The Geographic Information System-Transportation (GIS-T) ISTEA Management Systems Server Net Prototype Pooled Fund Study represents the first national cooperative effort in the transportation industry to address the management and monitoring systems as well as the statewide and metropolitan transportation planning requirements of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). The Study was initiated in November 1993 through the Alliance for Transportation Research and under the leadership of the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department. Sandia National Laboratories, an Alliance partner, and Geographic Paradigm Computing. Inc. provided technical leadership for the project. In 1992, the Alliance for Transportation Research, the New Mexico State Highway and Transportation Department, Sandia National Laboratories, and Geographic Paradigm Computing, Inc., proposed a comprehensive research agenda for GIS-T. That program outlined a national effort to synthesize new transportation policy initiatives (e.g., management systems and Intelligent Transportation Systems) with the GIS-T server net ideas contained in the NCHRP project {open_quotes}Adaptation of GIS to Transportation{close_quotes}. After much consultation with state, federal, and private interests, a project proposal based on this agenda was prepared and resulted in this Study. The general objective of the Study was to develop GIS-T server net prototypes supporting the ISTEA requirements for transportation planning and management and monitoring systems. This objective can be further qualified to: (1) Create integrated information system architectures and design requirements encompassing transportation planning activities and data. (2) Encourage the development of functional GIS-T server net prototypes. (3) Demonstrate multiple information systems implemented in a server net environment.
In-situ barrier materials and designs are being developed for containment of high risk contamination as an alternative to immediate removal or remediation. The intent of these designs is to prevent the movement of contaminants in either the liquid or vapor phase by long-term containment, essentially buying time until the contaminant depletes naturally or a remediation can be implemented. The integrity of the resultant soil-binder mixture is typically assessed by a number of destructive laboratory tests (leaching, compressive strength, mechanical stability with respect to wetting and freeze-thaw cycles) which as a group are used to infer the likelihood of favorable long-term performance of the barrier. The need exists for a minimally intrusive yet quantifiable methods for assessment of a barrier`s integrity after emplacement, and monitoring of the barrier`s performance over its lifetime. Here, the authors evaluate non-destructive measurements of inert-gas diffusion (specifically, SF{sub 6}) as an indicator of waste-form integrity. The goals of this project are to show that diffusivity can be measured in core samples of soil jet-grouted with Portland cement, validate the experimental method through measurements on samples, and to calculate aqueous diffusivities from a series of diffusion measurements. This study shows that it is practical to measure SF{sub 6} diffusion rates in the laboratory on samples of grout (Portland cement and soil) typical of what might be used in a barrier. Diffusion of SF{sub 6} through grout (Portland cement and soil) is at least an order of magnitude slower than through air. The use of this tracer should be sensitive to the presence of fractures, voids, or other discontinuities in the grout/soil structure. Field-scale measurements should be practical on time-scales of a few days.
This paper describes updates and revisions to the data acquisition computer program DATAVG which has served as the basic data collection system for the Sandia National Laboratories Geomechanics Department, Rock Mechanics Laboratory since late 1992. DATAVG was first described in Event Triggered Data Acquisition in the Rock Mechanics Laboratory, [Hardy, 1993]. DATAVG has been modified to incorporate numerous user-requested enhancements and a few bug fixes. In this paper these changes to DATAVG are described.
The generation of particles in gas handling systems as a result of corrosion is a major concern in the microelectronics industry. The corrosion can be caused by the presence of trace quantities of water in corrosive gases such as HCl or HBr. FTIR spectroscopy has been shown to be a method that can be made compatible with corrosive gases and is capable of detecting low ppb levels of water vapor. In this report, the application of FTIR spectroscopy combined with classical least squares multivariate calibration to detect trace H{sub 2}O in N{sub 2}, HCl and HBr is discussed. Chapter 2 discusses the gas handling system and instrumentation required to handle corrosive gases. A method of generating a background spectrum useful to the measurements discussed in this report, as well as in other application areas such as gas phase environmental monitoring, is discussed in Chapter 3. Experimental results obtained with the first system are presented in Chapter 4. Those results made it possible to optimize the design options for the construction of a dedicate system for low ppb water vapor determination. These designs options are discussed in Chapter 5. An FTIR prototype accessory was built. In addition, a commercially available evacuable FTIR system was obtained for evaluation. Test results obtained with both systems are discussed in Chapter 6. Experiments dealing with the interaction between H{sub 2}O-HCl and potential improvements to the detection system are discussed in Chapter 7.
Dose enhancement and dose rate were measured in more than a dozen gamma sources using pMOS RADFETs and TLDs from two independent sources. ARACOR X-ray dose rates were calibrated using single- and dual-dielectric RADFETs.
The Photovoltaic Manufacturing Technology Program (PVMaT) program began in 1990 as a cost-shared partnership among the US photovoltaic industry and the US Photovoltaic Program. Balance-of-systems (BOS) components and concepts were included under Phase 4A1 of the program. BOS contracts ranged from newly developed AC PV modules to 100kW inverters for photovoltaic applications. Utility-interactive, stand-alone and hybrid components were also improved, while better manufacturing processes were developed. Specific products developed through Phase 4A1 contracts included AC modules and module integrated inverters, an advanced polymer system to reduce BOS costs, low cost integrated tracking PV systems, improved inverters, new concept inverters, communications links for BOS, and advanced modular PV systems for remote applications. This paper summarizes the research and development work, presents product and applications improvements, and describes manufacturing improvements while analyzing performance and cost benefits.
To achieve the lowest life-cycle cost (LCC), photovoltaic (PV) systems must have the optimum mix of low first cost, low operation and maintenance (O&M) cost, and high availability. Additionally, the long-term health of the photovoltaic (PV) industry requires that PV systems work as expected. Although PV modules now enjoy high reliability due to a significant multi-year effort by both the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and industry, the same is not always true of PV systems. Even for systems that do operate reliably, customers, suppliers, and manufacturers can benefit from knowing what O&M expenses to expect. This knowledge will reduce technology risk to the customer and improve likelihood of commitment to PV projects. System integrators and utilities may benefit from O&M cost information to improve system designs, to properly price service agreements and warranties, and to optimize maintenance strategies. The DOE and component manufacturers may benefit from identifying cost drivers to optimally focus research and quality assurance resources to improve product reliability. This paper discusses the first of five tasks identified for this project, quantifying system reliability and life cycle cost by collecting, analyzing and reporting data on PV system reliability and cost. Industry participants collect the necessary O&M data on systems they are monitoring. Sandia provides support in the form of assistance identifying data that needs to be collected, helping develop forms or databases to collect the data, and analyzing the data.
The performance of an amp-hour (Ah) counting battery charge control algorithm has been defined and tested using the Digital Solar Technologies MPR-9400 microprocessor based PV hybrid charge controller. This work included extensive field testing of the charge algorithm on flooded lead-antimony and valve regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries. The test results after one-year have demonstrated that PV charge utilization, battery charge control, and battery state of charge (SOC) has been significantly improved by providing maximum charge to the batteries while limiting battery overcharge to manufacturers specifications during variable solar resource and load periods.
An industry supported task group has recently completed writing proposals for changes in bring Article 690 of the 1999 National Electrical Code (NEC{reg_sign}) up to the state-of-the-art in photovoltaic device and system technology. This paper summarizes proposed code changes, discusses background on both new and changed, and presents examples for the proposed changes. Topics such as the proposed new temperature compensation table for calculating maximum system voltage are analyzed. Procedures for calculating conductor sizes with the proposed changes are presented. Impacts on photovoltaic installations, building integrated systems, and AC module installations are also analyzed.
A nonlinear discretization scheme in space and energy, based on the recently developed exponential discontinuous method, is applied to continuous slowing down dominated electron transport (i.e., in the absence of scattering.) Numerical results for dose and charge deposition are obtained and compared against results from the ONELD and ONEBFP codes, and against exact results from an adjoint Monte Carlo code. It is found that although the exponential discontinuous scheme yields strictly positive and monotonic solutions, the dose profile is considerably straggled when compared to results from the linear codes. On the other hand, the linear schemes produce negative results which, furthermore, do not damp effectively in some cases. A general conclusion is that while yielding strictly positive solutions, the exponential discontinuous method does not show the crude cell accuracy for charged particle transport as was apparent for neutral particle transport problems.
Two methods for the use of lunar materials for the construction of shelters on the Moon are being proposed: explosive consolidation of the soil into structural components and plasma spraying of the soil to join components. The plasma-sprayed coating would also provide protection from the intense radiation. In this work, a mare simulant was plasma-sprayed onto a stainless steel substrate. Deposition of a 0.020 inch coating using power inputs of 23, 25, 27 and 29 kW were compared. Hardness of the coatings increased with each increase of power to the system, while porosity at the interface decreased. All coatings exhibited good adhesion. Simultaneously, an explosively consolidated sample was similarly characterized to afford a comparison of structural features associated with each mode of proposed use.
In 1996, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) undertook a major effort to develop, produce, and execute a Sites Comprehensive Plan. Fundamentally, this document is intended to serve as a tool to clarify the strategic link between (1) current and future mission needs and responsibilities, and (2) the condition, capacity, and required amount of facilities space and infrastructure. It documents the Facilities Group`s response to programmatic requests for capability and makes the case for the required facilities investments through integrated master plans that document SNL`s short- and long-range needs. This paper outlines the history and business environment that led to the writing of the plan, the organizations and committees involved, the steps required to develop and produce it, the challenges encountered in selling it, both internally and externally, and the issues involved in executing the proposed actions set forth in the plan. The paper also articulates the benefits gained by Facilities Management (FM) and the corporation, as well as the lessons learned in producing the plan. SNL has concluded that the Sites Comprehensive Plan was a worthwhile effort in terms of retained facilities investment funding, increased awareness of facility needs, and other measures, despite the significant effort and cost required to produce it.
This report outlines the future technology needs of the Chemical Industry in the area of catalysis and is a continuation of the process that produced the report Technology Vision 2020: The U.S. Chemical Industry and the Council for Chemical Research`s (CCR) Chemical Synthesis Team follow-up work in chemical synthesis. Vision 2020 developed a 25-year vision for the chemical industry and outlined the challenges to be addressed in order to achieve this vision. This report, which outlines the catalysis technology roadmap, is based on the output of the CCR`s Chemical Synthesis Team, plus a workshop held March -20-21, 1997, which included about 50 participants, with catalysis experts from industry, academia, and government. It is clear that all participants view catalysis as a fundamental driver to the 0274 economic and environmental viability of the chemical industry. Advances in catalytic science and technology are among the most crucial challenges to achieving the goals of the chemical industry advanced in Vision 2020.
Linear schemes applied to charged particle transport problems demonstrate high order accuracy but under certain conditions can also produce negative solutions. On the other hand, the recently developed nonlinear exponential discontinuous (ED) method has been shown to produce accurate strictly positive solutions, for positive sources, in neutral particle transport applications. We have applied this method to the solution, in space and energy, of the multispecies transport equations for relativistic heavy ions. The solution may be useful as a treatment planning tool for the irradiation of certain cancers using heavy ions. Collisions between projectile ions and atoms in the target medium can result in ion fragments different from the original species. The solution includes these projectile fragments. The primary ion and all fragments are treated using the straight ahead approximation under which the fragments continue on with the same velocity as the original projectile.
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has recently completed the irradiation of five isotope production targets at its Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR) using targets fabricated by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Four of the irradiated targets were chemically processed in the SNL Hot Cell Facility (HCF) using the Cintichem process. The Cintichem method for processing {sup 99}Mo isotope production targets involves dissolution of a UO{sub 2} coating, separation of the Mo from the other fission products, and purifying the final product. Several processing issues were addressed during the initial process verification work. This paper discusses the results of work involving dissolving the UO{sub 2} coating, recovering Mo losses in purification columns, and radiation exposure testing of process glassware and components.
As part of the Isotope Production Program at Sandia National Laboratories New Mexico (SNL/NM), procedures are being finalized for the production of {sup 99}Mo from the irradiation of {sup 235}U-coated stainless steel targets at the Technical Area (TA) V reactor and hot cell facilities. Methods have been identified and tested for the management of the non-product (waste) material as the final step in the production process. These methods were developed utilizing the waste material from a series of cold and hot tests, beginning with depleted uranium powder and culminating with a test involving an irradiated {sup 235}U target with an initial fission product inventory of approximately 18,000 Ci at the end of the irradiation cycle.
The ARRAMIS risk and reliability analysis software suite developed by Sandia National Laboratories enables analysts to evaluate the safety and reliability of a wide range of complex systems whose failure results in high consequences. This software was originally designed to model the systems, responses, and phenomena associated with potential severe accidents at commercial nuclear power reactors by solving very large fault tree and event tree models. However, because of its power and versatility, ARRAMIS and its constituent analysis engines have recently been used to evaluate a wide variety of systems, including nuclear weapons, telecommunications facilities, robotic material handling systems, and aircraft systems using hybrid fault tree event tree analysis techniques incorporating fully integrated uncertainty analysis capabilities. This paper describes recent applications in the area of nuclear reactor accident progression analysis using a large event tree methodology and the ARRAMIS package.
Heavy charged particles deposit much of their kinetic energy at very high rates in small volumes near the end of their range. This characteristic, coupled with the availability of modern particle accelerators, has sparked a revival of interest in the use of ions as a possible treatment tool for certain types of cancers. Collisions between projectile ions and atoms in the target medium can result in ion fragments that are different from the original projectile species. The energy deposition characteristics of these fragments differ from those of the projectile in a manner that allows them to travel beyond the range of the original particle. This can result in deposition of doses in healthy tissue beyond the tumor. The loss of projectiles due to the fragmentation process will also affect the dose deposited in the target tumor. An accurate dose calculation requires that these effects be taken into account. Monte Carlo calculations are expensive, time consuming, and can be limited in the number of ion species considered. Linear methods can yield high-order accuracy but can sometimes exhibit the undesirable characteristic of calculating negative fluxes. In order to bypass these difficulties, we have applied the recently developed exponential discontinuous (ED) finite- element method to a calculation of dose deposition by relativistic heavy ion projectiles and fragments. The ED method has been shown to yield strictly -- positive solutions for positive sources of neutral particles.
In applications dealing with the deposition of amorphous hydrogenated carbon layers or in the determination of the composition of deposited layers on the walls of nuclear fusion plasma experiments, the analysis of mixtures of light elements on heavy substrates is necessary. Depth profiling by means of RBS is often difficult due to the overlap of the backscattering intensities of different constituents from different depths. The erosion and reaction of deposited amorphous deuterated carbon (a-C:D) films with a Be substrate due to annealing in air poses an analytical challenge especially if simultaneously the exchange of hydrogen isotopes should be monitored. The analysis of the different recoiling atoms from collisions with heavy ions in Elastic Recoil Detection (ERD) can provide a tool which resolves all constituents in a single analysis. In the present study the composition of intermixed layers on Be containing H, D, Be, C and O has been analyzed using conventional {sup 4}He RBS at 2.2 MeV together with 2.5 MeV {sup 4}He ERD for hydrogen isotope analysis. At these energies, an overlap of signals from different constituents could be avoided in most cases. As alternative method heavy ion ERD using Si{sup 7+} ions extracted from a 5 MeV Tandem Van de Graff accelerator was investigated. At a scattering angle of 30{degree} Si ions could not be scattered into the detector and a solid state detector without protecting foil could be used. Even in the intermixed layers at terminal energies of 5 MeV the heavy constituents could be separated while signals from recoiling hydrogen and deuterium atoms could be resolved on top of the signal from the Be substrate. For the analysis of the RBS and ERD data the newly developed spectra simulation program SIMNRA has been used which includes a large data bank for scattering and nuclear reaction cross sections. The depth profiles of all constituents extracted from the simulation are compared for both methods.
This paper presents ion beam induced charge collection (IBICC) contrast images showing regions of differing charge collection efficiency within optoelectronic modulator devices. The experiments were carried out at the Sandia nuclear microprobe using 18 MeV carbon and 2 MeV helium ions. Lines of varying densities are observed to run along the different {l_brace}110{r_brace} directions which correlate with misfit dislocations within the 392nm thick strained layer superlattice quantum well of the modulator structure. Independent cross-sectional TEM studies and the electrical properties of the devices under investigation suggest the presence of threading dislocations in the active device region at a density of {approximately} 10{sup 6} cm{sup {minus}2}. However, no clear evidence of threading dislocations was observed in the IBICC images as they are possibly masked by the strong contrast of the misfit dislocations. Charge carrier transport within the modulator is used to explain the observed contrast. The different signal to noise levels and rates of damage of the incident ions are assessed.
Remote sensing by satellite is increasingly important to the national government for treaty verification, battlefield monitoring, and other activities. In addition, civilian oriented applications are increasing in areas such as geology, meteorology, ecology, forestry, and agriculture. Spectral imaging sensors, an important subclass of satellite-borne sensors, have been shown to provide information far superior to that of conventional panchromatic images in many of these applications. However, spectral imaging adds at least two challenges to the already difficult task of viewing the earth from a distance of hundreds of kilometers. First, with numerous spectral channels, the signal-to-noise ratio is decreased in any one channel. Second the data rates of spectral imaging sensors (10 Mbytes/sec, or more) stress the limits of the electronic systems, including the onboard data storage, the downlink bandwidth, and the earthbound image analysis system. This report describes a new concept which the authors have dubbed the information-efficient spectral imaging sensor (ISIS) which addresses these two problems. In addition, it offers the promise of nearly real-time identification of targets.
Main-stream applications are beginning to incorporate public key cryptography. It can be difficult to deploy this technology without a robust infrastructure to support it. It can also be difficult to deploy a public key infrastructure among multiple enterprises when different applications and standards must be supported. This discussion chronicles the efforts by a team within the US Department of Energy`s Nuclear Weapons Complex to build a public key infrastructure and deploy applications that use it. The emphasis of this talk will be on the lessons learned during this effort and an assessment of the overall impact of this technology.
The sandstones of the Molina Member of the Wasatch Formation in the Piceance basin of northwestern Colorado contain a suite of fractures that have a conjugate-pair geometry. The fractures are vertical and intersect at an acute angle of between 20 and 40 degrees. Although direct evidence of shear is rare, the fracture surfaces commonly display small steps. The fracture geometries suggest that the maximum compressive stress during fracturing was in the plane of the acute angle of the conjugate fractures: the steps are interpreted as broken-face manifestations of very low angle en echelon fractures, formed within exceptionally narrow zones of incipient shear. In contrast to the highly anisotropic permeability enhancement created by subparallel vertical extension fractures in the underlying Mesaverde Formation, the conjugate pairs in the Molina sandstones should create a well connected and relatively isotropic mesh of fracture conductivity. Increases in stress magnitudes and anisotropy during production drawdown of reservoir pressures should cause shear offsets along the fractures, initially enhancing permeability.
In January, 1995 a collaborative effort to improve radiological consequence analysis methods and tools was initiated between the V.G. Khlopin Institute (KRI) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). The purpose of the collaborative effort was to transfer SNL`s consequence analysis methods to KRI and identify opportunities for collaborative efforts to solve mutual problems relating to the safety of radiochemical facilities. A second purpose was to improve SNL`s consequence analysis methods by incorporating the radiological accident field experience of KRI scientists (e.g. the Chernobyl and Kyshtym accidents). The initial collaborative effort focused on the identification of: safety criteria that radiochemical facilities in Russia must meet; analyses/measures required to demonstrate that safety criteria have been met; and data required to complete the analyses/measures identified to demonstrate the safety basis of a facility.
For over fifteen years Sandia National Laboratories has been involved in laboratory testing of biometric identification devices. The key concept of biometric identification devices is the ability for the system to identify some unique aspect of the individual rather than some object a person may be carrying or some password they are required to know. Tests were conducted to verify manufacturer`s performance claims, to determine strengths/weaknesses of devices, and to determine devices that meet the US Department of energy`s needs. However, during recent field installation, significantly different performance was observed than was predicted by laboratory tests. Although most people using the device believed it operated adequately, the performance observed was over an order of magnitude worse than predicted. The search for reasons behind this gap between the predicted and the actual performance has revealed many possible contributing factors. As engineers, the most valuable lesson to be learned from this experience is the value of scientists and engineers with (1) common sense, (2) knowledge of human behavior, (3) the ability to observe the real world, and (4) the capability to realize the significant differences between controlled experiments and actual installations.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires that federal agencies prepare environmental impact statements (EISs) on proposals for major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations require that EISs be prepared directly by the lead agency or a contractor it selects. EIS contractors must execute a disclosure statement specifying that they have ``no financial or other interest`` in the outcome of the project. The intent of the ``conflict of interest`` prohibition is to ensure that the EIS is defensible, free of self-serving bias, and credible to the public. Those coming to the federal government for money, permits, or project approvals must not be placed in the position of analyzing the environmental consequences of their own proposals. This paper analyzes the conflict of interest problem faced by government contractors who maintain and operate government-owned or-controlled facilities for which EISs are required. In the US Department of Energy (DOE) system, these are referred to as ``M and O`` contractors. It also examines organizational conflicts presented by current or prospective government contractors who have a financial or other interest in the outcome of a project or program for which an EIS is prepared. In responding to these and related questions, the paper discusses and interprets the CEQ regulations and guidance on EIS preparation conflict of interest as well as leading federal court opinions. It also distinguishes ``preparers`` from ``participants`` in the EIS preparation process.
