Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) was evaluated as a potential technological improvement over the Coast Guard`s existing side-looking airborne radar (SLAR) for oil-spill surveillance applications. The US Coast Guard Research and Development Center (R&D Center), Environmental Branch, sponsored a joint experiment including the US Coast Guard, Sandia National Laboratories, and the Naval Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Hazardous Materials Division. Radar imaging missions were flown on six days over the coastal waters off Santa Barbara, CA, where there are constant natural seeps of oil. Both the Coast Guard SLAR and the Sandia National Laboratories SAR were employed to acquire simultaneous images of oil slicks and other natural sea surface features that impact oil-spill interpretation. Surface truth and other environmental data were also recorded during the experiment. The experiment data were processed at Sandia National Laboratories and delivered to the R&D Center on a computer workstation for analysis by experiment participants. Issues such as optimal spatial resolution, single-look vs. multi-look SAR imaging, and the utility of SAR for oil-spill analysis were addressed. Finally, conceptual design requirements for a possible future Coast Guard SAR were outlined and evaluated.
Sandia National Laboratories was tasked by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to perform a Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) of a boiling water reactor (BWR) during low power and shutdown (LP&S) conditions. The plant chosen for the study was Grand Gulf Nuclear Station (GGNS), a BWR 6. In performing the analysis, it was found that in comparison with full-power PRAs, the low decay heat levels present during LP&S conditions result in a relatively large number of ways by which cooling can be provided to the core. In addition, because of the less stringent requirements imposed on system configurations possible is large and the availability of plant systems is more difficult to specify. These aspects of the LP&S environment led to the development and use of ``generic`` event trees in performing the analysis. The use of ``generic`` event trees, in turn, had a significant impact on the nature of the human reliability analysis (HRA) that was performed. This paper describes the development of the event trees for the LP&S PRA and important aspects of the resulting HRA.
The computer program, DMC (Distinct Motion Code), which was developed for simulating the rock motion associated with blasting, has been used to study the influence of row delay timing on rock motion. The numerical simulations correspond with field observations in that very short delays (< 50ms) and very long delays (> 300ms) produce a lower percent-cast than a medium delay (100 to 200 ms). The DMC predicted relationship between row delay timing and percent-cast is more complex than expected with a dip in the curve where the optimum timing might be expected. More study is required to gain a full understanding of this phenomenon.
When presented with a new supercomputer most users will first ask {open_quotes}How much faster will my applications run?{close_quotes} and then add a fearful {open_quotes}How much effort will it take me to convert to the new machine?{close_quotes} This paper describes some lessons learned at Sandia while asking these questions about the new 1800+ node Intel Paragon. The authors conclude that the operating system is crucial to both achieving high performance and allowing easy conversion from previous parallel implementations to a new machine. Using the Sandia/UNM Operating System (SUNMOS) they were able to port a LU factorization of dense matrices from the nCUBE2 to the Paragon and achieve 92% scaled speed-up on 1024 nodes. Thus on a 44,000 by 44,000 matrix which had required over 10 hours on the previous machine, they completed in less than 1/2 hour at a rate of over 40 GFLOPS. Two keys to achieving such high performance were the small size of SUNMOS (less than 256 kbytes) and the ability to send large messages with very low overhead.
A model of permeability changes in rock salt is developed and implemented in a time-dependent finite element code. Model parameters are developed from laboratory tests. The model is used to predict permeability changes adjacent to excavations in rock salt.
The purpose of this paper is to present a preliminary estimate of the nuclear-related public health risk presented by launching and operating the Russian TOPAZ II space reactor as part of the Nuclear Electric Propulsion Space Test Program (NEPSTP). This risk is then compared to the risks from the operation of commercial nuclear power reactors and previously planned and/or launched space nuclear power missions. For the current mission profile, the initial estimate of the risk posed by launching and operating TOPAZ II is significantly less (at least two orders of magnitude) than that estimated for prior space nuclear missions. Even allowing for the large uncertainties in this estimate, it does not appear that the NEPSTP mission will present a significant health risk to the public.
