Maintenance Performance Indicators (PI) specify where the maintenance department is and which direction it is going allowing for a quick and accurate assessment of the performance of the Maintenance Management Program (MMP). Establishing PI`s for the maintenance department will allow a measure of productivity and a means of feedback for methods improvement. Effective performance of the maintenance department directly effects plant profitability. Improvements in the quality and productivity of the maintenance work force will significantly reduce maintenance costs. The level of performance attained by the maintenance work force is usually guessed at. Guessing will not identify areas needing improvement or help to initiate a corrective action. Maintenance PI`s are required for maintenance departments whose goal is to control maintenance costs while increasing productivity. The application of basic statistical methods will allow a maintenance department to know where they are and which direction they are going. The data presented in this paper is a representation of indicators used in industry as well as developed indicators to establish a complete maintenance performance indicator program. The methodology used in developing this program can be used as a way to manage a cost effective maintenance management program.
Nuclear reactor-pumped lasers (RPLs) have been developed in the US by the Department of Energy for over two decades, with the primary research occurring at Sandia National Laboratories and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The US program has experimentally demonstrated reactor-pumped lasing in various mixtures of xenon, argon, neon, and helium at wavelengths of 585, 703, 725, 1,271, 1,733, 1,792, 2,032, 2,630, 2,650, and 3,370 nm with intrinsic efficiency as high as 2.5%. The major strengths of a reactor-pumped laser are continuous high-power operation, modular construction, self-contained power, compact size, and a variety of wavelengths (from visible to infrared). These characteristics suggest numerous applications not easily accessible to other laser types. The continuous high power of an RPL opens many potential manufacturing applications such as deep-penetration welding and cutting of thick structures, wide-area hardening of metal surfaces by heat treatment or cladding application, wide-area vapor deposition of ceramics onto metal surfaces, production of sub-micron sized particles for manufacturing of ceramics, and 3-D ceramic lithography. In addition, a ground-based RPL could beam its power to space for such activities as illuminating geosynchronous communication satellites in the earth`s shadow to extend their lives, beaming power to orbital transfer vehicles, removing space debris, and providing power (from earth) to a lunar base during the long lunar night.
Investigations are being performed on a high current (16 kA), mildly relativistic (400kV), L-band klystron source. Experiments are in an early stage, and thus far have progressed to beam modulation studies. This paper discusses general klystron design considerations, beam propagation results, initial modulation results, and various extraction techniques being considered.
Calculational results are presented here for a class of intermediate-velocity penetration problems. The problems of interest involve penetration of moderate-strength target materials by high-strength projectiles. Two series of metal penetration experiments and a series of concrete slab perforation tests were simulated in this study. The computer code used for the calculations was the CTH code, which employs a recently-developed ``boundary layer`` algorithm for treating penetration problems such as these.
This report presents an application of probabilistic models and risk based criteria for determining the risk impact of the Limiting Conditions of Operations (LCOs) in the Technical Specifications (TSs) of a boiling water reactor during shutdown. This analysis studied the risk impact of the current requirements of Allowed Outage Times (AOTs) and Surveillance Test Intervals (STIs) in eight Plant Operational States (POSs) which encompass power operations, shutdown, and refueling. This report also discusses insights concerning TS action statements.
Becoming aware of the significant changes of the past several years and their effect on the expectations to international safeguards, it is necessary to reflect on which direction the development of nuclear safeguards in a new era needs to take. The time-proven monitoring techniques, based on quantitative factors and demonstrated universal application, have shown their merit. However, the new expectations suggest a possibility that a future IAEA safeguards, system could rely more heavily on the value of a comprehensive, transparent, and open implementation regime. Within such a regime, the associated measures need to be determined and technological support identified. This paper will identify proven techniques which, with appropriate implementation support, could most quickly make available additional measures for a comprehensive, transparent and open implementation regime. In particular, it will examine the future of remote monitoring in International Safeguards, and provide an update on the International Remote Monitoring Project and related implications.
This paper presents an overview of the Nuclear Electric Propulsion Space Test Program (NEPSTP). The program goals, the proposed mission, the spacecraft, and the Topaz II space nuclear power system are described. The subject of flight qualification is examined and the inherent difficulties of qualifying a space reactor are described. The differences between US and Russian flight qualification procedures are explored. A plan is then described that was developed to determine an appropriate flight qualification program for the Topaz II reactor to support a possible NEPSTP launch. Refocusing of the activities of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO), combined with budgetary pressures, forced the cancellation of the NEPSTP at the end of the 1993 fiscal year.
Thin film decoupling capacitors consisting of submicron thick, sol-gel Pb(Zr,Ti)O{sub 3} layers between Pt electrodes on a Si substrate have recently been developed. Because the capacitor structure needs to be only {approximately}3 {mu}m thick, these devices offer advantages such as decreased package volume and ability to integrate so that interconnect inductance is decreased, which allows faster IC processing rates. To fully utilize these devices, techniques of integrating them onto packages such as multi-chip modules and printed wiring boards or onto IC dies must be developed. The results of our efforts at developing integration processes for these capacitors are described here. Specifically, we have demonstrated a process for printing solder on the devices at the Si wafer level and reflowing it to form bumps and have developed a process for fabricating the devices on thin (25 to 75 {mu}m) substrates to facilitate integration onto ICs and printed wiring boards. Finally, we assessed the feasibility of fabricating the devices on rough surfaces to determine whether it would be possible to fabricate these capacitors directly on multi-layer ceramic substrates.
In this paper, I review the significant issues and the development of solar concentrators and thermal receivers for central-receiver power plants and dish/engine systems. Due to the breadth of the topic area, I have arbitrarily narrowed the content of this paper by choosing not to discuss line-focus (trough) systems and energy storage. I will focus my discussion on the development of heliostats, dishes, and receivers since the 1970s with an emphasis on describing the technologies and their evolution, identifying some key observations and lessons learned, and suggesting what the future in component development may be.
A new class of inorganic ion exchangers, called crystalline silicotitanates (CSTs), has been prepared at Sandia National Laboratories and Texas A&M University. CSTs have been determined to have high selectivity for the adsorption of Cs and Sr, and several other radionuclides from highly alkaline, high-sodium supernate solutions such as those found at Westinghouse Hanford (WHC). Continuous flow, ion-exchange columns are expected to be used to remove Cs and other radionuclides from the Hanford tank supernate. The proposed application for the CST would be Cs removal from highly alkaline salt solutions in a single pass process with interim storage of the Cs loaded CST until the glass vitrification plant is operational. This paper presents test results which address material requirements relevant for Hanford radwaste processing. This paper also discusses the integrated experimental and modeling approach being developed to establish the performance of the CST materials for the range of solution compositions and processing conditions which are expected to occur. The status on the commercialization of the CST material is also discussed.
Grid partitioning is the method of choice for decomposing a wide variety of computational problems into naturally parallel pieces. In problems where computational load on the grid or the grid itself changes as the simulation progresses, the ability to repartition dynamically and in parallel is attractive for achieving higher performance. We describe three algorithms suitable for parallel dynamic load-balancing which attempt to partition unstructured grids so that computational load is balanced and communication is minimized. The execution time of algorithms and the quality of the partitions they generate are compared to results from serial partitioners for two large grids. The integration of the algorithms into a parallel particle simulation is also briefly discussed.
This paper describes and evaluates operational experiences with the Accident Response Mobile Manipulation System (ARMMS) during simulated accident site salvage operations which might involve nuclear weapons. The ARMMS is based upon a teleoperated mobility platform with two Schilling Titan 7F Manipulators.
The cost of most photovoltaic (PV) systems is more a function of the balance of system (BOS) components than the collectors. The exception to this rule is the grid-tied system whose cost is related more directly to the collectors, and secondarily to the inverter/controls. In fact, recent procurements throughout the country document that collector costs for roof-mounted, utility-tied systems (Russell, PV Systems Workshop, 7/94) represent 60% to 70% of the system cost. This contrasts with the current market for packaged stand-alone all PV or PV-hybrid systems where collectors represent only 25% to 35% of the total. Not only are the BOS components the cost drivers in the current cost-effective PV system market place, they are also the least reliable components. This paper discusses the impact that BOS issues have on component performance, system performance, and system cost and reliability. We will also look at recent recommended changes in system design based upon performance evaluations of fielded PV systems.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has supported the development of solar thermal electric (STE) technology since the early 1970s. From its inception, the program has held a long-term goal of nurturing STE technologies from the research and development (R&D) stage through technology development, ultimately leading to commercialization. Within the last few years, the focus of this work -has shifted from R&D to cost-shared cooperative projects with industry. These projects are targeted not just at component development, but at complete systems, marketing approaches, and commercialization plans. This changing emphasis has brought new industry into the program and is significantly accelerating solar thermal`s entry into the marketplace. Projects such as Solar Two in the power tower area, a number of dish/Stirling joint ventures in the modular power area, and operations and maintenance (O&M) cost reduction studies will be discussed as examples of this new focus.
Sandia National Laboratories has designed, constructed and operated bare metal Godiva-type and pool-type pulse reactors since 1961. The reactor facilities were designed to support a wide spectrum of research, development, and testing activities associated with weapon and reactor systems.
Hazardous operations which have in the past been completed by technicians are under increased scrutiny due to high costs and low productivity associated with providing protective clothing and environments. As a result, remote systems are needed to accomplish many hazardous materials handling tasks such as the clean-up of waste sites in which the exposure of personnel to radiation, chemical, explosive and other hazardous constituents is unacceptable. Computer models augmented by sensing, and structured, modular computing environments are proving effective in automating many unstructured hazardous tasks. Work at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has focused on applying flexible automation (robotics) to meet the needs of the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE). Dismantling facilities, environmental remediation, and materials handling in changing, hazardous environments lead to many technical challenges. Computer planning, monitoring and operator assistance shorten training cycles, reduce errors, and speed execution of operations. Robotic systems that re-use well-understood generic technologies can be much better characterized than robotic systems developed for a particular application, leading to a more reliable and safer systems. Further safety in robotic operations results from use of environmental sensors and knowledge of the task and environment. Collision detection and avoidance is achieved from such sensor integration and model-based control. This paper discusses selected technologies developed at SNL for use within the USDOE complex that have been or are ready for transfer to government and industrial suppliers. These technologies include sensors, sub-systems, and the design philosophy applied to quickly integrate them into a working robotic system. This paper represents the work of many people at the Intelligent Systems and Robotics Center at SNL, to whom the credit belongs.
The Hypervelocity Experimental Research Database (HERD) described in this paper was developed to aid researchers with code validation for impacts that occur at velocities faster than the testable regime. Codes of concern include both hydrocodes and fast-running analytical or semi-empirical models used to predict the impact phenomenology and damage that results to projectiles and targets. There are several well documented experimental programs that can serve as benchmarks for code validation; these are identified and described. Recommendations for further experimentation (a canonical problem) to provide validation data are also discussed.
Radar imaging and detection of objects buried in soil has potentially important applications in the areas of nonproliferation of weapons, environmental monitoring, hazardous-waste site location and assessment, and even archeology. In order to understand and exploit this potential, it is first necessary to understand how the soil responds to an electromagnetic wave, and how targets buried within the soil scatter the electromagnetic wave. We examine the response of the soil to a short pulse, and illustrate the roll of the complex dielectric permittivity of the soil in determining radar range resolution. This leads to a concept of an optimum frequency and bandwidth for imaging in a particular soil. We then propose a new definition for radar cross section which is consistent with the modified radar equation for use with buried targets. This radar cross section plays the same roll in the modified radar equation as the traditional radar cross section does in the free-space radar equation, and is directly comparable to it. The radar cross section of several canonical objects in lossy media is derived, and examples are given for several object/soil combinations.
The National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA conducts testing of solar thermal components and systems, funded primarily by the US Department of Energy. Activities are conducted in support of Central Receiver Technology, Distributed Receiver Technology and Design Assistance projects. All activities are performed in support of various cost-shared government/industry joint ventures and, on a design assistance basis, in support of a number of other industry partners.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), in cooperation with nuclear power plant utilities and the Nuclear Energy Institute, have prepared equipment aging evaluations of nuclear power plant equipment for life extension considerations. Specifically, these evaluations focused on equipment considered important for plant license renewal (U.S. Code of Federal Regulations 10CFR54). {open_quotes}Industry Reports{close_quotes} (IRs), jointly funded by DOE and EPRI, evaluated the aging of major systems, structures, and components (e.g., reactor pressure vessels, Class I structures, PWR and BWR containments, etc.) and contain a mixture of technical and licensing information. {open_quotes}Aging Management Guidelines{close_quotes} (AMGs), funded by DOE, evaluate aging for commodity types of equipment (e.g., pumps, electrical switchgear, heat exchangers, etc.) and concentrate on technical issues only. AMGs are intended for systems engineers and plant maintenance staff. A significant number of technical issues were resolved during IR interactions with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). However, certain technical issues have not been resolved and are considered {open_quotes}open{close_quotes}. Examples include certain issues related to fatigue, neutron irradiation embrittlement, intergranular stress corrosion cracking (IGSCC) and electrical cable equipment qualification. Direct NRC interaction did not take place during preparation of individual AMGs due to their purely technical nature. The eventual use of AMGs in a future license renewal application will likely require NRC interaction at that time. With a few noted exceptions, the AMG process indicated that current aging management practices of U.S. utilities were effective in preventing age-related degradation. This paper briefly describes the IR and AMG processes and summarizes the unresolved technical issues identified through preparation of the documents.
The role of force measurements in vibration testing is discussed. The rational for a vibration test based on the extremal control of force and acceleration is developed. The differences between force measurements in vibration testing and modal testing is discussed. Several methods for estimating the input force in a vibration test are outlined.
A dynamic simulator of the TOPAZ II reactor system has been developed for the Nuclear Electric Propulsion Space Test Program. The simulator is a self-contained IBM-PC compatible based system that executes at a speed faster than real-time. The simulator combines first-principle modeling and empirical correlations in its algorithm to attain the modeling accuracy and computational through-put that are required for real-time execution. The overall execution time of the simulator for each time step is 15 ms when no data is written to the disk, and 18 ms when nine double precision data points are written to the disk once in every time step. The simulation program has been tested and it is able to handle a step decrease of $8 worth of reactivity. It also provides simulation of fuel, emitter, collector, stainless steel, and ZrH moderator failures. Presented in this paper are the models used in the calculations, a sample simulation session, and a discussion of the performance and limitations of the simulator. The simulator has been found to provide realistic real-time dynamic response of the TOPAZ II reactor system under both normal and causality conditions.
This is the final report of a program to develop a commercial, high-efficiency, low-cost concentrator solar cell compatible with Spectrolab`s existing manufacturing infrastructure for space solar cells. The period covered is between 1991 and 1993. The program was funded through Sandia National Laboratories through the DOE concentrator initiative and, was also cost shared by Spectrolab. As a result of this program, Spectrolab implemented solar cells achieving an efficiency of over 19% at 200 to 300X concentration. The cells are compatible with DOE guidelines for a cell price necessary to achieve a cost of electricity of 12 cents a kilowatthour.
The theoretical and numerical background for the finite element computer program, COYOTE II, is presented in detail. COYOTE II is designed for the multi-dimensional analysis of nonlinear heat conduction problems and other types of diffusion problems. A general description of the boundary value problems treated by the program is presented. The finite element formulation and the associated numerical methods used in COYOTE II are also outlined. Instructions for use of the code are documented in SAND94-1179; examples of problems analyzed with the code are provided in SAND94-1180.
Four commercial exterior fiber optic intrusion detection sensors installed in a gravel test bed have been evaluated. These are the FOIDS models 1000 and 500, Sabreline, and Fiber SenSys model M106E. In addition, FOIDS models 1000 and 500 installed on a fence were evaluated. The data was obtained from a perimeter sensor test field in Albuquerque.
User instructions are given for the finite element computer program, COYOTE II. COYOTE II is designed for the multi-dimensional analysis of nonlinear heat conduction problems including the effects of enclosure radiation and chemical reaction. The theoretical background and numerical methods used in the program are documented in SAND94-1173. Examples of the use of the code are presented in SAND94-1180.
This study identifies technologies required to extend the capabilities of airborne light detection and ranging (lidar) systems and establish the feasibility of autonomous space-based lidars. Work focused on technologies that enable the development of a lightweight, low power, rugged and autonomous Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) instruments. Applications for airborne or space-based DIAL include the measurement of water vapor profiles in support of climate research and processing-plant emissions signatures for environmental and nonproliferation monitoring. A computer-based lidar performance model was developed to allow trade studies to be performed on various technologies and system configurations. It combines input from the physics (absorption line strengths and locations) of the problem, the system requirements (weight, power, volume, accuracy), and the critical technologies available (detectors, lasers, filters) to produce the best conceptual design. Conceptual designs for an airborne and space-based water vapor DIAL, and a detailed design of a ground-based water vapor DIAL demonstration system were completed. Future work planned includes the final testing, integration, and operation of the demonstration system to prove the capability of the critical enabling technologies identified.
The shock-loading of natural materials by an impact or explosion can result in the formation of modified and altered phases. In order to characterize the resulting material and to evaluate the extent of shock modification, the authors have used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to examine several experimentally shocked minerals. In three related NMR studies, they have (1) examined shocked clinoptilolite, (2) performed a preliminary analysis of shocked quartz, and (3) reproduced shocked quartz results with detailed spectral deconvolutions, and extended it with NMR analysis of shocked feldspar powders.