Discharges in gas mixtures of Cl{sub 2}, BCl{sub 3}, Ar, and N{sub 2} are used by the integrated circuit industry for metal etching, and are as yet not well understood, especially in inductively-coupled plasma (ICP) sources which are rapidly becoming the industry standard for etching tools. An essential parameter that must be measured in these plasmas is the density of ions, both positive and negative, formed in the plasma. In the work presented here, LIF and laser photodetachment were used to measure relative metastable chlorine ion CL{sup +}* density and temperature and absolute Cl{sup {minus}} density as a function of gas mixture.
A 1.3 {micro}m wavelength vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) containing proton implanted isolation regions and a dielectric top mirror and a wafer-bonded GaAs/AlAs bottom mirror was fabricated. A room temperature pulsed threshold current density of 1.13 kA/cm{sup 2} and a threshold current of 2 mA have been demonstrated.
An efficient, scalable, parallel algorithm for treating contacts in solid mechanics has been applied to interactions between particles in smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH). The algorithm uses three different decompositions within a single timestep: (1) a static FE-decomposition of mesh elements; (2) a dynamic SPH-decomposition of SPH particles; (3) and a dynamic contact-decomposition of contact nodes and SPH particles. The overhead cost of such a scheme is the cost of moving mesh and particle data between the decompositions. This cost turns out to be small in practice, leading to a highly load-balanced decomposition in which to perform each of the three major computational states within a timestep.
This paper is a description of work-in-progress. It describes Sandia`s program to study the basic fluid mechanics of large-scale mixing in unbounded, compressible, turbulent flows, specifically, the turbulent mixing of an axisymmetric compressible helium jet in a parallel, coflowing compressible air freestream. Both jet and freestream velocities are variable over a broad range, providing a wide range mixing layer Reynolds number. Although the convective Mach number, M{sub c}, range is currently limited by the present nozzle design to values of 0.6 and below, straightforward nozzle design changes would permit a wide range of convective Mach number, to well in excess of 1.0. The use of helium allows simulation of a hot jet due to the large density difference, and also aids in obtaining optical flow visualization via schlieren due to the large density gradient in the mixing layer. The work comprises a blend of analysis, experiment, and direct numerical simulation (DNS). There the authors discuss only the analytical and experimental efforts to observe and describe the evolution of the large-scale structures. The DNS work, used to compute local two-point velocity correlation data, will be discussed elsewhere.
Fast z-pinch implosions can convert more than 10% of the stored electrical energy in a pulsed-power accelerator into x-rays. On the Saturn pulsed-power accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories, currents of 6 to 8 MA with a risetime of less than 50 ns have been used to drive cylindrically-symmetric arrays of wires, producing x-ray energies greater than 400 kJ with x-ray pulsewidths less than 5 ns and peak x-ray powers of 75 {+-} 10 TW. Using similar loads, PBFA Z has produced > 1.5 MJ and > 150 TW of x-rays in the first four months of operation in the z-pinch mode. These x-ray energies and powers are records for laboratory x-ray production. The x-ray output can be thermalized into a near-Planckian x-ray source by containing it within a cylindrical radiation case (a hohlraum). These energetic, intense, large volume, long-lived hohlraum x-ray sources have recently been used for ICF-relevant ablator physics experiments and offer the potential for performing many new basic physics and fusion-relevant experiments.
The authors define two simple metrics for accuracy of models built from range imaging information. They apply the metric to a model built from a recent range image taken at the Laser Radar Development and Evaluation Facility (LDERF), Eglin AFB, using a Scannerless Range Imager (SRI) from Sandia National Laboratories. They also present graphical displays of the residual information produced as a byproduct of this measurement, and discuss mechanisms that these data suggest for further improvement in the performance of this already impressive SRI.
The intent of this tutorial is to overview the technology of multi-level polysilicon surface micromachining, to present examples of devices which fully utilize this level of complexity, and to discuss what they believe to be significant issues which are not fully resolved. Following this intent, the tutorial consists of four sections. The first is an introduction and description of multi-level polysilicon surface micromachining and its potential benefits. Specifically, the inclusion of a third deposited layer of mechanical polysilicon greatly extends the degree of complexity available for micromechanism design. The second section introduces wafer planarization by CMP as a process tool for surface micromachining. The third section presents examples of actuated geared micromechanisms which require the multi-level fabrication process. Demonstration of actuation mechanisms coupled to external devices are illustrated. Finally, polysilicon surface micromachining fabrication technology has reached a level where many device designs, for the most part, can be embodied in the technology to produce a mechanical construct which provides the desired function. When designed properly, the fabricated mechanical element, if free to operate, will produce the desired function. However, one set of issues which can hinder or prevent operation are related to the post-fabricated device surfaces. These surface issues; namely, stiction, friction, and wear, are emphasized in the final section as a major hindrance to realizing the full potential of surface micromachined devices.
The unattended sensing of stationary (i.e. non-mobile) targets is important in applications ranging from counter-proliferation to law enforcement. With stationary targets, sources of seismic, acoustic, and electro-magnetic emissions can potentially be used to detect, identify, and locate the target. Stationary targets have considerably different sensing requirements than the traditional mobile-target unattended ground sensor applications. This paper presents the novel features and requirements of a system for sensing stationary targets. In particular, issues associated with long-listen time signal processing for signal detection, and array processing techniques for signal localization are presented. Example data and signal processing outputs from a stationary target will be used to illustrate these issues. The impact on sensor, electronic signal processing, battery subsystem, and communication requirements will also be discussed. The paper will conclude with a detailed comparison between mobile-target and stationary-target unattended ground sensor architectures.
The authors present the growth and characterization of vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) from visible to near-infrared wavelength grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. Discussions on the growth issue of VCSEL materials include the control on growth rate and composition using an in situ normal-incidence reflectometer, optimization of ultra-high material uniformity, and comprehensive p- and n-type doping study in AlGaAs by CCl{sub 4} and Si{sub 2}H{sub 6} over the entire Al composition range. They will also demonstrate the recent achievements of selectively-oxidized VCSELs which include the first room-temperature continuous-wave demonstration of all-AlGaAs 700-nm red VCSELs, high-performance n-side up 850-nm VCSELs, and low threshold current and low-threshold voltage 1.06 {micro}m VCSELs using InGaAs/GaAsP strain-compensated quantum wells.
This work builds upon established Sandia intelligent systems technology to develop a unique approach for the integration of intelligent system control into the US Highway and urban transportation systems. The Sandia developed concept of the COPILOT controller integrates a human driver with computer control to increase human performance while reducing reliance on detailed driver attention. This research extends Sandia expertise in sensor based, real-time control of robotics systems to high speed transportation systems. Knowledge in the form of maps and performance characteristics of vehicles provides the automatic decision making intelligence needed to plan optimum routes, maintain safe driving speeds and distances, avoid collisions, and conserve fuel.
Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico, conducts the Energy Storage Systems Program, which is sponsored by the US Department of Energy`s Office of Utility Technologies. The goal of this program is to assist industry in developing cost-effective energy storage systems as a resource option by 2000. Sandia is responsible for the engineering analyses, contracted development, and testing of energy storage systems for stationary applications. This report details the technical achievements realized during fiscal year 1996.
Hydraulic fracturing tests were integrated with hydrologic tests to estimate the conditions under which gas pressure in the disposal rooms in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Carlsbad, NM (WIPP) will initiate and advance fracturing in nearby anhydrite interbeds. The measurements were made in two marker beds in the Salado formation, MB139 and MB140, to explore the consequences of existing excavations for the extrapolation of results to undisturbed ground. The interpretation of these measurements is based on the pressure-time records in two injection boreholes and several nearby hydrologic observation holes. Data interpretations were aided by post-test borehole video surveys of fracture traces that were made visible by ultraviolet illumination of fluorescent dye in the hydraulic fracturing fluid. The conclusions of this report relate to the upper- and lower-bound gas pressures in the WIPP, the paths of hydraulically and gas-driven fractures in MB139 and MB140, the stress states in MB139 and MB140, and the probable in situ stress states in these interbeds in undisturbed ground far away from the WIPP.
The cited paper estimates the consequences that might occur should a purpose-built ship transporting Vitrified High Level Waste (VHLW) be involved in a severe collision that causes the VHLW canisters in one Type-B package to spill onto the floor of a major ocean fishing region. Release of radioactivity from VHLW glass logs, failure of elastomer cask seals, failure of VHLW canisters due to stress corrosion cracking (SCC), and the probabilities of the hypothesized accident scenario, of catastrophic cask failure, and of cask recovery from the sea are all discussed.
The objective is to assess the occurrence of nonplanar distortions of hemes and other tetrapyrroles in proteins and to determine the biological function of these distortions. Recently, these distortions were found by us to be conserved among proteins belonging to a functional class. Conservation of the conformation of the heme indicates a possible functional role. Researchers have suggested possible mechanisms by which heme distortions might influence biological properties; however, no heme distortion has yet been shown conclusively to participate in a structural mechanism of hemoprotein function. The specific aims of the proposed work are: (1) to characterize and quantify the distortions of the hemes in all of the more than 300 hemoprotein X-ray crystal structures in terms of displacements along the lowest-frequency normal coordinates, (2) to determine the structural features of the protein component that generate and control these nonplanar distortions by using spectroscopic studies and molecular-mechanics calculations for the native proteins, their mutants and heme-peptide fragments, and model porphyrins, (3) to determine spectroscopic markers for the various types of distortion, and, finally, (4) to discover the functional significance of the nonplanar distortions by correlating function with porphyrin conformation for proteins and model porphyrins.
Improved characterization and process control is important to many Sandia and DOE programs related to manufacturing. Many processes/structures are currently under-characterized including thin film growth, corrosion and semiconductor structures, such as implant profiles. A sensitive tool is required that is able to provide lateral and vertical imaging of the electromagnetic properties of a sample. The confocal resonator is able to characterize the surface and near-surface impedance of materials. This device may be applied to a broad range of applications including in situ evaluation of thin film processes, physical defect detection/characterization, the characterization of semiconductor devices and corrosion studies. In all of these cases, the technology should work as a real-time process diagnostic or as a feedback mechanism regarding the quality of a manufacturing process. This report summarizes the development and exploration of several diagnostic applications.
A micro electro-hydrodynamic (EHD) injection pump has been developed using laser micromachining technology. Two designs have been fabricated, tested, and evaluated. The first design has two silicon parts with KOH-etched wells which are stacked on the top of each other. The wells are etched into one side of the wafer, and gold is deposited on the other side to serve as the pump electrodes. A Nd:YAG laser is used to drill an array of circular holes in the well region of both silicon parts. This creates a grid distribution with a square pattern. Next the well regions of the silicon parts are aligned, and the parts are bonded together using a Staystik thermoplastic. Together, the bonded siliconpart form the pump. The pump unit is then mounted into a ceramic package with a large hole drilled in the bottom of the package to permit fluid flow. Aluminum ribbon wire bonds are used to connect the pump electrodes to the package leads. Isolation of the metallization and wires is achieved by filling the package cavity and coating the wires with polyimide. When a voltage is applied to the electrodes, ions are injected into the working fluid, such as an organic solvent, thus inducing flow. The second design has the silicon parts oriented {open_quote}back-to-back{close_quote} and bonded together with Stayform. A {open_quote}back-to-back{close_quote} design will decrease the grid distance so that a smaller voltage is required for pumping. Experimental results have demonstrated that this micro pump can achieved a pressure head of about 287 Pa with an applied voltage of 120 V.
This report documents, demonstrates, evaluates, and provides theoretical justification for methods used to convert experimental data into relative permeability relationships. The report facilities accurate determination of relative permeabilities of anhydride rock samples from the Salado Formation at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Relative permeability characteristic curves are necessary for WIPP Performance Assessment (PA) predictions of the potential for flow of waste-generated gas from the repository and brine flow into repository. This report follows Christiansen and Howarth (1995), a comprehensive literature review of methods for measuring relative permeability. It focuses on unsteady-state experiments and describes five methods for obtaining relative permeability relationships from unsteady-state experiments. Unsteady-state experimental methods were recommended for relative permeability measurements of low-permeability anhydrite rock samples form the Salado Formation because these tests produce accurate relative permeability information and take significantly less time to complete than steady-state tests. Five methods for obtaining relative permeability relationships from unsteady-state experiments are described: the Welge method, the Johnson-Bossler-Naumann method, the Jones-Roszelle method, the Ramakrishnan-Cappiello method, and the Hagoort method. A summary, an example of the calculations, and a theoretical justification are provided for each of the five methods. Displacements in porous media are numerically simulated for the calculation examples. The simulated product data were processed using the methods, and the relative permeabilities obtained were compared with those input to the numerical model. A variety of operating conditions were simulated to show sensitivity of production behavior to rock-fluid properties.
A multispectral ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence imaging fluorometer and a pulsed molecular beam laser fluorometer were developed to detect volatile organic compounds of interest in environmental monitoring and drug interdiction applications. The UV fluorescence imaging fluorometer is a relatively simple instrument which uses multiple excitation wavelengths to measure the excitation/emission matrix for irradiated samples. Detection limits in the high part-per-million to low part-per-million range were measured for a number of volatile organic vapors in the atmosphere. Detection limits in the low part-per-million range were obtained using cryogenic cooling to pre-concentrate unknown samples before introducing them into the imaging fluorometer. A multivariate analysis algorithm was developed to analyze the excitation/emission matrix and used to determine the relative concentrations of species in computer synthesized mixtures containing up to five organic compounds. Analysis results demonstrated the utility of multispectral UV fluorescence in analytical measurements. A transportable UV fluorescence imaging fluorometer was used in two field tests. Field test results demonstrated that detection limits in the part-per-billion range were needed to reliably identify volatile organic compounds in realistic field test measurements. The molecular beam laser fluorometer, a more complex instrument with detection limits in the part-per-billion to part-per-trillion range, was therefore developed to satisfy detection sensitivity requirements for field test measurements. High-resolution spectroscopic measurements made with the molecular beam laser fluorometer demonstrated its utility in identifying volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere.
This report describes the WIPP 1 test case studied as part of INTRAVAL, an international project to study validation of geosphere transport models. The WIPP 1 test case involved simulation of measured brine-inflow rates to boreholes drilled into the halite strata surrounding the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant repository. The goal of the test case was to evaluate the use of Darcy`s law to describe brine flow through halite. The general approach taken was to try to obtain values of permeability and specific capacitance that would be: (1) consistent with other available data and (2) able to provide reasonable simulations of all of the brine-inflow experiments performed in the Salado Formation. All of the teams concluded that the average permeability of the halite strata penetrated by the holes was between approximately 10{sup {minus}22} and 10{sup {minus}21} m{sup 2}. Specific capacitances greater than 10{sup {minus}10} Pa{sup {minus}1} are inconsistent with the known constitutive properties of halite and are attributed to deformation, possibly ongoing, of the halite around the WIPP excavations. All project teams found that Darcy-flow models could replicate the experimental data in a consistent and reasonable manner. Discrepancies between the data and simulations are attributed to inadequate representation in the models of processes modifying the pore-pressure field in addition to the experiments themselves, such as ongoing deformation of the rock around the excavations. Therefore, the conclusion from the test case is that Darcy-flow models can reliably be used to predict brine flow to WIPP excavations, provided that the flow modeling is coupled with measurement and realistic modeling of the pore-pressure field around the excavations. This realistic modeling of the pore-pressure field would probably require coupling to a geomechanical model of the stress evolution around the repository.
The ability of an open-path, fourier-transform infrared spectrometer to detect vehicle exhaust emissions approximately 3 meters above the roadway surface at a busy Albuquerque suburban intersection was evaluated in this study. Multiple measurements of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide were carried out over pathlengths up to 100 meters during the morning commute period on multiple days in the summer of 1993. The carbon monoxide to fuel carbon ratio was computed from all spectral data in order to derive a vehicle fleet average ratio. The data were determined to be normally distributed with an overall carbon monoxide-fuel carbon ratio of 0.15. The 95% confidence interval about the mean was {+-} 0.009. Day-to-day variation of the mean ratio was determined to be on the order of 3%. The results indicate that anticipated reductions in carbon monoxide emissions following the implementation of a winter-season oxygenated fuel program could be reliably detected with an open-path fourier transform spectrometer. The periodic use of such an instrument may offer a cost-effective means of generating a city-wide carbon monoxide emission budget for vehicles sources.
In this paper, preliminary results on the use of active chatter control in a new type of milling machine is presented. It is expected that this machine will cut metal at twice the rate of conventional machines without an appreciable increase in cost. Performance enhancements are achieved by the integration of active feedback control into an existing machine structure. To reduce computational burden, decoupled control is proposed. Extensive simulations have shown that significant performance enhancements are achievable.
This report summarizes the development of in situ spectral reflectance as a tool for improving the quality, reproducibility, and yield of device structures grown from compound semiconductors. Although initially targeted at MBE (Molecular Beam Epitaxy) machines, equipment difficulties forced the authors to test most of their ideas on a MOCVD (Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition) reactor. A pre-growth control strategy using in situ reflectance has led to an unprecedented demonstration of process control on one of the most difficult device structures that can be grown with compound semiconductor materials. Hundreds of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL`s) were grown with only {+-} 0.3% deviations in the Fabry-Perot cavity wavelength--a nearly ten-fold improvement over current calibration methods. The success of the ADVISOR (Analysis of Deposition using Virtual Interfaces and Spectroscopic Optical Reflectance) method has led to a great deal of interest from the commercial sector, including use by Hewlett Packard and Honeywell. The algorithms, software and reflectance design are being evaluated for patents and/or license agreements. A small company, Filmetrics, Inc., is incorporating the ADVISOR analysis method in its reflectometer product.
Silicones [polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymers] are environmentally safe, nonflammable, weather resistant, thermally stable, low T{sub g} materials which are attractive for general elastomer applications because of their safety and their performance over a wide temperature range. However, PDMS is inherently weak due to its low glass transition temperature (T{sub g}) and lack of stress crystallization. The major goal of this project was to create a family of reinforced elastomers based on silsesquioxane/PDMS networks. Polydimethylsiloxane-based (PDMS) composite materials containing a variety of alkylene-arylene-bridged polysilsesquioxanes were synthesized in order to probe short chain and linkage effects in bimodal polymer networks. Monte Carlo simulations on the alkylene-bridged silsesquioxane/PDMS system predicted that the introduction of the silsesquioxane short chains into the long chain PDMS network would have a significant reinforcing effect on the elastomer. The silsesquioxane-PDMS networks were synthesized and evaluated. Analysis of the mechanical properties of the resulting materials indicated that use of the appropriate silisesquioxane generated materials with greatly enhanced properties. Arylene and activated alkylene systems resulted in materials that showed superior adhesive strength for metal-to-metal adhesion.
The BES Materials Sciences Program 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 synthesis and processing science to produce new classes of tailored materials as well as to enhance the properties of existing materials for US energy applications and for critical defense needs. Current core research in this program includes the physics and chemistry of ceramics synthesis and processing, the use of energetic particles for the synthesis and study of materials, tailored surfaces and interfaces for materials applications, chemical vapor deposition sciences, artificially-structured semiconductor materials science, advanced growth techniques for improved semiconductor structures, transport in unconventional solids, atomic-level science of interfacial adhesion, high-temperature superconductors, and the synthesis and processing of nano-size clusters for energy applications. In addition, the program includes the following three smaller efforts initiated in the past two years: (1) Wetting and Flow of Liquid Metals and Amorphous Ceramics at Solid Interfaces, (2) Field-Structured Anisotropic Composites, and (3) Composition-Modulated Semiconductor Structures for Photovoltaic and Optical Technologies. The latter is a joint effort with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Separate summaries are given of individual research areas.
In certain penetration events the primary mode of deformation of the target can be approximated by known analytical expressions. In the context of an analysis code, this approximation eliminates the need for modeling the target as well as the need for a contact algorithm. This technique substantially reduces execution time. In this spirit, a forcing function which is derived from a spherical-cavity expansion analysis has been implemented in PRONTO 3D. This implementation is capable of computing the structural and component responses of a projectile due to three dimensional penetration events. Sample problems demonstrate good agreement with experimental and analytical results.
