandia National Laboratories confirm that the LSD-equipped flashlights are preferred by visual inspectors over stock flashlights.

A conceptual design for an air-launched interceptor missile to defend against theater ballistic missiles is presented. The missile is designed to intercept the target while ascending, during Or just after the boost phase, before it reaches exo-atmospheric flight. The interceptor consists of a two-stage booster and a shrouded kinetic-kill vehicle. This report concentrates on the booster design required to achieve reasonable standoff ranges. The kinetic-kill vehicle and shroud (the payload) is assumed to weigh 80 lb{sub m} (36 kg) and assumed to contain guidance computers for both the kill vehicle and the booster. The interceptor missile is about 6 m long, .48 m in diameter and weighs about 900 kg. Allowing 25 sec for target detection, trajectory estimation, and interceptor launch, it can intercept 90 sec after target launch from a 220 km stand-off range at an altitude of 60 km. Trade-off studies show that the interceptor performance is most sensitive to the stage mass fractions (with the first-stage mass fraction the most important), the first-stage burn time and the payload weight.

The torque loads on two classes of wind turbine gearboxes are analyzed using a time-at-torque technique and a rainflow counting technique to determine the cyclic loads on the gear teeth. The two techniques are compared and contrasted to one another using representative samples of the time histograms from a Micon 65 and the Sandia/DOE Test Bed wind turbines. To place these differences in perspective, Miner’s Rule is used to determine the damage produced by each of the distributions. The damage analyses illustrate that the differences in the distributions are minimal.

Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico (SNL/NM) has established a formal facility assessment, decontamination and demolition oversight process with the goal of ensuring that excess or contaminated facilities are managed in a cost-effective manner that is protective of human health and the environment. The decontamination and demolition process is designed so that all disciplines are consulted and have input from the initiation of a project. The committee consists of all essential Environmental, Safety and Health (ES and H) and Facilities disciplines. The interdisciplinary-team approach has provided a mechanism that verifies adequate building and site assessment activities are conducted. This approach ensures that wastes generated during decontamination and demolition activities are handled and disposed according to Department of Energy (DOE), Federal, state, and local requirements. Because of the comprehensive nature of the SNL decontamination and demolition process, the strategy can be followed for demolition, renovation and new construction projects, regardless of funding source. An overview of the SNL/NM decontamination and demolition process is presented through a case study which demonstrates the practical importance of the formal process.

Sandia National Labs has been investigating concepts for high power lasers pumped directly by fission energy. The direct pumping of laser media with fission fragments offers the potential advantages of scaling to high powers and very long run times in a compact, self powered system. To investigate the potential of this concept, extensive experiments have been conducted in the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR) and the Sandia Pulsed Reactor (SPR-III). These experiments include laser physics tests, radiation effects tests on optical materials, and experiments to examine the scaling of reactor pumped lasers to high powers. The SPR-III is a U-10%Mo fast burst reactor which is used for laser physics experiments. SPR-III is capable of 70 to 1500 {mu}s FWHM pulses generating up to several kW/cc excitation in a liter size laser cavity. The pulse widths greater than a few hundred microseconds are achieved using a pulse stretcher consisting of gram amounts of fissile material surrounded by moderator. The ACRR is a UO{sub 2}BeO fueled epithermal reactor which is used for larger volume scaling and beam quality experiments. ACRR operates in both steady state and pulsed modes with pulse widths of 7 to 250 ms resulting in excitation rates of {approximately}2 to 100 W/cc in excitation volumes of up to 50 1. Experimental configurations on both reactors have included central cavity and external cavity locations. The experiments on SPR-III have defined optimum conditions for efficient reactor pumping of rare gas lasers. This information has been used to define scaling experiments now in progress in the ACRR.

The safety and security of foreign nuclear facilities is an important topic for intelligence services. This has been made more important by the breakup of the Former Soviet Union. The major requirement of intelligence analysts is rapid information retrieval after the report of an incident at a foreign facility. Sandia National Laboratories is developing a GIS-based Energy Intelligence Information System (EIIS) to help analysts at The Office of Energy Intelligence of the Department of Energy formulate a response to a nuclear incident. The Vital Issues process was used to determine which information might be the most important to collect. Joint Applications Design and prototyping sessions were held to establish EIIS requirements and refine the user interface. EIIS was built to access any point on the globe or to move directly to a site, facility, or city. The EIIS version 1.0 concentrates on commercial reactors, version 2.0 will include other nuclear fuel cycle sites and release 3.0 will include waste and disposal information. The system runs on a SUN workstation using ARC/INFO{trademark} and Informix as the RDBMS. The map system relies upon the Digital Chart of the World from the Defense Mapping Agency.

Abstract not provided.

Distributed point-focusing solar concentrators are being developed for dish-Stirling systems and other applications. Many of these concentrators make use of faceted mirrors that have to be accurately aligned. Some of the solar concentrator designs use stretched-membrane facets that also require focusing. Accurate mirror alignment and focus of faceted solar concentrators have two benefits. First, the concentration ratio of the concentrator/receiver (collector) system is improved with accurate alignment and focus. The receiver aperture diameter can therefore be smaller, thereby reducing thermal losses from the receiver and improving the overall efficiency of the collector. Second, and perhaps more importantly, flux intensities on the receiver can be sensitive to facet alignment and focus. In this paper, the theory and practical application of an alignment and focusing technique are presented. In the technique, light from an artificial source is reflected from the concentrator`s facets to a target. From basic geometric principles, the shape and location of the reflected light on the target can be predicted. Alignment is accomplished by adjusting the facets aim so that the reflected image falls on the predetermined location. To focus a stretched-membrane facet, the reflected image size is adjusted to match that of the target. The governing equations used to draw the alignment targets are developed and the practical application of the technique to the alignment and focus of the Cummins Power Generation, Inc. CPG-460 are presented. Alignment uncertainty associated with this technique on the CPG-460 is also discussed.

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This report gives a brief description of the development activities for the MC3994 and MC3994A relays, including their mechanical and electrical characteristics. The basic details of the design were presented in SAND85-1288, {open_quotes}Characteristics and Development Report for the MC3593 and MC3594 Relays.{close_quotes} This report also summarizes test results and describes the tests that were performed to ensure that the MC3994 and MC3994A had adequate design margin in accordance with the capability drawing requirements.

Abstract not provided.

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In this paper, we report on a project to develop a unified approach for building a library of collective communication operations that performs well on a cross-section of problems encountered in real applications. The target architecture is a two-dimensional mesh with worm-hole routing, but the techniques also apply to higher dimensional meshes and hypercubes. The approach differs from traditional library implementations in that we address the need for implementations that perform well for various sized vectors and grid dimensions, including non-power-of-two grids. We show how a general approach to hybrid algorithms yields performance across the entire range of vector lengths. Moreover, many scalable implementations of application libraries require collective communication within groups of nodes. Our approach yields the same kind of performance for group collective communication. Results from the Intel Paragon system are included.

This report revises the original report that was published in 1980. Some of the topics covered in the earlier report were provisional and it is now practicable to reexamine them using new or revised geotechnical data and that obtained from SPR cavern operations, which involves 16 new caverns. Revised structure maps and sections show interpretative differences as compared with the 1980 report and more definition in the dome shape and caprock structural contours, especially a major southeast-northwest trending anomalous zone. The original interpretation was of westward tilt of the dome, this revision shows a tilt to the southeast, consistent with other gravity and seismic data. This interpretation refines the evaluation of additional cavern space, by adding more salt buffer and allowing several more caverns. Additional storage space is constrained on this nearly full dome because of low-lying peripheral wetlands, but 60 MMBBL or more of additional volume could be gained in six or more new caverns. Subsidence values at Bryan Mound are among the lowest in the SPR system, averaging about 11 mm/yr (0.4 in/yr), but measurement and interpretation issues persist, as observed values are about the same as survey measurement accuracy. Periodic flooding is a continuing threat because of the coastal proximity and because peripheral portions of the site are at elevations less than 15 ft. This threat may increase slightly as future subsidence lowers the surface, but the amount is apt to be small. Caprock integrity may be affected by structural features, especially the faulting associated with anomalous zones. Injection wells have not been used extensively at Bryan Mound, but could be a practicable solution to future brine disposal needs. Environmental issues center on the areas of low elevation that are below 15 feet above mean sea level: the coastal proximity and lowland environment combined with the potential for flooding create conditions that require continuing surveillance.

