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Sandia technology. Volume 13, number 2 Special issue : verification of arms control treaties

Maydew, Randall C.

Nuclear deterrence, a cornerstone of US national security policy, has helped prevent global conflict for over 40 years. The DOE and DoD share responsibility for this vital part of national security. The US will continue to rely on nuclear deterrence for the foreseeable future. In the late 1950s, Sandia developed satellite-borne nuclear burst detection systems to support the treaty banning atmospheric nuclear tests. This activity has continued to expand and diversify. When the Non-Proliferation Treaty was ratified in 1970, we began to develop technologies to protect nuclear materials from falling into unauthorized hands. This program grew and now includes systems for monitoring the movement and storage of nuclear materials, detecting tampering, and transmiting sensitive data securely. In the late 1970s, negotiations to further limit underground nuclear testing were being actively pursued. In less than 18 months, we fielded the National Seismic Station, an unattended observatory for in-country monitoring of nuclear tests. In the mid-l980s, arms-control interest shifted to facility monitoring and on-site inspection. Our Technical On-site Inspection Facility is the national test bed for perimeter and portal monitoring technology and the prototype for the inspection portal that was recently installed in the USSR under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces accord. The articles in the special issue of Sundiu Technology describe some of our current contributions to verification technology. This work supports the US policy to seek realistic arms control agreements while maintaining our national security.

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Proceedings of a Workshop on the use of Burnup Credit in Spent Fuel Transport Casks

Sanders, Thomas L.

The Department of Energy sponsored a workshop on the use of burnup credit in the criticality design of spent fuel shipping casks on February 21 and 22, 1988. Twenty-five different presentations on many related topics were conducted, including the effects of burnup credit on the design and operation of spent fuel storage pools, casks and modules, and shipping casks; analysis and physics issues related to burnup credit; regulatory issues and criticality safety; economic incentives and risks associated with burnup credit; and methods for verifying spent fuel characteristics. An abbreviated version of the DOE workshop was repeated as a special session at the November 1988 American Nuclear Society Meeting in Washington, DC. Each of the invited speakers prepared detailed papers on his or her respective topic. The individual papers have been cataloged separately.

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Basic Energy Sciences Materials Sciences programs: FWP executive summaries

Samara, George A.

The goals of our Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Materials Science Program at Sandia are: (1) Perform basic, forefront interdisciplinary research using the capabilities of several organizations. (2) Choose programs broadly complementary to Sandia's weapons laboratory mission, but separably identifiable. (3) Perform research in a setting which enhances technological impact because of Sandia's spectrum of basic research, applied research and development engineering. (4) Use large, capital-intensive research facilities not usually found at universities. The BES Materials Science program at Sandia Albuquerque has the central theme of Scientifically Tailored Materials. The major objective of this program is to combine Sandia's expertise and capabilities in the areas of solid state sciences, advanced atomic-level diagnostics, and materials-processing science to produce new classes of tailorable materials for the US energy industry, the electronics industry and for defense needs. Current research in this program includes ion-implantation-modified materials, physics and chemistry of ceramics, tailored surfaces for materials applications, strained-layer semiconductors, chemical vapor deposition, surface photo kinetics, organic and high-temperature superconductors, advanced growth techniques for improved semiconductor structures and boron-rich very high temperature semiconductors.

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Proceedings of the annual solar thermal technology research and development conference

Couch, W.A.

The Annual Solar Thermal Technology Research and Development Conference is being held at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza in Arlington, Virgina, Marh 8 and 9, 1989. This year the conference is meeting in conjunction with SOLTECH '89. SOLTECH '89 is a jointly sponsored meeting of the Solar Energy Industries Association, Interstate Solar Coordination Council, Sandia National Laboratories and the Solar Energy Research Institute. This report contains the agenda, extended abstracts and most significant visual aids used by the speakers during the Solar Thermal Technology research and development sessions. The program is divided into three sessions: Solar Electric Technology, Non-Electric Research and Development and Applications, and Concentrators.

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Oil velocities in the Weeks Island mine during oil recycle exercises

Webb, Stephen W.

As part of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), the Weeks Island oil storage site is a converted salt mine that contains approximately 73 million barrels of oil overlying 0.5 million barrels of brine. The oil is contained on two levels of the converted mine which are connected by a number of shafts and openings. Oil recycle exercises are periodically conducted to test the oil fill and withdrawal systems in which oil is simultaneously injected and withdrawn from two different locations in the lower level, and brine may be transported around the lower level of the mine by the movement of the oil. 11 refs., 16 figs.

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Engineering Graphics System (EGS) user's manual

Salguero, D.E.

The Engineering Graphics System (EGS) is a computer program for use on Digital Equipment Corporation VAXstation color workstations. Its purpose is to manage and plot sets of engineering analysis data for use in reports and presentations. It is capable of producing nearly any type of x-y plot from a set of tabulated data. After the plot curves have been retrieved from the tabulated data, EGS can be used to interactively modify the appearance of the plot for use in a report or presentation. Modifications appear on the workstation display exactly as they appear on final hardcopy, which avoids costly iterations. Hardcopy plots can be made on two different black and white laser printers and on two different color printers, and plots can be converted for use by the Interleaf technical publishing software. 222 figs.

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Power deposition on toroidal limiters in TEXTOR

Watkins, Jonathan

Power deposition measurements have been carried out on the ALT-II toroidal belt pump limiter and the inner bumper limiter in TEXTOR for Ohmic, neutral beam and RF heated discharges. Two infrared cameras and the ALT-II thermocouple array indicate that {lambda}{sub E} remains unchanged (7 mm) in the presence of beams but increases to 10 mm with ICRH. The heating distribution is less uniform on the bumper limiter than on ALT-II, which potentially could explain the differences seen in graphite surface pumping. 9 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

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Strengthening of aluminum by oxygen implantation: Experimental results and mechanical modeling

Bourcier, R.J.

The microstructure and mechanical properties of high purity aluminum implanted with 20 at. % oxygen to a depth of roughly 500 nm and subjected to various thermal histories have been examined. Transmission electron microscopy and Rutherford-backscattering spectrometry were used to characterize the depth and nature of the implanted zone. As implanted, the material appears to contain a homogeneous distribution of disordered precipitates with sizes of 1.5-3.5 nm. Annealing at 450 or 550{degree}C/1 hr induces ordering of the precipitates but only causes slight coarsening. Ultra-low load identation hardness testing was used to probe the mechanical response of the surface-modified material. The data from the hardness tests were interpreted through the use of a finite-element model; the results indicate the flow stresses of an implanted and annealed layer are as high as 1600 MPa. The as-implanted material is much harder, approaching 3300 MPa. The degree of strengthening expected for the as-implanted and post-annealed material on the basis of the observed microstructure was estimated using several micromechanical models, and the results conform to the findings from indentation testing. 9 refs., 5 figs.

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Observation of synchrotron radiation from runaway discharges

Watkins, Jonathan

It has been observed on TEXTOR that in low density discharges the electrons gain enough energy to emit relativistic synchrotron radiation in the 3--6 {mu}m IR-range, and this radiation is due to electrons with energies up to 30 MeV. The momentum in perpendicular direction amounts to about 1/10 of the longitudinal one. The total number of runaways is of the order of 10{sup 16} electrons, and they carry a current of about 20% of the total plasma current. 3 refs., 1 fig.

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Asymptotically fast triangularization of matrices over rings

Mccurley, K.S.

We consider problems related to the computation of Hermite and Smith normal forms of integer matrices, and more generally matrices over a principal ideal ring. First, we show that if the matrix A is m {times} n, with rank m and integer entries bounded in absolute value by T, then the Hermite normal form can be computed in O(m{sup 2}nB(m log(mT))) bit operations, where B(t) denotes a function that bounds the time required to perform the extended Euclidean algorithm on two t bit integers. Furthermore we show that the Smith normal form can be computed in O(m{sup 3}nB(m log(mT))log(mT)) bit operations. In the second part of the paper we apply fast matrix multiplication techniques to the problem of triangularizing a matrix over a ring using elementary column operations. We also prove that matrix inversion and multiplication are equivalent in complexity over an arbitrary Principal Ideal Domain, generalizing a result of Bunch and Hopcroft. We then apply our general results to obtain an algorithm for triangularizing integer matrices that has a faster running timer than the known Hermite normal form algorithms. The triangular matrix that is computed has small entries like the Hermite normal form, and will suffice for many applications. In the last part of the paper, we discuss a probabilistic method for calculating Smith normal forms. 17 refs.

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Cation disordering in the T1-2122 superconductors

Morosin, Bruno W.

We have examined several crystals belonging to the Tl-2122 structure type (Tl{sub 2}CaBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 2}O{sub 8} with c = 29{angstrom}), and have shown that cation solid solution occurs. Such cation disorder appears to be responsible for the observed small differences in lattice parameters reported by various investigators and to contribute towards the substantial variation in the superconducting transition temperatures. 10 refs., 2 tabs.

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Nuclear power plants: A unique challenge to fire safety

Nowlen, Steven P.