During July-September, 1993, Sandia National Laboratories, in cooperation with Far West Capital, drilled a 4000 feet exploratory slimhole (3.9 inch diameter) in the Steamboat Hills geothermal field near Reno, Nevada. This well was part of Sandia`s program to evaluate slimholes as a geothermal exploration tool. During and after drilling the authors performed four series of production and injection tests while taking downhole (pressure-temperature-spinner) and surface (wellhead pressure and temperature, flow rate) data. In addition to these measurements, the well`s data set includes: continuous core (with detailed log); borehole televiewer images of the wellbore`s upper 500 feet; daily drilling reports from Sandia and from drilling contractor personnel; daily drilling fluid record; numerous temperature logs; and comparative data from production and injection wells in the same field. This report contains: (1) a narrative account of the drilling and testing, (2) a description of equipment used, (3) a brief geologic description of the formation drilled, (4) a summary and preliminary interpretation of the data, and (5) recommendations for future work.
This report documents the characterization of thin copper films grown at Sandia as part of on-going research in copper CVD involving Sandia and Schumacher, Inc. The films have been grown using the copper (1) CVD precursor (hfac)Cu(TMVS), which was first developed by Schumacher and has been supplied to Sandia by that company. The CVD was performed using a novel technique in which direct liquid coinjection of (hfac)Cu(TMVS) and TMVS (trimethylvinylsilane) into a commercial reactor is utilized. Films were deposited onto silicon nitride substrates at temperatures in the range of 220-250{degrees}C, with growth rates in the range of 400-800 {angstrom}/min. These films have been analyzed by a variety of techniques, with an emphasis on factors that may influence the resistivity, including thickness, purity, density, grain size, and stress. The authors show that these films have as-deposited resistivities of 1.86 {+-} 0.1 {mu}{Omega}-cm, or 1.82 {+-} 0.1 {mu}{Omega}-cm after accounting for surface scattering effects. The latter value is only 0.14 {mu}{Omega}-cm above the value for high purity bulk copper. The authors discuss factors that may account for this residual resistivity. They also discuss the effects of film surface roughness on film thickness and resistivity measurements, noting some potential problems associated with the commonly used surface profilometry technique. These results help to establish (hfac)Cu(TMVS) as one of the most promising available copper CVD precursors for metallization applications.
A Zinc/Air Battery Review and Strategic Planning Meeting was held in 1993. One outcome of the meeting was recognition of the need for a report on the current status of the technology. This report contains contributions from many of the attendees at the above meeting and expresses their views on where the technology is today and what could/should be done to improve its performance.
As the product requirements are defined, business processes and procedures should be redeveloped in order to fully realize the benefits of the product. Process Quality Management Improvement (PQMI) can be used as a methodology to redevelop business processes and procedures for an organization. Business processes and procedures are an integral part of the Product Realization Process (PRP). This document focuses on the development of business processes and procedures. The business processes and procedures should be developed concurrently with the product. This enables the product and project as a whole to be transitioned smoothly and successfully. Without business processes and procedures to back up the changes brought with the new product, the product will not be used to its full potential and the transition will not be as smooth. Developing business processes and procedures lends itself to the PQMI methodology because PQMI calls for all the information needed to develop business processes and procedures and ensures the business processes and procedures are developed in a quality manner. The PQMI steps are: (1) Establishing process management responsibilities; (2) Defining Processes and Identifying Customer Requirements; (3) Defining and Establishing Measures; (4) Assessing Conformance to Customer Requirements; (5) Investigating Processes to Identify Improvement Opportunities; (6) Ranking Improvement Opportunities and Setting Objectives; and (7) Improving Process Quality. The successful implementation of a product can be attributed to the standardization of business processes and procedures. These business processes and procedures describe in detail the day to day operations of a project. The development of business processes and procedures provide and environment for agile product realization.
A specially designed ultrahigh vacuum in situ surface analysis and wetting system has been constructed to study the spreading of liquid metal solders on carefully prepared and well-characterized solid substrates. Initial studies have been completed for the spreading of pure tin solder on copper substrates in the absence of any fluxing agent. Surface chemical analysis by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed the air-exposed surface to consisted of about 3 nm of Cu{sub 2}O, while the as-received surface consisted of about 8 nm of Cu{sub 2}O. The sputter-cleaned surface contained less than one monolayer (0.3 nm) of Cu{sub 2}O. Sample surfaces were prepared and spreading experiments performed without intermediate exposure of the surfaces to contaminating atmospheres. Solder spreading was performed under 50 torr of highly purified helium gas to allow for adequate thermal coupling between the solder and the substrate. Spreading experiments utilizing a linear temperature ramp show that pure tin solder spreads readily on oxidized copper surfaces at elevated temperatures. The initiation temperature for rapid tin spreading on the as-received copper surface was 325{degrees}C, similar to the temperature where isothermal spreading changes activation energy or rate. Decreasing the thickness of the oxide on the surface lowered the observed temperature for the initiation of spreading and increased the rate of spreading. On the sputter-cleaned copper surface, rapid solder spreading was observed immediately upon melting of the solder.
Sandia recently completed an updated strategic plan, the essence of which is presented in chapter 4. Sandia`s Strategic Plan 1994 takes its direction from DOE`s Fueling a Competitive Economy: Strategic Plan and provides tangible guidance for Sandia`s programs and operations. Although it is impossible to foresee precisely what activities Sandia will pursue many years from now, the strategic plan makes one point clear: the application of our scientific and engineering skills to the stewardship of the nation`s nuclear deterrent will be central to our service to the nation. We will provide the necessary institutional memory and continuity, experience base, and technical expertise to ensure the continued safety, security, and reliability of the nuclear weapons stockpile. As a multiprogram laboratory, Sandia will also continue to focus maximum effort on a broad spectrum of other topics consistent with DOE`s enduring core mission responsibilities: Defense (related to nuclear weapons), Energy, Environment (related to waste management and environmental remediation), and Basic Science.
The Department of Energy Order 5500.3A requires facility-specific hazards assessments be prepared, maintained, and used for emergency planning purposes. This hazards assessment document describes the chemical and radiological hazards associated with the Sandia Lightning Simulation Facility, Building 888. The entire inventory was screened according to the potential airborne impact to onsite and offsite individuals. The air dispersion model, ALOHA, estimated pollutant concentrations downwind from the source of a release, taking into consideration the toxicological and physical characteristics of the release site, the atmospheric conditions, and the circumstances of the release. The greatest distance at which a postulated facility event will produce consequences exceeding the Early Severe Health Effects threshold is 23 meters. The highest emergency classification is a Site Area Emergency. The Emergency Planning Zone is 65 meters.
The Yucca Mountain Project, managed by the U.S. Department of Energy, is examining the feasibility of siting a repository for high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain on and adjacent to the Nevada Test Site. As part of the site characterization, a series of in situ thermomechanical experiments are planned, which are to be conducted in the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF). In this report, the results of preliminary analyses of three of the in situ thermomechanical experiments are presented. The major objective of these analyses was to determine the boundaries of the thermally perturbed zones surrounding each of the experiments. The boundaries of the thermal zones needs to be known in order to avoid test interference between the experiments planned for the ESF. A second objective of these analyses was to calculate the displacements and stresses associated with the experiments, in order to advance the planning of the experiments.
EXODUS II is a model developed to store and retrieve data for finite element analyses. It is used for preprocessing (problem definition), postprocessing (results visualization), as well as code to code data transfer. An EXODUS II data file is a random access, machine independent, binary file that is written and read via C, C++, or Fortran library routines which comprise the Application Programming Interface (API).
The CuPt-type ordering and dopant effects of In{sub 0.5}Ga{sub 0.5}P/GaAs epitaxial layers have been studied using spectroscopic ellipsometry and transmission electron microscopy. The degree of ordering was estimated by both transmission electron diffraction and direct band edge, E{sub 0}. Conventional lineshape fitting of E{sub 1}, E{sub 1}+{Delta}{sub 1}, and E{sub 2} gaps using the second derivative of pseudo dielectric functions shows that the peak position and oscillator strength of the E{sub 1} gap are basically a function of CuPt-type ordering whereas their broadening and phase depend mainly on carrier concentration. The decrease of E{sub 1} gap is explained in terms of CuPt-type ordering. In contrast to the E{sub 1} gap, all the lineshape parameters of the E{sub 2} gap depend mainly on CuPt-type ordering. This difference is discussed in terms of apparent {open_quotes}CuAu-type ordering{close_quotes} or Y2 structure which was observed by transmission electron diffraction.
A new die-level packaging technology, mBGA, is reported in this paper. The mBGA enables high circuit packaging density on multichip module (MCM), facilitates die testing to obtain ``known good die,`` and allows a cost effective module assembly. We have designed and fabricated a test vehicle to evaluate mBGA multichip module technology. This paper describes the mBGA technology and the test vehicle multichip module and reports preliminary results on the die test and burn-in, thermal performance and reliability studies.
The IC test industry has struggled for more than 30 years to establish a test approach that would guarantee a low defect level to the customer. We propose a comprehensive strategy for testing CMOS ICs that uses defect classes based on measured defect electrical properties. Defect classes differ from traditional fault models. Our defect class approach requires that the test strategy match the defect electrical properties, while fault models require that IC defects match the fault definition. We use data from Sandia Labs failure analysis and test facilities and from public literature. We describe test pattern requirements for each defect class and propose a test paradigm.
Several experimental melts were conducted using a moving mold electroslag remelting furnace. The conditions of electrode immersion depth, slag cap thickness, and melt current were varied. Mold wall temperatures and slag pool temperatures were measured and the heat flux through the mold wall was calculated. The relationships between varying ESR melt parameters and the resultant thermal conditions were examined. The thermal profile of the mold, the heat transfer to the mold coolant total and fractional, and the formation of a slag skin were studied.
There currently exists a critical need for tools to enhance the industrial competitiveness and agility of US industries involved in deformation processing of structural alloys. In response to this need, Sandia National Laboratories has embarked upon the QuikForm Initiative. The goal of this program is the development of computer-based tools to facilitate the design of deformation processing operations. The authors are currently focusing their efforts on the definition/development of a comprehensive system for the design of sheet metal stamping operations. The overall structure of the proposed QuikForm system is presented, and the focus of their thrust in each technical area is discussed.
The authors are working to understand why predictions of degradation behaviors and rates, based on accelerated thermal aging experiments, often fail to match with aging of polymers under service conditions. A main goal of these studies is to develop more reliable lifetime prediction methodologies.
Hydrous Metal Oxides (HMOs) are chemically synthesized materials which contain a homogeneous distribution of ion exchangeable alkali cations that provide charge compensation to the metal-oxygen framework. Both the presence of these alkali cations and the resulting high cation exchange capacities (4-5 meq/g) clearly set these HMO materials apart from conventional precipitated hydrous oxides. For catalyst applications, the HMO material serves as an ion exchangeable support which facilitates the uniform incorporation of catalyst precursor species. Following catalyst precursor incorporation, an activation step is required to convert the catalyst precursor to the desired active phase. Considerable process development activities at Sandia National Laboratories related to HMO materials have resulted in bulk silica-doped hydrous titanium oxide (HTO:Si)-supported NiMo catalysts that are more active in model compound reactions than commercial NiMo catalysts. These reactions, e.g. pyrene hydrogenation, simulate direct coal liquefaction. However, extension of this process to produce NiMo/HTO:Si catalyst coatings on commercial supports is of interest for liquefaction applications since overall catalyst cost can be reduced and bulk HTO:Si mechanical limitations can be circumvented. In the present effort, NiMo/HTO:Si has been evaluated for hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) of coal derived liquids. NiMo/HTO:Si catalysts have been evaluated in both bulk (unsupported) form and a supported form on commercial alumina extrudates.
Degradation in nMOS transistors from gate oxide shorts is dependent upon oxide trapping and interface state generation. Three distinct damage mechanisms were identified, including generation of: (1) electron traps in the bulk oxide by the injected holes, N{sub ox,h}, (2) electron traps in the bulk oxide by the injected electrons, N{sub ox,e}, and (3) interface states, N{sub ss}. The three damage mechanisms are incorporated into a device lifetime prediction method.
Procedures for trajectory planning and control of flexible link robots are becoming increasingly important to satisfy performance requirements of hazardous waste removal efforts. It has been shown that utilizing link flexibility in designing open loop joint commands can result in improved performance as opposed to damping vibration throughout a trajectory. The efficient use of link compliance is exploited in this work. Specifically, experimental verification of minimum time, straight line tracking using a two-link planar flexible robot is presented. A numerical optimization process, using an experimentally verified modal model, is used for obtaining minimum time joint torque and angle histories. The optimal joint states are used as commands to the proportional-derivative servo actuated joints. These commands are precompensated for the nonnegligible joint servo actuator dynamics. Using the precompensated joint commands, the optimal joint angles are tracked with such fidelity that the tip tracking error is less than 2.5 cm.
Technologies for the demilitarization and disposal of conventional munitions and energetic materials are presented. A hazard separation system has been developed to remove hazardous subcomponents before processing. Electronic component materials separation processes have been developed that provide for demilitarization as well as the efficient recycling of materials. Energetic materials demilitarization and disposal using plasma arc and molten metal technologies are currently being investigated. These regulatory compliant technologies will allow the recycling of materials and will also provide a waste form suitable for final disposal.
A new dimensionless parameter model for continuous wave laser welding that relates the size of the weld to the energy absorbed by the part is described. The model has been experimentally validated previously through calorimetric determinations of the net heat input and metallographic measurements of the weld size. It will be shown that both the melting efficiency and energy transfer efficiency for LBW are quite variable and need to be considered when selecting processing conditions. Specific applications will be detailed in order to observe the simplicity and value of the model in laser weld process development. It will be shown that by using certain dimensionless parameters one can determine the energy transfer efficiency and thereby correctly select processing conditions that more fully utilize the available laser output power. In applications where minimizing heat input to the surrounding weldment is paramount, the dimensionless parameters can be used to select conditions that maximize melting efficiency.
Artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been shown capable of simulating the behavior of complex, nonlinear, systems, including structural systems. Under certain circumstances, it is desirable to simulate structures that are analyzed with the finite element method. For example, when we perform a probabilistic analysis with the Monte Carlo method, we usually perform numerous (hundreds or thousands of) repetitions of a response simulation with different input and system parameters to estimate the chance of specific response behaviors. In such applications, efficiency in computation of response is critical, and response simulation with ANNs can be valuable. However, finite element analyses of complex systems involve the use of models with tens or hundreds of thousands of degrees of freedom, and ANNs are practically limited to simulations that involve far fewer variables. This paper develops a technique for reducing the amount of information required to characterize the response of a general structure. We show how the reduced information can be used to train a recurrent ANN. Then the trained ANN can be used to simulate the reduced behavior of the original system, and the reduction transformation can be inverted to provide a simulation of the original system. A numerical example is presented.
Photoluminescence measurements on ordered InGaP{sub 2} were studied as a function of temperature, laser power density, and magnetic field. The temperature varied between 1.4 and 300 K, the laser power densities ranged from 10 nW/cm{sup 2} to 20 W/cm{sup 2}, and the maximum magnetic field was 13.6 T. The data show both excitonic and band-to-band behavior, depending upon the incident laser power density. A consistent interpretation of all data leads to a type-II valence-band offset between the ordered domains.
Conduction and valence-band dispersion curves determined by magnetoluminescence are presented for n-type InGaAs/GaAs strained-single-quantum well structures. The magnetic field range was 0 to 30 tesla, and the temperature varied between 4.2 and 77.4 K.
Thickness shear mode (TSM) quartz resonators operating in a new {open_quotes}Lever oscillator{close_quotes} circuit are used as monitors for critical automotive fluids. These monitors respond to the density and viscosity of liquids contacting the quartz surface. Sensors have been developed for determining the viscosity characteristics of engine lubricating oil, the state-of-charge of lead-acid storage batteries, and the concentration variations in engine coolant.
The goal of this project is to gain an understanding of the fundamental mechanisms and processes occurring in low pressure, partially ionized plasmas and their interactions with materials. Emphasis is placed on: understanding the basic atomic and molecular physics that is occurring within the plasma bulk and sheath, understanding the relation of the collective plasma dynamics to the internal atomic processes, developing the ability to perform computer simulations of the plasmas as to both Collective dynamics and inclusion of atomic properties, and analyzing the response of the materials to the plasma and how the plasma might be tailored to obtain a given effect at the material surface.
Severe reactor accident scenarios involving air ingression into the reactor coolant system are described. Evidence from modem reactor accident analyses and from the accident at Three Mile Island show residual fuel will be present in the core region when air ingression is possible. This residual fuel can interact with the air. Exploratory calculations with the MELCOR code of station blackout accidents during shutdown conditions and during operations are used to examine clad oxidation by air and ruthenium release from fuel in air. Extensive ruthenium release is predicted when air ingression rates exceed about 10 moles/s. Past studies of air interactions with irradiated reactor fuel are reviewed. Effects air ingression may have on fission product release, transport, deposition and revaporization are discussed. Perhaps the most important effects of air ingression are expected to be enhanced release of ruthenium from the fuel and the formation of copious amounts of aerosol from uranium oxide vapors. Revaporization of iodine and tellurium retained in the reactor coolant system might be expected.