The WETCOR-1 test of simultaneous interactions of a high-temperature melt with water and a limestone/common-sand concrete is described. The test used a 34.1-kg melt of 76.8 w/o Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, 16.9 w/o CaO, and 4.0 w/o SiO{sub 2} heated by induction using tungsten susceptors. Once quasi-steady attack on concrete by the melt was established, an attempt was made to quench the melt at 1850 K with 295 K water flowing at 57 liters per minute. Net power into the melt at the time of water addition was 0.61 {plus_minus} 0.19 W/cm{sup 3}. The test configuration used in the WETCOR-1 test was designed to delay melt freezing to the walls of the test fixture. This was done to test hypotheses concerning the inherent stability of crust formation when high-temperature melts are exposed to water. No instability in crust formation was observed. The flux of heat through the crust to the water pool maintained over the melt in the test was found to be 0.52 {plus_minus} 0.13 MW/m{sup 2}. Solidified crusts were found to attenuate aerosol emissions during the melt concrete interactions by factors of 1.3 to 3.5. The combination of a solidified crust and a 30-cm deep subcooled water pool was found to attenuate aerosol emissions by factors of 3 to 15.
A structural analysis methodology has been developed for the NASA 2.5-inch frangible nut used on the Space Shuttle. Two of these nuts are used to secure the External Tank to the aft end of the Orbiter. Both nuts must completely fracture before the Orbiter can safely separate from the External Tank. Ideally, only one of the two explosive boosters contained in each nut must detonate to completely break a nut. However, after an uncontrolled change in the Inconel 718 material processing, recent tests indicate that in certain circumstances both boosters may be required. This report details the material characterization and subsequent structural analyses of nuts manufactured from two lots of Inconel 718. The nuts from the HSX lot were observed to consistently separate with only one booster, while the nuts from the HBT lot never completely fracture with a single booster. The material characterization requires only tensile test data and the determination of a tearing parameter based on a computer simulation of a tensile test. Subsequent structural analyses using the PRONTO2D finite element code correctly predict the differing response of nuts fabricated from these two lots. This agreement is important because it demonstrates that this technique can be used to screen lots of Inconel 718 before manufacturing frangible nuts from them. To put this new capability to practice, Sandia personnel have transferred this technology to the Pyrotechnics Group at NASA-JSC.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is planning to launch a network of scientific probes to Mars beginning in late 1996. The precursor to this network will be PATHFINDER. Decelerating PATHFINDER from the high speed of its approach to Mars will require the use of several deceleration techniques working in series. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has proposed that gas bags be used to cushion the payload`s ground impact on Mars. This report presents the computer code, BAG, which has been developed to calculate the pneumatic performance of gas bag impact attenuators and the one-dimensional rigid-body dynamic performance of a payload during ground impact.
Graph partitioning is a fundamental problem in many scientific settings. This document describes the capabilities and operation of Chaco, a software package designed to partition graphs. Chaco allows for recursive application of any of several different methods for finding small edge separators in weighted graphs. These methods include inertial, spectral, Kernighan-Lin and multilevel methods in addition to several simpler strategies. Each of these methods can be used to partition the graph into two, four or eight pieces at each level of recursion. In addition, the Kernighan-Lin method can be used to improve partitions generated by any of the other methods. Brief descriptions of these methods are provided, along with references to relevant literature. The user interface, input/output formats and appropriate settings for a variety of code parameters are discussed in detail, and some suggestions on algorithm selection are offered.
This document, the Stockpile Dismantlement Database (SDDB) training materials is designed to familiarize the user with the SDDB windowing system and the data entry steps for Component Characterization for Disposition. The foundation of information required for every part is depicted by using numbered graphic and text steps. The individual entering data is lead step by step through generic and specific examples. These training materials are intended to be supplements to individual on-the-job training.
This report is a followup to the work presented in NUREG/CR-5423 addressing early failure of a BWR Mark I containment by melt attack of the liner, and it constitutes a part of the implementation of the Risk-Oriented Accident Analysis Methodology (ROAAM) employed therein. In particular, it expands the quantification to include four independent evaluations carried out at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Argonne National Laboratories, Sandia National Laboratories and ANATECH, Inc. on the various portions of the phenomenology involved. These independent evaluations are included here as Parts II through V. The results, and their integration in Part I, demonstrate the substantial synergism and convergence necessary to recognize that the issue has been resolved.