This report documents the work performed for the ``Advanced Tomographic Flow Diagnostics for Opaque Multiphase Fluids`` LDRD (Laboratory-Directed Research and Development) project and is presented as the fulfillment of the LDRD reporting requirement. Dispersed multiphase flows, particularly gas-liquid flows, are industrially important to the chemical and applied-energy industries, where bubble-column reactors are employed for chemical synthesis and waste treatment. Due to the large range of length scales (10{sup {minus}6}-10{sup 1}m) inherent in real systems, direct numerical simulation is not possible at present, so computational simulations are forced to use models of subgrid-scale processes, the accuracy of which strongly impacts simulation fidelity. The development and validation of such subgrid-scale models requires data sets at representative conditions. The ideal measurement techniques would provide spatially and temporally resolved full-field measurements of the distributions of all phases, their velocity fields, and additional associated quantities such as pressure and temperature. No technique or set of techniques is known that satisfies this requirement. In this study, efforts are focused on characterizing the spatial distribution of the phases in two-phase gas-liquid flow and in three-phase gas-liquid-solid flow. Due to its industrial importance, the bubble-column geometry is selected for diagnostics development and assessment. Two bubble-column testbeds are utilized: one at laboratory scale and one close to industrial scale. Several techniques for measuring the phase distributions at conditions of industrial interest are examined: level-rise measurements, differential-pressure measurements, bulk electrical impedance measurements, electrical bubble probes, x-ray tomography, gamma-densitometry tomography, and electrical impedance tomography.
MC1814 Interconnection Boxes from dismantled B57 bombs, and MC2839 firing Sets from retired W70-1 warheads were obtained from the Pantex facility. Printed circuit boards were selected from these components for microstructural analysis of their solder joints. The analysis included a qualitative examination of the solder joints and quantitative assessments of (1) the thickness of the intermetallic compound layer that formed between the solder and circuit board Cu features, and (2) the Pb-rich phase particle distribution within the solder joint microstructure. The MC2839 solder joints had very good workmanship qualities. The intermetallic compound layer stoichiometry was determined to be that of Cu6Sn5. The mean intermetallic compound layer thickness for all solder joints was 0.885 mm. The magnitude of these values did not indicate significant growth over the weapon lifetime. The size distribution of the Pb-rich phase particles for each of the joints were represented by the mean of 9.85 {times} 10{sup {minus}6} mm{sup 2}. Assuming a spherical geometry, the mean particle diameter would be 3.54 mm. The joint-to-joint difference of intermetallic compound layer thickness and Pb-rich particle size distribution was not caused by varying thermal environments, but rather, was a result of natural variations in the joint microstructure that probably existed at the time of manufacture. The microstructural evaluation of the through-hole solder joints form the MC2839 and MC1814 components indicated that the environmental conditions to which these electronic units were exposed in the stockpile, were benign regarding solder joint aging. There was an absence of thermal fatigue damage in MC2839 circuit board, through-hole solder joints. The damage to the eyelet solder joints of the MC1814 more likely represented infant mortality failures at or very near the time of manufacture, resulting from a marginal design status of this type of solder joint design.
Phenomena that can decontaminate aerosol-laden gases sparging through steam suppression pools of boiling water reactors during reactor accidents are described. Uncertainties in aerosol properties, aerosol behavior within gas bubbles, and bubble behavior in plumes affect predictions of decontamination by steam suppression pools. Uncertainties in the boundary and initial conditions that are dictated by the progression of severe reactor accidents and that will affect predictions of decontamination by steam suppression pools are discussed. Ten parameters that characterize boundary and initial condition uncertainties, nine parameters that characterize aerosol property and behavior uncertainties, and eleven parameters that characterize uncertainties in the behavior of bubbles in steam suppression pools are identified. Ranges for the values of these parameters and subjective probability distributions for parametric values within the ranges are defined. These uncertain parameters are used in Monte Carlo uncertainty analyses to develop uncertainty distributions for the decontamination that can be achieved by steam suppression pools and the size distribution of aerosols that do emerge from such pools. A simplified model of decontamination by steam suppression pools is developed by correlating features of the uncertainty distributions for total decontamination factor, DF(total), mean size of emerging aerosol particles, d{sub p}, and the standard deviation of the emerging aerosol size distribution, {sigma}, with pool depth, H. Correlations of the median values of the uncertainty distributions are suggested as the best estimate of decontamination by suppression pools. Correlations of the 10 percentile and 90 percentile values of the uncertainty distributions characterize the uncertainty in the best estimates. 295 refs., 121 figs., 113 tabs.
Neutron reflection is one of only a few characterization techniques which can be used to study buried interfaces in situ. While restricted to model samples, interfacial density and composition profiles can be obtained with a resolution of {approx}5 {angstrom} using isotopic substitution (typically H/D for organic materials). We are using neutron reflection to address several problems of fundamental importance to the durability of organic/inorganic interphases. One important focus of this study is water adsorption within interphases with and without coupling agents. From the time and temperature dependence of moisture uptake and removal in vacuum, information regarding the nature of the interaction of water with the interphase species can be obtained.
This work was conducted as part of a Near-wellbore Mechanics program at Sandia National Laboratories. An understanding of the interaction of the perforator jet from an explosive shaped charge with the fluid filled porous sandstone media is of basic importance to the completion of oil wells. Tests were conducted using the five-head Flash X-ray Test Site to measure the jet tip velocities and jet geometry for the OMNI and CAPSULE Conical Shaped Charge (CSC) oil well perforator jets fired into air. These tests were conducted to generate jet velocity and geometry information to be used in validating the CTH hydrocode modeling/simulation development of pressed powder, metal liner jets in air. Ten tests were conducted to determine the CSC jet penetration into 6061-T6 aluminum targets. Five tests were conducted with the OMNI CSC at 0.25, 6.0, and 19 inch standoffs from the target. Five tests were conducted with the CAPSULE CSC at 0.60, 5.0, 10.0, and 19 inch standoffs from the target. These tests were conducted to generate jet penetration into homogeneous target information for use in validating the CTH code modeling/simulation of pressed powder, metal liner jets penetrating aluminum targets. The Flash X-ray radiographs, jet velocities, jet diameters, and jet lengths data for jets fired into air are presented in this report. The jet penetration into aluminum and penetration hole profile data are also presented for the OMNI and CAPSULE perforators. Least Squares fits are presented for the measured jet velocity and jet penetration data.
Large scale experiments were performed to determine the effectiveness of thermal glow plug igniters to burn hydrogen in a condensing steam environment due to the presence of water sprays. The experiments were designed to determine if a detonation or accelerated flame could occur in a hydrogen-air-steam mixture which was initially nonflammable due to steam dilution but was rendered flammable by rapid steam condensation due to water sprays. Eleven Hydrogen Igniter Tests were conducted in the test vessel. The vessel was instrumented with pressure transducers, thermocouple rakes, gas grab sample bottles, hydrogen microsensors, and cameras. The vessel contained two prototypic engineered systems: (1) a deliberate hydrogen ignition system and (2) a water spray system. Experiments were conducted under conditions scaled to be nearly prototypic of those expected in Advanced Light Water Reactors (such as the Combustion Engineering (CE) System 80+), with prototypic spray drop diameter, spray mass flux, steam condensation rates, hydrogen injection flow rates, and using the actual proposed plant igniters. The lack of any significant pressure increase during the majority of the burn and condensation events signified that localized, benign hydrogen deflagration(s) occurred with no significant pressure load on the containment vessel. Igniter location did not appear to be a factor in the open geometry. Initially stratified tests with a stoichiometric mixture in the top showed that the water spray effectively mixes the initially stratified atmosphere prior to the deflagration event. All tests demonstrated that thermal glow plugs ignite hydrogen-air-steam mixtures under conditions with water sprays near the flammability limits previously determined for hydrogen-air-steam mixtures under quiescent conditions. This report describes these experiments, gives experimental results, and provides interpretation of the results. 12 refs., 127 figs., 16 tabs.
Metathesis-catalyzed polymerizations of primary silanes were performed to generate polysilanes suitable for functionalization with a variety of side groups. Modeling was employed to predict conformations and estimate electronic properties of candidate functionalized polysilanes. Chemical functionalization of oligo(hydrido)silanes with terminal {alpha}, {omega}-dienes under free radical conditions yielded highly crosslinked, nonporous polysilane networks. Ketone reduction with oligo(hydrido)silanes under free radical conditions led to novel poly(phenylalkoxysilanes). Free radical reduction of terminal alkenyl(alkoxy)silanes forms functionalized polysilanes which can be further transformed into sol-gel matrices with the polysilane functionality intact. These gels may be processed into nonporous xerogels or high surface area aerogels.
Ion-beam driven hohlraum targets were designed to absorb the energy of PBFAII lithium ion beams within a foam, which converted the ion beam energy into x-rays. The foam was held within a gold hohlraum. X-ray radiation was observed from the top of the target through a circular diagnostic aperture. On the bottom of the target was a gold-coated aluminum witness plate, which was a component of an active, shock-breakout diagnostic. Surrounding the outside of the hohlraum were five titanium pins which produced ion-induced inner-shell x-rays (4.5 keV) to diagnose the lithium beam. Several different manufacturing processes and characterization techniques were utilized to prepare these targets. Extensive documentation provided quality control on their preparation. This report summarizes the preparation, characterization, and documentation of targets for ion-beam driven hohlraum experiments.
A team of analysts designed and conducted a scoping evaluation to estimate the technical capabilities of fifteen Department of Energy sites for disposal of the hazardous metals in mixed low-level waste (i.e., waste that contains both low-level radioactive materials and hazardous constituents). Eight hazardous metals were evaluated: arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, selenium, and silver. The analysis considered transport only through the groundwater pathway. The results are reported as site-specific estimates of maximum concentrations of each hazardous metal in treated mixed low-level waste that do not exceed the performance measures established for the analysis. Also reported are site-specific estimates of travel times of each hazardous metal to the point of compliance.
Central Europe has experienced environmental degradation for hundreds of years. The proximity of countries, their shared resources, and transboundary movement of environmental pollution, create the potential for regional environmental strife. The goal of this project was to identify the sources and sinks of environmental pollution in Central Europe and evaluate the possible impact of transboundary movement of pollution on the countries of Central Europe. In meeting the objectives of identifying sources of contaminants, determining transboundary movement of contaminants, and assessing socio-economic implications, large quantities of disparate data were examined. To facilitate use of the data, the authors refined mapping procedures that enable processing information from virtually any map or spreadsheet data that can be geo-referenced. Because the procedure is freed from a priori constraints of scale that confound most Geographical Information Systems, they have the capacity to generate new projections and apply sophisticated statistical analyses to the data. The analysis indicates substantial environmental problems. While transboundary pollution issues may spawn conflict among the Central European countries and their neighbors, it appears that common environmental problems facing the entire region have had the effect of bringing the countries together, even though opportunities for deteriorating relationships may still arise.
The goal of this work was to evaluate chemically-functionalized block copolymers as adhesion promoters for metal/thermoset resin interfaces. Novel block copolymers were synthesized which contain pendant functional groups reactive toward copper and epoxy resins. In particular, imidazole and triazole functionalities that chelate with copper were incorporated onto one block, while secondary amines were incorporated onto the second block. These copolymers were found to self-assemble from solution onto copper surfaces to form monolayers. The structure of the adsorbed monolayers were studied in detail by neutron reflection and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. The monolayer structure was found to vary markedly with the solution conditions and adsorption protocol. Appropriate conditions were found for which the two blocks form separate layers on the surface with the amine functionalized block exposed at the air surface. Adhesion testing of block copolymer-coated copper with epoxy resins was performed in both lap shear and peel modes. Modest enhancements in bond strengths were observed with the block copolymer applied to the native oxide. However, it was discovered that the native oxide is the weak link, and that by simply removing the native oxide, and then applying an epoxy resin before the native oxide can reform, excellent bond strength in the as-prepared state as well as excellent retention of bond strength after exposure to solder in ambient conditions are obtained. It is recommended that long term aging studies be performed with and without the block copolymer. In addition, the functionalized block copolymer method should be evaluated for another system that has inherently poor bonding, such as the nickel/silicone interface, and for systems involving metals and alloys which form oxides very rapidly, such as aluminum and stainless steel, where bonding strategies involve stabilizing the native oxide.
In-pile experiments addressing late-phase processes in Light Water Reactors (LWRs) were performed in the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR) at Sandia National Laboratories. Melt Progression (MP) experiments were designed to provide information to develop and verify computer models for analysis of LWR core damage in severe accidents. Experiments examine the formation and motion of ceramic molten pools in disrupted reactor core regions. The MP-2 experiment assembly consisted of: (1) a rubble bed of enriched UO{sub 2} and ZrO{sub 2} simulating severely disrupted reactor core regions, (2) a ceramic/metallic crust representing blockage formed by early phase melting, relocation, and refreezing of core components, and (3) an intact rod stub region that remained in place below the blockage region. The test assembly was fission heated in the central cavity of the ACRR at an average rate of about 0.2 KA, reaching a peak molten pool temperature around 3400 K. Melting of the debris bed ceramic components was initiated near the center of the bed. The molten material relocated downward, refreezing to form a ceramic crust near the bottom of the rubble bed. As power levels were increased, the crust gradually remelted and reformed at progressively lower positions in the bed until late in the experiment when it penetrated into and attacked the ceramic/metallic blockage. The metallic components of the blockage region melted and relocated to the bottom of the intact rod stub region before the ceramic melt penetrated the blockage region from above. The ceramic pool penetrated halfway into the blockage region by the end of the experiment. Measurements of thermal response and material relocation are compared to the results of the computer simulations. Postexperiment examination of the assembly with the associated material interactions and metallurgy are also discussed in detail with the analyses and interpretation of results. 16 refs., 206 figs., 24 tabs.
The capabilities of Interfacial Force Microscopy (IFM) are illustrated utilizing the following examples: the bonding interaction between chemically distinct end groups on self-assembling molecules adsorbed on the sample and and probe tip; and a study of the effect of morphological defects on the nanomechanical properties of gold single crystal surfaces.
Different applications have different security requirements for data privacy, data integrity, and authentication. Encryption is one technique that addresses these requirements. Encryption hardware, designed for use in high-speed communications networks, can satisfy a wide variety of security requirements if that hardware is key-agile, robustness-agile and algorithm-agile. Hence, multiply-agile encryption provides enhanced solutions to the secrecy, interoperability and quality of service issues in high-speed networks. This paper defines these three types of agile encryption. Next, implementation issues are discussed. While single-algorithm, key-agile encryptors exist, robustness-agile and algorithm-agile encryptors are still research topics.
The Korean Peninsula is one of the world`s most tense military confrontational sites. Nearly 2 million North Korean, South Korean, and U.S. troops face each other along the 255-km long military demarcation line. Confidence building measures (CBMs), particularly military ones, that address the security needs of both countries could decrease the danger of conflict and help create an environment where a peace regime might be negotiated. In spite of the present high level of mutual distrust, steps can still be taken to prepare for future development and implementation of CBMs. This paper defines some simple and specific first steps toward CBMs that might be useful on the Korean Peninsula.
Under the sponsorship of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Utility Technologies, the Energy Storage Systems Analysis and Development Department at Sandia National Laboratories contracted Sentech, Inc., to assess the impact of power quality problems on the electricity supply system. This report contains the results of several studies that have identified the cost of power quality events for electricity users and providers. The large annual cost of poor power quality represents a national inefficiency and is reflected in the cost of goods sold, reducing US competitiveness. The Energy Storage Systems (ESS) Program takes the position that mitigation merits the attention of not only the DOE but affected industries as well as businesses capable of assisting in developing solutions to these problems. This study represents the preliminary stages of an overall strategy by the ESS Program to understand the magnitude of these problems so as to begin the process of engaging industry partners in developing solutions.
End-to-end encryption can protect proprietary information as it passes through a complex inter-city computer network, even if the intermediate systems are untrusted. This technique involves encrypting the body of computer messages while leaving network addressing and control information unencrypted for processing by intermediate network nodes. Because high speed implementations of end-to-end encryption with easy key management for standard network protocols are unavailable, this technique is not widely used today. Specifically, no end-to-end encryptors exist to protect Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) traffic, nor to protect Switched Multi-megabit Data Service (SMDS), which is the first ``Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network`` (BISDN) service now being used by long distance telephone companies. This encryption technology is required for the protection of data in transit between industrial sites and central Massively Parallel Supercomputing Centers over high bandwidth, variable bit rate (BISDN) services. This research effort investigated techniques to scale end-to-end encryption technology from today`s state of the art ({approximately} 0.001 Gb/s) to 2.4 Gb/s and higher. A cryptosystem design has been developed which scales for implementation beyond SONET OC-48 (2.4Gb/s) data rates. A prototype for use with OC-3 (0.155 Gb/s) ATM variable bit rate services was developed.
Nanometer sized metal particles were encapsulated in the micropores of xerogels and aerogels. The synthesis involves the sequential reduction of a metal salt followed by sol-gel processing in an inverse micelle solution. The inverse micelle solution solubilizes the metal salt and provides a micro-reactor for the nucleation, growth, and stabilization of the nanometer sized clusters. Hydrolysis and condensation of an added siloxane precursor produces a wet gel embedding the particles. Characterization of the particle size and composition and the particle growth process was completed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction, and UV-visible absorption spectrometry. Characterization of the gel surface areas was completed with N{sub 2} porosimetry. Material properties determined as a function of the gel precursor (TEOS vs. a pre-hydrolyzed form of TEOS), the water to gel precursor reaction stoichiometry, and surfactant concentration are discussed in terms of the unique solution chemistry occurring in the micro-heterogeneous inverse micelle solutions. Finally, catalyst development and catalyst activity of the materials are discussed. 1-hexene hydrogenation was chosen as a model reaction.
Dispensable materials, such as sticky foams and rigid polyurethane foams, have been used as access deterrent systems by DOE security since the 1970`s. While these have been very effective systems, they also have some intrinsic problems such as toxicity, flammability and a limited range of temperature in which they remain functional. Current trends to use less-than-lethal methods to gain advantage in military and civilian conflict scenarios demand that new and better deterrent materials be designed. The most effective sticky foam is a hydrocarbon-based material which is composed of high molecular weight polymers, low molecular weight tackifying agents, fire retardants and foam stabilizing surfactants. In order to expand and fully utilize sticky foam technology, a truly nonflammable analog is required. To this end, this work involves first generation development of silicone-based deterrent systems. Two basic types of silicone systems were evaluated. First, systems based on commercial resins were prepared using a variety of thixotropic materials, plasticizers and formulation strategies. Second, systems were prepared using in situ sol-gel techniques to rapidly promote gelation in blends of functionalized silicone polymers. The resulting materials were evaluated for their foamability using non-CFC foaming agents and found to be suitable for foam formation. The properties of these sticky materials can be tailored by virtue of the formulation flexibility; thus, they represent a new class of nontoxic, nonflammable deterrents with a wide temperature range of use.
Two new and related true-triaxial apparatus are described that make use of conventional triaxial pressure vessles in combination with specially configured, high-pressure hydraulic jacks inside these vessels. The development combines advantages not found in existing facilities, including a compact design, pore-pressure and flow-through capabilities, the ability to attain high principal stresses and principal stress differences, direct access to parts of the sample, and provisions to go to relatively large deformations without developing serious stress field inhomogeneities.
The first sinkhole at the Weeks Island Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) site was initially observed in May 1992. Concurrent with the increasing dissolution of salt over the mined oil storage area below, it has gradually enlarged and deepened. Beginning in 1994 and continuing to the present, the injection of saturated brine directly into the sinkhole throat some 76 m beneath the ground surface essentially arrested further dissolution, providing time to make adequate preparation for the safe and orderly transfer of crude oil to other storage facilities. This mitigation measure marked the first time that such a control procedure has been used in salt mining; previously all control has been achieved by either in-mine or from-surface grouting. A second and much smaller sinkhole was noticed in early 1995 on an opposite edge of the SPR mine, but with a very similar geological and mine mechanics setting. Both sinkholes occur where the edges of upper 152 m and lower 213 m mined storage levels are nearly vertically aligned. Such coincidence maximizes the tensional stress development, leading to fracturing in the salt. This cracking takes 20 or more years to develop. The cracks then become flow paths for brine incursion, which after time progress into the mined openings. Undersaturated ground water gradually enlarges the cracks in salt through dissolution, leading to eventual collapse of the overlying sand to form sinkholes. Other geologic conditions may also be secondary factors in controlling both mining extent and sinkhole location.