Nuclear power plants present the fire protection community with unique challenges. In addition to the traditional concerns of life safety and property loss prevention, nuclear safety analysts must also be concerned with the impact of fires on the safe operability of the nuclear reactor. Safe shutdown equipment must be protected from fire damage. When nuclear power plants were first designed and built, fire safety considerations were based primarily on the same criteria applied to general industrial facilities, primarily those concerning life safety and property loss prevention. This practice continued until 1975 when the Brown's Ferry nuclear reactor site experienced a severe cable tray fire. The fire burned for over seven hours, due in part to the reluctance of on-site personnel to use water on the fire for fear of shorting out critical electrical circuits. 4 figs.

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Overview on radiation effects in electronics

Dawes Jr., W.R.

The radiation spectrum constituents of interest to microelectronics are prompt gamma or x-ray, total dose, neutrons (or protons), and cosmic radiation. Each of these constituents has a unique effect upon microelectronic components and requires unique techniques to improve the microelectronic radiation tolerance to such an exposure. This paper reviews the radiation effects associated with the natural space and nuclear reactor radiation environment, that is to say, total dose, neutrons, and cosmic rays. 2 refs., 6 figs.

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Shock-induced reaction synthesis of aluminides and silicides

Graham, R.A.

Shock-induced reaction synthesis (SRS) is used for solid state processing of Ni-Al, Ni-Si, and Nb-Si type compounds, starting with elemental powder mixtures. The constituent elemental powders are blended in different stoichiometries and packed at 65% density in stainless steel capsules. A steel flyer plate, accelerated by the detonation of an explosive, impacts the powder containing capsules embedded in a steel recovery fixture backed by a momentum trap. The shock wave generated upon impact triggers a self-sustaining, exothermic reaction between the elemental powder constituents, thereby synthesizing the compound and at the same time consolidating the porous mass into 12mm diameter by 5mm thick compacts. The characteristics of the SRS technique and the structural features of the shock synthesized products will be discussed. 18 refs., 11 figs.

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RLA simulations

Wagner, John S.

Preliminary BUCKSHOT simulations of a recirculating linear accelerator have been made. Two accelerator configurations have been examined for a variety of beam currents (10-40 kA). The first configuration is an attempt to simulate conditions accessible to near-term experiments. The second configuration tries to mock up a next generation application type machine. 3 figs.

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Performance characteristics of a three-stage railgun

Asay, J.R.

Hypervelocity launchers are used to study the high-pressure equation of state of materials in regimes inaccessible by other methods. Two-stage light gas guns have been extremely useful for these applications, but have a practical velocity limit of about 8--9 km/s for impact studies. In this paper, we describe a three-stage launcher consisting of a two-stage light gas gun combined with a third-stage railgun, which overcomes previous velocity limitations pertaining to two-stage guns. This launcher is being developed for operation to 15 km/s and has achieved projectile velocities of 7.2 km/s to date. 10 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.

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The elastic properties of woven polymeric fabric

Warren, William L.

The in-plane linear elastic constants of woven fabric are determined in terms of the specific fabric microstructure. The fabric is assumed to be a spatially periodic interlaced network of orthogonal yarns and the individual yarns are modeled as extensible elastica. These results indicate that a significant coupling of bending and stretching effects occurs during deformation. Results of this theoretical analysis compare favorable with measured in-plane elastic constants for Vincel yarn fabrics. 17 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.

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Mechanical states in wound capacitors: Part 2, Optimization

Allen, James J.

The winding process is encountered frequently in manufacturing, such as winding of polymer films and paper, laminated pressure vessel construction, and the manufacture of wound capacitors. The winding of capacitors will typically involve hundreds of plies of conductor and dielectric wound over a core. Due to the large number of layers, the calculation of the mechanical studies within a wound capacitor is a significant computational task. The focus of Part II of this paper is the formulation and application of optimization techniques for the design of wound capacitors. The design criteria to be achieved is a specified uniform wound tension in a capacitor. The paper will formulate an optimization statement of the wound capacitor design problem, develop a technique for reducing the numerical calculation required to repeatedly analyze the capacitor as required by the optimization algorithm, and apply the technique to an example. 4 refs., 13 figs., 4 tabs.

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Comparison of in situ stress information from core and log analyses

Sattler, Allan R.

Horizontal stress directions (azimuths) determined from anelastic strain recovery (ASR) and differential strain curve analyses (DSCA) were compared with those from wellbore breakouts detected by borehole televiewer and oriented caliper logs. The ASR/DSCA techniques appear to be more sensitive then the log techniques and provided stress azimuth predictions at depth intervals where the log data did not. Stress azimuth determinations were also made from other core analyses techniques, which, like ASR/DSCA, are associated with the formation of stress release microcracks. Preliminary insights were obtained in the applicability of these other techniques. This work provides information on the stresses at two well sites 3.6 miles apart in Western Colorado; and showing the comparative data in this context provides information on how to apply these techniques and provides an understanding of the apparent influence of geologic effects (topography, depositional environment) on the stresses. 28 refs., 10 figs., 3 tabs.

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An alternative control structure for telerobotics

Harrigan, Raymond W.

This paper discusses a new telerobotic control concept which couples human supervisory commands with computer reasoning. The control system is responsive and accomplishes an operator's commands while providing obstacle avoidance and stable controlled interactions with the environment in the presence of communication time delays. This provides a system which not only assists the operator in accomplishing tasks but modifies inappropriate operator commands which can result in safety hazards and/or equipment damage. Research and development of this concept is being carried out in the Telerobotics Research Laboratory at Sandia National Laboratories. 12 refs., 4 figs.

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Sodium/sulfur battery studies at SNL (Sandia National Laboratories)

Braithwaite, J.W.

Over the past decade, Sandia National Laboratories has managed the Department of Energy (DOE)-sponsored programs for the development of the sodium/sulfur battery technology. Two DOE offices have provided support for these programs: the Office of Energy Storage and Distribution (OESD) and the Office of Transportation Systems (OTS). The ultimate goal of these ongoing efforts is to develop and demonstrate high performance, cost-effective systems suitable for both stationary and mobile applications. A part of Sandia's responsibility is to evaluate the status of the technologies and to address specific problems that are encountered during the development process. The number and level of effort devoted to these tasks are scaled such that the funding emphasis is given to the contracted engineering development programs. Two of the major safety-related concerns with sodium/sulfur EV batteries are the potential consequences associated with large temperature increases and vehicle accidents. The first three tasks represent Sandia's initial effort to help identify effective methods to limit the temperature rise in the battery during both expected and unexpected conditions and to assess one possible result of a vehicle accident. Descriptions of each task along with selected results are given in the following sections. 4 figs., 2 tabs.

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Molecular Sieve Films From Zeolite-Silica Microcomposites

Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis

Brinker, C.J.

Inorganic thin films with molecular sieving properties have been formed by embedding microcrystals of zeolite Y and chabazite in a glassy silica matrix. The silica matrix was derived from sols prepared from tetraethylorthosilicate hydrolyzed under either acidic or basic conditions in alcoholic solution. Dip-coating, deposition of suspensions, or coating of zeolite dispersions with the glassy silica matrix were used to create the zeolite-silica films. The access of different probe molecules into the zeolitic part of the thin film was examined with in situ FTIR techniques and temperature-programmed-desorption studies. With all combinations of deposition techniques and silica matrices, the resulting films showed the molecular sieving properties of the parent zeolite. © 1989, Elsevier Science & Technology. All rights reserved.

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Stand-off shields for hypervelocity particles

Lawrence, R.J.

Stand-off hypervelocity particle shields offer potential weight savings of an order of magnitude or more over conventional homogeneous armors. Based on an earlier complete model for the design and optimization of a stand-of shield system, a more restricted model appropriate for retrofit shields is described. Procedures to minimize the shield mass are provided, and scaling laws for many of the important parameter relationships are illustrated. 6 refs., 5 figs.

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Design and development of precision linear shaped charges

Vigil, Manuel G.

The Precision Linear Shaped Charge (PLSC) design concept involves the independent fabrication and assembly of the liner (wedge of PLSC), the tamper/confinement, and explosive. The liner is the most important part of an LSC and should be fabricated by a more quality controlled, precise process than the tamper material. Also this allows the liner material to be different from the tamper material. The explosive can be loaded into the liner and tamper as the last step in the assembly process rather than the first step as in conventional LSC designs. PLSC designs are shown to produce increased jet penetrations in given targets, more reproducible jet penetration, and more efficient explosive cross-sections using a minimum amount of explosive. The Linear Shaped Charge Analysis Program (LSCAP) being developed at Sandia National Laboratories has been used to assist in the design of PLSCs. LSCAP predictions for PLSC jet penetration in aluminum targets, jet tip velocities and jet-target impact angles are compared to measured data. 8 refs., 19 figs., 1 tab.

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Argonne Unified Safeguard: An integrated materials monitoring/tracking and accounting system

Roybal, J.A.

Current work in the area of integrated materials monitoring/tracking and accounting at Argonne National Laboratory-West (ANL-W) has resulted from the development of materials accounting system by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and a demonstrated personnel and materials tracking system by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The integration of these two systems has culminated in the current system effort which is called the ARGonne Unified Safeguard (ARGUS) system. The ARGUS system is made up of three major components. These components perform the functions of observing all container movements, authorized materials access approval, initiation and receipt of materials transfers, and perform materials accounting for the facility. ARGUS system benefits can be summarized through system capabilities as follows: near real-time accountability, full traceability of materials access and transfer, enforcement of approved personnel access to materials, electronic confirmation of materials surveillance procedures during materials access and transfers, continuous surveillance of all material not directly involved in the manufacturing process, transfer and receipt, and automatic notification to security for identified anomalies. This paper will concentrate on the overall ARGUS system, its operational impacts and advantages. 2 refs., 2 figs.