Sandia National Laboratories, mission is to solve important problems in the areas of national defense, energy security, environmental integrity, and industrial technology. The Laboratories` strategy for accomplishing this mission is to conduct research to provide an understanding of the important physical phenomena underlying any problem, and then to construct validated computational models of the phenomena which can be used as tools to solve the problem. In the course of implementing this strategy, Sandia`s technical staff has produced a wide variety of numerical problem-solving tools which they use regularly in the design, analysis, performance prediction, and optimization of Sandia components, systems and manufacturing processes. This report provides the relevant technical and accessibility data on the numerical codes used at Sandia, including information on the technical competency or capability area that each code addresses, code ``ownership`` and release status, and references describing the physical models and numerical implementation.

The Department of Energy Order 5500.3A requires facility-specific hazards assessments be prepared, maintained, and used for emergency planning purposes. This hazards assessment document describes the chemical and radiological hazards associated with the Simulation Technology Laboratory, Building 970. The entire inventory was screened according to the potential airborne impact to onsite and offsite individuals. The air dispersion model, ALOHA, estimated pollutant concentrations downwind from the source of a release, taking into consideration the toxicological and physical characteristics of the release site, the atmospheric conditions, and the circumstances of the release. The greatest distances at which a postulated facility event will produce consequences exceeding the ERPG-2 and Early Severe Health Effects thresholds are 78 and 46 meters, respectively. The highest emergency classification is a Site Area Emergency. The Emergency Planning Zone is 100 meters.

The purpose of this report is to assess the availability of technologies to seal underground openings. The technologies are needed to seal the potential high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain. Technologies are evaluated for three basic categories of seal components: backfill (general fill and graded fill), bulkheads, and grout curtains. Not only is placement of seal components assessed, but also preconditioning of the placement area and seal component durability. The approach taken was: First, review selected sealing case histories (literature searches and site visits) from the mining, civil, and defense industries; second, determine whether reasonably available technologies to seal the potential repository exist; and finally, identify deficiencies in existing technologies. It is concluded that reasonably available technologies do exist to place backfill, bulkheads, and grout curtains. Technologies also exist to precondition areas where seal components are to be placed. However, if final performance requirements are stringent for these engineered structures, some existing technologies may need to be developed. Deficiencies currently do exist in technologies that demonstrate the long-term durability and performance of seal components. Case histories do not currently exist that demonstrate the placement of seal components in greatly elevated thermal and high-radiation environments and in areas where ground support (rock bolts and concrete liners) has been removed. The as-placed, in situ material properties for sealing materials appropriate to Yucca Mountain are not available.

A comprehensive laboratory investigation is determining the mechanical properties of tuffs for the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project (YMP). Most recently, experiments have been performed on tuff samples from a series of drill holes along the planned alignment of the Exploratory Study Facilities (ESF) north ramp. Unconfined compression and indirect tension experiments were performed and the results are being analyzed with the help of bulk property information. The results on samples from eight of the drill holes are presented. In general, the properties vary widely, but are highly dependent on the sample porosity. The developed relationships between mechanical properties and porosity are powerful tools in the effort to model the rock mass response of Yucca Mountain to the emplacement of the potential high-level radioactive waste repository.

Experimental results are presented for bulk and mechanical properties measurements on specimens of the Paintbrush tuff recovered from borehole USW NRG-6 at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Measurements have been performed on four thermal/mechanical units, TCw, PTn, TSw1 and TSw2. On each specimen the following bulk properties have been reported: dry bulk density, saturated bulk density, average grain density, and porosity. Unconfined compression to failure, confined compression to failure, and indirect tensile strength tests were performed on selected specimens recovered from the borehole. In addition, compressional and shear wave velocities were measured on specimens designated for unconfined compression and confined compression experiments. Measurements were conducted at room temperature on nominally water saturated specimens; however, some specimens of PTn were tested in a room dry condition. The nominal strain rate for the fracture experiments was 10{sup -5} s {sup -1}.

The mismatch control technique that is used to simplify model equations of motion in order to determine analytic optimal control laws is extended using neighboring extremal theory. The first variation optimal control equations are linearized about the extremal path to account for perturbations in the initial state and the final constraint manifold. A numerical example demonstrates that the tuning procedure inherent in the mismatch control method increases the performance of the controls to the level of a numerically-determined piecewise-linear controller.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is required to prepare and submit Site Treatment Plans (STPS) pursuant to the Federal Facility Compliance Act (FFCAct). Although the FFCAct does not require that disposal be addressed in the STPS, the DOE and the States recognize that treatment of mixed low-level waste will result in residues that will require disposal in either low-level waste or mixed low-level waste disposal facilities. As a result, the DOE is working with the States to define and develop a process for evaluating disposal-site suitability in concert with the FFCAct and development of the STPS. Forty-nine potential disposal sites were screened; preliminary screening criteria reduced the number of sites for consideration to twenty-six. The DOE then prepared fact sheets for the remaining sites. These fact sheets provided additional site-specific information for understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the twenty-six sites as potential disposal sites. The information also provided the basis for discussion among affected States and the DOE in recommending sites for more detailed evaluation.

Cores containing natural fractures were obtained from drillholes UE 25 NRG-4 and USW NRG-6 at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Seven selected fractures were sheared at constant normal stress, either 5 or 10 MPa, in the air-dry condition. Detailed profilometer data were collected from each fracture surface before testing. The tests yielded the normal closure as a function of normal stress, and the shear stress and dilation as a function of shear offset. The constitutive properties resulting from the measurements were: normal stiffness, shear stiffness, shear strength and coefficient of friction, and dilation. Peak friction ranged from 0.89 to 1.11; residual friction ranged from 0.76 to 1.00. The lowest initial dilation angle was found to be 5.29{degrees} and the highest was 11.28{degrees}. The roughness characteristics of the fracture surfaces agree qualitatively with the simple mathematical model of Brown (1994) derived from fracture data in many other rock types.

The Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project has been assigned the task of determining the suitability of the Yucca Mountain site. Among the concerns being investigated, the characterization of the mechanical properties of the fractures present in the host rock had direct relevance to repository design, and the pre- and post-closure performance assessment. Cores from drillholes NRG-4 and NRG-6 containing natural fractures were obtained from the Sample Management Facility at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Seven selected fracture were sheared at constant normal stress, either 5 or 10 MPa, in the as-received condition (air-dry). Detailed profilometer data was collected from each fracture surface before testing. The tests yielded the normal closure as a function of normal stress, and the shear stress and dilation as a function of shear offset. The constitutive properties resulting from the measurements were: normal stiffness, shear stiffness, shear strength and coefficient of friction, and dilation. Peak friction ranged from 0.89 to 1.11; residual friction ranged from 0.76 to 1.00. The lowest initial dilation angel was found to be 5.29{degree} and the highest was 11.28{degree}. The roughness characteristics of the fracture surfaces agree qualitatively with the simple mathematical model of Brown (1984) derived from fracture data in many other rock types.

Design alternatives for the International Atomic Energy Agency`s Spent Fuel Attribute Tester (SFAT) were evaluated using radiation transport calculations. Several design changes were recommended and implemented in a new SFAT device. The new SFAT was tested on September 8 and 9, 1993, at the Industrial Power Company, Ltd. intermediate spent fuel storage facility in Olkiluoto, Finland. The new SFAT performed very well. The results of the tests are compared with predictions made during the SFAT optimization study.

On August 4, 1994, a Pollution Prevention Opportunity Assessment (PPOA) for the Print Shop was initiated by Print Shop Manager Bruce Fetzer and the Pollution Reduction Group (PRG).

The fatigue analysis of a wind turbine component typically uses representative samples of cyclic loads to determine lifetime loads. In this paper, several techniques currently in use are compared to one another based on fatigue life analyses. The generalized Weibull fitting technique is used to remove the artificial truncation of large-amplitude cycles that is inherent in relatively short data sets. Using data from the Sandia/DOE 34-m Test Bed, the generalized Weibull file technique is shown to be excellent for matching the body of the distribution of cyclic loads and for extrapolating the tail of the distribution However, the data also illustrate that the fitting technique is not a substitute for an adequate data base.

This report summarizes the environmental surveillance activities conducted by Sandia National Laboratories, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and Reynolds Electrical and Engineering Company for the Tonopah Test Range operated by Sandia National Laboratories. Sandia National Laboratories` responsibility for environmental monitoring results extend to those activities performed by Sandia National Laboratories or under its direction. Results from other environmental monitoring activities are included to provide a measure of completeness in reporting. Other environmental compliance programs such as the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, environmental permits, and environmental restoration and waste management programs are also included in this report, prepared for the US Department of Energy in compliance with DOE Order 5400.1.