A discrete element computer program, DMC (Distinct Motion Code) was developed to simulate blast-induced rock motion. To simplify the complex task of entering material and explosive design parameters as well as bench configuration, a full-featured graphical interface has been developed. DMC is currently executed on both Sun SPARCstation 2 and Sun SPARCstation 10 platforms and routinely used to model bench and crater blasting problems. This paper will document the design and development of the full-featured interface to DMC. The development of the interface will be tracked through the various stages, highlighting the adjustments made to allow the necessary parameters to be entered in terms and units that field blasters understand. The paper also discusses a novel way of entering non-integer numbers and the techniques necessary to display blasting parameters in an understandable visual manner. A video presentation will demonstrate the graphics interface and explains its use.
This report describes the source term estimation codes, XSORs. The codes are written for three pressurized water reactors (Surry, Sequoyah, and Zion) and two boiling water reactors (Peach Bottom and Grand Gulf). The ensemble of codes has been named ``XSOR``. The purpose of XSOR codes is to estimate the source terms which would be released to the atmosphere in severe accidents. A source term includes the release fractions of several radionuclide groups, the timing and duration of releases, the rates of energy release, and the elevation of releases. The codes have been developed by Sandia National Laboratories for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in support of the NUREG-1150 program. The XSOR codes are fast running parametric codes and are used as surrogates for detailed mechanistic codes. The XSOR codes also provide the capability to explore the phenomena and their uncertainty which are not currently modeled by the mechanistic codes. The uncertainty distributions of input parameters may be used by an. XSOR code to estimate the uncertainty of source terms.
Silica glass fibers have been produced and tested under ultra high vacuum (UHV) conditions to investigate the inert strength of pristine fibers in absence of reactive agents. Analysis of the coefficient of variation in diameter ({upsilon}{sub d}) vs the coefficient of variation of breaking strength ({upsilon}{sub {sigma}}) does not adequately explain the variation of breaking stress. Distribution of fiber tensile strength data suggests that the inert strength of such fibers is not single valued and that the intrinsic strength is controlled by defects in the glass. Furthermore, comparison of room temperature UHV data with LN{sub 2} data indicates that these intrinsic strengths are not temperature dependent.
A chemical vapor deposition technique is used to produce amorphous boron nitride and carbon thin films on high strength silica glass fibers. In this method, the fiber is drawn under ultra high vacuum conditions and low pressure process gases, in the presence of a hot tungsten filament, are used to grow films at low substrate temperatures. Films deposited with this technique do not degrade the intrinsic pristine strength of the silica fibers under dry conditions and, when stressed in chemically aggressive environments, act as effective barrier coatings.
A non-contact system for alignment of objects on mass properties measuring instruments is described. Test parts can be aligned to within the capabilities of the user and the fixture to make the adjustments. The current implementation can align objects to less than .001 inches at two points with final requested adjustments of a few ten-thousands of an inch. The non-contact capability allows the alignment of objects which are too compliant or fragile for traditional contacting measurement methods. Also, this system allows the definition of a reference axis on objects which are not perfectly symmetric. The reference axis is defined at the top of the object by an appropriate marker and defined at the bottom by a best fit circle through the surface at a specified height. A general description of the hardware, procedures, and results are presented for the non-user. Appendices which contain a complete description of the software, usage, and mathematical implementation are provided for the reader who is interested in using or further developing the system.
A comprehensive review of experimental base pressure and base heating data related to supersonic and hypersonic flight vehicles has been completed. Particular attention was paid to free-flight data as well as wind tunnel data for models without rear sting support. Using theoretically based correlation parameters, a series of internally consistent, empirical prediction equations has been developed for planar and axisymmetric geometries (wedges, cones, and cylinders). These equations encompass the speed range from low supersonic to hypersonic flow and laminar and turbulent forebody boundary layers. A wide range of cone and wedge angles and cone bluntness ratios was included in the data base used to develop the correlations. The present investigation also included preliminary studies of the effect of angle of attack and specific-heat ratio of the gas.