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An optimal projection controller for an experimental truss structure

Peterson, L.D.

An Optimal Projection reduced order controller is designed and implemented on an experimental controlled structure testbed. Twenty modes of the test structure lie within the controller bandwidth. Four strain sensor signals are fed back through an eighteenth order dynamic controller into four stress actuators (not collocated with the sensors) to reduce the vibration of the structure. Five independent performance measures are simultaneously minimized with an Optimal Projection controller derived from a 58th order state space model. The controller reduces the RMS vibration response by up to 65% without saturating the actuators and without destabilizing high frequency modes. The Optimal Projection controller always performs better than a sub-optimal controller based on ordinary Linear Quadratic Gaussian theory. The homotopy algorithm used to solve the Optimal Projection synthesis equations is described, and both analytical and experimental results are presented. 26 refs., 6 figs., 5 tabs.

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Accurate Navier-Stokes results for the hypersonic flow over a spherical Nosetip

AIAA 24th Thermophysics Conference, 1989

Blottner, Frederick G.

The unsteady thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations for a perfect gas are solved with a linearized block Alternating Direction Implicit finite-difference solution procedure. Solution errors due to numerical dissipation added to the governing equations are evaluated. Errors in the numerical predictions on three different grids are determined where Richardson extrapolation is used to estimate the exact solution. Accurate computational results are tabulated for the hypersonic laminar flow over a spherical body which can be used as a benchmark test case. Predictions obtained from the code are in good agreement with inviscid numerical results arid experimental data.

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Recommendations for improvements in the design and operation of future solar central receiver power plants based on experience gained from the Solar One Pilot Plant

Kolb, Gregory J.

The Solar One Pilot Plant successfully demonstrated the feasibility of solar central receiver power plants. During its operating years much data were collected regarding the efficiency and availability of the various plant systems. This paper summarizes these statistics and compares them to goals developed by the Department of Energy. Based on this comparison, design and operation improvements are recommended so that future central receiver plants can more closely attain these goals. 9 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

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The radiative-convective partitioning of heat transfer to objects in large pool fires

Nakos, James T.

This paper explores the relative contributions of radiative and convective heat transfer to objects in large pool fires. The partitioning process depends on many factors. Results include measurements of the temperature of the objects in the fire, the flames surrounding the object, the total heat flux to the objects and the radiative component of the heat transfer at a few locations using transpiration radiometers. These measurements will be compared with calculations. Agreement between the measured radiative heat flux and the calculated radiative heat flux is good. The convective contribution was calculated from the total and radiative parts and was found to be from 10--20% of the total. 18 refs., 18 figs.

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Radiation characterization of a 28C256 EEPROM

Wrobel, Theodore F.

28C256 EEPROM total dose and dose-rate results are presented. Mode dependent total dose failure occurred at 9.5 krad(Si) when writing and 33 krad(Si) when reading. Average upset and latch-up thresholds were 3.8 /times/ 10/sup 8/ rad(Si)/s and 7.7 /times/ 10/sup 8/ rad(Si)/s, respectively. 3 refs., 5 tabs.

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Advanced Small Site Program

Ringler, C.E.

Development of the Advanced Small Site Program (ASSP) will satisfy the requirement for a small to medium sized security system uses commercially available, low cost, state-of-the-art technology to enhance its performance. The system addresses all aspects of technical security. These aspects include control and display; perimeter and interior sensors; data and video transmissions; video assessment; reduced installation, operation, and maintenance costs. Major system features include use of multi-level graphics with touchscreen inputs to control all sensor and video functions. An optional feature allows the use of fiber optics for data or video transmissions. Integration of functional components into modular sub-systems eases the task of expanding, maintaining, and operating the system. The system's automatic restart function permits a fully loaded system to configure itself in less than ten minutes. Site personnel will be able to create and modify a configuration data file of the site. The ASSP software uses this file data to run its programs. The configuration file contains the number of sensors, sectors, buildings, cameras, sensor thresholds, sensor priorities,and other site specific information. An off-line program obtains this information through a series of queries to the site personnel. This information is written to a data configuration file. This paper describes the functions and integration of this system. 11 figs.

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Research drilling in young silicic volcanoes

Scientific Drilling

Eichelberger, J.C.

Magmatic activity, and particularly silicic magmatic activity, is the fundamental process by which continental crust forms and evolves. Drilling in the Inyo Chain, a 600-year-old chain of volcanic vents in California, has shown the close relationship of silicic eruption to shallow dike emplacement, the control of eruptive style by shallow porous-flow degassing, the origin of obsidian by welding, the development of igneous zonation by viscosity segregation, and the character and size of conduits in relation to well- understood magmatic and phreatic eruptions. Planned drilling at the site of the largest eruption of the century, in the Mt. Katmai region of Alaska, will test models for explosive eruptions, elucidate the process of vapor-transport of metals, and provide the first measurements of rates of cooling and chemical alteration in a relatively simple, non-composite igneous system. -Author

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DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM MODEL FOR APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT WORKLOADS

15th International Computer Measurement Group Conference, CMG 1989

Quinlan, Gerald F.

This report describes a capacity planning project for Engineering Information Management (EIM) systems at Sandia National Laboratories. The purpose was to develop a method for predicting the ability of current hardware computer systems to meet future demands and to address the magnitude of required upgrades. Specific activities included the generation and analysis of alternatives, the selection of analytic modeling as the appropriate vehicle, construction and validation of the model, and the development of recommendations.

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Chemical state depth profiling by Auger signal decomposition: Silicon oxynitride

Nelson, G.C.

Thin silicon nitride (Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/) films are widely used as a dielectric in metal-nitride-oxide-silicon (MNOS) structures for radiation hard non-volatile memories. The retention of charge in these devices depends, among other things, on the chemistry of the films. It has been reported that charge transport in MNOS structures can be reduced by replacing the Si/sub 3/N/sub 4/ film by a silicon oxynitride (SiO/sub x/N/sub y/) film. In order to understand the relationship between chemistry and retention of charge, it is necessary to have a technique that can determine the chemistry of the films as a function of depth. This can be accomplished with Auger electron spectroscopy by using fingerprint spectra for each of the elements and compounds present in the sample. By using classical least-squares techniques, a unique combination of the standard spectra can be found that best fits the unknown spectrum. When this method is repeated for each spectrum in a depth profile, a chemical state depth profile is obtained. The use of this technique to profile oxynitride films where the SiO/sub 2/ content varies between 0 and 12 atomic percent is presented. 6 refs., 7 figs.

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Two time stepping algorithms for parallel computers

Womble, David E.

Time stepping algorithms are often used to solve parabolic and hyperbolic differential equations numerically. These algorithms are generally regarded as sequential in time; that is, the solution on a time level must be known before the computation of the solution at subsequent time levels can start. While this remains true in principle, we demonstrate that it is possible for processors to perform useful work on many time levels simultaneously. Specifically, it is possible for a processor assigned to a ''later'' time level to compute a very good initial guess for the solution based on approximations to the solutions on ''previous'' time levels, thus reducing the time required for solution. The reduction in the solution time can be measured as parallel speedup. We demonstrate two parallel time stepping algorithms that can be used for both linear and nonlinear problems. We compare the two algorithms and discuss their performance in terms of parameters associated with classical time stepping algorithms. 4 refs., 5 tabs.

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Hierarchical object class representation using holes and notches

Osbourn, Gordon C.

A general representation approach is described which employs a hierarchy of holes and notches. A matching procedure is also described which allows non-ideal image hierarchies to be matched to class representations. The representation and matching methods are demonstrated on a set of handgun photographs. Examples of handguns which are different in detail are shown to exhibit the same class characteristics, while other similarly shaped objects are correctly distinguished from the handgun class. 6 refs., 8 figs.

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Rapid destruction of organic chemicals in groundwater using sunlight

Tyner, Craig E.

We are currently investigating a solar-driven photocatalytic process that promises to destroy low concentrations of hazardous organic molecules in large volumes of contaminated groundwater or industrial waste streams. Preliminary results of laboratory-scale screening tests using a model compound, salicylic acid, and titanium dioxide catalyst have shown that no measurable reaction occurs without both uv light and catalyst; no measurable volatilization of the salicylic acid occurs at room temperature; salicylic acid destruction rates depend on catalyst supplier and concentration and on uv light intensity; and some intermediates are being formed and subsequently destroyed. Observed reaction rates are consistent with those observed in an initial pilot-scale solar test of a falling-film reactor, although further testing will be required to quantify the comparison. 10 refs., 5 figs.

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Novel segmentation technique applied to phase detection in teleseismic and regional seismic waveforms

Osbourn, G.C.

A novel technique is presented for segmenting seismic waveforms. The method produces waveform segments which closely correspond to explosion and earthquake signal onsets as well as additional structure of interest. Noise spikes or glitches are also successfully isolated. The approach uses threshold parameters obtained from human segmentation judgment tests and requires only simple, time domain calculations. 6 refs., 3 figs.