The MELCOR computer code has been used to model four of the large-scale aerosol behavior experiments conducted in the Containment System Test Facility (CSTF) vessel. Tests AB5, AB6 and AB7 of the ABCOVE program simulate the dry aerosol conditions during a hypothetical severe accident in an LMFBR. Test LA2 of the LACE program simulates aerosol behavior in a condensing steam environment during a postulated severe accident in an LWR with failure to isolate the containment. The comparison of code results to experimental data show that MELCOR is able to correctly predict most of the thermal-hydraulic results in the four tests. MELCOR predicts reasonably well the dry aerosol behavior of the ABCOVE tests, but significant disagreements are found in the aerosol behavior modelling for the LA2 experiment. These results tend to support some of the concerns about the MELCOR modelling of steam condensation onto aerosols expressed in previous works. During these analyses, a limitation in the MELCOR input was detected for the specification of the aerosol parameters for more than one component. A Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) sensitivity study of the aerosol dynamic constants is presented for test AB6. The study shows the importance of the aerosol shape factors in the aerosol deposition behavior, and reveals that MELCOR input/output processing is highly labor intensive for uncertainty and sensitivity analyses based on LHS.

Because of the absence of a nearby, well-defined ground plane, performing electrical tests on unshielded cables installed in conduits is difficult. Experiments were run to develop a preionized gas troubleshooting technique to detect localized degradation of unshielded cables in conduits. This was achieved by introducing a readily ionizable gas like helium (or argon) in the conduit air space and then applying a moderately high voltage to the test cable, thus ionizing the gas surrounding the cable. Breakdown testing was performed on various types of damaged and undamaged cables. Other parameters necessary for practical implementation of the technique were also examined, including gas type, position of the cable with respect to the conduit wall, length of cable, conduit configuration, conduit size, and gas propagation in conduits. High potential testing of cables in the presence of preionized helium gas provides essentially the same information as high potential testing in water. A test criterion of 30 kVdc or 10 kVac would detect when 5-mils of insulation remain on one particular tested cable. No undamaged cable was noted to break down at these voltages. A high concentration of helium is required to perform the test, but this is easily attained with straightforward preparations. A cable with through-wall damage can easily be detected with a test criterion of approximately 1.5 kvac.

Finite element simulations modelling impact of the Generic Accident-Resistant Packaging (GAP) have been performed. The GAP is a nuclear weapon shipping container that will be used by accident response groups from both the United States and the United Kingdom. The package is a thin-walled steel structure filled with rigid polyurethane foam and weighs approximately 5100 lbs when loaded. The simulations examined 250 ft/s impacts onto a rigid target at several orientations. The development of the finite element model included studies of modelling assumptions and material parameters. Upon completion of the simulation series, three full-scale impact tests were performed. A comparison of the simulation results to the test data is given. Differences between the results and data are examined, and possible explanations for the differences are discussed.

A tester was developed to evaluate prototype thermal cells and batteries--especially high-voltage units--under a wide range of constant-current and constant-resistance discharge conditions. Programming of the steady-state and pulsing conditions was by software control or by hardware control via an external pulse generator. The tester was assembled from primarily Hewlett-Packard (H-P) instrumentation and was operated under H-P`s Rocky Mountain Basic (RMB). Constant-current electronic loads rated up to 4 kW (400 V at up to 100 A) were successfully used with the setup. For testing under constant-resistance conditions, power metal-oxide field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) controlled by a programmable pulse generator were used to switch between steady-state and pulse loads. The pulses were digitized at up to a 50 kHz rate (20 {mu} s/pt) using high-speed DVMs; steady-state voltages were monitored with standard DVMs. This paper describes several of the test configurations used and discusses the limitations of each. Representative data are presented for a number of the test conditions.

This report discusses matrixed field emission devices which have been fabricated using a modification of standard integrated circuit fabrication techniques. The emitter-to-gate spacing is fixed by the thickness of a deposited oxide and not by photolithographic techniques. Functioning triodes have been fabricated using this deposited oxide spacer approach. Measured emission current to a collector electrically and physically separated from the matrixed emission array follows Fowler-Nordheim behavior. Modeling of the potential field near the emitter and gate structures as well as the emitted electron trajectories with a two-dimensional, Poisson solver, finite-difference code was used to evaluate and improve field emission structures.

Over the past couple of years the Information Technology Department at Sandia Laboratories has developed software to automatically generate database/4gl procedure code and database maintenance scripts based on database table information. With this software developers simply enter table and referential integrity information and the software generates code and scripts as required. The generated procedure code includes simple insert/delete/update procedures, transaction logging procedures as well as referential integrity procedures. The generated database maintenance scripts include scripts to modify structures, update remote databases, create views, and create indexes. Additionally, the software can generate EPSI representations of Binder diagrams for the tables. This paper will discuss the software application and use of it in real world applications. The automated generation of procedure code and maintenance scripts allows the developers to concentrate on the development of user interface code. The technique involves generating database/4 gl procedure code and maintenance scripts automatically from the database table information. The database/4gl procedure code provides standard insert/update/delete interfaces for upper level code as well as enforces the data constraints defined in the information model. The maintenance scripts provide maintenance scripts and migration scripts. This has resulted in fully updated database applications with complete rules enforcement and database maintenance scripts within days of a database modification.

Maintenance Performance Indicators (PI) specify where the maintenance department is and which direction it is going allowing for a quick and accurate assessment of the performance of the Maintenance Management Program (MMP). Establishing PI`s for the maintenance department will allow a measure of productivity and a means of feedback for methods improvement. Effective performance of the maintenance department directly effects plant profitability. Improvements in the quality and productivity of the maintenance work force will significantly reduce maintenance costs. The level of performance attained by the maintenance work force is usually guessed at. Guessing will not identify areas needing improvement or help to initiate a corrective action. Maintenance PI`s are required for maintenance departments whose goal is to control maintenance costs while increasing productivity. The application of basic statistical methods will allow a maintenance department to know where they are and which direction they are going. The data presented in this paper is a representation of indicators used in industry as well as developed indicators to establish a complete maintenance performance indicator program. The methodology used in developing this program can be used as a way to manage a cost effective maintenance management program.

Nuclear reactor-pumped lasers (RPLs) have been developed in the US by the Department of Energy for over two decades, with the primary research occurring at Sandia National Laboratories and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The US program has experimentally demonstrated reactor-pumped lasing in various mixtures of xenon, argon, neon, and helium at wavelengths of 585, 703, 725, 1,271, 1,733, 1,792, 2,032, 2,630, 2,650, and 3,370 nm with intrinsic efficiency as high as 2.5%. The major strengths of a reactor-pumped laser are continuous high-power operation, modular construction, self-contained power, compact size, and a variety of wavelengths (from visible to infrared). These characteristics suggest numerous applications not easily accessible to other laser types. The continuous high power of an RPL opens many potential manufacturing applications such as deep-penetration welding and cutting of thick structures, wide-area hardening of metal surfaces by heat treatment or cladding application, wide-area vapor deposition of ceramics onto metal surfaces, production of sub-micron sized particles for manufacturing of ceramics, and 3-D ceramic lithography. In addition, a ground-based RPL could beam its power to space for such activities as illuminating geosynchronous communication satellites in the earth`s shadow to extend their lives, beaming power to orbital transfer vehicles, removing space debris, and providing power (from earth) to a lunar base during the long lunar night.

Investigations are being performed on a high current (16 kA), mildly relativistic (400kV), L-band klystron source. Experiments are in an early stage, and thus far have progressed to beam modulation studies. This paper discusses general klystron design considerations, beam propagation results, initial modulation results, and various extraction techniques being considered.

Calculational results are presented here for a class of intermediate-velocity penetration problems. The problems of interest involve penetration of moderate-strength target materials by high-strength projectiles. Two series of metal penetration experiments and a series of concrete slab perforation tests were simulated in this study. The computer code used for the calculations was the CTH code, which employs a recently-developed ``boundary layer`` algorithm for treating penetration problems such as these.

This report presents an application of probabilistic models and risk based criteria for determining the risk impact of the Limiting Conditions of Operations (LCOs) in the Technical Specifications (TSs) of a boiling water reactor during shutdown. This analysis studied the risk impact of the current requirements of Allowed Outage Times (AOTs) and Surveillance Test Intervals (STIs) in eight Plant Operational States (POSs) which encompass power operations, shutdown, and refueling. This report also discusses insights concerning TS action statements.