This paper discusses the design and testing results of a resonant accelerometer developed for integrated surface-micromachining processes.First- and second-generation designs are presented. The sensors use leverage mechanisms to transfer force from a proof mass to double-ended tuning fork (DETF) resonators, used as force transducers. Each fork forms the basis of an integrated oscillator to provide the output waveforms. The DETF`s on the first-generation device have a nominal frequency of 175 kHz, and the sensor has a measured scale factor of 2.4 Hz/g. The oscillators on this device exhibit a root Allan variance floor of 38 mHz (220 ppb). The second-generation, higher-sensitivity sensor uses DETF`s with a nominal frequency of 68 kHz and has measured a scale factor of 45 Hz/g.
Transient power supply voltage (V{sub DDT}) analysis is a new testing technique demonstrated as a powerful alternative and complement to I{sub DDQ} testing. V{sub DDT} takes advantage of the limited response time of a voltage supply to the changing power demands of an IC during operation. Changes in the V{sub DD} response time are used to detect increases in power demand with resolutions of 100 nA at 100 kHz, 1 {mu}A at 1 MHz, and 2.5 {mu}A at 1.5 MHz. These current sensitivities have been shown for ICs with quiescent currents < 0.1 {mu}A and > 300 {mu}A. The V{sub DDT} signal acquisition protocols, frequency versus sensitivity tradeoffs, hardware considerations and limitations, data examples, and areas for future research are described.
A historical perspective is given for Sandia National Laboratories from its beginnings as a small engineering group at an offshoot of Los Alamos Laboratory to a facility of 7000 people at its main facility in Albuquerque, another 1000 people in Livermore, California and test ranges in Tonopah, Nevada and Kauai, Hawaii. The Sandia army base became the Z division of Los Alamos and $25 million construction program began the structures that would carry out a test program for nuclear weapons during the cold war. Bell System/AT&T stewardship of the site continued from 1949 to 1993, when Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin) was chosen as the new contractor. Management decisions, personnel, and political aspects of the Laboratory are presented up to 1997 and forecasts are given for future policy and programs of Sandia.
This paper presents the construction of the smart pixel arrays which perform AND and XOR functions with three-input and one-output optical signals for the application of an optical database filter. The device is based on oxide confined VCSELs bump bonded to GaAs MESFET pixels. The MSM photodetectors are monolithically integrated with MESFETs.
The need for collision detection arises in several robotics areas, including motion-planning, online collision avoidance, and simulation. At the heart of most current methods are algorithms for interference detection and/or distance computation. A few recent algorithms and implementations are very fast, but to use them for accurate collision detection, very small step sizes can be necessary, reducing their effective efficiency. We present a fast, implemented technique for doing exact distance computation and interference detection for translationally-swept bodies. For rotationally swept bodies, we adapt this technique to improve accuracy, for any given step size, in distance computation and interference detection. We present preliminary experiments that show that the combination of basic and swept-body calculations holds much promise for faster accurate collision detection.
This paper describes the initial results of one portion of a project to develop effective analytical tools for predicting the effect of atmospheric corrosion on the reliability of electronic devices. The specific objectives of this work were to experimentally characterize the atmospheric corrosion of aluminum-gold wirebonds and to develop a statistical-based model that describes the effect of the resulting stochastic process on the reliability of a selected electronic assembly. The experimental characterization included an attempt at accelerated aging. Modeling involved: (1) the development and validation of empirical models that describe the effects of environmental parameters on corrosion rate, and (2) the formulation and validation of a reliability-prediction model using the accelerated aging data and long-term field information as it becomes available. A preliminary assessment of the effect of three environmental factors on wirebond failure rate was performed and an empirical rate model defined. Subsequently, a statistical treatment of the rate information was used in a Monte Carlo simulation technique to determine the service life of a hypothetical electronic assembly. This work demonstrated that stochastic, corrosion-induced degradation can be successfully incorporated in classical techniques to analyze component reliability. 19 figs., 3 tabs.
A 3-D non-linear electromagnetic inversion scheme has been developed to produce images of subsurface conductivity structure from electromagnetic geophysical data. The solution is obtained by successive linearized model updates where full forward modeling is employed at each iteration to compute model sensitivities and predicted data. Regularization is applied to the problem to provide stability. Because the inverse part of the problem requires the solution of 10`s to 100`s of thousands of unknowns, and because each inverse iteration requires many forward models to be computed, the code has been implemented on massively parallel computer platforms. The use of the inversion code to image environmental sites is demonstrated on a data set collected with the Apex Parametrics {open_quote}MaxMin I-8S{close_quote} over a section of stacked barrels and metal filled boxes at the Idaho National Laboratory`s {open_quote}Cold Test Pit{close_quote}. The MaxMin is a loop-loop frequency domain system which operates from 440 Hz up to 56 kHz using various coil separations; for this survey coil separations of 15, 30 and 60 feet were employed. The out-of phase data are shown to be of very good quality while the in-phase are rather noisy due to slight mispositioning errors, which cause improper cancellation of the primary free space field in the receiver. Weighting the data appropriately by the estimated noise and applying the inversion scheme is demonstrated to better define the structure of the pit. In addition, comparisons are given for single coil separations and multiple separations to show the benefits of using multiple offset data.
A doped-channel heterostructure field effect transistor (H-FET) technology has been developed with self-aligned refractory gate processing and using both enhancement- and depletion-mode transistors. D-HFET devices are obtained with a threshold voltage adjust implant into material designed for E-HFET operation. Both E- and D-HFETs utilize W/WSi bilayer gates, sidewall spacers, and rapid thermal annealing for controlling short channel effects. The 0.5 {mu}m E- HFETs (D-HFETs) have been demonstrated with transconductance of 425 mS/mm (265-310 mS/mm) and f{sub t} of 45-50 GHz. Ring oscillator gate delays of 19 ps with a power of 0.6 mW have been demonstrated using direct coupled FET logic. These results are comparable to previous doped-channel HFET devices and circuits fabricated by selective reactive ion etching rather than ion implantation for threshold voltage adjustment.
The Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Assurance Nondestructive Inspection Validation Center (FAA-AANC) and Boeing Commercial Airplane Group are currently developing a study pertaining to the detection of cracks in multi-layered aluminum sheets. The specimen panels model pertinent aspects of the lap splice joints for Boeing 737 aircraft, Line Numbers 292 - 2565. Upon initial characterization of the specimen panels, it became clear that signals produced from a sliding probe at fastener sites were not representative of an in-service lap splice, and therefore, could not be used in a probability of detection experiment. This paper discusses specimen characterization and steps taken to make the specimens useful for nondestructive technology assessment.
Low-density, microcellular foams prepared from the natural polymers agar and gelatin have been developed for pulsed-power physics experiments. Numerous experiments were supported with foams having densities at or below 10 mg/cm{sup 3}. For some of the experiments, the agar/gelatin foam was uniformly doped with metallic elements using soluble salts. Depending on the method of preparation, cell sizes were typically below 10 microns and for one process were below 1.0 micron.
Inverters are key building blocks of photovoltaic (PV) systems that produce ac power. The balance of systems (BOS) portion of a PV system can account for up to 50% of the system cost, and its reliable operation is essential for a successful PV system. As part of its BOS program, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) maintains a laboratory wherein accurate electrical measurements of power systems can be made under a variety of conditions. This paper outlines the work that is done in that laboratory.
The ability to monitor and control the depth of a laser weld in real-time is critical in many laser welding applications. Consequently, the authors have investigated the use of an optical method to sense weld depth. Welds were generated on kovar samples, using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser. The sensing method uses digital high-speed photography to measure the velocity of the plume of vaporized metal atoms ejected from the metal surface. An energy balance equation is then used to relate the plume velocity to the size of the weld. Numerical solution of the energy balance equation yielded values for weld depth that were within 8% of the actual measured values.
The use of backscattered X rays to image buried land mines and distinguish between surface and buried features has been well documented. Laboratory imaging experiments, being conducted at Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico (SNL/NM), have been used to develop preliminary data acquisition hardware and software for an upcoming Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD). In addition image processing techniques, developed by the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Florida (UF), are utilized. Previous buried land mine imaging studies focused on antitank mines buried in screened sand and have included well defined surface features such as a broad or a small diameter rock. In the present study the authors have examined imaging under a variety of practical environmental conditions. They have successfully imaged antitank mines (ATM) buried in sand and rocky New Mexico (NM) soil. Images have been obtained for bare surfaces as well s for surfaces covered with limestone road coarse base (gravel), snow, water, and native grass. In addition, they have imaged buried ATM and surface antipersonnel (AP) mines covered with debris consisting of various size rocks, a log, and leaves such that no mine was visible to the eye.
A continuously operating, scanning x-ray machine is being developed for landmine detection using backscattered x-rays. The source operates at 130 kV and 650 mA. The x-rays are formed by electrons striking a high Z target. Target shape is an approximate 5 cm wide by 210 cm long racetrack. The electron beam is scanned across this target with electromagnets. There are 105, 1-cm by 1-cm collimators in each leg of the racetrack for a total of 210 collimators. The source is moved in the forward direction(the direction perpendicular to the 210-cm dimension) at 3 mi/h. The forward velocity and collimator spacing are such that a grid of collimated x-rays are projected at normal incidence to the soil. The spacing between the collimators and the ground results in a 2-cm by 2-cm x-ray pixel on the ground. A unique detector arrangement of collimated and uncollimated detectors allows surface features to be recognized and removed, leaving an image of a buried landmine. Another detector monitors the uncollimated x-ray output and is used to normalize the source output. The mine detector is being prepared for an Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD). The ATD is scheduled for midyear of 1998. The results of the source performance in pre ATD tests will be presented.
Effective utilization of unattended ground sensors (UGSs) in a theater reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, and kill assessment environment requires that a human operator be able to interpret, and collectively assess, the significance of real time data obtained from UGS emplacements over large geographical regions of interest. The products of this UGS data interpretation and assessment activity can then be used in the decision support process for command level evaluation of appropriate courses of action. Advancements in both sensor hardware technology and in software systems and processing technology have enabled the development of practical real time situation assessment capabilities based upon information from unattended ground sensors. A decision support workstation that employs rule-based expert system processing of reports from unattended ground sensors is described. The primary goal of this development activity is to produce a suite of software to track vehicles using data from unattended ground sensors. The situational assessment products from this system have stand-alone utility, but are also intended to provide cueing support for overhead sensors and supplementary feeds to all-source fusion centers. The conceptual framework, developmental architecture, and demonstration field tests of the system are described.
A survey of ohmic contact materials and properties to GaAs, InP, GaN will be presented along with critical issues pertaining to each semiconductor material. Au-based alloys (e.g., GeAuNi for n-type GaAs) are the most commonly used contacts for GaAs and InP materials for both n- and p-type contacts due to the excellent contact resistivity, reliability, and usefulness over a wide range of doping levels. Research into new contacting schemes for these materials has focused on addressing limitations of the conventional Au-alloys in thermal stability, propensity for spiking, poor edge definition, and new approaches for a non-alloyed contact. The alternative contacts to GaAs and InP include alloys with higher temperature stability, contacts based on solid phase regrowth, and contacts that react with the substrate to form lower bandgap semiconductors alloys at the interface. A new area of contact studies is for the wide bandgap group III-Nitride materials. At present, low resistivity ohmic contact to p-type GaN has not been obtained primarily due to the large acceptor ionization energy and the resultant difficulty in achieving high free hole concentrations at room temperature. For n-type GaN, however, significant progress has been reported with reactive Ti-based metalization schemes or the use of graded InGaN layers. The present status of these approaches will be reviewed.
This report summarizes progress from the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program during fiscal year 1996. In addition to a programmatic and financial overview, the report includes progress reports from 259 individual R&D projects in seventeen categories. The general areas of research include: engineered processes and materials; computational and information sciences; microelectronics and photonics; engineering sciences; pulsed power; advanced manufacturing technologies; biomedical engineering; energy and environmental science and technology; advanced information technologies; counterproliferation; advanced transportation; national security technology; electronics technologies; idea exploration and exploitation; production; and science at the interfaces - engineering with atoms.
Nuclear operations have resulted in the accumulation of large quantities of contaminated metallic waste which are stored at various DOE, DOD, and commercial sites under the control of DOE and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). This waste will accumulate at an increasing rate as commercial nuclear reactors built in the 1950s reach the end of their projected lives, as existing nuclear powered ships become obsolete or unneeded, and as various weapons plants and fuel processing facilities, such as the gaseous diffusion plants, are dismantled, repaired, or modernized. For example, recent estimates of available Radioactive Scrap Metal (RSM) in the DOE Nuclear Weapons Complex have suggested that as much as 700,000 tons of contaminated 304L stainless steel exist in the gaseous diffusion plants alone. Other high-value metals available in the DOE complex include copper, nickel, and zirconium. Melt processing for the decontamination of radioactive scrap metal has been the subject of much research. A major driving force for this research has been the possibility of reapplication of RSM, which is often very high-grade material containing large quantities of strategic elements. To date, several different single and multi-step melting processes have been proposed and evaluated for use as decontamination or recycling strategies. Each process offers a unique combination of strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately, no single melt processing scheme is optimum for all applications since processes must be evaluated based on the characteristics of the input feed stream and the desired output. This paper describes various melt decontamination processes and briefly reviews their application in developmental studies, full scale technical demonstrations, and industrial operations.
The electromagnetic integrated demonstration (EMID) is a baseline study in electromagnetic (EM) exploration of the shallow subsurface (< 10 m). Eleven distinct EM systems, covering the geophysical spectrum, acquired data on a grid over the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) Cold Test Pit (CTP). The systems are investigated and evaluated for the purpose of identifying and reviewing existing geophysical characterization instrumentation (commercial and experimental), integrating those technologies with multi-dimensional interpretational algorithms, and identifying gaps in shallow subsurface EM imaging technology. The EMID data, are valuable for testing and evaluating new interpretational software, and developing techniques for integrating multiple datasets. The experimental field techniques shows how the acquisition of data in a variety of array configurations can considerably enhance interpretation. All data are available on the world wide web. Educators and students are encouraged to use the data for both classroom and graduate studies. The purpose of this paper is to explain why, where, how and what kind of data were collected. It is left to the reader to assess the value of a given system for their particular application. Information about the EMID is organized into two general categories: survey description and system evaluation.
Intelligent Systems are characterized by the intensive use of computer power. The computer revolution of the last few years is what has made possible the development of the first generation of Intelligent Systems. Software for second generation Intelligent Systems will be more complex and will require more powerful computing engines in order to meet real-time constraints imposed by new robots, sensors, and applications. A multiprocessor architecture was developed that merges the advantages of message-passing and shared-memory structures: expendability and real-time compliance. The HyperForest architecture will provide an expandable real-time computing platform for computationally intensive Intelligent Systems and open the doors for the application of these systems to more complex tasks in environmental restoration and cleanup projects, flexible manufacturing systems, and DOE`s own production and disassembly activities.
Linear chemometric algorithms were used to model the quantitative response of an evanescent fiber optic chemical sensor in aqueous mixtures with concentrations between 20 and 300 ppm. Four data sets were examined with two different experimental arrangements. Two data sets contained trichloroethene, 1,1,2 trichloroethane, and toluene. Partial Least Squares, PLS, and Principal Component Regression, PCR, algorithms performed comparably on these calibration sets with cross-validated root mean squared errors of prediction (RMSEP) for trichloroethene, 1,1,1 trichloroethane, and toluene of approximately 26, 29 and 22 ppm, respectively. The third data set contained trichloroethene, 1,1,2 trichloroethane, toluene, and chloroform and the fourth contained these four analytes as well as tetrachloroethene. Again, both chemometric algorithms performed comparably on a given data set with RMSEP for trichloroethene, 1,1,2 trichloroethane, toluene, and chloroform of approximately 6, 6, 9, and 16 ppm from the first set, and 7, 11, 13, and 31 ppm from the second set with tetrachloroethene RMSEP of 31 ppm. The decrease in the quantitative performance of the sensor for modeling toluene and chloroform upon addition of tetrachloroethene to the sample solutions is due to increased cladding absorption features in the spectral response matrix. These features overlap with the analyte absorption features of toluene and chloroform. These results suggest one of the limitations with this type of sensing format.
To insert high-performance oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface- emitting lasers (VCSELs) into the manufacturing arena, we have examined the critical parameters that must be controlled to establish a repeatable and uniform wet thermal oxidation process for AlGaAs. These parameters include the AlAs mole fraction, sample temperature, carrier gas flow, and bubbler water temperature. Knowledge of these parameters has enable the compilation of oxidation rate data for AlGaAs which exhibits an Arrhenius rate dependence. The compositionally dependent activation energies for Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1-x}As layers of x=1.00, 0.98, and 0.92 are found to be 1.24, 1.75, and 1.88 eV, respectively. 7 figs, 1 tab, 14 refs.
The authors consider the problem of defining the fracture permeability tensor for each grid lock in a rock mass from maps of natural fractures. For this purpose they implement a statistical model of cracked rock due to M. Oda [1985], where the permeability tensor is related to the crack geometry via a volume average of the contribution from each crack in the population. In this model tectonic stress is implicitly coupled to fluid flow through an assumed relationship between crack aperture and normal stress across the crack. The authors have included the following enhancements to the basic model: (1) a realistic model of crack closure under stress has been added along with the provision to apply tectonic stresses to the fracture system in any orientation, the application of stress results in fracture closure and consequently a reduction in permeability; (2) the fracture permeability can be superimposed onto an arbitrary anisotropic matrix permeability; (3) the fracture surfaces are allowed to slide under the application of shear stress, causing fractures to dilate and result in a permeability increase. Through an example, the authors demonstrate that significant changes in permeability magnitudes and orientations are possible when tectonic stress is applied to a fracture system.
This report is a collection of studies performed at Sandia National Laboratories in support of Phase One (inert debris) for the Risk and Lethality Commonality Team. This team was created by the Range Safety Group of the Range Commander`s Council to evaluate the safety issues for debris generated during flight tests and to develop debris safety criteria that can be adopted by the national ranges. Physiological data on the effects of debris impacts on people are presented. Log-normal curves are developed to relate the impact kinetic energy of fragments to the probability of fatality for people exposed in standing, sitting, or prone positions. Debris hazards to aircraft resulting from engine ingestion or penetration of a structure or windshield are discussed. The smallest mass fragments of aluminum, steel, and tungsten that may be hazardous to current aircraft are defined. Fragment penetration of the deck of a small ship or a pleasure craft is also considered. The smallest mass fragments of aluminum, steel, or tungsten that can penetrate decks are calculated.
In this study the authors employed the Monte Carlo/Latin Hypercube sampling technique to generate input parameters for a liquid polymeric-film drying model with prescribed uncertainty distributions. The one-dimensional drying model employed in this study was that developed by Cairncross et al. They found that the non-deterministic analysis with Monte Carlo/Latin Hypercube sampling provides a useful tool for characterizing the two responses (residual solvent volume and the maximum solvent partial vapor pressure) of a liquid polymeric-film drying process. More precisely, they found that the non-deterministic analysis via Monte Carlo/Latin Hypercube sampling not only provides estimates of statistical variations of the response variables but also yields more realistic estimates of mean values, which can differ significantly from those calculated using deterministic simulation. For input-parameter uncertainties in the range from 2 to 10% of their respective means, variations of response variables were found to be comparable to the mean values.
Sacrificial polysilicon surface micromachining is emerging as a technology that enables the mass production of complex microelectromechanical systems by themselves or integrated with microelectronic systems. Early versions of these micromachined systems-on-a-chip have already found application in the commercial world as acceleration sensors for airbag deployment (for example, ADI`s ADXL50). Two technologies described here, enable systems with increasing degrees of complexity to be fabricated. The first is a three-level polysilicon micromachining process which includes a fourth polysilicon electrical interconnect level, while the other is a single-level (+ second electrical interconnect level) polysilicon surface micromachining process integrated with 1.25 micron CMOS. Samples of systems-on-a-chip built in these processes such as combination locks, pop-up mirrors, and multi-axis accelerometers are also given.
Smaller, lighter instruments can be fabricated as Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), having micron scale moving parts packaged together with associated control and measurement electronics. Batch fabrication of these devices will make economical applications such as condition-based machine maintenance and remote sensing. The choice of instrumentation is limited only by the designer`s imagination. This paper presents one genre of MEMS fabrication, surface-micromachined polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon). Two currently available but slightly different polysilicon processes are presented. One is the ARPA-sponsored ``Multi-User MEMS ProcesS`` (MUMPS), available commercially through MCNC; the other is the Sandia National Laboratories ``Sandia Ultra-planar Multilevel MEMS Technology`` (SUMMiT). Example components created in both processes will be presented, with an emphasis on actuators, actuator force testing instruments, and incorporating actuators into larger instruments.