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Analysis of software for security-critical systems

Axline Jr., R.M.

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) performs software security analyses of many systems having strong security requirements. This paper gives an overview of a software security analysis methodology that has evolved at SNL. This methodology is based on experience gained in the analysis of critical software-controlled systems. The paper describes analysis activities and how they relate to the traditional software life cycle. Topics discussed include: planning for the analysis; supporting the development and documentation of security requirements; identifying and analyzing the threat; acquiring and utilizing software design and implementation materials; identifying positive design features; scaling the analysis effort to the threat; analyzing the high-level design; analyzing the source-code and target implementations; reporting results; interacting with system and component development groups; and supporting the authentication of the software product before it is fielded. The paper also stresses the importance of independence of analysis and development groups.

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An innovative cask for transporting defense high-level waste

Falci, F.P.; Allen, G.C.; Madsen, M.M.; Zimmer, A.; Golliher, K.G.

In the early 1980s, the US Department of Energy/Defense Programs (DOE/DP) initiated a project to develop a safe and efficient transportation system for defense high-level waste (DHLW). Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) provides a technical oversight and test support and General Atomics provides the design and safety analysis of the shipping system. The specific activities include designing, testing, certifying and fabricating a legal-weight truck cask system for DHLW canisters that are expected to be first produced by the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the Savannah River Plant (SRP) in South Carolina and later produced by facilities in Washington and Idaho. A truck cask was selected in order to provide a flexible capability for transporting vitrified waste to support a variety of expected experimental program needs. The first planned shipping campaign was to transport a limited number of DHLW canisters from South Carolina to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico. However, changes in experimental program plans the passage of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act in late 1982, and the subsequent decision to have DHLW permanently placed in the eventual civilian repository resulted in revisions to the mission of the cask development program funded by DOE/DP. 15 refs.

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Microstructural variations in aluminum oxide coatings deposited using a dual beam ion system

Panitz, J.K.G.; Hills, C.R.; Tallant, D.R.

We have sputter-deposited aluminum oxide coatings using a dual ion beam system with a mixture of argon plus 10% oxygen as the working gas. Ambient substrate temperatures and substrate temperatures of 360{degree}C were maintained. The coatings were deposited at deposition rates between 7 and 10 nm/min, with and without concurrent ion bombardment from the second ion gun. Substantial variations in the microstructure and the amount of entrained gas in the coatings were observed. The coatings contain a mixture of varying amounts of {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and amorphous aluminum oxide. Relatively large, 0.5 {mu}m islands of {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} crystallites surrounded by an amorphous matrix were observed in coatings deposited onto heated substrates with ion bombardment from the second ion gun during deposition. Coatings bombarded with a second ion beam during deposition contain more argon as determined by energy dispersive x-ray analysis. The Raman spectra exhibited by the coatings suggest a variation in chemical reactivity and/or porosity which depends on the deposition conditions. 18 refs., 6 figs.

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First pump limiter experiments in TORE SUPRA

Watkins, Jonathan

The operation of TORE SUPRA at full power (25MW, 30s) has led to the design of a full set of actively pumped carbon limiters to remove at least 8MW and to partially control the particle balance. An interim version is now installed, composed of 5 vertical and one horizontal outboard (OPL) pump limiters, semi-inertially water cooled. The latter is a result of a collaboration between the US DOE and the Association EUR-CEA, it is fully instrumented and therefore can serve as a reference for the final design. Ohmic discharges (1.85T, 740kA, 8.5s) in helium have been used to test the thermal load on and the particle exhaust efficiency of the OPL. In these experiments the plasma is formed on the inner wall (R = 232 cm, a = 76 cm) and subsequently displaced (6 cm) outward, early on the current plateau, to lean on the OPL (R = 238 cm, a = 75 cm). In addition to the limiters above, a non-pumped outboard (ONLP) limiter of identical shape to the OPL served to produce similar discharges for better comparison and determination of particle control. A comparison is made hereafter of the thermal load and particle pumping effects on the OPL when the plasma is in contact either with the OPL/ONPL alone or with the OPL and the vertical limiters together. 3 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.

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Particle exhaust during neutral beam heating with the toroidal belt pump limiter ALT-II ( Advanced Limiter Test-II) TEXTOR

Watkins, Jonathan

Particle collection, removal, and exhaust by the toroidal belt pump limiter ALT-III have been measured in deuterium discharges with co-, counter-, and balanced injection of 48 keV neutral hydrogen particles. Particle collection increases from 50-80 A to 150-320 A during 1.2 MW of co- or counter-injection or 2.4 MW of balanced injection. The removal rate for pumping at two of the eight blades (3 of 15 scoops) reaches 2.7 Torr-l/s with a removal efficiency of nearly 45%. Extrapolating these results to a full belt with 15 scoops and eight pumps yields 140 amps of removal. This compares favorably with the maximum injectable current of 50 A and suggests that ALT-II with full pumping can provide sufficient exhaust during NI heating. 4 figs.

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Diblock copolymers at surfaces

Green, P.F.

The surface properties of symmetric microphase separated diblock copolymers of polystyrene (PS) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the specular reflectivity of neutrons and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). PS, the lower surface energy component, exhibited a preferential affinity for the free surface. For copolymers that are far from the bulk microphase separation transition (MST), the surface consists of a layer of pure PS. When the system is close to the MST the surface is a mixture of PS and PMMA. The PS surface excess can be described by a N-{sup 1/2} dependence, where N is the number if segments that comprise the copolymer chain. It is shown that the surface undergoes an ordering transition at a temperature T{sub s} that is above that of the bulk MST. The ordering of the bulk lamellar morphology is induced by an ordering at the surface. This is analogous to the ferromagnetic order observed in systems such as Gd at temperatures above the bulk Curie temperature. The results here are discussed in light of previous work on copolymer surfaces and in light of mean field theory. 31 refs., 8 figs.

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Effects of O sub 2 ion bombardment of Y-Ba-Cu-oxide during thin film growth

Fleddermann, C.B.

Oxygen ion beam bombardment has been studied as a means for incorporating oxygen into thin films of Y-Ba-Cu-oxide either by enhancing the transport of oxygen to substrates during ion-beam sputtering, or by direct incorporation of oxygen by ion-assisted deposition. Optical emission spectroscopy was used to study the ion-beam bombardment of bulk superconducting targets as the oxygen content of the ion beam was varied between 0% (pure argon) and 100% oxygen. This showed that oxygen did not directly combine with metallic elements in the target to increase the oxygen content of the stream of particles moving toward the substrate. The oxygen content of the sputter beam did, however, change the relative emission intensity from the various target components. Addition of a second ion beam directing an oxygen beam toward the substrate as the film is grown, caused large variations in the stoichiometry of the deposited films. At low ion currents, no increase in the oxygen content of the films was detected, while at relatively high currents, the oxygen incorporation increased. However, the sputtering of the metallic components of the film increased, leading to very low growth rates. 8 refs., 5 figs.

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Light ion beam drivers for inertial confinement fusion

Ramirez, Juan J.

Intense beams of light ions are being developed at Sandia National Laboratories as a promising driver option for Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) implosions. The Particle Beam Fusion Accelerator II (PBFA II) will provide the physics basis for light-ion-beam driven ICF targets. Recent progress made in ion beam generation focusing on PBFA II has led to a record 5.4 TW/cm{sup 2} peak focal intensity with {gt}80 kJ proton energy delivered to a 6-mm diameter sphere. The driver-development program on PBFA II is reviewed. A design concept for a light ion beam driver for the Laboratory Microfusion Facility is also presented. 34 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.

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One-class generalization in second-order backpropagation networks for image classification

Moya, Mary M.

In an earlier paper, we reported that it is possible to train a first-order multi-layer feedforward network with backpropagation to classify raw 8-bit images of vehicles. We concluded that a linear feedforward network is capable of within-class generalization when trained with perspective views taken every 10{degree}, but it is incapable of one-class generalization. This paper describes the results of a set of experiments to train a feedforward network with second-order inputs to perform one-class classification on image data. We compare the results of the first-order network and the second-order network and show that the second order network is better able to generalize as a one-class classifier. 7 refs., 6 figs.

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Radiation enhanced sublimation of graphite in PISCES experiments

Nygren, Richard

Ion beam studies on radiation enhanced sublimation (RES) have shown that above 800{degree} C energetic ions incident on graphite produce erosion in the form of carbon atoms with thermal energies and that the erosion rate rises roughly exponentially with temperature. Until recently, the question remained whether RES would scale linearly with flux over three to four orders of magnitude to the plasma edge fluxes in CIT and ITER, where the predicted erosion rates would severely limit the designs for plasma-facing components. Also, RES and carbon self-sputtering may also be involved in the carbon blooms'' observed in TFTR and JET. The data reported here from PISCES, a plasma source at UCLA, are the first RES data at fluxes approaching the plasma edge conditions in a large tokamak and they show little reduction from a direct linear dependence upon flux. Erosion rates measured by weight loss are reported for POCO graphite exposed to helium plasmas for a temperature range from 900--2000{degree} C, ion energies of 30--300 eV, ion fluxes of 1--6 {times} 10{sup 18} cm{sup {minus}2} s{sup {minus}1}, densities of 2--10 {times} 10{sup 12} cm{sup {minus}3} and electron temperatures of 4-10 eV. For these conditions, the amount of redeposition and carbon self-sputtering was minimal. Over 1700{degree} C, there is evidence of electron emission from the sample. 26 refs., 4 figs., 1 tabs.