Becoming aware of the significant changes of the past several years and their effect on the expectations to international safeguards, it is necessary to reflect on which direction the development of nuclear safeguards in a new era needs to take. The time-proven monitoring techniques, based on quantitative factors and demonstrated universal application, have shown their merit. However, the new expectations suggest a possibility that a future IAEA safeguards, system could rely more heavily on the value of a comprehensive, transparent, and open implementation regime. Within such a regime, the associated measures need to be determined and technological support identified. This paper will identify proven techniques which, with appropriate implementation support, could most quickly make available additional measures for a comprehensive, transparent and open implementation regime. In particular, it will examine the future of remote monitoring in International Safeguards, and provide an update on the International Remote Monitoring Project and related implications.

This paper presents an overview of the Nuclear Electric Propulsion Space Test Program (NEPSTP). The program goals, the proposed mission, the spacecraft, and the Topaz II space nuclear power system are described. The subject of flight qualification is examined and the inherent difficulties of qualifying a space reactor are described. The differences between US and Russian flight qualification procedures are explored. A plan is then described that was developed to determine an appropriate flight qualification program for the Topaz II reactor to support a possible NEPSTP launch. Refocusing of the activities of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO), combined with budgetary pressures, forced the cancellation of the NEPSTP at the end of the 1993 fiscal year.

Thin film decoupling capacitors consisting of submicron thick, sol-gel Pb(Zr,Ti)O{sub 3} layers between Pt electrodes on a Si substrate have recently been developed. Because the capacitor structure needs to be only {approximately}3 {mu}m thick, these devices offer advantages such as decreased package volume and ability to integrate so that interconnect inductance is decreased, which allows faster IC processing rates. To fully utilize these devices, techniques of integrating them onto packages such as multi-chip modules and printed wiring boards or onto IC dies must be developed. The results of our efforts at developing integration processes for these capacitors are described here. Specifically, we have demonstrated a process for printing solder on the devices at the Si wafer level and reflowing it to form bumps and have developed a process for fabricating the devices on thin (25 to 75 {mu}m) substrates to facilitate integration onto ICs and printed wiring boards. Finally, we assessed the feasibility of fabricating the devices on rough surfaces to determine whether it would be possible to fabricate these capacitors directly on multi-layer ceramic substrates.

In this paper, I review the significant issues and the development of solar concentrators and thermal receivers for central-receiver power plants and dish/engine systems. Due to the breadth of the topic area, I have arbitrarily narrowed the content of this paper by choosing not to discuss line-focus (trough) systems and energy storage. I will focus my discussion on the development of heliostats, dishes, and receivers since the 1970s with an emphasis on describing the technologies and their evolution, identifying some key observations and lessons learned, and suggesting what the future in component development may be.

A new class of inorganic ion exchangers, called crystalline silicotitanates (CSTs), has been prepared at Sandia National Laboratories and Texas A&M University. CSTs have been determined to have high selectivity for the adsorption of Cs and Sr, and several other radionuclides from highly alkaline, high-sodium supernate solutions such as those found at Westinghouse Hanford (WHC). Continuous flow, ion-exchange columns are expected to be used to remove Cs and other radionuclides from the Hanford tank supernate. The proposed application for the CST would be Cs removal from highly alkaline salt solutions in a single pass process with interim storage of the Cs loaded CST until the glass vitrification plant is operational. This paper presents test results which address material requirements relevant for Hanford radwaste processing. This paper also discusses the integrated experimental and modeling approach being developed to establish the performance of the CST materials for the range of solution compositions and processing conditions which are expected to occur. The status on the commercialization of the CST material is also discussed.

Grid partitioning is the method of choice for decomposing a wide variety of computational problems into naturally parallel pieces. In problems where computational load on the grid or the grid itself changes as the simulation progresses, the ability to repartition dynamically and in parallel is attractive for achieving higher performance. We describe three algorithms suitable for parallel dynamic load-balancing which attempt to partition unstructured grids so that computational load is balanced and communication is minimized. The execution time of algorithms and the quality of the partitions they generate are compared to results from serial partitioners for two large grids. The integration of the algorithms into a parallel particle simulation is also briefly discussed.

This paper describes and evaluates operational experiences with the Accident Response Mobile Manipulation System (ARMMS) during simulated accident site salvage operations which might involve nuclear weapons. The ARMMS is based upon a teleoperated mobility platform with two Schilling Titan 7F Manipulators.

The cost of most photovoltaic (PV) systems is more a function of the balance of system (BOS) components than the collectors. The exception to this rule is the grid-tied system whose cost is related more directly to the collectors, and secondarily to the inverter/controls. In fact, recent procurements throughout the country document that collector costs for roof-mounted, utility-tied systems (Russell, PV Systems Workshop, 7/94) represent 60% to 70% of the system cost. This contrasts with the current market for packaged stand-alone all PV or PV-hybrid systems where collectors represent only 25% to 35% of the total. Not only are the BOS components the cost drivers in the current cost-effective PV system market place, they are also the least reliable components. This paper discusses the impact that BOS issues have on component performance, system performance, and system cost and reliability. We will also look at recent recommended changes in system design based upon performance evaluations of fielded PV systems.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has supported the development of solar thermal electric (STE) technology since the early 1970s. From its inception, the program has held a long-term goal of nurturing STE technologies from the research and development (R&D) stage through technology development, ultimately leading to commercialization. Within the last few years, the focus of this work -has shifted from R&D to cost-shared cooperative projects with industry. These projects are targeted not just at component development, but at complete systems, marketing approaches, and commercialization plans. This changing emphasis has brought new industry into the program and is significantly accelerating solar thermal`s entry into the marketplace. Projects such as Solar Two in the power tower area, a number of dish/Stirling joint ventures in the modular power area, and operations and maintenance (O&M) cost reduction studies will be discussed as examples of this new focus.

Sandia National Laboratories has designed, constructed and operated bare metal Godiva-type and pool-type pulse reactors since 1961. The reactor facilities were designed to support a wide spectrum of research, development, and testing activities associated with weapon and reactor systems.

Hazardous operations which have in the past been completed by technicians are under increased scrutiny due to high costs and low productivity associated with providing protective clothing and environments. As a result, remote systems are needed to accomplish many hazardous materials handling tasks such as the clean-up of waste sites in which the exposure of personnel to radiation, chemical, explosive and other hazardous constituents is unacceptable. Computer models augmented by sensing, and structured, modular computing environments are proving effective in automating many unstructured hazardous tasks. Work at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has focused on applying flexible automation (robotics) to meet the needs of the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE). Dismantling facilities, environmental remediation, and materials handling in changing, hazardous environments lead to many technical challenges. Computer planning, monitoring and operator assistance shorten training cycles, reduce errors, and speed execution of operations. Robotic systems that re-use well-understood generic technologies can be much better characterized than robotic systems developed for a particular application, leading to a more reliable and safer systems. Further safety in robotic operations results from use of environmental sensors and knowledge of the task and environment. Collision detection and avoidance is achieved from such sensor integration and model-based control. This paper discusses selected technologies developed at SNL for use within the USDOE complex that have been or are ready for transfer to government and industrial suppliers. These technologies include sensors, sub-systems, and the design philosophy applied to quickly integrate them into a working robotic system. This paper represents the work of many people at the Intelligent Systems and Robotics Center at SNL, to whom the credit belongs.

The Hypervelocity Experimental Research Database (HERD) described in this paper was developed to aid researchers with code validation for impacts that occur at velocities faster than the testable regime. Codes of concern include both hydrocodes and fast-running analytical or semi-empirical models used to predict the impact phenomenology and damage that results to projectiles and targets. There are several well documented experimental programs that can serve as benchmarks for code validation; these are identified and described. Recommendations for further experimentation (a canonical problem) to provide validation data are also discussed.

Radar imaging and detection of objects buried in soil has potentially important applications in the areas of nonproliferation of weapons, environmental monitoring, hazardous-waste site location and assessment, and even archeology. In order to understand and exploit this potential, it is first necessary to understand how the soil responds to an electromagnetic wave, and how targets buried within the soil scatter the electromagnetic wave. We examine the response of the soil to a short pulse, and illustrate the roll of the complex dielectric permittivity of the soil in determining radar range resolution. This leads to a concept of an optimum frequency and bandwidth for imaging in a particular soil. We then propose a new definition for radar cross section which is consistent with the modified radar equation for use with buried targets. This radar cross section plays the same roll in the modified radar equation as the traditional radar cross section does in the free-space radar equation, and is directly comparable to it. The radar cross section of several canonical objects in lossy media is derived, and examples are given for several object/soil combinations.