The authors report major deviations in the electron effective mass m* near the partial energy gap, or minigap, formed in strongly coupled double quantum wells (QWs) by an anticrossing of the two QW dispersion curves. The anticrossing and minigap are induced by an in-plane magnetic field B{sub {parallel}} and give rise to large distortions in the Fermi surface and density of states, including a Van Hove singularity. Sweeping B{sub {parallel}} moves the minigap through the Fermi level, with the upper and lower gap edges producing a sharp maximum and minimum in the low-temperature in-plane conductance, in agreement with theoretical calculations. The temperature dependence of Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations appearing in a tilted magnetic field yield a decreased m* {le} 1/3 m*{sub GaAs} near the upper gap edge, and indicate an increase in m* near the lower gap edge.
The PP code is a graphics post-processor and plotting program for EQ6, a popular reaction-path code. PP runs on personal computers, allocates memory dynamically, and can handle very large reaction path runs. Plots of simple variable groups, such as fluid and solid phase composition, can be obtained with as few as two keystrokes. Navigation through the list of reaction path variables is simple and efficient. Graphics files can be exported for inclusion in word processing documents and spreadsheets, and experimental data may be imported and superposed on the reaction path runs. The EQ6 thermodynamic database can be searched from within PP, to simplify interpretation of complex plots.
The Global Verification and Location System (GVLS) is a satellite based communication package proposed for the Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIR satellites. This system provides the capability to relay bursts of information from small, low power mobile transmitters to command and control facilities. Communication paths through multiple GPS satellites within the field of view allow location of the transmitter using time difference of arrival (TDOA) techniques. Alternately, the transmitter can transmit its own location if known by various other means. Intended applications include determination of the status and location of high-valued assets such as shipments of proliferation-sensitive nuclear materials and treaty-limited items or downed air crews and special operations forces in need of extraction from hostile territory. GVLS provides an enabling technology which can be applied to weapon impact location. The remote transmitter is small and light enough to be integrated into a weapon delivery vehicle, such as a cruise missile, and requires power only during the last second of flight. The antenna is a conformal patch design, therefore minimizing aerodynamic considerations. Precise impact locations are determined by the GVLS system and can be communicated to responsible commands in near real time allowing rapid bomb damage assessment and retargeting without the typical delays of overhead reconnaissance. Since burst data communication is used, weapon status immediately prior to impact can be transmitted providing knowledge of proper arming sequence and other pertinent information. If desired, periodic bursts can be transmitted while in flight, enabling in-course tracking of the weapon. If fully deployed, the GVLS system would consist of communication relays on 24 GPS satellites, five ground stations deployed worldwide, and portable base stations for authorized users to receive and display locations and contents of their transmissions.
Sandia National Laboratories has one of the largest integrated robotics laboratories in the United States. Projects include research, development, and application of one-of-a-kind systems, primarily for the Department of Energy (DOE) complex. This work has been underway for more than 10 years. It began with on-site activities that required remote operation, such as reactor and nuclear waste handling. Special purpose robot systems were developed using existing commercial manipulators and fixtures and programs designed in-house. These systems were used in applications such as servicing the Sandia pulsed reactor and inspecting remote roof bolts in an underground radioactive waste disposal facility. In the beginning, robotics was a small effort, but with increasing attention to the use of robots for hazardous operations, efforts now involve a staff of more than 100 people working in a broad robotics research, development, and applications program that has access to more than 30 robotics systems.
For future planetary science missions, the authors are developing a series of microinstruments using the techniques of silicon-based micromachining. Conventional instruments such as chemical sensors, charged particle analyzers and mass spectrometers are reduced in size and effective volume to the dimension of cubic centimeters, while maintaining or enhancing performance. Using wafer/wafer bonding techniques, selective chemical etching, thin Film growth, and high resolution lithography, complex three dimensional structures can be assembled. This paper discusses the design, implementation and performance of two new instruments: The Micromachined Bessel Box Auger Electron Spectrometer, and the Mars Soil Chemistry Experiment (MOx).
The US Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for disposing of a variety of radioactive and mixed wastes, some of which are considered special-case waste because they do not currently have a clear disposal option. The DOE`s Nevada Field Office contracted with Sandia National Laboratories to investigate the possibility of disposing of some of this special-case waste at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). As part of this investigation, a review of a near-surface and subsurface disposal options that was performed to develop alternative disposal configurations for special-case waste disposal at the NTS. The criteria for the review included (1) configurations appropriate for disposal at the NTS; (2) configurations for disposal of waste at least 100 ft below the ground surface; (3) configurations for which equipment and technology currently exist; and (4) configurations that meet the special requirements imposed by the nature of special-case waste. Four options for subsurface disposal of special-case waste are proposed: mined consolidated rock, mined alluvium, deep pits or trenches, and deep boreholes. Six different methods for near-surface disposal are also presented: earth-covered tumuli, above-grade concrete structures, trenches, below-grade concrete structures, shallow boreholes, and hydrofracture. Greater confinement disposal (GCD) in boreholes at least 100 ft deep, similar to that currently practiced at the GCD facility at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site at the NTS, was retained as the option that met the criteria for the review. Four borehole disposal configurations are proposed with engineered barriers that range from the native alluvium to a combination of gravel and concrete. The configurations identified will be used for system analysis that will be performed to determine the disposal configurations and wastes that may be suitable candidates for disposal of special-case wastes at the NTS.
Over the last 20 years, a family of lowpass filters has been developed to eliminate electromechanical interference from power and signal lines in weapon systems. Since its inception, Sprague Electric in North Adams, Massachusetts, has produced this family of components on a line dedicated solely to these devices. Although at least seven other companies produce similar filters, suppliers are unwilling to build small quantities of components in a manner that is incompatible with their standard methods and equipment. The ability to fabricate products in small quantities on an occasional basis is an important factor in component development, and compatibility with commercially available devices enhances that ability. The Mil-F-28861/5 specifications, developed by the Defense Electronic Parts Supply Center, describe filters similar to those of the MC family. This report documents the evaluation of Mil-F-28861/5 filters acquired from the eight suppliers and serves as a basis for further development of specifications and suppliers.
The Environmental Restoration Program at Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM) is tasked with performing assessments and cleanup of waste sites that belong to SNL. SNL`s waste sites are divided into several activities. Septic Tanks and Drainfields (STD) is an activity that includes 23 different sites at SNL/NM. All these sites may have released hazardous wastes into the soil from drains or sewers of buildings. The STD sites must be assessed and, if necessary, remediated according to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action process. A modeling study has been completed to help prioritize the sites for future field investigation based on the risk that each site may pose to human health and the environment. Two of the influences on the risk to human health and environment are addressed in this study--the fluid disposal volume and groundwater depth. These two parameters, as well as several others, were used as input into a computer model to calculate groundwater travel time to the water table. The computer model was based on Darcy`s Law and a simple mass balance. To account for uncertainty in the input parameters, a Monte Carlo approach was used to determine the travel times; 1,000 realizations were completed to determine the travel time for each site. The range assigned to each of the input parameters was sampled according to an assigned statistical distribution using the Latin Hypercube Method to arrive at input for the calculations. The groundwater travel times resulting from these calculations were used to rank the sites for future field investigation.
Minimum detectable irradiance levels for a diffraction grating based laser sensor were calculated to be governed by clutter noise resulting from reflected earth albedo. Features on the earth surface caused pseudo-imaging effects on the sensor`s detector arras that resulted in the limiting noise in the detection domain. It was theorized that a custom aperture transmission function existed that would optimize the detection of laser sources against this clutter background. Amplitude and phase aperture functions were investigated. Compared to the diffraction grating technique, a classical Young`s double-slit aperture technique was investigated as a possible optimized solution but was not shown to produce a system that had better clutter-noise limited minimum detectable irradiance. Even though the double-slit concept was not found to have a detection advantage over the slit-grating concept, one interesting concept grew out of the double-slit design that deserved mention in this report, namely the Barker-coded double-slit. This diffractive aperture design possessed properties that significantly improved the wavelength accuracy of the double-slit design. While a concept was not found to beat the slit-grating concept, the methodology used for the analysis and optimization is an example of the application of optoelectronic system-level linear analysis. The techniques outlined here can be used as a template for analysis of a wide range of optoelectronic systems where the entire system, both optical and electronic, contribute to the detection of complex spatial and temporal signals.
This revision updates Sandia`s working standard for testing optical fiber and unshielded twisted pair cables included in the Lab-wide telecommunications cabling infrastructure. The purpose of these standard testing procedures is to deliver to all Sandians a reliable, low-maintenance, state-of-the-art, ubiquitous telecommunications cabling infrastructure capable of satisfying all current and future telecommunication needs.
The definitions of source terms to reactor containments and source terms to the environment are discussed. A comparison is made between the TID-14844 example source term and the alternative source term described in NUREG-1465. Comparisons of these source terms to the containments and those used in France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and the United Kingdom are made. Source terms to the environment calculated in NUREG-1500 and WASH-1400 are discussed. Again, these source terms are compared to those now being used in France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It is concluded that source terms to the containment suggested in NUREG-1465 are not greatly more conservative than those used in other countries. Technical bases for the source terms are similar. The regulatory use of the current understanding of radionuclide behavior varies among countries.
Bellows are an integral part of the containment pressure boundary in nuclear power plants. They are used at piping penetrations to allow relative movement between piping and the containment wall, while minimizing the load imposed on the piping and wall. Piping bellows are primarily used in steel containments; however, they have received limited use in some concrete (reinforced and prestressed) containments. In a severe accident they may be subjected to pressure and temperature conditions that exceed the design values, along with a combination of axial and lateral deflections. A test program to determine the leak-tight capacity of containment penetration bellows is being conducted under the sponsorship of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission at Sandia National Laboratories. Several different bellows geometries, representative of actual containment bellows, have been subjected to extreme deflections along with pressure and temperature loads. The bellows geometries and loading conditions are described along with the testing apparatus and procedures. A total of thirteen bellows have been tested, all in the `like-new` condition. (Additional tests are planned of bellows that have been subjected to corrosion.) The tests showed that bellows are capable of withstanding relatively large deformations, up to, or near, the point of full compression or elongation, before developing leakage. The test data is presented and discussed.
This report presents the results of three fire endurance tests and one ampacity derating test set of the fire barrier system Thermo-Lag 330-1 Subliming Coating. Each test was performed using cable tray specimens protected by a nominal three-hour fire barrier envelope comprised of two layers of nominal 1/2 inch thick material. The fire barrier systems for two of the three fire endurance test articles and for the ampacity derating test article were installed in accordance with the manufacturer`s installations procedures. The barrier system for the third fire endurance test article was a full reproduction of one of the original manufacturer`s qualification test articles. This final test article included certain installation enhancements not considered typical of current nuclear power plant installations. The primary criteria for fire endurance performance evaluation was based on cable circuit integrity testing. Secondary consideration was also given to the temperature rise limits set forth in the ASTM E119 standard fire barrier test procedure. All three of the fire endurance specimens failed prematurely. Circuit integrity failures for the two fire endurance test articles with procedures-based installations were recorded at approximately 76 and 59 minutes into the exposures for a 6 inch wide and 12 inch wide cable tray respectively. Temperature excursion failures (single point) for these two test articles were noted at approximately 65 and 56 minutes respectively. The first circuit integrity failure for the full reproduction test article was recorded approximately 119 minutes into the exposure, and the first temperature excursion failure for this test article was recorded approximately 110 minutes into the exposure.
An application protocol is an information systems engineering view of a specific product. The view represents an agreement on the generic activities needed to design and fabricate the product, the agreement on the information needed to support those activities, and the specific constructs of a product data standard for use in transfering some or all of the information required. This applications protocol describes the data for electrical and electronic products in terms of a product description standard called the Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES). More specifically, the Layered Electrical Product IGES Application Protocol (AP) specifies the mechanisms for defining and exchanging computer-models and their associated data for those products which have been designed in two dimensional geometry so as to be produced as a series of layers in IGES format. The AP defines the appropriateness of the data items for describing the geometry of the various parts of a product (shape and location), the connectivity, and the processing and material characteristics. Excluded is the behavioral requirements which the product was intended to satisfy, except as those requirements have been recorded as design rules or product testing requirements.
Remediation of waste from Underground Storage Tanks (UST) at Hanford will require the use of large remotely controlled equipment. Inherent safety methods need to be identified and incorporated into the retrieval system to prevent contact damage to the UST or to the remediation equipment. This report discusses the requirements for an adequate protection system and reviews the major technologies available for inclusion in a damage protection system. The report proposes that adequate reliability of a protection system can be achieved through the use of two fully-independent subsafety systems. Safety systems technologies reviewed were Force/Torque Sensors, Overload Protection Devices, Ultrasonic Sensors, Capacitance Sensors, Controller Software Limit Graphic Collision Detection, and End Point Tracking. A relative comparison between retrieval systems protection technologies is presented.
Horizontal drilling is a viable approach for accessing hydrocarbons in many types of naturally-fractured reservoirs. Cost-effective improvements in the technology to drill, complete, and produce horizontal wells in difficult geologic environments require a better understanding of the mechanical and fluid-flow behavior of these reservoirs with changes ineffective stress during their development and production history. In particular, improved understanding is needed for predicting borehole stability and reservoir response during pore pressure drawdown. To address these problems, a cooperative project between Oryx Energy Company and Sandia National Laboratories was undertaken to study the effects of rock properties, in situ stress, and changes in effective stress on the deformation and permeability of stress sensitive, naturally-fractured reservoirs. A low value for the proelastic parameter was found, implying that the reservoir should have a low sensitivity to declining pore pressure. A surprisingly diverse suite of fractures was identified from core. From the coring-induced fractures, it was plausible to conclude that the maximum principal stress was in the horizontal plane. Measurements on permeability of naturally fractured rock in a newly-developed experimental arrangement showed that slip on fractures is much more effective inchangingpcrtncability than is normal stress. The intermediate principal stress was found to have a strong effect, on the strength and ductility of the chalk, implying the need for a more sophisticated calculation of borehole stability.
This study investigates the high frequency response of Faraday effect optical fiber current sensors that are bandwidth-limited by the transit time of the light in the fiber. Mathematical models were developed for several configurations of planar (collocated turns) and travelling wave (helical turns) singlemode fiber sensor coils, and experimental measurements verified the model predictions. High frequency operation above 500 MHz, with good sensitivity, was demonstrated for several current sensors; this frequency region was not previously considered accessible by fiber devices. Planar fiber coils in three configurations were investigated: circular cross section with the conductor centered coaxially; circular cross section with the conductor noncentered; and noncircular cross section with arbitrary location of the conductor. The helical travelling wave fiber coils were immersed in the dielectric of a coaxial transmission line to improve velocity phase matching between the field and light. Three liquids (propanol, methanol, and water) and air were used as transmission line dielectric. Complete models, which must account for liquid dispersion and waveguide dispersion from the multilayer dielectric in the transmission line, were developed to describe the Faraday response of the travelling wave sensors. Other travelling wave current sensors with potentially greater Faraday sensitivity, wider bandwidth and smaller size are investigated using the theoretical models developed for the singlemode fibers coils.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for disposing of a variety of radioactive and mixed wastes, some of which are considered special-case waste because they do not currently have a clear disposal option. It may be possible to dispose of some of the DOE`s special-case waste using greater confinement disposal techniques at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The DOE asked Sandia National Laboratories to investigate this possibility by performing system configuration analyses. The first step in performing system configuration analyses is to estimate the characteristics of special-case waste that might be destined for disposal at the NTS. The objective of this report is to characterize this special-case waste based upon information available in the literature. No waste was sampled and analyzed specifically for this report. The waste compositions given are not highly detailed, consisting of grains and curies of specific radionuclides per cubic meter. However, such vague waste characterization is adequate for the purposes of the system configuration task. In some previous work done on this subject, Kudera et al. [1990] identified nine categories of special-case radioactive waste and estimated volumes and activities for these categories. It would have been difficult to develop waste compositions based on the categories proposed by Kudera et al. [1990], so we created five groups of waste on which to base the waste compositions. These groups are (1) transuranic waste, (2) fission product waste, (3) activation product waste, (4) mobile/volatile waste, and (5) sealed sources. The radionuclides within a given group share common characteristics (e.g., alpha-emitters, heat generators), and we believe that these groups adequately represent the DOE`s special-case waste potentially destined for greater confinement disposal at the NTS.
The purpose of the Reactor Pressure vessel Thermal Annealing Workshop was to provide a forum for US utilities and interested parties to discuss relevant experience and issues and identify potential solutions/approaches related to: An understanding of the potential benefits of thermal annealing for US commercial reactors; on-going technical research activities; technical aspects of a generic, full-scale, in-place vessel annealing demonstration; and the impact of economic, regulatory, and technical issues on the application of thermalannealingtechnology to US plants. Experts from the international nuclear reactor community were brought together to discuss issues regarding application of thermal annealing technology in the US and identify the steps necessary to commercialize this technology for US reactors. These proceedings contain all presentation materials discussed during the Workshop. Selected papers are indexed separately for inclusion in the Energy Science and Technology Database.