In the present study of design optimization of a liquid-distribution chamber-slot die, the DAKOTA (Design Analysis Kit for OpTimizAtion) toolkit, which is being developed by Sandia National Laboratories, was employed to navigate the search for the optimal die shape. This shape minimizes non-uniformity of flow at the slot exit for a given set of liquid properties and operating conditions. Three-dimensional, steady newtonian-liquid flow fields inside the chamber-slot die were computed using FIDAP, a commercial computer code based on the finite element method. The objective function of flow nonuniformity at the slot exit is formulated as the percentage of coating material across the slot width having local-flowrate deviation greater than 1% from the mean. Computation of the objective function requires the integration of the velocity profile over the outflow plane. Two constraints, namely maximum hydrodynamic pressure and average residence time, were imposed in the optimization problem. The modified method of feasible directions algorithm was used to optimize the die geometry and to reduce the flow nonuniformity at the slot exit from 16.5% (initial design) to 3.2% (final design) for the chosen liquid properties and process conditions. The case study demonstrates that liquid-distribution chamber-slot dies can be systematically optimized using DAKOTA.
Semiconductor microcavities as a composite exciton-cavity system can be characterized by two normal modes. Under an impulsive excitation by a short laser pulse, optical polarizations associated with the two normal modes have a {pi} phase difference. The total induced optical polarization is then expected to exhibit a sin{sup 2}({Omega}t)-like oscillation where 2{Omega} is the normal mode splitting, reflecting a coherent energy exchange between the exciton and cavity. In this paper the authors present experimental studies of normal mode oscillations using three-pulse transient four wave mixing (FWM). The result reveals surprisingly that when the cavity is tuned far below the exciton resonance, normal mode oscillation in the polarization is cos{sup 2}({Omega}t)-like, in contrast to what is expected form the simple normal mode model. This anomalous normal mode oscillation reflects the important role of virtual excitation of electronic states in semiconductor microcavities.
Laser-like emissions from semiconductor microcavities at low temperature have attracted considerable attention recently because of the possibility of realizing a non-equilibrium condensate by using cavity-polaritons. In this paper the authors present experimental studies of optical properties of a microcavity near the lasing threshold. They show that the minimum lasing threshold is achieved when the cavity is tuned significantly below the exciton line center. By comparing emission spectra with reflectivity spectra, they also show that well-resolved doublet in the emission spectra near the lasing threshold are not associated with cavity-polaritons. These results suggest that laser-like emissions form the microcavity are due to conventional stimulated emission processes with exciton localization playing a significant role.
The authors report an experimental and theoretical examination of the interaction of dislocations with microscopic cavities in semiconductors and the consequences for strain relaxation in heteroepitaxial structures. Dislocation-mediated relaxation and control of the resulting defect microstructure is central to the exploitation of such heterostructures in devices, and they demonstrate here that the introduction of nanometer-scale voids provides a means of strongly influencing this microstructural evolution. Methods for nanocavity formation using He ion implantation and annealing were developed for Si, SiGe on Si, GaAs, and InGaAs on GaAs. In detailed microstructural studies of SiGe on Si, cavities in the interfacial zone were shown to bind dislocations strongly. This effect reduced the excursion of dislocations into the nearby matrix, although threads into the SiGe overlayer were not eliminated. Interfacial cavities also increased the rate of stress relaxation by more than an order of magnitude as a result of enhanced nucleation of misfit dislocations. Further, in the presence of such cavities, the development of thickness variations in the overlayer during relaxation was suppressed. A theoretical model was developed to describe semiquantitatively the forces on dislocations arising from the combined influences of cavities, misfit strain, and the external surface. Predictions of this model are in accord with microstructural observations.
Many difficult material handling needs exist in remote unstructured environments. Currently these operations are accomplished using personnel in direct contact with the hazards. A safe and cost-effective alternative to this approach is the use of intelligent robotic systems for the excavation, handling, transport and manipulation of materials during remote construction operations. A robotic system designed for these tasks has been developed at Sandia National Laboratories which successfully integrates computer controlled manipulation and mobility to deliver these needed robotic capabilities in remote applications such as planetary operations. The mobile robot, RETRVIR, incorporates advanced developments in the integration of sensors, advanced computing environments, and graphical user interfaces. The addition of these elements in the control of remotely operated equipment have shown great promise for reducing the cost of remote construction while providing faster and safer operations.
A method which is capable of an efficient calculation of the two-dimensional stream function and velocity field produced by a large system of vortices is presented in this report. This work is based on the adaptive scheme of Carrier, Greengard, and Rokhlin with the added feature that the evaluation or target points do not have to coincide with the location of the source or vortex positions. A simple algorithm based on numerical experiments has been developed to optimize the method for cases where the number of vortices N{sub V} differs significantly from the number of target points N{sub T}. The ability to specify separate source and target fields provides an efficient means for calculating boundary conditions, trajectories of passive scalar quantities, and stream-function plots, etc. Test cases have been run to benchmark the truncation errors and CPU time savings associated with the method. For six terms in the series expansions, non-dimensional truncation errors for the magnitudes of the complex potential and velocity fields are on the order of 10{sup {minus}5} and 10{sup {minus}3} respectively. The authors found that the CPU time scales as {radical}(N{sub V}N{sub T}) for N{sub V}/N{sub T} in the range of 0.1 to 10. For {radical}(N{sub V}N{sub T}) less than 200, there is virtually no CPU time savings while for {radical}N{sub V}N{sub T} roughly equal to 20,000, the fast solver obtains solutions in about 1% of the time required for the direct solution technique depending somewhat upon the configuration of the vortex field and the target field.
The objective of this project was to demonstrate proof of concept of a thin film field emission electron source based on electron tunneling between discrete metal islands on an insulating substrate. An electron source of this type should be more easily fabricated permitting the use of a wider range of materials, and be less prone to damage and erratic behavior than the patterned field emitter arrays currently under development for flat panel displays and other vacuum microelectronic applications. This report describes the results of the studies of electron and light emission from such structures, and the subsequent discovery of a source of light emission from conductive paths across thin insulating gaps of the semiconductor-insulator-semiconductor (SIS) and metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures. The substrates consisted of silicon nitride and silicon dioxide on silicon wafers, Kapton{reg_sign}, quartz, and cut slabs of silica aerogels. The conductive film samples were prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and sputtering, while the MIS and SIS samples were prepared by CVD followed by cleaving, grinding, mechanical indentation, erosion by a sputter Auger beam, electrical arcing and chemical etching. Electron emission measurements were conducted in high and ultra high vacuum systems at SNL, NM as well as at SNL, CA. Optical emission measurements were made in air under an optical microscope as well as in the above vacuum environments. Sample morphology was investigated using both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
The solution of Grand Challenge Problems will require computations that are too large to fit in the memories of even the largest machines. Inevitably, new designs of I/O systems will be necessary to support them. This report describes the work in investigating I/O subsystems for massively parallel computers. Specifically, the authors investigated out-of-core algorithms for common scientific calculations present several theoretical results. They also describe several approaches to parallel I/O, including partitioned secondary storage and choreographed I/O, and the implications of each to massively parallel computing.
This contribution discusses why, and how, mobile networks and mobile switches might be discussed during Phase 1 of the WATM standards process. Next, it reviews mobile routers within Mobile IP. That IP mobility architecture may not apply to the proposed mobile ATM switches. Finally, it discusses problems with PNNI peer group formation and operation when mobile ATM switches are present.
Crystalline silicotitanates (CSTs) are a new class of ion exchangers that were jointly invented by researchers at Sandia National Laboratories and Texas A&M University. One particular CST, known as TAM-5, is remarkable for its ability to separate parts-per-million concentrations of cesium from highly alkaline solutions (pH> 14) containing high sodium concentrations (>5M). It is also highly effective for removing cesium from neutral and acidic solutions, and for removing strontium from basic and neutral solutions. Cesium isotopes are fission products that account for a large portion of the radioactivity in waste streams generated during weapons material production. Tests performed at numerous locations with early lab-scale TAM-5 samples established the material as a leading candidate for treating radioactive waste volumes such as those found at the Hanford site in Washington. Thus Sandia developed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) partnership with UOP, a world leader in developing, commercializing, and supplying adsorbents and associated process technology to commercialize and further develop the material. CSTs are now commercially available from UOP in a powder (UOP IONSIV{reg_sign} IE-910 ion exchanger) and granular form suitable for column ion exchange operations (UOP IONSIV{reg_sign} IE-911 ion exchanger). These materials exhibit a high capacity for cesium in a wide variety of solutions of interest to the Department of Energy, and they are chemically, thermally, and radiation stable. They have performed well in tests at numerous sites with actual radioactive waste solutions, and are being demonstrated in the 100,000 liter Cesium Removal Demonstration taking place at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with Melton Valley Storage Tank waste. It has been estimated that applying CSTs to the Hanford cleanup alone will result in a savings of more than $300 million over baseline technologies.
This paper presents the design, results, and analysis of a high-brightness electron beam technology demonstration experiment completed at Sandia National Laboratories, performed in collaboration with Los Alamos National Laboratory. The anticipated electron beam parameters were: 12 MeV, 35-40 kA, 0.5-mm rms radius, and 40-ns full width half maximum (FWHM) pulse duration. This beam, on an optimum thickness tantalum converter, should produce a very intense x-ray source of {approximately} 1.5-mm spot size and 1 kR dose @ 1 m. The accelerator utilized was SABRE, a pulsed inductive voltage adder, and the electron source was a magnetically immersed foilless electron diode. For these experiments, SABRE was modified to high-impedance negative-polarity operation. A new 100-ohm magnetically insulated transmission line cathode electrode was designed and constructed; the cavities were rotated 180{degrees} poloidally to invert the central electrode polarity to negative; and only one of the two pulse forming lines per cavity was energized. A twenty- to thirty-Tesla solenoidal magnet insulated the diode and contained the beam at its extremely small size. These experiments were designed to demonstrate high electron currents in submillimeter radius beams resulting in a high-brightness high-intensity flash x-ray source for high-resolution thick-object hydrodynamic radiography. The SABRE facility high-impedance performance was less than what was hoped. The modifications resulted in a lower amplitude (9 MV), narrower-than-anticipated triangular voltage pulse, which limited the dose to {approximately} 20% of the expected value. In addition, halo and ion-hose instabilities increased the electron beam spot size to > 1.5 mm. Subsequent, more detailed calculations explain these reduced output parameters. An accelerator designed (versus retrofit) for this purpose would provide the desired voltage and pulse shape.
Current robotic systems are unable to recognize most unexpected changes in the work environment, such as tool breakage, workpiece motion, or sensor failure. Unless halted by a human operator, they are likely to continue actions that are at best inappropriate, and at worst may cause damage to the workpiece or robot. This project investigated use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to learn the expected characteristics of sensor data during normal operations, recognize when data no longer is consistent with normal operation, suspend operations and alert a human operator. Data on force and torque applied at the robot tool tip were collected from two workcells: a robotic deburring system and a robot material-handling system. Data were collected for normal operations and for operations in which a fault condition was introduced. Data simulating sensor failure and excessive sensor noise were generated. Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were trained to classify operating conditions; several ANN architectures were tested. The selected ANNs were able to correctly classify all valid operating conditions and the majority of fault conditions over the entire range of operating conditions, having {open_quotes}learned{close_quotes} the expected force/torque data. Most faults introduced appreciable error in the data; these were correctly classified. However, a small minority of faults did not give rise to a detectable difference in force and torque data. It is believed that these faults could be detected using other sensors. The computational workload varies with the implementation, but is moderate: up to 2.3 megaflops. This makes implementation of a real-time workcell monitor feasible.
Aerospace components are often subjected to pyroshock events during flight and deployment, and must be qualified to this frequently severe environment. Laboratory simulation of pyroshock using a mechanically excited resonant fixture, has gained favor at Sandia for testing small (<8 inch cube) weapon components. With this method, each different shock environment required a different resonant fixture that was designed such that it`s response matched the environment. In Phase 1 (SAND92-2135) of this research, a new test method was developed which eliminated the need to have a different resonant fixture for each test requirement. This was accomplished by means of a tunable resonant fixture that has a response which is adjustable over a wide frequency range. The adjustment of the fixture`s response is done in a simple and deterministic way. This report covers Phase 2 of this research, in which several ideas were explored to extend the Phase 1 results to a larger scale. The test apparatus developed in Phase 1 was capable of testing components with up to a 10 inches x 10 inches base. The goal of the Phase 2 research was to produce an apparatus capable of testing components with up to a 20 inches x 20 inches mounting base. This size capability would allow the testing of most satellite and missile components which frequently consist of large electronic boxes. Several methods to attain this goal were examined, including scaling up the Phase 1 apparatus. Only one of these proved capable of meeting the Phase 2 goals. This report covers all details from concept through fabrication and testing of this Phase 2 apparatus.
Structural system identification is concerned with the development of systematic procedures and tools for developing predictive analytical models based on a physical structure`s dynamic response characteristics. It is a multidisciplinary process that involves the ability (1) to define high fidelity physics-based analysis models, (2) to acquire accurate test-derived information for physical specimens using diagnostic experiments, (3) to validate the numerical simulation model by reconciling differences that inevitably exist between the analysis model and the experimental data, and (4) to quantify uncertainties in the final system models and subsequent numerical simulations. The goal of this project was to develop structural system identification techniques and software suitable for both research and production applications in code and model validation.
Viscoelastic materials are often characterized in terms of stress relaxation moduli which decay in time. Finite element programs which model viscoelastic materials frequently require that these relaxation functions be defined as an exponential series (i.e., Prony Series) to exploit the numerical advantages of developing recursive equations for evaluating hereditary integrals. Obtaining these data fits can be extremely difficult when the data is spread over many decades in the logarithm of time. RELFIT is a nonlinear optimization program that iteratively determines the Prony series coefficients and relaxation times so as to minimize the least squares error in the data fit. An overview of the code, a description of the required inputs (i.e., users`s instructions), and a demonstration problem are presented.
This report summarizes research completed under a Laboratory Directed Research and Development program funded for part of FY94, FY95 and FY96. The main goals were (1) to develop novel, compound-semiconductor based optical sources to enable field-based detection of environmentally important chemical species using miniaturized, low-power, rugged, moderate cost spectroscopic equipment, and (2) to demonstrate the utility of near-infrared spectroscopy to quantitatively measure contaminants. Potential applications would include monitoring process and effluent streams for volatile organic compound detection and sensing head-space gasses in storage vessels for waste management. Sensing is based on absorption in the 1.3-1.9 {mu}m band from overtones of the C-H, N-H and O-H stretch resonances. We describe work in developing novel broadband light-emitting diodes emitting over the entire 1.4-1.9 {mu}m wavelength range, first using InGaAs quantum wells, and second using a novel technique for growing digital-alloy materials in the InAlGaAs material system. Next we demonstrate the utility of near-infrared spectroscopy for quantitatively determining contamination of soil by motor oil. Finally we discuss the separability of different classes of organic compounds using near-infrared spectroscopic techniques.
This report summarizes the purchasing and transportation activities of the Procurement Organization for Fiscal Year 1996, Activities for both the New Mexico and California locations are included.
The multifrequency, multisource integral wave migration method commonly used in the analysis of seismic data is extended to electromagnetic (EM) data within the audio frequency range. The method is applied to the secondary magnetic fields produced by a borehole, vertical electric source (VES). The integral wave-migration method is a numerical reconstruction procedure utilizing Green`s theorem where the fields are migrated (extrapolated) from the measuring aperture into the interior of the earth. To form the image, the approach used here is to Fourier transform the constructed image from frequency domain to time domain and set time equal to zero. The image is formed when the in-phase part (real part) is a maximum or the out-of-phase (imaginary part) is a minimum; ie., the EM wave is phase coherent at its origination. In the application here, the secondary magnetic fields are treated as scattered fields. To determine the conductivity, the measured data migrated to a pixel location are equated to calculated data migrated to the same pixel. The conductivity is determined from solving a Fredholm integral equation of the first kind by solving a system of linear algebraic equations. The multifrequency, multisource integral wave-migration method is applied to calculated model data and to actual field data acquired to map a diesel fuel oil spill. For the application discussed here, a two dimensional resistivity slice is calculated from the solution to the Fredholm integral equation. The resistivity image of the fuel oil agrees with the known location.
This project utilized Computer-Aided Molecular Design (CAMD) to develop a new class of metalloporphyrin materials for use as catalysts for two fuel cell reactions. The first reaction is the reduction of oxygen at the fuel cell cathode, and this reaction was the main focus of the research. The second reaction we attempted to catalyze was the oxidation of methanol at the anode. Two classes of novel metalloporphyrins were developed. The first class comprised the dodecaphenylporphyrins whose steric bulk forces them into a non-planar geometry having a pocket where oxygen or methanol is more tightly bound to the porphyrin than it is in the case of planar porphyrins. Significant improvements in the catalytic reduction of oxygen by the dodecaphenyl porphyrins were measured in electrochemical cells. The dodecaphenylporphyrins were further modified by fluorinating the peripheral phenyl groups to varying degrees. The fluorination strongly affected their redox potential, but no effect on their catalytic activity towards oxygen was observed. The second class of porphyrin catalysts was a series of hydrogen-bonding porphyrins whose interaction with oxygen is enhanced. Enhancements in the interaction of oxygen with the porphyrins having hydrogen bonding groups were observed spectroscopically. Computer modeling was performed using Molecular Simulations new CERIUS2 Version 1.6 and a research version of POLYGRAF from Bill Goddard`s research group at the California Institute of Technology. We reoptimized the force field because of an error that was in POLYGRAF and corrected a problem in treatment of the metal in early versions of the program. This improved force field was reported in a J. Am. Chem. Soc. manuscript. Experimental measurements made on the newly developed catalysts included the electrochemical testing in a fuel cell configuration and spectroscopic measurements (UV-Vis, Raman and XPS) to characterize the catalysts.
A magnetostrictive borehole seismic source was developed for use in high resolution crosswell surveys in environmental applications. The source is a clamped, vertical-shear, swept frequency, reaction-mass shaker design consisting of a spring pre-loaded magnetostrictive rod with permanent magnet bias, drive coils to induce an alternating magnetic field, and an integral tungsten reaction mass. The actuator was tested extensively in the laboratory. It was then incorporated into an easily deployable clamped downhole tool capable of operating on a standard 7 conductor wireline in borehole environments to 10,000{degrees} deep and 100{degrees}C. It can be used in either PVC or steel cased wells and the wells can be dry or fluid filled. It has a usable frequency spectrum of {approx} 150 to 2000 Hz. The finished tool was successfully demonstrated in a crosswell test at a shallow environmental site at Hanford, Washington. The source transmitted signals with a S/N ratio of 10-15 dB from 150-720 Hz between wells spaced 239 feet apart in unconsolidated gravel. The source was also tested successfully in rock at an oil field test site, transmitting signals with a S/N ratio of 5-15 dB over the full sweep spectrum from 150-2000 Hz between wells spaced 282 feet apart. And it was used successfully on an 11,000{degrees} wireline at a depth of 4550{degrees}. Recommendations for follow-on work include improvements to the clamp, incorporation of a higher sample rate force feedback controller, and increases in the force output of the tool.
The Telemetry Technology Development Department have, in support of the Advanced Geophysical Technology Department and the Oil Recovery Technology Partnership, developed a fiber optic communication capability for use in borehole applications. This environment requires the use of packaging and component technologies to operate at high temperature (up to 175{degrees}C) and survive rugged handling. Fiber optic wireline technology has been developed by The Rochester Corporation under contract to Sandia National Labs and produced a very rugged, versatile wireline cable. This development has utilized commercial fiber optic component technologies and demonstrated their utility in extreme operating environments.
Carbon nanotubes and their composites were examined using computational and experimental techniques in order to modify the mechanical and electrical properties of resins. Single walled nanotubes were the focus of the first year effort; however, sufficient quantities of high purity single walled nanotubes could not be obtained for mechanical property investigations. The unusually high electrical conductivity of composites loaded with <1% of multiwalled nanotubes is useful, and is the focus of continuing, externally funded, research.
A technology roadmap is the result of a strategic technology planning process that cooperatively identifies (1) a particular industry`s common product and process performance targets, (2) the technology alternatives and milestones for meeting these targets, and (3) a common technology path for research and development activities. The author describes a successful major roadmapping experience - the Semiconductor Industry Association`s Technology Roadmapping Process, which culminated in a workshop held in 1992. The report explains the committee structure and processes that were used both before and after the workshop and presents principles and practices that can aid future technology roadmappers. Appendix 1 summarizes the process from a committee-structure viewpoint. Appendix 2 summarizes the process from a functional view-point. Appendix 3 answers some frequently asked questions about technology roadmapping.
Lemkin, M.A.; Boser, B.E.; Auslander, D.; Smith, J.