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Power semiconductor devices for space nuclear power systems

Loescher, Douglas H.

Silicon power diodes, transistors, thyristors and other devices can be damaged by elevated temperatures, temperature cycling, and radiation. In this paper we discuss the vulnerability of devices that integrate bipolar and MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor-field-effect transistor) devices onto a single chip. Such devices offer the advantages of good current carrying capability that is characteristic of bipolar structures and high impedance control nodes that are characteristic of MOSFET devices. Devices located near a space-based fission power source will be subjected to high temperatures, temperature cycling, naturally occurring radiation, radiation from the reactor; and these devices may be subjected to radiation from or caused by weapons used to attack the power source. Damaging radiation includes electrons and protons trapped in naturally occurring radiation belts, electrons pumped into these belts as a result of nuclear explosions, cosmic rays, neutrons from the reactor, and high energy photons (gamma rays and x-rays). 3 refs., 2 figs.

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Aerodynamic design and initial performance measurements for the SANDIA 34-metre diameter vertical-axis wind turbine

Berg, Dale E.

The DOE/Sandia 34-m diameter Vertical-Axis Wind turbine (VAWT) utilizes a step-tapered, multiple-airfoil section blade. One of the airfoil sections is a natural laminar flow profile, the SAND 0018/50, designed specifically for use on VAWTs. The turbine has now been fully operational for more than a year, and extensive turbine aerodynamic performance data have been obtained. This paper reviews the design and fabrication of the rotor blade, with emphasis on the SAND 0018/50 airfoil, and compares the performance measurements to date with the performance predictions. Possible sources of the discrepancies between measured and predicted performance are identified, and plans for additional aerodynamic testing on the turbine are briefly discussed. 12 refs., 10 figs.

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Theoretical and experimental investigation of axial power extraction from a magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator

Lemke, Raymond W.

The utility of the magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator (MILO) as a high power microwave source depends on how efficiently power can be extracted from it. We have designed a slow-wave stepped transformer for the purpose of axially extracting microwave power from a 3.6 GHz coaxial MILO. The slow-wave transformer design was optimized using particle-in-cell simulation, and tested in experiments performed on the HPM Simulation Division's GEMINI and GYPSY water Blumlein pulse power sources. In this paper we summarize the slow-wave stepped transformer design, and describe MILO axial power extraction experiments which yielded up to 300 MW of radiated power. 10 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.

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The effects of heavy particle radiation on semiconductor devices

Gover, J.

Heavy particle radiation can produce upsets in digital circuits as well as trigger burn out or breakdown in power MOSFETs and MNOS nonvolatile memories. Latch-up may also be stimulated by heavy ions. This report covers work done on the effects of heavy particle radiation on PN junctions, CMOS inverters, CMOS latch, MOSFET and non-volatile memories. 15 refs., 3 figs.

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Scaling study for SP-100 reactor technology

Marshall, Albert C.

In this study, we explored several ways of extending SP-100 reactor technology to higher power levels. One approach was to use the reference SP-100 pin design and increase the fuel pin length and the number of fuel pins as needed to provide higher capability. The impact on scaling of a modified and advanced SP-100 reactor technology was also explored. Finally, the effect of using alternative power conversion subsystems, with SP-100 reactor technology was investigated. One of the principal concerns for any space-based system is mass; consequently, this study focused on estimating reactor, shield, and total system mass. The RSMASS code (Marshall 1986) was used to estimate reactor and shield mass. Simple algorithms developed at NASA Lewis Research Center were used to estimate the balance of system mass. Power ranges from 100 kWe to 10 MWe were explored assuming both one year and seven years of operation. Thermoelectric, Stirling, Rankine, and Brayton power conversion systems were investigated. The impact on safety, reliability, and other system attributes, caused by extending the technology to higher power levels, was also investigated. 6 refs., 4 figs., 3 tabs.

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Outlier detection in multivariate calibration

Thomas, Edward V.

Outlier samples can have very detrimental effects on the performances of multivariate calibration methods, as these methods are generally not very robust. Often, the software implementations of these methods do not check for outliers. If outliers are not detected, invalid predictions may result. This paper illustrates some simple exploratory procedures for detecting outliers with examples from near-infrared and mid-infrared spectroscopy using partial least-squares regression as the calibration method. 8 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.

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Brownian trail rectified

Hurd, A.J.

The experiments described here indicate when one of Nature's best fractals -- the Brownian trail -- becomes nonfractal. In most ambient fluids, the trail of a Brownian particle is self-similar over many decades of length. For example, the trail of a submicron particle suspended in an ordinary liquid, recorded at equal time intervals, exhibits apparently discontinuous changes in velocity from macroscopic lengths down to molecular lengths: the trail is a random walk with no velocity memory'' from one step to the next. In ideal Brownian motion, the kinks in the trail persist to infinitesimal time intervals, i.e., it is a curve without tangents. Even in real Brownian motion in a liquid, the time interval must be shortened to {approximately}10{sup {minus}8}s before the velocity appears continuous. In sufficiently rarefied environments, this time resolution at which a Brownian trail is rectified from a curve without tangents to a smoothly varying trajectory is greatly lengthened, making it possible to study the kinetic regime by dynamic light scattering. Our recent experiments with particles in a plasma have demonstrated this capability. In this regime, the particle velocity persists over a finite step length'' allowing an analogy to an ideal gas with Maxwell-Boltzmann velocities; the particle mass could be obtained from equipartition. The crossover from ballistic flight to hydrodynamic diffusion was also seen. 8 refs., 1 fig.

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MELCOR analyses of drywell flammability

Camp, Susan E.

The MELCOR computer code, which has been developed at Sandia National Laboratories for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission as a tool for calculating realistic estimates of severe accident consequences and source terms, has been used to analyze a series of containment issues for station blackout sequences for the Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Plant. The results indicate that there is a limited time interval in which the drywell atmosphere would be flammable, and that this would only occur if the vacuum breaker were to stick open within a narrow time window. If burning does occur during this time, it appears quite likely that it would not pose a threat to the drywell wall. The main conclusion from this study is that the drywell atmosphere is not very likely to be flammable for a station blackout sequence. 1 ref. (S.J.)

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Heat treatment of pulsed Nd: YAG laser welds in a Ti-14. 8 wt % Al-21. 3 wt % Nb titanium aluminide

Cieslak, Michael J.

The influence of postweld heat treatment (PWHT) on the structure, mechanical properties and fracture characteristics of pulsed, Nd: YAG laser welds in a Ti-14.8 wt % Al-21.3 wt % Nb titanium aluminide has been investigated. Significant microstructure variations within the fusion zone (FZ) of all heat-treated welds were attributed primarily to the influence of local compositional fluctuations on decomposition of the metastable-{beta} microstructure present in the as-welded FZ. An increase in PWHT temperature promoted a decrease in the maximum FZ hardness and an increase in the longitudinal-weld bend ductility. Correspondingly, the proportion of ductile tearing to cleavage fracture within the FZ increased with an increase in PWHT temperature. 8 refs., 6 figs.

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Detection of a chirping electromagnetic signal

Stearns, S.D.

A matched chirp transform (MCT) method for detecting a dispersive electromagnetic pulse is described. The unique feature of this transform is that it gives a distribution of signal amplitude over time rather than frequency, and thereby simplifies signal detection and identification in the case described here. In the MCT method, the incoming signal is matched to a set of signal segments that chirp in accordance with an expected model of the dispersive medium. The performance of the MCT method is compared with that of a standard periodogram method of frequency measurement. 6 refs., 5 figs.

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RADLAC-II propagation experiments

Leifeste, Gordon T.

In previous RADLAC-II beam propagation experiments, stable propagation over a Nordsieck length, in full pressure Albuquerque air (p {approximately}640 Torr) was observed. In these experiments, high transverse momentum resulted in a large equilibrium radius and thus a long betatron wavelength. Following the completion of the RADLAC-II upgrade, a new set of experiments with a small diameter (d {approximately}2 cm), high current (I {approximately}40 kA), low transverse momentum ({beta}{perpendicular} {approximately}0.2) should be possible. The development of time-resolved diagnostics, data analysis codes, and the formulation of output from theoretical calculations in a format as seen by these diagnostics in the lab continues to be a major source of effort in the program. 2 figs.

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Microwave coupling phenomenology of pc (printed-circuit) boards

Bacon, Larry D.

The final link in the High-Power Microwave (HPM) coupling chain is the distribution of energy on printed-circuit (pc) boards. This distribution is a critical part of the total problem, because the bottom line for damage or upset is what occurs at the component level. Like ports-of-entry (POE's), board coupling paths have their own transfer functions. Since most pc boards are not designed to operate at microwave frequencies, these transfer functions can be very complicated. In addition, active elements on the board are likely to make this part of the problem non-linear. 3 refs., 5 figs.

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200 MeV, fast neutron and gamma ray effects on AlGaAs/GaAs HEMTs (high electron mobility transistors)

Loescher, Douglas H.