This SAND report summarizes the work completed for a Novel Project Research and Development LDRD project. In this research effort, new mathematical techniques from the theory of nonlinear generalized functions were applied to compute solutions of nonlinear hyperbolic field equations in nonconservative form. Nonconservative field equations contain products of generalized functions which are not defined in classical mathematics. Because of these products, traditional computational schemes are very difficult to apply and can produce erroneous numerical results. In the present work, existing first-order computational schemes based on results from the theory of nonlinear generalized functions were applied to simulate numerically two model problems cast in nonconservative form. From the results of these computational experiments, a higher-order Godunov scheme based on the piecewise parabolic method was proposed and tested. The numerical results obtained for the model problems are encouraging and suggest that the theory of nonlinear generalized functions provides a powerful tool for studying the complicated behavior of nonlinear hyperbolic field equations.
In situ design verification activities are being conducted in the North Ramp Starter Tunnel of the Yucca Mountain Project Exploratory Studies Facility. These activities include: monitoring the construction blasting, evaluating the damage to the rock mass associated with construction, assessing the rock mass quality surrounding the tunnel, monitoring the performance of the installed ground support, and monitoring the stability of the tunnel. In this paper, examples of the data that have been collected and preliminary conclusions from the data are presented.
The authors consider the following problem that arises in assembly planning: given an assembly, identify a subassembly that can be removed as a rigid object without disturbing the rest of the assembly. This is the assembly partitioning problem. Specifically, they consider planar assemblies of simple polygons and subassembly removal paths consisting of a single finite translation followed by a translation to infinity. They show that such a subassembly and removal path can be determined in O(n{sup 1.46}N{sup 6}) time, where n is the number of polygons in the assembly and N is the total number of edges and vertices of all the parts together. They then extend this formulation to removal paths consisting of a small number of finite translations, followed by a translation to infinity. In this case the algorithm runs in time polynomial in the number of parts, but exponential in the number of translations a path may contain.
Magnetoluminescence determined conduction-band and valence-band dispersion curves are presented for n-type InGaAs/GaAs stained-single-quantum well structures. The magnetic field range was 0 to 30 tesla, and the temperature varied between 4.2 and 77.4 K.
Effects of frequency, temperature and hydrostatic pressure on dielectric properties, molecular relaxations, and phase transitions of PVDF and a copolymer with 30 mol % trifluoroethylene are discussed. Pressure causes large slowing down of the {beta} molecular relaxations as well as large increases in the, ferroelectric transition temperatures and melting points, but the magnitudes of the effects are different for the different transitions. These effects can be understood in terms of pressure-induced hindrance of the molecular motions and/or reorientations. A unique application of these polymers as time-resolved dynamic stress gauges based on PVDF studies under very high pressure shock compression is discussed.
Design improvements for the International Atomic Energy Agency`s Spent Fuel Attribute Tester, recommended on the basis of an optimization study, were incorporated into a new instrument fabricated under the Finnish Support Programme. The new instrument was tested at a spent fuel storage pool on September 8 and 9, 1993. The result of two of the measurements have been compared with calculations. In both cases the calculated and measured pulse height spectra in good agreement and the {sup 137}Cs gamma peak signature from the target spent fuel element is present.
NATO and former Warsaw Pact nations have agreed to allow overflights of their countries in the interest of easing world tension. The United States has decided to implement two C-135 aircraft with a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) that has a 3-meter resolution. This work is being sponsored by the Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) and will be operational in Fall 1995. Since the SAR equipment must be exportable to foreign nations, a 20-year-old UPD-8 analog SAR system was selected as the front-end and refurbished for this application by Loral Defense Systems. Data processing is being upgraded to a currently exportable digital design by Sandia National Laboratories. Amplitude and phase histories will be collected during these overflights and digitized on VHS cassettes. Ground stations will use reduction algorithms to process the data and convert it to magnitude-detected images for member nations. System Planning Corporation is presently developing a portable ground station for use on the demonstration flights. Aircraft integration into the C-135 aircraft is being done by the Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
We describe the design and fabrication of two types of solid state moisture sensors, and discuss the results of an evaluation of the sensors for the detection of trace levels of moisture in semiconductor process gases. The first sensor is based on surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology. A moisture sensitive layer is deposited onto a SAW device, and the amount of moisture adsorbed on the layer produces a proportional shift in the operating frequency of the device. Sensors based on this concept have excellent detection limits for moisture in inert gas (100 ppb) and corrosive gas (150 ppb in HCl). The second sensor is a simple capacitor structure that uses porous silicon as a moisture-sensitive dielectric material. The detection limits of these sensors for moisture in inert gas are about 700 ppb prior to HCl exposure, and about 7 ppm following HCl exposure.
Several basic reasons are given to support the position that an integrated, systems methodology entailing probabilistic assessment offers the best means for addressing the problems in software safety. The recognized hard problems in software safety, or safety per se, and some of the techniques for hazard identification and analysis are then discussed relative to their specific strengths and limitations. The paper notes that it is the combination of techniques that will lead to safer systems, and that more experience, examples, and applications of techniques are needed to understand the limits to which software safety can be assessed. Lastly, some on-going project work at Sandia National Laboratories on developing a solution methodology is presented
The Australian Safeguards Office (ASO) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) have sponsored work under a bilateral agreement to implement a Remote Monitoring System (RMS) at an Australian nuclear site operated by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO). The RMS, designed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), was installed in February 1994 at the Dry Spent Fuel Storage Facility (DSFSF) located at Lucas Heights, Australia. The RMS was designed to test a number of different concepts that would be useful for unattended remote monitoring activities. The DSFSF located in Building 27 is a very suitable test site for a RMS. The RMS uses a network of low cost nodes to collect data from a number of different sensors and security devices. Different sensors and detection devices have been installed to study how they can be used to complement each other for C/S applications. The data collected from the network will allow a comparison of how the various types of sensors perform under the same set of conditions. A video system using digital compression collects digital images and stores them on a hard drive and a digital optical disk. Data and images from the storage area are remotely monitored via telephone from Canberra, Australia and Albuquerque, NM, USA. These remote monitoring stations operated by ASO and SNL respectively, can retrieve data and images from the RMS computer at the DSFSF. The data and images are encrypted before transmission. The Remote Monitoring System field tests have been operational for six months with good test results. Sensors have performed well and the digital images have excellent resolution. The hardware and software have performed reliably without any major difficulties. This paper summarizes the highlights of the prototype system and the ongoing field tests.
An important aspect of insider protection in production facilities is the monitoring of the movement of special nuclear material (SNM) and personnel. One system developed at Sandia National Labs for this purpose is the Personnel and Material Tracking System (PAMTRAK). PAMTRAK can intelligently integrate different sensor technologies and the security requirements of a facility to provide a unique capability in monitoring and tracking SNM and personnel. Currently many sensor technologies are used to track the location of personnel and SNM inside a production facility. These technologies are generally intrusive; they require special badges be worn by personnel, special tags be connected to material, and special detection devices be mounted in the area. Video technology, however, is non-intrusive because it does not require that personnel wear special badges or that special tags be attached to SNM. Sandia has developed a video-based image processing system consisting of three major components: the Material Monitoring-Subsystem (MMS), the Personnel Tracking Subsystem (PTS) and the Item Recognition Subsystem (IRS). The basic function of the MMS is to detect movements of SNM, that occur in user-defined regions of interest (ROI) from multiple cameras; these ROI can be of any shape and size. The purpose of the PTS is to track location of personnel in an area using multiple cameras. It can also be used to implement the two-person rule or to detect unauthorized personnel in a restricted area. Finally, the IRS can be used for the recognition and inventory of SNM in a working area. It can also generate a log record on the status of each SNM. Currently the MMS is integrated with PAMTRAK to complement other monitoring technologies in the system. The paper will discuss the system components and their implementations, and describe current enhancements as well as future work.
Sticky foam is an extremely tacky, tenacious material used to entangle and impair an individual. It was developed at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) in the late 1970`s for usage in nuclear safeguards and security applications. In late 1992, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research arm of the Department of Justice, began a project with SNL to determine the applicability of sticky foam for law enforcement usage. The objectives of the project were to develop a dispenser capable of firing sticky foam, to conduct an extensive toxicology review of sticky foam (formulation SF-283), to test the developed dispenser and sticky foam effectiveness on SNL volunteers acting out prison and law enforcement scenarios, and to have the dispenser and sticky foam further evaluated by correctional representatives. This paper discusses the results of the project.
MOS oxides have been fabricated by oxidation of silicon in N{sub 2}O. Processes studied include oxidation in N{sub 2}O alone, and two-step oxidation in O{sub 2} followed by N{sub 2}O. For both oxides, a nitrogen-rich layer with a peak N concentration of {approximately} 0.5 at. % is observed at the Si-SiO{sub 2} interface with SIMS. Electrical characteristics of N{sub 2}O oxides, such as breakdown and defect generation, are generally improved, especially for the two-step process. Drawbacks typically associated with NH{sub 3}-nitrided oxides such as high fixed oxide charge and enhanced electron trapping, are not observed in N{sub 2}O oxides, which is probably due to their smaller nitrogen content.
The Explosive Inventory and Information System (EIS) is being developed and implemented by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to incorporate a cradle to grave structure for all explosives and explosive containing devices and assemblies at SNL from acquisition through use, storage, reapplication, transfer or disposal. The system does more than track all material inventories. It provides information on material composition, characteristics, shipping requirements; life cycle cost information, plan of use; and duration of ownership. The system also provides for following the processes of explosive development; storage review; justification for retention; Resource, Recovery and Disposition Account (RRDA); disassembly and assembly; and job description, hazard analysis and training requirements for all locations and employees involved with explosive operations. In addition, other information systems will be provided through the system such as the Department of Energy (DOE) and SNL Explosive Safety manuals, the Navy`s Department of Defense (DoD) Explosive information system, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories (LLNL) Handbook of Explosives.
This paper describes a method of reducing the mechanical stress caused when a ferrite pot core is encapsulated in a rigid epoxy. the stresses are due to the differences of coefficient of thermal expansion between the two materials. A stress relief medium, phenolic micro-balloon-filled, syntactic polysulfide, is molded into the shape of the pot core. The molded polysulfide is bonded to the core prior to encapsulation. The new package design has made a significant difference in the ability to survive temperature cycles.
This paper provides an overview of the methodology used in a probabilistic transportation risk assessment conducted to assess the probabilities and consequences of inadvertent dispersal of radioactive materials arising from severe transportation accidents. The model was developed for the Defense Program Transportation Risk Assessment (DPTRA) study. The analysis incorporates several enhancements relative to previous risk assessments of hazardous materials transportation including newly-developed statistics on the frequencies and severities of tractor semitrailer accidents and detailed route characterization using the 1990 Census data.
Protecting sensitive items from undetected tampering in an unattended environment is crucial to the success of non-proliferation efforts relying on the verification of critical activities. Tamper Indicating Packaging (TIP) technologies are applied to containers, packages, and equipment that require an indication of a tamper attempt. Examples include: the transportation and storage of nuclear material, the operation and shipment of surveillance equipment and monitoring sensors, and the retail storage of medicine and food products. The spectrum of adversarial tampering ranges from attempted concealment of a pin-hole sized penetration to the complete container replacement, which would involve counterfeiting efforts of various degrees. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has developed a technology base for advanced TIP materials, sensors, designs, and processes which can be adapted to various future monitoring systems. The purpose of this technology base is to investigate potential new technologies, and to perform basic research of advanced technologies. This paper will describe the theory of TIP technologies and recent investigations of TIP technologies at SNL.
Becoming aware of the significant events of the past four years and their effect on the expectations to international safeguards, it is necessary to reflect on which direction the development of nuclear safeguards in a new era needs to take and the implications. The lime proven monitoring techniques, based on quantitative factor`s and demonstrated universal application, have shown their merit. However, the new expectations suggest a possibility that a future IAEA safeguards system could rely more heavily on the value of a comprehensive, transparent and open implementation regime. Within such a regime, the associated measures need to be determined and technological support identified. This paper will identify the proven techniques which, with appropriate implementation support, could most quickly make available additional measures for a comprehensive, transparent and open implementation regime. In particular, it will examine the future of Integrated Monitoring Systems and Remote Monitoring in international safeguards, including technical and other related factors.
The upgrade of the TEXTOR tokamak at KFA Juelich was recently completed. This upgrade extended the TEXTOR pulse length from 5 seconds to 10 seconds. The auxiliary heating was increased to a total of 8.0 MW through a combination of neutral beam injection and radio frequency heating. Originally, the inertially cooled armor tiles of the full toroidal belt Advanced Limiter Test -- II (ALT-II) were designed for a 5-second operation with total heating of 6.0 MW. The upgrade of TEXTOR will increase the energy deposited per pulse onto the ALT-II by about 300%. Consequently, the graphite armor tiles for the ALT-II had to be redesigned to avoid excessively high graphite armor surface temperatures that would lead to unacceptable contamination of the plasma. This redesign took the form of two major changes in the ALT-II armor tile geometry. The first design change was an increase of the armor tile thermal mass, primarily by increasing the radial thickness of each tile from 17 mm to 20 mm. This increase in the radial tile dimension reduces the overall pumping efficiency of the ALT-II pump limiter by about 30%. The reduction in exhaust efficiency is unfortunate, but could be avoided only by active cooling of the ALT-II armor tiles. The active cooling option was too complicated and expensive to be considered at this time. The second design change involved redefining the plasma facing surface of each armor tile in order to fully utilize the entire surface area. The incident charged particle heat flux was distributed uniformly over the armor tile surfaces by carefully matching the radial, poloidal and toroidal curvature of each tile to the plasma flow in the TEXTOR boundary layer. This geometry redefinition complicates the manufacturing of the armor tiles, but results in significant thermal performance gains. In addition to these geometry upgrades, several material options were analyzed and evaluated.
Disposition of electric vehicle (EV) batteries after they have reached the end of their useful life is an issue that could impede the widespread acceptance of EVs in the commercial market. This is especially true for advanced battery systems where working recycling processes have not as yet been established. The DOE sponsors an Ad Hoc Electric Vehicle Battery Readiness Working Group to identify barriers to the introduction of commercial EVs and to advise them of specific issues related to battery reclamation/recycling, in-vehicle battery safety, and battery shipping. A Sub-Working Group on the reclamation/recycle topic has been reviewing the status of recycling process development for the principal battery technologies that are candidates for EV use from the near-term to the long-term. Recycling of near-term battery technologies, such as lead-acid and nickel/cadmium, is occurring today and it is believed that sufficient processing capacity can be maintained to keep up with the large number of units that could result from extensive EV use. Reclamation/recycle processes for midterm batteries are partially developed. Good progress has been made in identifying processes to recycle sodium/sulfur batteries at a reasonable cost and pilot scale facilities are being tested or planned. A pre-feasibility cost study on the nickel/metal hydride battery also indicates favorable economics for some of the proposed reclamation processes. Long-term battery technologies, including lithium-polymer and lithium/iron disulfide, are still being designed and developed for EVs, so descriptions for prototype recycling processes are rather general at this point. Due to the long time required to set up new, full-scale recycling facilities, it is important to develop a reclamation/recycling process in parallel with the battery technologies themselves.
The Safeguards Information Management System initiative is a program of the Department of Energy`s (DOE) Office of Arms Control and Nonproliferation aimed at supporting the International Atomic Energy Agency`s (IAEA) efforts to strengthen safeguards through the enhancement of information management capabilities. The DOE hopes to provide the IAEA with the ability to correlate and analyze data from existing and new sources of information, including publicly available information, information on imports and exports, design information, environmental monitoring data, and non-safeguards information. The first step in this effort is to identify and define IAEA requirements. In support of this, we have created a users` requirements document based on interviews with IAEA staff that describes the information management needs of the end user projected by the IAEA, including needs for storage, retrieval, analysis, communication, and visualization of data. Also included are characteristics of the end user and attributes of the current environment. This paper describes our efforts to obtain the required information. We discuss how to accurately represent user needs and involve users for an international organization with a multi-cultural user population. We describe our approach, our experience in setting up and conducting the interviews and brainstorming sessions, and a brief discussion of what we learned.
An input shaping scheme originally used to slew flexible beams via a tabletop D.C. motor is modified for use with an industrial-type, hydraulic-drive robot. This trajectory generation method was originally developed to produce symmetric, rest-to-rest maneuvers of flexible rotating rods where the angular velocity vector and gravitational vector were collinear. In that configuration, out-of-plane oscillations were excited due to centripetal acceleration of the rod. The bang-coast-bang acceleration profile resulted in no oscillations in either plane at the end of the symmetric slew maneuver. In this paper, a smoothed version of the bang-coast-bang acceleration is used for symmetric maneuvers where the angular velocity vector is orthogonal to the gravitational vector. Furthermore, the hydraulic robot servo dynamics are considered explicitly in determining the input joint angle trajectory. An instrumented mass is attached to the tip of a flexible aluminum rod. The first natural frequency of this system is about 1.0Hz. Joint angle responses obtained with encoder sensors are used to identify the servo actuator dynamics.