This paper presents a new method for wideband force balancing a proof-mass in multiple axes simultaneously. Capacitive position sense and force feedback are accomplished using the same air-gap capacitors through time multiplexing. Proof of concept is experimentally demonstrated with a single-mass monolithic surface micromachined 3-axis accelerometer.
The ability to successfully use and interact with a computerized world model is dependent on the ability to create an accurate world model. The goal of this project was to develop a prototype system to remotely deploy sensors into a workspace, collect surface information, and rapidly build an accurate world model of that workspace. A key consideration was that the workspace areas are typically hazardous environments, where it is difficult or impossible for humans to enter. Therefore, the system needed to be fully remote, with no external connections. To accomplish this goal, an electric, mobile platform with battery power sufficient for both the platform and sensor electronics was procured and 3D range sensors were deployed on the platform to capture surface data within the workspace. A radio Ethernet connection was used to provide communications to the vehicle and all on-board electronics. Video from on-board cameras was also transmitted to the base station and used to teleoperate the vehicle. Range data generated by the on-board 3D sensors was transformed into surface maps, or models. Registering the sensor location to a consistent reference frame as the platform moved through the workspace allowed construction of a detailed 3D world model of the extended workspace.
Technology planning is important for many reasons. Globally, companies are facing many competitive problems. Technology roadmapping, a form of technology planning can help deal with this increasingly competitive environment. While it has been used by some companies and industries, the focus has always been on the technology roadmap as a product, not on the process. This report focuses on formalizing the process so that it can be more broadly and easily used. As a DOE national security laboratory with R&D as a major product, Sandia must do effective technology planning to identify and develop the technologies required to meet its national security mission. Once identified, technology enhancements or new technologies may be developed internally or collaboratively with external partners. For either approach, technology roadmapping, as described in this report, is an effective tool for technology planning and coordination, which fits within a broader set of planning activities. This report, the second in a series on technology roadmapping, develops and documents this technology roadmapping process, which can be used by Sandia, other national labs, universities, and industry. The main benefit of technology roadmapping is that it provides information to make better technology investment decisions by identifying critical technologies and technology gaps and identifying ways to leverage R&D investments. It can also be used as a marketing tool. Technology roadmapping is critical when the technology investment decision is not straight forward. This occurs when it is not clear which alternative to pursue, how quickly the technology is needed, or when there is a need to coordinate the development of multiple technologies. The technology roadmapping process consists of three phases - preliminary activity, development of the technology roadmap, and follow-up activity.
Since micromachining technology has raised the prospect of fabricating high performance sensors without the associated high cost and large size, many researchers have investigated micromachined rate gyroscopes. The vast majority of research has focused on single input axis rate gyroscopes, but this paper presents work on a dual input axis micromachined rate gyroscope. The key to successful simultaneous dual axis operation is the quad symmetry of the circular oscillating rotor design. Untuned gyroscopes with mismatched modes yielded random walk as low as 10{degrees}/{radical}hour with cross sensitivity ranging from 6% to 16%. Mode frequency matching via electrostatic tuning allowed performance better than 2{degrees}/{radical}hour, but at the expense of excessive cross sensitivity.
The advanced networking department at Sandia National Laboratories has used the annual Supercomputing conference sponsored by the IEEE and ACM for the past several years as a forum to demonstrate and focus communication and networking developments. At Supercomputing 96, for the first time, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory combined their Supercomputing 96 activities within a single research booth under the ASO banner. Sandia provided the network design and coordinated the networking activities within the booth. At Supercomputing 96, Sandia elected: to demonstrate wide area network connected Massively Parallel Processors, to demonstrate the functionality and capability of Sandia`s new edge architecture, to demonstrate inter-continental collaboration tools, and to demonstrate ATM video capabilities. This paper documents those accomplishments, discusses the details of their implementation, and describes how these demonstrations support Sandia`s overall strategies in ATM networking.
Ross developed an analytical relationship to calculate the diversion length of a tilted fine-over-coarse capillary barrier. Oldenburg and Pruess compared simulation results using upstream and harmonic weighting to the diversion length predicted by Ross formula with mixed results; the qualitative agreement is reasonable but the quantitative comparison is poor, especially for upstream weighting. The proximity of the water table to the fine-coarse interface at breakthrough is a possible reason for the poor agreement. In the present study, the Oldenburg and Pruess problem is extended to address the water table issue. When the water table is sufficiently far away from the interface at breakthrough, good qualitative and quantitative agreement is obtained using upstream weighting.
This paper reviews how elements from the theory of fractal functions are employed to construct scaling vectors and multiwavelets. Emphasis is placed on the one-dimensional case, however extensions to IR{sup m} are indicated.
The project addressed the need of the oil and gas industry for real-time information about the drilling process and the formations being drilled. An ideal system would allow measuring while drilling (MWD) and would transmit data to the surface immediately at a rate high enough to support video or televiewer systems. A proposed solution was to use an optical fiber as a link between the surface and the instrumentation package. We explored the use of a disposable MWD telemetry cable, drawing on the technology developed for missile guidance which deploys miles of fiber from a small spool at missile speeds approaching half the speed of sound. Emphasis In was on the questions of survivability of the unarmored fiber in the drill string environment and deployability. Laboratory and field testing showed the concept worked under realistic conditions; a field demonstration transmitted data at 10 kilobits per second from a depth of 3500 feet.
We are testing an anti-weathering preservation strategy that is specific to limestone surfaces. The strategy involves the application of a mineral-specific, bifunctional, passivating/coupling agent that binds to both the limestone surface and to the consolidating inorganic polymer matrix. The sol-gel based reactions form composite materials with desirable conservation and anti-weathering properties. We present the results of our efforts, the highlights of which are: (1) scanning probe microscopy of moisture-free calcite crystals treated with the trisilanol form of silylalkylaminocarboxylate (SAAC), reveals porous agglomerates that offer no significant resistance to the mild leaching action of deionized water. When the crystals are further consolidated with a silica-based consolidant (A2**), no dissolution is seen although the positive role of the passivant molecule is not yet delineated. (2) Modulus of rupture tests on limestone cores treated with an aminoalkylsilane (AEAPS) and A2** showed a 25-35% increase in strength compared to the untreated samples. (3) Environmental scanning electron microscopy of treated limestone subjected to a concentrated acid attack showed degradation of the surface except in areas where thick layers of the consolidant were deposited.
Sandia National Laboratories conducts a comprehensive geothermal drilling research program for the US Department of Energy, Office of Geothermal Technologies. The program currently includes seven areas: lost circulation technology, hard-rock drill bit technology, high-temperature instrumentation, wireless data telemetry, slimhole drilling technology, Geothermal Drilling Organization (GDO) projects, and drilling systems studies. This paper describes the current status of the projects under way in each of these program areas.
An experimental study of electrokinetic effects (streaming potential) in earth materials was undertaken. The objective was to evaluate the measurement of electrokinetic effects as a method of monitoring and predicting the movement of groundwater, contaminant plumes, and other fluids in the subsurface. The laboratory experiments verified that the electrokinetic effects in earth materials are prominent, repeatable, and can be described well to first order by a pair of coupled differential equations.
Photonic system and device technologies have claimed a significant share of the current high-tech market. In particular, laser systems and optical devices impact a broad range of technological areas including telecommunications, optical computing, optical data storage, integrated photonics, remote environmental sensing and biomedical applications. Below we present an overview of photonics research being conducted within the Lasers, Optics and Remote Sensing department of the Physical and Chemical Sciences Center at Sandia National Laboratories. Recent results in the fields of photosensitive materials and devices, binary optics device applications, wavelength generation using optical parametric oscillators, and remote sensing are highlighted. 11 refs., 6 figs.
Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) offer many benefits over conventional edge-emitting lasers including economical microelectronic batch processing, easy extension to 2-D arrays, and of interest here, very large intrinsic bandwidths due to reduced cavity volume. Results of electrical characterization of a 19 GHz bandwidth 850 nm VCSEL are presented. Small-signal characterization and modeling of the frequency response and device impedance is presented. Large signal performance is studied using two-tone RF and high-speed digital measurements. Appropriate drive conditions for high-speed digital applications are demonstrated.
Multiple-wavelength VCSEL and photodetector arrays are useful for wavelength-multiplexed fiberoptic networks, and for optical crosstalk isolation in parallel, free-space interconnects. Multiple wavelength VCSEL arrays have been obtained by varying the growth rate using thermal gradients caused by a backside-patterned substrate, by growth enhancement on a patterned substrate, and by varying the cavity length through anodic oxidation and selective etching of the wafer. We show here for the first time both the enhancement and the reduction of the growth rate of the entire VCSEL structure on a topographically patterned substrate, and demonstrate the controlled variation of the lasing wavelengths of a VCSEL array over an extended spectral range.
Capillary barriers, consisting of tilted fine-over-coarse layers under unsaturated conditions, have been suggested as landfill covers to divert water infiltration away from sensitive underground regions, especially for arid and semi-arid regions. The Hydrological Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) computer code is an evaluation tool for landfill covers used by designers and regulators. HELP is a quasi-two-dimensional model that predicts moisture movement into and through the underground soil and waste layers. Processes modeled within HELP include precipitation, runoff, evapotranspiration, unsaturated vertical drainage, saturated lateral drainage, and leakage through liners. Unfortunately, multidimensional unsaturated flow phenomena that are necessary for evaluating tilted capillary barriers are not included in HELP. Differences between the predictions of the HELP and those from a multidimensional unsaturated flow code are presented to assess the two different approaches. Comparisons are presented for the landfill covers including capillary barrier configurations at the Alternative Landfill Cover Demonstration (ALCD) being conducted at Sandia.
The thermomechanical fatigue failure of solder joints is increasingly becoming an important reliability issue for electronic packages. The purpose of this Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project was to develop computational tools for simulating the behavior of solder joints under strain and temperature cycling, taking into account the microstructural heterogeneities that exist in as-solidified near eutectic Sn-Pb joints, as well as subsequent microstructural evolution. The authors present two computational constitutive models, a two-phase model and a single-phase model, that were developed to predict the behavior of near eutectic Sn-Pb solder joints under fatigue conditions. Unique metallurgical tests provide the fundamental input for the constitutive relations. The two-phase model mathematically predicts the heterogeneous coarsening behavior of near eutectic Sn-Pb solder. The finite element simulations with this model agree qualitatively with experimental thermomechanical fatigue tests. The simulations show that the presence of an initial heterogeneity in the solder microstructure could significantly degrade the fatigue lifetime. The single-phase model was developed to predict solder joint behavior using materials data for constitutive relation constants that could be determined through straightforward metallurgical experiments. Special thermomechanical fatigue tests were developed to give fundamental materials input to the models, and an in situ SEM thermomechanical fatigue test system was developed to characterize microstructural evolution and the mechanical behavior of solder joints during the test. A shear/torsion test sample was developed to impose strain in two different orientations. Materials constants were derived from these tests. The simulation results from the two-phase model showed good fit to the experimental test results.
Under Executive Order 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, the Department of Energy (DOE) and Sandia National Laboratories New Mexico (SNL) are required to identify and address, as appropriate, disproportionately high, adverse human health or environmental effects of their activities on minority and low-income populations. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) also requires that environmental justice issues be identified and addressed. This presents a challenge for SNL because it is located in a culturally diverse area. Successfully addressing potential impacts is contingent upon accurately identifying them through objective analysis of demographic information. However, an effective public participation process, which is necessarily subjective, is also needed to understand the subtle nuances of diverse populations that can contribute to a potential impact, yet are not always accounted for in a strict demographic profile. Typically, there is little or no coordination between these two disparate processes. This report proposes a five-step method for reconciling these processes and uses a hypothetical case study to illustrate the method. A demographic analysis and community profile of the population within 50 miles of SNL were developed to support the environmental justice analysis process and enhance SNL`s NEPA and public involvement programs. This report focuses on developing a methodology for identifying potentially impacted populations. Environmental justice issues related to worker exposures associated with SNL activities will be addressed in a separate report.
The Land Use, Air Quality, and Transportation Integrated Modeling Environment (LATIME) represents an integrated approach to computer modeling and simulation of land use allocation, travel demand, and mobile source emissions for the Albuquerque, New Mexico, area. This environment provides predictive capability combined with a graphical and geographical interface. The graphical interface shows the causal relationships between data and policy scenarios and supports alternative model formulations. Scenarios are launched from within a Geographic Information System (GIS), and data produced by each model component at each time step within a simulation is stored in the GIS. A menu-driven query system is utilized to review link-based results and regional and area-wide results. These results can also be compared across time or between alternative land use scenarios. Using this environment, policies can be developed and implemented based on comparative analysis, rather than on single-step future projections. 16 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.
Due to inter-quantum well tunneling, coupled double quantum wells (DQWs) contain an extra degree of electronic freedom in the growth direction, giving rise to new transport phenomena not found in single electron layers. This report describes work done on coupled DQWs subject to inplane magnetic fields B{sub {parallel}}, and is based on the lead author`s doctoral thesis, successfully defended at Oregon State University on March 4, 1997. First, the conductance of closely coupled DQWs in B{sub {parallel}} is studied. B{sub {parallel}}-induced distortions in the dispersion, the density of states, and the Fermi surface are described both theoretically and experimentally, with particular attention paid to the dispersion anticrossing and resulting partial energy gap. Measurements of giant distortions in the effective mass are found to agree with theoretical calculations. Second, the Landau level spectra of coupled DQWs in tilted magnetic fields is studied. The magnetoresistance oscillations show complex beating as Landau levels from the two Fermi surface components cross the Fermi level. A third set of oscillations resulting from magnetic breakdown is observed. A semiclassical calculation of the Landau level spectra is then performed, and shown to agree exceptionally well with the data. Finally, quantum wires and quantum point contacts formed in DQW structures are investigated. Anticrossings of the one-dimensional DQW dispersion curves are predicted to have interesting transport effects in these devices. Difficulties in sample fabrication have to date prevented experimental verification. However, recently developed techniques to overcome these difficulties are described.
This report details characterization and development activities in electronic packaging for high temperature applications. This project was conducted through a Department of Energy sponsored Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between Sandia National Laboratories and General Motors. Even though the target application of this collaborative effort is an automotive electronic throttle control system which would be located in the engine compartment, results of this work are directly applicable to Sandia`s national security mission. The component count associated with the throttle control dictates the use of high density packaging not offered by conventional surface mount. An enabling packaging technology was selected and thermal models defined which characterized the thermal and mechanical response of the throttle control module. These models were used to optimize thick film multichip module design, characterize the thermal signatures of the electronic components inside the module, and to determine the temperature field and resulting thermal stresses under conditions that may be encountered during the operational life of the throttle control module. Because the need to use unpackaged devices limits the level of testing that can be performed either at the wafer level or as individual dice, an approach to assure a high level of reliability of the unpackaged components was formulated. Component assembly and interconnect technologies were also evaluated and characterized for high temperature applications. Electrical, mechanical and chemical characterizations of enabling die and component attach technologies were performed. Additionally, studies were conducted to assess the performance and reliability of gold and aluminum wire bonding to thick film conductor inks. Kinetic models were developed and validated to estimate wire bond reliability.
This project focused on the fabrication and evaluation of supported inorganic membranes for hydrogen and oxygen separation in petrochemical processes. A variety of fabrication techniques, including CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition), electroless plating, solution deposition and conventional ceramic processing methods were used for membrane fabrication. For the oxygen separation membrane materials studied, the high surface roughness of the commercially available (and chemically compatible) MgO supports for high flux oxygen materials (SrCo{sub 0.5}FeO{sub x} and SrCo{sub 0.8}Fe{sub 0.2}O{sub x}) hindered the development of supported membranes of these materials. More encouraging results were obtained for the supported hydrogen separation membranes. Both dense palladium (prepared by CVD and electroless plating) and ultramicroporous silica (prepared by solution deposition) membranes were fabricated onto porous alumina supports. Gas separation characteristics and reactor performance of the membranes were both studied. Of the two classes of membranes, when incorporated into a membrane reactor the silica membranes demonstrated the best performance. Propane and isobutane dehydrogenation processes were studied and the silica membrane reactors displayed modest improvements in performance compared to the conventional reactors. In propane dehydrogenation, an increase in propylene yield of 34% was obtained with the membrane reactor (compared to the conventional reactor); in isobutane dehydrogenation, an increase in isobutylene yield of 40% at 525 C was obtained. However, these performance gains decreased somewhat with time on stream, due to membrane instability. Further improvements in membrane stability and permselectivity, as well as catalyst stability are needed before membrane reactors can be considered as a realistic alternative to the existing conventional technology.
A hydrologic modeling study was performed to gain insight into the flow mechanisms around Room Q. A summary of hydrologic and structural data and of predictive fluid flow models from Room Q are provided. Six years of measured data are available from the time of excavation. No brine accumulation in Room Q was measured in the first two years following excavation. However, there is considerable uncertainty associated with this early-time data due to inadequate sealing of the room. Brine may have been lost to evaporation or it may have flowed into newly created disturbed rock zone (DRZ) porosity resulting from excavation. Non-zero brine accumulation rates were measured from 2--5 years, but brine accumulation within the room dropped to zero after 5.5 years. A conceptual model for brine inflow to Room Q was developed which assumes far-field Darcy flow combined with an increasing DRZ pore volume. Numerical simulations employed TOUGH28W and used predictive DRZ porosity increase with time from SPECTROM-32 rock deformation simulations. Simulated brine inflow showed good agreement with measured brine accumulation rates for the first five years. Two important conclusions were drawn from the simulation results: (1) early-time brine inflow to the room can be reduced to zero if the DRZ pore volume increases with time, and (2) brine accumulation (inflow) rates from 2 to 5 years suggest a far-field permeability of 5 {times} 10{sup {minus}22} m{sup 2} with a bulk rock compressibility of 5.4 {times} 10{sup {minus}12} Pa{sup {minus}1}.
This report describes a project to develop a flow probe to monitor gas movement in the vadose zone due to passive venting or active remediation efforts such as soil vapor extraction. 3-D and 1-D probes were designed, fabricated, tested in known flow fields under laboratory conditions, and field tested. The 3-D pores were based on technology developed for ground water flow monitoring. The probes gave excellent agreement with measured air velocities in the laboratory tests. Data processing software developed for ground water flow probes was modified for use with air flow, and to accommodate various probe designs. Modifications were made to decrease the cost of the probes, including developing a downhole multiplexer. Modeling indicated problems with flow channeling due to the mode of deployment. Additional testing was conducted and modifications were made to the probe and to the deployment methods. The probes were deployed at three test sites: a large outdoor test tank, a brief vapor extraction test at the Chemical Waste landfill, and at an active remediation site at a local gas station. The data from the field tests varied markedly from the laboratory test data. All of the major events such as vapor extraction system turn on and turn off, as well as changes in the flow rate, could be seen in the data. However, there were long term trends in the data which were much larger than the velocity signals, which made it difficult to determine accurate air velocities. These long term trends may be due to changes in soil moisture content and seasonal ground temperature variations.
Volatile organic compound (VOC) emission to the atmosphere is of great concern to semiconductor manufacturing industries, research laboratories, the public, and regulatory agencies. Some industries are seeking ways to reduce emissions by reducing VOCs at the point of use (or generation). This paper discusses the requirements, design, calibration, and use of a sampling inlet/quadrupole mass spectrometer system for monitoring VOCs in a semiconductor manufacturing production line. The system uses chemical ionization to monitor compounds typically found in the lithography processes used to manufacture semiconductor devices (e.g., acetone, photoresist). The system was designed to be transportable from tool to tool in the production line and to give the operator real-time feedback so the process(es) can be adjusted to minimize VOC emissions. Detection limits ranging from the high ppb range for acetone to the low ppm range fore other lithography chemicals were achieved using chemical ionization mass spectroscopy at a data acquisition rate of approximately 1 mass spectral scan (30 to 200 daltons) per second. A demonstration of exhaust VOC monitoring was performed at a working semiconductor fabrication facility during actual wafer processing.
Confidence building measures (CBMs), particularly military ones, that address the security needs of North and South Korea could decrease the risk of conflict on the Korean Peninsula and help create an environment in which to negotiate a peace regime. The Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA) and the Cooperative Monitoring Center (CMC) of Sandia National Laboratories collaborated to identify potential CBMs and define associated monitoring. The project is a conceptual analysis of political and technical options for confidence building that might be feasible in Korea at some future time. KIDA first analyzed current security conditions and options for CBMs. Their conclusions are presented as a hypothetical agreement to strengthen the Armistice Agreement by establishing Limited Force Deployment Zones along the Military Demarcation Line. The goal of the hypothetical agreement is to increase mutual security and build confidence. The CMC then used KIDA`s scenario to develop a strategy for cooperative monitoring the agreement. Cooperative monitoring is the collecting, analyzing and sharing of agreed information among parties to an agreement and typically relies on the use of commercially available technology. A cooperative monitoring regime must be consistent with the agreement`s terms; the geographic, logistic, military, and political factors in the Korean setting; and the capabilities of monitoring technologies. This report describes the security situation on the Korean peninsula, relevant precedents from other regions, the hypothetical agreement for reducing military tensions, a monitoring strategy for the hypothetical Korean agreement, examples of implementation, and a description of applicable monitoring technologies and procedures.