The National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA conducts testing of solar thermal components and systems, funded primarily by the US Department of Energy. Activities are conducted in support of Central Receiver Technology, Distributed Receiver Technology and Design Assistance projects. All activities are performed in support of various cost-shared government/industry joint ventures and, on a design assistance basis, in support of a number of other industry partners.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), in cooperation with nuclear power plant utilities and the Nuclear Energy Institute, have prepared equipment aging evaluations of nuclear power plant equipment for life extension considerations. Specifically, these evaluations focused on equipment considered important for plant license renewal (U.S. Code of Federal Regulations 10CFR54). {open_quotes}Industry Reports{close_quotes} (IRs), jointly funded by DOE and EPRI, evaluated the aging of major systems, structures, and components (e.g., reactor pressure vessels, Class I structures, PWR and BWR containments, etc.) and contain a mixture of technical and licensing information. {open_quotes}Aging Management Guidelines{close_quotes} (AMGs), funded by DOE, evaluate aging for commodity types of equipment (e.g., pumps, electrical switchgear, heat exchangers, etc.) and concentrate on technical issues only. AMGs are intended for systems engineers and plant maintenance staff. A significant number of technical issues were resolved during IR interactions with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). However, certain technical issues have not been resolved and are considered {open_quotes}open{close_quotes}. Examples include certain issues related to fatigue, neutron irradiation embrittlement, intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) and electrical cable equipment qualification. Direct NRC interaction did not take place during preparation of individual AMGs due to their purely technical nature. The eventual use of AMGs in a future license renewal application will likely require NRC interaction at that time. With a few noted exceptions, the AMG process indicated that current aging management practices of U.S. utilities were effective in preventing age-related degradation. This paper briefly describes the IR and AMG processes and summarizes the unresolved technical issues identified through preparation of the documents.

The role of force measurements in vibration testing is discussed. The rational for a vibration test based on the extremal control of force and acceleration is developed. The differences between force measurements in vibration testing and modal testing is discussed. Several methods for estimating the input force in a vibration test are outlined.

A dynamic simulator of the TOPAZ II reactor system has been developed for the Nuclear Electric Propulsion Space Test Program. The simulator is a self-contained IBM-PC compatible based system that executes at a speed faster than real-time. The simulator combines first-principle modeling and empirical correlations in its algorithm to attain the modeling accuracy and computational through-put that are required for real-time execution. The overall execution time of the simulator for each time step is 15 ms when no data is written to the disk, and 18 ms when nine double precision data points are written to the disk once in every time step. The simulation program has been tested and it is able to handle a step decrease of $8 worth of reactivity. It also provides simulation of fuel, emitter, collector, stainless steel, and ZrH moderator failures. Presented in this paper are the models used in the calculations, a sample simulation session, and a discussion of the performance and limitations of the simulator. The simulator has been found to provide realistic real-time dynamic response of the TOPAZ II reactor system under both normal and causality conditions.

This is the final report of a program to develop a commercial, high-efficiency, low-cost concentrator solar cell compatible with Spectrolab`s existing manufacturing infrastructure for space solar cells. The period covered is between 1991 and 1993. The program was funded through Sandia National Laboratories through the DOE concentrator initiative and, was also cost shared by Spectrolab. As a result of this program, Spectrolab implemented solar cells achieving an efficiency of over 19% at 200 to 300X concentration. The cells are compatible with DOE guidelines for a cell price necessary to achieve a cost of electricity of 12 cents a kilowatthour.

The theoretical and numerical background for the finite element computer program, COYOTE II, is presented in detail. COYOTE II is designed for the multi-dimensional analysis of nonlinear heat conduction problems and other types of diffusion problems. A general description of the boundary value problems treated by the program is presented. The finite element formulation and the associated numerical methods used in COYOTE II are also outlined. Instructions for use of the code are documented in SAND94-1179; examples of problems analyzed with the code are provided in SAND94-1180.

Four commercial exterior fiber optic intrusion detection sensors installed in a gravel test bed have been evaluated. These are the FOIDS models 1000 and 500, Sabreline, and Fiber SenSys model M106E. In addition, FOIDS models 1000 and 500 installed on a fence were evaluated. The data was obtained from a perimeter sensor test field in Albuquerque.

User instructions are given for the finite element computer program, COYOTE II. COYOTE II is designed for the multi-dimensional analysis of nonlinear heat conduction problems including the effects of enclosure radiation and chemical reaction. The theoretical background and numerical methods used in the program are documented in SAND94-1173. Examples of the use of the code are presented in SAND94-1180.

This study identifies technologies required to extend the capabilities of airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) systems and establish the feasibility of autonomous space-based lidars. Work focused on technologies that enable the development of a lightweight, low power, rugged and autonomous Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) instruments. Applications for airborne or space-based DIAL include the measurement of water vapor profiles in support of climate research and processing-plant emissions signatures for environmental and nonproliferation monitoring. A computer-based lidar performance model was developed to allow trade studies to be performed on various technologies and system configurations. It combines input from the physics (absorption line strengths and locations) of the problem, the system requirements (weight, power, volume, accuracy), and the critical technologies available (detectors, lasers, filters) to produce the best conceptual design. Conceptual designs for an airborne and space-based water vapor DIAL, and a detailed design of a ground-based water vapor DIAL demonstration system were completed. Future work planned includes the final testing, integration, and operation of the demonstration system to prove the capability of the critical enabling technologies identified.

The shock-loading of natural materials by an impact or explosion can result in the formation of modified and altered phases. In order to characterize the resulting material and to evaluate the extent of shock modification, the authors have used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to examine several experimentally shocked minerals. In three related NMR studies, they have (1) examined shocked clinoptilolite, (2) performed a preliminary analysis of shocked quartz, and (3) reproduced shocked quartz results with detailed spectral deconvolutions, and extended it with NMR analysis of shocked feldspar powders.

During July-September, 1993, Sandia National Laboratories, in cooperation with Far West Capital, drilled a 4000 feet exploratory slimhole (3.9 inch diameter) in the Steamboat Hills geothermal field near Reno, Nevada. This well was part of Sandia`s program to evaluate slimholes as a geothermal exploration tool. During and after drilling the authors performed four series of production and injection tests while taking downhole (pressure-temperature-spinner) and surface (wellhead pressure and temperature, flow rate) data. In addition to these measurements, the well`s data set includes: continuous core (with detailed log); borehole televiewer images of the wellbore`s upper 500 feet; daily drilling reports from Sandia and from drilling contractor personnel; daily drilling fluid record; numerous temperature logs; and comparative data from production and injection wells in the same field. This report contains: (1) a narrative account of the drilling and testing, (2) a description of equipment used, (3) a brief geologic description of the formation drilled, (4) a summary and preliminary interpretation of the data, and (5) recommendations for future work.

This report documents the characterization of thin copper films grown at Sandia as part of on-going research in copper CVD involving Sandia and Schumacher, Inc. The films have been grown using the copper (1) CVD precursor (hfac)Cu(TMVS), which was first developed by Schumacher and has been supplied to Sandia by that company. The CVD was performed using a novel technique in which direct liquid coinjection of (hfac)Cu(TMVS) and TMVS (trimethylvinylsilane) into a commercial reactor is utilized. Films were deposited onto silicon nitride substrates at temperatures in the range of 220-250{degrees}C, with growth rates in the range of 400-800 {angstrom}/min. These films have been analyzed by a variety of techniques, with an emphasis on factors that may influence the resistivity, including thickness, purity, density, grain size, and stress. The authors show that these films have as-deposited resistivities of 1.86 {+-} 0.1 {mu}{Omega}-cm, or 1.82 {+-} 0.1 {mu}{Omega}-cm after accounting for surface scattering effects. The latter value is only 0.14 {mu}{Omega}-cm above the value for high purity bulk copper. The authors discuss factors that may account for this residual resistivity. They also discuss the effects of film surface roughness on film thickness and resistivity measurements, noting some potential problems associated with the commonly used surface profilometry technique. These results help to establish (hfac)Cu(TMVS) as one of the most promising available copper CVD precursors for metallization applications.

A Zinc/Air Battery Review and Strategic Planning Meeting was held in 1993. One outcome of the meeting was recognition of the need for a report on the current status of the technology. This report contains contributions from many of the attendees at the above meeting and expresses their views on where the technology is today and what could/should be done to improve its performance.