This paper reports the changes caused by fast neutrons and 200 MeV protons in the electrical properties of high electron mobility transistors (HEMT). A larger gate voltage was required after irradiation with neutron fluences in the 1E14 to 2E15 n/cm{sup 2} range and 200 MeV proton fluences in the 1E14 to 1E15 p/cm{sup 2} range than was required prior to irradiation to obtain the same value of I{sub ds}. The increase in gate voltage required to compensate for a fluence of 1E15 protons/cm{sup 2} was up to four times as great as that required to compensate for the same fluence of neutrons. All devices showed microwave gain (s21) after exposure to 6E14 particles/cm{sup 2} if the gate bias was adjusted to maintain the pre-irradiation value of I{sub ds}. Gamma irradiation at 5E7 rads(GaAs) had no detectable effect on the devices. 8 refs., 6 figs., 1 tab.

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Recirculating linear accelerator (RLA) injector and accelerating cavity improvements

Smith, David L.

Concerns about low-{gamma} relativistic electron beams (REB) being initially injected into the RLA and about energy spreads due to degradation of the accelerating cavity repeating pulse shapes have resulted in our designing a new 4-MV, 20-kA injector, improving the 24-switch trigger system for the ET-2 cavity, and identifying critical factors in the cavity design that affect the pulse shape. We summarize the Metglas inductively isolated, stacked cavity injector design and report on the improvements (completed and proposed) for the ET-2 cavity pulsed power. 7 refs., 6 figs.

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Zinc/bromine battery evaluation at SNL (Sandia National Laboratory)

Bush, Donald M.

Three prototype zinc/bromine batteries were evaluated a Sandia during the last year. The objectives of these tests were to determine performance, cycle life, durability of the auxiliary components, and failure mechanisms. All three were deliverables from a Sandia development contract with Energy Research Corporation (ERC). The test results were communicated to ERC along with suggestions for improving battery design and reliability. 3 figs., 2 tabs.

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Membrane and durability studies for the zinc/bromine battery

Arnold Jr., C.; Assink, R.A.; Butler, P.C.

Zinc/bromine flow batteries are being developed for vehicular and utility load leveling applications by Johnson Controls Co. and Energy Research Corp. under DOE sponsorship. Problems that have been encountered with the zinc/bromine battery are loss of coulombic efficiency brought about by permeation of bromine through the separator and limited life caused by attack of the bromine-containing electrolyte on plastic parts, particularly the flow frame. In this paper, we show that large decreases in the bromine transport rates through microporous separators can be achieved with only a minimal loss of conductivity and identify a chemically stable replacement for PVC, a flowframe material. 4 figs., 1 tab.

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Electrical breakdown in vacuum

Anderson, Richard E.

The working group on electrical breakdown in vacuum was charged with considering all possible mechanisms by which electrical breakdown might occur either through the vacuum or along insulator bushings in large area electron beam emitter assemblies. It was understood that present systems need to be scaled up, by an order of magnitude or more in both beam area and total energy, to meet demands for higher power and larger size machines, and that increases in the e-beam current density and transport efficiency are also sought. A consideration of the consequences of such a scale-up was pertinent to many of the topics listed in the working-group agenda. Our group attempted to address each of these topics. 18 refs.

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Predictive aging of elastomers in air: The importance of understanding diffusion-limited oxidation effects

Gillen, Kenneth T.

Whenever a new elastomer is formulated or an old formulation is modified, it is important to estimate the material's anticipated lifetime in various use environments. For extended lifetimes (years) this often requires the application of accelerated aging techniques which typically involve the modelling of results obtained at higher-than-ambient environmental stress levels. For many practical applications of elastomers, air is present during environmental exposures -- this usually implies that important oxidation effects underly the degradation of the material. Unfortunately, exposure of elastomers to air during aging often results in inhomogeneously oxidized samples, a complication which impacts attempts both to understand the oxidation process and to extrapolate accelerated exposures to long-term conditions. As has been clear for many years, in order to confidently extrapolate shorter-term accelerated simulations to long-term, air-aging conditions, one must be able to monitor and quantitatively understand diffusion-limited oxidation effects. In this review we will highlight some of the recent developments in both experimental techniques and theoretical modelling of relevance to this goal. 28 refs., 12 figs.

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Discrete ordinates methods for radiation transport

Badruzzaman, A.; Fan, W.C.

The discrete ordinates (S{sub N}) method, first developed for stellar atmospheres, has been used extensively on various other radiation transport problems. In reactor analysis the method is generally used to generate parameters for design models based on more approximate but less expensive methods (such as diffusion theory) so that the spatial-spectrum coupling is represented accurately on a microscopic reaction rate level. It has a decisive advantage over Monte Carlo methods in computing the pin and assembly power profiles. In shielding problems where the penetration of the radiation can be deep, the method is used widely in design calculations. In oil-well logging problems which also involve deep penetration and have a stringent accuracy requirement on the detector responses, the method complements the Monte Carlo techniques. Recently, the discrete ordinates method with appropriate cross sections has been used in coupled photon-electron transport problems. In this paper the basic method is briefly reviewed, its applications illustrated, its merits and pitfalls discussed, and the recent advances in the attendant numerical techniques which have enhanced the capabilities of the method are enumerated. 28 refs., 1 fig.

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Analysis of the late phases of core melt progression

Dosanjh, S.S.

During severe light water reactor accidents like Three-Mile Island (TMI-2), the reactor core can suffer considerable damage. Of interest here are melt progression, oxidation and gas phase natural convection in the reactor core after the fuel rods suffer a significant loss of geometry. This study describes a two-dimensional porous medium model that considers the motion of three fields: vapor, melt, and solid. A base case solution is described and the effects of oxidation, melt relocation, and Fe-Zr interactions are discussed. 16 refs., 7 figs.

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Application of item and personnel tracking to materials control

Waddoups, I.G.

Materials Control techniques are utilized to provide assurance that nuclear materials are being handled properly. In the event that materials are improperly handled or potentially malevolent activities utilizing nuclear materials are initiated, the materials control approach should provide a real-time indication to allow a rapid mitigating response. The appropriate response can range from correcting an inadvertent error to preventing an intentional insider-perpetrated incident. This paper is directed at the use of materials control techniques to deter and detect insider malevolence. 1 fig.

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Laboratory and field evaluation of polyurethane foam for lost circulation control

Glowka, D.A.; Loeppke, G.E.; Rand, P.B.; Wright, E.K.

A two-part polyurethane foam has been tested in the laboratory and in the field to assess its utility in controlling lost circulation encountered when drilling geothermal wells. A field test was conducted in The Geysers in January, 1988, to evaluate the chemical formulation and downhole tool used to deploy the chemicals. Although the tool apparently functioned properly in the field test, the chemicals failed to expand sufficiently downhole, instead forming a dense polymer that may be ineffective in sealing loss zones. Subsequent laboratory tests conducted under simulated downhole conditions indicate that the foam chemical undergo sever mixing with water in the wellbore, which disturbs the kinetics of the chemical reaction more than was previously contemplated. The results indicate that without significant changes in the foam chemical formulation or delivery technique, the foam system will be ineffective in lost circulation control except under very favorable conditions. 4 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.

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Novel dispersed catalysts for hydropyrolysis and low temperature hydrogeneration of coals

Stephens, H.P.

Results of fixed-bed hydropyrolysis and low temperature hydrogenation tests with a selection of coals and dispersed catalysts are described. Tar yields greater than 60% have been achieved in hydropyrolysis using sulphided molybdenum (Mo) with Mo concentrations as low as 0.1% daf coal for a number of bituminous coals. The hydrogenation tests indicated that the threshold temperature with these catalysts for oil generation from bituminous coals is 350{degree}C. 16 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.

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A radar simulation program for a 1024-processor hypercube

Gustafson, J.L.; Benner, R.E.; Sears, M.P.; Sullivan, T.D.

We have developed a fast parallel version of an existing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) simulation program, SRIM. On a 1024-processor NCUBE hypercube it runs an order of magnitude faster than on a CRAY X-MP or CRAY Y-MP processor. This speed advantage is coupled with an order of magnitude advantage in machine acquisition cost. SRIM is a somewhat large (30,000 lines of Fortran 77) program designed for uniprocessors; its restructuring for hypercube provides new lessons in the task of altering older serial programs to run well on modern parallel architectures. We describe the techniques used for parallelization, and the performance obtained. Several novel parallel approaches to problems of task distribution, and direct output were required. These techniques increase performance and appear to have general applicability for massive parallelism. We describe the hierarchy necessary to dynamically manage (i.e., load balance) a large ensemble. The ensemble is used in a heterogeneous manner, with different programs on different parts of the hypercube. The heterogeneous approach takes advantage of the independent instruction streams possible on MIMD machines. 18 refs., 7 figs., 4 tabs.

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New field solver for the buckshot code

Shokair, Isaac R.