Multidimensional thermal/chemical modeling is an essential step in the development of a predictive capability for cookoff of energetic materials in systems subjected to abnormal thermal environments. COYOTE II is a state-of-the-art two- and three-dimensional finite element code for the solution of heat conduction problems including surface-to-surface thermal radiation heat transfer and decomposition chemistry. Multistep finite rate chemistry is incorporated into COYOTE II using an operator-splitting methodology; rate equations are solved element-by-element with a modified matrix-free stiff solver, CHEMEQ. COYOTE II is purposely designed with a user-oriented input structure compatible with the database, the pre-processing mesh generation, and the post-processing tools for data visualization shared with other engineering analysis codes available at Sandia National Laboratories. As demonstrated in a companion paper, decomposition during cookoff in a confined or semi-confined system leads to significant mechanical behavior. Although mechanical effect are not presently considered in COYOTE II, the formalism for including mechanics in multidimensions is under development.
The molecular-scale species distributions and intermediate-scale structure of silicate sols influence the microstructures of the corresponding thin films prepared by dip-coating. Using multi-step hydrolysis procedures, the authors find that, depending on the sequence and timing of the successive steps, the species distributions (determined by {sup 29}Si NMR) and intermediate scale structure (determined by SAXS) can change remarkably for sols prepared with the same nominal composition. During film formation, these kinetic effects cause differences in the efficiency of packing of the silicate species, leading to thin film structures with different porosities.
VISAR (Velocity Interferometer System for Any Reflector) is a specialized Doppler interferometer system that is gaining world-wide acceptance as the standard for shock phenomena analysis. The VISAR`s large power and cooling requirements, and the sensitive and complex nature of the interferometer cavity has restricted the traditional system to the laboratory. This paper describes the new portable VISAR, its peripheral sensors, and the role it played in optically measuring ground shock of an underground nuclear detonation (UGT). The Solid State VISAR uses a prototype diode pumped Nd:YAG laser and solid state detectors that provide a suitcase-size system with low power requirements. A special window and sensors was developed for fiber optic coupling (1 kilometer long) to the VISCAR. The system has proven itself as reliable, easy to use instrument that is capable of field test use and rapid data reduction using only a notebook personal computer (PC).
The improvements in purity of molding materials, the IC wafer passivation layers, and manufacturing quality have resulted over the last decade in extremely high reliability in commercial IC packages. In contrast the ceramic/hermetic package world is suffering from limited availability of the newest IC chips, higher cost, larger size, and decreasing quality and fewer manufacturing lines. Traditional manufacturing line qualification tests are a good start for conversion to commercial plastic parts. However, the use of standard sensitive test chips instead of product die is necessary to perform affordable, quantitative evaluations. These test chips have many integrated sensors measuring chemical, mechanical, thermal, and electrical degradation caused by manufacturing and the package environment. Besides visual, electrical test, and burn-in little has been documented on 100% nondestructive screening of plastic molded parts. Based on realistic process control and system engineer cultural expectations, user screening is necessary. Nondestructive tests of moisture and temperature excursion susceptibility are described.
System behaviors can be accurately simulated using artificial neural networks (ANNs), and one that performs well in simulation of structural response is the radial basis function network. A specific implementation of this is the connectionist normalized linear spline (CNLS) network, investigated in this study. A useful framework for ANN simulation of structural response is the recurrent network. This framework simulates the response of a structure one step at a time. It requires as inputs some measures of the excitation, and the response at previous times. On output, the recurrent ANN yields the response at some time in the future. This framework is practical to implement because every ANN requires training, and this is executed by showing the ANN examples of correct input/output behavior (exemplars), and requiring the ANN to simulate this behavior. In practical applications, hundreds or, perhaps, thousands, of exemplars are required for ANN training. The usual laboratory and non-neural numerical applications to be simulated by ANNs produce these amounts of information. Once the recurrent ANN is trained, it can be provided with excitation information, and used to propagate structural response, simulating the response it was trained to approximate. The structural characteristics, parameters in the CNLS network, and degree of training influence the accuracy of approximation. This investigation studies the accuracy of structural response simulation for a single-degree-of-freedom (SDF), nonlinear system excited by random vibration loading. The ANN used to simulate structural response is a recurrent CNLS network. We investigate the error in structural system simulation.
We are improving the understanding of pulsed-power-driven ion diodes using measurements of the charged particle distributions in the diode anode-cathode (AK) gap. We measure the time - and space-resolved electric field in the AK gap using Stark-shifted Li I 2s-2p emission. The ion density in the gap is determined from the electric field profile and the ion current density. The electron density is inferred by subtracting the net charge density, obtained from the derivative of the electric field profile, from the ion density. The measured electric field and charged particle distributions are compared with results from QUICKSILVER, a 3D particle-in-cell computer code. The comparison validates the fundamental concept of electron build-up in the AK gap. However, the PBFA II diode exhibits considerably richer physics than presently contained in the simulation, suggesting improvements both to the experiments and to our understanding of ion diode physics.
The Arrhenius relation predicts a linear relation between log of time to property change and inverse absolute temperature, with the Arrhenius activation energy E{sub a} given from the slope. For a nitrile rubber, Arrhenius behavior is observed for elongation vs air-oven aging temperature, with a E{sub a} of 22 kcal/mol. Confidence in extrapolation to low temperatures can be increased by measuring oxygen consumption. From 95 to 52 C, the E{sub a} for oxygen consumption is identical to that for elongation; however, below 52 C, the E{sub a} for oxygen consumption drops slightly to 18 kcal/mol, indicating that the extrapolation assumption probably overestimates the tensile property lifetime by a factor of about 2 at 23 C.
Prosperity Games are an outgrowth and adaptation of move/countermove and seminar War Games. Prosperity Games are simulations that explore complex issues in a variety of areas including economics, politics, sociology, environment, education and research. These issues can be examined from a variety of perspectives ranging from a global, macroeconomic and geopolitical viewpoint down to the details of customer/supplier/market interactions in specific industries. All Prosperity Games are unique in that both the game format and the player contributions vary from game to game. This report documents the Prosperity Game conducted under the sponsorship of the Electronic Industries Association. Almost all of the players were from the electronics industry. The game explored policy changes that could enhance US competitiveness in the manufacturing of consumer electronics. Four teams simulated a presidentially appointed commission comprised of high-level representatives from government, industry, universities and national laboratories. A single team represented the foreign equivalent of this commission, formed to develop counter strategies for any changes in US policies. The deliberations and recommendations of these teams provide valuable insights as to the views of this industry concerning policy changes, foreign competition, and the development, delivery and commercialization of new technologies.
An assessment of the long term containment capabilities of a possible nuclear waste disposal site requires both an understanding of the hydrogeology of the region under consideration and an assessment of the uncertainties associated with this understanding. Stochastic simulation - the generation of random {open_quotes}realizations{close_quotes} of the regions hydrogeology, consistent with the available information, provides a way to incorporate various types of uncertainty into a prediction of a complex system response such as site containment capability. One statistical problem in stochastic simulation is: What features of the data should be {open_quotes}mimicked{close_quotes} in the realizations? The answer can depend on the application. A discussion is provided of some of the more common data features used in recent applications. These features include spatial covariance functions and measures of the connectivity of extreme values, as examples. Trends and new directions in this area are summarized including a brief description of some statistics (the features) presently in experimental stages.
This report describes the Height of Charge measurement for the Middle Key 4 test conducted at the FCDNA Permanent High Explosives Test Site (PHETS) on 17 September, 1993. The object of the measurement was to monitor remotely the change in the height of the explosive charge suspended above the test pad once the site had been evacuated until detonation. Should the measurement have shown that the charge changed height by more than 15cm then a hold in the test was to be called so that a height adjustment in the suspension system could be made. The measurement system consisted of a remotely placed video camera linked to the test control center-based measurement computer via a fiber optical video data link, a pole mounted stationary reference target, and a target mounted on the charge bag. Measurement of the change in height was determined using image analysis software on frame grabbed images. Measurements indicate that the charge bag did not deviate from the initial surveyed height of 1747cm by more than 1cm between the last measurement made by the survey crew until detonation 40 minutes later.
Vehicle lateral dynamics are affected by vehicle mass, longitudinal velocity, vehicle inertia, and the cornering stiffness of the tires. All of these parameters are subject to variation, even over the course of a single trip. Therefore, a practical lateral control system must guarantee stability, and hopefully ride comfort, over a wide range of parameter changes. This paper describes a robust controller which theoretically guarantees stability over a wide range of parameter changes. The robust controller is designed using a frequency domain transfer function approach. An uncertainty band in the frequency domain is determined using simulations over the range of expected parameter variations. Based on this bound, a robust controller is designed by solving the Nevanlinna-Pick interpolation problem. The performance of the robust controller is then evaluated over the range of parameter variations through simulations.
HEISHI is a Fortran computer model designed to aid in analysis, prediction, and optimization of fuel characteristics for use in Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (SNTP). Calculational results include fission product release rate, fuel failure fraction, mode of fuel failure, stress-strain state, and fuel material morphology. HEISHI contains models for decay chain calculations of retained and released fission products, based on an input power history and release coefficients. Decay chain parameters such as direct fission yield, decay rates, and branching fractions are obtained from a database. HEISHI also contains models for stress-strain behavior of multilayered fuel particles with creep and differential thermal expansion effects, transient particle temperature profile, grain growth, and fuel particle failure fraction. Grain growth is treated as a function of temperature; the failure fraction depends on the coating tensile strength, which in turn is a function of grain size. The HEISHI code is intended for use in analysis of coated fuel particles for use in particle bed reactors; however, much of the code is geometry-independent and applicable to fuel geometries other than spherical.
Aging Aircraft NDI Validation Center (AANC) was established by the FAA Technical Center (FAATC) at Sandia National Laboratories in August of 1991. The Validation Center supports the inspection portion of the FAA`s National Aging Aircraft Program which was mandated by Congress in the 1988 Aviation Safety Act. The ultimate customers of the AANC include the FAA, airframe and engine manufacturers, airlines, and third party maintenance facilities. One goal of the AANC is to provide independent validation of technologies intended to enhance the structural inspection of aging commuter and transport aircraft. Another goal is to assist in transferring emerging inspection technology from other parts of the FAA`s program to the aircraft industry. The deliverables from both these activities are an assessment of the reliability and cost benefits of an inspection technology as applied to a particular inspection or class of inspections. The validation process consists of a quantitative and systematic assessment of the reliability and cost/benefits on a Nondestructive Inspection (NDI) process. A NDI process is defined as the NDI systems and procedures used for inspections. This includes the NDI operator, inspection environment, and the object being inspected. The phases of the validation process are: 1. Conceptual, 2. Preliminary design, 3. Final design, and 4. Field implementation. The AAANC usually gets involved in the validation process during Phases 2 and 3. The Center supports field trials with a full array of test specimens and established procedures for conducting the trials. Phase 4 reliability includes field trials using independent inspectors either at the Center`s hangar or at outside maintenance facilities. Three activities are summarized below where inspection technology has been validated in the field. These are: (1) eddy current inspection reliability experiment; (2) magneto optic imager validation; and (3) inspection tool improvement.
Low Energy Charge-Induced Voltage Alteration (LECIVA) is a new scanning electron microscopy technique developed to localize open conductors in passivated ICs. LECIVA takes advantage of recent experimental work showing that the dielectric surface equilibrium voltage has an electron flux density dependence at low electron beam energies ({le}1.0 keV). The equilibrium voltage changes from positive to negative as the electron flux density is increased. Like Charge-Induced Voltage Alteration (CIVA), LECIVA images are produced from the voltage fluctuations of a constant current power supply as an electron beam is scanned over the IC surface. LECIVA image contrast is generated only by the electrically open part of a conductor, yielding, the same high selectivity demonstrated by CIVA. Because LECIVA is performed at low beam energies, radiation damage by the primary electrons and x-rays to MOS structures is far less than that caused by CIVA. LECIVA may also be performed on commercial electron beam test systems that do not have high primary electron beam energy capabilities. The physics of LECIVA signal generation are described. LECIVA imaging examples illustrate its utility on both a standard scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a commercial electron beam test system.
The arc energy distribution in the electrode gap plays a central role in the vacuum arc remelting (VAR) process. However, very little has been done to investigate the response of this important process variable to changes in process parameters. Emission spectroscopy was used to investigate variations in arc energy in the annulus of a VAR furnace during melting of 0.43 m diameter Alloy 718 electrode into 0.51 in diameter ingot. Time averaged (1 second) intensity data from various chromium atom and ion (Cr{sup +}) emission lines were simultaneously collected and selected intensity ratios were subsequently used as air energy indicators. These studies were carried out as a function of melting current, electrode gap, and CO partial pressure. The data were modeled and the ion electronic energy was found to be a function of electrode gap, the energy content of the ionic vapor decreasing with increasing gap length; the ion ratios were not found to be sensitive to pressure. On the other hand, the chromium atom electronic energy was difficult to model in the factor space investigated, but was determined to be sensitive, to pressure. The difference in character of the chromium ion and atom energy fluctuations in the furnace annulus are attributed to the difference in the origins of these arc species and the non-equilibrium nature of the metal vapor arc. Most of the ion population is emitted directly from cathode spots, whereas much of the atomic vapor arises due to vaporization from the electrode and pool surfaces. Also, the positively charged ionic species interact more strongly with the electron gas than the neutral atomic species, the two distributions never equilibrating due to the low pressure.
The NAVSTAR satellites have two missions: navigation and nuclear detonation detection. The main objective of this paper is to describe one of the key elements of the Nuclear Detonation Detection System (NDS), the Burst Detector W-Sensor (BDW) that was developed for the Air Force Space and Missle Systems Center, its mission on GPS Block IIR, and how it utilizes GPS timing signals to precisely locate nuclear detonations (NUDET). The paper will also cover the interface to the Burst Detector Processor (BDP) which links the BDW to the ground station where the BDW is controlled and where data from multiple satellites are processed to determine the location of the NUDET. The Block IIR BDW is the culmination of a development program that has produced a state-of-the-art, space qualified digital receiver/processor that dissipates only 30 Watts, weighs 57 pounds, and has a 12in. {times} l4.2in. {times} 7.16in. footprint. The paper will highlight several of the key multilayer printed circuit cards without which the required power, weight, size, and radiation requirements could not have been met. In addition, key functions of the system software will be covered. The paper will be concluded with a discussion of the high speed digital signal processing and algorithm used to determine the time-of-arrival (TOA) of the electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from the NUDET.
We are using VUV spectroscopy to study the ion source region on the SABRE applied-B extraction ion diode. The VUV diagnostic views the anode-cathode gap perpendicular to the ion acceleration direction, and images a region 0--1 mm from the anode onto the entrance slit of a I m normal-incidence spectrometer. Time resolution is obtained by gating multiple striplines of a CuI- or MgF{sub 2} -coated micro-channel plate intensifier. We report on results with a passive proton/carbon ion source. Lines of carbon and oxygen are observed over 900--1600 {angstrom}. The optical depths of most of the lines are less than or of order 1. Unfolding the Doppler broadening of the ion lines in the source plasma, we calculate the contribution of the source to the accelerated C IV ion micro-divergence as 4 mrad at peak power. Collisional-radiative modeling of oxygen line intensities provides the source plasma average electron density of 7{times}10{sup 16} cm{sup {minus}3} and temperature of 10 eV Measurements are planned with a lithium ion source and with VUV absorption spectroscopy.
Practical and theoretical limits on the bandwidth of distributed optical phase modulators and traveling-wave photodetectors are given. For the case of perfect velocity matching, RF transmission losses are the main performance-limiting factor. However, some high-performance modulators require highly-capacitive transmission lines making proper slow-wave operation difficult to achieve.
This report documents the results of a study regarding the conservatisms in ASME Code Section 3, Class 1 component fatigue evaluations and the effects of Light Water Reactor (LWR) water environments on fatigue margins. After review of numerous Class 1 stress reports, it is apparent that there is a substantial amount of conservatism present in many existing component fatigue evaluations. With little effort, existing evaluations could be modified to reduce the overall predicted fatigue usage. Areas of conservatism include design transients considerably more severe than those experienced during service, conservative grouping of transients, conservatisms that have been removed in later editions of Section 3, bounding heat transfer and stress analysis, and use of the ``elastic-plastic penalty factor`` (K{sub 3}). Environmental effects were evaluated for two typical components that experience severe transient thermal cycling during service, based on both design transients and actual plant data. For all reasonable values of actual operating parameters, environmental effects reduced predicted margins, but fatigue usage was still bounded by the ASME Section 3 fatigue design curves. It was concluded that the potential increase in predicted fatigue usage due to environmental effects should be more than offset by decreases in predicted fatigue usage if re-analysis were conducted to reduce the conservatisms that are present in existing component fatigue evaluations.
Austin chalk core has been tested to determine the effective law for deformation of the matrix material and the stress-sensitive conductivity of the natural fractures. For deformation behavior, two samples provided data on the variations of the poroelastic parameter, {alpha}, for Austin chalk, giving values around 0.4. The effective-stress-law behavior of a Saratoga limestone sample was also measured for the purpose of obtaining a comparison with a somewhat more porous carbonate rock. {alpha} for this rock was found to be near 0.9. The low {alpha} for the Austin chalk suggests that stresses in the reservoir, or around the wellbore, will not change much with changes in pore pressure, as the contribution of the fluid pressure is small. Three natural fractures from the Austin chalk were tested, but two of the fractures were very tight and probably do not contribute much to production. The third sample was highly conductive and showed some stress sensitivity with a factor of three reduction in conductivity over a net stress increase of 3000 psi. Natural fractures also showed a propensity for permanent damage when net stressed exceeded about 3000 psi. This damage was irreversible and significantly affected conductivity. {alpha} was difficult to determine and most tests were inconclusive, although the results from one sample suggested that {alpha} was near unity.