As the product requirements are defined, business processes and procedures should be redeveloped in order to fully realize the benefits of the product. Process Quality Management Improvement (PQMI) can be used as a methodology to redevelop business processes and procedures for an organization. Business processes and procedures are an integral part of the Product Realization Process (PRP). This document focuses on the development of business processes and procedures. The business processes and procedures should be developed concurrently with the product. This enables the product and project as a whole to be transitioned smoothly and successfully. Without business processes and procedures to back up the changes brought with the new product, the product will not be used to its full potential and the transition will not be as smooth. Developing business processes and procedures lends itself to the PQMI methodology because PQMI calls for all the information needed to develop business processes and procedures and ensures the business processes and procedures are developed in a quality manner. The PQMI steps are: (1) Establishing process management responsibilities; (2) Defining Processes and Identifying Customer Requirements; (3) Defining and Establishing Measures; (4) Assessing Conformance to Customer Requirements; (5) Investigating Processes to Identify Improvement Opportunities; (6) Ranking Improvement Opportunities and Setting Objectives; and (7) Improving Process Quality. The successful implementation of a product can be attributed to the standardization of business processes and procedures. These business processes and procedures describe in detail the day to day operations of a project. The development of business processes and procedures provide and environment for agile product realization.

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A specially designed ultrahigh vacuum in situ surface analysis and wetting system has been constructed to study the spreading of liquid metal solders on carefully prepared and well-characterized solid substrates. Initial studies have been completed for the spreading of pure tin solder on copper substrates in the absence of any fluxing agent. Surface chemical analysis by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed the air-exposed surface to consisted of about 3 nm of Cu{sub 2}O, while the as-received surface consisted of about 8 nm of Cu{sub 2}O. The sputter-cleaned surface contained less than one monolayer (0.3 nm) of Cu{sub 2}O. Sample surfaces were prepared and spreading experiments performed without intermediate exposure of the surfaces to contaminating atmospheres. Solder spreading was performed under 50 torr of highly purified helium gas to allow for adequate thermal coupling between the solder and the substrate. Spreading experiments utilizing a linear temperature ramp show that pure tin solder spreads readily on oxidized copper surfaces at elevated temperatures. The initiation temperature for rapid tin spreading on the as-received copper surface was 325{degrees}C, similar to the temperature where isothermal spreading changes activation energy or rate. Decreasing the thickness of the oxide on the surface lowered the observed temperature for the initiation of spreading and increased the rate of spreading. On the sputter-cleaned copper surface, rapid solder spreading was observed immediately upon melting of the solder.

Sandia recently completed an updated strategic plan, the essence of which is presented in chapter 4. Sandia`s Strategic Plan 1994 takes its direction from DOE`s Fueling a Competitive Economy: Strategic Plan and provides tangible guidance for Sandia`s programs and operations. Although it is impossible to foresee precisely what activities Sandia will pursue many years from now, the strategic plan makes one point clear: the application of our scientific and engineering skills to the stewardship of the nation`s nuclear deterrent will be central to our service to the nation. We will provide the necessary institutional memory and continuity, experience base, and technical expertise to ensure the continued safety, security, and reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile. As a multiprogram laboratory, Sandia will also continue to focus maximum effort on a broad spectrum of other topics consistent with DOE`s enduring core mission responsibilities: Defense (related to nuclear weapons), Energy, Environment (related to waste management and environmental remediation), and Basic Science.

The Department of Energy Order 5500.3A requires facility-specific hazards assessments be prepared, maintained, and used for emergency planning purposes. This hazards assessment document describes the chemical and radiological hazards associated with the Sandia Lightning Simulation Facility, Building 888. The entire inventory was screened according to the potential airborne impact to onsite and offsite individuals. The air dispersion model, ALOHA, estimated pollutant concentrations downwind from the source of a release, taking into consideration the toxicological and physical characteristics of the release site, the atmospheric conditions, and the circumstances of the release. The greatest distance at which a postulated facility event will produce consequences exceeding the Early Severe Health Effects threshold is 23 meters. The highest emergency classification is a Site Area Emergency. The Emergency Planning Zone is 65 meters.

The Yucca Mountain Project, managed by the U.S. Department of Energy, is examining the feasibility of siting a repository for high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain on and adjacent to the Nevada Test Site. As part of the site characterization, a series of in situ thermomechanical experiments are planned, which are to be conducted in the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF). In this report, the results of preliminary analyses of three of the in situ thermomechanical experiments are presented. The major objective of these analyses was to determine the boundaries of the thermally perturbed zones surrounding each of the experiments. The boundaries of the thermal zones needs to be known in order to avoid test interference between the experiments planned for the ESF. A second objective of these analyses was to calculate the displacements and stresses associated with the experiments, in order to advance the planning of the experiments.

A gridless technique called smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) has been coupled with the transient dynamics finite element code pronto. In this paper, a new weighted residual derivation for the SPH method will be presented, and the methods used to embed SPH within pronto will be outlined. Example SPH pronto calculations will also be presented. One major difficulty associated with the Lagrangian finite element method is modeling materials with no shear strength; for example, gases, fluids and explosive biproducts. Typically, these materials can be modeled for only a short time with a Lagrangian finite element code. Large distortions cause tangling of the mesh, which will eventually lead to numerical difficulties, such as negative element area or "bow tie" elements. Remeshing will allow the problem to continue for a short while, but the large distortions can prevent a complete analysis. SPH is a gridless Lagrangian technique. Requiring no mesh, SPH has the potential to model material fracture, large shear flows and penetration. SPH computes the strain rate and the stress divergence based on the nearest neighbors of a particle, which are determined using an efficient particle-sorting technique. Embedding the SPH method within pronto allows part of the problem to be modeled with quadrilateral finite elements, while other parts are modeled with the gridless SPH method. SPH elements are coupled to the quadrilateral elements through a contact-like algorithm. © 1994.

EXODUS II is a model developed to store and retrieve data for finite element analyses. It is used for preprocessing (problem definition), postprocessing (results visualization), as well as code to code data transfer. An EXODUS II data file is a random access, machine independent, binary file that is written and read via C, C++, or Fortran library routines which comprise the Application Programming Interface (API).

The CuPt-type ordering and dopant effects of In{sub 0.5}Ga{sub 0.5}P/GaAs epitaxial layers have been studied using spectroscopic ellipsometry and transmission electron microscopy. The degree of ordering was estimated by both transmission electron diffraction and direct band edge, E{sub 0}. Conventional lineshape fitting of E{sub 1}, E{sub 1}+{Delta}{sub 1}, and E{sub 2} gaps using the second derivative of pseudo dielectric functions shows that the peak position and oscillator strength of the E{sub 1} gap are basically a function of CuPt-type ordering whereas their broadening and phase depend mainly on carrier concentration. The decrease of E{sub 1} gap is explained in terms of CuPt-type ordering. In contrast to the E{sub 1} gap, all the lineshape parameters of the E{sub 2} gap depend mainly on CuPt-type ordering. This difference is discussed in terms of apparent {open_quotes}CuAu-type ordering{close_quotes} or Y2 structure which was observed by transmission electron diffraction.

A new die-level packaging technology, mBGA, is reported in this paper. The mBGA enables high circuit packaging density on multichip module (MCM), facilitates die testing to obtain ``known good die,`` and allows a cost effective module assembly. We have designed and fabricated a test vehicle to evaluate mBGA multichip module technology. This paper describes the mBGA technology and the test vehicle multichip module and reports preliminary results on the die test and burn-in, thermal performance and reliability studies.

The IC test industry has struggled for more than 30 years to establish a test approach that would guarantee a low defect level to the customer. We propose a comprehensive strategy for testing CMOS ICs that uses defect classes based on measured defect electrical properties. Defect classes differ from traditional fault models. Our defect class approach requires that the test strategy match the defect electrical properties, while fault models require that IC defects match the fault definition. We use data from Sandia Labs failure analysis and test facilities and from public literature. We describe test pattern requirements for each defect class and propose a test paradigm.

Several experimental melts were conducted using a moving mold electroslag remelting furnace. The conditions of electrode immersion depth, slag cap thickness, and melt current were varied. Mold wall temperatures and slag pool temperatures were measured and the heat flux through the mold wall was calculated. The relationships between varying ESR melt parameters and the resultant thermal conditions were examined. The thermal profile of the mold, the heat transfer to the mold coolant total and fractional, and the formation of a slag skin were studied.

There currently exists a critical need for tools to enhance the industrial competitiveness and agility of US industries involved in deformation processing of structural alloys. In response to this need, Sandia National Laboratories has embarked upon the QuikForm Initiative. The goal of this program is the development of computer-based tools to facilitate the design of deformation processing operations. The authors are currently focusing their efforts on the definition/development of a comprehensive system for the design of sheet metal stamping operations. The overall structure of the proposed QuikForm system is presented, and the focus of their thrust in each technical area is discussed.

The authors are working to understand why predictions of degradation behaviors and rates, based on accelerated thermal aging experiments, often fail to match with aging of polymers under service conditions. A main goal of these studies is to develop more reliable lifetime prediction methodologies.