Materials used in the optical elements of a 1,061 m GSGG (gadolinium scandium gallium garnet) laser have been tested for transient radiation-induced absorption. The transient radiation-induced absorption in KK1, Schott S7005 and S7010, and M382 glasses have been determined for discrete wavelengths in the range 440--750 nm. Also, the transient radiation-induced absorption in {open_quotes}pure{close_quotes} and MgO doped LiNbO{sub 3} has been measured at 1,061 nm. Mathematical expressions composed of exponentials are fitted to the data.
This report was prepared at the request of the US Department of Energy`s Office of Energy Management for an objective comparison of the merits of battery energy storage with superconducting magnetic energy storage technology for utility applications. Conclusions are drawn regarding the best match of each technology with these utility application requirements. Staff from the Utility Battery Storage Systems Program and the superconductivity Programs at Sandia National contributed to this effort.
This report summarizes the effort to quantify the electromagnetic environments in the nuclear explosive areas at Pantex due to direct lightning. The fundamental measure of the threat to nuclear safety is assumed to be the maximum voltage between any two points in an assembly area, which is then available for producing arcing or for driving current into critical subsystems of a nuclear weapon. This maximum voltage has been computed with simple analytical models and with three-dimensional finite-difference computer codes.
The expert panel identified basic principles to guide current and future marker development efforts: (1) the site must be marked, (2) message(s) must be truthful and informative, (3) multiple components within a marker system, (4) multiple means of communication (e.g., language, pictographs, scientific diagrams), (5) multiple levels of complexity within individual messages on individual marker system elements, (6) use of materials with little recycle value, and (7) international effort to maintain knowledge of the locations and contents of nuclear waste repositories. The efficacy of the markers in deterring inadvertent human intrusion was estimated to decrease with time, with the probability function varying with the mode of intrusion (who is intruding and for what purpose) and the level of technological development of the society. The development of a permanent, passive marker system capable of surviving and remaining interpretable for 10,000 years will require further study prior to implementation.
The EXPO was organized to increase communication between US industry and DOE`s national laboratories. The report contains copies of viewgraphs of all speakers and reports of workshops designed to identify priority needs of industry. A conference synopsis and set of recommendations to DOE are also included.
Research in recent years has demonstrated the efficient use of solar thermal energy for driving endothermic chemical reforming reactions in which hydrocarbons are reacted to form synthesis gas (syngas). Closed-loop reforming/methanation systems can be used for storage and transport of process heat and for short-term storage for peaking power generation. Open-loop systems can be used for direct fuel production; for production of syngas feedstock for further processing to specialty chemicals and plastics and bulk ammonia, hydrogen, and liquid fuels; and directly for industrial processes such as iron ore reduction. In addition, reforming of organic chemical wastes and hazardous materials can be accomplished using the high-efficiency destruction capabilities of steam reforming. To help identify the most promising areas for future development of this technology, we discuss in this paper the economics and market potential of these applications.
All of American industry is being subjected to increased competitive pressures due to customer needs for shorter cycle times and better quality. The investment casting industry could be in a unique position to satisfy these needs by incorporating several emerging technologies into production processes. The inherent versatility and flexibility of casting make it a truly agile manufacturing process. Because of its compatibility with new rapid prototyping technologies, investment casting could be one of the key vehicles in the new ``art to part`` paradigm. Recently, dramatic advances have been made in the quality of wax and plastic patterns, parts, and tooling by investment casting on time scales unheard of today. Because design and acquisition of tooling contributes heavily to the lead time for any market, these advances will strengthen the position of investment casting manufacturers and customers, and create opportunities in traditional and non-tradition markets. Key to achieving this goal is to use the technology to remove uncertainties from investment casting process. To do this, we must collectively build the infrastructure to enable investment casting companies to make parts right the first time, every time. Integration of mature and on-the-horizon technologies will make this revolution possible and create large growth in markets for investment castings.