The disposition of the large back-log of plutonium residues at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (Rocky Flats) will require interim storage and subsequent shipment to a waste repository. Current plants call for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and the transportation to WIPP in the TRUPACT-II. The transportation phase will require the residues to be packaged in a container that is more robust than a standard 55-gallon waste drum. Rocky Flats has designed the Pipe Overpack Container to meet this need. The tests described here were performed to qualify the Pipe Overpack Container as a waste container for shipment in the TRUPACT-II. Using a more robust container will assure the fissile materials in each container can not be mixed with the fissile material from the other containers and will provide criticality control. This will allow an increase in the payload of the TRUPACT-II from 325 fissile gram equivalents to 2,800 fissile gram equivalents.
This study is a continuation of earlier work that evaluated 1969-1981 and 1984-1994 events affecting commercial light-water reactors. One-hundred nine operational events that affected 51 reactors during 1982 and 1983 and that are considered to be precursors to potential severe core damage are described. All these events had conditional probabilities of subsequent severe core damage greater than or equal to 1.0 x 10{sup {minus}6}. These events were identified by first computer screening the 1982-83 licensee event reports from commercial light-water reactors to select events that could be precursors to core damage. Candidates underwent engineering evaluation that identified, analyzed, and documented the precursors. This report discusses the general rationale for the study, the selection and documentation of events as precursors, and the estimation of conditional probabilities of subsequent severe core damage for the events.
Sealing fractures in nuclear waste repositories concerns all programs investigating deep burial as a means of disposal. Because the most likely mechanism for contaminant migration is by dissolution and movement through groundwater, sealing programs are seeking low-viscosity sealants that are chemically, mineralogically, and physically compatible with the host rock. This paper presents the results of collaborative work directed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and supported by Whiteshell Laboratories, operated by Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd. The work was undertaken in support of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), an underground nuclear waste repository located in a salt formation east of Carlsbad, NM. This effort addresses the technology associated with long-term isolation of nuclear waste in a natural salt medium. The work presented is part of the WIPP plugging and sealing program, specifically the development and optimization of an ultrafine cementitious grout that can be injected to lower excessive, strain-induced hydraulic conductivity in the fractured rock termed the Disturbed Rock Zone (DRZ) surrounding underground excavations. Innovative equipment and procedures employed in the laboratory produced a usable cement-based grout; 90% of the particles were smaller than 8 microns and the average particle size was 4 microns. The process involved simultaneous wet pulverization and mixing. The grout was used for a successful in situ test underground at the WIPP. Injection of grout sealed microfractures as small as 6 microns (and in one rare instance, 3 microns) and lowered the gas transmissivity of the DRZ by up to three orders of magnitude. Following the WIPP test, additional work produced an improved version of the grout containing particles 90% smaller than 5 microns and averaging 2 microns. This grout will be produced in dry form, ready for the mixer.
A hardness assurance test approach has been developed for bipolar linear circuits and devices in space. It consists of a screen for dose rate sensitivity and a characterization test method to develop the conditions for a lot acceptance test at high dose rate.
Virtual reality concepts are changing the way one thinks about and with computers. The concepts have already proven their potential usefulness in a broad range of applications. This research was concerned with exploring and demonstrating the utility of virtual reality in robotics and satellite command and control applications. The robotics work addressed the need to quickly build accurate graphical models of physical environments by allowing a user to interactively build a model of a remote environment by superimposing stereo graphics onto live stereo video. The satellite work addressed the fusion of multiple data sets or models into one synergistic display for more effective training, design, and command and control of satellite systems.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has stored or expects to generate over the next five years more than 130,000 m{sup 3} of mixed low-level waste (MLLW). Before disposal, MLLW is usually treated to comply with the land disposal restrictions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Depending on the type of treatment, the original volume of MLLW and the radionuclide concentrations in the waste streams may change. These changes must be taken into account in determining the necessary disposal capacity at a site. Treatment may remove the characteristic in some waste that caused it to be classified as mixed. Treatment of some waste may, by reduction of the mass, increase the concentrations of some transuranic radionuclides sufficiently so that it becomes transuranic waste. In this report, the DOE MLLW streams were analyzed to determine after-treatment volumes and radionuclide concentrations. The waste streams were reclassified as residual MLLW or low-level or transuranic waste resulting from treatment. The volume analysis indicated that about 89,000 m{sup 3} of waste will require disposal as residual MLLW. Fifteen DOE sites were then evaluated to determine their capabilities for hosting disposal facilities for some or all of the residual MLLW. Waste streams associated with about 90% of the total residual MLLW volume are likely to present no significant issues for disposal and require little additional analysis. Future studies should focus on the remaining waste streams that are potentially problematic by examining site-specific waste acceptance criteria, alternative treatment processes, alternative waste forms for disposal, and pending changes in regulatory requirements.
Static overpressurization tests of two scale models of nuclear containment structures - a steel containment vessel (SCV) representative of an improved, boiling water reactor (BWR) Mark II design and a prestressed concrete containment vessel (PCCV) for pressurized water reactors (PWR) - are being conducted by Sandia National Laboratories for the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation of Japan and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This paper discusses plans for instrumentation and testing of the PCCV model. 6 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.
A mixed-scale containment vessel model, with 1:10 in containment geometry and 1:4 in shell thickness, was fabricated to represent an improved, boiling water reactor (BWR) Mark II containment vessel. A contact structure, installed over the model and separated at a nominally uniform distance from it, provided a simplified representation of a reactor shield building in the actual plant. This paper describes the pretest preparations and the conduct of the high pressure test of the model performed on December 11-12, 1996. 4 refs., 2 figs.
A high pressure test of a mixed-scaled model (1:10 in geometry and 1:4 in shell thickness) of a steel containment vessel (SCV), representing an improved boiling water reactor (BWR) Mark II containment, was conducted on December 11-12, 1996 at Sandia National Laboratories. This paper describes the preliminary results of the high pressure test. In addition, the preliminary post-test measurement data and the preliminary comparison of test data with pretest analysis predictions are also presented.
Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico (SNL/NM) is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The SNL/NM Environmental Restoration (ER) Project is tasked with performing the assessment and remediation of environmental releases resulting from the almost 50 years of engineering development and testing activities. Operable Unit 1295, Septic Tanks and Drainfields, includes inactive septic and drain systems at 23 separate ER sites that were listed as Solid Waste Management Units (SWMUs) in the SNL/NM Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA) Module Permit. These sites were identified, based on process histories and interviews with facility personnel, as the subset of all SNL/NM septic and drain systems that had the highest potential for releases of hazardous and radioactive wastes into the environment. An additional 101 septic and drain systems not currently classified as SWMUs also have been identified as needing future characterization.
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) users often open multiple ATM Virtual Circuits (VCs) to multiple ATM users on multiple ATM networks. Each network and user may implement a different encryption policy. Hence ATM users may need shared, flexible hardware-based 3encryption that supports multiple encryption algorithms for multiple concurrent ATM users and VCs. An algorithm-agile encryption architecture, that uses multiple, parallel encryption-pipelines, is proposed. That algorithm-agile encryptor`s effect on the ATM Quality of Service (QoS) metrics, such as Cell Transfer Delay (CTD) and Cell Delay Variation (CDV), is analyzed. Bounds on the maximum CDV and the CDV`s probability density are derived.
Even if software code is fault-free, hardware failures can alter a value in memory, possibly where the code itself is stored, causing a computer system to reach an unacceptable state. Microprocessor systems are used to perform many safety and security functions where a design goal is to eliminate single-point failures such as these. One design approach is to use multiple processors, compare the outputs, and assume a failure has occurred if the outputs don`t agree. In systems where the design is constrained to a single processor, however, analytical methods are needed to identify potential single-point failures at the bit level so that an effective fault-tolerant strategy can be employed. This paper describes a top-down methodology, based upon Fault Tree Analysis, that has been used to identify potential high-consequence faults in microprocessor-based systems. The key to making the Fault Tree Analysis tractable is to effectively incorporate appropriate design features such as software path control and checksums so that complicated branches of the fault tree can be terminated early. The analysis uses simplified software flow diagrams depicting relevant code elements. Pertinent sections of machine language are then examined to identify suspect hardware. A comparison of this methodology with approaches based upon Failure Modes and Effects Analysis is made. The methodology is demonstrated through a simple example. Use of fault trees to show that software code is free of safety or security faults is also demonstrated.
A variety of geophysical methods including the spectrum of seismic, electrical, electromagnetic and potential field techniques have supported characterization, monitoring and experimental studies at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The geophysical studies have provided significant understanding of the nature of site deformation, tectonics and stability. Geophysical methods have delineated possible brine reservoirs beneath the underground facility and have defined the disturbed rock zone that forms around underground excavations. The role of geophysics in the WIPP project has evolved with the project. The early uses were for site characterization to satisfy site selection criteria or factors. As the regulatory framework for WIPP grew since 1980, the geophysics program supported experimental and field programs such as Salado hydrogeology and underground room systems and excavations. In summary, the major types of issues that geophysical studies addressed for WIPP are: Site Characterization; Castile Brine Reservoirs; Rustler/Dewey Lake Hydrogeology; Salado Hydrogeology; and Excavation Effects. The nature of geophysics programs for WIPP has been to support investigation rather than being the principal investigation itself. The geophysics program has been used to define conceptual models (e.g., the Disturbed Rock Zone-DRZ) or to test conceptual models (e.g., high transmissivity zones in the Rustler Formation). The geophysics program primarily supported larger characterization and experimental programs. Funding was not available for the complete documentation and interpretation. Therefore, a great deal of the geophysics survey information resides in contractor reports.
For FY97, the LDRD National Grand Challenges Investment Area initiated three new projects with the goal of developing an integrated approach to chemical microsystems. Collectively, these projects promise to deliver a distributed system of fully integrated, autonomous chemical sensor microsystems (e.g., a handheld or smaller device to detect explosives in airports or chemical warfare agents in the battle field) and the microscience foundation to extend this concept to a wide range of applications. Reaching this goal will require research, development and integration over a wide range of technologies; some that have already been demonstrated and others that do not yet existence. This report documents the completion of the first project task: an assessment of the science and technology base needed to achieve the overall goals. The report is comprised of ten separate assessments, each focused on specific technology areas that were identified as having critical impact on the development of integrated chemical microsystems. Technical staff throughout SNL contributed to these assessments. Each section addresses the state of current technological developments in that technical area and forecasts the future science and technology needed to drive toward higher levels of miniaturization and integration in these systems. This report provides an important guide to the technical investments needed to achieve the National Grand Challenge goals in addition to clearly identifying valuable partnering opportunities with industry, university and other national laboratories. The ten areas of evaluation are: sampling, preconcentration, and separation; pumps, valves, plumbing; optical detection; acoustic detection; other detection approaches; power sources; data analysis; packaging and assembly; analog/digital microelectronics; and mobile platforms.
Recently, the authors have demonstrated that annealing Si/SiO{sub 2}/Si structures in a hydrogen containing ambient introduces mobile H{sup +} ions into the buried SiO{sub 2} layer. Changes in the H{sup +} spatial distribution within the SiO{sub 2} layer were electrically monitored by current-voltage (I-V) measurements. The ability to directly probe reversible protonic motion in Si/SiO{sub 2}/Si structures makes this an exemplar system to explore the physics and chemistry of hydrogen in the technologically relevant Si/SiO{sub 2} structure. In this work, they illustrate that this effect can be used as the basis for a programmable nonvolatile field effect transistor (NVFET) memory that may compete with other Si-based memory devices. The power of this novel device is its simplicity; it is based upon standard Si/SiO{sub 2}/Si technology and forming gas annealing, a common treatment used in integrated circuit processing. They also briefly discuss the effects of radiation on its retention properties.
Much controversy surrounds the dependence of stress intensity factor of glassy thermosets, epoxies in particular, with crosslink density. One could scan the literature and find references that claim K{sub Ic} increases with crosslink density, decreases with crosslink density, or is independent of crosslink density. The authors feel that two factors contribute to this confusion. First, a typical method for assessing this dependence relies on modifying the crosslink density by changing the precursor epoxy molecular weight. On the other hand, one could change stoichiometry or quench the reaction at intermediate extents of reaction to obtain large changes in crosslink density. However, most studies have not measured the resulting stress intensity factor of these partially cured systems at constant T-T{sub g}, where T{sub g} is the glass transition temperature of the epoxy. Since T{sub g} can change significantly with cure and since fracture processes at the crack tip are dissipative, they must work at constant T-T{sub g} to ensure that the nonlinear viscoelastic mechanisms are fairly compared. In this study, they quenched the reaction of the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and diethanolamine (DEA) at various stages past the gel point and measured the three-point-bend stress intensity factor at a constant T-T{sub g} = {minus}50 C. The trend is clear and significant; increasing crosslink density directly increases the load-to-fail.
Microfabricated chip technologies offer researchers novel types of analysis of human clinical samples. Current examples of such technology include DNA amplification and analysis,and fluorescent cell analysis by flow cytometry. Potential applications include the development of rapid techniques for examining large numbers of cells in tissue or blood. This paper will outline criteria that successful devices must satisfy.
High speed modulation and pulsing are reported for oxide-confined vertical cavity surface emitting laser diodes (VCSELs) with inverted doping and proton implantation to reduce the extrinsic limitations.
This paper presents a method for Critical Software Event Execution Reliability (Critical SEER). The Critical SEER method is intended for high assurance software that operates in an environment where transient upsets could occur, causing a disturbance of the critical software event execution order, which could cause safety or security hazards. The method has a finite automata based module that watches (hence SEER) and tracks the critical events and ensures they occur in the proper order or else a fail safe state is forced. This method is applied during the analysis, design and implementation phases of software engineering.
EIGER (Electromagnetic Interactions GEneRalized), a single integrated software tool set, brings together a variety of spectral domain analysis methods. These include moment method solutions of integral equation formulations and finite elements solutions of partial differential equations. New software engineering methods, specifically, object oriented design, are being used to implement abstractions of key components of spectral analysis methods so that the tools can be easily modified and extended to treat new classes of problems. The key components of the numerical analysis tool, and their roles, are: elements - to describe the geometry, basis (expansion) functions - to interpolate the unknowns (e.g., fields) locally, and operators - to express the underlying physics formulations used to propagate the energy or enforce fundamental principals. The development of EMPACK provided the fundamental impetus for these abstractions which are discussed more fully in subsequent sections. This design approach is in contrast to standard design procedures where entire codes are developed around a particular element type with a specific basis function for a single operator. Although such tools can be effectively used to model large classes of problems, it is often very difficult, if not intractable, to extend the tools beyond their initial design. Overcoming this limitation is one of the most compelling goals of this project. We have successfully overcome roadblocks encountered in extension of past development efforts, such as the extension of Patch to treat wires and wire-surface junctions in the presence of non-homogeneous media. Moreover, the application base for EIGER grows as we cast a variety of Green`s functions into a form compatible with the numerical procedures in EIGER.
This report describes work conducted under the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Project entitled {open_quotes}Cooperating Robot Arms,{close_quotes} which was conducted from October 1, 1994, to September 30, 1996. Multiple cooperating robot arms are necessary for handling large ungainly objects, for achieving greater rigidity through mutual bracing, and for transferring and fixturing parts in a flexible fashion. There has been significant research in the area of robot arms, and yet there has been little commercial acceptance of these approaches. There are three primary reasons for this lack of success, the inability to deal with different kinematic modes of the system in a simple fashion, the difficulty in programming multi-robot behaviors, and a failure to apply this technology to realistic problems. The LDRD research described in this document addresses these critical areas. The report is divided into two primary sections, representing the thrusts of each year of research. First, the theoretical feasibility of building a modular control system for multiple robots which allows rapid reconfiguration of control system parameters for multi-arm modes of operation is demonstrated. Second, a high-level graphical programming environment which makes programming complex multi-robot tasks simpler is described.
Trapping of mobile protons is observed in various SOI materials, but only upon irradiating under a positive top Si bias. Thermal detrapping shows that the proton traps are shallow and located near the substrate Si/SiO{sub 2} interface.
The AQUASCAN, a commercially available, fully automated purge-and-trap gas chromatograph from Sentex Systems Inc., was implemented and evaluated as an in-field, automated monitoring system of contaminated groundwater at an active DOE remediation site in Pinellas, FL. Though the AQUASCAN is designed as a stand alone process analytical unit, implementation at this site required additional hardware. The hardware included a sample dilution system and a method for delivering standard solution to the gas chromatograph for automated calibration. As a result of the evaluation the system was determined to be a reliable and accurate instrument. The AQUASCAN reported concentration values for methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, and toluene in the Pinellas ground water were within 20% of reference laboratory values.
Interconnect delays, arising in part from intralevel capacitance, are one of the factors limiting the performance of advanced circuits. In addition, the problem of filling the spaces between neighboring metal lines with an insulator is becoming increasingly acute as aspect ratios increase. We address these problems simultaneously by intentionally creating an air gap between closely spaced metal lines. Undesirable topography is eliminated using a spin-on dielectric. We then cap the wafers with silicon dioxide and planarize using chemical mechanical polishing. Simple modeling of test structures predicts an equivalent dielectric constant of 1.9 on features similar to those expected for 0.25 micron technologies. Two level metal test structures fabricated in a 0.5 micron CMOS technology show that the process can be readily integrated with current standard CMOS processes. The potential problems of via misalignment, overall dielectric stack height, and the relative difficulty of ensuring void formation compared to that of ensuring a void-free fill are considered.
During the qualification of Low Temperature Cofire Ceramic (LTCC) as an enabling WR packaging technology for manufacturing the MC4352 (MET), issues pertaining to the mechanical performance of the DuPont 951 ``Green Tape{trademark}`` tape were investigated. Understanding the fundamental mechanical performance of the DuPont 951 substrate material, including the effect of surface metallization in STS environments, is required to determine MC4352 survivability. Both fast fracture and slow crack growth behavior were characterized for the MET configuration. A minimum stress threshold of 6.5 Kpsi for slow crack growth was established for substrates containing surface conductors, resistors, and resistor glaze. Finite element analysis was used to optimize the MET substrate thickness and to design the supporting structures to limit mechanical loading of the populated substrate below the slow crack growth threshold. Additionally, test coupons that failed during environmental testing are discussed. The root cause of electrical failures was attributed to solder leaching of the thick film metallization. Changes to solder pad configuration were incorporated to reduce the solder-metallization intermetallic from reaching the substrate interface. Finally, four-point bend tests revealed that the YAG laser approach for sizing LTCC substrates induced flaws, which substantially reduced the overall strength of the test samples as compared to samples sized using a diamond saw.
The Fork measurement system has been used to examine spent-fuel assemblies at the two reactors of Arkansas Nuclear One, operated by Entergy Operations, Inc. The Unit 1 reactor is a Babcock and Wilcox (B and W) design, and the Unit 2 reactor is a Combustion Engineering (CE) design. The neutron and gamma-ray emissions from individual spent-fuel assemblies were measured in the storage pools by raising each assembly pathway out of the storage rack and performing a measurement near the center of the assembly. The overall accuracy of the measurements after corrections is about 2%. Thirty-four assemblies were examined at Unit 1, and forty-one assemblies at Unit 2. The average deviation of the burnup measurements from the calibration was 3.0% at Unit 1 and 3.5% at Unit 2, indicating 2 to 3% random variation among the reactor records. There was no indication of clearly anomalous assemblies. Axial Scans of the variation in neutron and gamma ray emission were obtained by collecting data at several locations along the length of three assemblies at Unit 2. Two of these assemblies were nonstandard in that each contained a small neutron source. The sources were detected by the axial scans. The test program was a cooperative effort involving Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Entergy Operations, Inc., the Electric Power Research Institute, and the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management of the US Department of Energy.
The development and initial evaluation of a prototype boring bar featuring active vibration control for increased chatter immunity is described. The significance of active damping both normal and tangential to the workpiece surface is evaluated, indicating the need for two axis control to ensure adequate performance over expected variations in tool mounting procedures. The prototype tool features a commercially available boring bar modified to accommodate four PZT stack actuators for two axis bending control. Measured closed-loop dynamics are combined with a computer model of the boring process to simulate increased metal removal rate and improved workpiece surface finish through active control.