Hydrous Metal Oxides (HMOs) are chemically synthesized materials which contain a homogeneous distribution of ion exchangeable alkali cations that provide charge compensation to the metal-oxygen framework. Both the presence of these alkali cations and the resulting high cation exchange capacities (4-5 meq/g) clearly set these HMO materials apart from conventional precipitated hydrous oxides. For catalyst applications, the HMO material serves as an ion exchangeable support which facilitates the uniform incorporation of catalyst precursor species. Following catalyst precursor incorporation, an activation step is required to convert the catalyst precursor to the desired active phase. Considerable process development activities at Sandia National Laboratories related to HMO materials have resulted in bulk silica-doped hydrous titanium oxide (HTO:Si)-supported NiMo catalysts that are more active in model compound reactions than commercial NiMo catalysts. These reactions, e.g. pyrene hydrogenation, simulate direct coal liquefaction. However, extension of this process to produce NiMo/HTO:Si catalyst coatings on commercial supports is of interest for liquefaction applications since overall catalyst cost can be reduced and bulk HTO:Si mechanical limitations can be circumvented. In the present effort, NiMo/HTO:Si has been evaluated for hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) of coal derived liquids. NiMo/HTO:Si catalysts have been evaluated in both bulk (unsupported) form and a supported form on commercial alumina extrudates.

Degradation in nMOS transistors from gate oxide shorts is dependent upon oxide trapping and interface state generation. Three distinct damage mechanisms were identified, including generation of: (1) electron traps in the bulk oxide by the injected holes, N{sub ox,h}, (2) electron traps in the bulk oxide by the injected electrons, N{sub ox,e}, and (3) interface states, N{sub ss}. The three damage mechanisms are incorporated into a device lifetime prediction method.

Procedures for trajectory planning and control of flexible link robots are becoming increasingly important to satisfy performance requirements of hazardous waste removal efforts. It has been shown that utilizing link flexibility in designing open loop joint commands can result in improved performance as opposed to damping vibration throughout a trajectory. The efficient use of link compliance is exploited in this work. Specifically, experimental verification of minimum time, straight line tracking using a two-link planar flexible robot is presented. A numerical optimization process, using an experimentally verified modal model, is used for obtaining minimum time joint torque and angle histories. The optimal joint states are used as commands to the proportional-derivative servo actuated joints. These commands are precompensated for the nonnegligible joint servo actuator dynamics. Using the precompensated joint commands, the optimal joint angles are tracked with such fidelity that the tip tracking error is less than 2.5 cm.

Technologies for the demilitarization and disposal of conventional munitions and energetic materials are presented. A hazard separation system has been developed to remove hazardous subcomponents before processing. Electronic component materials separation processes have been developed that provide for demilitarization as well as the efficient recycling of materials. Energetic materials demilitarization and disposal using plasma arc and molten metal technologies are currently being investigated. These regulatory compliant technologies will allow the recycling of materials and will also provide a waste form suitable for final disposal.

A new dimensionless parameter model for continuous wave laser welding that relates the size of the weld to the energy absorbed by the part is described. The model has been experimentally validated previously through calorimetric determinations of the net heat input and metallographic measurements of the weld size. It will be shown that both the melting efficiency and energy transfer efficiency for LBW are quite variable and need to be considered when selecting processing conditions. Specific applications will be detailed in order to observe the simplicity and value of the model in laser weld process development. It will be shown that by using certain dimensionless parameters one can determine the energy transfer efficiency and thereby correctly select processing conditions that more fully utilize the available laser output power. In applications where minimizing heat input to the surrounding weldment is paramount, the dimensionless parameters can be used to select conditions that maximize melting efficiency.

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been shown capable of simulating the behavior of complex, nonlinear, systems, including structural systems. Under certain circumstances, it is desirable to simulate structures that are analyzed with the finite element method. For example, when we perform a probabilistic analysis with the Monte Carlo method, we usually perform numerous (hundreds or thousands of) repetitions of a response simulation with different input and system parameters to estimate the chance of specific response behaviors. In such applications, efficiency in computation of response is critical, and response simulation with ANNs can be valuable. However, finite element analyses of complex systems involve the use of models with tens or hundreds of thousands of degrees of freedom, and ANNs are practically limited to simulations that involve far fewer variables. This paper develops a technique for reducing the amount of information required to characterize the response of a general structure. We show how the reduced information can be used to train a recurrent ANN. Then the trained ANN can be used to simulate the reduced behavior of the original system, and the reduction transformation can be inverted to provide a simulation of the original system. A numerical example is presented.

Photoluminescence measurements on ordered InGaP{sub 2} were studied as a function of temperature, laser power density, and magnetic field. The temperature varied between 1.4 and 300 K, the laser power densities ranged from 10 nW/cm{sup 2} to 20 W/cm{sup 2}, and the maximum magnetic field was 13.6 T. The data show both excitonic and band-to-band behavior, depending upon the incident laser power density. A consistent interpretation of all data leads to a type-II valence-band offset between the ordered domains.

Conduction and valence-band dispersion curves determined by magnetoluminescence are presented for n-type InGaAs/GaAs strained-single-quantum well structures. The magnetic field range was 0 to 30 tesla, and the temperature varied between 4.2 and 77.4 K.

Thickness shear mode (TSM) quartz resonators operating in a new {open_quotes}Lever oscillator{close_quotes} circuit are used as monitors for critical automotive fluids. These monitors respond to the density and viscosity of liquids contacting the quartz surface. Sensors have been developed for determining the viscosity characteristics of engine lubricating oil, the state-of-charge of lead-acid storage batteries, and the concentration variations in engine coolant.

The goal of this project is to gain an understanding of the fundamental mechanisms and processes occurring in low pressure, partially ionized plasmas and their interactions with materials. Emphasis is placed on: understanding the basic atomic and molecular physics that is occurring within the plasma bulk and sheath, understanding the relation of the collective plasma dynamics to the internal atomic processes, developing the ability to perform computer simulations of the plasmas as to both Collective dynamics and inclusion of atomic properties, and analyzing the response of the materials to the plasma and how the plasma might be tailored to obtain a given effect at the material surface.

Severe reactor accident scenarios involving air ingression into the reactor coolant system are described. Evidence from modem reactor accident analyses and from the accident at Three Mile Island show residual fuel will be present in the core region when air ingression is possible. This residual fuel can interact with the air. Exploratory calculations with the MELCOR code of station blackout accidents during shutdown conditions and during operations are used to examine clad oxidation by air and ruthenium release from fuel in air. Extensive ruthenium release is predicted when air ingression rates exceed about 10 moles/s. Past studies of air interactions with irradiated reactor fuel are reviewed. Effects air ingression may have on fission product release, transport, deposition and revaporization are discussed. Perhaps the most important effects of air ingression are expected to be enhanced release of ruthenium from the fuel and the formation of copious amounts of aerosol from uranium oxide vapors. Revaporization of iodine and tellurium retained in the reactor coolant system might be expected.

The authors report major deviations in the electron effective mass m* near the partial energy gap, or minigap, formed in strongly coupled double quantum wells (QWs) by an anticrossing of the two QW dispersion curves. The anticrossing and minigap are induced by an in-plane magnetic field B{sub {parallel}} and give rise to large distortions in the Fermi surface and density of states, including a Van Hove singularity. Sweeping B{sub {parallel}} moves the minigap through the Fermi level, with the upper and lower gap edges producing a sharp maximum and minimum in the low-temperature in-plane conductance, in agreement with theoretical calculations. The temperature dependence of Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations appearing in a tilted magnetic field yield a decreased m* {le} 1/3 m*{sub GaAs} near the upper gap edge, and indicate an increase in m* near the lower gap edge.

The PP code is a graphics post-processor and plotting program for EQ6, a popular reaction-path code. PP runs on personal computers, allocates memory dynamically, and can handle very large reaction path runs. Plots of simple variable groups, such as fluid and solid phase composition, can be obtained with as few as two keystrokes. Navigation through the list of reaction path variables is simple and efficient. Graphics files can be exported for inclusion in word processing documents and spreadsheets, and experimental data may be imported and superposed on the reaction path runs. The EQ6 thermodynamic database can be searched from within PP, to simplify interpretation of complex plots.