The Buckshot code is a gridless particle simulation code which is used extensively at Sandia to study relativistic electron beam propagation in the ion-focused regime. The present version of the code evaluates the force on a particle by summing over all the other particles, thus the execution time is proportional to N{sup 2} where N is the number of simulation particles. A new gridless field solver has been developed with time scaling of N log N and the breakeven point between the old and new code is around N = 64 on the Cray X-MP computer. For N = 1000, the new solver is about nine times faster than the old version. The new solver is based on a solution of the two-dimensional Poisson equation which if Fourier decomposed in the azimuthal direction and the solution of the radial equation is represented by integrals over the charge density. These integrals are then replaced by sums over the simulation particles which are assumed to be point particles. The near-field singularity is removed by the Fourier decomposition so long as the number of Fourier modes is much less than the number of simulation particles. The algorithm is written in such a way that the field due to a given species is Fourier decomposed with respect to the center of mass of that species, thus it is possible to study linear and nonlinear ion hose physics with a very small number of azimuthal modes. Typically M = 2 is found to be sufficient for most IFR problems. The old and new solvers have been compared and the agreement is excellent. 2 refs., 3 figs.

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Detuning ion hose with a time varying axial magnetic field

Shokair, Isaac R.

It has been shown that a constant axial magnetic field does not affect the growth rate of the ion hose instability. However, if the field is allowed to vary in time, on the ion motion time scale, it is expected that particle orbits will be affected in a way that will result in a time varying beam wavelength. This can lead to detuning of the instability. Results of the rigid model with a time varying field of strength similar to the channel strength, show a significant decrease in the growth of the instability. Also, simulations using the BUCKSHOT code confirm the small effect of a steady magnetic field on hose growth and show a significant decrease in growth with a time varying field. 3 figs.

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Sodium/sulfur evaluation at SNL

Freese, J.M.

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has been involved in the evaluation of the sodium/sulfur technology for several years. Until recently, the effort concentrated on the performance of single cells. Recently, the evaluation of 4-cell string was initiated. The majority of the activity during the past two years has focused on cells from Chloride Silent Power, Limited (CSPL). To date, four groups of PB cells and 4-cell strings, which consisted of PB cells, have been evaluated. The first group of ten cells delivered to Sandia were on test for approximately one year. The majority of these cells failed due to corrosion problems in the sulfur seal. However, two cells completed over 800 cycles, and one of these cells completed nearly 1600 cycles. 4 figs., 1 tab.

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Current status of InAsSb strained-layer superlattice infrared detectors: Demonstration of a high detectivity, 10. mu. m photodiode

Kurtz, S.R.

A high detectivity infrared photodiode was constructed using an InAs{sub 0.15}Sb{sub 0.85}/InSb strained-layer superlattice (SLS). The surface passivated device exhibited detectivities {ge} 1 {times} 10{sup 10} cm{radical}Hz/W at wavelengths {le} 10 {mu}m. This device demonstrates the feasibility of a long wavelength, photovoltaic infrared detector technology based on InAsSb SLSs. 8 refs., 4 figs.

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Field test results of a borehole directional radar

Chang, Hsi-Tien

The Borehole Directional Radar System is a high-power, high- resolution tool that is being developed to locate lithologic layers of fractures away from a wellbore. The prototype is a 50-kW peak- power pulsed directional radar system that determines fracture location by transmitting powerful radar pulses, 8 nanoseconds in length, in a known direction from a borehole. The frequency spectrum of the pulses ranges up to the VHF band, which is between 30 and 300 MHz. The transmitter and receiver rotate in place, permitting the tool to scan for fractures in all directions from the borehole. Because discontinuities in the rock interrupt and reflect radar signals, signals that return to the tool's receiving antenna indicate fractures. The distance of the fracture from the borehole is determined by the time delay of the return signal. The radio frequency signal is sampled and transmitted to the surface by wireline at audio frequencies, and then reconstructed at the surface using a personal computer. The key to the tool's potential is its ability to accurately measure distance and direction of a lithologic discontinuity underground. This paper presents field test results that show the capabilities of the tool for locating lithological discontinuities up to 10.5 m (34.5 ft) away from a wellbore. Unique features of the system are discussed. Potential applications of the system are described, such as locating gas and oil reservoirs below a salt dome and possibly detecting a blow-out well with or without casing. 10 refs., 8 figs.

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An empirical formula for gas switch breakdown delay

Martin, Thomas H.

An empirical scaling relationship between the mean electric field and the breakdown time has been found. Many divergent sets of data were used from breakdown experiments on power lines, laser-triggered switches, trigatrons, e-beam triggered gaps, sharp-point electrode to plane gaps, and uniform field gaps. This relationship builds on the Felsenthal and Proud data and extends their breakdown time delay (formative time) data by three orders of magnitude and into the region of interest for triggered gas switching. The data indicates that electrically triggered gaps, laser-triggered gaps, and untriggered gaps are governed by the same time-delay processes. Predictions can be made of trigger gap geometry, trigger delays, and trigger polarity effects. Breakdown delays of sub-centimeter-long to at least 8-meter-long gaps in air with either high or low field-enhanced electrodes are described by this equation. In addition, this relationship appears to be valid for a variety of gases and even accurately predicts the breakdown delay of mixtures of air and SF/sub 6/. 13 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab.

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Techniques for recovery of shock-loaded samples

Dodson, Brian W.

Recovery of impact loaded samples is extremely difficult owing to the highly destructive post-shock environment. A variety of techniques have been introduced to accomplish this task for both organic and inorganic samples. The design principles underlying these techniques and the practical limitations encountered in applications are described. 3 figs.

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Review of surface flashover theory

Anderson, Richard E.

Over the past several decades, many researchers have contributed to present understanding of the flashover of electrically stressed insulators in vacuum, and a wealth of theories have been proposed to explain the many surprising attributes of this complex breakdown mechanism. Surface flashover appears to comprise at least two distinct phenomena which can be distinguished as being cathode-initiated or anode-initiated, with the former having received by far the most attention. Several models describing cathode-initiated flashover have been built on the pioneering work of Boersch and coworkers, published in 1963, and credit the breakdown mechanism to the action of an intense secondary-electron-emission avalanche on the insulator surface. Other researchers consider the electron avalanche to be only partially, if at all, responsible, and invoke various hot-carrier effects in the insulator bulk, the surface interfacial region, or in a layer of gas adsorbed on the insulator surface. Anode-initiated flashover, which contends with the cathode-initiated variety for the breakdown of insulators of conventional design, is thought to involve bulk breakdown in a way related to treeing failure. In spite of the considerable effort applied to understanding vacuum surface flashover, no single theory appears capable of explaining all the data, and new and often unexpected observations continue to be made. 42 refs., 6 figs.

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Cleaning of printed circuit assemblies with surface-mounted components

Arzigian, James S.

The need for ever-increasing miniaturization of airborne instrumentation through the use of surface mounted components closely placed on printed circuit boards highlights problems with traditional board cleaning methods. The reliability of assemblies which have been cleaned with vapor degreasing and spray cleaning can be seriously compromised by residual contaminants leading to solder joint failure, board corrosion, and even electrical failure of the mounted parts. In addition, recent government actions to eliminate fully halogenated chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and chlorinated hydrocarbons from the industrial environment require the development of new cleaning materials and techniques. This paper will discuss alternative cleaning materials and techniques and results that can be expected with them. Particular emphasis will be placed on problems related to surface-mounted parts. These new techniques may lead to improved circuit reliability and, at the same time, be less expensive and less environmentally hazardous than the traditional systems. 5 refs.

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RLA (Recirculating Linear Accelerator) vertical turning field design

Freeman, J.R.

The Recirculating Linear Accelerator (RLA) uses ion-focusing to provide the radial confinement of the beam. At the ends of the ion- channel racetrack, a ramped vertical magnetic field will be required to keep the beam in the channel. A sector field, whose strength increases with distance from the channel axis, has been proposed to provide an energy bandwidth for the transport system. This manuscript reports on design studies for coil systems that produce the required fields. It also describes particle simulations in the combined IFR-B-field transport system to address the issues of energy bandwidth and emittance growth. 4 refs., 6 figs.

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Single event upset from neutral particle beams

Browning, John S.

Are single event upsets an important vulnerability or lethality issue for strategic systems Neutron-induced single events have become a part of the vulnerability analysis for nuclear weapon environments, but there has been no serious consideration of proton-induced single events from neutron particle beam environments. Is this appropriate This paper examines this concept.

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ProtoTymer: Human performance instrumentation for HyperCard reg sign prototyping

Miller, David

As a result of the popularity of using HyperCard to rapidly prototype equipment and computer interfaces on Macintosh personal computers, the need ensued to evaluate prototype usability by collecting subjects' interactive performance data in real-time. Sandia National Laboratories, in collaboration with Stone Design Software, has developed ProtoTymer, a HyperCard stack that can time and record users' interactive sessions with prototypes developed using HyperCard. While operating in the background, ProtoTymer records the times, locations, and targets (objects clicked) of a subject's inputs during an interactive session. At the conclusion of the session, the resultant data file can be reviewed, summarized, printed, or transferred to a spreadsheet for statistical or graphical analysis. This paper describes ProtoTymer's design approach, features, limitations, and considerations for future versions. 2 refs., 4 figs.

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The TORE SUPRA pump limiter system

Chappuis, P.; Aymar, R.; Deschamps, P.; Gabriel, M.; Whitley, J.; Koski, J.; Mcgrath, R.; Watson, R.