The electronic components business within the Nuclear Weapons Complex spans organizational and Department of Energy contractor boundaries. An assessment of the current processes indicates a need for fundamentally changing the way electronic components are developed, procured, and manufactured. A model is provided based on a virtual enterprise that recognizes distinctive competencies within the Nuclear Weapons Complex and at the vendors. The model incorporates changes that reduce component delivery cycle time and improve cost effectiveness while delivering components of the appropriate quality.
MELTER is an analysis of cargo responses inside a fire-threatened Safe-Secure Trailer (SST) developed for the Defense Program Transportation Risk Assessment (DPTRA). Many simplifying assumptions are required to make the subject problem tractable. MELTER incorporates modeling which balances the competing requirements of execution speed, generality, completeness of essential physics, and robustness. Input parameters affecting the analysis include those defining the fire scenario, those defining the cargo loaded in the SST, and those defining properties of the SST. For a specified fire, SST, and cargo geometry MELTER predicts the critical fire duration that will lead to a failure. The principal features of the analysis include: (a) Geometric considerations to interpret fire-scenario descriptors in terms of a thermal radiation boundary condition, (b) a simple model of the SST`s wall combining the diffusion model for radiation through optically-thick media with an endothermic reaction front to describe the charring of dimensional, rigid foam in the SST wall, (c) a transient radiation enclosure model, (d) a one-dimensional, spherical idealization of the shipped cargos providing modularity so that cargos of interest can be inserted into the model, and (e) associated numerical methods to integrate coupled, differential equations and find roots.
Fission-fragment pumped 1.73 {mu}m atomic xenon laser output was measured without changing the laser gas mixture before each reactor pulse. For a Ar/Xe gas mixture at 260 Torr and 0.3 percent xenon, no degradation in laser output was noted for five reactor pulses.
One mechanism for the penetration of lightning energy into the interior of a weapon is by current diffusion through the exterior metal case. Tests were conducted in which simulated lightning currents were driven over the exteriors of similar aluminum and ferrous steel cylinders of 0.125-in wall thickness. Under conditions in which the test currents were driven asymmetrically over the exteriors of the cylinders, voltages were measured between various test points in the interior as functions of the amplitude and duration of the applied current. The maximum recorded open-circuit voltage, which occurred in the steel cylinder, was 1.7 V. On separate shots, currents flowing on a low impedance shorting conductor between the same set of test points were also measured, yielding a maximum current of 630 A, again occurring across the interior of the steel cylinder. Under symmetrical exterior drive current conditions, a maximum end-to-end internal voltage of 4.1 V was obtained, also in the steel cylinder, with a corresponding current of 480 A measured on a coaxial conductor connected between the two end plates of the cylinder. Data were acquired over a range of input current amplitudes between about 40 and 100 kA. These data provide the experimental basis for validating models that can subsequently be applied to real weapons and other objects of interest.
Apparent malfunctions of two Trajectory Sensing Signal Generators (TSSGs) were observed during B61-3/4/10 trajectory arming tests at the Pantex Weapons Evaluation Test Laboratory (WETL). On two subsequent occasions, the TSSG used in the B83 bomb developed single-channel failures during tests at WETL. It was concluded that the failures were related to the electrostatic discharge (ESD) hazard associated with the use of a Thermotron{reg_sign} liquid carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) refrigeration system. It was demonstrated that during temperature conditioning, the case of the TSSG can acquire a substantial electrostatic charge as a result of triboelectric processes. A series of tests was performed to identify the charging mechanisms associated with liquid CO{sub 2} refrigeration systems and a quantitative assessment of the ESD hazard was made. The conclusions and recommendations derived in these tests were summarized in a Significant Finding Investigations Closeout. The purpose of this report is to provide formal documentation for, and elaboration on, issues addressed in the Findings.
The electrical effects of lightning penetration of the outer case of a weapon on internal structures, such as a firing set housing, and on samples of a flat, flexline detonator cable have been investigated experimentally. Maximum open-circuit voltages measured on either simulated structures (126 V) or the cable (46 V) located directly behind the point of penetration were well below any level that is foreseen to create a threat to nuclear safety. On the other hand, it was found that once full burnthrough of the barrier occurred, significant fractions of the incident continuing currents coupled to both the simulated internal structure (up to 300 A) or to the cable sample (69 A) when each was electrically connected internally to case ground. No occurrence was observed of the injection of large amplitude currents from return strokes occurring after barrier penetration. Under circumstances in which small volumes of trapped gases exist behind penetration sites, rapid heating of the gas by return strokes occurring after burnthrough has been shown to produced large mechanical impulses to the adjacent surfaces.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has tasked Sandia with conducting a market survey to identify and evaluate pertinent solid state recorders. This report identifies the chosen recorders and explains why they were selected. It details test procedures and provides the results of the evaluation. Our main focus in this evaluation was to determine whether the frame grabber altered signal quality. To determine the effect on the signal, we evaluated specific parameters: sensitivity, resolution, signal-to-noise ratio, and intrascene dynamic range. These factors were evaluated at the input and output of the frame grabber.
A suite of In Situ Permeable Flow Sensors was deployed at the site of the Savannah River Integrated Demonstration to monitor the interaction between the groundwater flow regime and air injected into the saturated subsurface through a horizontal well. One of the goals of the experiment was to determine if a groundwater circulation system was induced by the air injection process. The data suggest that no such circulation system was established, perhaps due to the heterogeneous nature of the sediments through which the injected gas has to travel. The steady state and transient groundwater flow patterns observed suggest that the injected air followed high permeability pathways from the injection well to the water table. The preferential pathways through the essentially horizontal impermeable layers appear to have been created by drilling activities at the site.
Berman, M.; Crespin, G.; Garcia, L.R.; Jansma, R.; Lovato, L.; Randall, G.; Sanchez, A.
As part of Sandia`s Corporate Diversity Program, a Diversity Action Team was assembled to study the impact of diversity on teamwork. We reviewed the available literature on successful teaming, both with homogeneous (more alike than different) and heterogeneous teams. Although many principles and guidelines for successful homogeneous teams also apply to diverse teams, we believe that a document concentrating on diverse teams will be useful both for Sandians and for the outside world.
Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (Sandia/NM) has successfully developed and implemented a chargeback system to fund the implementation of Pollution Prevention activities. In the process of establishing this system, many valuable lessons have been learned. This paper describes how the chargeback system currently functions, the benefits and drawbacks of implementing such a system, and recommendations for implementing a chargeback system at other facilities. The initial goals in establishing a chargeback system were to create (1) funding for pollution prevention implementation, including specific pollution prevention projects; and (2) awareness on the part of the line organizations of the quantities and types of waste that they generate, thus providing them with a direct incentive to reduce that waste. The chargeback system inputs waste generation data and then filters and sorts the data to serve two purposes: (1) the operation of the chargeback system; and (2) the detailed waste generation reporting used for assessing processes and identifying pollution prevention opportunities.
The Technology Development and Scoping (TDS) test series was conducted to test and develop instrumentation and procedures for performing steam-driven, high-pressure melt ejection (HPME) experiments at the Surtsey Test Facility to investigate direct containment heating (DCH). Seven experiments, designated TDS-1 through TDS-7, were performed in this test series. These experiments were conducted using similar initial conditions; the primary variable was the initial pressure in the Surtsey vessel. All experiments in this test series were performed with a steam driving gas pressure of {approx_equal} 4 MPa, 80 kg of lumina/iron/chromium thermite melt simulant, an initial hole diameter of 4.8 cm (which ablated to a final hole diameter of {approx_equal} 6 cm), and a 1/10th linear scale model of the Surry reactor cavity. The Surtsey vessel was purged with argon (<0.25 mol% O{sub 2}) to limit the recombination of hydrogen and oxygen, and gas grab samples were taken to measure the amount of hydrogen produced.
There is an instability in certain S.P.H. (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics method) material dynamics computations. Evidence from analyses and experiments suggests that the instabilities in S.P.H. are not removable with artificial viscosities. However, the analysis shows that a type of conservative smoothing does remove the instability. Also, numerical experiments, on certain test problems, show that SPHCS, and S.P.H. code with conservative smoothing, compares well in accuracy with computations based on the von Neumann-Richtmyer method.
This report is a summary of the history, design and development, procurement, fabrication, installation and operation of the closures used as containment devices on underground nuclear tests at the Nevada Test Site. It also addresses the closure program mothball and start-up procedures. The Closure Program Document Index and equipment inventories, included as appendices, serve as location directories for future document reference and equipment use.
This report summarizes the progress on the pulsed power approach to inertial confinement fusion. In 1989, the authors achieved a proton focal intensity of 5 TW/cm{sup 2} on PBFA-II in a 15-cm-radius applied magnetic-field (applied-B) ion diode. This is an improvement by a factor of 4 compared to previous PBFA-II experiments. They completed development of the three-dimensional (3-D), electromagnetic, particle-in-cell code QUICKSILVER and obtained the first 3-D simulations of an applied-B ion diode. The simulations, together with analytic theory, suggest that control of electromagnetic instabilities could reduce ion divergence. In experiments using a lithium fluoride source, they delivered 26 kJ of lithium energy to the diode axis. Rutherford-scattered ion diagnostics have been developed and tested using a conical foil located inside the diode. They can now obtain energy density profiles by using range filters and recording ion images on nuclear track recording film. Timing uncertainties in power flow experiments on PBFA-II have been reduced by a factor of 5. They are investigating three plasma opening switches that use magnetic fields to control and confine the injected plasma. These new switches provide better power flow than the standard plasma erosion switch. Advanced pulsed-power fusion drivers will require extraction-geometry applied-B ion diodes. During this reporting period, progress was made in evaluating the generation, transport, and focus of multiple ion beams in an extraction geometry and in assessing the probable damage to a target chamber first wall.
This report was stimulated by some recent investigations of S.P.H. (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics method). Solid dynamics computations with S.P.H. show symptoms of instabilities which are not eliminated by artificial viscosities. Both analysis and experiment indicate that conservative smoothing eliminates the instabilities in S.P.H. computations which artificial viscosities cannot. Questions were raised as to whether conservative smoothing might smear solutions more than artificial viscosity. Conservative smoothing, properly used, can produce more accurate solutions than the von Neumann-Richtmyer-Landshoff artificial viscosity which has been the standard for many years. The authors illustrate this using the vNR scheme on a test problem with known exact solution involving a shock collision in an ideal gas. They show that the norms of the errors with conservative smoothing are significantly smaller than the norms of the errors with artificial viscosity.
Prosperity Games are an outgrowth and adaptation of move/countermove and seminar War Games. Prosperity Games are simulations that explore complex issues in a variety of areas including economics, politics, sociology, environment, education and research. These issues can be examined from a variety of perspectives ranging from a global, macroeconomic and geopolitical viewpoint down to the details of customer/supplier/market interactions in specific industries. All Prosperity Games are unique in that both the game format and the player contributions vary from game to game. This report documents the Prosperity Game conducted under the sponsorship of the American Electronics Association in conjunction with the Electronics Subcommittee of the Civilian Industrial Technology Committee of the National Science and Technology Council. Players were drawn from government, national laboratories, and universities, as well as from the electronics industry. The game explored policy changes that could enhance US competitiveness in the manufacturing of consumer electronics. Two teams simulated a presidentially appointed commission comprised of high-level representatives from government, industry, universities and national laboratories. A single team represented the foreign equivalent of this commission, formed to develop counter strategies for any changes in US policies. The deliberations and recommendations of these teams provide valuable insights as to the views of this diverse group of decision makers concerning policy changes, foreign competition, and the development, delivery and commercialization of new technologies.
Inside this issue is a farewell to Testing Technology message from technical advisor, Ruth David. Also included are articles on: Testing the I-40 bridge over the Rio Grande, simulated reactor meltdown studies, an inexpensive monitor for testing integrated circuits, testing of antihelicoptor mines, and quality assurance on aircraft inspection.
This report describes the HP370 component of the Enhanced Graphics System (EGS) used at Tonopah Test Range (TTR). Selected Radar data is fed into the computer systems and the resulting tracking symbols are displayed on high-resolution video monitors in real time. These tracking symbols overlay background maps and are used for monitoring/controlling various flight vehicles. This report discusses both the operational aspects and the internal configuration of the HP370 Workstation portion of the EGS system.
An extensive set of direct-strike lightning tests has been carried out on a set of facsimile assembly joints of the kinds employed in the design of nuclear weapon cases. Taken as a whole, the test hardware included all the conceptual design elements that are embodied, either singly or in combination, in any specific assembly joint incorporated into any stockpiled weapon. During the present testing, the effects of all key design parameters on the voltages developed across the interior of the joints were investigated under a range of lightning stroke current parameter values. Design parameter variations included the types and number of joint fasteners, mechanical preload, surface finish tolerance and coatings, and the material from which the joint assembly was fabricated. Variations of the simulated lightning stroke current included amplitude (30-, 100-, and 200-kA peak), rise time, and decay time. The maximum voltage observed on any of the test joints that incorporated proper metal-to-metal surface contact was 65 V. Typical response values were more on the order of 20 V. In order to assess the effect of the presence of a dielectric coating (either intentional or as a result of corrosion) between the mating surfaces of a joint, a special configuration was tested in which the mating parts of the test assembly were coated with a 1-mil-thick dielectric anodizing layer. First strokes to these test assemblies resulted in very narrow voltage spikes of amplitudes up to 900 V. The durations of these spikes were less than 0.1 {mu}s. However, beyond these initial spikes, the voltages typically had amplitudes of up to 400 V for durations of 3 to 5 {mu}s.
A limited pilot production run on PESC silicon solar cells for use at high concentrations (200 to 400 suns) is summarized. The front contact design of the cells was modified for operation without prismatic covers. The original objective of the contract was to systematically complete a process consolidation phase, in which all the, process improvements developed during the contract would be combined in a pilot production run. This pilot run was going to provide, a basis for estimating cell costs when produced at high throughput. Because of DOE funding limitations, the Photovoltaic Concentrator Initiative is on hold, and Applied Solar`s contract was operated at a low level of effort for most of 1993. The results obtained from the reduced scope pilot run showed the effects of discontinuous process optimization and characterization. However, the run provided valuable insight into the technical areas that can be optimized to achieve the original goals of the contract.
The use of glasses is widespread in making hermetic, insulating seals for many electronic components. Flat panel displays and fiber optic connectors are other products utilizing glass as a structural element. When glass is cooled from sealing temperatures, residual stresses are generated due to mismatches in thermal shrinkage created by the dissimilar material properties of the adjoining materials. Because glass is such a brittle material at room temperature, tensile residual stresses must be kept small to ensure durability and avoid cracking. Although production designs and the required manufacturing process development can be deduced empirically, this is an expensive and time consuming process that does not necessarily lead to an optimal design. Agile manufacturing demands that analyses be used to reduce development costs and schedules by providing insight and guiding the design process through the development cycle. To make these gains, however, viscoelastic models of glass must be available along with the right tool to use them. A viscoelastic model of glass can be used to simulate the stress and volume relaxation that occurs at elevated temperatures as the molecular structure of the glass seeks to equilibrate to the state of the supercooled liquid. The substance of the numerical treatment needed to support the implementation of the model in a 3-D finite element program is presented herein. An accurate second-order, central difference integrator is proposed for the constitutive equations, and numerical solutions are compared to those obtained with other integrators. Inherent convergence problems are reviewed and fixes are described. The resulting algorithms are generally applicable to the broad class of viscoelastic material models. First-order error estimates are used as a basis for developing a scheme for automatic time step controls, and several demonstration problems are presented to illustrate the performance of the methodology.
The necessity to evaluate our participant Quality Assurance (QA) Program for the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project (YMP) against the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) Quality Assurance Requirements and Description (QARD) issued December 1992, presented an opportunity to improve the QA Program. For some time, the SNL YMP technical staff had complained that the QA requirements imposed on their work were cumbersome and inhibited their ability to perform investigations using scientific methods. There was some truth to this, since SNL had over the years developed some procedures with many detailed controls that were far beyond what was required by project QA requirements. This had occurred either as a result of responding to numerous audit findings with a ``make the auditor happy`` attitude or with an attempt to cover every contingency. Procedures affecting scientific work were authored by the technical staff in an effort to provide them with ownership of the process; unfortunately, there were problems. Procedures were inconsistent because of the varied writing styles and differing perceptions of the degree of QA controls required to implement the program. It was extremely difficult to get all of the technical staff to accept the QA program as it was intended. These issues were endemic to the program and resulted in the QARD, the actual requirements, being written by a team of QA professionals. Once new QARD requirements were issued, an opportunity to evaluate the QA Program and to revise it not only to meet the QARD, but also to make it more plausible and meaningful to the technical staff, was presented. The discussion that follows will describe how the program was changed, will present both the positive and negative experiences observed by SNL personnel during the QARD transition, and will provide some recommendations.