The Global Verification and Location System (GVLS) is a satellite based communication package proposed for the Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIR satellites. This system provides the capability to relay bursts of information from small, low power mobile transmitters to command and control facilities. Communication paths through multiple GPS satellites within the field of view allow location of the transmitter using time difference of arrival (TDOA) techniques. Alternately, the transmitter can transmit its own location if known by various other means. Intended applications include determination of the status and location of high-valued assets such as shipments of proliferation-sensitive nuclear materials and treaty-limited items or downed air crews and special operations forces in need of extraction from hostile territory. GVLS provides an enabling technology which can be applied to weapon impact location. The remote transmitter is small and light enough to be integrated into a weapon delivery vehicle, such as a cruise missile, and requires power only during the last second of flight. The antenna is a conformal patch design, therefore minimizing aerodynamic considerations. Precise impact locations are determined by the GVLS system and can be communicated to responsible commands in near real time allowing rapid bomb damage assessment and retargeting without the typical delays of overhead reconnaissance. Since burst data communication is used, weapon status immediately prior to impact can be transmitted providing knowledge of proper arming sequence and other pertinent information. If desired, periodic bursts can be transmitted while in flight, enabling in-course tracking of the weapon. If fully deployed, the GVLS system would consist of communication relays on 24 GPS satellites, five ground stations deployed worldwide, and portable base stations for authorized users to receive and display locations and contents of their transmissions.

Sandia National Laboratories has one of the largest integrated robotics laboratories in the United States. Projects include research, development, and application of one-of-a-kind systems, primarily for the Department of Energy (DOE) complex. This work has been underway for more than 10 years. It began with on-site activities that required remote operation, such as reactor and nuclear waste handling. Special purpose robot systems were developed using existing commercial manipulators and fixtures and programs designed in-house. These systems were used in applications such as servicing the Sandia pulsed reactor and inspecting remote roof bolts in an underground radioactive waste disposal facility. In the beginning, robotics was a small effort, but with increasing attention to the use of robots for hazardous operations, efforts now involve a staff of more than 100 people working in a broad robotics research, development, and applications program that has access to more than 30 robotics systems.

For future planetary science missions, the authors are developing a series of microinstruments using the techniques of silicon-based micromachining. Conventional instruments such as chemical sensors, charged particle analyzers and mass spectrometers are reduced in size and effective volume to the dimension of cubic centimeters, while maintaining or enhancing performance. Using wafer/wafer bonding techniques, selective chemical etching, thin Film growth, and high resolution lithography, complex three dimensional structures can be assembled. This paper discusses the design, implementation and performance of two new instruments: The Micromachined Bessel Box Auger Electron Spectrometer, and the Mars Soil Chemistry Experiment (MOx).

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for disposing of a variety of radioactive and mixed wastes, some of which are considered special-case waste because they do not currently have a clear disposal option. The DOE`s Nevada Field Office contracted with Sandia National Laboratories to investigate the possibility of disposing of some of this special-case waste at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). As part of this investigation, a review of a near-surface and subsurface disposal options that was performed to develop alternative disposal configurations for special-case waste disposal at the NTS. The criteria for the review included (1) configurations appropriate for disposal at the NTS; (2) configurations for disposal of waste at least 100 ft below the ground surface; (3) configurations for which equipment and technology currently exist; and (4) configurations that meet the special requirements imposed by the nature of special-case waste. Four options for subsurface disposal of special-case waste are proposed: mined consolidated rock, mined alluvium, deep pits or trenches, and deep boreholes. Six different methods for near-surface disposal are also presented: earth-covered tumuli, above-grade concrete structures, trenches, below-grade concrete structures, shallow boreholes, and hydrofracture. Greater confinement disposal (GCD) in boreholes at least 100 ft deep, similar to that currently practiced at the GCD facility at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site at the NTS, was retained as the option that met the criteria for the review. Four borehole disposal configurations are proposed with engineered barriers that range from the native alluvium to a combination of gravel and concrete. The configurations identified will be used for system analysis that will be performed to determine the disposal configurations and wastes that may be suitable candidates for disposal of special-case wastes at the NTS.

Over the last 20 years, a family of lowpass filters has been developed to eliminate electromechanical interference from power and signal lines in weapon systems. Since its inception, Sprague Electric in North Adams, Massachusetts, has produced this family of components on a line dedicated solely to these devices. Although at least seven other companies produce similar filters, suppliers are unwilling to build small quantities of components in a manner that is incompatible with their standard methods and equipment. The ability to fabricate products in small quantities on an occasional basis is an important factor in component development, and compatibility with commercially available devices enhances that ability. The Mil-F-28861/5 specifications, developed by the Defense Electronic Parts Supply Center, describe filters similar to those of the MC family. This report documents the evaluation of Mil-F-28861/5 filters acquired from the eight suppliers and serves as a basis for further development of specifications and suppliers.

The Environmental Restoration Program at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) is tasked with performing assessments and cleanup of waste sites that belong to SNL. SNL`s waste sites are divided into several activities. Septic Tanks and Drainfields (STD) is an activity that includes 23 different sites at SNL/NM. All these sites may have released hazardous wastes into the soil from drains or sewers of buildings. The STD sites must be assessed and, if necessary, remediated according to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action process. A modeling study has been completed to help prioritize the sites for future field investigation based on the risk that each site may pose to human health and the environment. Two of the influences on the risk to human health and environment are addressed in this study--the fluid disposal volume and groundwater depth. These two parameters, as well as several others, were used as input into a computer model to calculate groundwater travel time to the water table. The computer model was based on Darcy`s Law and a simple mass balance. To account for uncertainty in the input parameters, a Monte Carlo approach was used to determine the travel times; 1,000 realizations were completed to determine the travel time for each site. The range assigned to each of the input parameters was sampled according to an assigned statistical distribution using the Latin Hypercube Method to arrive at input for the calculations. The groundwater travel times resulting from these calculations were used to rank the sites for future field investigation.

Minimum detectable irradiance levels for a diffraction grating based laser sensor were calculated to be governed by clutter noise resulting from reflected earth albedo. Features on the earth surface caused pseudo-imaging effects on the sensor`s detector arras that resulted in the limiting noise in the detection domain. It was theorized that a custom aperture transmission function existed that would optimize the detection of laser sources against this clutter background. Amplitude and phase aperture functions were investigated. Compared to the diffraction grating technique, a classical Young`s double-slit aperture technique was investigated as a possible optimized solution but was not shown to produce a system that had better clutter-noise limited minimum detectable irradiance. Even though the double-slit concept was not found to have a detection advantage over the slit-grating concept, one interesting concept grew out of the double-slit design that deserved mention in this report, namely the Barker-coded double-slit. This diffractive aperture design possessed properties that significantly improved the wavelength accuracy of the double-slit design. While a concept was not found to beat the slit-grating concept, the methodology used for the analysis and optimization is an example of the application of optoelectronic system-level linear analysis. The techniques outlined here can be used as a template for analysis of a wide range of optoelectronic systems where the entire system, both optical and electronic, contribute to the detection of complex spatial and temporal signals.

This revision updates Sandia`s working standard for testing optical fiber and unshielded twisted pair cables included in the Lab-wide telecommunications cabling infrastructure. The purpose of these standard testing procedures is to deliver to all Sandians a reliable, low-maintenance, state-of-the-art, ubiquitous telecommunications cabling infrastructure capable of satisfying all current and future telecommunication needs.

The definitions of source terms to reactor containments and source terms to the environment are discussed. A comparison is made between the TID-14844 example source term and the alternative source term described in NUREG-1465. Comparisons of these source terms to the containments and those used in France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and the United Kingdom are made. Source terms to the environment calculated in NUREG-1500 and WASH-1400 are discussed. Again, these source terms are compared to those now being used in France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It is concluded that source terms to the containment suggested in NUREG-1465 are not greatly more conservative than those used in other countries. Technical bases for the source terms are similar. The regulatory use of the current understanding of radionuclide behavior varies among countries.

Bellows are an integral part of the containment pressure boundary in nuclear power plants. They are used at piping penetrations to allow relative movement between piping and the containment wall, while minimizing the load imposed on the piping and wall. Piping bellows are primarily used in steel containments; however, they have received limited use in some concrete (reinforced and prestressed) containments. In a severe accident they may be subjected to pressure and temperature conditions that exceed the design values, along with a combination of axial and lateral deflections. A test program to determine the leak-tight capacity of containment penetration bellows is being conducted under the sponsorship of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission at Sandia National Laboratories. Several different bellows geometries, representative of actual containment bellows, have been subjected to extreme deflections along with pressure and temperature loads. The bellows geometries and loading conditions are described along with the testing apparatus and procedures. A total of thirteen bellows have been tested, all in the `like-new` condition. (Additional tests are planned of bellows that have been subjected to corrosion.) The tests showed that bellows are capable of withstanding relatively large deformations, up to, or near, the point of full compression or elongation, before developing leakage. The test data is presented and discussed.