TORE SUPRA is a fairly large supra conducting Tokamak (R = 2.350 m and r = 0.800 m) and has an original goal to withstand a large power removal (25 MW) during a 30 second long pulse. The monitoring of the plasma density and of the particle balance will be partially controlled by the pump limiter system. Depending on the amount of convected plasma power on these limiter and of the upgrading of the total injected power, the limiters are designed to remove in excess of 8 MW at steady state. 3 refs., 4 figs.

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Hydrogen assisted cracking of palladium modified PH 13-8 Mo stainless steel

Scully, J.R.

We compare the hydrogen assisted cracking resistance of wrought PH 13-8 Mo stainless steel alloyed with 0.4 to 1.0 wt.% palladium to the conventional alloy when aged to yield strengths of 1170--1250 MPa. Pd is found both in solid solution in the martensitic phase and also in the form of randomly distributed, incoherent PdAl precipitates in the modified alloy. Interfacial segregation of Pd to grain boundaries and lath boundaries is not observed. Intergranular hydrogen cracking is suppressed with Pd in slow strain rate tests conducted during electrochemical hydrogen charging of precharged samples. Hydrogen permeation analyses indicate that hydrogen ingress is not inhibited by Pd but that bulk diffusion rates are lowered relative to the conventional alloy. These results are consistent with the creation of a strong hydrogen trap, most likely the uniformly distributed PdAl phase, which lowers the levels of interfacially segregated hydrogen. 15 refs.

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Interaction of hydrogen isotopes with metals

Besenbacher, F.; Nielsen, B.B.; Noerskov, J.K.; Myers, S.M.; Nordlander, P.

From an interplay between theory based on the effective-medium scheme and experiments, an extremely simple picture has evolved which is capable of describing a vast number of experimental quantities related to interaction of hydrogen with metals, especially the trapping of hydrogen at defects. It is shown that the trap strengths are determined mainly by the interstitial electron density, and any open structures in the lattice leads to a trap, with the vacancies and voids being the strongest traps. It is also found theoretically and experimentally that up to six hydrogen atoms can be accommodated in a vacancy, and the change in trap strengths with occupancy has been determined. Recent results for the trapping of deuterium to defects in Pd are discussed. 29 refs., 5 figs.

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Low cost simulator for strategic radiation environments

Browning, John S.

Recent experimental works on the effect of dose rate on the total dose failure threshold of MOS devices have shown that the failure level is strategic environments may be less than the failure level measured in the laboratory by a factor of 3 to 10. This difference in dose rate response raises concerns about using laboratory sources to predict the radiation hardness in strategic environments. A solution to the problem of determining the total dose hardness of piece parts is to perform lot acceptance testing at relevant dose rates such that the time dependent effects can be directly observed. A low cost method of measuring the total dose hardness of piece parts in the laboratory at requisite dose rates is presented. 11 refs., 5 figs.

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Development of the steel/aluminum composite gate for the modified auxiliary closure

Chin, Richard F.

The propulsion working fluid for the containment closure used at the Nevada Test Site consists of a mixture of a driver gas and the hot detonation products from the shaped charge that cuts the wall of the storage vessel. Nitrogen had always been used as the driver gas. However, helium gas, because of its superior propulsion characteristics, has enabled us to design considerably heavier and stronger gates. Operational times can be equal to or less than operational times when nitrogen gas was used. Assume, maintaining the same functional time, that an appreciably stronger steel/aluminum composite gate is designed and developed. The gate consists of two 3/4-in.-thick, high-strength 4340 circular steel plates imbedded in the two sides of the 7075-T73 aluminum forging. Mechanical circular keys are used to ensure the effective transfer of horizontal shear loads from aluminum to steel. Three point bending experiments on small composite beams were conducted to determine the effectiveness of the mechanical keying system. Also explored was structural adhesive used as a bonding and shear transfer mechanism. 4 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.

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Seismic verification studies at Sandia

Chael, Eric P.

The Seismic Verification Program at Sandia focuses on designing and building seismic monitoring systems which could be deployed within the Soviet Union. To support this effort, Sandia also is involved in developing and testing seismic components, and in evaluating system performance and new monitoring techniques. Seismic studies conducted under the latter task concentrate on analyzing regional seismic signals, recorded within 2000 km of the source. In-country monitoring stations would be able to exploit these regional signals to improve on the capabilities of external stations at teleseismic ranges. The principal advantages which regional signals offer are greater amplitudes and broader frequency bands. However, such signals are more complex and less well understood than teleseismic records. Ongoing studies at Sandia will help define the performance which can be expected from an in-country network. Other studies are testing new monitoring concepts which may further improve in-country capabilities. This presentation gives a brief overview of some of these projects.

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Uncertainties in hydrogen combustion for nuclear reactor safety

Stamps, D.W.

Two important areas of hydrogen combustion with uncertainties are identified: (1) high-temperature combustion and (2) flame acceleration and deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT). The uncertainties associated with high-temperature combustion may affect phenomena in a least four different accident scenarios: the in-cavity oxidation of combustible gases produced by core-concrete interactions, the combustion of hydrogen following high pressure melt ejection, the possibility of local detonations, and combustion in the BWR Mark I and Mark II secondary containments. The uncertainty in the area of DDT has increased importance due to recent experimental results that show that the detonability limit is nominally at or near the flammability limit for some mixture conditions. How these uncertainties may affect various accident scenarios is discussed and recommendations are made to reduce these uncertainties. 35 refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.

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Development of high frequency spice models for ferrite core inductors and transformers

Muyshondt, G.P.; Portnoy, W.M.

In this work high frequency SPICE models were developed to simulate the hysteresis and saturation effects of toroidal shaped ferrite core inductors and transformers. The models include the nonlinear, multi-valued B-H characteristic of the core material, leakage flux, stray capacitances, and core losses. The saturation effects were modeled using two diode clamping arrangements in conjunction with nonlinear dependent sources. Two possible controlling schemes were developed for the saturation switch. One of the arrangements used the current flowing through a series RC branch to control the switch, while the other used a NAND gate. The NAND gate implementation of the switch proved to be simpler and the parameters associated with it were easier to determine from the measurements and the B-H characteristics of the material. Lumped parameters were used to simulate the parasitic effects. Techniques for measuring these parasitic are described. The models were verified using manganese-zinc ferrite-type toroidal cores and they have general applicability to all circuit analysis codes equivalent function blocks such as multipliers, adders, and logic components. 7 refs., 22 figs.

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Chemistry of large molecules

Carlson, G.A.

Knowledge of coal molecular structure is important in the understanding of coal reactivity. Computer-aided Molecular Design (CAMD) has been used to create and study three-dimensional models of several postulated coal structures (Given, Wiser, Solomon, and Shinn). Using molecular dynamics calculations, the minimum-energy conformations for each structural model have been compared. The physical densities of the minimum-energy conformations have been calculated, and are in agreement with experimental evidence. The frequencies of cross-linking hydrogen bonds have been evaluated for these structures. Finally, we have also begun to use CAMD to study model polymeric compounds, whose structure and reactivity may give new insights into coal conversion processes. 15 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

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Consequence of condensed-phase formation in transient burning of TiH/sub x//KClO/sub 4/ in a closed system

Razani, A.; Shahinpoor, M.; Hingorani-Norenberg, S.L.

Transient burning of TiH/sub X//KClO/sub 4/ in a closed system is formulated including the effect of condensed species. Thermodynamic properties are evaluated using both BLAKE and TIGER computer codes. Three different equations of state for gaseous species are used and their effect on the burning rate is evaluated. For more accurate transient burning analysis, a pressure dependent covolume for gaseous species is generated. The effect of pressure dependent covolume as well as the condensed species on transient burning is evaluated. Both parameters are found to be important when the burning rate at high loading densities in a closed system is considered. At high loading densities, condensed species become important not only because of the their effect on thermodynamic properties but also due to the volume occupied by these species. 11 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.

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Influence of organic coal structure on liquefaction behavior under low-severity conditions

Stephens, H.P.

The influence of coal structure on primary conversions and oil yields in thermolytic extraction with different H-donor and non-H-donor solvents and in dry catalytic hydrogenation has been investigated. Pre-soaking of coal/H-donor solvent slurries at 250/degree/C increased conversions and the level of hydrogen transfer at short contact times (SCT, /le/ 10 min) with 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene demonstrating the importance of solvent accessibility. However, contrary to other studies, prior removal of THF-extractable material (mobile phase) from one bituminous coal actually gave rise to higher conversions to pyridine - solubles for non-donor polynuclear aromatic compounds (PAC), such as naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene. These findings highlight the difficulties in relating primary conversions to coal characteristics. In contrast, oil yields have been found to broadly increase with decreasing rank on both H-donor solvent extraction with a process solvent and dry catalytic hydrogenation. However, in SCT tetralin extraction where poor physical contact between coal and solvent exists, neither total conversion nor oil yield correlated with rank. 27 refs., 6 figs., 4 tabs.

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Photovoltaic system research status

Post, Harold N.

After a decade of photovoltaic system research, most system related issues have been successfully resolved. Current system research activities are now oriented toward maintaining and updating the comprehensive database on system performance established by previous research efforts, integrating new components into system designs, and transferring the accumulated information to industry and users of the technology. This paper presents a brief overview of the status of system research in the United States, emphasizing three key activities - field evaluation, balance-of-system hardware development, and technology transfer. 5 refs., 2 tabs.

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Results 98901–99000 of 99,299