Micromachined hotplates, membranes, filaments, and cantilevers have all been used as platforms for thermal sensing and gas detection. Compared with conventional devices, micromachined sensors are characterized by low power consumption, high sensitivity, and fast response time. Much of these gains can be attributed to the size reductions achieved by micromachining. In addition, micromachining permits easy, yet precise tailoring of the heat transfer characteristics of these devices. By simple alterations in device geometry and materials used, the relative magnitudes of radiation, convection and conduction losses and Joule heat gains can be adjusted, and in this way device response can be optimized for specific applications. The free-standing design of micromachined platforms, for example, reduces heat conduction losses to the substrate, thereby making them attractive as low power, fast-response heaters suitable for a number of applications. However, while micromachining solves some of the heat transfer problems typical of conventionally produced devices, it introduces some of its own. These trade-offs will be discussed in the context of several micromachined thermal and gas sensors present in the literature. These include micromachined flow sensors, gas thermal conductivity sensors, pressure sensors, uncooled IR sensors, metal-oxide and catalytic/calorimetric gas sensors. Recent results obtained for a microbridge-based catalytic/calorimetric gas sensor will also be presented as a means of further illustrating the concepts of thermal design in micromachined sensors.
Standard references describe how apparent zenith angles differ from true zenith angles for observers on the Earth. In fact, correction formulae are available for aiming Earth-based sensors at stars; some corrections give variations as a function of observer altitude. Such corrections have not been available for observers in space. This report develops formulae appropriate for proper aiming from space-based sensors toward the relatively few stars that are near the Earth`s limb at any given time. These formulae correct for refractive effects and may be critical for steerable space-borne sensors with fields of view less than one degree, tasked to observe starlight passing near the Earth`s surface. Ray tracing in the U.S. Standard Atmosphere, 1976 including H{sub 2}O effects, is used to determine relations between the refracted tangent height, the apparent tangent height resulting from observation at the sensor, and the angle through which the detected rays have deviated. Analytic fits of the ray deviation as a function of apparent tangent height allows quick determination of corrections needed for a space-borne sensor. Using those results that apply in the plane of incidence and using the necessary coordinate rotations, alterations in the star`s apparent right ascension and declination are evaluated to improve the aim. Examples illustrate that alterations can be larger than one degree, with effects lasting up to a few minutes.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has conducted consultant and advisory meetings to prepare a Technical Document which is intended to provide guidance to all IAEA Member States (otherwise known as countries) that are currently planning, designing, constructing or operating a deep or near surface geological repository for the storage and protection of vitrified high-level radioactive waste, spent fuel waste and TRU-waste (transuranic). Eleven countries of the international community are presently in various stages of siting, designing, or constructing deep geologic repositories. Member States of the IAEA have determined that the principle safety of such completed and operation sites must not rely solely on long term institutional arrangements for the retention of information. It is believed that repository siting, design, operation and postoperation information should be gathered, managed and retained in a manner that will provide information to future societies over a very long period of time. The radionuclide life is 10,000 years thus the retention of information must outlive current societies, languages, and be continually migrated to new technology to assure retrieval. This presentation will provide an overview of the status of consideration and implementation of these issues within the United States efforts relative to deep geologic repository projects.
A scoping level evaluation of polyethylene encapsulation and vitreous waste forms for safe storage of mixed low-level waste was performed. Maximum permissible radionuclide concentrations were estimated for 15 indicator radionuclides disposed of at the Hanford and Savannah River sites with respect to protection of the groundwater and inadvertent intruder pathways. Nominal performance improvements of polyethylene and glass waste forms relative to grout are reported. These improvements in maximum permissible radionuclide concentrations depend strongly on the radionuclide of concern and pathway. Recommendations for future research include improving the current understanding of the performance of polymer waste forms, particularly macroencapsulation. To provide context to these estimates, the concentrations of radionuclides in treated DOE waste should be compared with the results of this study to determine required performance.
Electroslag remelting is an excellent process choice for the melt decontamination of radioactively contaminated metals. ESR furnaces are easily enclosed and do not make use of refractories which could complicate thermochemical interactions between molten metal and slag. A variety of cleaning mechanisms are active during melting; radionuclides may be partitioned to the slag by means of thermochemical reaction, electrochemical reaction, or mechanical entrapment. At the completion of melting, the slag is removed from the furnace in solid form. The electroslag process as a whole is greatly affected by the chemical and physical properties of the slag used. When used as a melt decontamination scheme, the ESR process may be optimized by selection of the slag. In this research, stainless steel bars were coated with non-radioactive surrogate elements in order to simulate surface contamination. These bars were electroslag remelted using slags of various chemistries. The slags investigated were ternary mixtures of calcium fluoride, calcium oxide, and alumina. The final chemistries of the stainless steel ingots were compared with those predicted by the use of a Free Energy Minimization Modeling technique. Modeling also provided insight into the chemical mechanisms by which certain elements are captured by a slag. Slag selection was also shown to have an impact on the electrical efficiency of the process as well as the surface quality of the ingots produced.
This paper is a brief overview of work over the last several decades in understanding what occurs to jet fuel stored in aircraft fuel tanks on impact with the ground. Fuel dispersal is discussed in terms of the overall crash dynamics process and impact regimes are identified. In a generic sense, the types of flow regimes which can occur are identified and general descriptions of the processes are given. Examples of engineering level tools, both computational and experimental, which have applicability to analyzing the complex environments are presented. Finally, risk based decision is discussed as a quick means of identifying requirements for development of preventative or mitigation strategies, such as further work on the development of an anti-misting agent.
Energy security is a fundamental part of a country`s national security. Access to affordable, environmentally sustainable energy is a stabilizing force and is in the world community`s best interest. The current global energy situation however is not sustainable and has many complicating factors. The primary goal for government energy policy should be to provide stability and predictability to the market. This paper differentiates between short-term and long-term issues and argues that although the options for addressing the short-term issues are limited, there is an opportunity to alter the course of long-term energy stability and predictability through research and technology development. While reliance on foreign oil in the short term can be consistent with short-term energy security goals, there are sufficient long-term issues associated with fossil fuel use, in particular, as to require a long-term role for the federal government in funding research. The longer term issues fall into three categories. First, oil resources are finite and there is increasing world dependence on a limited number of suppliers. Second, the world demographics are changing dramatically and the emerging industrialized nations will have greater supply needs. Third, increasing attention to the environmental impacts of energy production and use will limit supply options. In addition to this global view, some of the changes occurring in the US domestic energy picture have implications that will encourage energy efficiency and new technology development. The paper concludes that technological innovation has provided a great benefit in the past and can continue to do so in the future if it is both channels toward a sustainable energy future and if it is committed to, and invested in, as a deliberate long-term policy option.
Microfabricated electro-optical-mechanical systems are expected to play an important role in future biomedical, biochemical and environmental technologies. Semiconductor photonic materials and devices are attractive components of such systems because of their ability to generate, transmit, modulate, and detect light. In this paper the authors report investigations of light-emitting semiconductor/glass microcavities filled with simple fluids. They examine surface tension for transporting liquids into the intracavity space and study the influence of the liquid on the spectral emission of the microcavity.
Advanced device technologies such as Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) and diffractive micro lenses can be obtained with novel packaging techniques to allow low-power interconnection of parallel optical signals. These interconnections can be realized directly on circuit boards, in a multi-chip module format, or in packages that emulate electrical connectors. For applications such as stacking of Multi-Chip Module (MCM) layers, the links may be realized in bi-directional form using integrated diffractive microlenses. In the stacked MCM design, consumed electrical power is minimized by use of a relatively high laser output from high efficiency VCSELs, and a receiver design that is optimized for low power, at the expense of dynamic range. Within certain constraints, the design may be extended to other forms such as board-level interconnects.
One of the principal applications of monolithically integrated micromechanical/microelectronic systems has been accelerometers for automotive applications. As integrated MEMS/CMOS technologies such as those developed by U.C. Berkeley, Analog Devices, and Sandia National Laboratories mature, additional systems for more sensitive inertial measurements will enter the commercial marketplace. In this paper, the authors will examine key technology design rules which impact the performance and cost of inertial measurement devices manufactured in integrated MEMS/CMOS technologies. These design parameters include: (1) minimum MEMS feature size, (2) minimum CMOS feature size, (3) maximum MEMS linear dimension, (4) number of mechanical MEMS layers, (5) MEMS/CMOS spacing. In particular, the embedded approach to integration developed at Sandia will be examined in the context of these technology features. Presently, this technology offers MEMS feature sizes as small as 1 {micro}m, CMOS critical dimensions of 1.25 {micro}m, MEMS linear dimensions of 1,000 {micro}m, a single mechanical level of polysilicon, and a 100 {micro}m space between MEMS and CMOS. This is applicable to modern precision guided munitions.
An experimental signature for detecting spontaneous lateral composition modulation in a (InAs){sub n}/(GaAs){sub n} short period superlattice on a InP substrate based on magnetoexciton spectroscopy is presented. The authors find by aligning the magnetic field in three crystallographic directions, one parallel to and the other two perpendicular to the composition modulation direction, that the magnetoexciton shifts are anisotropic and are a good indicator for the presence of composition modulation.
MACCS2 represents a major enhancement of the capabilities of its predecessor MACCS, the MELCOR Accident Consequence Code System. MACCS, released in 1987, was developed to estimate the potential impacts to the surrounding public of severe accidents at nuclear power plants. The principal phenomena considered in MACCS/MACCS2 are atmospheric transport and deposition under time-variant meteorology, short-term and long-term mitigative actions and exposure pathways, deterministic and stochastic health effects, and economic costs. MACCS2 was developed as a general-purpose analytical tool applicable to diverse reactor and nonreactor facilities. The MACCS2 package includes three primary enhancements: (1) a more flexible emergency response model, (2) an expanded library of radionuclides, and (3) a semidynamic food-chain model. In addition, errors that had been identified in MACCS version1.5.11.1 were corrected, including an error that prevented the code from providing intermediate-phase results. MACCS2 version 1.10 beta test was released to the beta-test group in May, 1995. In addition, the University of New Mexico (UNM) has completed an independent verification study of the code package. Since the beta-test release of MACCS2 version 1.10, a number of minor errors have been identified and corrected, and a number of enhancements have been added to the code package. The code enhancements added since the beta-test release of version 1.10 include: (1) an option to allow the user to input the {sigma}{sub y} and {sigma}{sub z} plume expansion parameters in a table-lookup form for incremental downwind distances, (2) an option to define different initial dimensions for up to four segments of a release, (3) an enhancement to the COMIDA2 food-chain model preprocessor to allow the user to supply externally calculated tables of tritium food-chain dose per unit deposition on farmland to support analyses of tritium releases, and (4) the capability to calculate direction-dependent doses.
The constraints on assembly plans vary depending on the product, assembly facility, assembly volume, and many other factors. This paper describes the principles and implementation of a framework that supports a wide variety of user-specified constraints for interactive assembly planning. Constraints from many sources can be expressed on a sequencing level, specifying orders and conditions on part mating operations in a number of ways. All constraints are implemented as filters that either accept or reject assembly operations proposed by the planner. For efficiency, some constraints are supplemented with special-purpose modifications to the planner`s algorithms. Replanning is fast enough to enable a natural plan-view-constrain-replan cycle that aids in constraint discovery and documentation. We describe an implementation of the framework in a computer-aided assembly planning system and experiments applying the system to several complex assemblies. 12 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs.
We demonstrate that computer-generated diffractive optical elements can be used to synthesize the infrared spectra of real compounds. In particular, we describe a modified phase-retrieval algorithm that we have used to design diffractive elements of this type and we present experimental results for a diffractive optic which is capable of synthesizing the infrared spectrum of HF between 3600 cm{sup -1} and 4300 cm{sup -1}. The reflection-mode diffractive optic consists of 4096 lines, each 4.5 {mu}m wide, at 16 discrete depths relative to the substrate (from 0 to 1.2 {mu}m), and was fabricated on a silicon wafer using anisotropic reactive ion-beam etching in a four-mask-level process. We propose the use of such elements to replace reference cells in a new type of correlation spectroscopy that we call {open_quotes}holographic correlation spectroscopy.{close_quotes} Storage of a large number of diffractive elements, each producing a synthetic spectrum corresponding to a different target compound, in compact disk-like format, will allow a spectrometer of this type to rapidly determine the composition of unknown samples. Further, this approach can be used to perform correlation-based measurements of hazardous or transient species, for which conventional correlation spectroscopy is impractical.
A system for automatic tool path generation was developed at Sandia National Laboratories for finish machining operations. The system consists of a commercially available 5-axis milling machine controlled by Sandia developed software. This system was used to remove overspray on cast turbine blades. A laser-based, structured-light sensor, mounted on a tool holder, is used to collect 3D data points around the surface of the turbine blade. Using the digitized model of the blade, a tool path is generated which will drive a 0.375 inch diameter CBN grinding pin around the tip of the blade. A fuzzified digital filter was developed to properly eliminate false sensor readings caused by burrs, holes and overspray. The digital filter was found to successfully generate the correct tool path for a blade with intentionally scanned holes and defects. The fuzzified filter improved the computation efficiency by a factor of 25. For application to general parts, an adaptive scanning algorithm was developed and presented with simulation results. A right pyramid and an ellipsoid were scanned successfully with the adaptive algorithm.
Although the Cold War has ended, the world has not become more peaceful. Without the stability provided by an international system dominated by two super-powers, local conflicts are more likely to escalate. Agreements to counter destabilizing pressures in regional conflicts can benefit from the use of cooperative monitoring. Cooperative monitoring is the collecting, analyzing, and sharing of information among parties to an agreement. Ground sensor technologies can contribute to the collection of relevant information. If implemented with consideration for local conditions, cooperative monitoring can build confidence, strengthen existing agreements, and set the stage for continued progress. This presentation describes two examples: the Israeli-Egyptian Sinai agreements of the 1970s and a conceptual example for the contemporary Korean Peninsula. The Sinai was a precedent for the successful use of UGS within the context of cooperative monitoring. The Korean Peninsula is the world`s largest military confrontation. Future confidence building measures that address the security needs of both countries could decrease the danger of conflict and help create an environment for a peace agreement.
A Sunstove Organization`s Sunstove was tested at Sandia`s Solar Thermal Test Facility. It was instrumented with five type K thermocouples to determine warm-up rates when empty and when a pot containing two liters of water was placed inside. It reached inside air temperatures above 115{degrees}C (240{degrees}F). It heated two liters of water from room temperature to 80{degrees}C (175{degrees}F) in about two hours. Observations were made on the cooling and reheating rates during a cloud passage. The adverse effects of wind on the operation of the solar oven were also noted.
A Burns-Milwaukee Sun Oven was tested at Sandia`s Solar Thermal Test Facility. It was instrumented with five type K thermocouples to determine warm-up rates when empty and when a pot containing two liters of water was placed inside. It reached inside air temperatures above 160{degrees}C (320{degrees}F). It heated two liters of water from room temperatures to 80{degrees}C, (175{degrees}F), in 75 minutes. Observations were also made on the cooling and reheating rates during a cloud passage. The adverse effects of wind on operation of the solar oven was also noted.
The Molina Member of the Wasatch Formation produces natural gas from several fields along the Colorado River in the Piceance Basin, northwestern Colorado. The Molina Member is a distinctive sandstone that was deposited in a unique fluvial environment of shallow-water floods. This is recorded by the dominance of plane-parallel bedding in many of the sandstones. The Molina sandstones crop out on the western edge of the basin, and have been projected into the subsurface and across the basin to correlate with thinner sandy units of the Wasatch Formation at the eastern side of the basin. Detailed study, however, has shown that the sedimentary characteristics of the type-section Molina sandstones are incompatible with a model in which the eastern sandstones are its distal facies equivalent. Rather, the eastern sandstones represent separate and unrelated sedimentary systems that prograded into the basin from nearby source-area highlands. Therefore, only the subsurface {open_quotes}Molina{close_quotes} reservoirs that are in close proximity to the western edge of the basin are continuous with the type-section sandstones. Reservoirs in the Grand Valley and Rulison gas fields were deposited in separate fluvial systems. These sandstones contain more typical fluvial sedimentary structures such as crossbeds and lateral accretion surfaces. Natural fractures play an important role in enhancing the conductivity and permeability of the Molina and related sandstones of the Wasatch Formation.
An automated system is being developed for handling large payloads of radioactive nuclear materials in an analytical laboratory. The automation system performs unpacking and repacking of payloads from shipping and storage containers, and delivery of the payloads to the stations in the laboratory. The system uses machine vision and force/torque sensing to provide sensor-based control of the automation system in order to enhance system safety, flexibility, and robustness, and achieve easy remote operation. The automation system also controls the operation of the laboratory measurement systems and the coordination of them with the robotic system. Particular attention has been given to system design features and analytical methods that provide an enhanced level of operational safety. Independent mechanical gripper interlock and tool release mechanisms were designed to prevent payload mishandling. An extensive Failure Modes and Effects Analysis of the automation system was developed as a safety design analysis tool.
Algorithms have been developed allowing operation of robotic systems under damaged conditions. Specific areas addressed were optimal sensor location, adaptive nonlinear control, fault-tolerant robot design, and dynamic path-planning. A seven-degree-of-freedom, hydraulic manipulator, with fault-tolerant joint design was also constructed and tested. This report completes this project which was funded under the Laboratory Directed Research and Development program.
The design of an effective physical protection system includes the determination of physical protection system objectives, initial design of a physical protection system, design evaluation, and probably a redesign or refinement. To develop the objectives, the designer must begin by gathering information about facility operation and conditions, such as a comprehensive description of the facility, operating conditions, and the physical protection requirements. The designer then needs to define the threat. This involves considering factors about potential adversaries: class of adversary, adversary`s capabilities, and range of adversary`s tactics. Next, the designer should identify targets. Determination of whether or not the materials being protected are attractive targets is based mainly on the ease or difficulty of acquisition and desirability of the material. The designer now knows the objectives of the physical protection system, that is, {open_quotes}what to protect against whom.{close_quotes} The next step is to design the system by determining how best to combine such elements as fences, vaults, sensors and assessment devices, entry control elements, procedures, communication devices, and protective forces personnel to meet the objectives of the system. Once a physical protection system is designed, it must be analyzed and evaluated to ensure it meets the physical protection objectives. Evaluation must allow for features working together to ensure protection rather than regarding each feature separately. Due to the complexity of the protection systems, an evaluation usually requires modeling techniques. If any vulnerabilities are found, the initial system must be redesigned to correct the vulnerabilities and a reevaluation conducted. This paper reviews the physical protection system design and methodology mentioned above. Examples of the steps required and a brief introduction to some of the technologies used in modem physical protections system are given.
Applications for high current (> 1 kA) ion beams are increasing. They include hardening of material surfaces, transmutation of radioactive waste, cancer treatment, and possibly driving fusion reactions to create energy. The space-charge of ions limits the current that can be accelerated in a conventional ion linear accelerator (linac). Furthermore, the accelerating electric field must be kept low enough to avoid the generation and acceleration of counter-streaming electrons. These limitations have resulted in ion accelerator designs that employ long beam lines and would be expensive to build. Space-charge neutralization and magnetic insulation of the acceleration gaps could substantially reduce these two limitations, but at the expense of increasing the complexity of the beam physics. We present theory and experiments to determine the degree of charge-neutralization that can be achieved in various environments found in ion accelerators. Our results suggest that, for high current applications, space-charge neutralization could be used to improve on the conventional ion accelerator technology. There are two basic magnetic field geometries that can be used to insulate the accelerating gaps, a radial field or a cusp field. We will present studies related to both of these geometries. We shall also present numerical simulations of {open_quotes}multicusp{close_quotes} accelerator that would deliver potassium ions at 400 MeV with a total beam power of approximately 40 TW. Such an accelerator could be used to drive fusion.
The Downhole Dynamometer Database is a compilation of test data collected with a set of five downhole tools built by Albert Engineering under contract to Sandia National Laboratories. The downhole dynamometer tools are memory tools deployed in the sucker rod string with sensors to measure pressure, temperature, load, and acceleration. The acceleration data is processed to yield position, so that a load vs. position dynagraph can be generated using data collected downhole. With five tools in the hole at one time, all measured data and computed dynagraphs from five different positions in the rod string are available. The purpose of the Database is to provide industry with a complete and high quality measurement of downhole sucker rod pumping dynamics. To facilitate use of the database, Sandia has developed a Microsoft Windows-based interface that functions as a visualizer and browser to the more than 40 MBytes of data. The interface also includes a data export feature to allow users to extract data from the database for use in their own programs. Following a brief description of the downhole dynamometer tools, data collection program, and database content, this paper will illustrate a few of the interesting and unique insights gained from the downhole data.