One source of uncertainty in calculating radionuclide releases from a potential radioactive-waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, is uncertainty in the unsaturated-zone stratigraphy. Uncertainty stratigraphy results from sparse drillhole data; possible variations in stratigraphy are modeled using the geostatistical method of indicator simulation. One-dimensional stratigraphic columns are generated and used for calculations of groundwater flow and radionuclide transport. There are indications of a dependence of release on hydrogeologic-unit thicknesses, but the resulting variation in release is smaller than variations produced by other sources of uncertainty.
The evaluation of the stability of the openings for the Exploratory Studies Facility and a potential repository for high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada will require computer codes capable of predicting slip on rock joints resulting from changes in thermal stresses. The geometrical method of analysis of moire fringe analysis was used to evaluate the magnitude and extent of frictional sliding in a layered polycarbonate rock mass model containing a circular hole. Slips were observed in confined zones around the hole and micron resolutions were obtained. Unpredicted and uncontrolled uniform slip of several interfaces in the model were observed giving considerable uncertainty in the boundary conditions of the model, perhaps making detailed comparison with numerical models impossible.
Prediction of the deformation behavior of large engineering structures in jointed rock under a specified loading history requires the extensive use of numerical simulation. For example, the evaluation of the stability of the openings for the Exploratory Studies Facility and a potential repository for high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada will require computer codes capable of predicting slip on rock joints resulting from changes in thermal stresses. The testing and ultimate validation of these complex finite element computer codes is an important step in their development before their use as a design tool for an engineering structure or for the study of some other practical problem. While field tests may be ultimately necessary, the authors propose a different and more thorough approach where early tests are done on a bench scale with easily characterized materials and geometries. For these bench-scale tests, the basic approach is to construct a laboratory specimen with a known geometry from an easily characterized material. Digital video imaging combined with the geometric moire fringe method of strain analysis is used to measure and derive the displacements on the sample under load. Here the authors present the method of acquiring and analyzing the moire data and give an analysis of its problems and benefits.
The concept of band-limited temporal moments is briefly reviewed. An input-output relationship for the band-limited product model is derived. The band-limited product model is then used to characterize and simulate a gunfire record in the following manner. An ensemble of 50 gunfire rounds are averaged to determine the mean response. The mean is subtracted from the original record and the remaining signal is characterized using a smoothed mean square response of the signal filtered into contiguous bandwidths. This operation preserves the lower bandlimited temporal moments of the original data. This smoothed mean square response was used as the deterministic window for the product model. The power spectrum of the response with the mean removed is used to estimate the spectrum for the random part a product model. An additional step varied the repetition rate in a random manner of the simulated gunfire rounds to match the original record in a statistical sense.
To build a bridge with customers, we balance the linear modeling process with the dynamics of the individuals we serve, who may feel unfamiliar, even confused, with that process. While it is recognized that human factors engineers improve the physical aspect of the workplace, they also work to integrate customers` cognitive styles, feelings, and concerns into the workplace tools. We take customers` feelings into consideration and integrate their expressed needs and concerns into the modeling sessions. After establishing an agreeable, professional relationship, we use a simple, portable CASE tool to reveal the effectiveness of NIAM. This tool, Modeler`s Assistant, is friendly enough to use directly with people who know nothing of NIAM, yet it captures all the information necessary to create complete models. The Modeler`s Assistant succeeds because it organizes the detailed information in an enhanced text format for customer validation. Customer cooperation results from our modeling sessions as they grow comfortable and become enthused about providing information.
Verification measurements may be used to help ensure nuclear criticality safety when burnup credit is applied to spent fuel transport and storage systems. The FORK system measures the passive neutron and gamma-ray emission from spent fuel assemblies while in the storage pool. It was designed at Los Alamos National Laboratory for the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards program and is well suited to verify burnup and cooling time records at commercial Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) sites. This report deals with the application of the FORK system to burnup credit operations.
Proceedings of the Annual ACM Conference on Computational Learning Theory
Goldberg, P.W.; Goldman, S.A.; Mathias, H.D.
We present two algorithms that use membership and equivalence queries to exactly identify the concepts given by the union of s discretized axis-parallel boxes in d-dimensional discretized Euclidean space where there are n discrete values that each coordinate can have. The first algorithm receives at most sd counterexamples and uses time and membership queries polynomial in s and log n for d any constant. Further, all equivalence queries made can be formulated as the union of O(sd logs) axis-parallel boxes. Next, we introduce a new complexity measure that better captures the complexity of a union of boxes than simply the number of boxes and dimensions. Our new measure, u, is the number of segments in the target polyhedron where a segment is a maximum portion of one of the sides of the polyhedron that lies entirely inside or entirely outside each of the other halfspaces defining the polyhedron. We then present an improvement of our first algorithm that uses time and queries polynomial in u and log n. The hypothesis class used here is decision trees of height at most 2sd, Further we can show that the time and queries used by this algorithm are polynomial in d and log n for s any constant thus generalizing the exact learnability of DNF formulas with a constant number of terms. In fact, this single algorithm is efficient for either s or d constant.
This presentation (consisting of vugraphs) first provides the background motivation for Sandia`s effort for the development of improved crystalline silicon solar cells. It then discusses specific results and progress, and concludes with a brief discussion of options for next year.
This report describes the equipment required for initial assembly/maintenance and inspection/resetting of the Fifth Wheel system. It also gives a step-by-step procedure for initial assembly/maintenance inspection and procedures for resetting the system and Eager-Pac installation. The Fifth Wheel system is associated with a tractor-type vehicle used for materials handling.
High Consequence System Surety is an ongoing project at Sandia National Laboratories. This project pulls together a multi- disciplinary team to integrate the elements of surety into an encompassing process. The surety process will be augmented and validated by applying it to an automated system handling a critical nuclear weapon component at the Mason & Hanger Pantex Plant. This paper presents the development to date of an integrated, high consequence surety process.
Heavy Ion Backscattering Spectrometry (HIBS) is a new ion beam analysis tool using heavy, low-energy ions in backscattering mode which can detect very low levels of surface contamination. By taking advantage of the greatly increased scattering cross-section for such ion beams and eliminating unwanted substrate scattering with a thin carbon foil, our research system has achieved a sensitivity ranging from {approximately}5{times}10{sup 10} atoms/cm{sup 2} for Fe to {approximately}1{times}10{sup 9} atoms/cm{sup 2} for Au on Si, without preconcentration. A stand-alone HIBS prototype now under construction in collaboration with SEMATECH is expected to achieve detection limits of {approximately}5{times}10{sup 9} atoms/cm{sup 2} for Fe and {approximately}1{times}10{sup 8} atoms/cm{sup 2} for Au on Si, again without preconcentration. Since HIBS is standardless and has no matrix effects, it will be useful not only as a standalone tool, but also for benchmarking standards for other tools. This conference is testimony to the importance of controlling contamination in microelectronics manufacturing. By the turn of the century, very large scale integrated circuit processing is expected to require contamination levels well below 1{times}10{sup 9} atoms/cm{sup 2} in both starting materials and introduced by processing. One of the most sensitive of existing general-purpose tools is Total reflection X-Ray Fluorescence (TXRF), which can detect {approximately}1{times}10{sup 10} atoms/cm{sup 2} levels of some elements such as Fe and Cu, but for many elements it is limited to 1{times}10{sup 12} atoms/cm{sup 2} or worse. TXRF can achieve a sensitivity of 10{sup 8} atoms/cm{sup 2} through the use of synchrotron radiation or via pre-concentration using Vapor Phase Decomposition. HIBS provides an ion beam analysis capability with the potential for providing similar sensitivity at medium Z and higher sensitivity at larger Z, all without pre-concentration or matrix effects.
We report the results of to separate long-term tests of batteries and charge controllers in small stand-alone PV systems. In these experiments, seven complete systems were tested for two years at each of two locations: Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque and the Florida Solar Energy Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Each system contained a PV array, flooded-lead-acid battery, a charge controller and a resistive load. Performance of the systems was strongly influenced by the difference in solar irradiance at the two sites, with some batteries at Sandia exceeding manufacturer`s predictions for cycle life. System performance was strongly correlated with regulation reconnect voltage (R{sup 2} correlation coefficient = 0.95) but only weakly correlated with regulation voltage. We will also discuss details of system performance, battery lifetime and battery water consumption.
A model is presented which describes the formation of surface damage ``gouging`` on the rails that guide rocket sleds. An unbalanced sled can randomly cause a very shallow-angle, oblique impact between the sled shoe and the rail. This damage phenomenon has also been observed in high-velocity guns where the projectile is analogous to the moving sled shoe and the gun barrel is analogous to the stationary rail. At sufficiently high velocity, the oblique impact will produce a thin hot layer of soft material on the contact surfaces. Under the action of a normal moving load, the soft layer lends itself to an anti-symmetric deformation and the formation of a ``hump`` in front of the moving load. A gouge is formed when this hump is overrun by the sled shoe. The phenomenon is simulated numerically using the CTH strong shock physics code, and the results are in good agreement with experimental observation.
The objective of this paper is to provide a general overview of hydrologic conditions at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) by describing several key hydrologic studies that have been carried out as part of the site characterization program over the last 20 years. The paper is composed of three parts: background information about general objectives of the WIPP project; information about the geologic and hydrologic setting of the facility; and information about three aspects of the hydrologic system that are important to understanding the long-term performance of the WIPP facility. For additional detailed information, the reader is referred to the references cited in the text.
Cast blasting can be designed to utilize explosive energy effectively and economically for coal mining operations to remove overburden material. The more overburden removed by explosives, the less blasted material there is left to be transported with mechanical equipment, such as draglines and trucks. In order to optimize the percentage of rock that is cast, a higher powder factor than normal is required plus an initiation technique designed to produce a much greater degree of horizontal muck movement. This paper compares two blast models known as DMC (Distinct Motion Code) and SABREX (Scientific Approach to Breaking Rock with Explosives). DMC, applies discrete spherical elements interacted with the flow of explosive gases and the explicit time integration to track particle motion resulting from a blast. The input to this model includes multi-layer rock properties, and both loading geometry and explosives equation-of-state parameters. It enables the user to have a wide range of control over drill pattern and explosive loading design parameters. SABREX assumes that heave process is controlled by the explosive gases which determines the velocity and time of initial movement of blocks within the burden, and then tracks the motion of the blocks until they come to a rest. In order to reduce computing time, the in-flight collisions of blocks are not considered and the motion of the first row is made to limit the motion of subsequent rows. Although modelling a blast is a complex task, the DMC can perform a blast simulation in 0.5 hours on the SUN SPARCstation 10--41 while the new SABREX 3.5 produces results of a cast blast in ten seconds on a 486-PC computer. Predicted percentage of cast and face velocities from both computer codes compare well with the measured results from a full scale cast blast.
The Mixed Waste Landfill Integrated Demonstration (MWLID) focuses on ``in-situ`` characterization, monitoring, remediation, and containment of landfills in and environments that contain hazardous and mixed waste. The MWLID mission is to assess, demonstrate, and transfer technologies and systems that lead to faster, better, cheaper, and safer cleanup. Most important, the demonstrated technologies will be evaluated against the baseline of conventional technologies. Key goals of the MWLID are routine use of these technologies by Environmental Restoration Groups throughout the DOE complex and commercialization of these technologies to the private sector. The MWLID is demonstrating technologies at hazardous waste landfills located at Sandia National Laboratories and on Kirtland Air Force Base. These landfills have been selected because they are representative of many sites throughout the Southwest and in other and climates.
This paper addresses the issues surrounding the use of NIAM to capture time dependencies in a domain of discourse. The NIAM concepts that support capturing time dependencies are in the event and process portions of the NIAM metamodel, which are the portions most poorly supported by a well-established methodology. This lack of methodological support is a potentially serious handicap in any attempt to apply NIAM to a domain of discourse in which time dependencies are a central issue. However, the capability that NIAM provides for validating and verifying the elementary facts in the domain may reduce the magnitude of the event/process-specification task to a level at which it could be effectively handled even without strong methodological support.
A statistical design of experiments approach has been employed to evaluate the particle removal efficacy of the SC-1/megasonic clean for sub-0.15 {mu}m inorganic particles. The effects of megasonic input power, solution chemistry, bath temperature, and immersion time have been investigated. Immersion time was not observed to be a statistically significant factor. The NH{sub 4}OH/H{sub 2}O{sub 2} ratio was significant, but varying the molar H{sub 2}O{sub 2} concentration had no effect on inorganic particle removal. Substantially diluted chemistries, performed with high megasonic input power and moderate-to-elevated temperatures, was shown to be very effective for small particle removal. Bath composition data show extended lifetimes can be obtained when high purity chemicals are used at moderate (eg., 45{degrees}C) temperature. Transition metal surface concentrations and surface roughness have been measured after dilute SC-1 processing and compared to metallic contamination following traditional SC-1.
I{sub DDQ} testing is mandatory to ensure that low power CMOS ICs meet their design intent. I{sub DDQ} testing is both a design verifier for low quiescent current and a sensitive production test for defects. Quiescent power reduction is particularly important for products such as cardiac pacemakers, laptop computers, and cellular telephones.
Transformers of two different designs; and unencapsulated pot core and an encapsulated toroidal core have been modeled for circuit analysis with circuit simulation tools. We selected MicroSim`s PSPICE and Anology`s SABER as the simulation tools and used experimental BH Loop and network analyzer measurements to generate the needed input data. The models are compared for accuracy and convergence using the circuit simulators. Results are presented which demonstrate the effects on circuit performance from magnetic core losses, eddy currents, and mechanical stress on the magnetic cores.
A new waveguide is designed using a cut-off slab waveguide for fabrication of single-mode rib optical waveguides with mesa isolation. These waveguides are easy to fabricate and offer crosstalk performance perhaps better than BH waveguides.
Developing the ability to recognize a landmark from a visual image of a robot`s current location is a fundamental problem in robotics. The authors consider the problem of PAC-learning the concept class of geometric patterns where the target geometric pattern is a configuration of k points in the real line. Each instance is a configuration of n points on the real line, where it is labeled according to whether or not it visually resembles the target pattern. They relate the concept class of geometric patterns to the landmark recognition problem and then present a polynomial-time algorithm that PAC-learns the class of one-dimensional geometric patterns when the negative examples are corrupted by a large amount of random misclassification noise.
A series of experiment were conducted to study the influence of electrode geometry on the prebreakdown (and breakdown) characteristics of high resistivity ({rho} > 30 k{Omega}-cm), p-type Si wafers under quasi-uniform and non-uniform electric field configurations. In the quasi-uniform field configuration, the 1mm thick Si wafer was mounted between the slots of two plane parallel stainless steel disc electrodes (parallel), while the non-uniform field was obtained by mounting the wafer between two pillar-type electrodes with a hemispherical tip (pillar). The main objective of the above investigation was to verify if the uniform field configuration under a parallel system has a positive influence by reducing the field enhancement at the contact region, as opposed to the definite field enhancement present in the case of the non-uniform pillar system. Also, it was proposed to study the effect of the contact profile on the field distribution over the wafer surface and hence its influence on the high-field performance of the Si wafers.
The current baseline plan for RH TRU (remote-handled transuranic) waste disposal is to package the waste in special canisters for emplacement in the walls of the waste disposal rooms at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The RH waste must be emplaced before the disposal rooms are filled by contact-handled waste. Issues which must be resolved for this plan to be successful include: (1) construction of RH waste preparation and packaging facilities at large-quantity sites; (2) finding methods to get small-quantity site RH waste packaged and certified for disposal; (3) developing transportation systems and characterization facilities for RH TRU waste; (4) meeting lag storage needs; and (5) gaining public acceptance for the RH TRU waste program. Failure to resolve these issues in time to permit disposal according to the WIPP baseline plan will force either modification to the plan, or disposal or long-term storage of RH TRU waste at non-WIPP sites. The recommended strategy is to recognize, and take the needed actions to resolve, the open issues preventing disposal of RH TRU waste at WIPP on schedule. It is also recommended that the baseline plan be upgraded by adopting enhancements such as revised canister emplacement strategies and a more flexible waste transport system.
Sandia National Laboratories manages the US Department of Energy program for slimhole drilling. The principal objective of this program is to expand proven geothermal reserves through increased exploration, made possible by lower-cost slimhole drilling. For this to be a valid exploration method, however, it is necessary to demonstrate that slimholes yield enough data to evaluate a geothermal reservoir, and that is the focus of Sandia`s current research. Sandia negotiated an agreement with Far West Capital, which operates the Steamboat Hills geothermal field, to drill and test an exploratory slimhole on their lease. The principal objectives for the slimhole were development of slimhole testing methods, comparison of slimhole data with that from adjacent production-size wells, and definition of possible higher-temperature production zones lying deeper than the existing wells.
Emphasis on the human-to-aircraft interface has magnified in importance as the performance envelope of today`s aircraft has continued to expand. A major problem is that there has been a corresponding increase in the need for better fitting protection equipment and unfortunately it has become increasingly difficult for aircrew members to find equipment that will provide this level of fit. While protection equipment has, historically had poor fit characteristics, the issue has grown tremendously with the recent increase in the numbers of minorities and women. Fundamental to this problem are the archaic methods for sizing individual equipment and the methods for establishing a sizing system. This paper documents recent investigations by the author into developing new methods to overcome these problems. Research centered on the development of a new statistically based method for describing form and the application of fuzzy clustering using the new shape descriptors. A sizing system was developed from the application of the research, prototype masks were constructed and the hardware tested under flight conditions.
Internal corrosion in semiconductor gas delivery systems may lead to increased particle counts in downstream fabrication tools and to catastrophic failure of the delivery system itself. The problem is particularly acute since, once the corrosion begins, it becomes a moisture reservoir to further damage the system. To keep gas systems as moisture free as possible semiconductor manufacturers employ drying filters, usually located just after the source of the process gas. Even so, the piping for corrosive gases may need to be rebuilt every few years. Careful monitoring of the moisture in the process gases can provide valuable information about the state of the gas handling system and its effect on the process integrity. Presently there are several technologies costing $50K or less that are capable of detecting trace water vapor as low as 50 ppb in N{sub 2}. However, no one type of instrument has achieved universal acceptance. In particular, all have limited compatibility with corrosive gases such as HCl and HBr. The goal of this project is to develop an in-line instrument based on infrared spectroscopy for this purpose. Earlier results leave no doubt that FTIR spectroscopy can be successfully used for trace water detection. However, important questions regarding optimal data analysis and instrument design are not yet fully answered. It is the goal of this research effort to answer these questions and to incorporate the findings into a prototype device suitable for commercialization.
A description of the flow field in an overflow wafer rinse process is presented. This information is being used in an initiative whose principal objective is to reduce the usage of water in wafer rinsing. The velocity field is calculated using finite-element numerical techniques. A large portion of the water does not contribute to wafer rinsing.
Photovoltaic (PV) modules and photovoltaic balance of systems equipment are designed, manufactured, and marketed internationally. Each country or group Of countries has a set of electrical safety codes, either in place or evolving, that guide and regulate the design and installation of PV power systems. A basic difference in these codes is that some require hard (low-resistance) grounding (the United States and Canada) and others opt for an essentially ungrounded system (Europe and Japan). The significant design and safety issues that exist between the two grounding concepts affect the international PV industry`s ability to economically and effectively design and market safe, reliable, and durable PV systems in the global market place. This paper will analyze the technical and safety benefits, penalties, and costs of both grounded arid ungrounded PV systems. The existing grounding practice in several typical countries will be addressed.
Conservatively, there are 100,000 localities in the world waiting for the benefits that electricity can provide, and many of these are in climates where sunshine is plentiful. With these locations in mind a prototype 30 kW hybrid system has been assembled at Sandia to prove the reliability and economics of photovoltaic, diesel and battery energy sources managed by an autonomous power converter. In the Trimode Power Converter the same power parts, four IGBT`s with an isolation transformer and filter components, serve as rectifier and charger to charge the battery from the diesel; as a stand-alone inverter to convert PV and battery energy to AC; and, as a parallel inverter with the diesel-generator to accommodate loads larger than the rating of the diesel. Whenever the diesel is supplying the load, an algorithm assures that the diesel is running at maximum efficiency by regulating the battery charger operating point. Given the profile of anticipated solar energy, the cost of transporting diesel fuel to a remote location and a five year projection of load demand, a method to size the PV array, battery and diesel for least cost is developed.
Ceramics offer significant performance advantages over other engineering materials in a great number of applications such as turbocharger rotors and wear components. However, to realize their full market potential, ceramics must become more cost competitive. One way to achieve such competitiveness is to maximize manufacturing yield via process optimization. One simple optimization strategy involves maximizing yield by decreasing product variability (e.g., by operating in a regime that is inherently process tolerant). This paper extends this concept to the simultaneous optimization of many material characteristics, which is more typical of the requirements of a real ceramic manufacturing operation.
Extensive simulations of Tokamak disruptions have provided a picture of material erosion that is limited by the transfer of energy from the incident plasma to the armor solid surface through a dense vapor shield. Radiation spectra were recorded in the VUV and in the visible at the Efremov Laboratories on VIKA using graphite targets. The VUV data were recorded with a Sandia Labs transmission grating spectrograph, covering 1--40 nm. Plasma parameters were evaluated with incident plasma energy densities varying from 1--10 kJ/cm{sup 2}. A second transmission grating spectrograph was taken to 2MK-200 at TRINITI to study the plasma-material interface in magnetic cusp plasma. Target materials included POCO graphite, ATJ graphite, boron nitride, and plasma-sprayed tungsten. Detailed spectra were recorded with a spatial resolution of {approximately}1 mm resolution. Time-resolved data with 40--200 ns resolution was also recorded. The data from both plasma gun facilities demonstrated that the hottest plasma region was sitting several millimeters above the armor tile surface.
In the past few years much effort has been devoted to finding faster and more convenient ways to exchange data between nodes of massively parallel distributed memory machines. One such approach, taken by Thorsten von Eicken et al. is called Active Messages. The idea is to hide message passing latency and continue to compute while data is being sent and delivered. The authors have implemented Active Messages under SUNMOS for the Intel Paragon and performed various experiments to determine their efficiency and utility. In this paper they concentrate on the subset of the Active Message layer that is used by the implementation of the Split-C library. They compare performance to explicit message passing under SUNMOS and explore new ways to support Split-C without Active Messages. They also compare the implementation to the original one on the Thinking Machines CM-5 and try to determine what the effects of low latency and low band-width versus high latency and high bandwidth are on user codes.
SUNMOS is an acronym for Sandia/UNM Operating System. It was originally developed for the nCUBE-2 MIMD supercomputer between January and December of 1991. Between April and August of 1993, SUNMOS was ported to the Intel Paragon. This document provides a quick overview of how to compile and run jobs using the SUNMOS environment on the Paragon. The primary goal of SUNMOS is to provide high performance message passing and process support an example of its capabilities, SUNMOS Release 1.4 occupies approximately 240K of memory on a Paragon node, and is able to send messages at bandwidths of 165 megabytes per second with latencies as low as 42 microseconds using Intel NX calls. By contrast, Release 1.2 of OSF/1 for the Paragon occupies approximately 7 megabytes of memory on a node, has a peak bandwidth of 65 megabytes per second, and latencies as low as 42 microseconds (the communication numbers are reported elsewhere in these proceedings).
Sandia National Laboratories became seriously involved in the science education reform movement in 1989 in response to a Department of Energy directive: ``We must expand our involvement in science education to inspire the youth of American to either enter or feel more comfortable in the fields of math, science and engineering. With our labs and facilities we are uniquely well positioned to provide major assistance in strengthening science and engineering motivation and education, making it `come alive` for the main body of students who too often fear these disciplines or who cannot relate to them``. (Adm. James D. Watkins, U.S. Sec`t. of Energy, 9/5/89)
Functioning, matrixed, field emission devices have been fabricated using a modification of standard integrated circuit fabrication techniques. The emitter-to-gate spacing is fixed by the thickness of a deposited oxide and not by photolithographic techniques. Modeling of the emitted electron trajectories using a two dimensional, Poisson solver, finite difference code indicates that much of the current runs perpendicular to plane of the part. Functioning triode structures have been fabricated using this approach. Emission current, to a collector electrically and physically separated from the matrixed array follows Fowler-Nordheim behavior.
Market-place acceptance of utility-connected photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems and their accelerated installation into residential and commercial applications are heavily dependent upon the ability of their power conditioning subsystems (PCS) to meet high reliability, low cost, and high performance goals. Many PCS development efforts have taken place over the last 15 years, and those efforts have resulted in substantial PCS hardware improvements. These improvements, however, have generally fallen short of meeting many reliability, cost and performance goals. Continuously evolving semiconductor technology developments, coupled with expanded market opportunities for power processing, offer a significant promise of improving PCS reliability, cost and performance, as they are integrated into future PCS designs. This paper revisits past and present development efforts in PCS design, identifies the evolutionary improvements and describes the new opportunities for PCS designs. The new opportunities are arising from the increased availability and capability of semiconductor switching components, smart power devices, and power integrated circuits (PICS).
The term ``TNT Equivalence`` is used throughout the explosives and related industries to compare the effects of the output of a given explosive to that of TNT. This is done for technical design reasons in scaling calculation such as for the prediction of blast waves, craters, and structural response, and is also used as a basis for government regulations controlling the shipping, handling and storage of explosive materials, as well as for the siting and design of explosive facilities. TNT equivalence is determined experimentally by several different types of tests, the most common of which include: plate dent, ballistic mortar, trauzl, sand crush, and air blast. All of these tests do not necessarily measure the same output property of the sample explosive. As examples of this, some tests depend simply upon the CJ pressure, some depend upon the PV work in the CJ zone and in the Taylor wave behind the CJ plane, some are functions of the total work which includes that from secondary combustion in the air mixing region of the fireball and are acutely effected by the shape of the pressure-time profile of the wave. Some of the tests incorporate systematic errors which are not readily apparent, and which have a profound effect upon skewing the resultant data. Further, some of the tests produce different TNT Equivalents for the same explosive which are a function of the conditions at which the test is run. This paper describes the various tests used, discusses the results of each test and makes detailed commentary on what the test is actually measuring, how the results may be interpreted, and if and how these results can be predicted by first principals based calculations. Extensive data bases are referred to throughout the paper and used in examples for each point in the commentaries.
For PZT films deposited on Pt coated substrates, remanent polarization is a monotonic function of thermal expansion of the substrate, a result of 90{degree} domain formation occurring as the film is cooled through the transformation temperature. PZT film stress in the vicinity of the Curie point controls 90{degree} domain assemblages within the film. PZT films under tension at the transformation temperature area-domain oriented; whereas, films under compression at the transformation temperature are c-domain oriented. From XRD electrical switching of 90{degree} domains is severely limited. Thus, formation of these 90{degree} domains in vicinity of the Curie point is dominant in determination of PZT film dielectric properties. Chemically prepared PZT thin films with random crystallite orientation, but preferential a-domain orientation, have low remanent polarization (24 {mu}C/cm{sup 2}) and high dielectric constant (1000). Conversely, PZT films of similar crystalline orientation, but of preferential c-domain orientation, have large remanent polarizations (37 {mu}C/cm{sup 2}) and low dielectric constants (700). This is consistent with single-crystal properties of tetragonally distorted, simple perovksite ferroelectrics. Further, for our films that grain size - 90{degree} domain relationships appear similar to those in the bulk. The effect of grain size on 90{degree} domain formation and electrical properties are discussed.
MELCOR is a fully integrated, engineering-level computer code, being developed at Sandia National Laboratories for the USNRC, that models the entire spectrum of severe accident phenomena in a unified framework for both BWRs and PWRS. As part of an ongoing assessment program, the MELCOR computer code has been used to analyze a series of blowdown tests performed in the early 1980s at General Electric. The GE large vessel blowdown and level swell experiments are a set of primary system thermal/hydraulic separate effects tests studying the level swell phenomenon for BWR transients and LOCAS; analysis of these GE tests is intended to validate the new implicit bubble separation algorithm added since the release of MELCOR 1.8.2. Basecase MELCOR results are compared to test data, and a number of sensitivity studies on input modelling parameters and options have been done. MELCOR results for these experiments also are compared to MAAP and TRAC-B qualification analyses for the same tests. Time-step and machine-dependency calculations were done to identify whether any numeric effects exist in our GE large vessel blowdown and level swell assessment analyses.
The prompt neutron generation time for the Annular Core Research Reactor was experimentally determined using a prompt-period technique. The resultant value of 25.5 {mu}s agreed well with the analytically determined value of 24 {mu}s. The three different methods of reactivity insertion determination yielded {+-}5% agreement in the experimental values of the prompt neutron generation time. Discrepancies observed in reactivity insertion values determined by the three methods used (transient rod position, relative delayed critical control rod positions, and relative transient rod and control rod positions) were investigated to a limited extent. Rod-shadowing and low power fuel/coolant heat-up were addressed as possible causes of the discrepancies.
The introduction of the hazards assessment process is to document the impact of the release of hazards at the Advanced Manufacturing Processes Laboratory (AMPL) that are significant enough to warrant consideration in Sandia National Laboratories` operational emergency management program. This hazards assessment is prepared in accordance with the Department of Energy Order 5500.3A requirement that facility-specific hazards assessments be prepared, maintained, and used for emergency planning purposes. This hazards assessment provides an analysis of the potential airborne release of chemicals associated with the operations and processes at the AMPL. This research and development laboratory develops advanced manufacturing technologies, practices, and unique equipment and provides the fabrication of prototype hardware to meet the needs of Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico (SNL/NM). The focus of the hazards assessment is the airborne release of materials because this requires the most rapid, coordinated emergency response on the part of the AMPL, SNL/NM, collocated facilities, and surrounding jurisdiction to protect workers, the public, and the environment.
A review of US and Japanese experiences with using microelectronics consortia as a tool for strengthening their respective industries reveals major differences. Japan has established catch-up consortia with focused goals. These consortia have a finite life targeted from the beginning, and emphasis is on work that supports or leads to product and process-improvement-driven commercialization. Japan`s government has played a key role in facilitating the development of consortia and has used consortia promote domestic competition. US consortia, on the other hand, have often emphasized long-range research with considerably less focus than those in Japan. The US consortia have searched for and often made revolutionary technology advancements. However, technology transfer to their members has been difficult. Only SEMATECH has assisted its members with continuous improvements, compressing product cycles, establishing relationships, and strengthening core competencies. The US government has not been a catalyst nor provided leadership in consortia creation and operation. We propose that in order to regain world leadership in areas where US companies lag foreign competition, the US should create industry-wide, horizontal-vertical, catch-up consortia or continue existing consortia in the six areas where the US lags behind Japan -- optoelectronics, displays, memories, materials, packaging, and manufacturing equipment. In addition, we recommend that consortia be established for special government microelectronics and microelectronics research integration and application. We advocate that these consortia be managed by an industry-led Microelectronics Alliance, whose establishment would be coordinated by the Department of Commerce. We further recommend that the Semiconductor Research Corporation, the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centers, and relevant elements of other federal programs be integrated into this consortia complex.
Inside this issue: (1) Robotic cleaning safer, faster, more reliable; robots taught how to clean in seconds instead of days. (2) Microporous insulating films can boost microcircuit performance; films display improved dielectric constant, mechanical properties, (3) Life-cycle analysis: the big picture; cradle-to-grave environmental analysis tailored to the needs of defense manufacturing, (4) New simulation tool predicts properties of forged metal; internal state variable model improves design, speeds development time.
This report summarizes the results from MELCOR calculations of severe accident sequences in the ABWR and presents comparisons with MAAP calculations for the same sequences. MELCOR was run for two low-pressure and three high-pressure sequences to identify the materials which enter containment and are available for release to the environment (source terms), to study the potential effects of core-concrete interaction, and to obtain event timings during each sequence; the source terms include fission products and other materials such as those generated by core-concrete interactions. Sensitivity studies were done on the impact of assuming limestone rather than basaltic concrete and on the effect of quenching core debris in the cavity compared to having hot, unquenched debris present.
An experimental technique is described to launch an intact ``chunk,`` i.e. a 0.3 cm thick by 0.6 cm diameter cylindrical titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) flyer, to 10.2 km/s. The ability to launch fragments having such an aspect ratio is important for hypervelocity impact phenomenology studies. The experimental techniques used to accomplish this launch were similar but not identical to techniques developed for the Sandia HyperVelocity Launcher (HVL). A confined barrel impact is crucial in preventing the two-dimensional effects from dominating the loading response of the projectile chunk. The length to diameter ratio of the metallic chunk that is launched to 10.2 km/s is 0.5 and is an order of magnitude larger than those accomplished using the conventional hypervelocity launcher. The multi-dimensional, finite-difference (finite-volume), hydrodynamic code CTH was used to evaluate and assess the acceleration characteristics i.e., the in-bore ballistics of the chunky projectile launch. A critical analysis of the CTH calculational results led to the final design and the experimental conditions that were used in this study. However, the predicted velocity of the projectile chunk based on CTH calculations was {approximately} 6% lower than the measured velocity of {approximately}10.2 km/S.
Integrated Service digital Network, ISDN, technology is an integral component of Sandia National Laboratories telecommunications infrastructure. ISDN is a fully digital telephone service that allows simultaneous voice and data communication from the same telephone instrument. Almost all ISDN phones in use at Sandia/New Mexico and most ISDN phones at Sandia/California have a built-in module for data communication. This user guide describes the use and operation of ISDN data module and services as they are installed at Sandia.
LUGSAN (LUG and Sway brace ANalysis) is a analysis and database computer program designed to calculate store lug and sway brace loads from aircraft captive carriage. LUGSAN combines the rigid body dynamics code, SWAY85 and the maneuver calculation code, MILGEN, with an INGRES database to function both as an analysis and archival system. This report describes the operation of the LUGSAN application program, including function description, layout examples, and sample sessions. This report is intended to be a user`s manual for version 1.1 of LUGSAN operating on the VAX/VMS system. The report is not intended to be a programmer or developer`s manual.
SKYDOS evaluates skyshine dose from an isotropic, monoenergetic, point photon source collimated by three simple geometries: (1) a source in a silo; (2) a source behind an infinitely long, vertical, black wall; and (3) a source in a rectangular building. In all three geometries, an optical overhead shield may be specified. The source energy must be between 0.02 and 100 MeV (10 MeV for sources with an overhead shield). This is a user`s manual. Other references give more detail on the integral line-beam method used by SKYDOSE.
